Spotlight & Giveaway: The Cats that Played the Market by Karen Anne Golden

The Cats that Played the Market
The Cats that. . .Cozy Mystery Series
Book 4
Karen Anne Golden

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Date of Publication: November 25, 2014

Number of pages: 296
Word Count: 37,384

Cover Artist: Christy Carlyle of Gilded Heart Design





Book Description:
They’re back!  Scout, Abra, Iris, Lilac and Abby — the cats you’ve grown to love — are once again caught up in intrigue and mayhem.

A blizzard blows into Indiana, bringing gifts, gala events, and a ghastly murder to heiress Katherine “Katz” Kendall. It’s Katherine’s birthday, and she gets more than she bargains for when Colleen and her mum visit the Victorian mansion to celebrate. Handsome boyfriend Jake adds to the joys of the season.

After all hell breaks loose at the Erie Museum’s opening, Katherine and her five cats unwittingly stumble upon clues that help solve a mystery. But has Scout lost her special abilities? Or will Katz find that another one of her amazing felines is a super-sleuth? With the cats providing clues, it’s up to Katherine and her friends to piece together the murderous puzzle . . . before the town goes bust!

Buy Links:

Amazon

Series Reading Order

Book 1
TheCats that Surfed the Web

Book 2
The Cats that Chased the Storm

Book 3
The Cats that Told a Fortune

Book 4
The Cats that Played the Market

Excerpt: Prologue

Late December

Katherine ran to her car, opened the door, and jumped in. Nervously fumbling with the clasp on her crossover bag, she extracted her cell and called Jake. “I’ve got an emergency,” she said breathlessly. “Chief London wants me out of town.”

“Why?” Jake asked in disbelief.

Katherine turned the ignition, floored the accelerator, and peeled out on Main Street. “I’m heading to the pink mansion now. I don’t have time to explain.”

“Katz, I’m not far. I’ll meet you there and help corral the cats. We’ll decide later where to go.”

“Colleen’s with Daryl, but her mum’s home. Park in back and use your key to the basement. I’ll see you in a few.”

Driving in front of the house, she was shocked to see a red pickup blocking her parking spot. Surely that’s not the stolen vehicle, she thought.

Quickly getting out of the car, she rushed up the steps to the front porch landing. She was startled when Colleen’s mum opened the door.

“Hello, Katz. I was just headin’ to the kitchen to make a bit of tea,” she slurred.

Katherine took one whiff of Mum’s breath and knew she’d been drinking. “Is everything okay?” she asked worriedly.

“Why do you ask, dear? You look like you’ve been touched by a banshee!”

“Whose truck is that?”

“I’ve been talkin’ a bit of treason with your friend from the library. They’re waitin’ for you in the living room. I’ll fix some tea.”

Katherine took Mum by the arm. “Come with me,” she insisted. She directed her to the stairwell.

Mum resisted. “Whatever ‘tis the matter?”

Katherine said firmly, “Shhh! Lower your voice. Go to your room and lock the door. I only have one friend from the library, and Michelle doesn’t drive a red pickup with out of state plates.”

“Oh, it’s somebody else. I didn’t catch their name. What’s goin’ on?”

“I beg of you. Just do as I ask,” Katherine implored. “When you get to your room, call Colleen and tell her to not come back to the house until she hears from me.”

“In the name of all the saints,” Mum said, as she staggered upstairs.

Katherine sprinted past Mum to her back hallway bedroom. She was alarmed to see the door standing wide-open. She had specifically shut the door so the cats wouldn’t bother Colleen’s mum while she was away.

“Dammit,” she said, surveying the room. The cats were not there. She pulled the Glock out of the gun safe and joined Mum outside her door.

“You’re not goin’ to use that thing, are you?” Mum said frantically. “Why don’t we call the police?”

“I’m going to call the police! Please relax,” Katherine reassured and then, with rising alarm in her voice, “Where are the cats?”

“The last time I saw them, they were toastin’ their buns on the kitchen register.”

“Hurry! Get in your room.”

Mum finally went in and locked the door.

Katherine yanked her cell out of her bag and called Chief London. “I think the stolen vehicle is parked in front of my house,” she said anxiously. “It’s a red pickup.”

“Katz, stay in your vehicle. Do NOT go inside,” the chief ordered. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“That’s a problem because I’m already inside.” She disconnected the call and tapped Jake’s number. It rang and rang, then went into voice mail. “Don’t come. Chief’s on his way.” She put the cell in her back pocket.

