out of the batter bowl

"LOOK OUT!" Rushton yelled as Seville walked past the kitchen door. Seville turned in the direction of his brother's voice just in time to receive a paw-full of goopy, gooey, pasty batter in his face.

"What the mouses?" Seville sputtered, spitting out lumps of batter as he spoke.  "What the mouses are you two long-haired marmie boys up to?"

"Sorry about that," Anderson apologized, padding over to Seville.  He wiped what batter he could from Seville's face with a paw.  Drawing the paw to his mouth, he sniffed.  Then he licked it and screwed up his face. "Tastes good, Rushy, but you were right.  It is kind of lumpy."

Seville looked from Anderson to Rushton and then back to Andy once again.  "I'll ask once more. What the mouses are you two up to?  Whose idea was this here food fight, anyway?  I thought you were working on your book reports for Kitty Lit. 101!  You know, your reports about Linda Reilly's latest book, Out of the Dying Pan."

"We were.  I mean, we are," Rushton answered, rather matter of factly.

"It's true, Seville," piped up Andy.  "We're doing what one calls a reenactment of one of the scenes in the book.  Checking out how realistic it is and stuff."

"Turns out the scene was very realistic," added Rushton.  "I can totally see something like that escalating to flying batter and things, just like in the book.  Andy and I proved it and everything."

Seville rolled his eyes before saying, "When Peep #1 finds out about this..."

"Oh she already knows," explained Andy.  "Said something about us driving her crazy which is absolutely ridiculous as neither one of us can drive."

Seville pursed his lips, partially closed his eyes allowing them to glaze over, and shuddered.

"You okay there, bro?" Andy asked.  Without waiting for a response he continued with, "So anyway, now that we've proven that the book's batter scene in the kitchen really could happen..."

"Which we already knew but simply felt the need to prove," added Rushton.

"Now we can go type up our reports for Professor Lyon," finished Anderson.  "You have yours done already, Seville?"

"Had mine done ages ago and it's a good thing, too, 'cause I'm looking at this kitchen and thinkin' that SOMEONE is gonna have to do a little cleaning."

"I think Peep #1 will clean it up when she gets back from crazy, wherever that is," said Andy.

Rushton stared at Seville for a moment before asking, "Don't you want to know why we needed to do this reenactment, Seville?"

"Uh actually...  NO."

"Sure you do.  Don't you think Seville wants to know, Andy? Don't answer that, Anderson.  It was what one calls a rhetorical question," and Rushton settled back on his haunches before continuing.  "Anyway, Andy and I were discussing the various relationships in Linda Reilly's latest book, Out of the Dying Pan.  The various relationships between the characters and stuff."

"And by stuff," Anderson butted in, "he means food.  Deep fried food like fish as, as you know, the main character Talia owns and operates a restaurant serving such things.  Things like fish.  And meatballs too!"  Anderson turned to Rushton to add, "We need to try making those Deep Fried Meatballs, Rushy.  Recipe is in the back of the book."

"As I was saying," Rushton scowled at his brother, "the book has a lot of relationships.  Some fairly simple and others far more complex.  Relationships between the various characters and..."

"And food.  Don't forget the food," Andy reminded Rushy.  "But also scarves."

Seville sat down, closed his eyes, and lay his head in his paws.  "I can't believe these two cats are my brothers," he muttered.  "Clearly, they were adopted."

"Andy does have a point about the scarves," Rushton agreed.  "There are two scarves.  The smoky smelly one that Martha is always wearing and then the.. uh..  the murder weapon.  You know, the one Talia made for her grandmother."

"Which is another relationship," Anderson said.  "You know, the relationship Talia had with her grandmother when she was growing up.  How she loved her and made her that lovely scarf as a gift..."

"Which then showed up with the victim, before the victim was an actual victim," continued Rushton. "That has got to make one wonder if there was a relationship between the victim and Talia, right?  Might even make the police look at Talia as the killer."

