Showing posts with label cat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cat. Show all posts

Friday, June 28, 2019

Poisoned by the Pier Release - Interview with Mrs. Moto

Please welcome the wonderful Ellen Jacobson and the incredibly smart, adorable Mrs. Moto!

An Interview with Mrs. Moto—The Feline Star of Poisoned by the Pier

Readers sometimes tell me that their favorite character in my Mollie McGhie Cozy Sailing Mysteries is Mrs. Moto, a calico Japanese bobtail cat. And that makes total sense—because she’s utterly adorable! In fact, I think I could write an entire book just about her. Who needs a plot when you have a cat in your book?


As part of the celebration for the release of the latest book in the series, Poisoned by the Pier, I asked Mrs. Moto if she wouldn’t mind being interviewed. After all, she’s become quite the cozy mystery celebrity. Here’s what she had to say.

Interview with Mrs. Moto

1 – Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My humans, Mollie and Scooter McGhie, adopted me (you can read more about that in Murder at the Marina). We live on a sailboat at the Palm Tree Marina in Florida. I spend my days chasing lizards, visiting people on their boats, napping, and making sure my humans always have plenty of cans of Frisky Feline Ocean’s Delight on board. Oh, yeah, I help solve mysteries.

2 – What role do you play in solving the murder mysteries?

Mollie would be lost without me. Sometimes, a clue can be staring her in the face, but she won’t see it unless I point it out to her. People have said that I’m the best clue-finding cat in the business.

3 – Star Wars or Star Trek?

While Data has a cat, Spot, in Star Trek: The Next Generation, I’m going to have to go with Star Wars. Mollie likes Star Wars too. So much in fact that her cake baking competition and pet costume competition entries in the Coconut Cove Boating Festival are based on the original movie. You’ll have to read Poisoned by the Pier to find out more.

4 – Do you like sailing?

Like many other Japanese bobtail cats, I love the water. Unfortunately, our boat needs repairs, so we haven’t been out on her yet. But I do manage to sneak aboard other boats and go out sailing.

5 – How did you get the name Mrs. Moto?

I have black markings around my eyes which resemble eyeglasses. The owner of the marina, Ned Schneider, said that they reminded him of the lead character in the old Mr. Moto movies starring Peter Lorre who played a detective. And I’m kind of a feline detective, so it works.

6 – What else do you want us to know?
 
That I like to have my belly rubbed. Also, you should read my books. The book covers read “The Mollie McGhie Sailing Mysteries,” but they really should say “The Mrs. Moto Mysteries.” I’ll need to do something about getting that sorted out. But, first it’s time for another nap.


 Poisoned by the Pier Now Available!

Poisoned by the Pier, the third book in the Mollie McGhie Cozy Sailing Mystery series, is now available in ebook, paperback, and large print.

Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play

When Mollie's husband signs the two of them up for an extreme diet, she's not amused. When someone ends up poisoned by a cake, things get even worse.

While she tries to identify the killer, Coconut Cove’s annual boating festival is in full swing. In between getting ready for her first sailing race and cheating on her diet, Mollie and her cat, Mrs. Moto, uncover clues, interview suspects, and do their best to avoid rutabagas.

Can Mollie nab the killer before someone else is poisoned?

If you like quirky characters, adorable cats, and plenty of chocolate, you'll love this cozy mystery. Pick up a copy of Poisoned by the Pier and laugh out loud from the first page to the last.


New to the Series?

If you're new to the series, you might want to start with Murder at the Marina. Now is the perfect opportunity as the ebook is on sale for 99c/99p for a limited time.

Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play

About the Author

Ellen Jacobson lives on a sailboat with her husband and an imaginary cat named Simon. When she isn't working on boat projects or seeking out deserted islands, she writes cozy mysteries and sci-fi/fantasy stories.

Connect with Ellen on her Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | Blog

You can also sign up for her newsletter for updates about new releases, current projects, sales and promotions, and other fun stuff.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Word Witch Wednesday - the dreaded author photo


I hate having my picture taken. I prefer to be the photographer. I work alone, tucked away in my writing cave, with no care how I look most of the time. My typical uniform during the week is a geeky t-shirt or hoodie and flannel pajama bottoms.

Most writers tend to be the same way. We want to share our words with the world. Not our faces!

I've had the same author photo for a while now, and I'm bored of it. I no longer think it looks like me. Okay, it does, sorta. But I want something different.

Plus, I want to cut my hair very soon. It's long right now. Every time I get more than 12 inches past my shoulders, I cut it and donate it. (Here's a good article with the differences of donating to Pantene and Locks of Love.) I don't wear short hair well, so I want to get in a photo with my long hair.

I put a lot of thought into my author photo. It is a key factor in branding yourself as an author. I'm not going to take a selfie in my writer's uniform or have my kid take one of me folding laundry. I want it to represent me as confident and professional.

I have a plain background in the photo I have now, but I either want books or something outdoorsy in the new one. Do I smile or scowl at the camera look serious? Do I go with a traditional pose or try something different? Can I pull off quirky?

I also have the difficulty rating of being an author of multi-genres. Romance authors tend to go with sexier photos. Fantasy authors with something a little magical. Urban fantasy writers go dark. I'm an author of all these things.

I could photoshop something great, but it has to be realistic. It must represent me as a writer.

What author photos stand out to you? Any favorites? Is it acceptable to take a picture of my cat in front of the computer and go with that?


