The Case of the Tabloid Tattler: Review and Interview

I was recently given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the children’s book, The Case of the Tabloid Tattler and immediately jumped at the opportunity to be part of the blog tour for the release of said book.  Below you will find my review and an interview with the second main character of the book, Keith.

Review

Keith was rambling again. And his theory was so boring a mere yawn couldn’t express my feelings well enough. I was getting up to go hide under the bed when he said, “I just don’t know, Kitten. What do you think, huh?”

It was that silly way he’d been talking to me ever since I’d shown up on his doorstep three weeks ago. He’d been telling me every detail of every case, every hunch he had, not actually expecting me to reply. “He’s lucky I’m not a spy,” I told myself, “or from the press!”

Spy. Now there was a good idea.

Keith is a detective with a problem.  He is supposed to be finding the person on Ms. Thornblood’s staff who is leaking information to the tabloids.  Nothing he has tried has worked.  Then, to his shock and surprise, his new cat comes up with an idea.  And writes down the idea!

Recommended Reading Age:

The Case of the Tabloid Tattler is perfect for anyone ages 8 and up.  Most kids under 8 would probably be bored and not understand most of it or I would say it is perfect for all ages.

The Writing

This book is very well written and well worth the 30-60 minutes it takes to read.  The characters are quirky, believable, and you either love ’em or you don’t like ’em at all.  Or you feel sorry for them.  It depends on the character, obviously.

Overview

Overall, there is nothing in The Case of the Tabloid Tattler that I had an issue with.  There were a few typos, but since I was reading an advanced copy that hadn’t been through a final edit, that was to be expected.  I highly recommend this book to anybody who enjoys mysteries, cats, detectives, or reading.

And now we come to the part of the show…er, I mean, blog post in which I head over to Keith’s office and interview him.

*knocks on door*  Hears a slight response, turns the knob, and enters.

“Hello Keith, thank you for letting me come to your office today for an interview.  I really appreciate you taking time to meet with me.”

“Oh–sure! Sorry; if seem a little unprepared. I tend to lose track of time when I’m reading–um–mysteries.”

You like mysteries, too?  Of course, that’s probably why you chose to be a detective.  *arranges papers and settles into a chair*  Okay, so I am very curious, when Mia first started putting pen to paper, what was the first thought that came to your mind?

“I thought I was going crazy. Absolutely, completely bonkers. ‘Course, I had been feeling fine, so then I decided I must be dreaming. I even pinched myself. I still feel pretty shocked when I think about it. My cat can write!”

 

Had you ever had a pet before Mia came along and chose you?

“I had a dog when I was a little guy, but nothing since then.”

Getting off the line of questioning about pets and Mia, do you have any family?

“I do. I have a sister who’s married and has a boy and two girls. I just heard from them recently, seems my nephew’s dog has gone missing. He wasn’t calling his detective uncle to solve the case, mind you. He just wanted some pointers. I also have a younger brother who’s in the air force. If he hasn’t sizzled in the heat down there, he’s stationed at a base in Arizona.”

After reading about your story with Mia, I had to wonder how involved do you typically get in the personal lives of your clients?  Is it unusual to get attached to your clients like you did with Ms. Thornblood?

“Um–well–I wouldn’t say I’m so much attached to Ms. Thornblood. She’s just a person who needed my help, and–I mean, don’t get me wrong, she’s a very nice lady–
Let me just put it this way: I try to be as kind and helpful to my clients as I possibly can. I try to follow what Jesus said and treat them the way I would want to be treated.
Whatever else Mia insinuated beyond that–you’ll have to interview her about it.”

And just because I like to make people make really tough choices *evil grin*.  Chose one of each of the following:

         Book or movie?

“Definitely book. If you haven’t caught on already, I tend to have a weakness for books.”

         *smiles*  I had noticed that.  Coffee, water, tea, or soda?

“Water is the most healthy, but Coffee is honestly my favorite–as long as it’s black. No offense to anyone, but to me tea is like weakly flavored leaf-water, and soda is best used to clean car engines.”

         Cats or Dogs (answer as if it were before you got Mia 😉 )?

*looks over shoulder to make sure Mia’s not around* “Dogs, all the way. Hey–you did ask about before Mia! She’s a different kind of cat. (Hopefully she won’t read this interview. That’ll take some explaining.)”