             Gripping the Glock with both hands, she cautiously walked downstairs. Suspecting the person in the living room was armed, Katherine swiftly searched downstairs, leaving the living room for last. She had to get to the cats in the kitchen, and shut that door so they wouldn’t run into the living room. Entering the kitchen, she was shocked to find the cats weren’t on the register or on the window valance. Oh, my God. They’re in the living room with a murderer.

About the Author
Karen Anne Golden released her first book, “The Cats that Surfed the Web,” in December 2013.  In one year, she added three other books to The Cats that ...Cozy Animal Mystery series. “The Cats That Played the Market” is the fourth book.

Karen received a bachelor’s degree in History/Education from Columbus College, Columbus, Georgia. She obtained a master's degree in anthropology at Purdue University, and then conducted ethnographic field research (all-but-the Ph.D. dissertation) in Brighton Beach, New York.

When she decided that an academic career wasn't for her, she worked for a major computer company, riding the subway from Brooklyn to mid-town Manhattan. But her heart wasn't in the big city. Karen saved for years until she was able to buy a Victorian house in Indiana.

Now she lives in a Queen Anne built in 1897; it's a "painted lady" with four colors in the paint scheme. She’s spent many hours restoring her beloved house. With the house finished, she has time to do what she’s passionate about — writing.  She has opened her house to many cats, mostly "rescues.”

Author Links:

Facebook ¦ Website ¦ Amazon

***GIVEAWAY***

2 $25 Amazon Giftcards.

2 Signed Paperbacks of The Cats that Played the Market.

Open to US Shipping.

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Book Review & Giveaway: Snow Way Out by Christine Husom

Blurb: Curio shop manager Camryn Brooks thought she’d seen every kind of snow globe—until she saw one depicting a crime scene….

Ever since she was a child, Cami has loved the sparkling beauty of snow globes, and now, she sells them. In fact, they’re so popular, Cami and her friend—coffee shop owner Alice “Pinky” Nelson—are hosting a snow globe making class.

After the flurry of activity has ended and everyone has gone off with their own handmade snow globes, Cami spots a new globe left behind on a shelf, featuring an odd tableau—a man sleeping on a park bench.

On her way home, she drifts through the town park and is shaken to come upon the scene from the globe—a man sitting on a bench. But he isn’t sleeping—he has a knife in his back. When the police arrive, it’s clear they consider Cami a little flaky and possibly a suspect. After her friends also come under suspicion, Cami starts plowing through clues to find the cold-blooded backstabber—before someone else gets iced….

Tortie Shorties

Book reviews that are short and sweet...just like Truffles!

Is there anything more magical then the whimsical miniature world of a snow globe? I've always been enchanted by them, so the idea of a mystery series set in a gift shop that specializes in snow globes really excited me.

The central characters of Snow Way Out are a trio of friends: Camryn Brooks who runs Curio Finds alongside The Brew Ha-Ha coffee shop managed by childhood friend "Pinky" Nelson, and teacher Erin. The big news in Brooks Landing is the recent jail release of Jerrell Powers who robbed Erin two years prior. As Cami and Pinky prepare for the evening's snow globe making class, they realize that Jerrell's ex-wife and current girlfriend will both be in attendance. Following a somewhat contentious altercation between the women following the class, Cami discovers a snow globe in her shop that is not a part of her inventory depicting a man on a park bench. On her walk back home through the park she stumbles upon the exact same scene...only it's Jerrell Powers on the park bench and he is dead with a knife sticking out of his back. Back at Curio Finds the mysterious snow globe has vanished, and soon whispers between her dear friends has Cami suspecting the worse.

This was a wonderful debut to a promising new series. I was completely stumped as to the identity of the killer but had a sinking suspicion about one of my favorite secondary characters, and I was proven right. I look forward to spending more time with this great cast of characters. There's only one thing missing...Cami definitely needs a cat!

Giveaway: Do you have a favorite snow globe? Tell me about it by noon eastern on Friday, January 16th for your chance to win a copy of Snow Way Out. (US entries only, please.)

This is my favorite globe from my collection. A cat, of course :)

Easy Sunday Selfie with Spice

Hey everybody, it's Truffles! Back in September when we started profiling kitties awaiting adoption at Franklin County Animal Rescue, the first two we picked were Spice and Enny. Enny has since been adopted, but Spice is still waiting for her forever home, and since her Petfinder profile picture is actually a selfie, we decided to feature her again today for the Sunday Selfies blog hop. Isn't she precious?

