In a small town, like Dogwood, Texas, everybody knows everybody. Roger and Lauren went to the same high school as Scott and Emily, and were in the youth group in the same church Micah now preaches in. Friends then, friends for life. Well, for three of the four of them, anyway.

Although Lauren Keller went to college and received her degree in graphic design, what she wanted most in life was the whole husband, kids, white-picket-fence scene. Roger wasn’t quite ready to settle down–having too much fun being the big man on campus–so Lauren had a short stint working as an ad designer for The Dogwood Daily Sentinal. But when Roger Norris finally got around to wishing for a more settled life, Lauren had no problem quitting the job to become his wife. They have two kids now, Michelle and Trey, both teenagers.

Emily and Lauren were like peanut butter and jelly all through their youth and on through college. But when Emily went to Houston instead of coming back home to Dogwood, like the others in their clique, they lost touch. This grieved Lauren for years, especially when her mother died and Emily wasn’t there for her. Then to find out Emily had been home for a year without contacting her? Ouch.
Roger Norris was a star running back for the Snarling Bulldogs, which earned him a scholarship. His expertise on the field and his quick wit kept him in college, despite his grades. He never really wanted to be the smartest, he wanted to be a professional football player, until an injury left him with a limp and a spot on the bench.

Lucky for him, Lauren loved him, limp and all. He chose not to finish college, and joined his dad in the family construction business. Now he’s the soul proprietor, and the business is going strong. Which is good for Emily when she buys a run-down Queen Anne Victorian!

Find out what happens when the old crew join forces again!

The Cat Lady’s Secret releases June 6th!

And I’ll be doing all sorts of fun stuff between now and then, and holding the “Cat in a Coffee Cup Giveaway” on Facebook June 12th, when I’ll be giving away a new coffee mug every twenty-five minutes for two hours! It’s gonna be a blast!

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 It’s meet the characters week! Introducing Roger and Lauren Norris, married high school sweethearts. #CatLadysSecret #ChriFic