Truffles Interviews: Nutty from The Icing on the Corpse by Liz Mugavero (w/Review & Giveaway

Hey everybody, it's Truffles! Today I'm chatting with Nutty, the feline star of Liz Mugavero's fantastic Pawsitively Organic mystery series. He's a really cool kitty whose character is based on Liz's real life cat Tuffy, who just happens to be a star in his own right! Enjoy the interview...purrs :)

Welcome, Nutty! Thank you so much for joining me today. Could you start by telling us a little about yourself and how you came to live with Stan in Frog Ledge?

Hi Truffles! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. I love visiting with fellow feline friends.

I came to Frog Ledge quite by accident, actually. For that matter, I came to my mom by accident. I had an unfortunate encounter with a car and ended up in someone’s yard licking my wounds. That someone ended up being my furever home with Stan. We lived in the city for a while, but then last year we moved out here to Frog Ledge because Mom wanted a change. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it’s really cool—we have birds and cows and all kinds of dog and cat friends around town who come to visit. I don’t get to go outside, but I have a great view from lots of windows!

Is there any special meaning behind your name?

Mom says no, but I heard her tell someone I was a “nut” right after she brought me inside. Something about how I used to scream at the windows and doors to get out. Soon after that, she started calling me Nutty. I choose to believe it’s because of the lovely color of my fur—chestnut :)

What is a typical day like for you?

I wake up when I’m hungry, or if the dogs are having one of their tedious barking fests. As you may know, I live with a Schnoodle and a pit bull. For the record, I’m in charge. Anyway, they go outside and do their thing, and then we all eat breakfast together.

If Mom is home baking, I usually spend most of my day in the kitchen waiting for samples. If she’s out, I spend the day going from window perch to window perch for different views and some nap time. I don’t like to admit it, but sometimes I snuggle with one of the dogs. They’re quite simple animals, but affectionate and sometimes it’s nice to have companionship. Then dinner rolls around, usually followed by some cuddle time with Mom in her den. Sometimes that man and his dog come over (Jake and Duncan) and then it gets a little crowded, but we make it work. And Mom always gives me extra snacks at night, so it’s my favorite time of day!

I understand Stan cooks all of your food and bakes organic pet treats as her business. That sounds like a wonderful environment to live in! Do you get to snack on samples all day?

My food is delightful. Don’t tell her, but it’s one of the main reasons I decided to stay with Mom. She makes me real food—meat, potatoes, fish, veggies—and she’s a fabulous baker. I do get to sample quite often, although she tries to limit me lately and says that I’ve got a few extra pounds on me. I think it’s quite rude, actually.

What kinds of trouble do you and Stan get into in The Icing on the Corpse?

The Icing on the Corpse might be our biggest adventure yet! There’s all kinds of things going on in town—groundhogs, ghosts, murders, you name it. And, Mom got to bake a treat for a groundhog, which I thought was kind of weird, but she was excited. I ended up testing the flavor for her, too, so I couldn’t badmouth it too much. I can’t say too much about the story—Mom said not to give it all away—but we hope you check out the book!

Tell us about your new friend Benedict.

Bad enough I have to put up with canines, but now I had another feline foisted on me…

Benedict comes to us because of some of the events in the book. Mom feels bad for him because he’s homeless, and you can probably guess where things went from there. He’s orange, and everyone raves about his color and how handsome he is. That makes me a little annoyed because I am, after all, a Maine coon—there is no feline more extraordinary. Well, except for torties…

But I guess he’s okay.

Photo: Liz Mugavero

Your character is based upon your author's cat Tuffy, who is quite famous in his own right. Could you introduce us to Tuffy?

Tuffy is a gorgeous Maine coon as well, and his story is similar to mine—he was rescued from the neighborhood and came inside to live where it’s safe. Tuffy was able to tell his story in the book Rescued: The Stories of 12 Cats, Through Their Eyes. You can check it out here.

http://www.amazon.com/Rescued-Stories-Cats-Through-Their/dp/1941433006/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426093156&sr=1-2&keywords=rescued

And Tuffy has his own Facebook page too, if you’d like to follow his escapades: https://www.facebook.com/Tuffymusepawsitivelyorganicmysteries

Mom really should get on that for me….

Any clues as to what's next for you and Stan?

In the next book, we’re leaving Frog Ledge for the weekend. Mom gets invited to a fancy chef event in Newport, Rhode Island. But seriously, Mom can’t seem to go anywhere without problems…I hear one of the chefs doesn’t make it through the weekend alive. But I’m sure Mom will save the day. She always does!

Thanks again for having me, Truffles! It was great to hang out with you today.

Blurb: Kristan "Stan" Connor is thrilled to be invited to the Groundhog Day festivities in quirky Frog Ledge, Connecticut. Her organic, home-baked pet treats are a big hit at the annual celebration, though an important guest is curiously absent . . .

When Helga Oliver, the town's elderly historian, is found crumpled in the basement of the Historical Museum, the close-knit town is devastated. But after some tenacious digging, Stan discovers Helga was pushed down the stairs—and that this picture-perfect New England town may hide some dark secrets . . .

Stan's dogged determination reveals Helga's ties to an unsolved death in 1948 . . . but how does that connect to Adrian Fox, who's just arrived in town to shoot an episode of Celebrity Ghost Hunters? Stan is going to have to be very careful in chasing down the killer—if she wants to live to see another winter . . .

In this third book in Liz Mugavero's Pawsitively Organic Mystery series, Stan is experiencing her very first Groundhog Day in Frog Ledge by having the honor of being chosen this year's gift-giver to the adorable Lilypad the groundhog. The proceedings are halted when town historian Helga goes missing, only to be found dead at the foot of the stairs in the museum's basement. Since she's 87 her death is written off as a tragic accident, but librarian Betty Meany tells Stan confidentially that she believes it was murder, and asks her to look into it. She agrees because Helga was like a surrogate grandmother to her boyfriend Jake.

Coincidentally (or not) at the same time a ghost hunter TV crew shows up in Frog Ledge to investigate Stan's friend Izzy's under-construction bookstore and reveals that in 1949 a boxer was murdered in the old building. Apparently Helga had been asking questions about the old case and uncovering hidden secrets in town that somebody wanted to leave buried. Before long Stan finds herself hopelessly entwined in a tangled web with seemingly everyone upset with her for one reason or another, even Jake. 

This mystery really has something for everyone, whether you're a fan of modern-day cozies, paranormal or historical. When all of the events come to light it's quite heartbreaking and a total page-turner. I love reading about Stan and her little world, where in addition to the murder, she is hired to put together a doggie wedding, and the addition of a new four-legged member to her family! I loved every moment of this book and can't wait for the next in the series.

About this Author: Liz Mugavero is a corporate communications consultant and animal lover from the Boston area, whose canine and feline rescues demand the best organic food and treats around. Her short stories have been published in the UK and Australia, and her essays have appeared in national publications Skirt! and Sassee Magazine for Women.

Author Links
http://www.lizmugavero.com; https://twitter.com/lizmugavero;
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6475412.Liz_Mugavero;
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liz-Mugavero/329291780446231;

Purchase Links
Amazon Indie Bound B&N Book Depository

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