"Yeah," Andy butted in, "because Talia already had a relationship with the police.  After all, she did find a dead body in Linda Reilly's first book, not long before Out of the Dying Pan takes place. This is the second time she has done that so when you think about it, she's developing a rather interesting association - or relationship - with the police.  And then there's the relationships between the victim and Talia and the victim and her mother and the victim and..."

"And the relationships between the shop owners with one another," added Rushton.  "Also the relationships between Talia and her adorable calico kitty and then that Siamese kitty and the victim had a relationship which leads to the exposure of some other relationships and...  Oh!  And keep in mind, all of these relationships are exposed throughout the book, one at a time, so you never know which ones are simply fun or interesting or related to the crime.  Plus, the relationships make the storyline multi-dimensional."

"Excuse me," Seville interjected, "but can someone please explain what all of this has to do with your whipping up a batch of batter and having a food fight in the kitchen?  Anyone? Anyone at all?"

"Um..." and Rushton looked upwards at the ceiling.  "Oh wow.  Look at that.  Which one of us threw batter all the way up there?  It hit the fan and everything."

Anderson looked down at a paw and began to study a claw with great concentration.

Rushton scratched behind an ear.  "Well we really just wanted to see what being in a food fight would be like as neither one of us had ever been in one before.  Ours went a little further..."

Andy tapped Rushton on a shoulder.  "Actually, ours went a lot further than the one in the book.  No batter hit the ceiling in Out of the Dying Pan."

"True," Rushton nodded in agreement.  "But at the time, it seemed like a good experience to have. And you have to admit, Seville, that the characters involved in the smaller and..."  He gazed about the kitchen.  "...and not nearly so messy incident in the book did all share relationships both to Talia and to one another and..."

"THERE WERE NO FOOD FIGHTS IN THE BOOK!" Seville hollered.

"But there was that scene involving some arguing and batter and some of the batter did end up on someone's shoe."

"MOUSES!" cried Seville.

"No, there were no mice Seville," Andy frowned.

Seville slapped a paw to his mouth.  "Tell me you didn't..."

"Didn't what?" asked Rushton.

"Tell me you didn't go and get your lumpy batter on that extra-special, super-duper autographed copy of Out of the Dying Pan that Linda Reilly offered to GIVE AWAY to one of the readers of my blog.  Where is it?  Andy?  Rushy?" and Seville looked frantically around the kitchen.  "With all this batter flying about...  WE CAN'T GIVE AWAY A DAMAGED COPY!"

"Don't be ridiculous," chastised Rushton.  "We wouldn't do a thing like that.  The autographed copy of Out of the Dying Pan is tucked safely away, where it will remain until your blog's GIVEAWAY is over and someone wins it.  We would never let it get damaged in our little food fight.  NEVER."


"Little?" and Andy raised an eyebrow.

"Little," Rushton answered firmly.  "And that's exactly what you will say if questioned by the peeps.  Got that?"

"Got it," Anderson nodded before turning to his other brother.  "Seville, you really should tell everyone about the giveway.  Tell them how to enter and stuff.  Your readers will want to know.  Or...  Or do you want me to do it? I can, you know.  I can definitely do that.  Here goes."

                                  ****************************************

Linda Reilly is giving away an AUTOGRAPHED copy of Out of the Dying Pan to one lucky reader. To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog post before midnight, Atlantic time, on Sunday May 29th, 2016.  The winner will be selected by random drawing on Monday May 30th.  Contest is open world-wide, unless prohibited by law.  No purchase necessary.

                                  ****************************************
Out of the Dying Pan is the second book in the Deep Fried Mystery Series written by Seville's pal, Linda Reilly, and published as a Prime Crime Mystery by the Berkley Publishing Group, a division of the Penguin Group.  Connect on-line with Linda through her website, Linda Reilly, or on her Facebook page, Author Linda Reilly.  The cover picture of Linda's book was used with the permission of none other than Linda Reilly, herself.

                                  ****************************************

Disclaimer:  We received no monetary compensation for this post.  Linda Reilly is giving away a copy of her book to one lucky reader but we cats bought our own copies for Kitty Lit. 101.  Also, all opinions are our own.  MOUSES!

let me tell you

Let me tell you about my peep.  This morning, Peep #1 updated her Facebook status with a comment that really took me by surprise.