         Research from books or internet?

“Okay, this might sound weird coming from a self-proclaimed bookworm, but I prefer doing internet research. As a detective I have to gather facts on so many different topics, I would need to rent the entire apartment next door to hold enough books. The internet is so much more convenient. Most of the time.”

         Trees or Flowers?

“Um… trees? I’ll leave it up to the ladies to admire flowers.”

Thank you again, Keith!  It has been a pleasure interviewing you today!
“Sure thing!”

Would you like to find out more about Perry, her books, and maybe read more about The Case of the Tabloid Tattler?  You are in luck because I just happen to have that information.  Oh, and did I mention there was a giveaway, too?

About the Author:

Perry is a Christian, homeschool graduate who has written and published “The Heavens Declare,” “Light of the World,” “Pearl’s Practice,” and “The Case of the Tabloid Tattler.” She lives in beautiful Oregon with her best-friend-turned-husband and their sweet baby boys. Find her books and other writings and connect with her at: perryelisabeth.blogspot.com.

The Tour continues:

Thursday, June 12 – http://jonathangarner.blogspot.com, hosting a guest post by Perry in which she talks about inspiration and writing a story from a cat’s perspective.

And last, but not least…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book Cover Reveal

Today is the day! I promised the book cover reveal and here it is. As I mentioned in a previous post, Perry Elisabeth offered a sale on book covers and I decided to take the plunge. I am very glad I did! Perry did a great job with the four prototypes. It was a difficult decision.

I ended up going with the first one she had, with a couple of minor tweaks. Here is version #1:

 

(Cover design by Perry Elisabeth (http://perryelisabeth.blogspot.com/)
Stock image by imma (http://mrg.bz/uByyIp))

On this version, there were only two things I did not like: 1. the four ruts on the road, and 2. The font for the series and author name. Perry used a different font on the other book cover prototypes and I liked it a lot better. So, on the second version, she kindly changed the font and was able to change the four ruts into only two ruts.

With no further ado, here is the book cover for A Mighty Fortress:

(Cover design by Perry Elisabeth [http://perryelisabeth.blogspot.com/]
Stock image by imma [http://mrg.bz/uByyIp])

It is really, truly happening! I now have over half of A Mighty Fortress edited, I have the book cover, and I have two wonderful people helping me out with the editing. I also have a dedicated test-reader. However, if there is someone who would like the opportunity to test-read my (mostly) final draft, I am willing to take one or two more volunteers.

Right now, I plan to send the draft out the first week of September and will give you until September 30th at the latest to finish the test reading. I ask that my test-readers look for obvious typos, weak plot points, character development, and things like that.

To end this post, I will leave you with one of my favorite parts of my novel (so far):

A week after leaving Helena, and two weeks after leaving home Joshua spotted the house, swung his hat above his head and let out a loud whoop. Ruth heard the holler and ran out of the house to greet them.

Joshua reined his horse in and leaped off to give his sister a hug. “We’ve got two stallions and ten mares to get us started. We also have four hands with us and two more coming in a few months with more horses.”

Ruth watched the group heading towards them. “They look like good horses. What about the men?”

“Pa picked ’em out himself. He questioned them carefully before hiring them. From what I could tell on the trail, their good men. William is a year or two older than me, but knows a lot about horses, cattle, and ranch work. He’s quiet, thoughtful, and well-mannered.

“Peter is the oldest of the group. He’s a hardened, grizzled man with plenty of experience and a quick wit. He looks older than he acts. I’m not really sure how old he is and he won’t tell me.” Joshua said this last bit under his breath and behind his hand. Ruth giggled.

Joshua looked at the men again. “Let’s see. Oh, yes. Wyatt and Flynn. They always seem to be paired together. They’re brothers and worked well together. They work hard and do as they are told, no questions asked. At least not yet. Hopefully they’ll ask questions if they don’t understand something or think what we’re doing won’t work.

“All in all, they are all a bit rough around the edges, but what man who’s lived out West for long wouldn’t be?”

Ruth laughed. “Especially without a wife, mother, or sister to help them out.” Her eyes twinkled as she teased her brother.

“Exactly!”