Cozy Up With Kathy: Animal

Showing posts with label Animal. Show all posts

Friday, July 17, 2026

Dashing Through the Show - A Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

Review

DASHING THROUGH THE SHOW by Cindy Goyette
The Second Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery

Charlie Calderbank has taken the plunge, leaving New Jersey for good and moving to the Pacific Northwest. With her dreams of being a police officer dashed because of her rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis Charlie plans to help her aunt run Wiggle Butt Manor, a dog hotel. The possibility of romance with Nick doesn't hurt either. Her arrival coincides with her aunt's first venture into dog agility featuring the champion Bentley. Unfortunately, Bentley comes with his owner, the obnoxiously rude Miles Collins. The man's behavior is so repulsive that he's kicked off the property. The next day the murdered body of Miles is found and all signs are pointing to Charlie as the killer. Who would want to frame Charlie? And why? Charlie will have to prove her innocence and find the real murderer while fighting a dog custody battle, a visit from her mom, and worsening symptoms. So much for a merry Christmas.

I was stressed reading the second Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery! There was so much tension as absolutely everything that could go wrong from Charlie was happening. Even worse that being framed for murder, and thus preempting her romance with the local cop, was the possibility of losing Maya, the troublemaking dog she's grown to love.

While I was understandably stressed, I was also loving the story as I quickly turned the pages. DASHING THROUGH THE SHOW is smartly written and deals with societal issues while providing a well constructed mystery. The characters are great, including a few despicable ones. And of course the dogs steal the show...especially Maya. Funny moments, a touch of romance, and the drama of family are captured alongside the thrilling and desperate acts in this mystery.

Tension, excitement, and gritty realism permeate DASHING THROUGH THE SHOW creating a captivating mystery that will have you enthralled.

**************************************************************************

DASHING THROUGH THE SHOW

by Cindy Goyette

July 6 - 31, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Dashing Through the Show by Cindy Goyette

A WIGGLE BUTT MANOR MYSTERY

Murder is under the mistletoe in the peaceful island community of Orca Cove. Holiday plans are put on hold to give attention to the grand opening of the Wiggle Butt Manor Agility Course. Special guest, Bently, is supposed to dazzle on the stage, but the locals have had enough of his snooty trainer, Miles Collins. So has his killer. When Charlie Calderbank finds Miles’ body in the back of her moving van, it becomes the season of giving…alibis, that is. Her hopes for a Christmas romance are dashed when the local hot cop is forced to pay more attention to the clues leading to her door than the chemistry that simmers between them.

Tainted treats, a widow who raises a toast along with a few eyebrows, a groomer with a grudge, an angry Santa Claus, a nosey reporter, and a canine custody hearing have Charlie spinning in every direction, juggling clues, dogs, and blizzards. She must identify the killer, or she’ll spend her Christmas behind bars.

Praise for Dashing Through the Show:

"A cozy mystery you’ll want to curl up with. Warm, witty, and wonderfully twisty."
~ Kristi Rose, USA Today Bestselling Author

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: June 16, 2026
Number of Pages: 225
Series: A Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery, Book 2
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | | Goodreads | BookBub

The Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery Series

Amazon | Kindle | | Goodreads | BookBub

Read an excerpt:

Chapter One

Although it was a few days before Christmas, it felt like spring. By ten a.m., the temperature had already climbed into the fifties, and people were shedding their coats, carrying them folded over their arms or tied around their waists. The grounds of my aunt’s pet hotel, Wiggle Butt Manor, were buzzing as locals and vacationers flooded the property for the grand opening of Orca Cove’s one and only agility course.

Noah, my buff-colored Cocker Spaniel—and a very good boy—stuck close to my side as I navigated the crowd. We’d arrived the night before following a four-day drive across the country from my hometown in New Jersey, arriving at the Pacific Northwest island town my aunt Jo-Jo called home.

Ten-hour days behind the wheel of the moving van I’d rented were exhausting, and my body was stiff from sitting for so long. But we made it. I was about to dive into my new life headfirst. I was now a permanent resident of Orca Cove.

People I recognized from my recent stay on the island greeted me warmly as I passed booths in various stages of readiness for the day. I found Aunt Jo-Jo walking around the property with a cane in one hand and a clipboard tucked under her other arm. A leash encircled her wrist as she tried to subdue Maya, who I wouldn’t exactly call a good girl, but she had her moments.

As I approached, my aunt handed me control of the miscreant, the town’s most infamous resident, best described as a basic brown dog.

“How’d you sleep, Charlie?” Aunt Jo-Jo asked, bending down to give Noah some attention and dropping her clipboard.

I scooped it off the ground before Maya trampled it. On it was a checklist of everything that had to be done for the daylong event. People would shop the booths in the morning. Baked goods, hot drinks, and pet-related items were for sale. The ribbon-cutting, with photo opportunities for the local paper, would be the highlight of the afternoon. For the grand finale, an agility champion would run the new course. The crowd expected him to dazzle them with his speed and skills.

The opening of the agility course was a dream come true for my aunt. She’d been planning it for months and wanted everything to be perfect.

