The Taylor Street Gang files, part 13. Valerie Tate.

Ontario is famous for a lot of things. None spring to mind right now, well not at this present moment in time, but I'm sure there's something there somewhere.  What I do know is that Ontario is home to one of the newer additions to Taylor Street, Valerie Tate.

Valerie's book, "CATNIP" is out on That Right publications, (a sister to Taylor, it's all very incestuous, but in a healthy, whole wheat sort of way) and can be bought on Amazon in paperback and download.

Let's read the blurb and then see what she has to say.

CATNIP

What can go wrong when an elderly matriarch leaves the family fortune to her cat?

Just about everything, including ‘catnapping’ and murder!

CATNIP is a mystery set in the picturesque town of Dunbarton, Ontario, and tells the story of what befalls the dysfunctional Dunbar family, and the chaos that ensues, when the matriarch of the clan leaves the family fortune to her cat.

That formidable feline proves to be more than a match for the humans in his life, until one fateful night when, caught unawares, he is stuffed in a sack and carried away.

A nosy neighbor with a nasty, suspicious mind points the finger of suspicion at the Dunbars and Christopher Mallory, the young attorney who is the trustee of the estate, and under the terms of the will, they face losing everything.

When a murder occurs, Christopher finds himself confronting a ruthless killer who would do anything to conceal his or her identity, including kill again.

Sounds interesting actually, let's hit the questions.

Valerie Tate, COME ON DOWN !!!

1)Tell us about yourself

I’m a Canadian living in Ontario. I started writing as a child and always intended to make it my career but since bills have to be paid, I put that on hold to pursue a teaching career. There were many opportunities to use my writing to enhance my teaching and to encourage the children to develop their own abilities. We wrote stories and plays in English and French.

I don’t have cats of my own but my sister has two, Bob and Simon. They are getting on in age now and are very affectionate, but when they were young their misadventures were legendary and many of Marmalade’s misdeeds and antics were actually committed by Bob and Simon.

I do have a Jack Russell Terrier named Hamish and a horse named Devon. Most days I head to the barn and since it is about a seventy-five minute drive each way, I spend a lot of time in my car. I keep a pad and pencil handy and if something comes to mind I pull off the road and write it down.

2)What genre do you specialize in?

I write mysteries. CATNIP is the first in the Dunbarton Mystery series that is set on the beautiful shores of Lake Huron in Ontario. Dunbarton is based on Kincardine, Ontario, a lovely lakeside town where I have spent many summer vacations. When I was looking for the setting for CATNIP, it seemed an ideal location.

The plot of CATNIP stems from the practice of people who leave their estates to their pets. Why someone would do this and what happens after the will is read? You have to read CATNIP to find out!

 The second book in the series is HORSE SENSE. It begins in Dunbarton but moves to King Township, traditional horse country in southern Ontario, when it is discovered that Olympic rider, Alex Craig, has been the victim of fraud and the theft of a $20,000 straw of frozen semen from the world’s top breeding stallion. Investigations are set in motion that lead to murder.

 Many of the things that happen in HORSE SENSE are based on my personal experiences including the fire that destroyed a barn on a farm where I was boarding a horse. I watched helplessly as a wisp of white smoke became a fireball that engulfed the hundred year old bank-barn. HORSE SENSE is complete and is currently being revised. I’m very pleased with the characters in HORSE SENSE and am considering spinning them off into a series of their own where all of the books would have horsey plots and settings.

3)What's your inspiration.

I’ve always loved reading and so writing seemed a natural extension of that love of a good story. In the Dunbarton series, animals play an important role and I’ve tried to include some aspect of animal welfare or environmental concerns in each of the books.

4.) Who is your favourite author, why and did he/she inspire you to write in any way?

I have a lot of favourites but I would have to say that Elizabeth Peters has certainly influenced my writing style. Her wonderful settings, intriguing characters and tongue-in-cheek style always make for a fun read and I hope that I have achieved that in CATNIP.

5) What are your thoughts on That Right and Taylor?

CATNIP was published by That Right on July 20 and I’m very appreciative of the opportunity. It is extremely difficult for a new author to break into publishing and That Right and Taylor Street have displayed a lot of faith in their fledgling authors.

6.) What are your plans?

I have ideas for several more books in the Dunbarton series. The third is in the planning stage and I’ll be getting to work on it soon.

7.) Go for it, sell your work. (Links, reviews, what ever you want).

CATNIP is available on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Catnip-ebook/dp/B008NIJOO4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1342887509&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Catnip-ebook/dp/B008NIJOO4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1342887509&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.ca/Catnip-Valerie-Tate/dp/1478283335/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344471084&sr=1-1

My website is www.valerietate.weebly.com .

Thanks very much Valerie, all the best with your writing and welcome to Taylor :-)

OK peeps, carry on...

Reg :-)