Sunday, May 19, 2013

Whiskers Behind the Words: Mister Tumnus Joins the Flower Family, by Amanda Flower





Almost every book I have ever written has had a cat character in it. Once I tried to write a mystery series without a cat, it didn’t go well. Even though the cats in my novels don’talk or solve the mysteries, they are necessary for me to write a successful book. Cats are such an important part of my life; it’s hard for me to imagine a protagonist who doesn’t have one. 

Last May at the advanced age of seventeen, my beloved Maine Coon rescue Puddleglum (Puds) passed away. Puds had been a member of the family since I was fifteen. It was a devastating loss, but no one felt the loss more than my three-year-old Russian blue mix Reepicheep (Cheeps). Since Puds was so much older than Cheeps, he had been Cheeps’s adoptive dad and a chief comforter in times of stress. Cheeps was lost without his friend and was traumatized every time I traveled. I knew he needed a new brother. 

Cheeps survived a rough kittenhood, and because of that, he is particularly sensitive. I rescued him from that bad situation as a tiny unweaned kitten and nursed him back to healthHowever, some minor issues still linger. He’s afraid of loud noises, men, and sometimes even area rugs. I knew I needed to adopt a kitten because I wanted Cheeps to feel secure as the senior cat in the home, and I hoped a kitten wouldn’t frighten him as much as a grown cat would. 

Over the summer, I visited several shelters, looking for a kitten and met so many cats and kittens that needed homes. I wished I could save all of them, but none of them felt like they would be a good match for skittish Cheeps. I knew when I adopted it would be forever, so I had to find the right kitten. 

On a Sunday afternoon in August, I was driving around town and realized I was near One of a Kind Pets, another shelter I wanted to visit. I told my mom, who was with me, we would stop by the shelter for a peek. I wasn’t ready to decide on a kitten or so I thought. 

The nice volunteer led me into the kitten room, which is exactly what you expect it to be, a room of full of kittens that needed homes. I swear I thought I entered heaven. Each kitten was more adorable than the last and clamored for my attention, but I had eyes for only one. In the back of the room, there was a small Tuxedo kitten curled up in a cat bed. I went to him right away. Even with the other adorable kittens mewing for my attention. I carefully scooped him up, perched on a chair, and set him on my lap. He curled up on my lap and gazed up at meDone. I knew he was the one. I told the volunteer, I had decided. She was surprised I made a decision so quickly, but when you know you know. I knew. On the spot, I named him Mister Tumnus and declared we’d call him Tummy for short. If you are a C.S. Lewis or Chronicles of Narnia fan, you will recognize where I got all my cat names from. 

I left the kitten room to apply for his adoption, and my mom stayed with the kittens and my purse. When I returned to the kitten room elated the adoption was approved immediately, I found Tummy curled up inside my purse. My mom told me he climbed in there all by himself. Then, I knew he picked me as much as I picked him. 

When we got home, I introduced Cheeps and Tummy slowly. Cheeps was not amused by this new interloper and hissed often to make it known. This went on for a week, and I was afraid that Cheeps would never accept his new little brother. Thankfully, Tummy, who turned out to be quite a goofball—you can see many of his hijinks on my Facebook page—won Cheeps over with his charms. Today, the two are best buds, who still occasionally argue as all siblings will but more often than not I find them sleeping side by side. Now when I travel I worry less because I know Cheeps has a friend to comfort him when he is afraid. 




 May 20th is Tummy’s first birthday! To celebrate, I will be giving away a signed copy of Murder in a Basket, which is the second novel in the India Hayes Mystery Series. I promise it has some excellent cat characters. 



Amanda Flower is the author of the Appleseed Creek Mystery Series, which are set in Ohio’s Amish Country. Her newest novel is A Plain Scandal and fictionalizes the 2011 true crime Amish haircutting scandal. She also writes mysteries as Isabella Alan for NAL/Penguin and children’s mysteries under her own name for Zondervan/HarperCollins. Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland. 

Follow Amanda on Social Media at: Facebook Twitter Goodreads Pinterest 

16 comments:

A Tonk's Tail said...

Mowzers! We ove your cat names! Happy birthday Mr. T!

Teri Anne Stanley said...

What a great story!
I can't imagine a story without a dog. I've got a couple of rescue pups of my own(okay, they're not puppies anymore, I really have to stop excusing bad behavior based on youth).
Happy Birthday, Tummy!

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday, Tummy. sure do like youur mommys books and hope you help me win this one.
jcisforme@aol.com

cyn209 said...

Happy Meowday to Tummy!!!
thank you for sharing your Tummy story!!!!

Sue said...

Happy Birthday Tummy. I think all cozy mysteries should have a cat in them.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

Denise Z. said...

Happy Birthday Tummy from Stella the Beagle. My mom always says I'd be a rescue dog if she didn't adopt me from my last "family" and I use the term "family" loosely - when Mom came to see me, I picked her out of all the others who stopped by. I knew she was a sucker - er, the one for me. She celebrates my birthday too. She likes your mom and your mom's books. dz87507 at gmail dot com.

Katreader said...

I can't imagine my life without cats...and I love books that love them too! My newest cat addition, Licorice just turned 1 as well. He's a fun loving boy-but he loves to torment my eldest cat, Seneca (15) and wrestle with the other male, Aleister (14). The older cats are not pleased. He'll generally leave Calumet alone-she's 8 and has sent him flying. Licorice's other name is Demon Spawn!

Diana Montgomery said...

Happy Birthday Tummy :)

Bea said...

That is such a sweet story. Happy birthday Tummy! I thought I recognized those names, good Narnian names. :) My cat has has a more prosaic name, Goof. It suits him though. :D Sometimes I call him my handsome dude. :P

Unknown said...

Cats do make life richer. and books, too!
How do we enter for your book?
libbydodd@comcast.net

The Cozy Mystery Journal said...

I remember when I saw on facebook that you had adopted Tummy and how cute he looked!! Happy birthday, Tummy!!!

bonton said...

Love Amish stories - thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

bonnieroof60@yahoo.com

Everycat said...

Belated Happy Birthday Mr Tumnus, we hope you had a wonderful day. We think all books and pretty much everything else in the world is much improved by cats!

Gerry & Mungo

carol weston said...

Happy Birthday-winning would be so much fun.

Unknown said...

Happy birthday Tummy!! Cheeps and Tummy look like such best buddies now! Your book sounds great!!

Michelle Fidler said...

Awww, aren't they cute laying on the quilt? I have cats. Yours have interesting names.

catbooks(at)rocketmail(dot)com