“How’d I sleep? I repeated, falling into step beside her. “Like I’d eaten a poisoned apple.” I always slept well on the porch of my aunt’s home with the fresh ocean air wafting in through a cracked window. But I was itching to find a place of my own.

With a twinkle in her eye, my aunt said, “And did Prince Charming wake you this morning?”

I blushed at the thought. She meant Nick, or Officer Sabato, as many called him. He was the town’s hottest cop who had wooed me the last time I was here. Unfortunately, fate intervened, disrupting our relationship before I could completely fall for him.

First, Nick had a murder to solve. I may have stuck my nose where it didn’t belong, but that hadn’t run him off. It was the unexpected news that he was the father of a sullen sixteen-year-old that knocked him off his feet. While dispensing law and order was in his blood, parenting was new to him. He’d let me know he was in over his head. Not in love with me unfortunately, but in his new role.

He hadn’t been at my welcome party last night. Only my aunt, her sidekick Martha, and Nick’s daughter, Kyleigh, greeted us. Of course, Maya was there. My aunt had assured me Nick wanted to come, but he was on duty.

The others had met me with a welcome-home sign, a bouquet of balloons, and a seafood feast. Once everyone went home, I fell asleep instantly—Maya on one side and Noah on the other. My happy place.

This morning, I woke up to a text message sent late the night before. Welcome home, Jersey.

Nick. So, in a way, Prince Charming had woken me. But I didn’t want to give my aunt any more ammunition, as she’d been playing matchmaker for months. I changed the subject. “Looks like a great event. What can I do to help?”

“Follow me.”

Aunt Jo-Jo led me past a stall decorated like a toy shop, where a man dressed in a Santa costume practiced his jolly laugh. “Make sure you get a photo of Noah and Maya with Mr. Claus,” my aunt said. We stopped at an undecorated booth with the Wiggle Butt Manor sign stretched across a folding table. Boxes sat on the ground. “There are decorations, brochures and giveaway tennis balls for the pups,” she said. “Please decorate and organize. Once people start showing up, you can distribute the balls to anyone who wants one. Oh, and can you answer questions about the hotel? Make sure vacationers know we’d be glad to watch their dogs while they’re out whale watching or kayaking. We do more than overnight visits.”

“Sure thing,” I said.

And with that, my aunt was off to manage other things.

I tied the dogs’ leashes to the table leg and set about opening boxes, hanging signs and displaying handouts on the tabletop. My slightly swollen hands were painful, a reminder that I’d forgotten to take my rheumatoid arthritis medication that morning. I would have to get back to my normal routine, something no thirty-year-old should have to do. Bent over a box and engrossed in my task, I looked up when a shadow darkened my booth and the dogs went bananas.

Nick stood on the other side of the table. He wore jeans, a T-shirt, and a brown corduroy jacket. Unruly chestnut hair skimmed his broad shoulders, defying department regulations. The skin around his nothing-gets-past-me brown eyes crinkled when he smiled at me. “Jersey, you made it.”

My heart thudded as I stood up and smiled. “Hey, you.” I was tall—five ten—but Nick had a few inches on me. I didn’t feel like a big doofus when I was around him, as I sometimes did around shorter people.

Nick turned his attention to Noah and Maya. As he fussed over the dogs, I felt a tug toward him, like we should hug. But the table between us made things awkward. Plus, his newfound fatherhood wasn’t the only obstacle in our way. I hadn’t yet told him about my RA diagnosis, and I was afraid my unknown future might run him off. I mean, who wants to hear about stiff joints from a thirty-year-old?

As if he felt the same frustration, he sighed, then shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels. “How was your drive?”

“Endless,” I said. “But now I can add truck driver to my resume.”

He laughed. “That would take you away too often. Hoping you’ll stay put for a while.”

My cheeks burned. “That’s the plan.”

He scanned the thickening crowd. “Have you seen Kyleigh?”

“Not this morning. How’s that going, by the way?”

He blew out a long breath. “Don’t think she likes me much. But we’re making the best of things.”

“Don’t take it personally. She doesn’t seem fond of most people. It took her a while to warm up to me.”

He pursed his lips. “And now you’re one of her favorite people. Hope she accepts me soon. Right now, everything I say is wrong.” He checked his watch. “Gotta man the booth on microchips. Catch up later?”

“I’d like that.”

He bid goodbye to the dogs and then walked off toward a booth at the other end of the lot. I looked at Maya and Noah, jealous of the hands-on attention they’d received.

Once my booth was in order, Kyleigh appeared, handing me a cup of chai tea. Though petite, she was no pushover. She handed out glares like goodie bags at a birthday party. Everybody got one. As usual, black clothing covered her from head to toe, and a curtain of black hair blended into the trench coat that dwarfed her.

“Bless you,” I said, accepting the drink.

Settled on the folding chair next to me, she propped her Doc Martens on the table and stroked Maya’s head.

“Did you catch up with Nick…. I mean, your dad? He was looking for you,” I said.

She wrinkled her nose. “Yeah. It’s all good.”

I took a leap of faith. “Might want to take it easy on him. He’s new to the game.”

She played with a loose thread on her coat. “I know.”

People started spilling into the space, and the festival was now officially underway.

