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Must Love Cats
1
Feb
10
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Join me in welcoming my good friend, Kate Carlisle to Murder She Writes! Kate’s first book, HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER, featuring the bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright, hit the New York Times extended list, catapulting Kate into the ranks of National Bestselling Author. And you know what? She still has coffee or lunch with me! Kate rocks, and she tolerates my petty jealousy with amazing good humor! Kate’s highly anticipated second book, IF BOOKS COULD KILL is hitting the stores tomorrow. You don’t want to miss this second book in this dynamite cozy mystery series! Be sure to leave a comment for Kate today and you’ll be entered in the drawing to win a copy of IF BOOKS COULD KILL!

When I first saw the cover art for If Books Could Kill, the second book of my Bibliophile Mysteries series, I was thrilled to see a cat on the cover. Isn’t he handsome? Let’s call him Sean Cattery. Can you tell that he meows with a Scottish accent and feasts on haggis? If Books Could Kill is set in Edinburgh, Scotland, my favorite city in the world, and this cat plays a small but pivotal role. Mostly I was excited because I know that many mystery readers love cats.

I started to wonder why so many cats are featured in mysteries. I have a theory about one reason: Most cats are pathologically sociopathic, and we mystery lovers find that fascinating. (Let us pause for a moment so I can congratulate myself on using the phrase “pathologically sociopathic” in a sentence!)

Sociopathic cats have an utter disregard for humans, except as we relate to feeding and massaging them. There’s none of that canine eagerness to please. When I think of cats, I always think of a cartoon where the dog is panting and excited to see his humans come home while the cat is thinking, “Day seven hundred and fifty-two of captivity…” Dogs live to serve humans; cats live to be served. No wonder the ancient Egyptians worshipped them — cats demanded it!

We’re entranced by cats because they don’t need us.

(Whoa! Major flashback to high school!!! I had such a crush on the cutest boy in school, who never even looked at me until he needed help with his homework. And by “help,” I mean he needed someone to do it for him. He was too lazy even to copy. He wanted me to fake his handwriting. I think it says a lot about my moral fortitude that I…did it for him. Yep. Whatever he wanted, as long as he kept looking at me with those smoldering eyes. I bowed to his every wish. Seriously, who has moral fortitude under those circumstances?!)

Cats are sexy. When’s the last time you heard of a woman dressing up like a dog for Halloween? Not me! I don’t want to go to parties and have guys pointing at me from across the room saying, “That dog over there.” But slap some little pointy ears on my head and draw attention to my cute little button nose with some strategically placed whiskers, and I feel like — dare I say it? — a sex kitten! I might even change my name to Kitty if a certain old-timey actress/singer hadn’t already claimed the name Kitty Carlisle for all eternity.

The term “cat burglar” has a certain romantic allure, doesn’t it? The naughty rogue, the gentleman criminal. He’s not a bad guy, he’s someone to be admired and envied. A sophisticated sociopath. Cats often try to get away with something…and usually succeed.

Unlike dogs, cats travel alone. Somehow, their solitary nature adds to the mystery of a cat. Few cats can be trained to come when you call. Oh, they’ll come sometimes, but it’s a coincidence. They don’t come because a human has called; they come only because they feel like it.

Why do you think cats are so popular in mysteries? Have you ever encountered a sociopathic cat? Tell me about it! Or have you known cats who disprove my theory? (I’ll let you in on a little secret — the cat in If Books Could Kill is very cuddly.)

Don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing to win a copy of IF BOOKS COULD KILL!

© 2010, Jennifer Lyon. All rights reserved.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 1:00 am and is filed under Guest Bloggers. Tags: , . You can feed this entry. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Award winning author, Jennifer Lyon, always wanted to be a witch. Since her witch-powers never materialized, she went onto Plan B and now she creates magic in her books. In her new series, the author of the acclaimed Samantha Shaw Mystery Series (written as Jennifer Apodaca) introduces the Witch Hunters, legendary men who must overcome a curse to team up with witches and fight evil.

54 comments to “Must Love Cats”

  1. 1

    Hi Jen and Kate,
    Congrats on the new release, Kate. I have no idea why cats are so popular in mysteries. Luckily I have not crossed paths with a sociopathic cat.

    by Jane February 1st, 2010 at 1:39 am
  2. 2

    It’s because you can talk to a cat and work out all the details of a mystery and the cat will agree with you with a shake of their head.

    Congrats on your upcoming release. Looking forward to reading the second book in the series.

    by Dru February 1st, 2010 at 7:51 am
  3. 3

    Jane, Thanks for the congrats! And congrats to you, too, on using “sociopathic cat” in a sentence. See if you can work it into a conversation later today, and then come back and tell us about it. LOL!

