Truffles Interviews: Toria from Sparkle Abbey's Downton Tabby (w/Giveaway)

Hey everybody, Truffles at the keyboard! Today I'm chatting with Toria, the feline guest star in Sparkle Abbey's brand new Pampered Pets mystery, Downton Tabby. She's a beautiful Scottish Fold cat, so I took this opportunity to learn more about her breed. I just hope I don't have any trouble understanding Scottish accents...

Truffles: Welcome, Toria! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for us today. Could you start by telling us a little about yourself and how you came into contact with Caro the animal therapist?

Toria: Caro is a great animal therapist and well-liked in the animal community. Although I think we all agree the term "animal therapist" really isn't quite right as it is usually the behavior of the humans that need correction.

You have a very beautiful name...does it have any special meaning?

Thank-you, Truffles. My name does have a special meaning. My full name is Victoria Susie Cash. My human named me Victoria for Queen Victoria who was one of the first royals to take an interest in protecting animals. ​The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was formed in 1837, and in 1840 Queen Victoria gave permission to add "Royal" to the name. The RSPCA is the oldest and largest animal welfare organizations in the world and is one of the largest charities in the UK.

Do you really have anger management issues or do you just have a misunderstood purr-sonality?

I have no idea what they were talking about with anger management issues. I am very sweet-tempered. There was this small problem with the next door neighbor​, but he completely over-reacted. I was not angry. I was just giving him a wee bit of a warning.

Since this is a mystery series, someone in your life must get murdered. What kinds of trouble do you and Caro get into in Downton Tabby?

Well, I went to the office with Graham Cash, my human, and he had to run back to our house and left me with Caro. I like Caro a lot but I explained to her that I needed to get home for my mid-morning sunning. She seemed to understand but once we got to the house, she left me in the carrier and went out to the patio. Then suddenly the house was filled with medical humans and police humans. I kept asking what was going on, but no one would answer me. They just kept saying, "It's okay, kitty." Finally, I heard them talking with Caro and it seems my human was missing and his partner, Jake, was dead. Poor Jake. Humans don't have nine lives, like we do. ​

Does Caro take you home with her and how does that work out after living in a Tudor-inspired mansion?

Caro did take me home with her and while I truly enjoyed staying with her and her place is quite nice, I'm afraid I was a little homesick. Two other felines, Thelma and Louise, live with Caro and it was nice to hang out with them. However, from what I could overhear when Caro was on the phone, it sounds like my human​ is in a bit of trouble.

Lastly, can you tell us about your breed, the Scottish Fold?

All Scottish Fold cats today can trace their heritage back to Susie, a white cat from Scotland's Tayside region. Susie lived with a farmer and was a good mouser but she had unusual folded ears. A shepherd, William Ross, noticed her in 1961 and when she had kittens, he adopted one of the females and named her Snooks. Snooks had kittens and one of her litter had kittens with a British Shorthair. Soon it was determined that the ear thing was a dominant trait, which meant that if one parent had straight ears and the other folded ears, their kitten would have the folded ears. ​Some people call us "Lop-Eared" cats but I much prefer "Scottish Fold" after my ancestor, Susie, the Scot.

Thanks so much for letting me stop by, Truffles. I'll keep you posted on what happens with my ​human and his problems. We felines have to keep a close eye on things!

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From the publisher: Anyone for tea and crumpets...and murder? 

Caro Lamont, amateur sleuth and well-respected animal therapist to Laguna Beach’s pampered pets, works with office mate and tech wizard, Graham Cash, whose beloved Scottish Fold tabby cat, Toria, is purported to have anger management issues. But when Caro drops by the charming Brit’s Tudor-inspired mansion to return Toria, she finds his business partner dead and Cash missing.

Caro is left with the cuddly cat and a lot of unanswered questions. Is Cash the killer, or has he been kidnapped? What’s up with the angry next door neighbor? And what about Cash’s girlfriend, Heidi, who isn't sharing everything she knows with homicide detective Judd Malone?

Suddenly there are more secrets and intrigues than there are titles in England. Add in a stranger in a dark SUV stalking Caro, feisty senior sidekick, Betty, hiding in restaurant shrubbery, and wannabe investigative reporter Callum MacAvoy who seems to be constantly underfoot, and you've got a cat and mouse mystery of the first order.

Caro’s got to solve this murder before the killer lets the cat out of the bag.

About the authors: Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series. The pen name was created by combining the names of their rescue pets--Sparkle (Mary Lee's cat) and Abbey (Anita's dog). They reside in central Iowa, but if they could write anywhere, you would find them on the beach with their laptops and, depending on the time of day, with either an iced tea or a margarita. Visit them at sparkleabbey.com.

Giveaway: Leave a comment by noon eastern on Monday, June 1st for the chance to win your choice of any Sparkle Abbey Pampered Pets book in ebook or print!