Yeah, I know.  What's taking all of you by surprise is that the peep is on Facebook. It sometimes surprises me, too. Surprises me she's allowed over there as let's face it, she's just not all that interesting.  Unlike me, of course.

As you might have guessed, the peep's uninteresting nature is why she doesn't have a fan page as I do.  She doesn't have a fan page like me because she's not famous or anything.

Infamous, maybe..  Nah, just kidding. Bottom line is, the peep doesn't have a fan page because she doesn't have any fans. No need for a fan page when you're fanless, you know?  Of course you do. MOUSES!

What's that, Peepers?  Fanless isn't a word?  Sure it is!  I just invented it right now.  MOUSES!

But back to that status.  On Facebook, the peep described what is known as the Coffee Paradox and she described it almost perfectly.  She said something like, sometimes she needs a cup of coffee to get out of bed in the morning but unfortunately, she needs to get out of bed in order to get the coffee.  See?  A perfect paradox, indeed.

Well almost perfect.  As I so kindly pointed out to Peep #1, her paradox would be even more perfect had it been about nip.  As a cat, I don't drink coffee but nip on the other paw...  You get my point, I am sure.

But then on the other other paw - luckily, as a cat, I have four - if the paradox were about nip and not coffee, it wouldn't be called the Coffee Paradox.  It would be called the Nip Paradox, I suppose. I'll have to think about this one, a little more.

The thing is though, for a brief moment there, I said to myself, "My gosh, Peep #1 really can be quite profound."

Then I answered myself with, "Profound!  The Peep?  Didn't even know she was anti-lost never mind pro found.  MOUSES!"  Well I said something to that effect, I do believe.

Not quite sure what I said on account of my having been nipped, at the time.  MOUSES!

Hey!  It's not my fault that nip mouse was lying there on the floor next to my office chair.  Yes, I may have left it there, last night, but I didn't order it to stay.  MOUSES!

But do you know who really was very profound?  Nissy.  My brother Nissy was the most profound kitty around.

It has been five months, today, since Nissy left us to romp through the great nip fields of Heaven, chasing butterflies.  Five long months.  And his best friend, Herman Tattlecat, wrote the most beautiful tribute to Nissy and published it today, in honour of what he calls Nissy's five month Angelversary. Angelversary...  I like that.  Nissy was an angel on earth so up in Heaven, he'll be one of the finest angels, for sure.

The peep has been a little sad since yesterday, when she started thinking about the fact that it was five months ago when Nissy left us.  She says it seems like just yesterday when she could scoop him up into her arms for cuddles but at the same time, it feels like he's been gone for so very long.  Far too long.  She says that seeing Nissy used to make her heart smile but now, her heart hasn't smiled in a very long time.

But Peep #1 was ever-so-touched by Herman's blog post.  It made her cry, a bit, but that's only because she loved Nissy so much and misses him terribly.  And from reading Herman's blog post, it's very clear that he loved Nissy, too.  They were best pals.  Besties.  Bestest besties, for sure.

Herman's post, "Tribute to Nerissa the Cat," can be found right here on the blog, Kimberley Koz. That's the blog Herman shares with his mum.

I've been thinking about Nissy a lot lately, too.  As you know, Niss and I signed up for Professor Lyon's Kitty Lit. 101 course, last year, and going to school with my brother was such fun.  Now I'm taking the course with my other two brothers, Anderson and Rushton.  Thing is, because those two long-haired marmies are newbies regarding the literary lessons thing, I have to be the big brother now.  The responsible one.  I have to be like Nissy.

And being the big brother is hard when you're supposed to be the big brother to two long-haired marmies who are part Coon.  They're huge!  I'm a fairly good-sized dude, myself, but Andy and Rushy?  Like I said, HUGE.  And they have all that floofy floof, too.  MOUSES!

Sometimes Peep #1 wonders if Anderson really is big cat or instead, a rather small lion.  She says it could go either way.  MOUSES!