There were almost as many canines as people in attendance. Maya watched the crowd with interest, while Noah turned his back on the festivities and slept. A wiry, small man wearing neatly pressed trousers, a vest and a bow tie hurried our way. A striking liver and white English Springer Spaniel walked in perfect step by his side.

He stopped at our booth, and his dog sat without a command to do so. “Can you tell me,” the man said, pushing glasses up his ski slope shaped nose, “where I can find Mrs. McMullen? She’s expecting me.”

I looked past him and scanned the crowd. “My aunt’s around here somewhere.”

He checked his watch.

Maya, who had been on her best behavior, decided she wanted to make a new acquaintance. Placing her paws on the table, she barked at the springer.

The dog looked to his owner as if he needed permission to respond.

“Control your mutt,” the man said in a haughty tone.

I resisted the urge to ask him if he had a leash for his ego as he paraded it around so confidently. Sometimes the Jersey in me appeared like a second personality. “Down, Maya,” I said, gently tugging on her lead. We did have work to do.

With a sigh, Maya complied, but the man seemed unimpressed. He puffed his chest out and grasped the lapels of his vest with both hands. “Please tell Mrs. McMullen that Miles Collins has arrived with Bentley. Bentley is a champion,” he added, giving Maya the stink-eye.

“Oh,” I said, wondering if I should bow or just laugh it off.

Clearly irritated, Mr. Collins turned and stalked off, Bentley obediently at his side.

“What was that about?” Kyleigh said, laughing.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m sure it’s nothing us peasants can understand.”

Kyleigh played with the hole in her jeans, giving me a sideways glance. Her Morticia Addams-like hair looked too heavy to carry around, almost brushing the ground. “Have you thought any more about the house?” she asked.

She’d sprung the idea on me at the party last night. Kyleigh had inherited the house of Maya’s deceased owner, Lucy Masanova. It needed a tenant until Kyleigh was old enough to either live in it or sell it. Although I was comfortable sleeping on the daybed at my aunt’s, her screened-in porch wasn’t exactly winter-friendly. Plus, I needed my own space if I intended to make Orca Cove my home.

I’d looked for rentals online before I’d made the move. The place would have to take dogs. Not only did I have Noah, but my aunt had hinted that Maya was too much for her to handle after her accident. People weren’t exactly lining up to take the devilish dog, so she was as good as mine. With her reputation, finding a rental that would take her wouldn’t be easy.

But Lucy’s house had a history that made me a tad uncomfortable. If there were another option, I might have declined Kyleigh’s offer. But there didn’t seem to be one, and I wanted to help Kyleigh out.

“I don’t know,” I said, giving her the side-eye. “Are you a mean landlord?”

She laughed. “As long as you pay your rent on time, we should be fine. And you can do what you want with decorating. Make it something I might want to live in someday.”

I held out my hand, and we shook. “You have a deal.”

***

Author Bio:

Cindy Goyette is a former probation/parole officer who had a front-row seat to the criminal justice system. She kept her sanity by finding humor in most situations. A mix of these things helped her create The Probation Case Files Mystery Series, winner of Public Safety Writer's Association awards, and a finalist for Lefty and Silver Falchion Awards. She also authors The Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery series, which she based on her love of dogs. After spending over twenty years in Arizona, Cindy lives in Washington state with her husband and two Cocker Spaniels.

Catch Up With Cindy Goyette:

ccgoyette.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub, @ccgoyettewriter
Instagram, @cindy.goyette
Threads, @cindy.goyette
X, @cindy_ccgoyette
Facebook, Cindy Goyette, Author
Level Best Books

Tour Participants:

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win!

Click here to view the Tour Schedule

Mistletoe & Mayhem: Christmas in July Giveaway:

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Cindy Goyette. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Can't see the giveaway? Click Here!

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Ghost Cat and the Haunted House - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to allow Blaze the cat to take over Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Blaze on the pages of Ghost Cat and the Haunted House by Mollie Hunt. This book is the fourth in the Tenth Life Cozy Mystery series and will be released next week.

Excuse me. Can I say something?

I know you expected an essay from the heroes of Ghost Cat and the Haunted House. Camelia Collins possibly, or the ghost cat Soji herself. But they are busy infusing our author’s mind with stories yet to come. So you get me instead. Hello, I’m Blaze, Camelia’s companion cat.

I may not be a major character in the Tenth Life Cozy Paranormal Mystery Series, but I am important. As a real, flesh-and-blood cat (unlike tricksy Soji), I’ve been with Camelia for as long as I can remember. I am what Camelia calls a senior cat, so that’s a long time.

We lived in a city called Portland before Camelia decided to pick up and move to little Ocean Cove. She’d always dreamed of living on the Oregon Coast, and at the advancing age of seventy-something summers, I suppose she figured it was now or never. I was skeptical at first, hating change as much as the next cat, but I have come to appreciate the fresh air and quiet environment. Camelia loves it, and that counts more than anything, because she is my world. I need her, but she needs me too.

Soji the ghost cat has her moments— (Did I tell you Camelia’s little cottage is haunted? Well, no one told us either, so it was a surprise when the spirit of a cat from the early twentieth century turned up and started talking to us.) —but Soji is unreliable. I, on the other hand, am completely reliable, especially when it comes to mealtimes and naps.

