I was thrilled to blurb the first book in Marjorie McCown’s Hollywood Mystery series, Final Cut. I loved it. Lots of amateur sleuths have lots of jobs but Marjorie really knows the world of movie costuming she writes about since she worked in it for 25-plus years. And she’s not afraid to dish–but in a way that is respectful to all the professionals involved in big Hollywood picture. Add in a twisty mystery and compelling characters and that’s want I call a book.
Marjorie is here to celebrate the May 7th release of Star Struck, book 2 in the series featuring costumer Joey Jessop. To celebrate, she’s giving away 2 signed copies of Star Struck to two lucky commenters from anywhere in North America.
I’m very pleased to host Marjorie here today, not least because my only grandcat is named Monkey.
Chunky Monkey
My thanks to Barbara Ross and The Wickeds for hosting me today on their wonderful blog.
I’m often asked if the characters in my books are based on people I know. My answer is “Almost all of them!” But not just the two-legged characters . . .
My polydactyl cat, Monkey, came to our household off the streets of Los Angeles. She just sauntered into my kitchen one spring day when I’d left the door open to the patio — this adorable little gray and white cat with oversized Minnie Mouse paws that have two extra toes apiece. And she was chubby as a cherub, so at first, I didn’t know she was a stray. (I was too dim to realize she was pregnant.)
She flirted with my tiger cat, Max, and they touched noses, instant friends — which melted my heart, especially because we’d recently lost Petey, our sweetie of a cat and Max’s good pal, to cancer.
“You’re a cute chunky monkey,” I said fondly and stooped to pet her. That’s when she bolted back out the door.
I had no idea I’d just met the prototype for one of the recurring characters in my Hollywood Mystery series of books.
I didn’t see the little cat again for several days, but I thought about Chunky Monkey (yes, I’d already named her) and wondered if she belonged to a neighbor. We lived in the hills east of downtown Los Angeles and it wasn’t unusual to see coyotes boldly ambling up the street, so I worried about her, too.
About a week later, I was doing household chores (again with the kitchen door to the patio standing open) when Max raced up to me, meowing at the top of his voice. Worried he was hurt, I bent to pick him up, but he scampered away, then looked at me and meowed even louder. I got the message and followed him as he made a beeline for the guest bedroom, yowling for me to hurry.
The door of the bedroom closet was half open and there in a basket of towels, Chunky Monkey was giving birth. Max goggled at me as if to say, “What do we do now?” On impulse, I scooped up the basket of cats and carried them downstairs to the master suite I used as an office.
Then I called my vet for advice about how to care for the new momma and her babies. The doctor assured me that for the first two months, until the kittens were weaned, I simply needed to take care of Monkey (as she was rechristened after giving birth) and she would take care of her babies, from feeding to cleaning and everything in between.
So Monkey and her five kittens lived in the downstairs master for the next two months, and I have some cute photos from that time to share with you.
I discovered Monkey was not only a stray but mostly feral, and she didn’t want me cuddling her kittens when it came time to start socializing them for adoption. They were darling, but seven cats was about five too many for my house.
Still, our story has a happy ending. We offered the kittens for adoption through a local animal advocacy group. And we soon had a long list of people who were willing to go through the interview process for approval to adopt. All five kittens went to loving homes.
Monkey stayed with Max and me. She’s now such an irreplaceable — and irrepressible — member of the family that when I wrote Final Cut, my first Hollywood Mystery, Monkey became the inspiration for sweet yet irascible Bigfoot, the stray polydactyl cat who comes to live with my main character, movie costumer Joey Jessop. And true to her real-life counterpart, Bigfoot soon worms her way deep into Joey’s heart.
Readers: Do you have any meet-cute stories with animals you’ve known and loved? Comment below or just say “hi” to be entered to win one of two signed copies of Star Struck.
About Marjorie McCown
Marjorie McCown spent 27 years working on movies such as Forrest Gump and Apollo 13. Her cozy mystery Final Cut, set behind the scenes of a Hollywood movie, was an Amazon Editors’ Pick in the best Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense category. Star Struck, Book #2 in her Hollywood Mystery series publishes May 7.
About Star Struck
Movie costumer Joey Jessop is working on a film featuring 2 of the biggest box office stars in the world, although the leading lady, Gillian Best, is known more for her lifestyle brand than her acting. After a fatal traffic accident near the movie set, Joey realizes the car involved belongs to Gillian, and she starts to wonder if the actress has more to conceal than her Botox appointments. But Hollywood stars know how to keep their secrets close and a woman like Gillian doesn’t take kindly to someone sniffing around her affairs. Still, Joey’s sure that Gillian has something to hide, and she’s determined to find out what.
