Linda Reilly | It's not all about the cats...

When I first began writing the Cat Lady Mysteries for Kensington Lyrical, I realized all too quickly that I'd swallowed one giant hairball of a project. For a few terrifying moments, panic set in. How could I write about a dozen or so cats living in one household? Wouldn't it seem like, well . . . just too many cats? After sucking in a few deep breaths and gulping back a hearty swig of coffee, I reminded myself: You're writing this for all the cat lovers out there . . . and they can never have too many cats.

So, with that mantra ringing in my head, I scurried over to my keyboard and
started typing. To my surprise, I was easily able to imagine myself living in
the quaint Folk Victorian home on a gentle hill in New Hampshire that eventually
becomes the cat shelter. In my head I saw the rooms—the large and small parlors,
the eat-in kitchen with myriad cat bowls lined up along one wall, and the back
porch that would eventually become the shelter's meet-and-greet room. Even more
important, I could clearly picture the cats: the black feral with a white
'stache, the cuddly calico sibs, the slender gray girl and her two kittens, and
all the other furry felines who called the place home.

With the setting firmly entrenched in my mind, I began writing the first book in
the series. My challenge was to achieve a balance between a strong mystery and
enough feline activity to appeal to readers who love cats as much as I do. A
slight paranormal twist in the form of an elusive Ragdoll cat added an extra
level of intrigue to the story.

The first book in the series, ESCAPE CLAWS, introduces Lara Caphart, a struggling watercolor artist who hasn't seen her aunt in New Hampshire in over sixteen years. Lara was only eleven when her folks moved out of state, wrenching her away from the beloved aunt who'd nurtured her as a child. To Lara's dismay, her folks cut off communication with Aunt Fran, which effectively isolated her from the family. Over time Lara adapted to her surroundings and made new friends. But why, when she reached adulthood, did she never try to contact her aunt? Especially when she lived only a few hours away? It was a theme I wrestled with, but I've since given it a lot of thought.

Have you ever lost touch with someone important in your life? Someone you
drifted away from for no apparent reason, or maybe for a silly reason? Someone
you later wanted desperately to reconnect with but were afraid might reject you?

When Lara seeks out her aunt after sixteen years, she's anxious and worried and
fearful. Will her aunt slam the door in her face? She's not sure, but she's
ready to take the plunge. Their initial meeting is rocky, but then the cats
enter the scene. Both women love cats, but now Aunt Fran needs help caring for
hers. It is through their interaction with a household overflowing with felines
that Lara and her aunt repair their relationship. By the time I completed the
manuscript, I realized that it was not simply a murder mystery with a bunch of
cats tossed in. It was a story that explored the all too human themes of
isolation, forgiveness, and healing, with the cats playing a pivotal role.

CLAWS OF DEATH, the second Cat Lady Mystery, explores other themes: long-buried grudges, ancient animosities, and a seemingly harmless action that has long-lasting consequences.