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.

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 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

Cold Case Cat - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm happy to allow Mollie Hunt to take over Cozy Up With Kathy today. Mollie writes the Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mystery series. Cold Case Cat is the twelfth book in the series and was released last month.

As I was plotting my latest Crazy Cat Lady mystery, Cold Case Cat, I found myself enamored with the idea of creating a senior cat rescue where the bulk of the action would happen. Following is a deeper look into what moved me to feature this theme in my story.

MUSINGS ON AN OLD CAT SANCTUARY
By Mollie Hunt

Many cat owners give up their feline companion at the first sign of illness. They have their reasons. They may not be able to afford the terrific expense of vet care, special foods, and medications. When a cat begins to decline, the cost can be prohibitive for people who are trying their best to get by as it is. Illnesses may require a commitment over and above the normal feeding and scooping of litter boxes. And then there are people just don’t want to deal with an elder cat, preferring to turn them in for a younger model, but we won’t talk about them.

Shelters and humane societies do what they can, but face it—kittens are a better adoption risk than a scruffy old cat with health issues. Thankfully there are some kind folks who step up for those more labor-intensive cats, but not enough.

If I were rich, I would establish a sanctuary for old cats.

Cats of a senior age often get passed over in the shelters if they are even taken in. My sanctuary would be an environment of plenty for each individual cat; a place where they could live out the remainder of their lives, all needs met, surrounded with love. Being no spring chicken myself, I would hire staff who loved cats to do the bulk of the tasks. I would pay them well and get to know them. I would recruit dedicated volunteers whom I would lavish with perks. Everyone, both feline and human, would be happy.

There would be a hospice wing for those cats on their way to the Rainbow Bridge. They would be treated with respect as they neared their passing. It would be hard to lose them, and we would grieve each one as we scattered their ashes in the sanctuary gardens.

Yes, a sanctuary would be a more than worthwhile project for someone with the means to make it happen.

But I’m not a millionaire, so chances of that dream ever materializing are none. All I can do is the next best thing. I can write about it. Maybe my new Crazy Cat Lady mystery, Cold Case Cat, which involves a shelter for senior cats, will inspire someone to say to themselves, “An old cat sanctuary! What a great idea! I think I’ll start one.”

Why is it important to improve an old cat’s life as it comes to an end?

The short answer—because if we are able to do something to make them comfortable in their old age, it would be cruel not to. How we treat our companion animals is a reflection of our own values. Compassion, respect, and kindness aren't just for them; they reveal our true character. To love and care for animals is to show the best of what humanity can be.

I believe it’s with small kindnesses that we save the world. As for my stories, everyone needs a happy ending from time to time.

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated" (attributed to Mahatma Gandhi)

"The heart of a man can be judged by his treatment of animals" (attributed to Arthur Schopenhauer or Immanuel Kant). 

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 Cold Case Cat (Crazy Cat Lady Mystery) by Mollie Hunt

About Cold Case Cat 

Cold Case Cat (Crazy Cat Lady Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 12th in Series
Setting - Oregon
Independently Published
Publication Date: ‎ October 29, 2025
Number of Pages - 237

An injustice done, a murder unpunished.

It’s Pride Month in Portland Oregon, but instead of hanging rainbow flags and streamers, Lynley finds herself obsessed with a cold case murder. Starting work at the Cat Park, a sanctuary for senior and hospice cats, is challenging enough for Lynley, but then she learns the founder of the Park was murdered and the murder never solved. Lynley's cat-like curiosity won't let her leave the case alone.

But why is the Park's new owner so fiercely opposed to Lynley's sleuthing? What's making the Director of Philanthropy grumpy all the time? Who is sneaking around listening at doors? The dead woman’s ancient cat Silver has a twinkle in her eye, but she isn't telling. As Lynley’s granddaughter and her beau make plans for their upcoming wedding, Lynley has other things on her mind. Something is going on at the Park. Is there more to her new job than playing with cats?

About Mollie Hunt

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 recently released a COVID memoir which she calls, "a tale of a plague and politics, of depression and inspiration, and an ode to the very real and healing presence of cats." In her spare time, she pens a bit of cat poetry.

Mollie is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, the Cat Writers’ Association, Willamette Writers, and Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA). She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a varying number of cats. Like her cat lady character, 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: https://www.instagram.com/molliehuntcatwriter/  

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

Purchase Link - Amazon

Crafty Cat - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Lynley Cannon to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Lynley on the pages of the The Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mystery series by Mollie Hunt. Crafty Cat is the eleventh book in the series.

