Truffles Interviews...Pluckie from Lost Under a Ladder by Linda O. Johnston (w/Review & Giveaway)

Hey everybody, it's Truffles! Today I'm interviewing Pluckie, the cute canine star of Lost Under a Ladder, the first Superstition Mystery by Linda O. Johnston. The publisher is generously giving away SIX copies of the book, so make sure you enter for your chance to win!

I hope you enjoy the interview...

Welcome, Pluckie! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to live with Rory?
We were originally from Los Angeles. Rory used to work there for a chain pet store, and she always loved animals, especially dogs, but she enjoys cats, too. She rescued me from a shelter, and the rest was history! Now, she won't go anywhere without me, and it's not just because she considers me good luck. We're family.

Does your name have any special meaning?
Well, even though the word "plucky" is spelled differently from my name, Rory tells me that I'm the pluckiest dog she ever met.

What is a typical day like for you?
We live in Destiny, California now, a town all about superstitions. We've been staying at the Rainbow Bed and Breakfast, so we get up early in the morning and go for a walk along Fate Street. Then we return for breakfast. Rory gets hers in the dining room and gives me good dog stuff--as well as an occasional human snack. After that, we walk to the Lucky Dog Boutique on Destiny Boulevard, which isn't far. Rory runs the place. She has some nice assistants, but mostly we stay there and she sells lots of good superstition-related pet products to the many tourists who visit us. Sometimes she gets coffee at the Beware of Bubbles Coffee Shop, or picks up lunch at the Wishbones to Go Cafe. There are several places we sometimes go for dinner, with or without friends, including the Shamrock Steakhouse. We walk some more, and then it's time for bed.

It must be so cool having a Mommy that owns her own pet boutique. Do you get to try out lots of new fun stuff?
Rory doesn't actually own it. She runs it for its real owner, Martha Jallopia, who lives upstairs. Martha's a senior lady and has some health issues. In fact, the reason we've stayed in Destiny is that I happened to catch Martha's scent when we first arrived. She'd collapsed in the back room of the Lucky Dog Boutique, and I insisted that Rory come take a look at what I sensed was a problem. Martha was sure she'd be fine when she first saw me, since I'm a black and white dog and we're good luck. Martha is okay now but she begged Rory to stay and run the shop for her.

Yes, I do get to try new fun stuff, especially since everything in the Lucky Dog Boutique is related to superstitions, which is the whole theme of Destiny. The good luck I provide seems to be increased by the good luck collars, leashes and clothes I wear, food I eat, and toys I get to play with.

How do you feel about kitties?
I pretty much like cats, even though I bark at them and chase them sometimes. I have to say that I do worry about the black cats I sense and see a lot around Destiny. Rory says that having one cross your path is supposedly bad luck, so people around Destiny try to stay away from them.

What kinds of trouble do you and Rory get into in Lost Under a Ladder?
As I mentioned, our adventures started out after I found ill Martha in the Lucky Dog Boutique. We're in Destiny because Rory's fiancé Warren walked under a ladder and was struck by a car and killed a little while afterward, and Rory's trying to figure out if that means superstitions are real. They seem to be real in Destiny. The owner of the Broken Mirror Bookstore next door, who also wrote the famous book The Destiny of Superstitions, first trips on spilled milk and later is murdered, and I have to help Rory figure out who killed him since Martha winds up being the main suspect.

Your town revolves around superstitions. Do doggies have any superstitions or is that just a silly human thing?
Well, I'm not about to tell anyone they're wrong and that black and white dogs aren't lucky after all. Of course we are! And even if black cats aren't unlucky to us, they're definitely fun to chase. I can't really cross my toes but I sometimes consider knocking my head gently against wood to try to protect Rory.

Can you tell us anything about your upcoming adventures?
I'm not allowed to talk much about it since that could be bad luck, but my Rory gets involved in solving another murder of an important citizen of Destiny. Of course I'm there to help her and provide good luck.

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Blurb: Is it luck or is it . . . Destiny?

Are superstitions real? Rory Chasen doesn't think so—until her beloved fiancé walks under a ladder and is killed by a car five minutes later. Needing closure, Rory takes her dog Pluckie to a town called Destiny, where superstitions are a way of life.

Rory's visit to Destiny takes an unexpected turn when Pluckie saves the life of Martha, the owner of the Lucky Dog Boutique. To show her gratitude, Martha offers Rory a job at the pet store. But when Martha becomes the prime suspect in the murder of the local bookshop owner, Rory refuses to believe that she would do it. Rory is convinced the real killer still roams Destiny's streets, and she must uncover the truth before Martha is hauled off to jail.

Tortie Shorties

Book reviews that are short and sweet...just like Truffles!

A little back story: I was extremely fortunate to get the chance to read an early copy of this book from NetGalley. I was right in the middle of it in early July when my Mom had a heart attack. Those precious moments stealing a few moments to read here and there during those terribly stress-filled days saved my sanity, so this mystery really means a lot to me.

Rory is such a fantastic character; I feel as though she could easily be my best friend if she were a real person. As the assistant manager of the store MegaPets, she is obsessed with pet stores and intends to own one someday. I would love to work in a pet shop, especially a fun little pet boutique. She is completely devoted to her spaniel-terrier mix Pluckie, and is a voracious reader, especially books that involve animals. 

I am also crazy about the setting. The town of Destiny has stores styled in the ornate styles of the California Gold Rush Days. How I would love to visit such a place, especially the Lucky Dog Boutique. Destiny's obsession with superstitions is a lot of fun too. Some I had heard of, many I had not. Did you know that to meet a spotted or black and white dog on your way to a business appointment is lucky?

A precious pup, great characters, and a delightful cozy setting...we give this debut 4 paws up!

About This Author

Linda O. Johnston’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the year.   Since then, Linda, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published more short stories, novellas, and 37 romance and mystery novels, including the Pet Rescue Mystery Series, a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, plus Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as the Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne.

Her latest cozy mystery series, the Superstition Mysteries from Midnight Ink, kicks off in October 2014 with LOST UNDER A LADDER.  Linda believes that reading the Superstition Mysteries will bring good luck!

Author Links
Webpage:  www.LindaOJohnston.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaOJohnston

Purchase Links
AMAZON B&N

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