Book Title: PAWS TO REMEMBER Character Name: Kathleen Paulson   How would you describe your family or your childhood? I think the best word to describe my family is eclectic. My parents are actors. My younger brother, Ethan, is a musician and my younger sister, Sarah, is a filmmaker. (Sarah and Ethan are twins.) At any given time when I was growing up, Mom and Dad could be rehearsing for a play—and staying in character twenty-four hours a day. Ethan was often practicing with his band, The Flaming Gerbils. And Sarah was helping with make-up and costumes and filming everything. It was never boring!   What was your greatest talent? I think my greatest talent was and is my ability to organize any situation. My parents and siblings are very creative people. I’m the one who always made sure we had socks, toilet paper and clean clothes. I’m also very, very good at road hockey and pinball.   Where do you live? I live in Mayville Heights, Minnesota. I came here to supervise the renovations to the library for its centennial and ended up staying. The town has been incredibly welcoming.   How do you feel about the place where…

Today we are joined by Senior Reviewer Deb Wiley, with an article all about charismatic pets as side characters in cozy mysteries, contemporary romance, and other fiction genres. Enjoy! Stories featuring pets are always a popular draw for me. Whether it involves a man borrowing someone’s dog to capture the interest of a woman, such as in Sarah Morgan’s NEW YORK, ACTUALLY, or a mysterious cat who keeps popping up at the most opportune times, such as in FINAL SHADOWS by Kay Hooper, dog and cat stories are almost guaranteed to be on my TBR shelf. But what about stories featuring some more unusual animals rather than the expected dog or cat? Here are a few of the more intriguing stories I’ve read with pets outside the norm. Kym Roberts is hands-down the winner for having the most unusual and most entertaining pet! Her Book Barn series features a bookstore owner, which already draws my attention. However, Charli Rae Warren’s pet pink armadillo, Princess, steals the show in almost every book. In KILLER CLASSICS, Princess gets a boyfriend.  I’m not going to spoil anything by saying more but if you love pets and other animals getting involved in the storylines,…

Regular readers of the Magical Cats mysteries have learned that Kathleen Paulson’s parents are actors. Kathleen’s mother, Thea, has a devoted fan base thanks to her appearances on the fictional daytime drama the Wild and the Wonderful, while her father, John’s dancing raisin commercial has become a cult classic. In THE CATS CAME BACK, Kathleen learns that singer Emme Finley, who is in town for the Wild Rose summer music festival, has a connection to Thea. They were both in the musical, Mamma Mia. I confess that I have a soft spot for movie musicals, which, in part, is why I decided Thea had to have acted in at least one. So here in no particular order, and subject to change at any time, are my top ten movie musicals. Mamma Mia. I can sing all the songs. And Meryl Streep. (What else is there to say?) Singing in the Rain Gene Kelly dancing in the rain. Magical. The Sound of Music I know this one is a little dated but it has Julie Andrews whom I’ve loved since Mary Poppins. And Do-Ra-Mi is so much fun to sing. (Kathleen and Hercules are both fans, too.) West Side Story In…

Whoever said these were our golden years, was either living on martinis on the beach or hadn’t reached the gilded age when every bone and joint in their body screamed for attention. I’ve ignored the screaming for a few years, but the noise is now coming from a woman in a white lab coat with the initials DR imprinted in front of her name. The fun of my youth (and beyond) has a price to pay, and it’s time to pay. So I’ll be taking a few months sabbatical from blogging, podcasting and writing and working on physical fitness. Unfortunately, surfing is on doc’s ‘no-no’ list for the next year—grrr. The best part of that news, however, is that I have lined up some amazing guest bloggers from July to October! As soon as I put the news out, authors came through for me in overwhelming numbers. That’s how awesome the community is;) Here is your line-up for the Cozy Corner for the rest of the summer—until we meet again in October, get cozy and read on! Rebecca Adler Karen Rose Smith Rhys Bowen Krista Davis Olivia Matthews Tina Kashian Sofie Kelly Libby Klein Jenn McKinlay Winnie Archer Lena Gregory…

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing the author of A Magical Cat Mystery series, Sofie Kelly. Her latest mystery, A TALE OF TWO KITTIES, scratched my funny bone on the very first page and I had to get the scoop on her adorable felines. I know some of our grammar junkies may be caught off-guard by the lack of capital letters in her title, but let me assure you, it’s just one more creative way the author will capture your attention. (Especially if your typing out the title and your fingers refuse to use lower case for that first letter!) About Sofie Kelly Sofie Kelly is the pseudonym of young adult writer and mixed-media artist, Darlene Ryan. Sofie/Darlene lives on the east coast with her husband and daughter. In her spare time she practices Wu style tai chi and likes to prowl around thrift stores. And she admits to having a small crush on Matt Lauer. Magical Cats | WEBSITE Kym: Hi Sofie, welcome to the Cozy Corner! Sofie: Hi Kym. Thanks for inviting me. Kym: Congratulations on your new Magical Cats Mystery release, A TALE OF TWO KITTIES! I love Hercules and Owen, can you tell readers…