BUY LINKS and more info at Star Struck | Author Marjorie McCown
The Wickeds 
I’m not sure if it counts as a ‘meet cute’ or not but our previous kitten Chomp was found under my sister’s laundry floor boards. His mama had left him there wedged in between the hot and cold hoses that went to the washer. He howled for 2 days straight before my sister told me hey, there’s a kitten stuck in my floor.
I told her I would help her rescue him. We tried to find him but he was in a place we couldn’t reach. So my hero of a husband, after I cried to him and told him what was going on, immediately sprang into action as soon as he got off work.
He broke through, cut through my sister’s laundry room floor and we found the little guy trapped in insulation unable to move. He was cold by the time we got him but as soon as he was free, I drove home with him wrapped up in a towel.
Our other cat Crunch, was a bottle baby that we rescued at 3 days old, so I knew what to do. We cared for Chomp feeding him by bottle for almost 2 months. He started gaining weight then he just stopped. After that, we woke up one morning and he had passed away in his sleep.
My husband and I both cried for weeks and then my sister suggested we take one of Chomp’s siblings. At first I said no. I didn’t want to feel like I was just replacing him, but our dog Havoc got really attached to Chomp and so did our cat Crunch and they were showing signs of being depressed.
So I had my husband pick out a kitten and we got Chomp’s brother. Since we had Crunch, I thought it was appropriate to name him Munch. So that’s how we ended up with two cats named Crunch and Munch lol.
I think about Chomp constantly but I think in the end it was a blessing to get Munch as well. He suffers from nightmares and he constantly wakes me up. But he’s getting better with love and constant attention. He needed help too. So that’s my story.
Sarah Woodhouse
paleowoman2002@yahoo.com
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Sarah, both you and your husband sound like heroes to me! What a touching, beautiful story! Thank you so much for sharing it with us — and how much do I love the names you choose for your animal companions! Sweet and funny!
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What an awesome story!!! Love the name “Bigfoot” for the cat as well- “The Bigfoot Diaries” happens to be the name of my little acoustic duo! I’m going to pick up the first book in your series!
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Thank you, Jason! That’s a pretty clever (and intriguing) name for your musical duo!
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Welcome back, Marjorie! I love your tale of Chunky Monkey. Many years ago we had a cat befriend us. She wouldn’t go away, and like yours, gave birth in a closet. We found homes for the kittens and Gatinha became friends with our existing cat, Neko-chan.
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Hi, Edith! It’s an honor to be hosted by your amazing group of authors! Thank you for your kind words — I guess both our girls (Gatinha and Monkey) are pretty sharp kitties — scoping out the best places to give birth to their babies!
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Edith, thank you for your kind words! It is an honor to be hosted by all you talented Wicked authors! It sounds to me like Gatinha and Monkey were cut from the same savvy cloth — smart little cats who scoped out the best place to give birth to their babies!
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What a sweet story with cute-dorable (not a word but should be) pictures. Thanks for sharing. I enjoy learning about different careers through fiction so this series sounds terrific. Congrats on your new book baby!
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Thank you so much, Becca! I appreciate your kind words!
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Thank you, Becca! I appreciate your kind words — somehow I didn’t get this in the proper format earlier — apologies!
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Congratulations on your new book! I adopted a stray once, a black and brown patchwork cat I named Cookie, not only because her colors reminded me of a chocolate chip cookie but because she was a tough cookie. She was pretty feral and it took lot of patience to domesticate her! Loved your rescue story, hugs to Monkey!
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Congratulations on the book! You are a new author to me. I live out in the country and we get a lot of stray cats in my area. I have taken in a couple stray cats that have stuck around. Thanks for the chance!!!
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Hi, B, thank you for taking the time to comment! Everyone who takes in stray animals is an angel, as far as I’m concerned! Wishing you all the best!
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B, I thank you for commenting and also for your kind words!
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Thank you, Kathy! So glad you had the patience and love to give to Cookie. Monkey is a sweet, loving kitty now, but it took some time for us to really become friends. She’s always adored Max, but it took her some time to warm up to me. Thanks for your lovely comment, and I will give her a hug from you!
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Kathy, thank you for your story about Cookie! Monkey was a tough girl at first too (I know she had to be to survive on the streets before she came to live with us.) But she’s a love bug now and I will give her a hug from you!