What can I say? Crafty Cat is the eleventh story my author has written about me. In each one, she chronicles some kerfuffle I’ve got myself into—kerfuffle meaning murder. It just doesn’t seem possible. Here I am, a quiet, sixty-something woman who lives alone in an old Victorian home in Portland, Oregon with nine cats. Yes, nine. I know it’s a lot, but they are all well-cared-for, happy, and healthy. Without them, I would surely get into even more trouble.

Trouble seems to be my catnip. Curious by nature, I can’t resist a puzzle. It sounds like more fun than it is, however. Murder is a serious business, and when it happens, it hurts everyone around it. I suppose that’s why I’m so willing to step in and help. I don’t want people to be sad or scared. I don’t want guilty parties to go free or possibly commit their desperate crimes again.

If I can aid in unraveling a mystery, I must do it. It’s my duty as a human being, and I’m good at it, despite the fact I’ve had no formal training. Even the head of the Portland Police Homicide Division appreciates my input now and then. I have a nose for crime, and like one of my cats, I’ve become reasonably proficient in sniffing it out.

Unfortunately my amateur sleuthing sometimes backfires, and then I’m the one in trouble. I just don’t see it coming, like when I joined a quilt guild that made quilts for cat charity fundraisers. I had no idea such a good project would lead to danger. Everyone seemed so nice. Even after the tragedy of a murder in the family, I couldn’t conceive of the quilters, their neighbors, or their friends as being involved. My kitty-sense didn’t kick in until it was too late, and I found myself on the receiving end of the murderer’s wrath. Funny thing was I’d never suspected them—a few others had got me wondering, but never them.

Will I continue working with the quilt guild? It’s a worthy cause, and anything that can help cat shelters raise their much-needed funds is good with me. But will it be too much of a reminder of how close I came to my own death? Maybe I’ll turn my attention to something else while I recover. I hear a friend is starting up a shelter for senior cats. I love old cats, and my skills would fit in perfectly. What could possibly go wrong?

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 Crafty Cat (Crazy Cat Lady Mystery) by Mollie Hunt

About Crafty Cat

Crafty Cat (Crazy Cat Lady Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 11th in the Series
Setting - Oregon
Publisher: ‎ Independently Published (October 29, 2024)
Paperback: ‎ 265 pages

Romance, death, and cat quilts. What does quilting have to do with murder? Lynley Cannon is about to find out.

Lynley Cannon has a new hobby—making cat-themed quilt donations for the ShadowCat Rescue auction. The small quilting guild is run by three generations of women and two cats, but when the elder of the family is murdered, Lynley’s job shifts from crafting to sleuthing.

Who would want to kill such a dear old thing? The police think they know, but they don’t have all the facts.

As secrets come out and a romance is uncovered, the quilting project begins to fall to pieces. Lynley jumps in to help the family navigate the justice system, but when a neighbor is found dead and another of the quilt shop’s owners missing, even Lynley is at a loss. It takes a couple of crafty cats to get to the bottom of this stranger-than-fiction crime.

About Mollie Hunt

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 recently released a COVID memoir which she calls, "a tale of a plague and politics, of depression and inspiration, and an ode to the very real and healing presence of cats." In her spare time, she pens a bit of cat poetry.

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

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

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

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/molliehuntcatwriter/  

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

Purchase Link Amazon 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ghost Cat at the Mystery Hotel - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Mollie Hunt to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Mollie writes the Tenth Life Cozy Mystery series. Ghost Cat at the Mystery Hotel is the third book in the series and will be released this week.

Kathy: Camelia Collins meets an old friend for a murder mystery weekend in Ghost Cat at the Mystery Hotel. Have you ever been to a mystery weekend? I've attended a murder mystery dinner, but not a whole weekend.

MH: I haven’t been to a Murder Mystery Weekend, but like you, I did attend a mystery dinner some many years ago. When I started writing a book that takes place within such an environment, I needed to do some research. It turned out there are many choices. They’re not cheap, but they sound like participants get a quality experience and opportunities for lots of fun.


Kathy: Camelia has a ghost cat companion named Soji. Would you like to have a ghost cat, or other type of ghostly companion? Do you believe in spirits? Have you ever had a ghostly encounter?

