ADA BELL

Ada Bell has loved mysteries most of her life, so it was only natural that this would be the genre she wrote in. From the classics like Nancy Drew and Scooby Doo to Psych and superheros Ada has found her reading heaven. Add in a bit of cake, and you have one happy writer! Her own series include Shady Grove Psycic Mystery and Haunted Haven.

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Emma is thrilled to come into her legacy: not only has she inherited stacks of money and a mansion, she’s got magic! Everything is coming up roses until she finds her new chef dead in the kitchen and her other employee accused of murder. If she can’t find the real killer, this haunted haven might never open for business.

Who is your protagonist’s sidekick?

Pink is some kind of magical being, although the specifics aren’t clear. He used to assist Emma’s grandfather when he was alive. Emma inherited Pink along with the haunted mansion and the magic. He’s a black cat, despite the name, and refuses to spell his name with an exclamation point in homage to the singer.

What role does the animal play in the story?

In the first book, Pink’s role is largely as mentor. Emma doesn’t know what she doesn’t know, and he helps point her in the right direction on more than one occasion. He also uses his magic to assist when necessary.

Does your animal help or hinder your sleuth?

As Emma’s familiar, Pink is supposed to help with her powers. Said assistance is sometimes given in the form of snarky comments, but his magic has gotten her out of a sticky situation or two.

Give us 1 example of the interaction between your main character and the Fury Sidekick.

“Did you want to go in, or should we stare at the house all day?” the cat asked. “If we wait long enough, those clouds should open up and get us nice and soaked.”

That’s right. My new cat talked. It unnerved me a bit, at first, but I was getting used to it.

“Remind me again what you’re doing here?” I asked.

“I’m your familiar,” he said primly. “You need me.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” I said. “And why is a black cat named Pink?”

“My prior partner loved nineties music. And irony.”

“He should have named you Alanis,” I muttered.

“Don’t start,” he said.

Is your book part of a series, if so, tell us about the series.

After years of drifting through life, never feeling like she belonged, Emma has finally found her home. With the help of her ghostly grandfather and magical cat, she’s running a home for people who need a place to go. Unfortunately, she keeps finding herself dragged into murder investigations.

Give the readers a hint of what’s to come for your character in future books.

Emma is learning about her powers and working to expand them in every book. Pink is somewhat of an enigma. She knows he’s a cat. She knows he is much older than cats usually get, and she’s observed some interesting magic. With each new story, Emma discovers a bit more about what each of them can do.

Victoria LK Williams