But speaking of Professor Lyon's Kitty Lit. course, you are all remembering to enter my giveaway, are you not?  It's easy peasy to do and the prize is absolutely great.  One very lucky reader is going to WIN an AUTOGRAPHED COPY of Fillet of Murder, Linda Reilly's fantabulous book.

All you need do to enter is leave a comment on my post, "fish and chips with a side of trouble," by midnight, Atlantic Time, on Sunday October 4th. Leaving a comment is easy!  Like I said, easy peasy, for sure.  Just remember to do so before Sunday's deadline, okay?

And if, by chance, you are wondering about that side of trouble business, let me put it this way... You've met my two marmie brothers, haven't you?  MOUSES!

fish and chips with a side of trouble

Anderson raced into the room and skidded to a stop beside Seville's desk.  "Tell me it isn't true!" he panted.

Seville stopped working on his book report for Kitty Lit. 101 and looked down at his brother.  "Tell you what isn't true, bro? What has your fluffy pantaloons all in a dither?"

Still out of breath, Andy barely managed to wheeze, "Rushton says you're planning on giving away my library!"

"You have a library?  Since when did you have a library?  And why am I giving it away?  And why don't I have one, too?"

Anderson took a deep breath.  "Okay, okay...  Maybe I was exaggerating a little.  Rushy says you're giving away half my library.  Not the whole thing.  How come?  And doesn't it matter that I don't want you to do that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Andy.  Right now, I'm concentrating on finishing up this report about Linda Reilly's book, Fillet of Murder.  You have yours all done?"

"NEVER MIND ABOUT THAT!  I need to know my library is still intact.  I need to know you're not giving it away!"

Seville hopped down from his desk chair.  "Andy, start from the beginning.  First of all, tell me where this library of yours is."

"It's right over there!" and Andy pointed a paw at two books sitting on a bookcase shelf.

"That's not a library, Anderson.  Why, those are just two books.  Two.  As in...  you know...  TWO."

"But they're my two books.  I bought them with my own money - okay, the peep's money - but nevertheless, I love them both.  But Rushy told me you're going to give one of them away!  He told me you're giving away my copy of Fillet of Murder by Linda Reilly.  I NEED that book for my library!  I MIGHT WANT TO READ IT AGAIN!"


Seville rolled his eyes.  "I see what's going on. Don't worry, Andy.  I am giving away a copy of Fillet of Murder but not your copy.  And technically, I'm not the one giving it away.  Linda Reilly, herself, has offered to give one lucky reader of my blog an AUTOGRAPHED COPY of her book, Fillet of Murder.  She's going to put her paw print on it and everything.  But it's a totally different copy.  It's a brand new copy.  Your library will remain intact."

"Really?" squeaked Anderson.

"Really," answered Seville.  "Couldn't give away your copy even if I tried.  I flipped through the pages and they're a little dog eared.  You kept turning over the corners of them and stuff.  Ever heard of a bookmark, my man?"

"I used a bookmark to keep track of where I was in the story, Seville, but I turned over the page corners of all my favourite parts."

Seville narrowed his eyes.  "You turned over a lot of page corners."

"I had a lot of favourite parts."

"Makes sense," and Seville nodded in agreement.  "It really was a good book.  Tell me, what did you like best?"

"I loved how Talia works at a fish and chips restaurant.  I mean, fish, right?  Best kind of restaurant around.  Not too into the chips part, myself, but the fish?  I love fish.  Mmmm..."

"Ah, that would account for the drool I found on some of the pages," Seville murmured.

"But as yummy as the book was from a fish and chips restaurant perspective kind of thing, it was really exciting, too.  I mean, there was a murder!  And then there was blame.  And then, of course, the culprit was found out but I would never in a million years have guessed who that culprit was. The news came as a huge surprise to me but when I thought about it afterwards, it all made sense. Don't know how I didn't see it before," Anderson explained.

"I'll tell you how you didn't see it," chuckled Rushton as he sauntered into the room.  "You..."

