Waking up alone isn’t easy when you’re used to having someone there. There was a time when I, Ashley Cordelia Branson—Ash to everyone but my mother—had my entire life planned out. I worked at the family business, Branson Designs. I was going to get married to my then boyfriend, Drew Hinton, who I’d dated since forever. We were going to have the requisite two kids and live happily ever after.
But that wasn’t me.
In a flurry of life moves that left even my head spinning, I broke up with Drew, got my own apartment, and quit working at Branson Designs so I could open my very own cat yoga studio, A Purrfect Pose. I’m due to open in just a few days and to say I’m nervous would be an understatement.
My apartment is small, but it’s mine. It’s also still full of moving boxes because I’m terrified the studio is going to fail. If that were to happen, I’d be right back at Branson Designs under Cecilia Branson’s thumb. I’d say I’d also be living with Drew again, but he’s now seeing Ginny Riese, who still insists I’m trying to win him back, despite constant reassurances I have no intention of getting back together with him.
I take some time to ready myself for the day and then head to the Cardinal Lake animal shelter to check in with Kiersten Vanhouser, who is supplying the adoptable cats who will be available—and assisting—at A Purrfect Pose. We go over how the adoption applications will work and what the requirements for adoption will be, and then I make the trek to the square downtown where A Purrfect Pose will soon open.
Next door to my studio is a dog groomer, Bark and Style. Across the square itself sits Branson Designs, where most of my family works.
Well, the Branson side of the family anyway.
My parents split years ago, with Dad—Wayne Daniels—marrying my high school best friend, Kara. Yeah, that one still gets me. Cecilia doesn’t seem to mind, which I find strange, but then again, my family is strange. My sister, Alexi—or Alexandra Lee Branson to our mother—is busy at work, while my brother, Hunter—Reginald Hunter Daniels—is off around town getting into who knows what. He tends to find himself on the wrong side of the law too often for my tastes. Police Chief Dan Higgins has it out for him, and likely would have Hunter locked up already if it wasn’t for Officer Olivia Chase, whose brother is married to Alexi. It’s good to have family in high places.
Once I finish up setting up at A Purrfect Pose, I plan on going down to the local diner, the Hop, for lunch. From there, I’ll probably be back, practicing my yoga and stressing myself out at the studio. What if no one comes? What if something happens and the cats don’t like my students? Or worse, what if someone gets hurt?
The stress is getting to me, which is why I am going to a local pub, Snoot’s on the Lake, with my friends later tonight. Spending time with Sierra, Aaron, Bri, and Henna always makes me feel better.
Well, I’d best get to practicing. Everyone might have heard of the Downward Dog, but that doesn’t mean I won’t need to be at the top of my game when it comes to showing my students how to do it!
If anyone shows up, that is . . .
A Pose Before Dying, A Cat Yoga Mystery Book #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: May 2024
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link
Fledgling entrepreneur Ashley Branson is thrilled to open her dream business—a cat yoga studio. But helping clients find balance and felines find homes soon becomes one unhealthy exercise in murder . . .
Ashley Branson has a lot to prove with her new cat yoga studio, A Purrfect Pose. It’s a place for humans to find inner wellness—and adopt adorable cats from the local shelter. It’s also a chance for Ash to run her own life, out from under her overbearing mother and a stifling relationship. So far, so successful. Until she discovers one of her new clients, a much-disliked college professor, dead in her studio, locked in child’s pose . . .
To make matters worse, Ash’s hapless always-in-trouble brother, Hunter, instantly becomes the cops’ prime suspect. Determined to clear his name and save her business, Ash does a deep lunge into the surprising—and strange—connections the victim had with her other clients. But countless suspects, contradictory leads, not to mention people desperate to see her studio shut down, mean Ash will have to stretch to the max to outthink a clever killer who’s ready to strike her red in tooth and claw . . .
About the author
Alex Erickson is the author of the Bookstore Café, the Furever Pets, and the Cat Yoga mysteries. He lives in Ohio, doesn’t like to talk about himself (see: bio) and can be found online at alexericksonbooks.com.