In today's spotlight I'm joining 

Berkley Mystery

 

in celebrating the release of  

A CASE OF CAT AND MOUSE

Book 12 in the Magical Cats Mysteries

by Sofie Kelly

A reality TV crew has come to town and brought librarian Kathleen Paulson and her two magical cats more than their fair share of real-life drama, in the newest installment of this New York Times bestselling series.

Spring has come to charming Mayville Heights, and with it, some Hollywood glamour. The little town is abuzz because the reboot of a popular baking TV show is filming there. Librarian Kathleen Paulson is working as an advisor on historical facts for the show, local restaurants are providing catering for the camera crews, and Kathleen's faithful felines, Hercules and Owen, are hoping there is a cat treat challenge.

But then Kathleen finds one of the judges dead. She has solved many-a-murder with help from the supernaturally gifted Herc and Owen, and with the whole town on tenterhooks, the talented trio will have to have all paws on deck to chase down this killer.

Tuxedo Cats by Sofie Kelly

Hercules, in the Magical Cats mysteries, is a tuxedo cat. I like the slightly mysterious elegance of tuxedo cats, sort of a feline version of James Bond. When I was researching Curiosity Thrilled the Cat, the first book in the Magical Cats series, I was surprised to learn that tuxedo cats are not a specific breed. Here are a few other things I’ve learned:

1. Tuxedo cats get their name from the pattern of their distinctive bi-colored fur that looks like a tuxedo. This pattern is caused by the piebald or white spotting gene. “Tuxies” can be a variety of breeds from American Shorthair to Angora, which means their fur ranges from short to long.

2. Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat is a tuxedo cat. So is Looney Tunes’ Sylvester and Figaro, Geppetto’s cat in the Disney movie Pinocchio.

3. William Shakespeare, Beethoven, and Sir Isaac Newton all reportedly owned tuxedo cats. Is it possible those furry friends provided inspiration for their work?

Urban legend credits Newton with inventing the first cat door when he was at the University of Cambridge because his cats kept interrupting his work by scratching at the door. (Note, some historians dispute that Newton even had a cat.)

4. Tuxedo cats with a black patch on their white chests are known as black tie cats. They are considered to be very lucky.

5. Most tuxedo cats have white whiskers and green eyes. A few have yellow eyes.

6. The tuxedo pattern is not limited to just black and white cats. It’s seen in both gray and white and ginger and white cats, but the name, tuxedo cat, is typically used only for black and white felines.

7. A tuxedo cat once entered politics. Tuxedo Stan, who belonged to a Canadian veterinarian in Halifax, Nova Scotia, ran for mayor of that city in 2012 under the Tuxedo Party banner. No, he didn’t win the job, but after the election Halifax city council did make a grant to the local SPCA in Tuxedo Stan’s name, to help establish a low cost spay and neuter clinic.

8. The population of tuxedo cats is split fairly evenly between males and females unlike ginger tabbies which more likely to be male, and calicos which are almost always female.

9. A true tuxedo cat has more black fur than white.

10. Ancient Egyptians revered cats. Anyone who killed a cat—even by accident—was put to death for the crime. The goddess Bastet is often depicted as a cat and the word puss, comes from Pasht, another word for Bastet. Mummified cats are found throughout Egypt, sometimes buried near their owners and cats are often depicted in tomb art and statuary. It is commonly held that that the majority of these cherished cats were tuxedo cats, although that belief has been challenged by some tomb paintings.

In ancient times cats were worshiped as gods. They have not forgotten this, is credited to author Terry Pratchett. In the case of the elegant tuxedo cat, the words seem to be true.

Sofie Kelly is the pseudonym of writer and mixed-media artist, Darlene Ryan. As Sofie Kelly she writes the New York Times bestselling Magical Cats mysteries. And as Sofie Ryan she writes the Second Chance Cats series. Sofie/Darlene lives on the east coast with her husband and daughter. In her spare time she practices Wu style tai chi and likes to prowl around thrift stores.

🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱

A CASE OF CAT AND MOUSE

is available now!

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by submitting your email in 

upper right hand corner of this page (on the side bar).

Reading from your phone? Scroll to the bottom of your page and click"View web version". Then follow the above directions.