Character Interview: Jen Estes & Cat from the Cat McDaniel Mystery Series
I’m happy today to be able to welcome Jen Estes and Cat, from the appropriately named Cat McDaniel Mystery Series! Enjoy!
* * *
Mia: What is the name of the book where we’ll find you? Can you tell us a little about it?
Cat: First, I became a major league sportswriter for the Las Vegas Chips in BIG LEAGUES and it was amazing… until a player bit it and I discovered a conspiracy behind his death. Now, in CURVEBALL, I head down to the baseball training camps in sunny Santo Domingo to accompany a Major League Brat on her internship. She’s a handful, but how much trouble can one girl cause? Of course, we do discover a dead body on our first day down there…
Mia: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?
Cat: I’m a sportswriter. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I love baseball, but the more I’m in its world, the more I see it’s not the job of my dreams. Maybe my nightmares.
Mia: What do you think of the author? Be honest. We won’t tell.
Cat: Jen’s nice and everything but she’s kind of… well, obsessed with me. She spends hours describing my hair and imagining what I’m wearing. And every time Benji and I snuggle up, she’s right there, diagramming our every move! Hey, Single White Female, why don’t you get out of your pajamas and take your cat for a walk so I can have some couch time? But don’t tell her I said that.
Mia: How do you feel about the story you’re in?
Cat: I just want to report the box scores and game recaps but damn it, all this drama keeps getting in the way! I did get a paid trip to the Caribbean out of it, but the sorority girl I’m with is making me earn every penny.
Mia: Do you like being a character in the book?
Cat: I get to work in baseball, so yes. That’s a lucky break for a girl like me. Unlike my spoiled travel companion Paige Aiken, my dad isn’t a baseball legend. Papa McDaniel a jailbird, so unless there really is a California Penal League in baseball, I’m on my own.
Mia: How do you see your future? Without giving anything away about the story, naturally.
Cat: I’m desperate to stay in this business — even though my curiosity keeps burning bridges along the way. In addition, I’m trying to balance a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend, Benji, who couldn’t care less about baseball. I’m also hiding my own dirty laundry (I’m not just talking about all my knockoffs!) and I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep the truth from Benji.
Mia: What do you know about your author’s plans? Can we expect to see you in any future stories?
Cat: Oh yeah, I can’t shake her! (Trust me, I’ve tried.) Jen’s storyboarding me from city to city for three more books after this. Easy for her! She sits on the couch, typing away on her computer, while I’m the one dodging foul balls and foul play!
Mia: Let’s say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?
Cat: A movie about me?! Wow. I’m sure Jen would say Amy Adams or another Hollywood rah-rah, but Benji and I want nerd-girl extraordinaire Felicia Day. Not only has she perfected geek-chic, but people even say we look alike. (And by “people”, I mean me.)
* * *
Author Bio: JEN ESTES is the author of Big Leagues and the Cat McDaniel Mystery Series. A former baseball blogger and freelance sportswriter, she has been featured in Digital Sports Daily, Penthouse Magazine and Examiner.com. Jen is a member of the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR), Springfield Poets & Writers, Sisters in Crime and the National Writers Union (NWU). Jen currently lives in Illinois with her husband and cat. When she isn’t writing, Jen enjoys running, yoga, traveling, baseball and, of course, reading a good book.
Buy Link: Powell Books
Buy Link: Amazon
Buy Link: Barnes & Noble
Buy Link: Books-a-Million
