Iva: Mindy, I hear that you run with the Muddy Paws Pack up north. What’s it like being a packmate?

Mindy: It means I get to hunt for food while the rest of the pack naps. Actually, I am a top ranked obedience trainer, owner, handler, and a rally judge. The dogs keep me on my toes and we have a lot of fun together.

Iva: That is most excellent! I bet your packmates just love you! What gave you the idea for the Magical Drool Mysteries? Can you tell us about the books and characters?

Mindy: The Magical Drool Mysteries are based on real events of a real dog and his boy. George is an egotistical magical basset hound familiar. Between him, his Girlpup, a 12-year-old witch in training, Karly, and their Auntie Heather, they solve mysteries. Along the way they show the importance of taking care of the Earth.

Iva: Are the books similar to Nancy Drool books?

Mindy: I don’t think so. This isn’t gender specific, and the mysteries are paranormal. Not too many dragons in the Nancy Drew mysteries. It is a nice play on words.

Iva: Please tell us a bit about Tillie’s Tale, your most recent mystery.

Mindy: Once again, George has to find an answer. Tillie, the puppygirl his packsibling Joey was given in “George Knows” attracts a ghost who haunts her. George has to find a way to make the ghost disappear. During his hunt for the answer, Auntie Heather and Karly, his Girlpup, witch-in-training, learn about some forgotten American History.

Iva: What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing?

Mindy: I’m basically a soccer mom for dogs. Due to a disability, I can’t do as much as I used to, so a friend trains and runs my dogs in agility. The oldest, an obedience trial champion, is almost 15 and does nosework. We go to obedience lessons and I teach at a couple clubs. My life went to the dogs.

Iva: A life with the dogs is a fabulous thing! George has been waiting patiently here for his turn with some questions, keeping himself busy with some smelltasting and such.

Hi, George! What’s it like being a witch’s familiar? Please tell us what a regular day for you looks like!

George: What’s it like being a Peep? If Packmom or Karly remember to feed me, I have breakfast. Then I nap. If I have to move because the sun isn’t where I left it, I will wiggle over and catch it. Since that’s a lot of work, I take another snooze. When Karly gets home, she takes me to check out my pee mail and do my thing. After she cleans up after me, we head home and I have to remind her to feed me. Usually, she does her homework and I sleep at her feet. When she’s finished, we’ll head over to Aunt Heather’s and teach Karly spells. Things like healing broken animals and Peeps, what herbs do what, is that a RABBIT! RABBITRABBITRABBIT… oh. False alarm, just a stuffed squeaky. Is that for me?

Iva : YES! It is a stuffed rabbit squeaky! Here you go. Just a little thank you for being on my blog today.

So, I noticed you do a lot of smelltasting. What’s your favorite smelltaste?

George: It truly depends on the moment. It’s like you Peeps, sometimes you want cake and other times you want steak. Although the earthy dungflygrasssweet of rabbit droppings are always a favorite.

Iva: Oh, yes, rabbit droppings. I heard that flavor was becoming super popular. It might be nice in a candle scent for sure!

What do you like best about solving mysteries, George?

George: Getting the hamburger at the end. You Peeps don’t know about the best part because the lady with the hands, my secret-ary stops writing before the good part!

Iva: Of course, the hamburger! Oh, wait a second… we’re having some commotion here. Oh… it’s Lupo! The non-magical Belgian Shepalingo. He’s part Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd, Malamute, and Dingo. He’s just busted down the door because he’s so excited to meet you.

Lupo: What's it like being magical? Do you get better treats and toys?
I love my purple dinosaur.

George: The pay is bad. It's a lot of work, and it's far easier just to be a pet. However, there are times where magical drool is useful. It's fun to see my Boypup skid across the floor.

Iva: I can tell Lupo really wishes he had magic drool, too! His tail is  wagging a lot right now.

Lupo: Do you have any advice for a non-magical dog?

George: Sniff a lot, eat when you can, pee when you can, and make sure you turn three times before going to sleep. It keeps the ghosts from haunting or possessing your body.

Iva: Great advice, George! Mindy and George, where can readers find you on the ever-so-amazing internet?

http://mindymymudes.weebly.com/blog

https://www.facebook.com/Author-Mindy-Mymudes-486126501426333/timeline/

https://twitter.com/GeorgeBasset

Iva: A big thank you once again to Mindy and George for visiting the blog today. For Peeps and all dogs big and small, please feel free to comment below!
 

Success! It happened! It really, truly, did.  Yay!

As an update to February’s blog post about the author James Joyce and his time in Pula, I’m so happy to announce that I finally had the opportunity to have a coffee with him. Okay, it was a mineral water—my favorite!—and not a coffee. And the James Joyce I’m referring to is a statue… but still! This is a girl’s dream come true. If you’re me, of course.

I didn’t have to push any tourists out of the way, or lurk around for the spot to open up.  All those years of passing by James Joyce and seeing other people enjoying their time with him.  Well, those years are OVER. Because on this particular beautiful afternoon in Pula, my brother and I casually sauntered by Caffe Uliks, and—oh, yes—the spot was open. Not a soul in sight. And then we posed for a million pictures. Cheers to James Joyce!