    Dru, Great answer! That’s true. When you talk to a cat, they tilt their heads, squint their eyes, and when you’ve got something wrong, they’ll yawn and turn their heads away. It’s kind of like playing “You’re getting warmer – ooh, no, colder – okay, warmer again…”

    By the way, everyone, if you’re on Facebook, come check out my fan page: Facebook.com/KateCarlisleBooks.

    by Kate Carlisle February 1st, 2010 at 8:05 am
  4. 4

    Hi Kate,
    Love your cover for If Books Could Kill. Congratulations on the new release. I think there is probably a high proportion of cat lovers who also happen to be bibliophiles (I can think of several in my own family), so you’re onto something here. Good luck!

    by Laura Griffin February 1st, 2010 at 9:43 am
  5. 5

    Hi Kate! Congrats on the release of IF BOOKS COULD KILL!

    I think the reason we so frequently see cats in mysteries is because cats themselves are so mysterious. Dogs are very “what you see is what you get” but cats tend to be more aloof, not “showing their hand” if you will. My neighbor had a “psycho cat” (her name for it) that fit the sociopathic label perfectly. That cat was scary!

    by pjpuppymom February 1st, 2010 at 9:56 am
  6. 6

    My sister had a cat named Jaws, type casting, she would attack anything that moved. Love cats and mysteries and cats in mysteries. My mysteries have a cat named Chaos. Congrats on the great cover and the new release. Carol

    by Carol Shenold February 1st, 2010 at 10:08 am
  7. 7

    I, personally, think that cat’s, while being totally aloof and eminate a complete disregard for humans unless they need something, are also beings of detailed observation. My mind comes to the Chesire Cat in Alice and Wonderland. He knew much more than he led on and used that as his personal entertainment by speaking in riddles and eluding to answers to questions asked of him. I think cats represent a source of information that one has a very difficult time extracting said information from. They are a tease. In essence, I see cats as a symbol of how evidence can be right in front of you, but you have to put the puzzle together to figure out what they are trying to tell you. And I completely agree with the sociopathic reference to them, which makes them even more difficult to figure out.

    by Andi February 1st, 2010 at 10:25 am
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    Congratulations Kate. This book looks wonderful. Cats are always a mystery and so aloof and independent. Their personalities and ways are always amusing and curious.

    by ruth February 1st, 2010 at 10:47 am
  9. 9

    Kate, I’m so happy you agreed to blog with us today!

    I’m not a cat person as I always have the uneasy feeling that they are smarter than me and somehow jerking my chain.

    But that makes them great for mysteries! You know know if they are showing you a clue or a red herring :-)

    I absolutely loved HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER! And I’m looking forward to IF BOOKS COULD KILL.

    by Jennifer Lyon February 1st, 2010 at 11:14 am
  10. 10

    Kate – Congrats on the new release. I can’t wait to read it.

    I’m not sure why cats are so popular in books. I just happen to love them. A house isn’t a home without one or two.

    by HollyD February 1st, 2010 at 11:18 am
  11. 11

    Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone! I’m having such a great time!

    by Kate Carlisle February 1st, 2010 at 11:43 am
  12. 12

    Hi Kate!

    Your series sounds wonderful, but I can’t really comment on the cats. I’m (gasp) a dog person. Plus my hubby is allergic to cats. Although I can relate to the cute guy story. I let my unattainable hottie copy from me in Spanish class and I hated it when people cheated, except for him. Good luck with the new book!

    by Janel February 1st, 2010 at 11:54 am
    • 12.1

      Ah, el amor!

      Don’t get me wrong. I do love dogs. I just don’t find them particularly mysterious. LOL With dogs, what you see is what you get. When they’re happy, you know it.

      Thanks so much for the good luck wishes! I’ll take all the positive energy I can get!

      by Kate Carlisle February 1st, 2010 at 12:12 pm
  13. 13

    Kate, such a great new cover! Meeting you last year was one of the highlights. Hope we get to hang out more in ’10!!

    by sophie littlefield February 1st, 2010 at 12:18 pm
    • 13.1

      I hope so, too, Sophie!!! I feel all warm and fuzzy now… much like a cat?

      by Kate Carlisle February 1st, 2010 at 12:49 pm
      • 13.1.1

        Am I allowed to reply to myself? Because I feel I must chastise myself for neglecting to mention Sophie’s Edgar nomination for best first book! Congratulations, Sophie!!! That’s such a big deal, I need to make a point of mentioning it every time I see you online or in person. Yay, you!!!

