"The Cat Who Robbed a Bank" by Lilian Jackson Braun

BOOK TITLE: The Cat Who Robbed a Bank

AUTHOR: Lilian Jackson Braun

YEAR: 2000

GENRE: Fiction

SUBGENRE: Cozy Mystery

GRADE: Pass

Jim “Q” Qwilleran and his Siamese kitties Koko and Yum Yum are thrust into another mystery when a jewelry dealer winds up dead in a hotel room and the salesman’s assistant as well as a local Highland Games athlete go missing shortly after. Koko, being the psychic kitty he is, drops little hints in front of Q that could be mistaken for hyperactive playing. The closer Q gets to solving this case, the more he realizes that Koko really is a genius and that even the strangest clues can pan out from time to time.

I’ve been a reader of Lilian Jackson Braun’s “Cat Who” books since the early 2010’s. Every time I read one of these novels, the tropes she relies on become more and more apparent. The small town atmosphere, local gossiping, and constant lunch and dinner dates are just small examples. Others include the G-rated way in which the dead meet their fates, the townsfolk’s love of ancient literature, the typical elderly hobbies such as silhouette cutting and wood turning, and the relaxed sense of urgency when these mysteries move along. I believe it’s safe to say that if you’ve read one Cat Who book, you’ve read them all.

And yet I keep going back to them because of their relaxing nature and light reading material. This is especially comforting whenever it’s raining or otherwise cold outside. Just snuggle up with your favorite kitty and wrap yourself in a blanket for a nice afternoon or evening of easy reading. Notice how I’m using themes of comfort and relaxation with these books rather than boredom. You can be chilled out and still have lots of fun reading whatever it is you’re reading. Think of it as being like getting a chair massage with new age music playing in the background. After you’ve had your low-key fun for the day, snuggle in bed and take a nice long nap with the rain tapping on your window.

If you want to read something nice and pleasant with a double dose of feline sweetness, look no further than “The Cat Who Robbed a Bank”, or any other Cat Who book for that matter. Ms. Braun has left behind a legacy of lovability with this series alone. Yes, she had a nagging tendency to tell instead of show, but if you’re patient, it won’t matter after you’ve delved far enough into the easy-paced mystery. Easy on the eyes, easy on the soul, easy on your warm toasty kitty-loving heart. A passing grade not only for this particular book, but for the series as a whole.

Taking Criticism: Defense vs. Surrender

***TAKING CRITICISM: DEFENSE VS. SURRENDER***

Taking criticism is something all authors have to do whether it’s constructive advice from a friend or an all out assault from a complete stranger. I’ve seen my fair share of both since I got serious about writing in 2001. Developing a thick skin isn’t always easy. It’s not something ready-made or even something you’re born with. But regardless of whether you’ve got paper skin or a suit of steel armor, there comes a time in every author’s career when he has to decide: is this piece of literature worth defending or should it be surrendered to the critics? The trick here is to find a balance between defense and surrender; it can never be all or nothing.

I know this, because throughout the 2000’s when I was wild and young, I would defend everything I wrote. Everything! It didn’t matter if it was good or bad, offensive or sterile, first draft or multiple, I had a huge enough ego to believe that everything I wrote turned to gold. Whenever somebody online would tear down my walls, I built them back up ten times stronger. In my mind, because I had the first amendment on my side, I never had to apologize for anything I wrote and I was absolved of all guilt. And then December 27^th, 2009 rolled along and a small army of angry Deviant Art members logged on to tell me how ageist an essay I wrote called “Class of ‘13” was, where I absentmindedly labeled high school students a bunch of text-messaging queens. I fought valiantly against this small army, but ultimately decided ageism against the youth wasn’t worth defending, so now Class of ’13 is gone from my Deviant Art gallery. To this day, I still take issue with people who blame millennials for everything wrong with the world.

And then came the 2010’s and I found myself doing a lot more surrendering than defending. I don’t know if that 2009 experience jolted something inside me or if maturity kicked in, but it’s like my dad once said about me: I’m friends with everyone. It’s true. I value friendship and growth so much that I purposefully tiptoe around delicate issues. That’s why in 2014 when I wrote an erotic kidnapping short story called “Tainted Love”, I took it down days later when it received criticism for being sexist (even though one person said it was steamy and hot). Because I took the calm and collected approach, I found my friendships still intact and I’m still a long and strong member of the WSS, which I take a lot of pride in.

While turning the other cheek will keep you out of trouble and out of the crosshairs of angry keyboard warriors, you can’t take that attitude with everything you write. If you whitewashed the offensiveness out of everything you wrote, you’d have a whole lot of nothing in your repertoire. It’s like that Face Book meme once said: it’s better to write for yourself and have no public than write for the public and have no self. For a guy who preaches individuality and nonconformity in almost all of my poetry, I sure do curl up in the corner when the heat gets hot. That’s not a good strategy for someone who wants success in the writing industry.

