Get Caught Reading — The Sign of the Ape 4 (2016 Rerun Conclusion)

Image courtesy of Chris Graham

Welcome, one and all — to this re-run of last year’s Get Caught Reading mini-series. Without further ado, here’s the conclusion!

***

It’s been fun participating in Get Caught Reading Month. I hope my zany and bizarre story encouraged people of all ages to read. Last week my real-world schedule caused me to put blogging on the shelf. But look what grand company I had, thanks to Chris Graham!

When we left our heroes…

As many of you know, a few elite bloggers (and their pets) banded together with one quest — catch the Story Reading Ape reading. During the first chapter, I found a shimmering airship outside my window. The pilot looked suspiciously like Cornelis Drebbel. Before I knew it, I was in Time Square beginning a chase to “catch” the Story Reading Ape in the act of reading.

In Chapter 2 Suzanne from A Pug in the Kitchen and I met a number of author-bloggers (and their pets) who joined the quest to catch the illusive Ape. Mary J. McCoy-Dressel , Christoph Fischer, John W. Howell, and blogger Dan Antion.

Then last time a new duo was added to the intrepid band of bloggers – Hugh Roberts and adorable Toby. But to the astonishment of our intrepid band, everyone became anime characters when Cornelis Drebbel’s alchemy went wrong. Now for the conclusion of The Sign of the Ape.

Sign of the Ape 4

Image courtesy of Chris Graham

Toby barked frantically at the pavement and scratched at it with his little paws. Doubtless, the dog could hear John W. Howell, Dan Antion, and their pets in the tunnel beneath the street. Finally, Hugh couldn’t take seeing the Corgi so upset. He jumped back onto the big construction loader and started digging a hole in the road — much to the dismay of the drivers in the area.

My phone buzzed at me. When I answered, I was greeted with a loud chorus of meowing from Annette Rochelle Aben’s cats. I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. And yes, that did remind me of the fuzzy ears and long tail that came with the anime version of me. I shot Cornelis Drebbel a nasty look and muttered that I’d get him for it. Then a second call got patched onto the meow-wow. The four naughty chimps translated for Annette’s kitties via text message.

“You’ve got to figure out how to get to London. The Story Reading Ape is there. He left Tokyo before your airship even touched down!” came the message from the chimps.

London? Well the chimps should know. They were tight with the Ape. But London? I hadn’t figured out how to stop being an anime yet! How could I possibly get to London? I sure couldn’t go as an anime — and especially not in that horrid schoolgirl uniform!

Although I was rather shocked that Mary J. McCoy-Dressel and Suzanne DeBrango seemed to take their cartoon situation in stride. Their dogs, Kasha and Percy, didn’t seem to think it was worth barking about. Maybe I would feel differently if I were a beautiful goddess or a cute giant-robot-driving future girl, I thought. I steamed and stewed… I’d never forgive Cornelis for putting me in such an outfit.

Toby caught reading

Toby gave an excited yip and Hugh turned off the loader. Once again I heard that crazy, funky guitar music of the original James Bond theme. Then a sports car roared up through the big hole dug by the construction loader.

Thanks again Chris!

John W. Howell and Dan Antion, along with dogs Lucy and Maddie, and MiMi the tuxedo cat were in the sports car. Oddly I could have sworn I saw the Boxer, Lucy driving the car. But who am I to say that was strange. After all, I was an anime schoolgirl with cat ears and a tail…

Lucy, who owns John W. Howell

I could see Dan wave from the back seat that everyone in the car was okay. John leaned out of the passenger window. He had a weird looking guitar. I asked where he got it.

Maddie who owns Dan Antion

MiMi caught reading

“A strange taxi driver with bushy eyebrows gave this guitar to me,” John told me. “But no matter what notes I strum, it will only play that James Bond theme,” he added and played the chorus to demonstrate.

However, the music abruptly changed to the Goldfinger theme. Glittering clouds of golden dust formed in the sky. John put down the guitar, but it continued to play. The golden dust settled on everyone (and every pet) who had become anime.

I felt my stomach expand and contract like the beginning of a very unfortunate gastritis attack. The most embarrassingly loud belch escaped my lips. However, everyone else produced similar burps, so I was a little less mortified. We were anime no longer, but the dratted costumes remained. I muttered a new curse to Cornelis Drebbel about my uniform.

“Thank heavens you’re a redhead again,” John Howell commented. “The raven locks were nice, but it just wasn’t right.”

Then with sharp popping sounds, one by one, my friends began to disappear. Frightened beyond reason, I screamed at the alchemist for an explanation.

