By Laura Coleman
Two years after Cynthia Bardes parlayed a horrible accident in Beverly Hills where she was hit by a car while walking across Wilshire Boulevard into the now beloved book Pansy At The Palace: A Beverly Hills Mystery, Bardes is set to release the third book in the Pansy series in 2015, in addition to premiere the musical Poodleful in September.
“I think Poodleful will put Pansy on the map,” Bardes said of her heart-warming story that centers on a toy poodle. “It emphasizes that nobody is ever too small to do big things.”
The production, which will debut at the Riverside Theatre in Florida, will feature a seven-member cast that will sing a mix of styles, including pop and musical theatre.
Bardes, who spends three months at the Peninsula Beverly Hills every year (from September through November), originally began writing the first book while she recovered from her surgery at the luxurious hotel, her chocolate-colored toy poodle Pansy a constant companion.
The 32-page illustrated children’s mystery about a jewelry theft inspired from that period of her life ended up selling 2,000 copies in the first month after it was released, she said. Last April, Bardes released Pansy in Paris: A Mystery at the Museum and plans to release Pansy in Venice: The Story of a Missing Parrot next year.
“Its a very gentle teaching tool on how it pays to be curious,” Bardes said. “Friendship is so important. At the end of each book, they realize how lucky they are to have each other.”
The Pansy books are available at Neiman Marcus, The Peninsula Beverly Hills gift store, the Brentwood Mart and online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Link to original story: http://issuu.com/bhcourier/docs/bhc122614