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Such a sweet story about how you took care of Monkey and her kittens. My mother found a battered and starving stray at her back door. She took him to a vet for treatment and decided to keep him. She named him Amen because he seemed like an answer to a prayer—someone to keep her company. He lived with her for nineteen years. I think she was more like the answer to his prayer.
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Grace, thank you for such a beautiful story! Nineteen years! It sounds like Amen and your mother were the answers to each other’s prayers.
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Grace, I somehow didn’t type in my response correctly before — I love your story about Amen and your mother and thank you for sharing it with us!
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Two times come to my mind. One I was working in animal control finding homes for unwanted or neglected dogs when the largest rottweiler I’d ever seen came in. But it soon became apparent that he was a gentle giant and had decided I was his master. Seems either no one wanted that breed, much less one that size, or they didn’t have the requirement of things like fenced in large space. Buster was happy to be the shelter dog, often going on my truck rounds for outings. He became protective of me, which a time or two proved very beneficial. It took a while, but I found him the perfect home with folks that would love him. Not sure who it was harder on, him or me, on that separation day. His new family said it was ok for me to visit. I waited about two weeks to make it easier on the both of us. When I went and saw how happy he was and so well adjusted, I knew I’d made the right decision. I also told his new family that if they ever needed a babysitter for vacations or such, I was available. They took me up on it a few times before I moved away.
Another time, we had been doggie poor for a while and decided it was time to bring a furbaby into our home. We had done our research and found two that we were looking at. We drove to other town to check them out knowing in our heart we would probably take the little red girl. We met her first, but the zing wasn’t there. After a visit, we told them we would let them know. Going to visit with the little boy, we wondered what was it we were really looking for that we had missed with the little girl. Upon arriving at the next house, the lady was standing at the storm door holding the little boy. Hubby looked up as we parked and said “Oh my, that’s my little boy!” Both our hearts were locked in on this furbaby. After a lengthy visit, we knew what the outcome was going to be. Much to our surprise, she said that the pup was only 3 days from when she usually separated mom and pup, but this mom was already weening him. That meant if we wanted him that he could go home with us. We left with Snickerdoodle in our arms. What a ride that amazing little boy gave us! He crossed the rainbow bridge at 17 years, 7 months, and 17 days. We knew he could never be replaced and time needed to pass so that we wouldn’t be comparing a new pup with him. It’s about time and we have started to talk about it. We have a couple of trips lined up this summer. Since it’s been about 20 years that we have taken a trip without being accompanied by a furbaby (meaning a lot of special planning on where they could stay and then if it fit our needs), we will wait until after the trips to start looking for a new member to our family.
Thank you for the wonderful chance to win a copy of “Star Struck”, which is definitely on my TBR list. Would love the opportunity to read and review it.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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Kay, both your stories brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for telling us about Buster and Snickerdoodle. So much love you gave to both those good boys! I wish you all the best.
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Kay, I love both your stories about Buster and Snickerdoodle (again, I mis-typed my earlier response so it came to the blog as “Anonymous” — sorry about that! Because you really did touch my heart and I hope you find a new furbaby to love when the time is right!
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Congratulations on the new book. You are a new-to-me author and I have added your books to my TBR list. My current dog is a rescued Black Lab. A friend found him wandering in her neighborhood during some rain. She took him back to his owners, and they said they didn’t want him back, so my family took him. He was 5 when we got him, and he’s 12 now. He’s a real sweetheart. cking78503(at)aol(dot)com
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Hi, Christi, and thank you for telling us about your 12-year-old good boy! Wishing you all the best!
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Years ago, my then husband was working at a racetrack in Portland, OR and called me one day saying that there was a stray cat that had been hanging out at the horse barn and the “higher ups” insisted that the lady who maintained the horse barn get rid of the cat. He asked if I wanted another cat and I said yes without hesitation – and without meeting said cat first. She came home the next night, lived with me for the next 14 years, through many of life’s ups and downs. To this day, adopting her was one of the best decisions I ever made. PS: We named her Nougat. Congratulations on your new release!
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Autumn, I love hearing about Nougat! What a lucky girl she was to find a home with you!
I’ve got to say, I enjoyed sharing my story about Monkey, but I have received so much joy from all of you who have commented today, telling me about your animals and their stories. Thank you so much for sharing!
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Autumn, I’m back to tell you how much your story meant to me! I just love hearing about all the love that’s shared with animals by the people who adopt them!