I know this, because one of my novel ideas is currently on hold due to it potentially being rejected by the websites I plan on posting it on. It’s called Puberty X Piracy and it’s an urban fantasy story about a teenager who uses and distributes online porn. On one hand, I could defend this as something that’s personal to me since I like a good wank too. On the other hand, writing this novel could be grounds for termination from whatever social media sites I’m using because of its explicit themes of masturbation, actual sex, and male genital mutilation. Of course, I don’t necessarily have to post these chapters on social media, but it’d be nice to get something out there that didn’t result in catastrophe.

I said before that the key to surviving life as an author is knowing the difference between what is defensible and what needs to be surrendered. I tried defending everything in the 2000’s and it ended horribly. It’s the 2010’s and I’m surrendering everything, but there’s a good chance somebody might like the things I’m surrendering. Which one’s worse: being a dick or missing opportunities? I’d like to think that’s an easy question, but at some point, I have to start sticking up for myself. I just can’t tell the difference between when it’s necessary and when it isn’t.

A common litmus test for this debate is to gage how many people agree or disagree with the piece of literature in question, but that’s not always accurate. There are people who love the shit out of Fifty Shades of Grey and despite the hell out of Winnie the Pooh. Yes, folks, there are people who fucking hate Winnie the Pooh. And Tigger. And Piglet. There are also people who wouldn’t mind sucking on a “Christian Grey flavored popsicle”, whatever the fuck that is. Like I said: write for yourself, not the public. There are people in this world who still think the earth is flat. I may surrender a lot of my talking points, but I refuse to hand the keys of the kingdom to a bunch of flat-earthers. It’s round, motherfuckers! It’s round!

If popularity is a bad litmus test for defensiveness vs. surrender, what’s a good one? That’s a question I don’t have the answer for. I’m 32 years old and celebrating my 16^th year as a semi-professional author, yet I’m no closer to tapping into that particular piece of wisdom. I know I’m shouting into the abyss when I post these blog entries, but I’m still shouting, damn it. If any of my readers have the slightest inkling as to what the answer could be, let me know and I’ll take it into consideration. We’ve got ears, say cheers!

***AMERICAN DARKNESS 3***

Until I become fully committed to Puberty X Piracy, I’m going to start working on the third installment of American Darkness a.k.a. the series of stories that once made Andy Peloquin exclaim, “DARK SHIT!” I have fifty-two story ideas in this particular volume, but all I need is fifty and I’m going to go down the list alphabetically. That means the first story to go in this book will be…slightly less dark than the others. Probably not the best way to start a book with darkness in the title, but it starts with an A, so suck it. It’s called “Adorably Clueless” and it goes like this:

CHARACTERS:

1. Billy Mann, College Librarian
2. Mia Rodriguez, Flirty Customer
3. Dottie Jackson, Billy’s Coworker

PROMPT CONFORMITY: To be announced.

SYNOPSIS: Billy has gone through his entire life without experiencing romance and is feeling lonely and sad because of it. One day at the college library, Billy checks out a few books to Mia, who unbeknown to him was flirting with him the entire time. When Mia walks away, Dottie giggles at Billy and calls him “adorably clueless” when it comes to his social awkwardness and inability to detect flirtation. With the college’s “Second Chance Prom” coming up in a few weeks, Billy has to get his act together if he wants to capitalize on this almost missed opportunity.

***DARK FANTASY WARRIORS***

Because my next first draft book will be a collection of modern day dramas, the number of characters from the fantasy genre I have left to draw are limited to two: Debra Lynch (elf rogue) and Johnny De Morgan (human busker), both of them from the final Poison Tongue Tales 2 story “Street Sleeper”. If I really want to continue drawing these characters, I’ll have to find another source other than stories I’ve already written.

***THE CAT WHO ROBBED A BANK***

I’ve been a Lilian Jackson Braun fan since I became a born-again reader in 2009. I’ve given all of her books passing grades for their light material and cute kitties. This one will be no different, though you’re probably asking why I keep reading these “Cat Who” books if they’re so predictable. That’s basically like asking why I keep buying CD’s of a certain band if they do the same kind of music: because I fucking like them! If you like something, don’t question or pick away at it. Don’t surrender that shit to anybody with ignorant questions. See what I did there?

***JOKE OF THE DAY***

Q: What do you call a blacksmith who likes butt sex?

A: Forge packer.

***POST-SCRIPT***

Just in case there’s any confusion, no, I won’t surrender that joke either.

Old Animals

***OLD ANIMALS***

With winter rapidly approaching, it’s important for animals to have a nice warm place to call home so that they don’t freeze their little tootsies off. Pet shelters always have a large influx of animals coming in that have either been surrendered by a previous owner or living on the streets. Everyone needs a furry friend to give them comfort and love during these chilly times. When you eventually do adopt an animal (adopt, don’t shop), please consider taking in an elderly critter that has probably been at the shelter for a long time.

I know the most common argument against adopting an older animal is that they don’t live long and the new owner’s heart will break easily when the little guy passes. But that’s precisely why these animals need a new place to live: their final years on earth should be happy ones instead of lonely ones. Lots of pettings, lots of naps, and lots of love: that’s what elderly animals need, not loneliness.

