I just finished reading “Meow Mistletoe” by Lisa Lickel. This woman is a prolific, intelligent, imaginative writer. (Tell me you see what I did there in my post title. “Meow Mistletoe” by Lisa Lickel.)

Lisa comes up with some of the best names for businesses! How about Mea Cuppa for a coffee shop? And people: Pfannie? A woman as ditzy-yet-inoffensive as her name.

Lisa’s books are peppered with interesting and memorable people. In “Meow Mistletoe,” a prequel to her “Meow” cozy mystery series, we meet Almanzo, Pfannie, Donald, and most importantly, Ivy our heroine and Adam, the man who makes her heart skip beats at inconvenient moments. Did I say they were the most important? The cats Memnet, Isis and Tut, would dispute that statement. I asked Lisa about her own relationship with cats.

Why cats in your books?
I have cats in a lot of my books, don’t I? Except for UnderStory, which has dogs. I grew up with cats and have fond memories of a couple of them, like the Terrible Turk, a Siamese we had for a number of years. He used to chase me and my brother around the house, nipping our heels. Then I married into a family of allergy-prone people, and while my husband’s brother and sister just suffer and have cats in their homes, my husband doesn’t want to. Our oldest struggled with animal allergies, too, so that was that. Oh, we did have gerbils for a while, but they’re not exactly the same, are they? I now have pets vicariously through my stories. Still not sure about dogs, though. Sorry.

“Meow Mistletoe” takes place in one night—a few hours, actually.  Christmas stories are best read at Christmas, I think. The next question for Lisa (who is also a historian) was:

If you could adopt any Christmas tradition from any era or nation or culture into your holidays, what would it be?
It’s been a while since I’ve seen traditions around the world. There are so many unique customs, aren’t there? Our new house has high ceilings. Maybe we could do several upside-down German Christmas trees…hmm, maybe not. I confess to having miniature clip candle holders for Christmas tree branches and have lit them successfully a couple of years without needing to use a fire extinguisher. I still love later Victorian celebrations, including Boxing Day and the Twelve Days of Christmas, bows, small gifts spread over the season, special treats, punch, music, long skirts and mufflers, a group of carolers singing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” and Tiny Tim being healed.

Knowing how much authors live in the fictional worlds we create, I wondered—

If you could insert yourself into “Meow Mistletoe, tell us which scene you’d love to be part of.

There are a couple of scenes I’d probably curl up and burn with embarrassment like Ivy did. I thought maybe I’d like to be rescued by Adam when Ivy almost got run over, but street burn doesn’t appeal to me…even though there was that almost-kiss. I think I’d like most of all to be part of following the blood trail. That’s the scene that shows they are kindred spirits, unafraid of adventure and would make a good team.

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

If you want a quick, fun read, well-written, with a quirky and unexpected little mystery, get “Meow Mistletoe!” It’s part of the Pelican Book Group Christmas Extravaganza series.

Amazon – https://amzn.to/2OjPmBn
Barnes and Noble – https://bit.ly/2CVwTsT

Blurb:
Ivy has just cause to be wary of men. Her long-time fiancé backed out of their wedding. The slow fizzle of their undramatic relationship leaves her wondering if romance is a myth. Then, Adam, an intriguing new member of her pet organization, catches Ivy’s attention. Unfortunately, his cat Isis, a beautiful purebred Egyptian Mau, prefers to pick on her cat, Memnet. Ivy would like to get to know Adam better, but with her self-esteem in the gutter and feline fights at every turn, she wonders how to proceed.

When Ivy agrees to help a clingy friend find her missing pet, she learns that true love doesn’t need theatrics. There’s hope for Adam and Ivy, if only their cats would approve.

Bio:
Lisa Lickel is a Wisconsin author who loves books, collects dragons, and writes inspiring fiction. She also writes short stories, feature articles, and radio theater, and loves to encourage new authors through mentoring, speaking, and leading workshops. Lisa is a member of the Chicago Writer’s Association and vice president/instructor for Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp and Writing Retreat, Inc. She is an avid book reviewer and blogger, and a freelance editor. Find more at http://www.LisaLickel.com.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/lisalickel
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lisajlickel
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisalickelauthor
Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/2bPxi2X