Yes, my cat is my muse…
It’s true, my cats are a ceaseless source of entertainment and fuel for my books. And I love everything about them. Their crazy catnip antics, their condescending attitude toward all other life forms, but most of all the way they melt your heart with their purr. With few exceptions I have always had a cat in my life and currently live with three. Two big fluffy black tuxedos of Maine Coon decent and a little black fuzz ball named Cara. All three were adopted or rescued.
It was during one of those few times in my life when I was without a cat to serve that I started my life as a fiction writer. In fact, when I started with my first book it really had nothing at all to do with a cat (I thought it would be a simple sailing story). Then, somewhere amidst the third or fourth chapter Salty Tails showed up. I don’t know from where he came, and I’m quite certain I didn’t invite him. But as cats tend to do, he soon took over my life. With his new and often twisted perspective of life, dogs, and humans, my writing took off in a whole new direction. The experience was beyond anything I’d experienced before. His words, his viewpoints, and his tales simply captivated me. And before long I’d finished not one, but three Salty Tails cozy mysteries.
“Why have opinions if you’re not going to share?”
Salty Tails
Salty truly believes he is master of all, except his stomach. This is where humans come in. Salty believes humans are here to feed and entertain him. If you ask him he’ll tell you that humans are just one big soap opera for him to watch. And don’t get me started on his disdain for dogs.
Salty and I still work together, with some help from my own three black fuzzy beasts. More recently Salty has introduced me to his crime solving cat buddy, Rusty Nails. Like Salty, who lives and works with a two legged servant named Stormy, Rusty’s lives with a Portland, ME. detective named Murph. And both have more attitude than charm.