“My dear, do calm down,” he said in that droll voice. “Everyone is perfectly safe. I sent each of them directly to their homes,” the alchemist explained as I stammered and tried to ask why. “Darling, remember it is Get Caught Reading Month. May is almost over! How can they read anything if they are trotting around the globe with you? And you still haven’t finished “The Sign of the Four” for that matter,” he told me, adding a tsk-tsk sound for good measure.

Cornelis took my hand and suddenly we were inside the giant robot. “I’ve always wanted to pilot one of these,” he confessed with a giggle. “Next stop, London!”

As Cornelis flew the alchemically powered robot, I wandered, exploring the many nooks and crannies. It was more spacious than I expected. The sound of deeply pitched chuckling caused me to stop in my tracks. I strained to hear. It seemed to be only one voice, like someone talking on the phone. Ever so carefully I moved closer.

“You four truly are naughty,” the voice rumbled. “Sending all those bloggers on such a wild goose chase. Although I must admit, a free ride back to London in a magical giant robot is a memorable adventure. I will see you naughty rascals when I get home, but for now I have reading to catch up on. I think Gwydion may have just gone too far for Ralda to forgive him. I really must see what happens next in Atonement, Tennessee“

With a silent gasp I realized the Story Reading Ape was hiding right under my nose! I removed my cell phone from my skirt pocket and switched on the camera. I crept around the corner… Gotcha!

As I checked the image, the spoils of my victory, my long tail swished in a self-satisfied rhythm.

…Tail? I looked behind myself. The tail was still there…

“Cornelis Drebbel!” I yelled.

Here ends The Sign of the Ape.

***********************

Thanks to all of you for tuning-in for this zany chase. I’m glad you were “caught reading” here at Teagan’s Books. As you know, this is a workday, so I might be delayed in answering comments.

Special thanks to all the bloggers who participated in this madcap adventure — and to their pets as well!

The Sign of the Ape, furry family cast

Row 1: Percy, Crystal, Lucy, Kasha

Row 2: Claudius, Oh Kitty, and Sweeney, and Toby

Row 3: Wilma, Greta, Maddie, MiMi

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or from Pinterest unless stated otherwise.

Special mention to Christopher Graham for the marvelous “Atonement, Tennessee” images.

Get Caught Reading — The Sign of the Ape 2 (2016 Rerun)

#GetCaughtReadingMonth

Hello everyone. As you may have noticed I’m rerunning last year’s mini-series. It’s about the escapades of our intrepid band of bloggers and their pets. That was how I participated in Get Caught Reading Month. After May I’ll get back to my usual posting schedule.

This when I’m not working at my “real” job, I’ll be working on a short story to follow-on the story Chris Graham shared with us in my previous post. So, I’ve disabled comments today. The comments from last year are still there.

I hope you’ll visit the bloggers included in this post. Now for the rerun. Enjoy!

Image courtesy of Chris Graham

The month of May is a lovely time of year. It’s also Get Caught Reading (GCR) Month. As many of you know, I’m doing a midweek mini-series in support of this public service campaign. The intention of GCR is to encourage people of all ages to read, and that is what bloggers do with every post. So this fictional, fanciful story includes an intrepid band of bloggers.

Have you caught me reading any sort of novel? Why yes you have — the novel that inspired the title of this mini-series, Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of the Four. The plot has nothing to do with my story though. I was not ambitious enough to try and follow the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes. You can get The Sign of the Four free here.

Last Time

During the first chapter I found a shimmering airship outside my window. The pilot looked suspiciously like Cornelis Drebbel. Before I knew it, I was in Time Square beginning a chase to “catch” the Story Reading Ape reading.

At Times Square I glimpsed something very large and very furry carrying a book. He bounded around the corner. I ran to the spot, but he was long gone. Then on the sidewalk I saw a banana. It had to be the sign of the ape.

The Sign of the Ape — Chapter 2

How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?

Sherlock Holmes, The Sign of the Four Chap. 6, p. 111

“Percy and I will meet you at Madame Tussaud’s Celebrity Wax Museum,” Suzanne from A Pug in the Kitchen had promised.

I had thought the blogger-chef was the only person in New York that I knew. However, at the famous wax museum I entered a gallery with a marque announcing a new exhibit called Fictional Heroes. I saw familiar faces.

Kasha reading about Michigan lighthouses

The first thing I noticed was a cowboy who seemed oddly familiar to me. When I saw author Mary J. McCoy-Dressel I understood why — it was Tristan Carlson, from Cowboy Boss and His Destiny. Or rather it was a wax version of him.

