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Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Li'l Tom, Cat Detective, and a Holiday Giveaway

Last month, I talked about the inspirations of the fall season.  In continuing with this theme, I would like to talk about the inspiration for my first novella, Li'l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos.  I will also be giving away a free signed copy!  This book is a cozy cat detective mystery set in the streets of San Francisco.  Li’l Tom is the Sam Spade of cat detectives and prides himself on always getting his man.  He was the runt of his litter, so although this could hinder his investigations, he tries to use his size to his advantage.  When some of the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill disappear, Li’l Tom is hired to take the case.  With the help of his lovely sidekick calico cat, a homeless rat, and an unbalanced Chiweenie dog, he sets out to rescue the exotic parrots.  But will they get there before it’s too late?

So what inspired me to write a book about a cat detective?  My husband and I moved to San Francisco in 2008, and a couple of our favorite areas in the city were North Beach and Telegraph Hill.


Telegraph Hill has about 400 steep steps, and every once in a while when we were feeling energetic, we would make the trek over these steps from the Embarcadero side over onto the North Beach side.


It’s kind of like walking through an urban rain forest with all the flowers, plants, and trees.




In all the foliage and nooks and crannies of the houses that are built up the side of the hill, we would see cats kind of hidden away and watching us.


For some reason, that’s the only place in the city we would see cats - maybe they stay inside in most areas of the city.  Another thing I came to love about the city was the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill.


These red-crowned conures have been in the city for decades and are said to have come from pet parrots, originally from South America, who escaped.  You can always see them around this area and can hear their unique squawking while they fly about in a large flock.  Out of these experiences, Li'l Tom was born.

Li'l Tom would make a wonderful holiday gift for the mystery, animal, and/or San Francisco lover in your life!  To enter to win a free, signed copy of the book, leave a comment below.  Happy holidays to you and yours!


Angela Crider Neary is an attorney by day and writer by night.  She is an avid mystery reader and especially enjoys reading novels set in interesting locales.  She was inspired to write her first mystery novella, Li'l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos by one of her favorite areas in San Francisco, Telegraph Hill.  To learn more, visit her on Facebook and Amazon.


22 comments:

  1. Love the book and having the background .

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  2. Beautiful pictures. Great meeting you at Bouchercon and I hope you make it to New Orleans next year.

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    1. Thank you! It was great to meet you and Jackie, too. I will see you in New Orleans!

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  3. Beautiful pictures. Great meeting you at Bouchercon and I hope you make it to New Orleans next year.

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  4. Such a beautiful area and I love the story behind the book! Congratulations. My grandchildren have a six month old kitten and they love him, his name is Lucky Stripes!

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    1. Thanks so much! Kittens are the best. We have a 1.5 year old, who is still quite kittenish.

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  5. Mercy, that's a lot of steps to Telegraph Hill! How sweet to have those kitties hiding out in the bushes.
    Your story sounds like a terrific adventure. I positively love the cover too.
    All the best to you, Angela...

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    1. Thank you! I actually miss going over those steps since we have moved out of the city, if you can believe that!

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  6. This is so exciting!! Love cats and SF! Congrats on following in your dad's footsteps!

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    1. Thank you! I don't think I'll ever catch up to Dad, but it's been fun!

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  7. The cover is so cute! I'm looking forward to reading this, thank-you for the chance to win a signed copy.

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    1. Thanks so much! Glad you like the cover. Li'l Tom turned out cute!

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  8. So I think I'll just buy it and let someone else win the free copy...if that's OK with you?

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    1. I confess to having bought the ebook rather than the print version.

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    2. Wonderful! E-book or print, it matters not. Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy it!

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  9. What a great sounding book! Cats are awesome and a book written by a sweet, childhood friend is special!

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Thank you, Stephanie! I just realized you were having trouble posting, but glad you were able to.

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  10. Angela, I would never make it up those steps. No, I would never even make it HALFWAY up those steps! LOL I've never been to San Francisco--love this background to the book you've given us. This is such an unusual, fun story!
    Cheryl

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    1. Thanks, Cheryl! You must make a trip to San Francisco, although the Telegraph Hill steps are optional!

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  11. My trusty assistant/husband drew a couple of names out of a hat for me and the winners are ... Jeffrey and Stephanie! Thanks to everyone for your interest and support! I hope you all have a happy holiday season.

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