Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Guest Blog with Helen Ellis

A big warm welcome to Helen Ellis, my blog is the latest stop on her Blog Tour, to celebrate her new release The Turning: What Curiosity Kills.

My Inner Kitty
By: Helen Ellis

Human that I am, I very happily domesticated, but if I were a cat, I’d be a stray. The breed isn’t so important. If I lived on the streets, it wouldn’t matter what color my coat was (milk chocolate like a Havana Brown), how big I was (the biggest like a Maine Coon) or how light I was on my feet (the best jumpers are Norwegian Forest cats).
What would matter would be my bravery. It takes a lot of courage to take care of yourself and make up your rules.

In What Curiosity Kills, “the turning” affects Mary and those like her for only five years. Some turns try and suppress it, while others embrace the change and literally run wild. When you turn, you are self-serving, self-indulgent, and never sorry. Domestics keep their instincts in check, but strays revel in their prowess. They belong to no one. They go where they want, do what they want, and express whatever is on their minds. They YOWL. But New York City strays have to stay out of the light of discovery or else be disposed of by Animal Control.

In Greece, where my husband’s family is from, stray cats are more common than birds. You cannot eat a meal outside—no matter how fancy the restaurant—without the company of a stray cat. Or several. And you will feed them. Greek strays roam the Athens sidewalks and narrowest streets of the tiniest of islands. They rule. Theirs is a sunbathing, shade-sleeping, coddled kind of life. So a Greek stray life would be the one for me.





The Turning: What Curiosity Kills
By: Helen Ellis

Out Now

Mary Richards is a normal sixteen-year-old girl living in Manhattan. Well, almost normal. She goes to private school on the Upper East Side, having been saved from a life of squalor by an adoptive family. But she’s also slowly transforming into a cat.

Struggling to hide her physical metamorphosis, Mary discovers that she isn’t alone. A whole race of cat people prowls the streets of Manhattan at night, including Mary’s long-time crush, Nick.

Aside from heightened feline senses, hanging out with Nick is the best thing about discovering her inner kitty. But Mary’s transformation is special and could decide the outcome of a citywide turf war. She must decide whether to embrace her powerful feline side and become a pack leader or go back to being a normal teenage girl. Can she land on her feet or will curiosity be her downfall?

2 comments:

  1. Great post, I just love cats. And I am sure mum would love to visit Greece if there are strays everywhere

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, Helen,

    I'm a huge cat person, and I'm dying to read your book! It sounds awesome, and I love the premise! Good luck with it!

    ReplyDelete

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