Mudpie Interviews...Wizard from Connie di Marco's Zodiac Mystery Series

From the publisher: The stars predict a wedding-day disaster, but San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti never expected murder

Julia Bonatti is alarmed by the astrological signs looming over Geneva Leary’s wedding day, but nobody asked Julia’s opinion and being a bridesmaid means supporting the bride no matter what. Even with the foreboding Moon-Mars-Pluto lineup in the heavens, no one’s prepared for the catastrophes that strike: a no-show sister, a passed-out wedding planner, and a lethal shooting in the dead of night.

With anger and grief threatening to tear the Leary family part, Julia is determined to understand how such a terrible tragedy could occur. As she digs deeper into the family’s secrets, her astrological insights will lead her to the truth about a criminal enterprise that stretches far beyond the California coast.

Welcome, Wizard! 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 Julia? 

Thank you for inviting me, Melissa. I’m honored to be appearing on your site.

I adopted Julia a few years ago. I was a delightful little kitten who was separated from my mother and brothers and sisters and got lost in downtown San Francisco. I was terrified, but I found shelter in an old theater in North Beach. Julia’s grandmother, Gloria, was sewing the costumes for a production and Julia was helping her out. That’s how I met her. At first, I did my best to hide in the rafters and find food when I could. Everybody thought the theater had rats. I was totally insulted when someone in the cast spotted my black tail and screamed. She thought I was a rat! Can you imagine that? I am the bane of any rat’s existence!

It was Julia who finally caught me. I struggled to get away but she wouldn’t let go. She fell in love with me of course. How could she not? I’m gorgeous and sleek and all black. She really needed me because she was so alone after her fiancé died. In fact, I can take the credit for bringing her back to life. It was a very good thing for Julia that I agreed to stay with her.

What's a typical day like for you?

Well, I like to nap a lot and eat twice a day with treats too. Julia buys me the very best cat food she can find. She knows I wouldn’t be happy with anything less. I have my own special spots around the apartment. There’s Julia’s bed of course, my bed really. I have a little hearth rug in front of the fireplace. And I like to sit in the client’s chair when Julia’s working on astrological charts. She needs my input sometimes.

One of my favorite spots is our neighbor’s roof. We live on the second floor and I can hop out my kitty door from the kitchen, and jump from our landing on to our neighbor’s one-story roof. It’s a nice spot to scratch my back and bask in the sun. Julia worries about me when I do that, but I’m fine. I know what I’m doing.

Julia and I like to watch movies together. She likes old sci-fi movies from the 50’s with mummies and werewolves and things. I like them too. I sit on her lap and stick my nose in her popcorn. If she’s busy working on the computer and hasn’t been paying enough attention to me, I climb on her lap or lay on the keyboard. But I usually try to behave when her clients come to the apartment.

What's it like to live with an astrologer? Do kitties have astrological signs too?

I like it a lot that Julia works at home. She’s around most of the time, except when she’s running around the city trying to solve a murder. That I don’t like! I want her to be home with me all day. Sigh. I really have to struggle to be understanding.

And yes, of course we have astrological signs. I happen to be a Taurus, one of the most wonderful signs of the zodiac. Julia’s done my chart and keeps an eye on my transits. I’m steadfast and loyal. I’m sensual. I’m big and strong and I enjoy the very best of everything, like expensive food and crocheted comforters to sleep on. I like to sleep with Julia. I purr a lot and that helps her sleep. I don’t know what she’d do without me in her life.

Tell us about All Signs Point to Murder, the second book in the Zodiac mystery series you star in.

Well, I wasn’t very happy when all those things were going on. Julia was a bridesmaid at her friend’s wedding and she was so busy getting things ready, she was totally neglecting me. She was worried about my being all alone in the apartment, so she took me to her grandmother’s house for a few days. It was nice, but it wasn’t the same as being home, even though I got lots of treats and her grandmother didn’t want me to leave.

When we finally got home, Julia was in and out, in and out, for days, trying to solve a murder. She got herself into a lot of trouble. I saw her when she came home and I was very worried about her. I let her know. I crawled on her lap and kneaded her tummy until she felt better. She really is a lot of work sometimes!

With a name like Wizard do you have any magical powers that enable you to help Julia solve the mysteries she becomes embroiled in?

Well, I’m telepathic of course. I pick up all sorts of vibrations and smells. Julia’s finally getting to the point where she can read my thoughts. I just have to look at her and she knows what I want. But best of all, I can let her know which clients I like and which ones I don’t. Unfortunately, she tells me to shush, they’re still her clients even if I don’t approve of them. She reminds me we need the money to buy my very expensive cans of Fancy Beast!

Can you give us any clues as to what's next for you guys?

Oh, more murders and more adventures. I prefer to stay close to home, not like Julia, but I’ll keep the homefires burning as they say.

There’s a man in the next book, Tail of the Dragon, who has his eye on her. I don’t think I like him. So I had to let her know right away. I am very jealous. I gave her a good view of my backside to let her know what I thought of another man in her life! I wouldn’t tolerate that at all. If worse comes to worst, I might have to find someone else to adopt, even though I’m very happy at home and adore my mistress. But if she has another man in her life, I might just run away. What do you think? Would Julia be upset if I did? I’ll have to ponder that . . .

About the Author: Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries from Midnight Ink, featuring San Francisco astrologer, Julia Bonatti. The first in the series, The Madness of Mercury, was released in June 2016 and the second, All Signs Point to Murder, available for pre-order now, will be released on August 8, 2017.

Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. Some of her favorite recipes can be found in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Connie is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.conniedimarco.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zodiacmysteries/

Twitter: @askzodia

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14751339.Connie_Di_Marco

Author Central: amazon.com/author/conniedimarco


Purchase Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pD81gk

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