Another common argument against adopting senior animals is that they could potentially be hard to take care of due to medical problems or messy behavior. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Most elderly animals just want to lie around and rest their aching bones, so you don’t have to worry about them playing with things they shouldn’t be playing with. As far as medical bills go, that’s a constant no matter what age the animal is. Younger cats have to be fixed so that they don’t reproduce easily. Some of them are so young that they’re not housetrained yet. Housetraining can be a long and arduous process, but you don’t have to worry about that with an experienced cat or dog.

That’s not to say that young animals don’t deserve love, because they certainly do. Animals of all age groups need a warm home to call their own. The point of this blog entry is to not turn away older animals so easily because of the stigmas against them. A furry friend is a furry friend no matter how far into their twilight years they are.

What some of those old doggies would do for a puppiccino right now. A puppiccino is basically just a Starbucks cup filled with whipped cream and nothing more. Dogs loved whipped cream! You know what else they love? Plain double cheeseburgers from McDonald’s without the bun. I once read a nonfiction book about a library cat named Dewey who used to eat Arby’s cheddar roasts during his senior years. These are just small examples of what an elderly animal’s final years could look like if they lived in a happy home. Knowing you gave happy moments to an old animal will ease some of the pain of loss when their time eventually comes. It will still hurt like hell, but love conquers all in the end. So do fond memories.

To use an example from my own life, I currently have an elderly brown kitty named Smokey who spends most of her time napping on my bed. She’s the laziest animal we have, but also the most relaxed and peaceful. Cats don’t get to be nineteen years old by being stressed out all the time. It’s hard for Smokey to feel stressed when she’s getting pettings, love, and Temptations kitty treats on a daily basis. I love the sound of her purring in my ear when I lay next to her. She’s a sweet and dear kitty who brings me happiness every day that she’s alive. When her time comes to cross the Rainbow Bridge, I’ll miss her dearly, but I’ll also be grateful for every memory she’s given me.

Elderly animals need love just as much as their young counterparts. They’re every bit as sweet and snuggly, every bit as cute and cuddly, and a proud and loyal member of your family. Adopting a senior kitty or puppy will be a decision you’ll never regret. You could have your very own Smokey-Pokey for the price of an adoption fee. We’ve got ears, say cheers!

***THE CAT WHO ROBBED A BANK***

Speaking of sweet and cuddly animals, the next book I’m going to read and review is another classic from Lilian Jackson Braun’s “Cat Who” series. If I can be honest for a moment, before I started working with Marie Krepps, I’ve been blind to the fact that Ms. Braun does more telling than showing in her novels. There have been times when I considered giving one of her books a mixed grade (three stars). But then the grade improves when I realize how relaxing and laidback reading her books can be, especially on a rainy day like today. According to Good Reads’ math, I’m 20% finished with the book and it’s a light read, so I’ll probably be done with it sooner rather than later.

***POISON TONGUE TALES 2: THE RIGHT TO REMAIN PSYCHOTIC***

I’ll tell you what’s not sweet and cuddly: hardcore violence with a dark fantasy backdrop. That’s what you’re going to get with the second to last story to be written for this series: “King of Elves and Trees”. It goes like this:

CHARACTERS:

1.      Saito Kabaka, Elf Samurai

2.      Tifa Croft, Elf Assassin

3.      Rudiger Seran, Giant Lumberjack

PROMPT CONFORMITY: To be announced.

SYNOPSIS: Rudiger and his team of lumberjacks have been independently contracted to cut down trees in The Black Forest. To protect their forest home, Saito and Tifa slaughter lumberjacks left and right, but meet their biggest challenge when the eight-foot tall Rudiger swings his oversized axe like a madman. The battle becomes even fiercer when Rudiger’s axe ignites into magical fire.

FUN FACT: The title of this story is a lyric from the Within Temptation song “In Perfect Harmony”, though the story itself is nowhere near as peaceful as the song.

***DARK FANTASY WARRIORS***

Because there’s a new story on the horizon, there are going to be some new drawings as well. There won’t be one of Rudiger Seran, because I already drew a picture of him back in 2014 when he was originally a character from my now defunct first draft novel “Fireball Nightmare”. He’s the one who looks like the Big Show from WWE with a chain mail singlet and a big ass battleaxe. He’s also one of the grayscale characters I drew before I purchased colored pencils from Amazon in February 2016. With Rudiger stricken from the list, that just leaves Tifa Croft (guess how I got that name) and Saito Kabaka. I believe I’ll draw Saito first and then Tifa. Sound good?

***WRESTLING DIALOGUE OF THE DAY***

JOHN CENA: You came out here with your fly unzipped.

ROMAN REIGNS: I busted it open. I’m the Big Dog.

JOHN CENA: Actually, I was looking to see where your balls were, but you don’t have any.

ROMAN REIGNS: Yeah, you would look for those.