According to the Bible, laughter has medicinal effects. I can’t deny this truth. I’ve often been in situations where I’ve laughed myself silly (or hardy-har-har-harred until I couldn’t see straight). Never once did I stop laughing to remind myself that my life was overflowing with heartache and pain. Nope. I just kept right on laughing until I wore myself out. I’ve come to the conclusion that something rather magical happens the moment laughter is released: We are incapable of holding onto the negatives. It’s as if laughter and negativity cannot reside in the same place at the same time. One pushes the other to the farthest corner of the room. Why all of this talk about laughter and pain? Because my job as a novelist calls these things into question daily. Many times I ask myself the question: “Why are you writing such silly, fluffy stories? Don’t you know there are serious issues going on in the world? Can’t you see that people are hurting? Why don’t you write something that will impact the reader in the deepest, darkest places so that their lives can be transformed?” My answer? “I do!” I write books—lighthearted, wonky books—that cause people to step…

In my upcoming release SILENT NIGHT SHADOWS, the heroine Claire Phillips has to face her past and realize that while she’s not the same person she once was, she isn’t as different as she thought… I’d love to say that learning such things is confined to fiction. But the truth? The truth is we have to do that in real life all the time. One thing I love about writing fiction is the opportunity it gives me as a writer to process issues in my own life through my stories. I take whatever I’m wrestling with, feed it into a fictional character, which changes the issue to something nothing like that I’m facing personally, and then use my emotions to help the character grow and change through that. And in the process? I grow and change as well. Writing SILENT NIGHT SHADOWS was that way for me. Claire Phillips’ journey starts when she is reunited with a college friend who is wrong for her in more ways than she can count. Claire used to be a rock climbing adventurer, but life started to feel too unsafe to her, and she’s shut down that side of herself in favor of a…

Food plays an important role in the Magical Cats Mysteries. Kathleen Paulson can often be found making treats for her friends as well as for her two cats, Owen and Hercules. The boys’ favorite treat has to be Kathleen’s homemade sardine crackers, also known as Stinky Crackers. If you decide to try these for your own cat, please remember there’s a reason they’re called Stinky Crackers. You might want to open a window (or two) when they’re cooking. Stinky Crackers 1 can sardines packed in spring water 1 T shredded cheddar cheese* 1 cup fine, whole wheat bread crumbs 1 beaten egg 1 T vegetable oil Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash the sardines in their liquid in a medium bowl. Add egg, oil, cheese and bread crumbs. Mix well. Mixture will be crumbly. Shape into 24 small balls. If the mixture will not hold together add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until it will. Place balls on an ungreased baking sheet and press down lightly on the top of each one with a fork. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until golden. Watch carefully; they burn easily. Cool and store in an air-tight container *Many cats are lactose-intolerant….