In this newest book, I have an especially large role to play, though to be honest, it wasn’t really my idea. I kept disappearing to somewhere I couldn’t possibly be, like in a locked-room mystery. Only after several of those inexplicable excursions did Camelia discover the reason. It will astound you, I promise!

I also led Camelia to a place she needed to be just in time to prevent something bad from happening, hosted a feline houseguest she brought home unexpectedly, and sat on her lap when she was cold and scared.

I am quietly amazing.

***************************************************************************

Ghost Cat and the Haunted House (A Tenth Life Cozy Mystery) by Mollie Hunt

About Ghost Cat and the Haunted House

Ghost Cat and the Haunted House (A Tenth Life Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Cat Mystery 4th in Series
Setting - Ocean Cove, a fictitious town on the Oregon Coast
Independently Published
Print Length: ‎ 277 pages
Publication Date: ‎ June 30, 2026

Ghost cat Soji draws Camelia into an age-old web of secrets when a body turns up in the long-abandoned house on the hill.

Decades ago, Ida Jacks died a tragic death in her old ancestral home. Since then, the place has stood empty, just another of Ocean Cove’s moldering landmarks. Now paranormal investigator Griffin Gage is about to change all that. But Gage’s plan is to contact dead Ida takes a tragic turn when, instead of a spirit, he finds a corpse.

Ghost cat Soji has been acting strange, trying to tell Camelia something, but what, the octogenarian cannot discern. Is it about Ida? The Jacks House? The murder? And why does her own cat Blaze keep disappearing to the guesthouse with no apparent means of transport?
Handsome Sheriff Jamie can’t figure it out, and neither can Camelia’s clairvoyant confidant Vera nor her very special friend Ellery. Camelia is on her own to uncover the killer, but can she solve the mysteries in time to save innocent lives, and maybe a ghost or two?

About Mollie Hunt

Long: Cat Writer Mollie Hunt is the award-winning author of two cozy series: the Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries featuring a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip, and the Tenth Life Paranormal Mysteries involving a ghost cat. Her Cat Seasons Sci-Fantasy Tetralogy presents extraordinary cats saving the world. She also released a COVID memoir she calls, "an ode to the very real and healing presence of cats." Her cat health memoir, “Creating Comfort for Your Senior Cat: Stories, Poems, and Illustrations of Cats in Their Golden Years,” recently won a Certificate of Excellence from the Cat Writers’ Association.

Mollie’s cat writing has earned her various other honors, including CWA Muse Medallions and World’s Best Litter-ary Awards. She is the recipient of the prestigious Michael Brim Distinguished Service Award (CWA) and the Catalyst Council Connect to Care Award, celebrating a true story of the profound connection between a shelter cat and its adoptive pet parent. Her mystery, Cat’s Paw, was a CIBA Mystery & Mayhem Semi-finalist. Mollie is on the Board of Directors for Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA) as well as being the librarian for the Cat Writers’ Association. Additionally, she is a member of Sisters in Crime, Willamette Writers, and the Oregon Writers Colony. Mollie lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a varying number of cats. Like her cat lady character, she is a grateful shelter volunteer.

Short: Cat Writer Mollie Hunt is the award-winning author of two cozy mystery series and a sci-fantasy tetralogy. She has also published a COVID memoir and a cat health chronicle, both of which won recognition from the Cat Writers’ Association.

Mollie is a member of the Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA), Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, the Cat Writers’ Association, and Willamette Writers. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a varying number of cats. Like the cat lady character in one of her cozies, she is a grateful shelter volunteer.

Author Links:

You can find Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer on her blogsite: https://molliehuntcatwriter.com/

Follow Mollie's Amazon Page: www.amazon.com/author/molliehunt

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/

Instagram: @molliehuntcatwriter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7768987.Mollie_Hunt

Purchase Link - Amazon

Sunday, June 14, 2026

The Black Cat Detectives - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Kit Gray to Cozy Up With Kathy today. THE BLACK CAT DETECTIVES is Kit's debut novel and was released last month.

Kathy: In THE BLACK CAT DETECTIVES we meet Bippity, Boppity, and Boop, three kittens who need to solve a murder. Why choose to make the cats detectives instead of their human?

KG: Mila is trying to solve the murder, too! In fact, the process teaches her a lot about herself, her community, and what’s important to her. But she doesn’t realize how much help she needs from her clever, loyal kittens.

There are a lot of reasons I loved the idea of telling ¾ of the story through the kittens’ eyes and making them detectives. One was the sheer potential for antics. Kittens, especially ones who can bend the laws of physics, can get up to all sorts of nonsense.

But on a more serious note, showing the story unfolding from the perspective of the kittens allowed me to offer an outsider’s perspective on the human characters and their world, which was a lot of fun to write, and I think added something interesting to the story.

Kathy: I currently have 5 cats, all rescues. Do you have cats of your own?

KG: I am lucky to have two cats, a mama named Hylia and her baby, Mickey, and two dogs, a pitbull/lab cross called Titan and a pitbull/greyhound cross called Iris.