MH: On occasion, I have seen/heard the spirits of my cats who have passed. I find the encounters poignant and fulfilling. However, I don’t think I’d want one of them to stick around, showing up at the most inconvenient times and creating all sorts of mischief like Soji does.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

MH: I first began reading cozy mysteries when I was very young. My favorite author was Mary Stewart, and she still is one of the best in my estimation. Now, I read them because I want to relax from the trauma of life in 2024 and know with a cozy that I can look forward to a happy ending. But not all cozies are created equal. I prefer ones that have scenery, description, and color. And of course a cat or two.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

MH: I am working on a sci-fantasy tetralogy and have completed the first three. Though they all have different plots, the theme is the same: cats saving the world because humans don’t know how to do it. I also wrote a COVID memoir, and occasionally I dabble in cat poetry.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

MH: I have three series going at this time. The Tenth Life Paranormal Mysteries features septuagenarian Camelia Collins. When Camelia retires from Portland, Oregon to her dream cottage on the coast, she finds it’s already occupied—by a ghost cat! Ghost Cat at the Mystery Hotel is the third book in that series. My original cozy series, the Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mysteries, follows the adventures of Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip. I’m currently working on book 11. The sci-fantasy I described earlier in this interview is called the Cat Seasons Tetralogy.


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

MH: Though I love my Lynley character because she’s a cat shelter volunteer and cat advocate like me, if I had to choose a favorite, I’d skip the humans altogether and say Soji. Being of a paranormal nature, I can have fun with her. She can do anything I want her to do. And in true ghost cat fashion, she often surprises me with things she comes up with all on her own.


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

MH: Nothing specific. The books tend to write themselves.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

MH: When I finished my first novel, a ponderous tome of 450 pages, I couldn’t wait to share it with the world. Publishers thought differently, and it wasn’t until ten manuscripts later (approximately 1,000,000 words) that I felt my writing had finally caught up with my imagination. It was then I began publishing independently.


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

MH: Shirley Rousseau Murphy, author of the Joe Grey cozy mystery series; Lillian Jackson Braun, the queen of cat cozies; science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin; and William Shakespeare.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

MH: “Fronds and Enemies,” an English Cottage Garden Mystery by H.Y. Hanna and “Abaddon's Gate” of the Expanse sci-fi series by James S. A. Corey.


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

MH: I crochet cat mats that I donate to a cat shelter for their annual auction. I also like to take photographs of anything and everything, but especially of patterns in nature.


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

MH: Red miso, lemons, genmai cha tea, oatmeal. (Not to be eaten all at the same time.)


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

MH: Yes, the series go on. I had considered ending the Crazy Cat Lady series at ten, published last October on National Cat Day, but then I got a new idea and was off on book 11. The Tenth Life series has only just begun. No new series at the moment.


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

MH: Being an author gives me a feeling of self-worth, which is so necessary to the human spirit, especially as I get older and cannot do many of the things I used to. As with any creative endeavor, no matter how famous or how obscure, writing my particular stories is something only I can do. It also amuses me to explore my darker side when I’m writing a villain. 

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Ghost Cat at the Mystery Hotel (A Tenth Life Cozy Mystery) by Mollie Hunt

About Ghost Cat at the Mystery Hotel

Ghost Cat at the Mystery Hotel (A Tenth Life Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - Oregon Coast
Independently Published (May 30, 2024)
Number of Pages: 246

The game is murder at the Mystery Beach Hotel.

When Camelia Collins meets her old college friend Anne Pine for a murder mystery weekend at the coast, death becomes more than a game.

Accompanied by her ghost cat companion Soji, Camelia begins to discover clues that have nothing to do with the role-playing storyline. A lurking stranger spies on Camelia from the house next door. A vengeful spirit haunts the hotel. A winter storm rages outside, threatening the old building, while a murderer roams the halls, threatening those within. Will Camelia's keen senses and Soji's feline wiles be enough to catch the killer before they kill again?

 

About Mollie Hunt

Cat Writer Mollie Hunt is the award-winning author of two cozy series, the Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and the Tenth Life Mysteries. Her Cat Seasons Sci-Fantasy Tetralogy features extraordinary cats saving the world. Mollie also released a cat-themed COVID memoir. In her spare time, she pens a bit of cat poetry as well.

Mollie is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, the Cat Writers’ Association, Willamette Writers, and Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA). She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a varying number of cats.

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: https://www.instagram.com/molliehuntcatwriter/  

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

GoodReads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210323563-ghost-cat-at-the-mystery-hotel  

Purchase Link - Amazon  

a Rafflecopter giveaway