The Cozy Corner has been Collared for Murder
Kym Roberts June 16, 2015
This week is all about the bling with the author of COLLARED
FOR MURDER, a Pet Boutique Mystery, Annie Knox. I’ve had the
privilege of watching Annie’s writing get groomed into the National
Bestselling material that it is today. But the snipping, clipping and pretty
outfits that put her on top, happened well before her latest series. Annie
Knox is Wendy Lyn Watson, and COLLARED
FOR MURDER is just the latest in a string of great mysteries...and, are
you ready for it? She’s written a historical romance too!
Wendy’s writing has been award winning from the very beginning. Seriously, I
don’t think there’s an embarrassing manuscript hiding with any fur balls
under her bed, or in her closet. (As to the existence of fur balls, she’ll
have to answer that one for you!)
Kym: Hi, Wendy! (I’ll get confused if I call her Annie)
Congratulations on your latest release, COLLARED
FOR MURDER, a Pet Boutique Mystery!
Wendy: Thanks, Kym! And thanks for having me here at the Cozy
Corner!
Kym: This is your third Pet Boutique Mystery, which is quite
different from your Mystery Ala Mode series. What has been the
biggest challenge for you with the Pet
Boutique series?
Wendy: The pets in the Pet Boutique Mysteries are integral to
the stories, but keeping track of them has been a challenge! Sometimes, the
people get to talking and sleuthing and I forget where Packer or Jinx have
ended up. It’s like trying to keep track of milling guests in a cocktail
party, except half the guests have four legs and fur.
Kym: COLLARED FOR MURDER is set around a cat show, and to be
honest, I’d never heard of a cat show. The image of a cat doing an obstacle
course doesn’t quite compute for me like it does with a dog. (OMG, what a K-
9 snob!) Yet your scene made it totally believable, which made me Google it.
Wow, a whole new world! Did you attend a cat show for research or did your
knowledge develop naturally with your love of felines?
Wendy: I did go to a cat show in Oklahoma City. It wasn’t as grand
as the cat show in COLLARED FOR MURDER, and there was no agility component,
but it was great fun. Such a friendly crowd, too. I mentioned to one of
the judges that I was an author doing research, and she gave me running
commentary while she judged a round. Another woman, who was showing her
Maine coon, gave me all sorts of background information . . . as well as
some of the juicier scandals that cat shows can breed.
Kym: LOL, cats are full of drama. ;) Izzy’s business, Trendy
Tails, is all about catering to people who dote over their pets with
gourmet foods, clothing and bling. How much of this do you do with your
cats? (And remember, I’ve seen some of the hats your cats have worn!)
Wendy: I confess. I’ll occasionally slap a hat on one of my cats
and take a picture, but I don’t otherwise clothe them. That said, we (Mr.
Wendy and I) do dote on our cats. For example, we had a cat who enjoyed a
particular brand and flavor of pudding. Mr. Wendy would go to a store that
wasn’t our usual grocery store just to get the cat’s favorite pudding. (Mr.
Wendy is a softie.)
Kym: (Anyone else picturing her hubby sharing his pudding?)
I have to say, I laughed when I saw one particular character’s name and
wondered where you would take that individual. Was this an opportunity to
let an alter ego run amuck?
Wendy: Ha! I definitely inject my own experiences into my stories,
but all of the characters are purely made up. Hand to God.
Kym: Your secondary characters, like Rena and her father, give your
writing a depth that goes beyond most cozy mysteries. Did you have to fight
to keep their drama in the series?
Wendy: Thankfully, no. Some of the plot lines with my secondary
characters touch on difficult social issues, and I’ve worried that my editor
will pull back the reins a bit. But, instead, my editor has been highly
supportive and has expressed great interest in me developing those plot
lines across the series.
Kym: You have never been shy about your love of everything ice cream,
and as it turns out, Izzy has a soft spot for it as well. What else do you
have in common with Izzy?
Wendy: We’re both vegetarian and love animals. On a deeper level,
Izzy is known to friends and family as “Dizzy Izzy” because she’s a little
ditzy and naïve. I’ve been accused of being a little dizzy, myself. I
guess that aspect of Izzy’s personality is modeled after my younger self.
Kym: There is so much change happening in Izzy’s life during COLLARED
FOR MURDER, it reads almost like some of the new TV shows where no
character’s future is guaranteed for another season. I have to wonder, where
will you be taking the series from here?
Wendy: I’m sorry to report that COLLARED
FOR MURDER is the last book in the series. I’m going to miss Izzy and
her crew so much, but it’s time to turn the page.
Kym: OMG, I’m sad to see her go, it’s been an incredible series! What
do you see on the horizon for Wendy Lyn Watson? More Historical’s like ONCE UPON A
WALLFLOWER, more cozies like your Mystery
Ala Mode series, or something completely different?
Wendy: I’m actually trying something a little different. I’m
starting a new cozy series but this new series has a hint of the paranormal.
The first Book Magic Mystery (as yet unnamed) will be out sometime in
2016, and I’ll be Wendy Lyn Watson for this new series.
Kym: I’m totally looking forward to that silver lining and thank you
for joining us at the Cozy Corner! Can you tell our readers where
they can find you on social media?
Wendy: Absolutely! I spend a fair amount of time on Facebook.
Okay, more than a fair amount of time. The best way to keep up with me now
is through my Wendy persona: www.facebook.com/WendyLynWatsonAuthor. I hope to see
some of you on the web!
Kym: I hope you’ll pick up a copy of COLLARED
FOR MURDER today, because it’s time to get cozy and read on! Giveaway
We’re giving away a signed copy of the first book in the series, PAWS FOR MURDER , a Pet
Boutique Mystery to one lucky reader who can tell us about the silly
thing they do with their pet!