You may recognize the name Hylia from the book. I didn’t name her after the noble feline Queen character. Rather, a dear author friend of mine, April McCloud, had read an early draft. April is friends with a lady named JoAnn who fosters pregnant cats and new mamas in up in Rochester, NY, and talked JoAnn into naming the cat she was fostering after the character in my book.

Then she called me and told me about the real-life Hylia. Of course, I couldn’t resist rescuing her, and I am delighted to say that she very much resembles the character for whom she’s named.

Kathy: The kittens' human is Mila, an up-and-coming magician. Do you enjoy magic shows?

KG: I haven’t been to one in years, but I used to love them when I was growing up. To write Mila and her magic authentically, my daughter and I embarked on a quest to learn magic ourselves. Now, we perform tricks at book events, and even teach the audience how to do one or two of them!

Kathy: In addition to magic, there's also magick. Why choose a paranormal mystery and what makes them such fun?

KG: There was a very practical reason to add the layer of magic to my story. Without special abilities, there’s only so much three kittens could do to investigate a murder. I needed them to be extraordinarily intelligent and have some ability to subtly bend the laws of physics so that they would have the skills at paw to investigate the crime and save their human.

Though to be fair, I am not entirely convinced that my cats don’t have similar superpowers in real life!

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

KG: I grew up on cozy mysteries, starting with Agatha Christie and Lilian Jackson Braun. I’ve loved them all my life. I particularly like the combination of intellectually engaging, fun, and joyful that is so central to the cozy reading experience.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

KG: I write a lot of dark speculative fiction, usually apocalyptic, and I’ve published some short pieces of creative nonfiction, some literary flash fiction, one horror short, and a bunch of poetry. But this is my first published novel, and I’m really happy about that! I love that it centers joy!

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

KG: This is the first book in my series, though I do admit I’m hoping for the opportunity to write more. It centers three kittens with the ability to subtly bend the laws of physics, who must solve a murder mystery to save their human.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

KG: I have a huge soft spot for Boop, but Bippity is the easiest for me to write because her mind works the most like mine.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

KG: I had five elder rescue cats, and one terrible year, I lost them all to unrelated illnesses, one after another. It was the worst year of my life, and I lost track of my joy. Then it occurred to me that instead of my usual dark speculative novels, maybe I could write something joyful. Naturally, I immediately thought of murder!

It was such a balm, writing a story that brought to life so many facets of what I loved about the fur family I had lost, and knowing that they would live forever on the page. It helped me honor their memory, rediscover my own joy, and hopefully share that joy with the world.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

KG: When you write just for yourself, the story exists only in your own mind. When you write work to publish and share, each reader who picks up a book enters into an act of co-creation with the author. What I put on the page is only half of the equation. How each person who honors me with their time and attention sees and feels and imagines what I’ve written is the other half. To me, each unique instance of a story being brought to life by someone choosing to read it is a precious and magical thing.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

KG: 1. Agatha Christie, 2. Octavia Butler, 3. Ursula K. LeGuin, 4. George Sand.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

KG: Voted Most Likely to Murder by Lacey Moone and Hot Wings and Homicide by Carmela Dutra, and I’m re-reading The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

KG: I’m a solo parent to a homeschooled neurosparkly kiddo, an avid fan of carnivorous plants (I have a Nepenthes Lady Luck on my writing desk), and an enthusiastic baker.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

KG: 1. A Dr. MacDougall’s instant pad Thai soup cup, which is my panacea when I get an upset stomach

2. A log of homemade cookie dough so kiddo can make a warm cookie for dessert when she wants one

3. Loads of fresh fruits and veggies, and invariably, somehow, one shriveled ancient apple

4. Homemade pancake & waffle mix, similar to bisquick but vegan

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

KG: I do! I have one book I’m preparing with my agent so it can go on submission to editors, one that I’m currently drafting, three completed books waiting in the wings, and two that have been planned and are waiting for their turn to be written.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

KG: I’ve had a few people let me know that the kittens gave them joy in a way that’s going to stick with them. That’s the most wonderful feeling, and such an incredible honor.

***********************************************************************

The Black Cat Detectives: A Mystery by Kit Gray

About The Black Cat Detectives

The Black Cat Detectives: A Mystery
Cozy Animal Mystery
Setting - Corvin's Crossing—a small fictional island off the coast of New England
Publisher: ‎ Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: ‎ May 26, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 304 pages

A charming cozy mystery with a delightful twist: The detectives are three kittens with magical powers, determined to solve a most purr-plexing case.

Precocious kittens Bippity, Boppity, and Boop are exceedingly loyal to their human, the twenty-eight-year-old up-and-coming magician Mila. She saved them from starving to death in a dingy Corvin’s Crossing alleyway and has been nothing but loving ever since, even though her own life is in shambles.

So when Mila’s sketchy boyfriend and business manager turns up dead at the end of her big magic show—she’s the prime suspect. With evidence mounting, there’s nothing stopping the sheriff from hauling away Mila to the human pound. Unless the kittens can solve the crime and clear her name.

The kittens will have to use their dubious control over the laws of physics and every whisker of know-how they’ve got to catch the real killer if they want to save their happy home with Mila. This is one meow-stery more tangled than any ball of yarn they’ve encountered yet.

