Kathy: Hercules and Owen are very special cats. How did you decide to grant them their powers?
SK: Among other things, I’ve always wanted to be able to walk through walls or become invisible. With Owen and Hercules I get to do that—at least fictionally!
Kathy: I currently have 6 cats, having just adopted a rescue from Syria. Do you have cats of your own?
SK: First, I have to say thank you for adopting a rescue cat. That’s wonderful!
As for me, my husband is very allergic to cats so I don’t have any of my own, but I do have “cat friends.” Mac is a tuxedo cat who lives three houses away. He comes for a visit at least once a day, usually twice. He likes to have a nap in the sunshine on my deck. Little Sister is a gray tabby who also comes to see me every day. She’s very talkative and will nudge me to sit on the steps so she can lay her head on my lap and I can scratch the side of her face. I tease my husband that if he dies first, I’m getting a cat!
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
SK: I like the fact that the good guys win in the end and the bad guys lose—something that doesn’t always happen in real life. I like the relationships between the characters that develop over the course of a cozy series. Many cozy mysteries are set in a small town and that’s a setting I love because I grew up in a small town.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
SK: At the moment I don’t write in other genres, but in the past I’ve written young adult novels and a picture book. And I do write bad poetry but I don’t show that to many people.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
SK: The Magical Cats mysteries are set in the small town of Mayville Heights, Minnesota and feature librarian Kathleen Paulson and her two cats, Owen and Hercules. The cats are not typical house cats and they use their special abilities to help Kathleen solve crimes.
I also write the Second Chance Cat series as Sofie Ryan. It features re-purpose store owner Sarah Grayson; Charlotte’s Angels, a group of senior sleuths; the world’s oldest computer hacker; and Elvis, a black cat with an uncanny ability to sniff out a lie.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
SK: I think Owen and Hercules have to be my favourite characters. They have qualities and personality traits from several cats I’ve known.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
SK: I knew the series would have to have at least one cat because I am very much a cat person. The town of Mayville Heights was inspired by a video about the town of Red Wing, Minnesota, that I accidentally discovered on-line. I was captivated by the town.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
SK: I’ve wanted to be a writer since I discovered that books were written by actual people. I also wanted to be a TV director, move to Hollywood and marry actor Michael Cole—which will give you an idea of how old I am!
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
SK: Shakespeare. I’d love to learn about his writing process. Was he an plotter or a pantser? Lawrence Block, because When the Sacred Ginmill Closes is one of my favourite books. Kurt Vonnegut. He’s one of my favourite authors. And sci-fi writer, Becky Chambers, who is the author of the Wayfarer series. I wouldn’t have to do anything other than sit and listen while they all talked.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
SK: I’m reading Hank Phillippi Ryan’s Trust Me. It’s very good and no, we’re not related. I’m also reading The Weekend Baker by Paul Hollywood because I am a bit obsessed with The Great British Baking Show.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
SK: In the spring and fall we do a lot of hiking. I’m also a mixed media collage artist and I love to prowl around yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores for things to use in my art.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
SK: Spinach, carrots, coconut milk ice cream and insulin. (I’m diabetic.)
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
SK: Yes. I’m just wrapping up the next book in the Magical Cats series and the next Second Chance book will be out at the end of January.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
SK: One of the best things about being an author is meeting so many people who love books and love to read as much as I do! I never have to wonder what to read next.
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A Night's Tail (Magical Cats) by Sofie Kelly
About A Night's Tail
Cozy Mystery
11th in Series
Berkley (September 3, 2019)
Hardcover: 288 pages
Librarian Kathleen Paulson's brother, Ethan, and his band, The Flaming Gerbils, are spending some time in Mayville Heights. Ethan and his band-mate Derek, are giving a song-writing workshop at the St. James Hotel when they stumble upon the body of Lewis Wallace. The former football player was considering the town for the site of his newest business venture. However, not everyone was a fan of the brash ex-athlete, who had a failed business, some disgruntled customers, and several lawsuits in his past. Did he make a new enemy, or did Lewis Wallace's past finally catch up with him? It's up to Kathleen—with some furry assistance from her talented cats, Owen and Hercules—to figure out who was trying to settle the score.
About Sofie Kelly
Sofie Kelly writes the New York Times bestselling Magical Cats mysteries that feature librarian Kathleen Paulson and her two very special cats, Owen and Hercules, who have a magical knack for solving crime. As Sofie Ryan she is the author of the New York Times bestselling Second Chance Cat mystery series. She lives on the east coast with her husband and daughter.
Website: www.sofiekelly.com
Purchase Links - Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Indiebound
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ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the interview. Interesting that an author cannot have cats but features one in a series.
ReplyDeletebrowningterry(at)hotmail(dot) com
I love both this series and the second chance cat series! Thanks for the great interview!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteI enjoy reading cozies, but really love reading them with animals. Thanks for this opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed looking at the covers and it would be fun to read with all of the annimals. I sure do hope you gain a lot of readers by doing this your tour! Peggy Clayton ptclayton2@aol.com
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