"We are in love with this series by one of our favorite writers," begins this AWESOME review of "As Dark As My Fur"! She then goes on to use phrases like "absolutely mesmerizing" that have me positively purring. Thank you, Miss Cuddlywumps!

Pssst: You can get it NOW here (at a discount too)

#FelineFriday again!

Portrait of the kitty as a philosopher. Share yours!

As Dark As My Fur

A black cat, a lone girl, and a city full of trouble... Did you know you can pre-order AS DARK AS MY FUR on Amazon? Yup! Here https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Fur-Blackie-Care-Mystery/dp/0727886827/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484851421&sr=8-1&keywords=As+Dark+As+My+Fur

Going dark

Readers may have noticed a trend in my writing - I've been going darker. From the gentle cozies of Theda Krakow ("Mew is for Murder") and Dulcie Schwartz ("Into the Grey"), I went to the sardonic sass of Pru Marlowe ("When Bunnies Go Bad") and then the black cat-noir chat of "The Ninth Life." The sequel to "The Ninth Life," called "As Dark As My Fur," will be out soon (it's available from the UK here!). But next up is a book so dark it doesn't even have cats in it! To be called "World Enough," it's my rock and roll mystery, set in the underground music scene of Boston in the 1980s, and Severn House will publish it in October. I'm working on a soundtrack, and I'll have photos of the real thing to post as publication gets closer. But don't worry, cat cozy fans! I've now gone dark enough that I've realized I want to balance things out. I've got a new kitty cozy in the works, too. Light and dark together – that's what makes a writer happy. This one, anyway!

PW says "Hypnotic!"

As Dark As My Fur is "hypnotic," according to Publishers Weekly! Wow, what a welcome home! Here's the entire review (to run in the Jan. 23 Publishers Weekly):

As Dark as My Fur: A Blackie and Care Mystery, Clea Simon. Severn, $28.99 (208p) ISBN 978-0-7278-8682-8

Readers who enjoy the prickly pleasure of stepping into a strange alternate universe will welcome Simon’s hypnotic second Blackie and Care mystery (after 2015’s The Ninth Life), set in a blighted unnamed city. Bands of gangsters control the various neighborhoods, bartering is more common than the use of money, and the mostly illiterate masses have to scavenge to eke out a living. Pink-haired teen Carrie “Care” Wright, an apprentice private detective, navigates this treacherous world aided by Blackie, a cat she rescued from drowning. Blackie, the narrator, is no ordinary cat. His consciousness contains not only his feline instincts but also flashes of memories from his past life as a human. When a factory owner hires Care, who has been in charge of the detective agency since her mentor’s murder, to shadow one of his workers, Blackie fears something isn’t quite right. Since he can’t talk, he can do little to warn Care of his misgivings. The novel perilously walks the line between dream and nightmare.

"That means the President doesn't like you, Mommy."

I want to get this down while I still remember it: At dinner in Baltimore on Friday night, we realized the table next to ours was also filled with marchers (the "Love Trumps Hate" buttons were the giveaway). They were family (adult sisters) and friends from Texas – Austin and San Antonio – who had flown in for the march. One woman said her young son had come from school saying "President Trump doesn't like Mexicans." She told him, "I'm Mexican," and he said, "That means the president doesn't like you," and started to cry. This is not acceptable, people. Just not. DJT has not made much policy yet, but he ran – and won – on a platform that encourages people to say things like this to young children. And that, right there, is enough. And then they shared photos of their daughters, who had made signs for the Austin/San Antonio marches! One protest, no matter how big, will not change things. But there are millions of us. Millions. If we can keep the pressure up, we will scare some legislators into doing the right thing. We will support the ones who are with us. And by god in two years and in four years and in all the little, local elections between, we will make our voices heard. I fear we were complacent this time. Never again.

Why We March

We don't have to be negative. We don't have to be "against" anyone or "for" anyone. We can simply say WE ARE HERE! And so I am marching today to let everyone know that I have a voice – and that girls and women can be the heroines of their own stories! #WhyIMarch

#FelineFriday anyone?

There's so much else going on, let's all tune into our cats for a little peace of mind, shall we? I'm declaring this #FelineFriday and asking you to share your kitty photos here and on other social media.

Congrats to the nominees!

Do you know about the Edgars? You should! It's one of the most prestigious awards presented in the mystery/crime fiction community BY the mystery/crime fiction community. No, I'm not among them (this year), but I want to send a BIG shout-out to this year's nominees! Check these authors out!

Best novel: The Ex by Alafair Burke (HarperCollins Publishers – Harper)
Where It Hurts by Reed Farrel Coleman (Penguin Random House – G.P. Putnam's Sons)
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye (Penguin Random House – G.P. Putnam's Sons)
What Remains of Me by Alison Gaylin (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
Before the Fall by Noah Hawley (Hachette Book Group – Grand Central Publishing)

More here...

Happy new BOOK!

Happy new year, all! And happy news for me - my first "edgy urban noir" (my editor's words) has been accepted. Look for WORLD ENOUGH to be published by Severn House on June 30 (UK)/Oct. 1 (US). It's very different from my previous mysteries (my husband calls it my first "R-rated novel"), with a much harder edge. I call it my rock-world mystery, as it jumps back and forth between the Boston club scene of the '80s and more recent times, and there isn't a cat in sight. Cozy lovers, please don't worry - I love cat cozies and always hope to write them as well, but this was a book that needed to come out. And now I know it will! More info as I have it, but what a way to start the new year!

Hope yours is healthy, happy, and fulfilling!