Friday, March 18, 2016

Friday Five for March 18, 2016


1. I have my release date for Big Longing (Sasquatch Susies #2). April 1st. It's no joke! You can add it to read on Goodreads.

2. My little guy's spring break had a rough start but the week went wonderfully. He was sick on Monday, but then we had a lake day, a park day, and a movie day. Zootopia was darn good! Today my husband has off work. Family day!

3. Tomorrow is my monthly local critique group meeting. I need to finish critiquing the two short stories for it. I wrote a flash piece that is either brilliant or badly odd. We'll see what they think.

4. The only one not enjoying spring break is the cat. He does not like the change in routine and is on my lap any time I sit down since I've not been at home much this week. Even as I type this, he's curled up on my lap!

5. When the Wii tells you to wear the wrist strap, wear it. My poor little guy had a scare and a cry when the controller flew out of his hand and smashed our TV. There is an impact mark and fractures all along the bottom of our screen. This weekend, we'll be shopping for a deal on a new TV. Hopefully wearing green yesterday has brought us some luck!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Monday, February 29, 2016

Laugh, Encourage, Inspire! The MEME Blog Hop


Not only does winter keep poking us, but today is Monday! I can't wait for some funny, encouraging, and inspiring memes!

I am hosting this blog hop with the marvelous C. Lee McKenzie and Tara Tyler. You can post any day this week. Just sign up by clicking on the link below.

SIGN UP HERE!

Easy Peasy "rules":
1) Post a MEME during the week (use your own pic or an easy meme maker app) - and if you can't think of anything, pass on encouraging words from one of your reviews, or an inspiring quote! 
2) Visit others. (I apologize for not being able to get the link to work and show the participants on my blog. I have no idea why the code isn't working. You can click on the sign up link and see all the participants there.)

That's it! Then your awesome hostesses will hop around and ooo and ahh and choose one entry each to win an ebook. AND two lucky random participants will win a $20 gift card.

I want to share some adorable cat laughs. Here is my amazing cat Thunder in his MEME debut!

 

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Avalon: A Heartwarming True Cat Story


Some cats need nine lives to make a difference. Avalon only needed one.

From Amazon bestselling author Vanessa Morgan, Avalon is the heartwarming and once-in-a-lifetime love story of a girl and her neurotic Turkish Van cat.

With humor, the author details how Avalon made other creatures cringe in distress whenever he was around, how he threw her dates out by means of special techniques, and how he rendered it almost impossible for her to leave the house. Avalon was so incorrigible that even her landlord ordered her to get rid of him. But beneath Avalon's demonic boisterousness, Vanessa recognized her own flaws and insecurities, and she understood that abandoning Avalon would be the worst she could do to him. Thanks to her unswerving loyalty, Avalon transformed into a tender feline, and even landed a major role in a horror movie. In turn, Avalon made it his mission to be there for his human companion.

By turns jubilant and deeply moving, Avalon is a memoir for anyone who has ever been obsessively in love with a pet.


Purchase links

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/1ImdPRo

Excerpt:
Small changes often caused major disturbances. When we removed a DVD from the cupboard, or put a pen on the living room table that he wasn’t used to seeing there, Avalon pitched himself near the problem area and vocalized his complaints as if he was a muezzin calling to prayer. He only stopped if the space returned back to normal.

Intelligent and calculating as he was, Avalon had also developed a technique to prevent Ballon and Tigris from using his litter boxes. Each time he heard the scratch scratch scratch in the litter, he settled into attack mode behind the bathroom wall, wiggled his behind, and leapt onto the other cat as soon as it emerged, making it jump. It worked every... single... time. Proud, Avalon walked away from the crime scene with his nose pointing airwards.

Borat, our guinea pig, was initially the best one off, but ended up the most miserable. What kept him safe at first was Avalon’s fear of rodents. Cats may be considered deadly predators, killing a median of 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals a year in the United States alone, but whenever Borat had free range inside the apartment, Avalon went in a large circle around him, avoiding him at all cost.

Eventually, Avalon ferreted out a way to make Borat twinge in distress whenever he approached. It started when I taught Avalon not to throw up on the bed and carpets. Those lessons must have been meaningful, because Avalon didn’t vomit in those places anymore. Instead he aimed for the guinea pig's head. As soon as he felt a hairball mounting, Avalon ran as fast as he could toward Borat's cage, leaned in, and puked his heart out.

Author bio

Vanessa Morgan is an author, screenwriter, and blogger. Two of her works, The Strangers Outside and A Good Man, have been turned into films. Her short film script Next to Her is currently in pre-production. When she's not working on her latest book, you can find her reading, watching horror movies, digging through flea markets, or photographing felines for her blog Traveling Cats (http://travelling-cats.blogspot.com). Avalon has appeared in several of her books and films.


Social media links



Friday, October 25, 2013

The 13th Floor collection blog tour continues with two great hosts & Creepy Freebies

Today I'm excited to have two great hosts welcoming me on their blogs along with two unique posts.
Check out Aubrie Dionne's blog for a guest post from Elli. Who's Elli? She's Harriet's cat in THE ORACLE & THE VAMPIRE.
I have some helpful tips for writing urban fantasy on Nutschell Windsor's blog. It's not like traditional fantasy writing at all.
 It's the final Creepy Freebies of the month.
Don't miss out on this awesome scary giveaway.
Head on over to Milo James Fowler's blog for some treats from these fantastic authors:
Aaron Polson

And the winners of this week giveaway are:
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to the winners!
Emails have been sent.