A new ebook from Gypsy Shadow Publishing, Operation Catwalk

As part of Read an E-Book Week, I’ll be featuring ebooks here on this blog. Three of them will be my own ebooks, but I’ll be sure to include a couple of others. The books featured here are only available as ebooks and not in print format as well. It’s my way of staying true to promoting actual ebooks during Read an E-Book Week!



The fourth ebook I’d like to promote for Read an E-Book Week is Operation Catwalk: The High Life by Anne Petzer. It is the third installment in her series, Zvonek 08 Feline Intelligence Czech Republic.

Operation Catwalk: The High Life
Book Three in the series Zvonek 08 Feline Intelligence Czech Republic
By Anne Petzer
Gypsy Shadow Publishing, 2013
Ebook, 68 ppg.
Buy link



Synopsis:

Operation Catwalk—At last the most prestigious event of the year is being held in Prague. The Miss Feline CZ. Zvonek and Honza are looking forward to attending. The five finalists are chosen and The Mau is gearing up for the grand finale. Everything is on schedule when an alert on Vladimir's desk reveals strange happenings around the finalists that could sabotage the competition. Will Zvonek discover who is behind the attacks in time, or will the show just have to go on?

The High Life—Metaxa is suspicious of an elegant tom who arrives in Prague. When she meets him at a dinner with Zvonek and Honza he is witty, rich and appears to like her. Will she be taken in by his charm and wealth, or listen to her inner voice? What is his real connection to the strays and is he connected to Zvonek's latest mission?

Excerpt:

“The Spring Miss Feline Contest is in Prague this year,” Honza read aloud from The Daily Meow home page on the internet. The annual beauty competition traveled to different cities of the Czech Republic. Last year it had been in Brno.

He and Zvonek were in the computer room catching up on some reading. Honza had invited Zvonek to the hostel for lunch—some tom time away from Metaxa. Afterward they had gone to check the latest news.

“Zvoni, did you hear me?”

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“Prague is—what are you reading?” Honza leaned over to see what held Zvonek’s interest.

“It’s a piece on cat shelters. Mister Lidé has reopened the shelter he used to run with his wife.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s all here.” Zvonek pointed to the screen. “Along with the story of her tragic death while trying to save two felines.”

“Hmm . . . nothing of his Christmas fiasco, I see.”

Zvonek smiled. “So what were you saying about Prague?”

“The Miss Feline Contest is to be held here this year.”

“Where?”

“At The Mau.”

“Great stuff! I’ve always wanted to go. We should get tickets early to go to the finale. I bet it will be full. When does the voting open?”

“The finalists arrived yesterday and the voting opened this morning. We only have twenty-four hours to vote. Their photos and profiles are here on the competition’s home page.”

The finalists had been selected from the original twenty queens chosen to participate. From the original twenty, through votes, it had been whittled down to ten. These, then, traveled to Prague. Another five had been eliminated by computer vote and the judge’s decision, based on various questions and tasks. Everyone in the entire feline population was allowed to vote on one of those five. The finalists went through a series of tests and were given marks by the panel of judges. The last test required parading the catwalk to stand on stage and answer questions fired at them by the judges. There were strict rules to enter the competition. The entrants had to be born on Czech soil and also to have had no kittens, to give them the freedom to move around. The year-long reign took them to all four corners of the country, doing charitable work and serving their fellow felines.

The two toms looked through the profile photos.

“Wow, they’re all so pretty!”

“That’s why they were chosen, Honza.” Zvonek smiled.

It was a difficult decision, the rules stated only one vote per cat.

“Miss Prague is a Ragamuffin this year. Very nice.” Honza purred appreciatively.

“I’m not sure who to vote for, although I agree she is very pretty.” Zvonek looked at her profile photo. She was white and smoky grey with lovely blue eyes. He liked blue eyes. She looked very gentle and kind.

“What about Miss Karlovy Vary?” Miss Karlovy Vary was an ebony silver Oriental Longhair with golden eyes, very elegant looking. Honza was scrolling through the photos. He enjoyed competitions of any kind and even more so when pretty felines were involved.

After spending time going through all five of them, both toms decided Miss Prague should get their vote. She was the softest looking, Zvonek decided. As there was no entry from his home town of Litomerice, Miss Prague was the logical choice for him.

It felt strange wandering around with nothing to do. It had been a quiet winter work-wise. In one way, it was a good thing everything was peaceful. There had been a few domestic spats, but nothing really big since Bobina’s capture. Security had been tightened with a more vigilant eye kept on the rats. Even Rodent, in his cell, seemed to be behaving himself.

Zvonek was getting restless. He needed to have something to focus on, other than watching out for Metaxa. That job came down as orders from the top. He offered to get the tickets from the office which had been set up at The Mau.