Excited barking greeted me. It was Kasha, Mary’s fur baby. Kasha stopped for me to pet her, but then tried to run out to the hallway. Mary of course caught her.

However, something four footed may have been what interested Kasha. In came two large curly haired dogs. Mary said she wondered what they were. A smile slowly spread across my face as I recognized another statue — Ben Andrews of The Gamblers.

“I believe those would be Laboradoodles, and I think you’re about to meet Christoph Fischer,” I told her just as the writer walked into the room.

Greta and Wilma caught reading

Then I heard the funky guitar music of the original James Bond theme. I looked back at the collection of wax heroes. Was there a spy or thriller hero among them? I didn’t recognize the statue at first. However, Kasha was sniffing at one. I saw the wax man was the hero of the John J. Cannon Trilogy, by John W. Howell.

It was odd about the music… Was it my imagination? I gave my head a shake. However, I forgot about it when a moment later, Percy the Pug led Suzanne into the exhibit. Seeing the blogger-chef reminded me… The opening of the exhibit was shaping up to be such a great party that for a moment I almost forgot the strange events that brought me there.

“Did you happen to see John W. Howell, out there?” I asked Suzanne, motioning to the hallway.

Lucy digging

“Oh, that must have been the man with the boxer. I thought he looked familiar,” she replied. “They were just outside. The dog was trying to dig up something. She was really persistent about it.”

That was odd. I knew John’s pets were well behaved. I wondered what was going on with Lucy. However, my thoughts were interrupted when all the dogs started barking furiously. Suzanne deftly picked little Percy up in her arms. The other dogs tore out of the exhibit, their author owners running frantically behind them.

As the dogs left, I noticed it on the floor near the wax figures. The sign of the ape — a ripe yellow banana. I picked up the banana, examining it carefully. I saw nothing unusual about it. There was no clue or suggestion of where the Story Reading Ape had gone. I followed the sound of barking to another gallery.

A single display was far larger than all the rest, taking up an entire wall. Everyone was transfixed by that figure. It was a wax exhibit of the Ape himself. The dogs stopped barking, but Kasha, Greta, and Wilma sniffed every inch of the exhibit. Percy struggled until Suzanne finally let him down to join the others.

“What has them so excited?” Christoph Fischer asked as he moved closer to Greta and Wilma to make sure they weren’t at risk.

I explained to him about the chase to catch the Story Reading Ape reading. Meanwhile I examined the display closely, or at least as much of it as I could reach. Christoph, being taller than the rest of us inspected the higher portions. However, we found no clues, nothing that would lead me to the Ape. The dogs had stopped their sniffing. Apparently they had lost his trail.

Christoph’s Laboradoodles moved over to me. I petted the dogs, amazed by their soft curly fur. I wasn’t sure which was Greta and which was Wilma, but they were both adorable. Soon the authors were called back to their exhibit. I was able to quickly introduce Suzanne to Christoph and Mary before the authors had to return to their exhibit.

I detained them long enough to ask if any of them had met John Howell yet. Apparently John never came inside the museum. That made me uneasy, so I went looking for the Texas based author.

To my surprise, Percy followed me. A moment later Suzanne ran behind the pug to catch him. As I rounded a corner I all but collided with a tall man.

MiMi reading for a clue

“Dan Antion?” I exclaimed in surprise.

It turned out Dan was in New York to meet John W. Howell and see his John Cannon wax statue. Dan carried a small kennel, from which I heard a meow. I asked if he always traveled with one of his cats.

“MiMi has been acting really clingy and… just strange,” he confessed. “I could have sworn I heard her meowing back and forth with some other cats, but she was alone. Then she got one of my books. She slapped my hand when I tried to take it away from her. I thought it was best to take her with me.”

I suspected Annette‘s cats had called Dan’s for a meow-wow, just as they had called Crystal. Then I heard barking from a new canine voice. Dan looked around worriedly and muttered something I didn’t catch. Suddenly I realized he must have brought his dog too.

Maddie on the trail

“Maddie!” he called and then whistled as we all moved toward the barking.

Outside the museum was a small landscaped area. Percy ran to a sizable hole in the ground there. Dan’s Irish Setter had already gone into the hole, but she ran back out when Dan called her. At that point I realized the hole wasn’t simply a hole, but a tunnel.

Then I heard it again… It sounded far away and muffled, but I could hear the funky James Bond guitar music again. The music seemed to move gradually farther away. Percy wagged his little tail and gave a yip, as if he meant to say everything was as it should be. Suzanne and I exchanged puzzled looks.

