Behind the story of Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove

Cat Writer Mollie Hunt is the award-winning author of two cozy series, the Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and the Tenth Life Mysteries. Her Cat Seasons Sci-Fantasy Tetralogy features extraordinary cats saving the world. Mollie also pens a bit of cat poetry. Like her cat lady character, she is a grateful shelter volunteer. Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove is the first in her Tenth Life Cozy Mystery series.

Fired up and ready to change the world

When asked if she was addressing an issue with Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove, Mollie unabashedly said, “I want to change the world. In my Crazy Cat Lady cozy mysteries, and to a lesser extent, in Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove, I keep animal welfare and cat rescue at the forefront of my story. In addition, my Ghost Cat hero is a septuagenarian because I am nearly that myself and feel that, in a youth-centric society, we often don’t get the appreciation we’re due. Other characters may be vegan or LGBTQ, may be substance abusers, or have mental or physical illnesses. Introducing diversity gives me a chance to present issues the reader may not have previously explored.”

Getting personal with Mollie

What’s the deal with cats and ghosts? I always heard cats had nine lives…oh, wait, this is the Tenth Life Cozy Mystery series. Mollie said, “Cat… Ghost… It’s a natural. I can’t remember exactly how the idea for Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove came about. I wanted to start a new cozy series involving cats, but different from my Crazy Cat Lady series. One day, I sat down at the laptop and began to write.”

Mollie describes herself as a punster. She said she writes what comes into her mind. “I do it as if I were reading a story. Often when I edit, I wonder where the ideas come from. “

“I am a cat person. My life revolves around cats, and writing. I am an optimist. I believe things work out, though not necessarily the way we want them to. I am a miracle. Considering my younger lifestyle, I should be dead times over.”

A low profile during the pandemic

“Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove was conceived, written, revised, and edited during the Covid-19 lockdown. I found writing to be the only thing that could move me out of the fear place the pandemic imposed.

“Since January 2020, I’ve written four and a half books in different series and different genres. I considered writing a story that took place in the pandemic world, but decided against it. Mine are cozy mysteries, where there is a happy ending, and we don’t have to suffer reality of today’s crises.”

Stepping outside her comfort zone for research

“Oh, you gotta love research!” Mollie said. “The most not-in-my-nature thing I’ve done in the name of research was to visit to a gun range with my friend, a proud Texan member of the NRA. She very patiently showed me how to load the weapon and shoot at the target. Her knowledgeable husband explained far more than I could ever grasp about the firearms, themselves. (He is now my expert source when I write shooting scenes for my books) Since I am a pacifistic liberal democrat from Oregon, this was out of my comfort zone, and I loved every minute of it.”

You can find Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer, at https://molliehuntcatwriter.com/. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.