Puppies and Kittens! Meet Hoppy and Denver!!!!

Meow, Meow and purrs to Denver and mewuff (is that how you say it?) to Hoppy!   I’m so purrrleased to meet you both.  Thank you for taking time from your sleuthing to come and chat with me. As you can see my mom has prepared some wonderful catnip cookies for you Denver and a gourmet dog biscuit for you, Hoppy.  Hoppy this is so exciting for me because I have never interviewed a puppy before!

My mom just finished reading A DEADLY GRIND by your personal author, Victoria Hamilton and she said it was a real page turner. I think that’s because there are two talented furfaced children commonly called cats and dogs in it. Don’t you agree?

Hoppy: Woof to the woofest!

Denver: rolling his eyes: Missy, don’t mind the dog. He’s not too bright.

Jaymie: Denver, don’t be rude.

Hoppy, sometimes I like to do a kind of public service announcement to let readers know how special we animals are.  We come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes we have a special need.  My mom had a kitty named Baby who, like you, had three legs. In the book you get around really well and are important to solving the crime. Is there anything you want to tell people about how special a three legged puppy can be?

Hoppy:  My job in life is to make mom happy. It doesn’t matter how many legs I have, I can do that! And I can do it better than a lot of grumpy four legged pets. (Glancing over at Denver) Who shall remain nameless.

Denver, like most cats (I won’t discuss my brother Fred who likes EVERYONE) you have discerning taste for who is a good guy and who isn’t. Have you ever been wrong?

Denver: No.

You were pretty friendly with Daniel Collins, did he ever fool you?

Denver: No.

What is the best part about living in a house with vintage kitchen items?

Hoppy: Denver, let me answer! It’s cool living in a house with old stuff because it all comes with smells, some good, some a little nasty, which is even better! I can almost see where it was before, and who owned it, and what it was used for, and if there were any animals in the house and…

Denver: Shut up! Have mercy on me in the presence of a yappy dog.

Jaymie: That wasn’t very nice, Denver, to yowl at Hoppy that way. He was just being chatty.

Denver: Silence.

What about Jaymie’s Hoosier? Are there really fun places for a cat to play and hide in there?

Denver: No. Well, yes, but no one is supposed to know about that. There’s this deep drawer that was made of tin to store flour, so it would keep out the mice. (The irony!) It makes a dandy place to sleep for a cat, as long as it is left open.

While you were helping Jaymie to solve the mystery, were you worried at any point things might not turn out purrrfectly well?

Denver, with a big sigh. Yes. It was when that tall guy (he’s called a defective, I think?) who didn’t like animals came in to Jaymie’s house– I mean, if someone isn’t fond of Hoppy then they just don’t like animals, period; everyone loves that little idiot – that was when I got worried. And Jaymie likes him, I can tell, but he’s not the guy for her. Daniel Collins is so much more ACF… Animal Companion Friendly. As for the dead guy… he was more an inconvenience than anything, because the police came and put powder on everything, which I hate! Gets on my paws.

Will you be helping Jaymie solve any future crimes?

Hoppy: Let me answer, let me!! Yes, yes, please, oh, yes indeed! I want to help any way I can, and I can use my nose, especially. I’m not big, but I can help! 

Denver, rolling over on his back. Lord no! It’s too much trouble.

Hoppy, what do you think of your name? 

Hoppy: My real name is Hopalong, and I was named after Hopalong Cassidy, a famous cowboy figure. He got his name after being shot in the leg. But I like being called ‘Hoppy’ because it sounds like ‘happy’.

Most people envision cats and dogs lives as being really pretty easy. What’s your take on this?

Denver: It is.

Hoppy: It is if you’re with nice people. Sometimes people aren’t nice, and then it’s hard. I lived with people who weren’t nice at first, and that’s how I lost my leg.

Denver, headbutting the Yorkie-Poo and purring, for a brief moment: The Dog’s right, for once. I didn’t have a home until I wandered into Jaymie’s yard. I got chased away from more back doors than I can count. People can be real jerks, but they can also be… nice.

Hoppy: Are you giving a compliment, Denver?

Denver: No. Just the truth.

What is the most glamorous thing you’ve done as the stars of a novel?

Hoppy: I can’t tell you! It’s a secret. But I’ve had adventures, real adventures, some of them I can’t say because another book comes out March 5^th, and then another one comes out later this year, but I get to go on REAL adventures, and that’s glamorous, right? Oh, oh wait! I was on the cover of A Deadly Grind… and that’s glamorous too, right?

Denver, with a sniff: I’m a vital investigator in Book One, A Deadly Grind. I found something for Jaymie that helped her solve the crime. THAT is glamorous.

Which great human detective would you both like to meet and solve a crime with?

Hoppy: has a puzzled look.

Denver: Don’t ask the Dog. He knows nothing. Human? None. But I’d like to meet Koko (From ‘The Cat Who…’ series by Lilian Jackson Braun.) Now that cat knows his business! Or Midnight Louie, from Carole Nelson Douglas’s books,  or Diesel from the Cat in the Stacks books by Miranda James. Or especially Joe Grey from Shirley Rousseau Murphy’s Joe Grey Cat Detective series! Cats are the best detectives… male cats, that is. Ever notice that? It’s the boy cats who rule. (giving Missy a sly look.)

Jaymie: Denver, why is Hoppy looking so sad? You’re not being grumpy again, are you?

Denver: I’m never grumpy. I’m crabby. There’s a difference.

Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your sleuthing careers?

Hoppy: Spending time with Jaymie.

Denver: People adoring me.

Victoria and Jaymie have gotten the big call, a Hollywood producer is going to bring your series to the big screen.  Who do you want to speak your parts for you?  You know, to share your thoughts as you solve each new crime?

Denver, with no hesitation: Nic Cage.

Hoppy, thinking about it: Uh, Jaden Smith? He’s cool. Or Shia LaBeouf? He’s cool.

What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?

Denver: No.

Hoppy: Sure! In Bowled Over I go for lots of walks along the St. Claire River and then (looking sad) well, someone died and I can smell the unhappiness. I think I need a treat. Or a hug. Hugs are better.

Denver: Don’t look at me!

Is there anything you’d like to add?

Denver: No.

Hoppy: Sure! Tell everyone that rescue animals might not show it (looking sideways at Denver) but they are so happy to have a good home. It takes time for some to get comfortable and to stop being scared. People who rescue dogs and cats and parrots and mice and rats and hamsters and..

Denver: Shut up, already!

Hoppy: …are nice. Even Denver is glad he was rescued.

Denver: True.

Thank you for taking some time with us today!

Denver: You’re welcome.

Hoppy: No, thank YOU! I like talking to nice people. I like meeting nice people. Mystery readers are nice people. Not sure about mystery writers.

Denver rolls over and starts licking spots no one needs to see. Hoppy collapses in laughter, which from a Yorkie-Poo sounds like “Yip, yip, yip!”.

~::~

Missy, thank you for letting Denver and Hoppy have their say. We all enjoyed being here today!

To read about Hoppy and Denver’s adventures, check out the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, starting with A Deadly Grind (May 2012) and continuing with Bowled Over (March 5^th, 2013) and Freezer I’ll Shoot in November!

Victoria Hamilton.

http://www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com