“I think John and Lucy are down there,” I told them.

Before you could say boo, Dan along with Maddie and MiMi, went into the tunnel after John W. Howell. Suzanne tightened her grip on Percy’s leash, but the pug didn’t try to follow the others.

“It might be dangerous — especially for just one person,” Dan called from the tunnel. “I’d better go after John and Lucy.”

A taxi rolled up. It was the same driver that brought me to the wax museum, the same driver who looked a lot like the pilot of the airship — I mean the man who looked an awful lot like Cornelis Drebbel. Suzanne’s eyes widened.

Percy reads Pug Hill

“It’s him isn’t it?” she exclaimed. “It’s the alchemist. How did you bring Cornelis Drebbel here?” she asked in astonishment.

I told her that he was actually the one who brought me. At that point I had to admit to myself that the driver/pilot truly was Cornelis Drebbel. Yes, I had been in denial. As Sherlock Holmes said, “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” My driver and pilot had been Cornelis Drebbel, the alchemist.

Cornelis began to flirt outrageously with Suzanne. The two were having such a good time, I didn’t mean to be a wet blanket. However, all I could think about was the fact that I had no idea where to look next for the Story Reading Ape. Then I realized I still had the banana, the sign of the ape. I took a closer look at it. There was a little sticker, a brand mark, but the writing was Japanese.

Cornelis looked askance. I showed him the sticker.

“Oh yes, I know this market. It’s in Tokyo,” he said, but I gave him a blank stare. “That’s your next clue. Come along now. Get in the car. We need to take the dirigible to get there,” he added and I mutely got into the cab.

“Well m’lady? May I have the honor?” Cornelis spoke to Suzanne and she and Percy eagerly got into the taxi.

“Did you say dirigible? That sounds like a slow way to get to Japan,” Suzanne commented. “Cornelis, are you going to use magic?” she asked with a grin.

Cornellis merely wriggled his bushy eyebrows.

I cringed. This couldn’t be good.

“Where is that blond?” Cornelis asked hopefully.

“Do you mean Mary J. McCoy-Dressel?” I wanted to know.

“Well yes, we have a brunette and a redhead,” Cornelis said as if explaining to a child. “It would work better if we also had a blond too.”

That of course made no sense at all to me. However, as if on cue, I heard barking and Kasha bounded up to Cornelis. Mary ran after her dog, but looked at Cornelis Drebbel in shock.

“Is he?” she began and I nodded.

“Cornelis, what would work better?” I demanded as a queasy feeling formed in my stomach. “Cornelis Drebbel, you’re not planning some complicated alchemy are you?”

The alchemist wriggled his bushy eyebrows again. This really, really couldn’t be good.

***

End Chapter 2

If you remember Copper, the Alchemist, and the Woman in Trousers, then you know Cornelis Drebbel’s magic had a tendency to go awry. Between the alchemist and the Ape, what will happen to our intrepid band of bloggers in Tokyo? And what about John and Dan (and their pets)? We left them in that tunnel. Come back for the next midweek episode to find out.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or from Pinterest unless stated otherwise.

Atonement Character Interviews: Lilith

A Mid-Week Challenge

Yes everyone — I just challenged you (the blogger said with a Cheshire grin).Whether or not you see yourself as a writer, this will be a good mental exercise. Write a paragraph or a page — from the point of view of an animal. I find that creative writing is easier if there are some parameters, some limits. So in your paragraph or page, include these three things: house, quick, puzzle.

Just so you know that I’m being fair, I’ve written from an animal’s point of view a number of times. For instance, that applies to some segments of my debut novel, Atonement, Tennessee.

I posted this character interview in January of 2013. However, now that Atonement, Tennessee is available, I’m re-blogging some early posts. Some characters were more fun to write than others. I enjoyed myself, seeing the world through the eyes of Lilith, and writing from the point of view of a calico cat. So I decided to interview the cat. She’s got a lot of “catitude” I can promise you.

Character Interviews: Lilith the Calico

Teagan: Lilith, won’t you come over here and sit with me?

(She looks all around the room — everywhere but at me.)

You’re even prettier than I expected. (Now she jumps onto the sofa. The compliment seems to have helped.) For this interview, the Creative Muse has given you the power of human speech.

Lilith: Meow…

Teagan: Now, Lilith. There’s no need to be contrary. You know you can talk for now. Take advantage of it. I understand you were a rescue kitty. Tell us about your life before Ralda adopted you.

