Marry1My stepmother, Jillian Hart, is tying the knot with one of the best guys I know—Tom Stewart. Jillian married my dad when I was a teenager. When they moved to their dream home on Mercy Lake in South Carolina, he died suddenly. She was heartbroken and so was I, but now she has found love again and I am so happy for her. I’m certain my dad is smiling down from heaven. He adored Jillian.

I used to work for Tom when I first moved to Mercy, South Carolina, so I know he’s the right man for her. I still help him out occasionally, but now I am editor-in-chief of the town newspaper, The Mercy Messenger. Small towns still like to read their news in print, but twice a week is enough–unless something big happens. I love special editions as much as my readers do.

But my mom—yes, I think of her that way—gave me a new job: wedding planner. What fun! I guess I have been wasting my organizational skills all these years. Or maybe I just love telling folks what to do. Jillian gets distracted by any cat in trouble and the one she just took in is a handful of trouble, that’s for sure. I never knew cats could be kleptomaniacs, but this little tortoiseshell has that particular malady and I’d say it’s quite severe. My own kitties, Pulitzer and Prize, would never do anything like that. Their specialty is shredding drapes.

Even though I’ve been trying my best to keep Jillian on track, I am not having as much influence as that kitty has with her. You’d think a pretty wedding, with Jillian wearing an heirloom dress, would be enough to keep her occupied. But no. When tragedy strikes and a cat is involved in any way, shape or form, my mom is all over it. I guess I wouldn’t love her as much if this wasn’t the case. Her heart is as big as her home state of Texas.

Will I get her to the church on time? That’s the question, isn’t it?


You can read more about Kara in The Cat, The Sneak and The Secret, the 7th 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 12 a.m. eastern on August 24 for the chance to win a print copy of The Cat, The Sneak and The Secret. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be notified within 48 hours after giveaway closes and you will have three days to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected.

About the author
Leann Sweeney has written seven 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, loving and beautiful ragdoll cat, Wexford and tuxedo kitty Lynley. They make their home in South Carolina via Texas and New York. Visit Leann at www.leannsweeney.com, on Twitter or Facebook.