The cat, the vagabond the victimI am Clyde, a cat with a mission. I don’t speak on the pages of Leann Sweeney’s latest Cats in Trouble Mystery, but I thought I would make an exception for Dru Ann’s blog. She’s a special friend of Leann, my creator.

I set out on a long journey from Hilton Head Island to Mercy, South Carolina because I am one determined feline. I missed my best friend and besides, he was a very sick man when I was sent to live with his relatives. Why I was sent away is spelled out in the book, so I won’t spoil that part for you.

Cats can be as loyal as dogs, they can travel miles on end to get back to where they belong and I am no exception. You’ve heard the stories in the news, so you know it’s true. You’ll learn how I ended up with heroine Jillian Hart if you read the book, so instead I will offer a little backstory about me, Clyde. I am a big, handsome orange tabby and rescued by Shawn Cuddahee as a kitten. I was then adopted by a wonderful man. We became best friends. He needed a friend like me because his family is—what do you humans call it?–dysfunctional. I prefer crazy, but then cats always tell it like it is.

Behind Clyde's smileMy 200 mile trip wasn’t as difficult as it might have been. I know how to make friends and influence people who have cat food readily available. I’d stay for a bit at a nice home and then be off again. See, cats have the equivalent of GPS in their brains. That’s why you hear those stories about long return trips to beloved owners. It may be amazing to the public, but it’s what cats do when people mistakenly believe they’re lost—that is if certain cats are so inclined.

What I found when I returned to Mercy wasn’t what I expected. But you’ll have to read the book to find all that out. I just wanted to say hello and let you know that Leann Sweeney told my story. I appreciate her help in bringing me to life. And I don’t even require fictional treats as a thank you.


You can read more about Clyde in The Cat, The Vagabond and The Victim, the sixth book in the “Cats in Trouble” mystery series, published by Obsidian. The first book in the series is The Cat, The Quilt, And The Corpse.

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 6 p.m. eastern on August 12 for the chance to win a copy of THE CAT, THE VAGABOND AND THE VICTIM. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, unless specified.

Meet the author
Leann Sweeney has written six books in the bestselling Cats in Trouble Mystery Series and five in the Yellow Rose Mystery Series. She has been writing for more than twenty years and lives with her husband Mike, her brilliant labradoodle Rosie and two loving and beautiful ragdoll cats, Wexford and Marlowe. They make their home in upstate South Carolina via Texas and New York. Visit Leann at www.leannsweeney.com, on Twitter or Facebook.