Lilith: Meow…

Teagan: (I sigh. Talk about catitude…) I think what everyone wants to know most about you is — are you really a cat? Or are you some kind of supernatural? Maybe an enchanted person who has to… atone? Because, in all honesty, even though I wrote the novel, I do not know.

(Lilith narrows her eyes then turns her back on me and proceeds to wash her face. Clearly that line of questioning is not acceptable.)

All righty then; I’m not going to get an answer to that one either.

Okay, moving on. You tell the parts of the story that Ralda doesn’t see. What about Cael? Do you know more about him than anyone else? Wait — what’s that? …Are you purring?

Adrian Paul as Cael

Lilith: Oh, Cael is simply divine. (Purrrrr…) Yes, I know more about him than Ralda does — even at the end of the story. He’s strong, courageous, faithful, and he knows about a lot more than is apparent. Cael is also childlike sometimes, which is an intriguing contrast to his strength. I also sense even more about him than I witness. I can’t really describe everything I sense. I can’t quite put my paw on some things.

Teagan: At least that brought you out of your shell. Ralda said you like attractive men. Anyway, I don’t think Ralda really trusts him. Do you know why?

Lilith: She can’t put her paw on it either. Or rather she can’t put her finger on it. Cael is truly extraordinary though. His backstory is only hinted at in this novel. I’m sure there will be more about him in “book 2.”

Teagan: What about Gwydion? Ralda seems to at least try to trust him. Should she?

Lilith: (She purrs again, even louder. Then she even turns halfway upside down, a paw across her face.) Ah… Gwydion! Oh he smells delicious, all manner of flowers and herbs and catnip. Did you know that he brought me catnip?

(Lilith sits back up, still purring.) Gwydion is a magical creature, you realize. His magic is tied to flowers. It’s not stated outright in the novel, but it’s pretty obvious. At the very beginning it’s even hinted that his grandmother was a faery. You know, Fae’s Flowers, named for his Gran?

Teagan: Who do you think would be better for Ralda, Gwydion or Cael? If they, so to speak, fought for her affections, who would win?

Lilith: Oh, it would be awful if those two actually did fight, wouldn’t it? They do seem to compete with each other in odd ways. But if they fought… No, I couldn’t bear for either of them to get hurt! I’m not sure, but I have a suspicion that if it came down to it, Cael might be stronger than Gwydion. However, Gwydion would have fewer — or at least different inhibitions so he might best Cael. Oh, I’m not just sure. I really don’t like that question at all.

(Her tail makes a slash-thump against the sofa, signaling annoyance. Lilith jumps down from the sofa and sashays out of the room.)

I suppose that ends my interview with the cat. However, you can read more from Lilith in Atonement, Tennessee.

What’s Next? New “Interactive” Serial

Three Ingredients Serial

What’s next? Thanks to everyone who sent “votes” on what you wanted to do next – now that we reached a conclusion in the Three Things Serial storyline. It was a three-way tie, appropriately enough! So I’m going with the one that is the biggest challenge for me. (Yes, I’m just twisted that way.) Also I think I chose the tie-breaker that will give you, the reader more creative ways to send “things.”

To break the tie, I chose to do a culinary mystery. This subgenre was new to me. If you’re not familiar with it, here is a goodreads link to several such novels.

Our next reader-participation-driven story will be The Three Ingredients Serial. I’m putting you back in the driver’s seat. The “things” will become ingredients. This time I’m asking you to send three ingredients, which is not too different from sending three things. Now, those ingredients can be all sorts of food related things – not just recipe ingredients. Or if you’d rather — you are welcome to send a recipe that I would feature at the end of the post.

So please leave comments, telling me your Three Ingredients! I’m excited to see where they take me.

Can’t wait to hear from you,

teagan

PS: The illustrious Alexandra of The Scholarly Skater has just nominated me for two awards. The “Internet hugs” abound, and I’m delighted to participate. So please take a look at her very interesting blog. Thank you Alexandra — mega-hugs to you.

Guide to Caring for Humans

I try to limit this blog to writing related posts. Maybe I’m celebrating reaching the National Novel Writing Month goal of a draft novel of 50,000 words (yay!). Or maybe I really am just a crazy cat lady…

However I thought this was one of the best cat videos I’ve ever seen. The narrator sounds so sincere. It made me laugh, so naturally I wanted to share the smiles with you. If you are not a cat person, then forgive my silliness.

Enjoy the video below.

A Cat’s Guide to Taking Care of Your Human

Teagan's Books

Now available: "Three Things Serial, a Little 1920s Story"

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