A New “Cat About Town”

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By Liz, wondering when the heck I’m going to get my Christmas shopping done! How did it get to be almost mid-December?

Yes, it’s the most wonderful – and busiest – time of the year. This year, even more so because of some exciting news. I’ve asked my pal Junkyard Johnny to pop in for this announcement. He’s been anxiously awaiting this moment, as seen here:

JohnnyCakes

Okay, so here goes – I’m so excited to share with all of you that I’m going to be writing a second series, the Cat About Town, for St. Martin’s Press under the name Cate Conte! Note – The Cat About Town is modeled after Johnny. For those of you who don’t know his story, he was rescued from a junkyard in New Hampshire back in 2003. So after that humble start, he’s thrilled to be on the fast track to stardom.

In addition to Johnny’s alter ego, the series features Maddie James, a twenty-something entrepreneur who has just returned to her hometown, Daybreak Island, a fictional island off the coast of Massachusetts. Maddie’s spent the last ten years in San Francisco dabbling in successful business ventures. She loves her life, but has been yearning for home especially after she hears of the tourism troubles her beloved island is facing. Earlier in the year, the president of the island’s Chamber of Commerce died in a tragic car accident, and the board can’t settle on a replacement. Not to mention the state is cutting funding for tourism overall, which leaves the island in a precarious position. Maddie’s long since had the idea of bringing some San Francisco culture to her hometown, so she jumps on the opportunity to start up a business on Daybreak. She recruits her pal Ethan Birdsong, an esteemed gelato maker who studied in Italy, to return with her and they make plans to open a shop that will also feature healthy smoothies. Maddie’s vision is to elevate the perception of the island by attracting younger, more hip residents and business owners, and ultimately help the island reach the status of premier vacation spot on the east coast.

Maddie’s business acumen precedes her, and before she knows it, she’s elected president of the newly-formed Daybreak Island Business Association. With the presidency comes two key responsibilities: successfully organizing the upcoming food stroll (which she’s got about three weeks to pull off) and negotiating with the president of the mainland Chamber of Commerce, who wants the association to merge with his group. Neither of these things make Maddie particularly happy – especially when she gets a taste of Frank O’Malley, the sketchy Chamber president.

But she’s not the only one who’s not a fan of Frank. This becomes apparent when her new friend, the Cat About Town, sniffs out his dead body under one of the food stroll tents a couple of hours before the event is scheduled to kick off (and immediately following a contentious meeting with Maddie).

Suspects abound, but the cops have their eye on an “outsider” – Maddie’s business partner. Now she’s in a race against time to prove them wrong – AND reschedule the food stroll before the island’s reputation is as dead as Frank. With the help of her Grandpa Leo (the retired police chief) and some other quirky pals, Maddie has to figure out who the real killer is before she finds herself out of business – for good.

10541952_914577361905352_8714990119533756205_nSo that’s the set-up and a quick summary. There’s plenty more mayhem, romance and other fun stuff I haven’t mentioned. I’m still tossing around titles, but am tentatively calling the book Fatal Food Stroll. I don’t have a pub date yet, but am presuming it will be early 2016. I’m having a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you’ll all check it out! Johnny says thanks a lot 🙂

 

Published by Cate Conte / Liz Mugavero

Cate Conte writes the Cat Cafe Mysteries and the Full Moon Mysteries. As Liz Mugavero, she writes the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, the first of which was an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. She lives in the Boston area with her rescue pals.

42 Thoughts

  2. Yay, awesome! I knew you had a new series in the works, but I didn’t know all these details. It sounds like a very fun cozy series and first book. I love Ethan’s last name, too. And of course, where else does day break except the east coast? Congratulations!

  9. I’m going to have trouble not only keeping up with reading all your books but also all your identities.

    Seriously, however, this sounds like a lot of fun to me. Can’t wait to read it!

  10. Congratulations on the new series Liz and Johnny. Sounds like it is going to be another winner and I can’t wait to read it. Happy holidays and happy writing..

  12. Congratulations, and I’m looking forward to this. Johnny is one beautiful cat.

  13. Congratulations, Liz — sounds delightful! My hunny found himself head of the local chamber barely six months after moving here, when the locals split into factions and a couple of merchants thought “let’s see what the new guy can do!” So it really does happen!

      1. Well, there was the time when he couldn’t find anyone to publicize the “Ducks for Bucks” fundraiser and ended up marching in the 4th of July Parade in a duck suit — on the hottest day of the year! And then enduring all the jokes about his name — Don, or Donald!

  14. Yay Liz – or should I say Cate. Sounds like a wonderful idea for a series – I’ll be waiting!

  19. Congratulations! How wonderful for you! And since you are entering into food writing,I hope you will come in and do a book-release spot on my cooking and entertaining blog when the time comes.After all, I snagged you for the writers’ blog already!
    The invitation is open-ended, just give me a sign …or I’ll be after you!
    I wish you and Johnny all the best!

  22. Can’t wait to this new series! I truly enjoy Liz’s mystery series!! Just gotta remember the pseudonym. Junkyard Johnny looks like my Diego & Dewy! Brothers… Rescued, of course. My favorite breed!!

  23. I just got my book Cat About town. Going to start reading it now. Nice to meet you Johnny.

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