It's been downright frigid here in Vermont this week (and pretty much everywhere else too), and our hearts break to think about the homeless kitties that are out in the cold. Thankfully Spice is safe and warm, enjoying an easy Sunday dreaming about the day she finds her forever family. Mommy can't get over how much she looks like Angel Tara in this picture:

More information on how to adopt Spice can be found here.

Pet Blogger Challenge 2015

Today I'm excited to be participating in the Fifth Annual Pet Blogger Challenge hosted by GoPetFriendlyBlog.com.

1. How long have you been blogging? And, for anyone stopping by for the first time, please give us a quick description of what your blog is about.

I started blogging in August 2011. Mochas, Mysteries and Meows is for everyone who enjoys the cozy things in life: curled up on the couch with your hot beverage of choice, a great book, and a cat (or three) on your lap! I call it a cat blog with literary flair and a book blog with a pet-centric twist.

2. Tell us one thing that you accomplished on your blog during 2014 that made you proud.

2014 was a year of change for our blog! At the beginning of the year I made the decision to transition from a book blog with cats included to a cat blog with books included. It started with a name change: Mochas, Mysteries and Meows (previously Mochas, Mysteries and More) along with the purchase of a custom domain name. It was Truffles' first full year with me and I was more than happy to have her "take over". I still write about books, particularly the cozy mysteries that I love so much, but if a book doesn't include cats or I can't involve Truffles in some way, I most likely won't feature it. It was also an exciting opportunity to start profiling some of the adoptable cats at Truffles' Alma Mater, Franklin County Animal Rescue.

3. What lessons have you learned this year – from other blogs, or through your own experience – that could help us all with our own blogs?

Take advice and learn from fellow bloggers, but at the same time find out what works for you. Everybody needs to chart their own path and what works for one person might not necessarily work for you. Find out where your talents lie and take it from there.

4. What have you found to be the most successful way to bring traffic to your blog, other than by writing great content?

Comment, comment, comment on other blogs. People won't know about your blog until you get out there and be social! Pet blogging is such an awesome, supportive community and through it I have formed the most wonderful online friendships.

5. What was your most popular blog post this year? Did it surprise you that it was your most popular?

My most popular blog post was 5 Reasons We Purr for #BlogPaws. It was written in the wake of being chosen as the BlogPaws Blogger of the Month for January and was such an incredible honor for me. I had just barely made the leap of changing my blog name to Mochas, Mysteries and Meows, a move that I felt sealed my identity as a cat blogger, so this was just icing on the cake.

6. What was your favorite blog post to write this year?

Sorry, I have to pick more than one. I love our "Truffles Interviews" series and I think our readers do too. A Love Letter to Truffles: One Year Together and Feline Diabetes: Tara's Story are both incredibly special to me as well. And I had so much fun with my very first foray into fiction: Truffles' Halloween Tail: Part 1 and Part 2.

7. Has your policy on product reviews and/or giveaways changed this year?

If you do reviews, what do you find works best, and what doesn’t work at all?

If you don’t do reviews, is this something you’d like to do more of? What hurdle is getting in your way?

Yes, Truffles and I *love* doing product reviews and giveaways. I enjoy informing pet parents about new products on the market and at the same time giving Truffles the chance to have fun trying them out! Our favorites are toys and treats...Truffles is a treat junkie!

8. What’s your best piece of advice for other bloggers?

Blogging is a lot of work and a big commitment, so write about what you love. The two things in life that I could never live without are cats and books, so writing about them both comes as natural to me as breathing.

9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2015?

I hope to continue to gain readers by writing posts that appeal to my book loving, cat lover friends. I also want to build relationships with large and small pet brands.

10. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one challenge you’re having with your blog, what would it be?

Same as #9, I would really appreciate advice on how to build relationships with both large and small pet brands.

{52 Snapshots of Life} Week 2: Music

The theme for week two of the 52 Snapshots of Life Photo Challenge hosted by The Lazy Pit Bull is music, and at first trying to give it a "cat slant" kind of had me stumped. Then my eyes landed upon one of my most cherished cat collectibles, a cat music box:

My earliest memory of this music box is that my mother gave it to me when I was a very little girl. During a quick online search I discovered that it was produced in 1980 by Seymour Mann, so I would have been only 3 years old at the time. I remember sitting on the bed with my mom and being completely enchanted by the music box when she would wind it up for me and it would play "You Light Up My Life". It was incredibly precious to me even as a child and I was always very careful while handling it.