"Oh come on now, Rushy," chided Seville.  "Bet you didn't figure it out, either.  I have to say, it threw me for a loop, too.  But that's what happens when a mystery book is really well-written, you see.  There are twists and turns in the plot which always leave a surprise or two for the reader."

Rushton jumped up onto Seville's desk chair and peered at the computer screen.  "I see you're writing about the characters in the book.  I did that, too.  I really liked how they were interesting and even a little quirky but at the same time, very believable.  I thought Linda Reilly created a nice balance with that.  Characters that quirky enough to be fun to read about, making you want to know more about them, but at the same time, believable enough for them to feel really...  real.  Know what I mean?"

"I know exactly what you mean," Seville stated.  "And she even managed to fit in a little romance, there.  Peeps love that sort of stuff, you know?"

"Cats do, too..." sighed Anderson and he rested his head on his paws.

"But the best part of all, of course, was the cat." stated Rushton.

"Of course.  The cats in a book always are," said Seville.

"I could really relate to that cute little calico cat because I was a cat left behind, too," Anderson explained.  "Being cold and hungry and abandoned outdoors is no laughing matter."

"It most certainly isn't," stated Seville, "which, of course, is why Talia set out to rescue that little kitty, right away.  And rescue her, she did."

"And speaking of Talia," continued Seville, "I loved reading about the relationships between her and her family and friends.  Made me want to meet Talia and get to know her along with all the other characters..."

"You mean we could actually meet Talia and her friends?" asked Andy.  "I'd love to do that!"

"Mouses, Andy.  They're characters in a book, not real people although..."

"Although they felt real on account of the way the book was written," and Rushton finished Seville's sentence.

"They sure did.  But back to the actual mystery in the book," began Seville.  "Rushton, did you really have an idea who the killer was before it was revealed?"

"No actually, I didn't.  But I loved how Talia figured it out in the end.  That part was super exciting. Dug a few claws into the chesterfield cushions.  Don't tell the peep, okay?  She doesn't know it was me."

"Yeah, the atmosphere of the book was great," sighed Seville.  "Perfect book to be reading at this time of year when there's a chill in the air and the leaves are starting to colour up and fall.  Actually, I think the book takes place right about now.  Supposed to be just a few weeks before Hallowe'en."

"That's right!" chimed in Anderson.  "Sweater weather."

"Sweater weather!  What do you know about wearing sweaters, Andy?  But you're right, it is a name given to this time of year," agreed Rushton.

"As long as the peeps aren't putting those sweaters on any of us," declared Seville.  "But enough of that, I need to finish up my report for Professor Lyon so you two skedaddle, okay?"

"And I also need to tell all my blog readers that they can WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY of Fillet of Murder of their very own.  All they need do is leave a comment on this blog post by midnight, Atlantic time, Sunday October 4th, making sure I have a way to contact them if their name should be drawn. The giveaway is open worldwide so any one of my readers can win."

"Hey Andy," and Rushton slapped his brother on the back.  "Let's go see if we can convince the peep to make us some fish and chips.  All this talk about the book has given me a craving for something warm and yummy." The two headed out of the room while Seville returned to writing up his report.

"Fish and chips..." Seville murmured.  "Mmmm...  Hang on there boys, I want some, too!" and Seville jumped down from his chair to run after his brothers, Anderson and Rushton. "Some deep fried fish sounds pretty yummy, for sure."

                                  ****************************************

Fillet of Murder is the first book in the Deep Fried Mystery Series written by my pal, Linda Reilly, and published as a Prime Crime Mystery by the Berkley Publishing Group, a division of the Penguin Group.  Connect on-line with Linda through her website, Linda Reilly, or on her Facebook page, Author Linda Reilly.  The cover picture of Linda's book was used with the permission of Linda Reilly, herself.

And remember, Linda is giving away an autographed copy of Fillet of Murder to one lucky reader. To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog post before midnight, Atlantic time, on Sunday October 4th.  The winner will be selected by random drawing on Monday October 5th.  Contest is open world-wide, unless prohibited by law.  No purchase necessary.