About Kit Gray

Kit Gray aka Elise Scott writes from their lived experiences of queerness, disability, neurodivergence, fat-positivity, and petting three cats with two hands. Their life has been an adventure, from facilitating equine therapy for trauma survivors to counseling at-risk youth with the aid of an inordinately large sub-woofer and beyond. They earned their BA from Mount Holyoke and their MS from Capella University. Their debut novel, a cozy mystery featuring three kittens with the ability to bend the laws of physics, who must solve a murder to save their rescuer from the human pound, is forthcoming from Crooked Lane in May 2026. Elise is a Not Quite Write Prize winner and Best-of-the-Net nominee. Their short work has appeared/is forthcoming in The Advocate, Choices: An Anthology of Reproductive Horror, The Not Quite Write Anthology 2025, The B'K, Five Minutes, Knee Brace, All Existing, and Quibble, among others. Find out what they’re working on now at http://elise-scott.com.

Author Links

- Website https://elise-scott.com/
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEliseScott/
- BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/elisescott.bsky.social
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/elisescottwrites/
- X https://x.com/buttonjar1
- GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/58697146.Kit_Gray
- Storygraph https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/authorkitgray

Purchase Links - Penguin Random House Amazon B&N Bookshop.org

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Gossiping about Grimoires - A Review

Review

GOSSIPING ABOUT GRIMOIRES by Mildred Abbott
The First Whispering Witch Mystery

Maeve Hawthorn has led a very sheltered life. Even writing a bestselling book series hasn't changed that. Accepting an all expense paid trip to New Orleans for a book signing is the most exciting thing she's ever done. The book signing turns into a disaster after which Maeve and her corgi, Mischief, are kidnapped. It turns out that magic is real and magical people of New Orleans are none too happy with her. While trying to prove that she didn't deliberately tell magical secrets to the world a powerful witch is killed. Both thrilled and terrified that magic is real Maeve must leave her comfort zone and try to solve the murder before she's silenced...or worse.

Secrets. allies, and familiars add to the excitement of magic in New Orleans. GOSSIPING ABOUT GRIMOIRES is a wonderful introduction to a magical world while also being a love letter to the city of New Orleans. Maeve is a unique protagonist, naive and self-admittedly a bit weird, her only friend is her corgi. Seeing her stretch her wings while trying to make new friends is heartwarming. My favorite characters are the various familiars, especially Hurricane and Tabitha. I love the joy they each have and the ease in which they accept each other and play. Of course, the special relationship between Maeve and Mischief is wonderful to see.

I love the details about the city of New Orleans itself. Although it's been decades since I visited, the street names and various locations brought back wonderful memories. I felt as if I was back there, exploring the French Quarter along with Maeve and Mischief. New Orleans is a wonderful setting, especially for a magical series and I can't wait to return, if only via the next Whispering Witch Mystery.

Both a coming of age and buddy novel GOSSIPING ABOUT GRIMOIRES is an exciting mystery combining puzzles to solve and a new world to explore.

*************************************************************************

The Whispering Witch Mysteries by Mildred Abbott

About The Whispering Witch Mystery Series

Start the Whispering Witch series today—a paranormal mystery where magic has consequences, trust is dangerous, and even a corgi might not make everything okay.

Gossiping About Grimoires (Whispering Witch Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery/Urban Paranormal 1st in Series
Setting - New Orleans, Mostly French Quarter
Publisher: ‎ Independently Published
Publication Date: ‎ March 1, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 400 pages

Maeve Hawthorn writes about witches for a living. They want her to stop.

When a book signing ends in her abduction, Maeve’s only priority is escaping with her corgi, Mischief, alive. That urgency deepens when she learns her captors are real witches, furious that Maeve has been exposing their secrets to the world.

Before Maeve can make sense of how her fiction has become reality, she’s caught in the middle of a murder that leaves her marked by magic she doesn’t understand. When a dying witch’s power floods into her, Maeve becomes the prime suspect in a crime she didn’t commit—and a target for every supernatural being certain she knows too much.

Turns out, magic isn’t a gift. It’s a liability. And clearing her name may cost Maeve far more than her safety.

With danger closing in and no clear allies other than Mischief, Maeve must navigate a hidden supernatural world that wants her silenced… or dead.

For readers who enjoy witchy mysteries with a little more at stake than a traditional cozy, Gossiping About Grimoires will appeal to fans of Danielle Garrett, Erin Johnson, and Juliet Blackwell.

(Includes the Shroom Boom recipe from Ayu Bakehouse, a beloved New Orleans bakery.)

