Mudpie Interviews...Milton & Pearl from Ruth J. Hartman's Bookshop Kitties Mystery Series

 

When children’s book author, Christy Bailey, receives a call from her aunt Betty to help out at her bookshop, she drops everything to go. Christy packs up her two cats—Milton and Pearl, the stars of her children's mystery books—and leaves busy Philadelphia for tiny Green Meadow, Indiana. The timing of the call is perfect, as Christy’s letch of an ex-boyfriend has just cleaned out her savings, leaving Christy with a pile of unpaid bills and a desire to start over. And what better place to do that than a charming small town in Middle America?

But when Christy reaches her aunt's bookshop, instead of small town hospitality she finds a dead body! Even worse, her aunt is passed out in the corner, hands covered in blood. The dead woman is an old frenemy of her Aunt Betty, and while Christy knows her aunt is innocent, the local detective isn't so sure. With Milton and Pearl prowling for clues, Christy is determined to find the real killer and clear her aunt's name... before her story ends in tragedy!

Minnie and Pearl steal the show in this debut of the Bookshop Kitties series, both as the stars of the mystery itself, and also of the children's book series their devoted human Christy writes.

When Christy returns to Great Meadow following a painful breakup to help Aunt Betty run her bookshop, she's hoping for a simpler life, not expecting to find herself smack dab in the middle of a murder mystery. The victim was hated by many people in town so there's no shortage of suspects, many of which are pretty unlikeable themselves. It's a good thing Christy's fearless, feisty felines are also on the case, eager to help sniff out clues and claw the bad guys.

A purrfect cat cozy that will leave readers meowing for more!  

Mudpie was very excited to have the opportunity to interview Milton & Pearl, the feline stars of this series. We hope you enjoy learning more about them!

Welcome, Milton & Pearl! 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 Christy?

Hi, this is Milton! My sister, Pearl, and I had been abandoned in a Philadelphia alley as tiny kittens before we went to live with Christy. We love her! Pearl and I are from the same litter, so we’ve always been close. But having Christy as our mom completed our family.

What's a typical day like for you?

Hello, this is Pearl! Milton and I love to hang out in Aunt Betty’s bookstore where we live now in Indiana. Lots of interesting customers come in, and give us plenty of attention, which we deserve! Sometimes when Christy isn’t working, she takes us for outdoor rides in our stroller or on leashes for a walk. We kind of like the stroller better though. Walking can be hard exercise for sleepy kitties.

In addition to being the feline stars of the new Bookshop Kitties mystery series, you're also the stars of children's books written by your human. Can you tell us more about these books, and if your soon-to-be adoring public might one day be able to read them?

Dial M for Meow is the first one the public gets to read! It’s coming out on January 10th and we’re so excited! We had so much fun helping Christy write the book. She values our opinions and says that we’re awesome furry editors too. In Dial M for Meow, the books we’re in are for children, but the ones our human writes are for big people.

Back to the Bookshop Kitties series, do you have a paw in helping Christy solve the mystery?

Hi, Milton again. Yes we do! Pearl and I work together to search for clues and help point Christy to possible suspects. I must say, we’re very good at our job. And Christy says she couldn’t do it without us.

What are some of your favorite things to do when you're not sleuthing? (Toys, treats, nap spots...)

Well, I have to admit, Pearl and I do nap quite a bit. Although as cats, that’s one of our main jobs. Christy and Aunt Betty are both really good about giving us treats, even though sometimes we wish they wouldn’t make us wait for them so long. When kitties get empty tummies, it doesn’t always go well, right? We also like to bat things around. Sometimes the object we’re playing with turns out to be a clue for Christy to use!

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

Hey, Pearl again. We’re ready to pounce on any and all clues in upcoming mysteries! We can’t wait for whatever our next adventure might be. Milton, Christy and I want to thank you for interviewing us!

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About the Author:

Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. She, her husband, and their cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats sit in the people’s recliners. Not that the cats couldn’t get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else’s.

Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who seem to find trouble without even trying.

Ruth’s husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her despite her insistence all of her books have at least one cat in them. See updates about her cozy mysteries at Ruthjhartman.com.

Author Links:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ruth.j.hartman

Website https://www.ruthjhartman.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/ruthjhartman

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3312900.Ruth_J_Hartman

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