1. Please
share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
I write under the pen name of Karen Anne
Golden. My genre is cozy animal
mystery. I launched The Cats That . . . series
in December 2013. My latest book is
called The Cats that Played the Market.
In 1997, I wrote a book, The Cats that Surfed the Net. I tried to have it published in the
traditional way, but I could wallpaper a room with the number of rejection
letters. Last year, I was inspired by my
sister, Indie author Alexa Grace, to rework the book and submit it on Amazon. It took most of 2013 to shorten, polish, and
update it to the modern age. Thus, with my first book of the series The Cats that Surfed the Web, The Cats that . . . series was born.
2. Are you a mom?
My husband and I were not blessed with children, but
we certainly are fur-parents to many cats, mostly rescues. Our eldest is seventeen and our youngest is
two. I’ve been owned by many Siamese
over the years, which allows me to describe their antics so precisely.
3. What would your readers be surprised to learn
about you?
My lead character Katz is like I was in my younger
years; her friend Margie is more like I am today. Katz is a former computer professional in New
York City. She lived in an apartment
with three Siamese. She moved from the
big Apple to a small town in Indiana.
She moved into a Queen Anne Victorian pink painted lady. I have done all of these things.
It’s was quite an adjustment for me to stop being a
type-A personality and become more laid back, like the rest of the folks in my
town.
Here I was, straight from the city, living in a
house that required help. I didn’t have
a clue what I was doing, but like the Margie Cokenberger character, I learned
how to restore an old home, glaze old windows, and remove layers of paint. I’ve worked up high on four levels of
scaffolding, painting my beloved house.
4. When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you
have any hobbies or guilty pleasures?
Although I wouldn’t call it a guilty pleasure, I
love flower gardening in the spring and summer, particularly growing irises and
daylilies. It’s both inspiring and relaxing to tend to my plants.
5. Is there a genre(s) that you’d like to write that
you haven’t tackled yet?
Yes, I’d love to write a romance novel. I’m certainly leaning in that direction with The Cats that Played the Market. My city girl heroine falls in love with a small
town Midwestern history professor who has recently lost his wife to cancer. He’s completely the opposite of the other men
she’s known in her life, who were big-time womanizers and cheaters.
6. Of all the
characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?
It would have to be Jake Cokenberger. He’s an old-fashioned, perfect gentleman and very
much in love with Katz and her cats.
He’s quite endearing and calls Katz sweet
pea. In the second book, The Cats that Chased the Storm, I hadn’t
intended on writing his part, but when I got to the library scene, it was just
natural that Katz would look across the room and see Jake sitting behind a
table reading a book. He’s educated like
she is, but down-to-earth and easy to talk to.
7. If this book is part of a series…what is the next
book? Any details you can share?
The
Cats that Played the Market is the fourth book of The Cats that . . . series. The first book is The Cats that Surfed the Web. The second book is The Cats that Chased the Storm and the
third book is The Cats that Told A
Fortune.
The Cats that . . .
Cozy Mystery Series
Book 4
Karen Anne Golden
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Date of Publication: November 25, 2014
ISBN: 13:978-1503033276
ASIN: B00Q71LBYA
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!
Available at Amazon
Series Reading Order
Book
1
The
Cats 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.”
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3 comments:
Thank you so much for being a part of the tour!
Thank you so much, Amy!
Best regards, Karen
Lots of tension there...love to read it..
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
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