Verifying About Vampires (Whispering Witch Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery/Urban Paranormal 2nd in Series
Setting - New Orleans, Mostly French Quarter
Publisher: ‎ Independently Published
Publication Date: ‎ April 30, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 400 pages

Maeve Hawthorn didn’t mean to get involved with vampires. They insisted. When a prominent member of New Orleans’ vampire community is accused of murder, Maeve is pulled into an investigation that could unravel the fragile balance between magical factions. Clearing their name isn’t just about justice — it may be the only way to prevent something far more dangerous. As Maeve follows a trail of secrets through candlelit courtyards and hidden supernatural circles, she discovers that truth in this world is layered, political, and rarely convenient. Meanwhile, living with her roommates and their familiars begins to feel like home. The witches who were once strangers are becoming allies. Maybe even family. But solving one mystery has a way of exposing others. And in a city built on power and old allegiances, someone is always watching. For readers who enjoy witchy mysteries with a little more at stake than a traditional cozy, Verifying About Vampires will appeal to fans of Danielle Garrett, Erin Johnson, and Juliet Blackwell. Continue the Whispering Witch series — a paranormal mystery where magic has consequences, loyalty is complicated, and even a corgi doesn't know all the answers. (Includes Butterscotch Pecan Scone recipe from Bywater Bakery, a favorite New Orleans bakery.)

Snitching About Spirits (Whispering Witch Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery/Urban Paranormal 3rd in Series
Setting - New Orleans, Mostly French Quarter
Publisher: ‎ Independently Published
Publication Date: ‎ June 30, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 400 pages

Maeve Hawthorn started chatting with ghosts. They made demands.

When a murder victim refuses to stay silent and buried secrets start coming to light, Maeve is pulled deeper into the hidden power struggles shaping New Orleans’ magical world. What started as a single investigation is unraveling something much older—and far more dangerous.

As Maeve follows the trail through enchanted courtyards, secret alliances, and the fragile peace between supernatural factions, she begins to realize the truth may not be what anyone wants revealed. Meanwhile, living with her roommates and their familiars is starting to feel less like survival… and more like family.

But some secrets were buried for a reason.

And when the past finally surfaces, it may threaten far more than one witch’s life.

For readers who enjoy witchy mysteries with a little more at stake than a traditional cozy, Snitching About Spirits will appeal to fans of Danielle Garrett, Erin Johnson, and Juliet Blackwell.

Continue the Whispering Witch series — a paranormal mystery where magic carries a price, loyalties are tested, and even a corgi can't sniff out every secret.

(Includes a bewitching S’mores Cheesecake recipe from Deuxbelle, an award-winning New Orleans bakery.)

About Mildred Abbott

Mildred Abbott writes twisty cozy mysteries filled with humorous and complex characters. Whether brimming with magic or simply an above-average dose of curiosity, Mildred's amateur sleuths solve murders with the cutest sidekicks ever. Fifteen years as a special education teacher and a lifetime of loving rescue dogs results in creating adventures with a ton of heart and the need for lint rollers.

Author Links:

Newsletter sign up: http://www.mildredabbott.com/contact-mildred.html

Website: http://www.mildredabbott.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MildredAbbottAuthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17347095.Mildred_Abbott

Instagram: @mildredabbott TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mildredabbottauthor

Purchase Links - Amazon - Gossiping About Grimoires Verifying About Vampires Snitching About Spirits

Monday, May 25, 2026

Gossiping about Grimoires - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Mildred Abbott to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Mildred writes the Whispering Witch Mystery series. GOSSIPING ABOUT GRIMOIRES is the first book in the series. Be sure to come back tomorrow when I'll share my review.

Kathy: In GOSSIPING ABOUT GRIMOIRES we meet Maeve Hawthorn and her corgi, Mischief. Do you have any pets? Have they influenced your portrayal of Mischief?

MA: I have had pets my entire life. I grew up in a little farm town in Missouri and had all sorts of animals, but dogs have always been vital to me. In my adult life, I've had four corgis: Dunkyn, Dolan, Alastair, and Winifred. Oh yes, the corgi connection is very real and dear to my heart. Right now, I have two little mutts who are the loves of my life, Winston, a little Chihuahua terrier rescue who was so naughty that he was returned to the pound so many times they couldn't tell us how old he was or where he came from, sums him up pretty perfectly. And Phineas, a slightly larger terrier, dachshund, and schnauzer mix we got from the pound when he was about four months old. Dogs are life!

Kathy: Maeve writes about witchcraft, infuriating real witches. Have you ever written about subjects that people object to, for whatever reason?

MA: What a great question! And yes, in this day and age, or maybe it's always the case, someone's always upset about something. That's the beauty of freedom, we can all have our own opinions. I get so many wonderful emails from readers about all the things they love in my books and how much they adore the characters. And every once in a while I'll have an email with a list of things a certain character has done that they don't approve of. And, like Maeve, while I don't have actual witches upset with me, as far as I know, but there are plenty of people who did not want me to write anything about magic or paranormal and to simply stick with magic-free contemporary cozies. But... I say love and enjoy it all!

Kathy: Setting plays such an important role in a mystery. Indeed, some cities are a character unto themselves. What made you choose New Orleans as the setting for the Whispering Witch Mystery series?

MA: My other cozy mystery series, the Cozy Corgi, is set in Estes Park, Colorado. I lived there for several years right out of high school and lived in Colorado for nearly one-quarter of a century (way to make myself sound old!). I love having real places as the main settings in books both to give a sense of realness and authenticity to the writing but also to be able to throw in places and things that people can actually go visit and see for themselves. I moved to New Orleans a little over six years ago, and trying to see New Orleans from Maeve’s point of view as I was planning the series helped me fall deeply in love with the city, especially the French Quarter, which is where 98% of the Whispering Witch series takes place. I even have bakeries and restaurants in New Orleans lending me recipes to include in each installment!

