Wow, thank you, Kings River Life!

"Pru’s wry voice, sharp intelligence, and empathy for animals guarantee that this elaborately plotted mystery will entertain with its good humor and compellingly quirky characters." so says librarian Cynthia Chow, reviewing When Bunnies Go Bad for Kings River Life magazine.

We need to talk...

Found out I didn't win one of the coveted slots on the Malice-Go-Round, a kind of speed-dating for authors and readers that introduces 42 lucky authors to 200 (20 tables of ten) readers at the Malice Domestic mystery conference coming up in April. I'm on the waitlist, but I can't imagine anyone dropping out! What this means is that I'll be making an extra effort to meet readers at other times - before panels*, over coffee, at the bar... Please, if you're going to be at Malice Domestic introduce yourself! I will do the same! (Malice Domestic is a cozy mystery convention held in Bethesda, MD, each spring. This year, it's April 29-May 1.)

* I am on a panel! I'll be joining Carole Nelson Douglas, Sparkle Abbey, Linda O. Johnston, and Kay Finch on Saturday to discuss "The Paws that Detects: Four-legged Sidekicks" on Saturday, April 30, 3-3:50. Come ask us a question!

Cat Fight! (Crimespree lets me sound off)

Crimespree magazine let me sound off about the recent "cat fiction controversy" "... That Journal writer needed a story, and a story needs a conflict to make it bump along. But since this piece has run, I’ve realized that the question should not have been “should cats talk?” but “can an author make a talking cat credible?” Want to read more? Click here.

See you at Crimefest!

Are you going to Crimefest? This will be my first year at this international conference, which takes place in Bristol, England, May 19-22, and I'm looking forward to hearing some of the greatest minds in European crime fiction! I'm also honored to be on one panel, "Do You Think You're Cosy?" (note the UK spelling of "cozy"!) with the great Cathy Ace, Christopher Fowler, and L.C. Tyler (James Runcie is moderating). I'll also be a participating moderator on "A Life of Crime: What's the Appeal of Crime Writing?" – lots of room to play with that one! – with panelists Richard Cartmel, David Mark, Leigh Russell, and Tara Moore. Maybe I'll see you there?

See you at Malice!

Do you know about Malice Domestic? If not, you should – this is the big annual fan conference for those of us who love cozy (aka, traditional) mysteries. Held every spring in Bethesda, MD, I go as often as I can – and I'll be there this year. Plus, the panel assignments are out and I've got a winner! I'll be on a panel on Saturday, 3-3:50 p.m., with the great Carole Nelson Douglas, Linda O. Johnston, Sparkle Abbey (both members of that team), and moderator Kay Finch. The title? "The 'Paws' That Detects: Animal Sidekicks." What could be better!

"BUNNIES" is "a terrific addition to the series." Thank you!

Mutt Cafe has nothing but love for "When Bunnies Go Bad." Start here... "Clea Simon’s books are truly exemplary mysteries that skillfully capture the intricate relationship shared by humans and animals. ... The Pru Marlowe novels only get better with time and When Bunnies Go Bad is a terrific addition to the series." Read the rest here. Wow, thank you so much!

Paella with small cat

No, not what you're thinking! This is a chicken and seafood take on the Spanish classic, but served in the company of a feline, thanks to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, a great food and cozies blog.

Can you guess the real story? (I'm on NPR!)

And here it is: the clip of me on NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," the "bluff the listener" segment:

"Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me"

... is a wonderful NPR quiz show. And you should listen to it this weekend (or online at WBUR) Can't say more now... just trust me on this, and tune in!

"You can't help but fall in love with this brave cat."

Thrilled to field this review from the Conscious Cat, which called "The Ninth Life" "absolutely wonderful," saying, "What made this book for me was the absolutely wonderful way in which Clea narrates the book in Blackie’s voice. Writing in a cat’s voice is challenging,and few writers do it well. Clea does it masterfully. Blackie is all cat..." Read more here.

Do you trust me?

Do you trust me to take you someplace dark? That's the question I ask over at the Conscious Cat today.

"We authors ask a lot of our readers. When we invite you into our worlds, we ask you to suspend disbelief. To accept that cats can talk, and that ordinary people can solve the craziest crimes. We ask you to give up time out with your family and friends – as well as TV and Facebook – to spend time with an old-fashioned and slow-paced pleasure – a book. We ask that you listen to us, that you let us tell you a story. Most important, we ask that you trust us...." (Read more here.)

The cat has his say...

"Do not let my appearance deceive you. I am not like other cats..."
(Read more as Blackie from "The Ninth Life" makes a guest appearance on Dru's Book Musings here.)

Happy pub day RAVE for "WHEN BUNNIES GO BAD"

"Every chapter of this new mystery is jammed with surprises and suspense," says Kingdom Books of my new Pru Marlowe pet noir, WHEN BUNNIES GO BAD. Happy pub day to me!

Pub day RAVE for "The Ninth Life"

"Ready for some shocks to the heart and mind?" That's how Kingdom Books begins this RAVE for "The Ninth Life," with its "stunning finale." Happy pub day to me!

Happy pub day - I'M IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL!!

Honest! Here I am, talking about talking (and non-talking) cats, along with a bunch of other wonderful cat writers (and Cat Writers Association members):

When it comes to cats and speech, “people tend to feel very strongly about it,” says Clea Simon, whose first cat mystery, “Mew is for Murder,” featured silent kitties. Once, during a mystery conference panel, “I got up there and said, ‘Cats that speak, they’re an abomination.’ ”

Then she turned tail and wrote a book about a talking ghost cat.

“I realized at some point that we all talk to our pets,” says Ms. Simon, 54, of Somerville, Mass. “And most of us imagine the other side of the dialogue.”

Later note: If you can't read the story on the WSJ site, you can read it here on my website.

Pub day!

Kind of like a book birthday and I'm having twins! Both "When Bunnies Go Bad" and and "The Ninth Life" are officially out today! Let's celebrate! Both are in hardcover and ebooks, with trade paperbacks to follow. (My full bibliography is here.)