My mother and I are extremely close, and one of the many things we have in common is our deep love for cats. She always told me the two cats on the music box were a mother and daughter, her and I. Almost 35 years later that is still what I see when I look at it.

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Feel free to play along with the 52 Snapshots of Life Photo Challenge on your blog, and/or social media, just use the hashtags #PBSG and #52Snapshots.

#ThrowbackThursday: Remembering Sebastian

Sebastian

1993-January 8, 1997

18 years ago today I lost my second childhood cat, Sebastian. He was a neighborhood rescue left behind by a neighbor when they moved away. He then ended up in the care of an elderly couple across the road from us. When the wife passed away, a gold digger moved in on the husband and we feared the cat was on his way out. Over a period of months we turned him into a wonderful housecat after spending the majority of his life outside.

One of my favorite memories of Sebastian comes from the early days of our time together. When we made the decision as a family to begin the process of turning him into a housecat, we tried to gradually increase the amount of time we kept him inside each day. For some inexplicable reason early on we didn't put out a litter pan because he would let us know when he had to go outside. One day my mother and I went out to run a few errands and he was asleep, so we quietly slipped out. Upon our return home the minute I entered the house there was an unmistakable odor. You guessed it...the poor little guy woke up from his nap and had to "go". With no one to let him out and no indoor plumbing, he left a rather neat pile of poop right in the middle of my parents' bed. It's like it was strategically placed so that it wouldn't be missed.

We don't know exactly how old he was once we officially adopted him, but he had to be in his teens looking back at how long we had seen him in the neighborhood. In September 1996 he was diagnosed with advanced kidney disease, and in spite of my father learning to administer subcutaneous fluids, Sebastian made his journey to the Rainbow Bridge on January 8, 1997.

Sebastian didn't have the easiest life. Many times through the years our hearts broke seeing him outside in all kinds of adverse weather conditions. But for the few years that he was a part of my family, he knew he was loved.

Truffles Interviews: Bella the German Shepherd from Tracy Weber's A Killer Retreat (w/Review & Giveaway)

Welcome Bella! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. Could you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to live with Kate?

Thanks so much for having me, Truffles. I don’t get to spend nearly enough time with kitties. You might think I’m scary because I’m kind of big, but I’m really just a sweetheart inside. I’m a hundred-pound German shepherd, and I recently had my second birthday. I don’t remember much of my puppyhood anymore, but I think that’s a good thing, because whenever memories come back to me, they’re frightening and lonely.

My first human was mean, so I don’t like to talk about him. My second human was a man named George, and I loved him a lot. We didn’t really have a home. We lived outside, slept together on the ground, and kept each other warm at night. He always made sure that I got food, even when he didn’t. We met Kate outside of her yoga studio. I guarded the sidewalk from other dogs and chased strangers away from her entrance. I liked Kate right away, but I’m not so sure that she liked me.

On a very scary night, George disappeared. Kate didn’t think I understood when she told me that George had died, but I’m a lot smarter than she knows. She promised me that she would find me a good home, and she always keeps her word. I live with her now, and I couldn’t be happier.

I still miss George sometimes, but don’t tell Kate that. It might make her miss him, too. Besides, Kate is my heart-human. You know, the one you love more than any other? We were meant to be together. And now I get to sleep with her in our warm, cushy bed.

Since Kate is a yoga instructor do you participate in any doggie yoga? 

I help Kate with yoga all the time. I walk underneath her when she’s Down Dog. I nuzzle her rear when she’s in a forward bend. I make sure to drool an extra lot on her lap when she’s in meditation. I hope Kate learns how to teach doggie yoga soon. Until then, my version of partner yoga will have to do.

From reading your first adventure, Murder Strikes a Pose, I know that you have some fairly significant health issues. How are you doing?

I feel so much better now, thank you! My disease is called EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency). Because of it, I can’t digest food on my own. I used to be hungry all the time, no matter how much George fed me, but since Kate started giving me my special medication, I’ve been able to gain weight and I’m now a normal, happy German shepherd.

What is a typical day like for you?

I lead a very busy life.

I wake up every morning and bark at Kate until she finally gets up and makes my breakfast. From there, we go to our yoga studio, where I guard it from evil yoga student intruders. I work particularly hard at keeping out the blue-suited, letter-carrying ax-murderer that brings Kate the mail. He must be pretty stupid, because I chase him away every day, but he still keeps coming back.

