First Place 2016 ROYAL PALM LITERARY AWARDS Maximilian and Leroy are two circus mice cousins who think they've got it made in the shade at the old, shuttered Farnsworth Circus Museum. There are no dogs around, there's a safe path to the full pantry in the old house, and the barn is full of dry hay and old circus wagons to hang out in. But when a new generation of Farnsworths move in, things start to shake up. And when eight-year-old Lucy Farnsworth brings home a tiny rescue kitten and hides him in the barn because her dad is allergic to cats, Max and Leroy need to think fast if they're going to be able to stay. With the help of Boomer-the strangely silent family dog-Max and Leroy take the new kitten under their wing and show him the ins and outs of living at the museum, and flying "under the radar." Along the way, they all come to realize that the family that you make can be just as important as the one you came from. And when Leroy finds himself in deadly peril as the villainous neighborhood cats Hector and Godfrey some a'hunting, it is Finnigan the Circus Cat who saves the day! Inspired by a "real life" rescue kitten and illustrated by the author, this book is the first in a series featuring Finnigan, the Farnsworth family, and Maximilian and Leroy as the circus museum reopens. This heartwarming book will delight both children and adults, or in the long-running tradition of the circus ringmaster's announcement, "Ladies, Gentlemen and Children of All Ages!"
About the Author: Mary T. Wagner is a former newspaper and magazine journalist who changed careers at the age of forty by going to law school and becoming a criminal prosecutor. However, she never could step away from the written word entirely, and inevitably the joy of writing drew her back to the keyboard. A Chicago native, this mother of four and grandmother now lives in "coastal Wisconsin," where she draws much inspiration for writing from the nearby shore of Lake Michigan. Wagner's ongoing legal experience has ranged from handling speeding tickets to arguing and winning several cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court...sometimes in the same week! Wagner has won multiple awards for her inspiring and empowering essay collections, which include "When the Shoe Fits" and "Running with Stilettos." She is also a "team blogger" for Growing Bolder. Wagner's life experiences includes the defining watershed of motherhood, and stints as a Girl Scout troop leader, truck stop waitress, office temp, judicial clerk, and radio talk show host. She counts both wearing spike heels and learning to use a cordless drill and chainsaw among her "late blooming" discoveries, and would be hard pressed to surrender either her favorite stilettos or her power tools.