Lacy Marie Crocker’s whimsical pet couture has gained a following in New Orleans’s cozy Garden District, and word of mouth has traveled all the way to her favorite fashion designer, Annie Lane. Lacy’s thrilled when Annie schedules a private session at her home to discuss a companion line for her evening wear, but when Lacy arrives for the appointment, she enters the kitchen to two mewling Siamese cats–and one very dead Annie.

Lacy takes the kittens home to care for them until they can be properly claimed by Annie’s family or friends, but after a busy day of work, she returns home to find them missing. And when Lacy learns the cats are set to inherit Annie’s fortune, she begins to wonder if the killer was after the kittens all along. Now Lacy will stop at nothing to save the Siamese and find justice for Annie–if the killer doesn’t sink his claws into her first.

A Kitty Couture Mystery #2

Lacy Crocker is back in another fun and fur-filled adventure. The story wastes no time getting right to the business of murder – when Lacy goes to meet her design hero to show off some of her creations, she finds the designer dead on the floor in her home. As much as to protect the dead woman’s Siamese as to see justice done, Lacy jumps right in to find the killer. With a clever heroine, a dash of romance, and cats galore, there’s something in this cozy to please almost everyone.

I’m so fortunate to have Julie Chase here today to talk about why being a mystery writer is such a great thing. Read on to hear what she has to say, and for a chance to win a great Kitty Couture prize pack.

Why Being a Mystery Writer is the Cat’s Pajamas by Julie Chase

I love crime fiction. Love it. I watch it on television. Read about in books, magazines, the newspaper and on blogs. I’ve even built a career around writing it. I just can’t get enough of the criminals. From the uber dark and creepy ones that leave me sleeping with the light on, to the ultra-stupid ones who tape their crimes and post them on Youtube. *shake my head* What on earth would make a person DO the things they do? Turns out the reasons are as varied as the crimes. Mental illness. Personal circumstance. Revenge. Idiocy. Whatever the reason, I find myself marveling at the awfulness of it all, and then I write it down. Maybe it’s therapeutic for a pathological human doormat and rule follower like myself. Maybe it helps me work through the fact that, while I believe all people are good at their core, some simply are not. Either way, I’ve found my dream job, and I’ve never been happier. Plus, the perks are kind of AMAZING.

1. I get to work from home! I love my home. I even have an office with a view of my adorable neighborhood, where I watch everything. The neighbor’s dogs and I nod at one another from our guard posts during the day. Just keeping the street safe, people. Protecting the lawns from mailmen and pizza deliverers. Move it along.
2. I get to wear pajamas. ALL DAY. Most days of the week, I literally work in what I slept in, then shower and change into new pajamas for the second half of my day. It’s my actual dream-come-true.
3. I get to schmooze with librarians. I LOVE librarians. Sometimes, I venture out. Other times we chat online. I love geeking out with the men and women who’ve fostered my life-long love for reading and encouraged me to write my stories down when I was young.
4. It’s a free ticket to people-watch. Being caught staring was kind of my hallmark for years. Before I realized I was a writer, I would watch people and make up stories about their lives. Being an introvert of epic proportions meant I rarely interacted with people, especially strangers, especially since becoming an “adult.” But it never stopped me from watching, and on occasion, I’d be caught, even confronted about it. Nowadays, I can offer a business card and my apologies. Most people don’t mind being told they look like a character in one of my books, or like a story waiting to happen. In fact, they often have a story of their own to share.
5. READERS! I love attending author-events because they are filled with readers. I could spend all day talking with my people. Learning what they’re reading and how they liked it. Getting recommendations for my next read and ideas for my next story. There’s something electric about a room filled with excited bookworms. I get all worked up just thinking about it, and I never want to leave.

Without my writing career, I’d be stir crazy. Overwhelmed with imagination and no outlet. I’d be lonelier, 90% of my friends are online now, and I’d be missing my calling. And I do believe that writing has been my calling. No, my stories may never top the NYT list, but I will be here, blissful in my pajamas, writing stories that make people smile, and that is so much more than I could ever ask for.

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win a prize pack containing a hard cover copy of book 1 – Cat Got Your Diamonds, a lovely scarf with cat silhouettes and a cat coloring book for adults.

 

About the Author

Julie Chase is a mystery-loving pet enthusiast who hopes to make readers smile. She lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three spunky children. Julie is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Sisters in Crime (SinC). She is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Julie also writes as Julie Anne Lindsey.

 

 

 

 

Tour Participants

April 11 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
April 11 – Classy Cheapskate – REVIEW
April 11 – The Self-Rescue Princess – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 12 – Books Direct – GUEST POST
April 12 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW
April 13 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
April 13 – My Journey Back – REVIEW
April 13 – Books,Dreams,Life – INTERVIEW, SPOTLIGHT
April 14 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
April 14 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
April 15 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW
April 15 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
April 16 – Varietats – REVIEW
April 16 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
April 16 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
April 17 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
April 17 – Bibliophile Reviews –  REVIEW, GUEST POST
April 17 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
April 18 – Bookworm Cafe – REVIEW
April 18 – Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my! – REVIEW
April 18 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 19 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW, GUEST POST
April 19 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW
April 20 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
April 20 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 21- Jersey Girl Book Reviews – REVIEW
April 21- Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
April 22 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
April 22 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 23 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
April 23 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, GUEST POST
April 24 – Girl with Book Lungs – REVIEW
April 24 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST

NOTE: I voluntarily read and reviewed a free advanced copy of the book.