Sunday, March 26, 2023

Bedazzled Book Mascots by Ellen Byron

Jenn McKinlay: Today's guest is the indefatigable Ellen Byron. Seriously, I just saw her in her role as Toastmaster at Left Coast Crime and, truly, she was a in constant motion and hilariously funny as always! Lucky for us, Ellen has a book coming out on March 28th and she's here to tell us all about it. 

Ellen Byron: I was responding to an email of questions from an interviewer when one of them stopped me cold: “What is your series’ spirit animal?” 

I’d never thought about this before. I’m a dog lover, so I have dogs in all my series. I even have a cat and bird in my Catering Hall Mysteries, which I write under the pen name “Maria DiRico.” But an animal who represents my series thematically and even visually? That never occurred to me. And I began thinking about it. 

 First, I substituted the term “series mascot” for “spirit animal,” out of respect for cultures where the latter has great meaning. Then I thought about the role of a series mascot. 

Visually and emotionally, a mascot should evoke the flavor of your series. While our late basset hound Lucy graces all the covers of my Cajun Country Mysteries, the series mascot is an alligator, which Louisianians often joke is the true state “bird,” as opposed to the brown pelican (a runner-up for series mascot). There’s something about a gator’s sly, crafty ways and general resilience that just felt right for the series. 



A real-life incident inspired my choice of peacock as the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries mascot. While lodging in the Carrollton neighborhood of New Orleans during a visit, I heard a strange shriek coming from outside. I went to check it out and saw a peacock strolling down the street. The series’ main setting is Bon Vee, a stunning19th century mansion in the city’s Garden District. Peacocks are famed for being the Mean Girls – and Guys – of the bird world. The notion of these magnificent birds with attitude parading around a Garden District mansion appealed to me and a series mascot was born. Two, actually: Gumbo and Jambalaya. See if you can spot where the artist behind my Vintage Cookbook Mysteries placed the peacock on the cover of Wined and Died in New Orleans. 



I’ve yet to come up with a mascot for my Catering Hall Mysteries. I jokingly toyed with making that iconic New Yorker, the Pizza Rat, but decided visuals of the poor guy – who never did get to eat that slice of pizza – might be a bit off-putting. But I’ve translated my other series’ mascots into jewelry I wear to signings and conferences, leading to a fun collection of alligator and peacock necklaces and brooches. 



My series’ mascots do more than provide fun branding opportunities. The innate intelligence and attitude of these representatives from the animal and aviary kingdom inspire me as a writer. 

And maybe I’m wrong about Pizza Rat. His infamous battle to claim a slice of pizza twice his size showed him to be as determined and strong-willed as series protagonist Mia Carina. Plus, I just found a really cute Pizza Rat enamel pin. 

 


Pizza Rat New York Brown Rat Two Inch Enamel Pin - Etsy 

Readers, do you agree these are good mascot choices for my series? What animal do you think would make a great mascot for a series you read? 

Leave a comment and be entered in a drawing for a signed
copy of HERE COMES THE BODY! The first in the Catering hall mysteries.

SYNOPSIS for FOUR PARTIES AND A FUNERAL: 
Agatha Award-winning author Maria DiRico returns with the fourth book in the Catering Hall Mystery Series, starring Mia Carina who is coming to grips with being back in Astoria, Queens, and running her Italian-American family’s catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor but a TV casting call is about to put murder in the spotlight . . .



The June events schedule at Belle View is busting out all over—proms, graduations, and of course, weddings. There are unexpected bookings too, including a casting call for the pilot of Dons of Ditmars Boulevard. But soon, Mia’s fears about the cheesy reality show are confirmed . . .



Belle View quickly becomes the site of a sea of wanna-be goombahs and phony girlfriends, and some of Mia’s friends insist on getting in on the action. The production company owner and his executive producer ex-wife—who’s also very minor British royalty—have assembled a motley crew that does as much infighting and backstabbing as the on-screen “talent.” Even so, it’s a shock when a dead body is found in the pool house of a local mansion rented by the show . . .



Murder might boost the ratings. But Mia intends to make sure the killer gets jail time, not airtime. . .  




BIO: Ellen’s Cajun Country Mysteries have won two Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and multiple Lefty Awards for Best Humorous Mystery. Bayou Book Thief is the first book in her new Vintage Cookbook Mysteries. She also writes the Catering Hall Mystery series under the name Maria DiRico. 

 Ellen is an award-winning playwright, and non-award-winning TV writer of comedies like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents. She has written over two hundred articles for national magazines but considers her most impressive credit working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. She serves on the national board for Mystery Writers of America, and will be the 2023 Left Coast Crime Toastmaster. Visit her at Cozy Mysteries | Ellen Byron | Author

50 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Ellen, on your newest book . . . .
    I must admit that I'd not given any thought to a series animal mascot, but I think it's a clever idea . . . the hummingbird is my suggestion for the animal mascot.

