Monday, April 22, 2013

The Original Black Cat

The black cat in What Darkness Brings is inspired by this guy:


Huckleberry is a cat with serious attitude. He's big and beautiful and very smart, and he knows it. By the time he was six months old, we had to change all the old lever-type door handles in the house because he'd figured out how to open them. If this were a perfect world, Huckleberry would be an only cat. But this isn't a perfect world, which makes Huck cranky.


He likes to pretend he's not loving; he won't jump up in your lap and ask for pets, and if you pick him up, he'll tolerate it for about a minute, max, before he squirms and wants down. If you want pets, you need to go to him--preferably when he's in his tower, or on a pile of freshly laundered bedding. That is, after all, the proper way to show the worship he thinks is his due.


But the truth is, Huckleberry is secretly a very affectionate cat. He follows me from room to room, all day long, curling up nearby while I work. He especially loves to sit on the sofa beside me while I play my guitar--actually, that's the only time he will sit on the sofa beside anyone.


He really, really hates it when I go away for any length of time. Once I went to Morocco for three weeks and came home to found him ratty and half dead; he'd refused to eat, drink, or bathe while I was gone, despite the fact that Danielle and Steve were home with him. When I go up to the lake for a week of intensive writing, Huckleberry goes with me--not only because he's company and he loves it up there, but because he's miserable if I don't take him.


Will the black cat be back in Why Kings Confess? What do you think?



48 comments:

Barbara Butler McCoy said...

Huck is gorgeous ;0 I trust he's made the acquaintance of Henri Le Chat Noir on Youtube?

LOgalinOR said...

Candace,
Huck is a cutie-but he would definitely take particular offense to that description. He defines the word "regal", both the good and not so 'good', wouldn't you say? Huck also seems more of the "one person cat"--you're afraid to leave 'his royal highness.' He has already shown you that-LOL.
Of course, the black cat will be back in Why Kings Confess. He has already won the hearts of both Sebastian and Hero (Hero was frantic when she could not find the black cat and warned Jud Foy with her pistol to "stay away from my cat"). Black cat will probably spend a lot of time right next to Hero, in her last months of pregnancy and will make himself indispensable by the time baby St. Cyr arrives (and baby makes 4).
Absolutely loved the picture of Huck in your guitar case, his perfect spot-LOL (remember "the Kodak moment"?)

Jessica said...

Huck sounds majestic and cranky and absolutely perfect!!

And I very much hope the black cat is back in Why Kings Confess...I really liked him and how both Sebastian and Hero adopted him (without really admitting to said adoption).

Anonymous said...

Love Huck! He is just gorgeous. I had a cat once that was scary smart like that. He could open all our kitchen cabinets, even though they had baby proof devices (and when he was mad at us, he would do it overnight and you'd walk into a kitchen with all the cabinets and drawers standing open) and he could also open all doors with levered handles, even if he had to walk backwards when the door opened out. He was so wickedly smart and loved me above all others. He would hug me when I held him, with paws around either side of my neck and bury his head in my hair. He didn't like my husband so much, but would tolerate him if I wasn't around. He would sit on our fence and actually catch birds in mid-flight as they flew by and once stole chicken off the neighbors bbq mid-cooking process (the neighbor came over to complain about my "brazen" cat). I agree with LOgalinOR in that of course he will be in the next book and all those thereafter. I can't wait to hear what he'll be up to. Sabena

cs harris said...

Barbara, I love Henri, but I'm afraid Huck is not fond of other cats, even if they're just on a screen.

LOgalinOR, he definitely has the regal touch! Ironically, he began as my older daughter's cat, and the truth is she was the only one who could hold him forever. But since she went off to college ten years ago, I became his person.

Jessica, don't worry, he'll be back!

Sabena, your cat sounds like a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime cat. I had to laugh at the story about the chicken; my sister's cat once came home with a hot barbecued chicken. She called around to all the neighbors but never could find the owner to apologize!

Charles Gramlich said...

Whoa. that's a lot of tabby

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Anonymous said...

C-i think i mentioned in a previous comment we had 3 cats in my house - all different. my siamese Suelek was the most huck like. i was 7 when we got her. although she loved to be touched it was only when she was in the mood. and then you better be or she tormented you. and god forbid you moved in the bed while she slept with you. ouch! at our lake house she took off to frolick in the woods and was gone a week. all i did was cry - then she came back - looking like who did it and ran - and preggars. i was 24 when she died and some days i still miss her 30 years later. Cat are great whether real or fiction!
ali

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cs harris said...

Ali, It is amazing to me how different cats can be. We have 5, and they're all radically different from each other. I almost didn't see your comment amidst all the span; there's obviously something about black cats that brings the creepy crawlies out in droves.

vp said...

Huck is amazing! I have one with very much the same attitude and habits and I adore him.

Also, thanks to Huck for inspiring you to include a cat in the series. That was really all that was missing. Now, it is perfect!

As to the black cat returning, I would be devastated if he did not. I love the little guy already.

Sphinx Ink said...

Clearly Huck is a music-lover! As well as talented in other respects ...if you had a piano, maybe he'd learn to "play" it. On YouTube I've seen a couple of cats playing piano.

cs harris said...

vp, yes, I must confess I do adore Huckleberry, but don't tell him--he's already big headed enough!

Sphinx, Dani does have a piano, but he's never shown any interest in it. His liking of the guitar took me by surprise.

Amy said...

I love this story mainly because I have a 10 year old black cat named...Sebastian. I also love all your books and recently went back and reread the series. I can't wait for 'Why Kings Confess'.

Amy said...
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cs harris said...

Amy, that's funny! Tell your Sebastian hi for me.

lmhess said...

Please don't leave the black cat out of the next book - I loved him. He gave a nice touch to the story (reminded me of that stupid raven in D. Raybourn's Lady Julia series - pets as part of the story always make me smile). I loved Hero all the more for pulling her little pistol on creepy Mr. Foy. A girl after my own heart. I have loved this series so far, Candace - just keep up the great story telling!!

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