Growing up, I loved mysteries. And I loved cats! I wish Buckley and Bogey, Cat Detectives, had been around decades ago; I know I would have enjoyed this case of Christmas Crooks–and more. Buckley had just been adopted from the cat shelter this year, and this was the first he’d ever heard about Christmas. And he quickly finds out there is a lot to learn! But he and Bogey can’t really enjoy any of it until the Christmas Crooks are caught. That’s because it becomes very clear, very quick — these Christmas Crooks have set their sights on the boys’ house, too, and the burglars are headed straight for their door. Holy Mackerel!
We caught up with author Cindy Vincent to ask her about The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks, A Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers book! After reading the interview, be sure to visit the book tour page to enter the book’s two Pinterest contests as well as a full schedule of the book tour stops!
Can you tell us about The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks?
First, thank you so much for the interview! The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks is the second book in my Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers series. In this book, Buckley is spending his first Christmas with his new forever family, after being adopted from the local cat shelter. Buckley, who is kind of a nervous guy, is a little scared when he first sees the Christmas tree going up in his home. But Bogey takes him under his paw, hands him a couple of cat treats to calm him down, and starts to explain about Christmas.
Minutes later, Officer Phoebe Smiley of the St. Gertrude Police Department arrives and lets everyone know about a recent break-in in the neighborhood. Not only did the crooks steal all the Christmas presents, but the burglars also stole the star-shaped Christmas cookies. Days later, another similar robbery takes place just a few houses away, and before long, the Christmas Crooks have hit homes all over town. And since Buckley and Bogey are worried their own home and family may fall victim to these brazen burglars, the boys set out to solve the case and uncover the identity of the crooks. Their investigation leads them to places all over St. Gertrude, including their mom’s antique store, and a local Christmas craft fair, where they meet some interesting and sometimes scary suspects, both human and feline. Along the way, Buckley continues his quest to understand Christmas, and the boys engage all the cats in the house to help protect their family. Their action plan is put to the test one dark night when someone starts pounding on their door . . .
Who were the inspirations for Buckley and Bogey?
My real life cats, Buckley and Bogey (author photo, right), were the inspiration for this book and the series. We had adopted Bogey from a local animal shelter when he was a kitten, and he joined our household of three much olde
r female cats. Of course, Bogey wanted to play 24/7, but the older girls had no intention of playing with him. And Bogey, having come from a litter of five boys, liked to wrestle and roughhouse. We soon realized that Bogey needed a brother. So we adopted Buckley from another animal rescue agency, and the two boys have been best friends and inseparable ever since.
As they seemed to explore our house together every night, we joked about them “running surveillance” to make sure the place was secure. That’s when the idea hit me — Buckley and Bogey Cat Detectives.
The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Especially when I realized how very different the boys were. While they’re both black cats with gold eyes, Bogey is sleek and wiry, whereas Buckley is huge and fluffy. Bogey is laid back and fearless, and Buckley is anxious about pretty much everything. Bogey is the expert and Buckley is the rookie. Together their personalities play off each other beautifully, much like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Or Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe. Only at a children’s level, and well, at a really adorable level, as both boys are such a joy, and happy to cuddle and purr at a moment’s notice.
A recent Best Friends Animal Society survey showed that younger people are more likely to purchase a pet from a breeder or pet store rather than consider adoption. Do you think books like The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks can help introduce young readers to the importance of rescue?
My first comment on this would be that people who limit themselves to animals from breeders are truly missing out. In my experience, some of the cutest, most unique and interesting pets can be found in a shelter. All of our animals are rescued, and I’ve always felt they truly appreciate being given a home. Plus, many times people can actually find purebred animals in a shelter. Buckley himself is a Maine Coon Cat, whose owners gave him up with the economy dropped in 2008. At that time, there were a number of purebred animals taken to shelters. Though personally, we couldn’t care less about Buckley’s lineage. We just care about him.
One of my goals in writing this book is to encourage young people to adopt animals from shelters and rescue agencies. In the story, both boys have come from shelters, as have the other cats who live in their house. When Buckley learns of Santa Claus, he becomes concerned that Santa didn’t visit the shelter where he had once stayed. So, at the end of the story, (spoiler alert!) Buckley remembers the shelter cats and decides to take them some of his new toys. In essence, he plays Santa himself. He’s also instrumental in the adoption of one of the shelter cats as a Christmas present for a neighbor. My hope is that I’ve portrayed these scenes with enough emotion and empathy that young people will identify with the characters and consider adopting a pet from a shelter, too.
What other books have you authored that would be of interest to cat lovers?
Cats to me are an endless source of inspiration, and so far I’ve released three books that are cat-themed.
I have two books in my Buckley and Bogey series.
The first is The Case of the Cat Show Princess, where Buckley and Bogey go undercover at a cat show, to save an animal who has been abused by her owner. Buckley enters in the Cutest Family Pet category, while Bogey enters the Agility Competition.
The next in the series is my new book, The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks. And of course, I plan on at least a third book in the series!
And the last book, in a totally separate genre, is a Daily Biblical Devotion book, called Cats are Part of His Kingdom, Too. In this book, not only do I chronicle many of our personal experiences with some of our own animals, but I also parallel the love a pet owner has for a cat with the love that God has for his people. Much like we humans work in many behind-the-scenes ways to make the lives of our cats better, God works in behind-the-scenes way for us, in ways that we can’t comprehend.
For More Information:
- Purchase the book in paperback or Kindle e-book format
- visit www.buckleyandbogey.com
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