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  2. I love those mascots, Ellen (along with their books), and each is perfect for the series. Can't wait for the new book!

    I've never given a series mascot a lick of thought. In my Cozy Capers series it would have to be African gray parrot Belle. She's smart, sassy, and loyal - and she doesn't make her wicked allergic human sneeze. I'll have to ponder mascots for the other series.

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    1. And then spend a ridiculous amount of money on costume jewelry to represent them!

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  3. I love this. I'll be thinking about mascots for every book I read now. I've never heard of a New York Pizza Rat, but it makes sense, LOL. sue.stoner72@yahoo.com

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  4. Perfect choices, Ellen! And yes, stick with Pizza Rat. The perfect New Yorker.

    I've never given mascots a thought. My knee jerk reaction for the Hayden Kent series is Tiger Cat. On reflection it would be a dolphin (mammal not fish). They don't figure in any of the stories, but they are playful and protective. Rather like Hayden.

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  5. Ellen, welcome! How fun to see you here today. I adore your Cajun Country Mysteries and just last week I read Bayou Book Thief and loved it! It is definitely time for me to let Maria DiRico take me to New York.

    The Peacocks work well for your series set in New Orleans. They are loud and flashy and a little aggressive. The Bassett Hound was a perfect pet for Maggie, even if you don't think it was the series mascot. Hmm. I guess that having a series mascot won't fit every series but cozy mysteries usually have at least one pet. From now on, I'll be looking for one.

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    1. Thank you so much! My new series will be set in CA, so the mascot is a bear. Not sure how much jewelry mileage I'll get out of him!

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  6. Ellen, welcome! I love the rat pin! I think you must have it. My animals are always cats...

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    1. Lucy, a friend named their cat the Italian word for Honey cat. Diana

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    2. Thanks so much for having me, Lucy! Love cats.

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  7. I have neither dogs nor cats in my books or in real life. When the kids were growing up we had hamsters. A steady stream of them. I do not think a hamster would be a very good mascot for a book. Though they're really sweet as can be. Maybe a tortoise for how long it takes me to write one.

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    1. Hallie, I think there is a hamster in the Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Diana

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    2. LOL, Hallie re: the tortoise. And I think a hamster would be a great mascot. Especially since writing early drafts or breaking stories sometimes feels like we're on a hamster wheel!

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  8. Congratulations on your upcoming book release.

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  9. What a great idea, Ellen. And an excellent and original question for an interviewer to ask, at last! The peacock stained glass is gorgeous, by the way, and are those vintage cookbooks? Hmm, intriguing!

    Let's see if I can hand out some mascots here. Lucy/Roberta, don't you think a pelican would be a good mascot for your Key West series? Bet you always see them around the houseboat docks.

    Julia's series could have a deer. I suspect some of the calls made to the Millers Kill police department are about collisions with deer. Failing that, how about the bobcat? They are secretive and rarely seen, but when they appear it's not good for their prey. Bonus: it's a kind of cat.

    Debs' series must have a Great Grey Heron, which are seen fishing around the tidal flats of the Thames. I saw one almost every day when I stayed in a flat along a tidal estuary in Chelsea. Huge, mysterious, elegant, what's not to like?

    Molly Murphy no doubt sees pigeons in NYC, they had to be a city denizen even then.

    Hank, of course, gets mallard ducks. What else? Most of her books take place in the Boston area, where there is a lot of water.

    Hallie, for your There Was an Old Woman, the mascot could definitely be a Redwinged Blackbird, or a Snowy Egret, since it takes place on the marsh. Failing that, a river otter?

    Jenn, I'm stumped, at last. Bet you have some ideas, though!

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    1. Wonderful ideas, Karen! Thanks! I do love birds so I'd probably go for birds as mascots. Though, weird coincidence, yesterday on a walk around a local pond I spotted a river otter.

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    2. Karen, I think every author will be turning to you to define our mascots in the future - brava!!

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  10. I like that little rat pin, it's so cute, you have to use that. I'll read about any animal- cats, dogs, birds, but I do find it fun when an unusual animal shows up, like your peacocks.

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    1. Thanks! And don't be surprised if you see that rat on one of my shirts someday!

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  11. Ellen / Maria, welcome to JRW and congratulations on the book launch coming up on Tuesday!

    Spirit animal? Why on earth did I think the mascot would be a cat in the Catering Mysteries? Love the beagle in your Cajun Country mysteries. And I see the peacock in the stained window above the door in the Vintage Cookbook mystery novel.

    Which animals do I remember from other mysteries?

    From Rhys' Lady Georgie, I remember the two puppies. From Jenn, there is a corgi in the Hat Shop mysteries. There was a black Scottie dog in Jenn's Library Lover series? From Lucy's Food Review series, there are cats. Trying to recall if there are animals in other JRW authors' books....

    In Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs, there is a dog named Emma and a horse named Lady. In Alexander McCall Smith's Isabel Dalhousie series, there is Brother Fox. And there is Cyril? Cyrus? the dog with the gold tooth in the Scotland Street series.