Kym Roberts is a
retired detective sergeant who looks for passion, mystery and suspense in
every
book she reads and writes. She can be found on the web at kymroberts.com, on
Facebook at Kym Roberts (author) and on Twitter @kymroberts911. Look for her
latest release, DEAD MAN'S CARVE, A Tickled to Death Mystery on
Amazon. (All proceeds will be donated to wounded veterans)
Comments
25 comments posted.
Re: The Cozy Corner has been Collared for Murder
Making them drink water from the bathroom sink~ (Marissa Yip-Young 10:03am June 16, 2015)
My cat is a street wise rescue cat who doesn't play well with others. That being said, there really isn't much that she will allow me to do that would make her look or act silly. (Joan Varner 12:26pm June 16, 2015)
A great interview! Thanks for being entertaining & informative! (Margie Hall 1:05pm June 16, 2015)
Loved the interview. My cats are definittely the rulers of our household - they run the show. There are 4 of them - and each of them thinks - oops, KNOWS - they are numero uno. The 2 legged humans and the 4-legged dogs don't stand a chance of winning any battle with any one of our 4 felines. (Nancy Reynolds 1:48pm June 16, 2015)
Our pet house bunny really doesn't do silly, but he will try to hide behind things with his ears sticking up over the top. (Deb Philippon 4:54pm June 16, 2015)
Buddie, my Yorkie, helps me take off my special stockings like I trained him. When someone comes to visit and is polite enough to take their shoes off, Buddie rushes over to help take off their socks. It is funny but embarrassing too! (Judy van Ryn 4:54pm June 16, 2015)
My Maltese sits on a new visitor's lap without invitation. Not everyone likes this. (Sharon Berger 5:25pm June 16, 2015)
We only have one pet now (if you can call a desert turtle a pet) There is not much we can do together that is silly. Laura Folstad (L Folstad 7:11pm June 16, 2015)
My daughter's cat acts like a dog. To cute. No cats as we are allergic. Good interview. (L Green 10:24pm June 16, 2015)
Like to lay covered up with a blanket and my cat snuggled underneath. Not funny, but totally cute! (Janice Santillo 2:02pm June 17, 2015)
My little rescue dog will get his toys out of his basket and toss them to catch or chase. He will play by himself and enjoys it..but I will play with him. He doesn't like the vacum sweeper and trys to attack it. When a storm is coming for rain...he will qiver and I have to put his thunder shirt on which helps but doesn't eliminate his stress and he will hide under a blanket or desk. Have had him 3 weeks and his is obedient and trained. Love him dearly and is a loving addition to our senior family. (Shirley Sego 2:22pm June 17, 2015)
My dog likes to take his squeaky ball and sing with it, we howl along with him, he looks at us, like we are ruining his song. (Jean Patton 3:03pm June 17, 2015)
Sounds like a fun cozy. Thanks for the opportunity. (Nancy Luebke 5:26pm June 17, 2015)
My cat seemed to think she was my mother. If I was in the bathroom too long, she would hop on the keyboard to make it beep so I would rush out to save my computer. If I was at the computer too late, she would jump on my lap and then lie on the keyboard until I would lie down to rest. And then she would groom my face with her raspy tongue until she was satisfied I was clean. Free dermabrasion. (Irene Menge 9:11pm June 17, 2015)
I don't have a pet at this time , but I would love to read your book .Thanks for this chance. (Joan Thrasher 10:25am June 18, 2015)
I let her share my pillow. I really have not choice she just refuses to move in the middle of the night. The she is TC my cat. (Jo Jones 10:52am June 18, 2015)
We have a dog we saved from the pound and he is spoiled, the only thing I can think of is when a train go by behind us the dog and I race up the stairs to go into one of the bedrooms and watch it from the window, he loves them as well, we use to live in the big city so we saw no trains. Penney (Penney Wilfort 2:08pm June 18, 2015)
Collared for Murder sounds like an entertaining summer read. This is the first I've heard of the The Pet Boutique Mysteries. I would love to get my "paws" on a copy of any of the books in this series. (Maggie Evans 3:15pm June 18, 2015)
I love to sing songs to Lillycat and no matter where she is in the house or what she is doing she will come running to me, jump up on the chair or bed, look me in the eye, and then lie down as close as she can get! I have never had a cat that did this. She is a real hoot! (Pam Flynn 7:46pm June 18, 2015)
My dog, Spencer, loves to play with a ring toy we call the "circle toy". I make a circle shape with my hands and tell him to go get the circle toy and he goes around the house looking for wherever he left it. He usually forgets where it is and I call out rooms to him and he goes there to check for it. It's amazing how well he understands the directions you're giving him. (Flora Presley 9:06pm June 18, 2015)
I take care of my daughter's Golden when they are gone and Max loves to play "tug" when he is here. (Leona Olson 7:49am June 19, 2015)
I love dog mysteries (Susan Gannon 8:39am June 19, 2015)
My late cat, Smoky used to come up to me to be picked up & smooch when I'd been away & all of a sudden he seemed to remember - "oh yeah, I'm mad at her for being away" & give me a little nip & then carry on with the purring & smooching. (Christine Schultz 10:45am June 19, 2015)
Our cats rule the house literally I got up 3 times last night to see what they wanted and they just wanted me to know that they needed food, water and then just attention. Silly cats! I had fed and watered them before bed! (Denise Austin 2:47pm June 19, 2015)
I've never read your books but I love books with animals. Also, I enter contests to try out new authors (to me). Also if I enjoy the book enough to give it at least a 4 or 5 I leave reviews at various sites. (Good Reads, B&N, BAM, Walmart, Amazon, and any other sites that you would like. (Pat Moore 9:12pm June 19, 2015)
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