Yes, that is the real Musetta at left on the cover of “Cries and Whiskers,” which will pub in December. The cover designer (the lovely and talented Geoffrey Boyarsky) asked for any snaps I had of my cat, the model for my heroine’s cat in the Theda Krakow mystery series. I sent him a few and he went searching for high-resolution photos of similar looking cats. One of those cats is on the bound galley (or ARC) at right, which is going out to reviewers. Not a bad looking kitty. But… none of us liked that cover as much as the real Musetta. Could be the shaft of light (she was sitting in a window) that makes the composition more interesting. Could be that she just has a more intelligent face!
And yes, she’s the only bit of my reality that crosses over to Theda’s reality. I’m the author, I get to take this one little liberty!
OK, Blogger.com doesn’t seem to want me to post the real cover or the ARC cover (with the fake Musetta). But you can see the real one on my home page, if you’re curious.
Does Musetta have her own agent? It would be a conflict for her to share yours, wouldn’t it?
Musetta is accepting offers of representation. Also pets.
Hi, Clea. I’m dropping in from Backspace. Welcome. As a cat fancier from a long time past, I’ve determined exactly what it is about Musetta that makes her a better model for mystery books.
Like any good model, Musetta’s face is intriguingly unsymetrical. The ARC kitty’s face is so domestic, the spectator’s eyes observe, but the heart does not connect. Musetta, on the other hand; look at that white stipe slipping across her face with wild abandon. Just a bit mischevous and yet begging to be stroked.
That’s it, Carolyn! I think you’ve nailed it! Thank you for dropping by.