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What a wonderful story, Marjorie. It made me smile! And congratulations on your new book. I hope you have a fabulous release day!
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Thank you so much, J.C., for your generous words! I appreciate you taking the time to give your good wishes, and I send mine to you!
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Congratulations on your new book! What a lovely story. My rescue dog was the best and most lovable companion ever. He lived 18 years and was devoted, smart, sensitive and we called him the philosopher. His name was Bogie and he was one in a million.
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Sharon, thank you for telling us about Bogie, your philosopher — I love that so much! And you all clearly gave him the most loving home. Eighteen years is a venerable age. My very best wishes to you!
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Oh, how cute!
The day we closed on the house we bought in Ligonier, The Hubby and I went down to inspect the property. It was July. We were walking around the yard when I heard what I swore was a meow. “Did you hear that?” I asked The Hubby. He had. We went back to work. Another meow.
It turned out to be a gray tricolor cat. I think she was adolescent, based on her size – too big for a kitten, to small for a full adult. She was also the friendliest cat I’d ever seen. We think she was a stray that the previous owners were feeding. We found a bag of kitty food and some bowls in the shed. For the next few months, every time we went down to the house, she ran out to greet us. She loved being held and petted (which I thought very odd for a stray). I named her Agatha.
But since The Hubby is very allergic to cats, and my greyhound is not cat-safe, we had to rehome her. Leaving her as an outdoor cat in a Laurel Highlands winter would be cruel. We brought her to a friend of my son’s who volunteers at a cat shelter. They gave her a vet check and she was adopted within 48 hours. Not surprising as she was so friendly. I still miss her, which is surprising because I’ve never considered myself a “cat person.” If I was ever to adopt a cat, she’s the kind I’d be looking for.
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Liz, what a sweet story — and how lovely of you to make sure Agatha was safe and got the kind of help needed from the right people to find her forever home.
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Congratulations! We adopted a farm dog many years ago when I was young. A completely new experience and three young kids in a family. Living in a large city and adjusting to this dog took time but she became part of the family for 18 years. A lovely and special dog that was never replaced. Our hearts were affected forever.
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Thank you, Ellie, for sharing your story. I know that all the animals I’ve loved are still part of my heart, and I am grateful every day for all the love they brought me.
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Adorable! And thank you for taking care of Monkey and Crew. I used to be President of a cat rescue and am a firm believer in the “cat distribution system” (they find you when you and they are ready).
Here’s my Missy story. In the early spring of 2008 while Maine was in the midst of a year of record setting snow, a little black and white tuxedo appeared on top of the mountain of snow we’d shoveled from the roof. The little thing was eating the birdseed we put out for the birds and squirrels. We set out the hav-a-heart traps and waited, and waited. We would see her on the mountain, but she was far too canny to get into the trap. Finally, one very snowy night, success. Hubs, dressed in chainmail gauntlets, transferred her into a large cage complete with food, water, and a little box. She showed no resistance. We figured she was so cold she opted for gratitude. The next morning hubs opened the cage to transfer her to travel cage for transport to the vet. The little tuxedo overjumped the cage and curled up on his shoulder purring. No neighbor claimed her, we think she had been abandoned and become part of a local feral colony, but she was far from feral. We named her Jasper. The vet estimated the cat was a year old, and pregnant. We placed her kittens and kept the cat, now renamed Missy. She stayed with us for eleven years before we lost her to cancer.
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Oh, Kait! Lucky Missy — and what a darling story! I think animals intuit whom they can trust when someone is trying to care for them, even someone they don’t know. She surely wasn’t shy about letting you know she was ready to be part of your household.
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I don’t have a story but those pictures are adorable.
Congratulations on the new book
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Thank you, Wendy! I appreciate you taking the time to offer your supportive words!
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When we brought a stray kitten in we had pure Tabby Cat and she was a senior cat so we had to put in a screen door to separate them for a while because of their different temperaments but after taking screen door down the kitten ends Ed up helping the senior cat because she mellowed her and got her to play some again and they played together which was nice &cute.
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Crystal, that’s a wonderful story! Max and Monkey were always the best of friends, even though he was eight years older. Their bond was strong from the very beginning and that made me so happy to see, for both their sakes.
