Truffles Interviews...Marshmallow from Nancy Coco's To Fudge or Not To Fudge (w/Review)

Hey everybody, it's Truffles! Today I'm interviewing Marshmallow, the canine star of Nancy Coco's To Fudge or Not to Fudge. The book will be in stores and on e-readers everywhere tomorrow. We LOVED it and you can read our review below. Enjoy :)

Welcome, Marshmallow! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for my readers. Can you tell us how you came to live with Allie?

Ruf (hi) I was a gift to Allie from her reservation manager Frances, who thought Allie needed someone to look after her and keep the bad guys away.

By the way, cool name! You're Marshmallow and I'm Truffles...we should create our own fudge recipe!

Yes! (pirouettes) But it needs to be made of white chocolate and carob so we don't get sick. Allie has several yummy white chocolate fudge recipes in the book.

What is a typical day like for you on Mackinac Island?

Allie gets up really early to work in the fudge shop. I accompany her downstairs and get a treat. Then I curl up on my downstairs bed and take a nap. After the first few batches of fudge are done and the sun comes up, I have to take Allie for a walk and inspect the back alley for all the neighborhood gossip. Frances needs a walk about mid day and we go down Main Street. I look out for bad guys and meet my friends. The streets are full of cool new people and their dogs and then there are the giant dogs that pull the carriages. Allie calls them horses. The scary part is the bicycles. People forget to watch for small dogs and I have to stick close to Frances. I like the fact that we are surrounded by the lake because there are all kinds of cool smells and fish and birds and things in the water to chase after.

How do you feel about kitties?

I like kitties. They are fun to play with. But I have learned that kitties will bop you on the nose if they don't want to play. I don't mind. I just go find someone else to play with. We have lots of new people come to the McMurphy and they like it when I do my tricks for them.

You had quite the adventure in To Fudge or Not To Fudge! You simply must dish about what you found in the bushes!

Oh! There was this really great stink coming from the lilacs. I went to see what it was and found a sock! I love socks. But my nose told me there was more under there so I left the sock with Allie and went back to work. I dug out this really tasty stinky shoe thing. It rattled when I shook it and all these bones flew out! I showed them to Allie, but she sort of freaked out...

What other kinds of mischief do you like to get into?
One of my favorite things to do is to take off at a run in the lobby of the McMurphy and then slide toward the fudge shop. I'm not allowed in the fudge shop. That's where the wood floor becomes tile. But sometimes I'll slide right across or I'll knock into someone. It's so much fun!

Do you have any idea what your upcoming adventures will be?

I've been told there may be a kitty in my future. I hope they don't bop me on the nose. Oh, and I take my job very seriously. I have to help Allie by showing her where the smoke is coming from and let her know when bad guys are about. With so many new people and cool places to explore, I am the luckiest pup in the world!

Thanks for having me! Ruf, ruf! *sits, shakes, lies down and rolls over*

Blurb: Mulch Ado About Murder...

With summer in bloom and tourists afoot, Allie is out walking her pup, Mal, when the curious canine digs up a bone from under a flowering lilac bush. The bone leads to a toe that's missing a body. For the successful confectionaire it's only the first in a series of sour events in the middle of the island's Lilac Fest. When her stint on a cooking reality show swirls up a trail of foul play, Allie will have to outwit a cunning killer if she wants to continue living la dolce vida. . .

What Made Us Purr:

* Mackinac Island: How is this the first time that I've heard of this beautiful place? Bicycle trails, horse-drawn carriages, no cars, fudge, the Victorian feel. I wish I could book a vacation there today!

* Fudge: Need I say more? This book contains several mouth-watering recipes that I look forward to trying. I'll be starting with the Easy Dark Chocolate Paddy's Peppermint Fudge. (I'll skip the poisoned fudge, though.)

* An unusual mulch additive: The first murder victim had the extreme misfortune of ending up in a chipper-shredder and spread all over town. (I wonder if it would be considered organic or inorganic?)

* Mal & Daisy: These two pups, a bichon/poodle puppy and Saint Bernard respectively, had waaaay too much fun digging up bones all over the island!

* Lilac Festival: Lilacs are my favorite flower, so a festival celebrating the beauties, complete with a lilac tea and fudge, is right up my alley.

* The killer: One of my favorite characters ended up being the killer! Actually, one of the creepiest killers I've run across in a cozy lately!

Final Catcall: This mystery is a vacation between the pages of a book. If you've never been to Mackinac Island, you will long to visit, and if you have, the story will help you to recall all of your wonderful memories.