Author Cat Conte joins us today to talk about her new cozy mystery, Cat About Town, and cat cafes. Cate Conte is the alter ego of Liz Mugavero. Liz is the author of the Pawsitively Organic Mystery series from Kensington Books, the first of which was an Agatha nominee for Best First Novel. She is a member of Sisters in Crime National, Sisters in Crime New England, Mystery Writers of America, and the Cat Writers’ Association. She currently lives in Connecticut.
Before we get started, here's a description of the novel.
The first novel in a frisky new mystery series set in a small New England town, where an unlikely citizen is called in to solve the purrfect crime. . .
Maddie James has arrived in Daybreak Island, just off the coast of Massachusetts, eager to settle down and start her own business―and maybe even fall in love. When a stray orange tabby pounces into her life, she’s inspired to open a cat café. But little does Maddie know that she’s in for something a lot more catastrophic when her new furry companion finds the dead body of the town bully. Now all eyes are on Maddie: Who is this crazy cat-whisperer lady who’s come to town? If pet-hair-maintenance and crime-fighting weren’t keeping her busy enough, Maddie now has not one but two eligible bachelors who think she’s the cat’s pajamas . . . and will do anything to win her heart. But how can she even think about happily-ever-after while a killer remains on the loose―and on her path?
And here's Cat Conte...
Cat lovers are a dedicated bunch. In exchange for love and purrs, we understand the tradeoff of scooping cat litter, cleaning up the odd pile of cat vomit, and sometimes even finding “surprises” in the form of small animal corpses.
Still, there’s not much we wouldn’t do for our furry friends. But what about those who love cats but can’t have them, perhaps because of where they live, or not being home enough to care for them properly?
This is where a cat cafe comes in.
A what, you ask?
A cat cafe is like a coffee shop, but with cats AND coffee. And pastries. And while you’re having your snack, you can hang out with a cat or two. No pressure, no hidden costs, no guilt when you leave. Well, maybe some guilt, but it’s totally unfounded. Because the cats live at the cafes with the entire stash of coffee at their disposal.
The cats come from local rescue organizations that decided to partner with the cafes. That means people can adopt them if they’d like.
The first one originated in Japan in 1998, and over the years, they’ve migrated to the US, typically in urban areas. New York, San Francisco, Boston—they’re now more common than not, and gaining in popularity.
Perfect for the setting of a mystery series, no?
And that's how the Cat Cafe Mysteries came about. But, with a twist.
Instead of in the middle of a city, my series takes place on a small island off the coast of Massachusetts. Weird place for a cat cafe, you might say.
But not really.
Think about it.
My fictional island is a major tourist draw, and it attracts the rich and famous. Most of these people stay for a long period of time. And many of them, or their kids, miss their cats and would love to spend a few minutes hugging one and hanging out with them. Also, on my island, there’s a need to have more people rescuing animals. The local rescue organization closed, and there's only the town pound. That’s not a fun place for the cats to hang out. So my character, Maddie, is doing a really good deed. And having fun doing it.
But first, she has decided to move back to the island from the west coast, where she’s been living and running a juice shop. And then there’s the small matter of a murder and a family crisis…
Cat is here courtesy of Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. You can visit the other stops on the tour here:
Cat About Town is out August 1.
Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