        by Kate Carlisle February 1st, 2010 at 1:21 pm
  14. 14

    Hi Kate, congrats on your new release! You are right about one thing there are a lot of cats in mysteries! Maybe its because they are a mystery to most people. Don’t you wonder what they are thinking.

    by Quilt Lady February 1st, 2010 at 1:21 pm
  15. 15

    The cat in your book is cuddly? Awww, that’s the best kind. Of course, cats are only cuddly if they choose to be. That’s one of the great things about cats–they are so forecefully independent. Maybe that’s why so many of them are involved in solving mysteries. Good luck on your new book.

    by GSM February 1st, 2010 at 1:56 pm
  16. 16

    Cats lend themselves to the mysterious just by being. They are such unknown creatures. You can tell what a dog is thinking most of the time. But cats are inner creatures, their thoughts are their own.

    by Jill James February 1st, 2010 at 2:09 pm
  17. 17

    Hi, Kate and welcome to MSW! I’m owed by two cats. One is a Maine Coon and I have ever experienced an animal with such exceptional intelligence, cunning and butt-headedness in my life. His saving grace is, he loves me *almost* as much as he loves himself.

    by Karin Tabke February 1st, 2010 at 5:05 pm
  18. 18

    Hi Kate. I must admit I like cats, but I’m a dog person at heart. My favorite cat though, is Sissy from Homeward Bound. Did you see that movie? Too funny. Sally Field did an excellent job of voicing that cat. She was amazing.

    I look forward to checking out your books.

    by Erika February 1st, 2010 at 5:11 pm
    • 18.1

      Hi, Erika! I haven’t seen that movie, but I’ll have to check it out. I do love a good Disney flick, just missed that one somehow. I love pretty much everything Sally Fields has ever done… including the Flying Nun. I like her. I really, really like her!

      by Kate Carlisle February 1st, 2010 at 5:21 pm
  19. 19

    Of course, a Bibliophile or book lover would need a cat. Once a cat is resting on its favorite part of your person, he is set for the evening’s reading pleasure. A dog would be bouncing around demanding attention and would detract from the reading.

    by hHester Sturrock February 1st, 2010 at 5:28 pm
  20. 20

    Kate! What an amazing cover! Congratulations!

    by Debra Webb February 1st, 2010 at 5:55 pm
  21. 21

    Thank you, Debra!!! I have really lucked out in the cover department. The colors are so rich and eyecatching. I got a sneak peek this week at the cover of Book 3 in the Bibliophiles series, which is due out in November, and it makes me smile, too.

    by Kate Carlisle February 1st, 2010 at 6:42 pm
  22. 22

    I have a Bengal cat named Tiger Lily who is a bookstore cat. She hangs out and supervises my work. She makes sure I take “pet” breaks. I love cats and I enjoy reading mysteries featuring them!

    by Jo Ann Hakola February 1st, 2010 at 7:00 pm
  23. 23

    What a great post, Kate!! and the book is faboo………..LOVE it!

    on the sociopathic cat front. Yes, I have met one. He belonged to one Susan Mallery. And he bristled and snarled at me like a Bengal Tiger….oh yeah. He won that confrontation.

    And since Jake has since crossed over the Rainbow Bridge…I know he’s up there right now, regaling other cats of his ilk with the story of how he took on a tall blond writer and won.

    by Maureen Child February 1st, 2010 at 9:06 pm
  24. 24

    Kate, just wanted to pop in and thank you so much again for guest blogging today! It’s always a pleasure to have you here at MSWs!

    by Jen Lyon February 1st, 2010 at 10:41 pm
  25. 25

    Hi Kate, I hope i’m not too late to congrats you :)

    I had A cat, the nice one though. i remember that she hardly ‘miaw’. only the her eyes always spoke to us.

    why is the cat so popular ? i guess it will be a mystery :)

    by Mariska February 2nd, 2010 at 3:08 am
  26. 26

    I think cats are popular in mysteries (and paranormals too) because they’re secreative animals and that lends well to the whole mystery air.

    Most cats like me so no, I haven’t met a sociopathic cat before but I did own a cat a few years ago that disproves your theory. She lived to please, constantly wanted attention (even from the dogs), and would groom my other cat whenever she would let her.

    by Ladytink_534 February 2nd, 2010 at 3:10 am
  27. 27

    Just sneaking back in to say thank you so much to Jennifer and the MSW gang and everyone who stopped by to visit for a fabulous, fun day!! Thanks!

    by Kate Carlisle February 2nd, 2010 at 10:18 am