I'm happy to welcome Katie Christine to the blog today. Katie pens the Impeccable Petunia series of which THE TWO TAILS is part two.
Kathy: In CLAWS, PAWS, FEATHERS, AND JAWS, Impeccable Petunia Part One, we meet Petunia, a backyard chicken. Why did you choose a chicken to be your protagonist?
KC: One evening my husband, Jon (and illustrator) remarked that he’d read somewhere chickens can see more colors than people. I found that to be fascinating.
As I started researching chickens, I discovered that alongside lovely and varied personalities and appearances, they exhibit some dark tendencies. If one steps out of place, the consequences can be quite violent.
It made me think of women and our pecking orders. In addition to my affinity for animals, it seemed as good a place to start as any.
Kathy: Petunia lives surrounded by malicious gossip. Have you ever had to deal with nasty gossip?
KC: Oh yes, but I think that’s true for many women, if not most. We’re social creatures for better or for worse. It’s a way to learn about our world while chewing through the boredom. It can give us tremendous power over others. I’ve been through these types of situations myself and seen them happen countless times to others. It doesn’t always end well and it’s never pretty.
Kathy: This series is considered general fiction. Do you write in any other genres?
KC: Yes. My next novel will veer more into the Noir/Crime/Mystery genre. It will focus less on female relationships and more on the deep, familial bonds that carry us through the darkest parts of our lives.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
KC: I tried to pack this story of animals with as human an element as possible. I intended it to be tense and humorous but also unflinching. At the core, it’s really a story of what it’s like to be female, how it feels to be different and what happens when your world falls apart.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
KC: Melaina. She always seems to have an answer that’s both equally right and obtuse. I adore her frankness. I wish I had more of that myself.
KC: Melaina. She always seems to have an answer that’s both equally right and obtuse. I adore her frankness. I wish I had more of that myself.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
KC: It comes from and is inspired by life as a woman. We can be completely savage with one another from when we’re young until the day we die. There’s no specific time or place or person these stories come from. Of course, there are many pieces from the many people I’ve met and experiences I’ve had that have been woven together within the guise of a hen flock and the world that surrounds them.
KC: It comes from and is inspired by life as a woman. We can be completely savage with one another from when we’re young until the day we die. There’s no specific time or place or person these stories come from. Of course, there are many pieces from the many people I’ve met and experiences I’ve had that have been woven together within the guise of a hen flock and the world that surrounds them.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
KC: I’ve always enjoyed writing. I wanted to see where I could go with it. It seemed at the time the hardest part was having an idea. I had one, so I went with it. It’s taken me a lot longer to produce something that I’m happy with from that idea than I would like, but he we are.
KC: I’ve always enjoyed writing. I wanted to see where I could go with it. It seemed at the time the hardest part was having an idea. I had one, so I went with it. It’s taken me a lot longer to produce something that I’m happy with from that idea than I would like, but he we are.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
KC: Gore Vidal, Jane Austen, Mark Twain and Amy Tan. I think it would be a lively evening!
KC: Gore Vidal, Jane Austen, Mark Twain and Amy Tan. I think it would be a lively evening!
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
KC: Classic noir at the moment—Dashiell Hammett, THE THIN MAN, THE MALTESE FALCON, and IN A LONELY PLACE, by Dorothy B. Hughes.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
KC: I love to garden, although I’m not out there as often as I’d like. I have an unending appetite for new music. I don’t care which genre. If it’s good and makes me feel something, I’ll listen to it. I have an obsession with classic cinema.
KC: Classic noir at the moment—Dashiell Hammett, THE THIN MAN, THE MALTESE FALCON, and IN A LONELY PLACE, by Dorothy B. Hughes.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
KC: I love to garden, although I’m not out there as often as I’d like. I have an unending appetite for new music. I don’t care which genre. If it’s good and makes me feel something, I’ll listen to it. I have an obsession with classic cinema.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
KC: Rice, pasta, some leftover pizza and a bottle of Sriracha.
KC: Rice, pasta, some leftover pizza and a bottle of Sriracha.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
KC: Yes and yes. I have a departure from Petunia coming for my next novel that I intend to publish end of next year or early 2021. It’s more into the noir arena, but still with animals.
After that, I have more Petunia on the horizon along with another novel. Life’s going to be busy!
KC: Yes and yes. I have a departure from Petunia coming for my next novel that I intend to publish end of next year or early 2021. It’s more into the noir arena, but still with animals.
After that, I have more Petunia on the horizon along with another novel. Life’s going to be busy!
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
KC: The satisfaction of the intense focus that comes from creativity. When I’m on and my head’s where it needs to be, it’s a hard feeling to beat.
KC: The satisfaction of the intense focus that comes from creativity. When I’m on and my head’s where it needs to be, it’s a hard feeling to beat.
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THE TWO TAILS by Katie Christine
Impeccable Petunia Part II
Tired of being kept in the big house and beyond tired of Bernadette,
Petunia longs to see her friend Macy. She's desperate to warn him that
animal control has been called, even though she's not quite certain what
that means. She's stunned when she finally sees the big cat, who has
grievous injuries from the fight that saved Petunia from the other
chickens. Falsely accused of killing a hen the woman has called animal
control who take Macy away. A nefarious raccoon who needs Macy back
persuades Petunia to accompany him. Will one little chicken and a street
smart raccoon be able to save Macy? One thing is certain, Petunia's
world will never be the same.
Friendship and loyalty are at the center of THE TWO TAILS. Chaos, struggle, and death reside there as well. As with Part I, Part II holds no punches. It is grim. It's a harsh world and horrible things happen. There is also resiliency. Sometimes you can achieve more than you ever believed and fortunately Petunia is able to do that. Other characters are not so lucky, though perhaps deserving of their fate.
Not a lighthearted read it is nonetheless fascinating. Watching the power struggles, wondering at the motives, wondering who will survive kept me reading ever onward. Once again, we are left with a bit of a cliffhanger, though not as major as the end of Part I. The main plot was resolved, but once again, the story didn't really end. Still it was a gripping read.
Friendship and loyalty are at the center of THE TWO TAILS. Chaos, struggle, and death reside there as well. As with Part I, Part II holds no punches. It is grim. It's a harsh world and horrible things happen. There is also resiliency. Sometimes you can achieve more than you ever believed and fortunately Petunia is able to do that. Other characters are not so lucky, though perhaps deserving of their fate.
Not a lighthearted read it is nonetheless fascinating. Watching the power struggles, wondering at the motives, wondering who will survive kept me reading ever onward. Once again, we are left with a bit of a cliffhanger, though not as major as the end of Part I. The main plot was resolved, but once again, the story didn't really end. Still it was a gripping read.
THE TWO TAILS is a harrowing look at life, death, and community.
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