Ask the Author: Sophie Penhaligon
Answered Questions (4)
Sophie Penhaligon
Thanks for your question. It really made me think! I thought for a while that I didn't have any mysteries in my life, but then I thought back to many years ago. This is a cat-related story so I apologize if you're not a cat person.
About 20 years ago I owned a beautiful but rather disdainful cat, ginger and white with a distinctive ringed tail. I loved him but sadly it was not reciprocated and he enjoyed ambushing me at various times of the day and digging his claws into my leg.
Whilst moving from one house to another there was a delay and I had to move in with my in-laws for several weeks (not a great situation.) Obviously, the cat came too and as he was an outdoor cat, he was keen to explore his new neighbourhood.
One day he never came home and I was heartbroken. I went around the neighbourhood pinning up posters and hoping that someone had found him. One evening I received a phone call from a stranger telling me that a cat fitting his description had been hit by a car on the highway and was lying dead at the side of the road. My then husband and I went to investigate and to spare me the dreadful task, he identified the body.
We came back to my in-law's house and had a funeral service with everyone in tears, and the cat was interred in their front yard. I was completely devastated.
Three nights later I was in bed in our upstairs bedroom when there was a tapping on our window. I'm sure you know what happened next. I looked out and there was our cat looking much thinner but very much alive. He'd been missing for three weeks.
Here's the mystery part:
1. Where had he been for 3 weeks and how had he survived?
2. Whose cat did we bury in my in-law's garden?
3. How did he know I was sleeping in that upstairs bedroom? The house was unfamiliar to him and it involved him climbing up on the roof to tap on the window.
The upside was he had a complete personality change after that event and became a lot more loving and grateful!
Sorry, that was a long and rambling story! Not sure if it would make a good plot for a book, but I can see it might appear in a romantic comedy. You've given me food for thought.
Very best wishes,
Sophie
About 20 years ago I owned a beautiful but rather disdainful cat, ginger and white with a distinctive ringed tail. I loved him but sadly it was not reciprocated and he enjoyed ambushing me at various times of the day and digging his claws into my leg.
Whilst moving from one house to another there was a delay and I had to move in with my in-laws for several weeks (not a great situation.) Obviously, the cat came too and as he was an outdoor cat, he was keen to explore his new neighbourhood.
One day he never came home and I was heartbroken. I went around the neighbourhood pinning up posters and hoping that someone had found him. One evening I received a phone call from a stranger telling me that a cat fitting his description had been hit by a car on the highway and was lying dead at the side of the road. My then husband and I went to investigate and to spare me the dreadful task, he identified the body.
We came back to my in-law's house and had a funeral service with everyone in tears, and the cat was interred in their front yard. I was completely devastated.
Three nights later I was in bed in our upstairs bedroom when there was a tapping on our window. I'm sure you know what happened next. I looked out and there was our cat looking much thinner but very much alive. He'd been missing for three weeks.
Here's the mystery part:
1. Where had he been for 3 weeks and how had he survived?
2. Whose cat did we bury in my in-law's garden?
3. How did he know I was sleeping in that upstairs bedroom? The house was unfamiliar to him and it involved him climbing up on the roof to tap on the window.
The upside was he had a complete personality change after that event and became a lot more loving and grateful!
Sorry, that was a long and rambling story! Not sure if it would make a good plot for a book, but I can see it might appear in a romantic comedy. You've given me food for thought.
Very best wishes,
Sophie
Sophie Penhaligon
I seem to walk around with ideas in my head all the time. Sometimes I jot them down, but not always. I spend a great deal of time driving, and I find that's a good time to think up new ideas and new characters.
Sophie Penhaligon
I have a very scattered mind so I have several manuscripts in progress at the moment. I find it much better if I work on more than one thing at a time. Then if I get stuck on one I just move onto the next one until I get unstuck.
Sophie Penhaligon
Ah, this is a difficult one. My first thought was Narnia. I read all the Narnia books to my son when he was younger, so I'd probably want to meet Mr. Tumnas. Hogwarts would also be a great place to visit, and I'd definitely like to watch a game of quidditch.
Sophie Penhaligon
I'm really looking forward to reading Christina Lauren's new book The Soulmate Equation. I am also waiting for Misha Bell's Hard Byte. I have read the other two books in this series and I've honestly never laughed so hard in my entire life.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more