The rest of my morning and afternoon is spent alternating between guarding Kate’s car, taking yummy naps, and wandering around with Kate to mark my territory every couple of hours. Some days we even go to Pete’s Pets and visit the Cookie Man.

In the evening, I cuddle up with Kate on the couch, bark at her until she gives me my well-earned dinner, and then I go upstairs and guard Kate while she sleeps. Sometimes the Cookie Man comes over and sleeps with us too, but I always make sure that I get my fair share of the bed.

What kinds of trouble do you and Kate get into in A Killer Retreat? 

Trouble? I would never get in trouble. Kate, on the other hand…

Kate, the Cookie Man, and I went on a trip to this wonderful resort that allows dogs and has lots of these huge brown rabbit-like creatures that Kate calls deer. I was having a great time until an annoying little white dog with a black circle around his eye started bugging me. Of course I tried to chase him off, but he kept running circles around me. Kate must have tripped, because she and the Cookie Man both fell face-first into the mud. That made Kate really mad at the little dog’s owner.

I haven’t seen the little dog’s owner today. Kate says she’s been murdered. I don’t know much English yet, but I have a feeling “murdered” isn’t good. Kate seems upset and keeps making jokes about teaching yoga in prison. The Cookie Man says that dogs aren’t allowed in prison, so obviously I’m going to have to help Kate figure out who the real killer is. I suspect the Cookie Man and Kate’s friend Rene will help, too.

How do you feel about kitties?

Oh my gosh, I love kitties. I tried to tell Kate that in Murder Strikes a Pose when she took me to Betty’s house. I jumped up and down and barked and salivated and tried to knock the pretty orange kitty off of the filing cabinet so I could properly introduce myself.

Kate isn’t nearly as good at understanding dog as I am at understanding human, though. She seemed to think that I wanted to eat the kitty. The kitty showed me his claws, so I don’t think he understood, either. Truthfully, I wanted it for my very own. If I had a kitty I would cuddle it, carry it around in my mouth—gently of course—and protect it, just like I do Kate. I hope Kate gets me a kitten someday.

Can you tell us anything about your upcoming adventures?

Well, first I have to get Kate out of this most recent murder charge. Then we’ll go back to Seattle. Kate is going to teach Doga at a fundraiser for a local animal shelter.

You don’t think anyone will get killed there, do you? Not in a Doga class? Maybe I’ll have to go along and protect Kate, just in case. She has a bad habit of finding dead people.

Hey, do you think she’ll get me a kitty from that shelter?

Read more about Bella and her human Kate in their yoga and dog-related mystery series, the Downward Dog Mystery Series. The first book, Murder Strikes a Pose was published January, 2014. The Second, A Killer Retreat, is available at booksellers everywhere!

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Blurb: When Kate Davidson gets an offer to teach yoga classes at the Elysian Springs resort, she jumps at the opportunity—even if it means enduring the wedding ceremony of the center’s two caretakers. But avoiding the M-word turns out to be the least of Kate’s problems when a wedding guest is found floating face-down in the resort’s hot tub, shortly after a loud, public fight with Kate.

The police pick Kate as their number-one suspect, so she teams up with her boyfriend Michael, best friend Rene, and German shepherd sidekick Bella to find the real killer. They must solve the crime before the police arrest Kate, or her next gig may last a lifetime—behind bars.

Tortie Shorties

Book reviews that are short and sweet...just like Truffles!

Murder Strikes a Pose, the first book in Tracy Weber's Downward Dog mystery series, was one of my favorite books of 2014, and the wait for the second a full year later has been a long one.

In A Killer Retreat, Kate and her beloved Bella, along with boyfriend Michael, BFF Rene and her husband Sam, travel to Orchas Island, a working vacation for Kate, who has been offered a chance to teach yoga at the Elysian Springs resort. The week's main event on the island is the wedding of the resort's 2 caretakers. Kate immediately butts heads (quite publicly) with an irresponsible Jack Russell owner, who she later finds dead in the hot tub. A lawyer is hired for her (who I absolutely adored), Dale Evans, who moonlights as a goat rescuer. What a great character!!!

A secondary storyline features Kate & Rene's love lives. Kate is petrified that Michael is planning to propose during the trip, and Rene is facing a personal crisis of a different variety. In spite of everything the most important relationship in Kate's life rightfully remains with her German shepherd Bella. Kate's dedication to Bella and her serious medical issues are just one reason why I consider this a must-read series. Whether you are a yogi or not you will enjoy spending time with Kate, Bella, and their friends.

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