Meet Author Carrie Carter!

Want to read something fun? Check out this blurb for Whiskers Abroad: Ashi and Audrey’sAdventures in Japan ;

Whiskers Abroad is a lively travelogue featuring a trip to Japan shared by two main characters, Audrey and her cat Ashi, who alternate recounting their versions of events. During a twelve-day trip, the pair visit several cities. Adventures abound. Audrey is still trying to find her place in the universe, while Ashi believes Audrey would sink beneath the waves were he not present to rescue her. Audrey’s daily horoscope offers tantalizing clues as to what’s in store for the pair. Written by Carrie Carter and designed by Stacy Vickers, Whiskers Abroad is both an amusing travel story with unforgettable characters and a useful guide for tourists going to Japan. Lavishly designed, Whiskers Abroad will delight both your eyes and your sense of adventure.

Read below for Carrie Carter’s interview!

1.This book sounds like a riot! Was it as fun to write as it is to read? 

I had a great time writing Audrey’s version, but struggled with Ashi’s. Believe it or not, at first, he was written as a stiff and boring feline. Then I thought about how he acts as a cat, in real life, and channeled his imaginary voice.  Then writing his side became a joy. However, the most fun part was the research and doing the various activities in Japan.  

2.According to your bio, you’ve been to Japan 14 times. What do you like most about Japan and its culture? 

I am fascinated by the fact that here is a wealthy country, like the United States, steeped in technology, but culturally is totally different from the United States.  I love being outside my element.  It gets my brain going on what I like and don’t like about my own country.  I also love the ease of getting around Japan, and the safety.  I don’t have to worry about being mugged, and if I lose my purse on the train, I know it will be in the lost and found with all its contents.  I would like to add, having traveled to Japan that many times and making friends there, I have learned about some of the negatives, which re-enforces it’s a real place, with pros and cons, ups and downs. No country is perfect.

3.Tell me about Audrey and her cat Ashi as if you were introducing me to them. 

Audrey is a kooky astrology loving woman, ready to make changes in her life and have a bit of adventure.  She takes a chance on a newspaper ad looking for writers to travel to Japan and write articles about it.  She gets the job, but she’s an odd one, filled with so much adoration for her cat that she takes him with her to Japan.  Everything in Japan excites her. Ashi, her chunky gray and white cat, doesn’t have the same sense of adventure but it can be coaxed out. After all, cats are full of curiosity.  He loves to eat new foods, and have people pet him. He is a bit vain. 

4. You have a sequel in the works. When can we expect its release? 

That’s a tricky question.  My original plan was to have Audrey and Ashi return to Japan.  There’s still plenty for them to see and do.  I wanted to go back to Japan to confirm the places still exist and snap some updated photos, but with the pandemic that has been delayed.  Japan, while official open to tourists, really isn’t open for what I want to do.  Right now, you can only go with a tour group, where every activity is planned, down to where you eat.  I need more freedom than that.  I’m thinking of redirecting to South Korea.  They are open to tourists now.  I’ve only been three times so I definitely would have to travel there for research.  I mean, someone has to do it! With the redirect, it may be a while before the sequel comes out, but I am outlining now.