    About 25 years ago, I read the Connor Westphal mysteries by Penny Warner and there was a hearing dog named Caspar. The dog was a Siberian Husky?

    On another note, I had an interesting dream about your dog Pogo. I was walking in my neighborhood (8 hours north of Hollywood) and I saw the actor Dick Van Dyke walking your dog Pogo. No idea why!

    Diana

    p.s. Woke up early this morning with a major headache and it is finally gone!

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    1. Oooh - that dream made me tear up!! My baby Pogo. God, I miss him. What a honor you saw legendary Dick Van Dyke walking him!

      And wonderful job of IDing series' animals!

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  12. Ellen, I just realized I haven’t read any of your books written under the Maria name. If they’re as entertaining as the ones written as Ellen, I’m in for treat!

    DebRo

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    1. Yay!! Honestly, they're really funny - if I do say so myself!

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  13. Clearly the idea of a series animal has struck a note with all of us.
    While I love the addition of a cat or dog in the story, assuming they are actively involved, wild animals add an interesting element. They are less perdictable for the reader. Extra surprises for the story.

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    1. Libby, what a great way to put it. I'm actually finding a way to make the bear in my new series pivotal to a plot point in a future book.

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  14. Thanks so much for visiting us today, Ellen! I am so excited for FOUR PARTIES AND A FUNERAL!

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  15. I think the peacock is perfect! It reminds me of some of the elaborate Mardi Gras costumes.

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  16. Ellen, I have to tell you that you are one of those people whose name and presence bring absolute joy. Add funny to that, and it's little wonder why you were chosen as the Toastmaster at Left Coast Crime. I wish I'd been there to see that. And, congratulations on winning the Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel.

    The book mascots combined with your jewelry for each series are brilliant representatives of your books. I can see that the alligator most reflects the flavor of your Cajun Country Mysteries, but it's wonderful Lucy that I think of as the face of the series. I am such a fan of novelty (no pun, well maybe a little pun, intended) jewelry. I can't wait to see you at Bouchercon and now notice your theme jewelry. I've bought a couple of jewelry items myself for the upcoming Bouchercon, a pin and earring set of meat cleavers. I'll be looking for more, too.

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    1. Kathy!!!! This is the most beautiful comment! You've made my day, week, and year. Your jewelry choices sound fab! I didn't wear any of mine at LCC - no time! But I hope to at Malice and now you've inspired me to do the same at B'con. muhwhaaa!

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  17. I love your books, especially the Cajun County Mysteries. I also like the 🦚 and 🐀 mascots you've chosen for your new series. I also like the peacock in the window above the door.

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    1. Dianne, thank you! And I SO love the peacock in the stained glass window. I wish I had a window like that IRL.

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  18. Oh Ellen, Ellen, Ellen! Never underestimate the jewelry possibilities of bears 🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻. Can’t wait for the 28th!!!

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    1. LOLOL! I've checked out eBay and Etsy. So far, unimpressed!

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  19. I adore that Pizza Rat pin! Yes, he definitely needs to make an appearance in the last Catering Hall Mystery. So many protagonists in cozies have pets that it could be argued that it is one of the defining characteristics of the genre. As for bears in your new series, my brother and sister in law both graduated from Cal, whose mascot is Oski the Bear. So they have a bear cookie cutter that they use to make the family favorite gingerbread cookies at Christmas. Whoever said they have to be gingerbread men?

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    1. Sue!! A bear cookie cutter. I had gator cookie cutters for my Cajun Country series. Now I want them for the CA series!

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  20. Ellen, this discussion puts me in mind of Madeline Albright and her collection of broaches. She even wrote a book about them, Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box. I'll bet you end up with more bear jewelry than you imagine. Take a trip to Alaska and see what you find! Congrats on the new book. I look forward to reading it.

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    1. I LOVED Madeline Albright and wanted that book! Thanks for the reminder. I'm going to see if my library has it.

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  21. I would have to say some kind of cat because they are my favorites! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  22. You've reminded me to look through my great-great aunt's jewelry boxes. I found them when my sister and I were clearing my dad's house after he passed. They are full of costume jewelry and I definitely remember an enamel flamingo. I'm looking forward to going through them again.
    I love your books. I need to look for your Vintage Cookbook series. I know it will be just as fab as Cajun Country and Catering Hall mysteries.

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    1. Jeez, I responded but I don't see it. First of all, thank you SO much. Second, oooh, costume jewelry! LMK if you find any gators, peacocks, or bears. ;-)

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  23. Never considered an animal for a series mascot. I'm going to have to give this some thought.

    No need to enter me in the giveaway since I've already loved Here Comes the Body.

    And this new book is great fun as always!

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    1. Thanks so much, Mark! I really appreciate the support!

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  24. Animal mascot is a cute idea.Im obsessed with owls myself

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