Kathy: I love paranormal mysteries. What do you think makes them so popular? What makes them enjoyable to write?

MA: I think we all love to read to escape and to have experiences that are both enjoyable and out of our grasp in real life. For me, that's definitely a big part of why I love reading fantasy and paranormal. It's just so lovely to enter these worlds of magic and wonder as often as we can. Sometimes terrible and terrifying, but so often beautiful and wondrous. Anything can happen. I love it as a reader, but as a writer, the only limits are the ones that my little created world insists on itself. And then... who doesn't love a good whodunit puzzle? Talk about the best of both worlds!

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

MA: I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, Agatha Christie, and several different mystery series when I was a kid. That slipped away for a while as an adult until I started reading Agatha Frost’s Peridale Cafe series and I fell in love all over again. Those books came during a pretty stressful, rough time in my life and they were just the perfect antidote to the realities of the real world. I had already been writing other genres and fell in love with Peridale Cafe so much that I reached out to Agatha Frost and asked if she minded if I'd switched genres to cozy mysteries because I was so enamored with her books. Agatha was lovely and welcomed me into the fold. I've not looked back since!

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

MA: In the past, yes. Although for the last many years I've written exclusively in cozy mystery only. I have books published under my own name, Brandon Witt, and then another pen name, Rosalind Abel. They definitely all have my voice and my view of the world, but all three are very, very different from each other.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

MA: At its heart, the Whispering Witch follows Maeve, who, like so many of us, longed for magic and the supernatural when she was a little girl. When she grew up, that's what she wrote about. Then... when real-life witches come calling, angry at her accidentally spilling their secrets, she ends up getting her heart’s desire, discovering this wondrous magical world and being able to be a part of it. As with most things in life, however, it's not quite as simple as that. She's going to have to decide if this is the world she wants, even with its complications and dangers, and then how to flourish and live the life she's always dreamed of. She and her corgi, Mischief!

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

MA: Honestly, that's one of the things I did differently when I switched to the cozy mystery genre. While I loved all of my main characters in my other genres and under my other pen names, frequently one of the side characters would be the one I ended up loving the most and longing to spend more time with. I wanted to change that with my cozy mysteries and my paranormal cozy-adjacent series. I wanted the character I loved the most to be the star. And that's what I've done. I love watching Maeve in her earnest naivety navigate this new world, figure it out, and become stronger and more self-assured with every passing chapter. And of course, Mischief, writing a corgi with attitude? Come on. It doesn't get more fun than that!

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

MA: New Orleans itself is very much the inspiration and woven in through the storyline and books in every single installment. Beyond that, my favorite shows, as cliché as it may be, at a very pivotal time in my life were Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed, with a healthy addiction to the movie Practical Magic. I let myself sink into the things I loved about all of those every time I sit down to write.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

MA: I didn't learn to read until I was ten. As soon as I finally caught the bug, I never let go and my nose was always in a book. School was always extremely hard for me. During my sophomore year when I was fourteen, I had a writing class with Miss Hungerford. It was the first time in my entire life that homework in school was enjoyable. I loved that writing class. Miss Hungerford said she enjoyed my stories and it was the first time I was able to do okay at any school subject without a ton of tutoring or agony. From then on, I dreamed of writing books. And being a reader whose life has been so beautifully impacted by books, I wanted to give that to other people as well, wanted to invite people into my worlds and hope that they find beauty, comfort, humor, enjoyment, and escape within their pages.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

MA: Kelley Armstrong, Agatha Frost, Sarah Beth Durst, and Peter Beagle.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

MA: I'm a big audiobook fan, so I am re-listening to Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series for probably the fourth or fifth time. I'm finishing up book two of K.A. Linde's Oak and Holly Cycle series, and desperate to start reading Sarah Beth Durst’s The Faraway Inn.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

MA: I used to have a lot more hobbies, but being a self-published author and trying to make that a survivable income quite literally takes about every spare breath I have. In the meantime, I spend an exorbitant amount of time with my dogs and going on walks, and I absolutely love to cook. Cooking for my husband every night is one of my greatest joys. It's so relaxing and another creative outlet.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

MA: Oh Lord, this is telling. I should be ashamed to admit—but I might have spent my adult life split between Colorado and New Orleans, but you can't take the Midwest out of my heart. So... the first two: butter and mayonnaise (please don’t hate me). I'm a vegetarian, a new development over the past couple of years, so always a ton of vegetables. And then, they're not always in the fridge, but I could live on bread, cheese, and pasta and nothing else for the rest of my life and die very fat and happy.

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

MA: Yes. The book four of the Whispering Witch series comes out this summer. And there are thirteen books planned in total for this series. The Cozy Corgi also is continuing, book forty is coming out this summer as well. I have other series brewing in the back of my head, of course, but I'll save those for a later date.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

MA: Another cliché for you, but it's true. I've heard lots of writers say the best part of writing is having written. And that is the truth. I love, love, love planning, and I love, love, love holding the book in my hand. Everything else is a mix of fear, joy, terror, and ecstasy.

************************************************************************