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A warm welcome back to the Wickeds, dear Marjorie! I love to hear about both your kittens, and the photos are so adorable. We have had two cats, who became our furry babies, and we pampered them until they had to be put down…they are forever in our hearts. Our first kitty was given to my wife Marsha, and it was a black shorthai. She was named INKY. The second kitty was purchased from a breeder in San Diego, and he was an Egyptian Mau. We named him OSIRIS, and he was definitely my boy. He was always near me, and if I sat down, there he was, on my lap, or sleeping right beside me. .We miss them, but if we got another kitty, he or she would outlive us, so we have opted to love our granddog MILO, who lives at our son’s home. As you know, I have been mesmerized by both your masterpieces in mystery, mayhem and Hollywood, and have left the best possible reviews. I can’t do enough to help promote both FINAL CUT and STAR STRUCK. To me, they are books that are alive…I can relaate with all the locations, and even the characters. Joey Jessop has become one of my BFF’s, and I look forward to reading/living many more adventures right beside her! Thank you for sharing your vast experience as a renowned Hollywood costune designer and inckluding mysteries that are briliantly written, and the plots are most intriguing and complex. May both your books be on everyone’s reading list, and may your writing career be as successful as your previous one. I already have both books in hardcover, Kindle and I have the audio version of FINAL CUT…I will be adding the audio version of STAR STRUCK to my Marjorie McCowan treasures. THANK YOU for entertaining us grandly with your two mysteries. JOY to you and y’all! Luis at Ole dot travel
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Luis, my dear friend, thank you for your beautiful commentary, and for all you have done and continue to do to support me and my books. I am grateful to be connected to you and Marsha, and here I feel I must also thank the great Barbara Ross and The Wickeds. It is because of this blog that we first became acquainted. My fondest best wishes, as ever to you!
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I agree with you 100% dear Marjorie. It was most fortuitous for our dear friend Barbara Ross to have made it possible for us to become acquainted. I am forever grateful to you, Barbara! Joy!
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You guys are way too nice but I am so happy to have made the connection.
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Congrats on book two! (And no need to enter me in the giveaway.)
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Mark, thank you very much for your good wishes!
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awesome cat rescue story – kudos to you for helping out.
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Honestly, Monkey (and every cat I have adopted) has brought so much love and joy to my life, I feel I am the true beneficiary in our relationship.
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I love the cat pictures that you shared! Cats are the best!
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Thank you, Pat! I love cats and dogs and bunnies and birds, but I have to agree (or Monkey will have my hide!) Cats are the best!
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Love the story of Chunky Monkey. We’ve had 9 cats that were strays, foundlings, or shelter cats, plus a variety of “temporary “ cats staying with us. Lovers one and all.
Once had a kitten wander through my 4th floor apartment living room. Um?? Seems it climbed up the back stairs from the first floor apt.
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Wow, Ginny, you are a brave angel to give a home to so many furbabies at one time!
They are a lucky, lucky bunch of kitties!
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No, not all at one time, but we have had as many as three at one time (for 9 years).
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Our current is a cat that was abandoned. Luna is such a sweetheart and unfortunately shows signs of having been abused. I am glad we were able to rescue her, and she is a blessing to us.
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So glad Luna found her way to you! Thank you for sharing her story!
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Years ago we had a siamese cat hanging around our house. I would give her feed and water and once she trusted me, I brought her inside. She got along with the cat we already had and was quickly part of the family. We tried to find her owners, but no one claimed her. She was a really great cat.
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Dianne, it’s always so uplifting to hear how people have made room in their lives and hearts for homeless animals. Your Siamese girl knew she’d found a friend in you.
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Ready to add a cat to the household, I stopped by a rescue and saw Cassie walking across a partition @ 10 feet off the ground & knew she was the one. She looks a lot like your Monkey, gray with white markings, and was a real scaredy cat – she could find places to hide where I wouldn’t be able to find her until she decided to come out! Now she’s much more social & a real cuddler.
I love Renee Patrick’s historical series featuring Edith Head, your series looks like a great modern take on a costume designer sleuth. Congratulations on the new book!
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Judith, thank you so much for your kind words and for telling me about Cassie. Sometimes it’s love at first sight with animals — you both just know you’re meant to be together. It sounds like Cassie and you have that kind of relationship.
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A friend had a six month old puppy but had to relocate for his job. Unfortunately.
he couldn’t take the puppy with him. The puppy became a member of the family
for twelve wonderful years before he crossed the rainbow bridge.
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Mary, you clearly loved that puppy and gave him a wonderful life. Thank you for sharing his story.
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I would love to read and review your book! Thanks for the chance to win it! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com
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