Writing a Purrfect Thriller with Claws
guest post by Amy Shojai
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Thank you, Ingrid, for allowing me to share about my most current book, hit and Run. lots of folks know about my nonfiction that covers cat and pet dog care and behavior. Not as lots of may know that I also write fiction that features pets. I call my fiction “Thrillers With Bite!” because they all include heroic family pets and their human partners.
Hit an Run is the 5th book in my September and shadow Thriller series. It’s so much fun when a character (especially an animal character) inspires a plot twist, or option to a story problem. Hey, in my real life, my own family pets do that all the time, don’t yours?
Writing a purrfect thriller
These thrillers include mayhem and murder and cover darker subject matter than the normal “animal mystery.” Although pet characters often may be at risk, I don’t ever kill my animal heroes in the stories. No, it’s only the people who become victims, and normally the bad people get what’s pertaining to them!
My main character September has gone through the wringer, and partners with her PTSD pet dog Shadow. but her trained Maine Coon cat Macy rescued her emotionally. He’s a stunning fellow with coffee-dark fur and green eyes that match September’s hair and eyes. In past books, Macy “nailed” bad people (on command); suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy currently under control (trained to easily take his meds); and bossed his pet dog friend around. Hey, that’s what cats do in real life, right?
But like lots of cats, Macy learns by observation. He also watches Shadow, and often learns new skills and demands to be included. For instance, in hit and Run, Macy knows how to fetch car keys, and has learned to track lost cats. Those skills figures prominently in the plot.
I include pet dog viewpoint chapters in all the books. this time around, Macy also has chapters that show the story through a cat’s purr-ceptions. No, they don’t talk—they just act, react, and perceive situations as I imagine family pets would. early reviews seem to love the cat’s chapters just as much as I do, so future books in the series likely will continue to include these fun feline viewpoint scenes.
Name that hero cat!
I also get to highlight the best of our cats and dogs in the stories by including hero six family pets from readers in the story after they won the name That pet dog and name That cat contest. three stunning cats nominated by readers become hero cats in hit and Run. this time around, even the cat names inspired plot twists!
Sherlock, a rescued feral kitten, verified too savvy for the live trap (hence his name), and was nominated by Lisa Mahoney. “He was unclean dirty and quite wild and wouldn’t let me touch him at first. but little by little I was able to get his trust. When I was able to wash him for the first time, I was shocked to discover that this dirty little “grey” kitten was actually pure white. and he had beautiful green eyes.” In hit and Run, Sherlock bonds closely with a young girl at the Maine Coon cattery, defends her from the bad guy, and guards crucial information crucial to solving the mystery. He also becomes a seizure-alert cat (yes, there is such a thing!).
Kate Holly-Clark nominated her cat, Meriwether. “Meriwether was named after the explorer Meriwether Lewis because he’s into everything! ….He’s also a bit of an idiot and a real klutz. He falls backward off couch arms, into boxes, and is regularly trying to climb things and scrabbling hopelessly and sans dignity to make it.” In hit and Run, Meriwether acts as a protector and guard cat, facing down a Rottweiler police dog. He ends up with Theodore “Teddy” Williams (from previous books) and I’m sure will have exciting explorations in future stories.
Darla Taylor nominated her cat. “Kahlua was a cat I adopted after a car accident in 1994 that left me in bad condition. …I adopted Kahlua who was a female black and white Norwegian forest cat and she became my unofficial therapy cat. She was three years old when I got her, and I lost her when she was thirteen. Kahlua was beautiful and always knew when I was anxious or feeling down. She would climb in my lap and interact with me bringing me out of my mood.” In hit and Run, Kahlua saves a woman from being injured in a fire. He becomes her therapy cat.
Why pet-centric thrillers, why mayhem?
Why write thrillers about mayhem, murder, bad guys, and conspiracies? I’ve always had a brilliant imagination. In fact, when I can find the time, I take pleasure in performing on stage, and even wrote the STRAYS musical featuring pets—another way to bend reality and make stuff up.
During these challenging days, weeks, and months of an amazing year, my family pets save me. writing a thrilling fiction story helped me escape the darker reality of the real world. I do put my main character September and her friends through the wringer, but she comes out the other side a snullnull