Mudpie Interviews...Ling-Ling from Elaine Faber's Mrs.Odboddy Mystery Series (w/Giveaway)

Meows from Mudpie!

Today we have a bit of a different book feature for you. I'm interviewing a cross-eyed Siamese named Ling-Ling, the feline star of Elaine Faber's brand new mystery, Mrs. Odboddy, Hometown Patriot: A WWII tale of chicks and chicanery, suspicion and spies. You may recognize Elaine's name from her Black Cat mystery series, which we've spotlighted here over the past couple years.

This book isn't a cat mystery, but Ling-Ling does play a role in the story line. We find the World War 2 setting to be very interesting because my grandma was a little girl during that time and two of her brothers fought in the war, so Mommy has heard many stories about that time period. I hope you enjoy our little chat!

Welcome Ling-Ling, thank you so much for chatting with me today! Could you start by telling us a little about yourself and how you came to live with Mrs. Odboddy?

I was quite happy living with Lilly Chang’s family in Newbury, CA. In December, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked and President Roosevelt sent all the Japanese Americans to an Internment Camp, including Lilly’s family, so Agnes Odboddy took me home with her.

What is a typical day like for you?

I wake Agnes every morning about 7:00 AM. After breakfast and a nap, we may go into the Victory Garden where Agnes grows vegetables. Some days she stays home and I help her can vegetables, but most days she volunteers at the Ration Office, the coast watch, the knitting circle, collecting papers and cans, or rolling bandages at the hospital. She says it’s important, because she’s fighting the war from the home front.

Mrs. Odboddy sounds like a very unique human...can you tell us more about her?

Mrs. Odboddy lives with her granddaughter, Katherine. She works at the ‘Curls to Dye For’ Beauty Salon and does the hair and make-up at the Whistlemeyer mortuary. That turned into a cat-astrophe, but you’ll have to read the book to learn more.

What kinds of trouble do the two of you get into in the new novel you star in, Mrs. Odboddy Hometown Patriot?

I’m a very good kitty and never get into trouble. Oh wait. One day Agnes brought home six chickens and kept them in the bathroom for three days until our friend Jackson Jackson could build a coop. Now, I ask you, what self-respecting feline could tolerate chickens in the bathroom without carrying out a Black Ops mission to annihilate the enemy? Chickens? Birds? They’re fair game, right? When all was said and done, Agnes had one less chicken. Oops!

Most of the time, Agnes gets into trouble without my help. Like when she thought ration books were being stolen and sold on the Black Market. Or, accusing someone of poisoning her best friend, or burning down the watch tower. Things always get messier and funnier until she works through the problem.

The book takes place during World War 2...many, many years ago. How were things different then than in the 21st century?

Too many things to mention: TV was a novelty. No cell phones. 35-mph speed limit. Rationing affected everything and everybody. All factories started making war products. Though this is a humorous mystery/adventure, we included commonly known WWII facts and involved Agnes in some WWII events most have never heard of. A romance is woven into the storyline when much to her chagrin, Agnes’s long lost lover returns intent on reigniting their relationship.

Any final thoughts for your fans before they begin reading your new adventure?

Mrs. Odboddy-Hometown Patriot is a WWII tale of chicks and chicanery, suspicion and spies. It is a riotous romp with Agnes Odboddy, fighting WWII from the home front, exposing conspiracies and Nazi spies, even if she’s wrong. When Mrs. Roosevelt comes to town to attend a funeral, Agnes’s fears become reality and she must prove she is, indeed, a hometown patriot.

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From the publisher: Since the onset of WWII, Agnes Agatha Odboddy, hometown patriot and self-appointed scourge of the underworld, suspects conspiracies around every corner…stolen ration books, German spies running amuck, and a possible Japanese invasion off the California coast. This seventy-year-old, model citizen would set the world aright if she could get Chief Waddlemucker to pay attention to the town's nefarious deeds on any given Meatless Monday.

Mrs. Odboddy vows to bring the villians, both foreign and domestic, to justice, all while keeping chickens in her bathroom, working at the Ration Stamp Office, and knitting argyles for the boys on the front lines.

Imagine the chaos when Agnes’s long-lost WWI lover returns, hoping to find a million dollars in missing Hawaiian money and rekindle their ancient romance. In the thrilling conclusion, Agnes’s predictions become all too real when Mrs. Roosevelt unexpectedly comes to town to attend a funeral and Agnes must prove that she is, indeed, a warrior on the home front.

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Elaine Faber is a member of Sisters in Crime, Inspire Christian Writers and Cat Writers Association.

Elaine’s cozy cat mysteries include Black Cat’s Legacy; Black Cat and the Lethal Lawyer, Black Cat and the Accidental Angel, and Mrs. Odboddy–Hometown Patriot, all available at Amazon.

Elaine lives in Elk Grove, CA, with her husband of 53 years. They share their home with four house cats, the inspiration for her Black Cat Mysteries. The Agnes Odboddy character is a figment of Elaine’s vivid imagination and not at all based on her own quirky personality.

Elaine.Faber@mindcandymysteries.com (email)

http://www.mindcandymysteries.com (Website)

Mrs. Odboddy-Hometown Patriot http://tinyurl.com/hdbvzsv

Giveaway: Leave a comment by noon eastern on Friday, February 26th for your chance to win an ebook copy of Mrs. Odboddy. Open worldwide!