Sometimes the best way to know a person is by asking questions, where you can learn more about what makes them tick. Let’s see who we have today.

What is your name?
– –  Cassandra Patricia McGlone

How old are you?
– –  Late twenties

What is your profession?
– –  Entrepreneur—I run a feline grooming and boarding business, Cassie’s Comfy Cats.

Do you have a significant other?
– –  I’ve been seeing someone steadily for a few months.

What is his name?
– –  Dr. Mark Coccia

What is his profession?
– –  Veterinarian

Any children?
– –  No, neither of us.

Cats, dogs or other pets?
– –  I have three cats of my own: Cole (black), Matisse (calico) and Mango (orange tabby). All rescues of one kind or another.

What town do you live in?
– –  Chadwick, New Jersey. It’s a small town in the northwest part of the state.

Do you rent or own?
– –  I own the building, which has my shop on the first floor and my apartment on the second.

House or building complex?
– –  At one point, around 1900, it was a private home.

What is your favorite spot in your house?
– –  My living room. It has a big window on the street (where I grow cat-safe plants), bookcases, art on the walls and some high shelves so the cats can climb.

Who is your best friend?
– –  Dawn Tischler, who runs the health-food shop Nature’s Way a few blocks from me. I knew her in high school, and though we went to different colleges we always kept in touch. She influenced me to open my business in Chadwick.

Amateur sleuth or professional?
– –  Strictly amateur!

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
– –  I may collaborate with someone who’s got a personal stake in the case, but I also get along pretty well with Det. Angela Bonelli of the Chadwick PD. At first she wasn’t crazy about my poking around in her homicide investigations, but she’s come to accept that people might confide things to me that they won’t tell a cop.

Favorite meal?
– –  That would be a tie between the chicken-and-spinach artisan pizza at Slice of Heaven and the pad thai at Kin Khao. Both are restaurants in downtown Chadwick, of course.

Favorite dessert?
– –  A really primo chocolate brownie from Cottone’s Bakery.

Favorite hobby?
– –  I studied art in college, and while I don’t have time to paint any more I still enjoy popping into a gallery now and then. Mark and I also share a love of jazz, and sometimes go to a local spot to hear it live.

Favorite vacation spot?
– –  Vacation? Who’ll watch the clients’ cats? Right now, I can’t take off more than a couple of days at a stretch. I’d like to get back to the Jersey shore sometime. . .haven’t hit the beach in a while.

Favorite color?
– –  Purple. I use that and hot pink in my signs and other advertising.

Favorite author?
– –  Sue Grafton. I guess there’s a small part of me that still wants to grow up to be Kinsey Millhone.

Favorite sports team?
– –  Don’t really follow any. Not even the ones with names like Wildcats, Panthers or Cougars.

Movies or Broadway?
– –  Can’t afford Broadway (not even “Cats”). In movies or plays at local theaters, though, I like mysteries, thrillers and smart comedies.

Are you a morning or a night person?
– –  Morning, which is ironic, because my clients are more nocturnal.

In two to three sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
– – On a work day, my assistant Sarah and I tend to the boarders and to other cats dropped off just for grooming. If I’m investigating a case, Sarah can cover for me while I make phone calls, email people, do research on my laptop, and go talk to sources or to Det. Bonelli in person. In the evening, if Mark and I aren’t too tired from our jobs, we may get together for dinner at a local restaurant, or his place, or mine. Even a busy cat groomer/sleuth needs some time to kick back and relax!

You can read about Cassie in The Bengal Identity, the second book in the “Cat Groomer” mystery series.The first book in the series is The Persian Always Meows Twice.

Everyone knows a leopard can’t change its spots. But can a thief hide the spots on a catnapped Bengal? Groomer Cassie McGlone is about to find out . . .

With no ID for his pet, an agitated young man shows up at Cassie’s Comfy Cats claiming his house has burned down and he needs to board his big, brown cat, Ayesha. But after a bath washes dye out of the cat’s coat and reveals beautiful spots, Cassie suspects the exotic-looking feline may in fact be a valuable Bengal show cat, possibly stolen. At the same time, there are rumored sightings of a “wild cat” in the hills of Chadwick, New Jersey. Could there be a connection?

When Ayesha’s alleged owner turns up dead, it looks like whoever wants the beautiful Bengal is not pussyfooting around. Working with the police, Cassie and her staff need to be careful not to reveal the purloined purebred’s whereabouts while they discreetly make inquiries to cat breeders to find her real owners. But after a break-in attempt rattles Cassie’s cage, it’s clear someone let the cat out of the bag. And when a second body is found, it’s up to Cassie to spot the killer, who may be grooming her to be the next victim . . .

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About the author
Eileen Watkins worked for daily newspapers for most of her career, writing and editing stories on fine art, architecture, interior design, and home improvement. She has also published paranormal mystery and suspense novels. A confirmed “Jersey Girl,” she prefers older houses, has always shared her home with at least one cat, and makes frequent visits to the nearest riding stable. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.

Visit her at www.efwatkins.com or on Facebook as E. F. Watkins.

All comments are welcomed.