Allison Cesario Paton will be at promoting her second self-published book, “Mrs. Bundle’s Dog Days of Summer: A Case of Artful Arson,” at a book signing at Borders in South Portland Tuesday at 6 p.m. The mystery novel is the second in a series about Mrs. Bundle, a retired Vermont resident who takes up sleuthing in her spare time. Paton, of Scarborough, is a real estate agent for Bay Realty in Portland. Last week, she sat down with The Current to talk about why she started writing, what she has planned for her series and who would play Mrs. Bundle in a movie.
Q: When did you start the Mrs. Bundle series?
A: In started writing in 2001 and finished my first Mrs. Bundle book in 2003. Originally, the first Mrs. Bundle was going to be a novella, but I got into it, and I just loved her. She had a lot to say. I started the second one in 2003 and finished in 2006. I went back and edited the first one. Since they hit the market in January, it’s just snowballed. It’s been wonderful. She’s a very likable protagonist. She’s a woman of mature age. We never say how old she is. She lives in farm country in Vermont. Her teenage neighbor, Angie Andersen, helps Mrs. Bundle. It’s an adult read, but I found when I started marketing, there’s a market for pre-teens.
Q: Are you working on a book now?
A: I’m in the middle of No. 3. Mrs. Bundle’s going to take a vacation, and she’s going to go somewhere coastal.
Q: Somewhere like Maine?
A: I can’t really say. In ‘Mrs. Bundle Takes a Hike,’ she decides she’s going to be a detective. She goes hiking with her cat Cracker and some mysterious things happen. That’s what Mrs. Bundle is looking for – allure.
Q: What kind of response have you gotten from your readers?
A: I get incredible e-mails from people all over the country. It’s incredible, you know why? I wrote for six years before I ever published. There’s thousands of authors out there, and it hit me – oh my, I hope they like my books. I had total control over the process, and that was really important to me, I didn’t want a publisher to tell me, ‘Mrs. Bundle has to come from Montana.’ A lot of it has become word of mouth. I’ve kind of gone with the flow. If you asked me in January if I would have gotten to this point, I would have never thought I would have gotten this far along, and it’s because the readers have embraced Mrs. Bundle.
Q: What did you do before you started writing?
A: I’ve been a real estate agent since 1984. The company I work for is Bay Realty on Congress Street in Portland. It’s a wonderful small office. It’s my full-time job, but this is taking over, so I have two full-time jobs. So, I write at 2 in the morning. I write when I can. I’m turning a corner with Mrs. Bundle. So, I’m busy. I did the Quechee balloon festival. In one weekend, I sold over 140 books.
Q: Why did you decide to start writing?
A: I always had to have a creative outlet. In fourth grade, my mom started me in music lessons. In my first career, I was an elementary music teacher, then I got my master’s in counseling. Then, I segued into my real estate career. Because I wasn’t doing music, I started painting and did that for a couple decades. As I started writing, I realized it was a lot like painting. You’re using words to capture an image. It’s a challenge for me. So, I kept writing and writing and editing and editing until I thought I had a good product. I’m really into women helping women. Mrs. Bundle is a role model to Angie. She’s feminine, but she’s strong. I really like that concept.
Q: How many Mrs. Bundle books do you think you will write?
A: I’ll probably do at least eight. Finding the time is a real challenge for me. A lot of my time is spent going to book signings and events, which I love.
Q: What do you like to read?
A: I read fun stuff, mysteries. I love the Mitford series, E.F. Benson. I’m a real Anglophile. I love quirky mysteries, but not silly. I like them to be deep and serious. I love women protagonists who are smart.
Q: Are there any similarities between you and Mrs. Bundle?
A: She has a reputation for being impetuous, and I’ve been called that before. She’s very competent. She’s like a dog on a bone, especially when it has to do with someone near and dear to her. The other thing about Mrs. Bundle is she doesn’t mind getting down and dirty if she has to. In the second book, there’s a murder and everything isn’t always pleasant.
Q: Do you think you’ll write any books outside of the series?
A: I’m keeping with Mrs. Bundle. I love her, and I love all the inhabitants, the community of Pillson. There’s a lot more to write. I collect funny stories, and a lot of that stuff you can’t make up, and I work a lot of that into the books.
Q: What would you call a movie about your life and what actress would play you?
A: ‘Nothing But Fun’ or one of Mrs. Bundle’s favorite sayings, ‘Fanastical!’ Who would play me? My husband would say Andie MacDowell – he is being very generous. I would say Emma Thompson.
Q: What if the Mrs. Bundle books were turned into a movie?
A: Jean Marsh from ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ or Joanne Woodward would play Mrs. Bundle. Who would play Angie? Eva Mendes, because of her Italian grandmother’s Mediterranean side and the Andersen Scandinavian side. Who would play Cracker? It might be a thespian stretch for both of them, but either Spook or Choo Choo from the ‘Top Cat’ gang.
Mrs. Bundle’s Dog Days of Summer: A Case of Artful Arson is the second book in a mystery series by Allision Cesario Paton.
Scarborough resident Allison Cesario Paton will be signing books at Borders in South Portland Tuesday. Paton recently finished the second book in a series about Mrs. Bundle, a retired Vermont woman who becomes a detective.
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