Hello, friends. I am so happy see you again.

I know when we last talked I told you I was sticking to my pet therapy practice and staying far away from any mystery-solving. And that’s exactly what I told Laguna Beach detective, Judd Malone, and my mama, and my friend, Sam. And though I don’t think any of them believed me, I sure as shootin’ meant it.

But. . .then I got involved with this very worthy cause, Warriors for the Paws. You see, we lose military veterans to suicide at a staggering rate and this group has been extremely successful at matching rescue dogs with veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They train the dogs and work with the veterans to get them comfortable with the handling their dog. I love what they do!

My friend, Diana Knight, a former Hollywood leading lady turned avid animal activist, asked for my help with a fundraiser for Warriors for the Paws called Barking with the Stars. I was happy to help and I’m here to tell you, there are a ton of stars who have stepped up!

We have this big star, Purple, who wears her hair so you never really see her face. (Her dog, a Lhasa Apso sports the same “do.’) There are also other big celebrities and their canine companions who need calming. That’s my job, to calm the canines and their owners. Mostly the owners. We’ve only made it through dress rehearsal so far and tongues are wagging. That’s mostly because my ex-husband, Geoffrey, has been stirring up trouble.

There are also some issues with our favorite octogenarian, Betty Foxx, whose curiosity about what Purple really looks like under all that hair causes some complications. Plus, in additional to the celebrities there are a variety of pretty intense Purple fans on site. Some of them even dress up to look like the star. You can imagine the confusion that creates. As we get ready for the event there are so many challenges. But this is such a great cause that, as they say in show business, the show must go on!

I hope you’ll come along on this latest adventure as I learn that in the world of stars and fans and murder, nothing and no one is ever quite like they seem at first.


You can read more about Caro in Barking with the Stars, the 9th book in the “Pampered Pets” mystery series.

Lights! Camera! Murder!

A star-studded fundraiser to help provide service dogs for wounded warriors sets tongues wagging . . . about Caro Lamont, pet therapist to the stars.

Caro’s ex-husband Geoffrey is spreading rumors about her competence and snuggling up to the biggest stars, including Purple – the temperamental diva, who’s the lynchpin of the celebrity line-up. All too soon, Caro is losing clients, her reputation, and patience with Geoffrey’s shenanigans.

More trouble is unleashed when the high-strung headliner is found dead and Geoffrey was seen leaving her hotel room. With a potential killer on the loose, Caro is hounded by questions about who had reason to want Purple out of the picture. Though all the evidence points to her ex, Caro believes the police are on the wrong trail.

Even if her sleuthing puts her in the doghouse with Detective Judd Malone, Caro must dig up the truth before the real killer gets away with murder.

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Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win copy of Barking With The Stars, either Kindle/Nook (open to everyone) or print (U.S. residents only), winner’s choice. The giveaway will end January 3, 2018. Good luck everyone!

About the author
Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. They write the bestselling pet mystery series which features whodunits set in the wacky world of pampered pets, precious pedigrees, and secrets. Barking with the Stars is the 9th book in their Pampered Pets mystery series. They chose to use Sparkle Abbey as the pen name on this series because they liked the idea of combining the names of their two rescue pets – Sparkle (ML’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog).

They love to hear from readers and can be contacted via their website: sparkleabbey.com or you can always find them on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

All comments are welcomed.