Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Spotlight – The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks




The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks
By Cindy Vincent
Series: Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Caper
Genre: Christian, Children's, Cat-themed Mystery, Suspense
Publisher: Whodunit Press
Publication date: October 11, 2013
Number of pages: 178


I enjoy Cindy’s Buckley & Bogey Cat Detective series so very much and can’t wait to share my thoughts about this Christmas-themed book very soon. I couldn’t finish it in time to write the thorough review that it deserves today, so instead, I’m sharing Cindy’s guest post.

Please notice that Cindy has made the ebook version of The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks available at no cost through August 28 (click on title for its Amazon’s page). There’s also a giveaway featuring a light-up angel ornament and books.

Now see what Buckley and Bogey are up to . . .


Summary

Buckley and Bogey, Cat Detectives, find their next case hits a little too close to home. Because someone has been breaking into houses and stealing all the Christmas presents! And the first two robberies even took place in their very own neighborhood. Holy Catnip! Of course, the boys leap in on all fours to investigate right away. Then it isn't long before they realize they are dealing with some real criminal masterminds, since these burglars know exactly how to cover their tracks. Plus, the crooks have the whole town of St. Gertrude on edge and they're threatening to ruin Christmas for everyone.

But figuring out the identity of the Christmas Crooks isn't the only mystery around. After all, Buckley had just been adopted from the cat shelter this year, and this was the first he'd ever heard about Christmas. And he quickly finds out there is a lot to learn! From Christmas trees to Santa Claus, and jingle bells to the birth of baby Jesus, the real meaning of Christmas is a mystery to him. But he and Bogey can't really enjoy any of it until the Christmas Crooks are caught. That's because it becomes very clear, very quick — these Christmas Crooks have set their sights on the boys' house, too! And the burglars are headed straight for their door. Holy Mackerel!



The Story Behind the Story or the Story of the
Real-life Buckley and Bogey,
the Inspiration for This Series

My real life cats, Buckley and Bogey, were the inspiration for this book and the series. We had adopted Bogey from a local animal shelter when he was a kitten, and he joined our household of three much older female cats. Of course, Bogey wanted to play 24/7, but the older girls had no intention of playing with him. And Bogey, having come from a litter of five boys, liked to wrestle and roughhouse. We soon realized that Bogey needed a brother. So we adopted Buckley from another animal rescue agency, and the two boys have been best friends and inseparable ever since.

As they seemed to explore our house together every night, we joked about them "running surveillance" to make sure the place was secure. That's when the idea hit me — Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Especially when I realized how very different the boys were. While they're both black cats with gold eyes, Bogey is sleek and wiry, whereas Buckley is huge and fluffy. Bogey is laid back and fearless, and Buckley is anxious about pretty much everything. Bogey is the expert and Buckley is the rookie. Together their personalities play off each other beautifully, much like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Only at a children's level, and well, at a really adorable level, as both boys are such a joy, and happy to cuddle and purr at a moment's notice. So, with cats usually sleeping near my keyboard, I started writing their cat capers. Book four was released just last year and I’ve got book number five outlined. Funny, but here I thought I was doing something nice by rescuing a couple of homeless cats, and I ended up being the one with the most blessings . . .

_________________________


Cindy Vincent, M.A. Ed., is the award-winning author of the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers, a mystery series for kids and cat-lovers that features the adventures of two black cat detectives. And yes, as she is often asked, Cindy used her own black cats, Buckley and Bogey, as the inspiration for the series, since they seem to run surveillance on her house each and every night.

Cindy is also the creator of the Mysteries by Vincent murder mystery party games and the Daisy Diamond Detective Series games for girls, along with the Daisy Diamond Detective novels, which are a spin-off from the games. She lives in Houston, TX with her husband and an assortment of fantastic felines. Cindy is a self-professed “Christmas-a-holic,” and usually starts planning and preparing in March for her ever-expanding, “extreme” Christmas lights display every year . . .














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August 22--Mochas, Mysteries and Meows
August 23--Pause for Tales
August 24--Christy's Cozy Corners | The Power of Words
August 25--Singing Librarian Books
August 26--Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen
August 27--Katie's Clean Book Collection | Bibliophile Reviews


1 comment:

  1. Holy Catnip, Carole!! Thanks again for hosting us on your wonderful site during our blog tour. And thanks also for telling people about our Christmas book. That case was a real doozie, I have to say! It was my first Christmas, and I sure had a lot to learn. Thank God for my family and my big brother, or I don't think I would've gotten through it all.

    Anyway, we know you happen to have two beautiful, black cats at your house, too. So please say hi to Melody and Grace for us. Bogey says they're a couple of swell dames. We really appreciate all that you do for authors and cats like us. Our Mom says to be sure to enter the giveaway, because you could win, too.

    We're sending hugs and wet nose kisses your way. Merry Christmas in August!

    Your pal,

    Buckley Bergdorf
    Cat Detective

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