The Cat Lady’s Secret officially releases this Friday! I’m super excited because I just know everyone’s going to love this one. This week, I’ll treat you, tempt and tantalize you with a few excerpts from the book–snippets from each of the main characters’ POVs. Here’s the end of Chapter One, which features Millie:

No more than halfway around the courthouse
building, my feet start hurting, but I glimpse a yellow
tail between the air conditioner unit and the brick wall.
The cat’s facing away from me, and in this stifling
August heat, the AC fan is whirring loud enough to
drown out my footfalls. I drop the tote and slip my net
behind me. I don’t want to scare it and certainly don’t
want to use the net if I don’t have to. Cats go bonkers
when caught in the nylon and wear themselves out
trying to get free. I’ve never had to use it and don’t
want to start now.

I get fairly close, drop to my knees, and start
cooing at the critter. Maybe I can coax it out without having to chase it. Sometimes I can do that, if the cat’s
not too wild. As I inch toward it, getting dirt and grass stains on my hands and knees, the back door to the courthouse pops open.

The noisiest gaggle of humans known to man swoops and clatters down the stairs, and the cat takes off. I struggle to my feet to watch the commotion. Maybe some of these folks will head for the diner and leave Annie a big tip—

Heaven, help me—there are journalists in that group! Press passes big as day displayed on their chests. One of ’em turns his camera toward me, and I skedaddle before it clicks. If he gets a picture at all, it’ll be a blur of floppy hat, orange t-shirt, and purple
polyester pants.

Even that’s too much.

Millie is so much fun–she was a total blast to write. I could cut loose with her and just let her be silly if I wanted to (and there were times when I did want to!).

I’ll be doing several blog hops, special guest posts/interviews, and other giveaways for the next few weeks, so keep watch! The first is this Friday, when I join friends for the “Meet the Pelican Book Group Authors” giveaway party on Facebook. You won’t want to miss it! Joining us will be:

Carla Rossi, fellow Texan and Writers on the Storm member, and the author of The Unexpected Wedding:

and Virginia Tenery, another fellow Texan, mystery writer, and author of Dead Ringer.

And of course, my new book will be up for grabs! Y’all come play with us. It’ll be a blast!