Hi, cozy reader friends! This is DeAnna Drake, author of the Purr-fect Relic Cozy Mysteries, and today is extra special for me—I’m celebrating the release of Whiskers and Ciphers, the sixth book in the series, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be back to share a little peek behind the scenes of how I write these stories.
When I first sat down to brainstorm the Purr-fect Relic series, I knew two things for certain: there would be an offbeat antique shop filled with Egyptian artifacts, and there would absolutely be a talking cat. What I didn’t realize then was just how much life (and delightful chaos) that talking cat would bring to the series.
Aneksi, the fluffy feline who partners with Rebecca Cuthbert, wasn’t just an afterthought—she was the first character to spring to life. I wanted a cat who wasn’t simply cute (though she certainly is that), but one who had her own wisdom, her own voice, and her own secrets. In fact, Aneksi’s roots stretch all the way back to Cleopatra’s court, which gives her a timeless charm—and a slightly mischievous streak—that fits perfectly with the cursed artifacts and small-town mysteries swirling around Citrus Grove.
Writing a talking cat character has been one of the most enjoyable parts of this series, but it also comes with its share of challenges. For one thing, Aneksi isn’t a human in a fur coat. She’s a cat—with a cat’s priorities, instincts, and worldview. That means she might notice things a human wouldn’t (a suspicious scent, a strange twitch of a tail), or she might stubbornly refuse to help unless there’s a promise of tuna involved. Keeping her reactions authentic to her feline nature while still making her an integral part of solving mysteries is something that’s always on my mind.
There’s also the matter of secrecy. Aneksi’s ability to speak is still a carefully guarded secret. Only Rebecca and a small circle of trusted allies know the truth. That adds an extra layer of tension (and comedy) to many scenes. Imagine trying to have a serious conversation with your talking cat about a cursed relic… while pretending she’s just purring in your lap!
In Whiskers and Ciphers, Aneksi’s talents take center stage like never before. When a visiting Egyptologist is murdered and a shadowy group known as the Consortium begins closing in on a dangerous artifact, Rebecca needs more than just her own sleuthing skills. Aneksi’s ancient knowledge, sharp instincts, and occasional tiger form become essential in unraveling the cryptic journal at the heart of the mystery. Her observations lead Rebecca down unexpected paths, and her magical abilities help protect the people she loves when danger strikes far too close to home.
I think part of why talking animal sidekicks are so irresistible in cozy mysteries is because they combine the comfort of a beloved pet with the cleverness of a true partner-in-crime-solving. They offer unconditional loyalty, a sounding board for the heroine’s worries, and in Aneksi’s case, a healthy dose of snark and sage advice. Plus, there’s something inherently magical about imagining that the creatures we love most might have a lot more to say than we realize.
Writing Aneksi has been, and continues to be, a purr-fect joy (and occasional hilarious headache). And in Whiskers and Ciphers, she proves once again that behind every great sleuth… there just might be an adorable talking cat.
About the author
DeAnna Drake is an award-winning author who writes witty and whimsical cozy mysteries filled with magical animals and feisty heroines who are always striving to balance the scales of justice in an offbeat world.
Under different names, DeAnna writes young-adult fantasy fiction, contemporary romances, and historical novels set in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
When she isn’t plotting new adventures for her characters, she’s a craft addict, drinks too much tea, inge watches crime dramas, and escapes to Disneyland whenever she can.
She lives in Southern California with her family, which includes her two favorite people and one ridiculously pampered border collie.
We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the September mystery releases.
Comment down below saying which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. The winner will be randomly selected and announced at the end of the month.
A corpse in the town’s fountain spells trouble for Rebecca Cuthbert, who, along with her talking cat, Aneksi, must uncover the killer and dangerous truths behind the cursed artifacts plaguing Citrus Grove.
The normally quiet community is buzzing with excitement as the local university prepares to host an academic conference on Egyptian antiquities that’s attracting scholars, collectors—and a few hidden agendas. Did a newcomer carry out this crime, or is the culprit closer to home?
With Detective Nick Devon at her side and her knack for connecting the dots, Rebecca finds herself once again in the thick of the investigation. With help from her resourceful grandfather and her clever feline friend, she is determined to unlock the secrets of a mysterious antique journal. But each new clue reveals a longer list of suspects, deeper suspicions, old enemies, and more threats.
Solving this puzzle may come at a deadly cost. Can she crack the case before the murderer strikes again?
Welcome to a SPOOKtacular Halloween in Clover Creek!
Ava’s long-lost missing cousin, Sakara Decker, is finally back—but is she?
After a post-breakup love potion goes completely wrong, Sakara wakes up with total and complete amnesia. Not only has she forgotten that she’s a witch, she also forgot that she has a talking cat. And the super ability to read minds of anyone she touches, including a would-be assassin.
Stopping a murder before it happens should be easy with the help of her cousin Ava and the local police, but it’s Halloween, and no one and nothing is as it seems.
This is a fun paranormal cozy mystery told from Sakara’s POV and includes a talking cat!
My sister and I grew up hearing our fun-loving mom say ‘We’re having an adventure’ anytime best laid plans went awry. It was her way to spin a wrong turn into an enjoyable side trip. I began writing A BRUSH WITH MURDER knowing it’d be a high stakes sailing regatta story. Amidst the turmoil of the Shepherd sisters’ race to save their father, I realized that the three sisters were just different versions of me and my sister.
When I was eight, around Mollie’s age, my veteran-Marine-turned-high-school teacher dad became a sailor. He bought a used red sixteen-foot sailboat and named it Tomato Sloop. After building his captain skills and confidence, he slowly traded up until his final sailboat, a thirty-something-foot yacht named Snowbird. When he was sailing or racing in regattas on one of the Great Lakes, he was home.
One day, when we were still sailing on little Tomato Sloop, we encountered a storm while out on the water. The sky suddenly went dark, wind kicking up and tossing us into growing waves while we were pelted with small hailstones mixed into the rain. My mom’s words, “Don’t worry; we’re having an adventure,’ almost convinced me and my sister that all would be okay. But in a flash of lightning and clap of thunder, the sidestay keeping the tall mast upright snapped, the metal cable smacking against the rigging. The boat listed to one side from the weight of the partially untethered mast. The mainsail flapped and cracked in the wind, heavy lines and metal grommets whipping about. My sister and I scrambled to the high side of the cockpit and watched water pour over the railing into the boat. The top of the mast kissed the choppy, churning water. One of us screamed.
Somehow, my dad got control of the mainsail, tightening it and the boom and pulling the keeling boat back from the tipping point just long enough to sail aground onto a peninsula, bringing us to safety.
‘Don’t worry; we’re having an adventure,’ was a pretty effective way to tamp down any anxiety or fear in unpredictable situations. It usually worked. But that day on the boat, amid the chaos making eight-year-old me imagine I might die of drowning in a shipwreck, it was my dad’s calm that kept me from completely losing it. I’m sure he was scared. But he ordered us to the high side, checked our life jackets were tight and our white-knuckled fists grasped the deck railing and got us to safety. As a kid, I remember thinking the boat didn’t capsize because he refused to let it. I didn’t know the mast was still somewhat secured by the forestay and shrouds on the opposite side. My mother’s sunny point of view gave me the option to see a catastrophe as a quest. My dad’s quiet strength gave me the courage to embark on the journey.
Savanna Shepherd and her sisters never shy away from adventure—even when that adventure is disguised as a daunting or dangerous mission. I am certain their mother Charlotte has uttered those same words to them—‘Don’t worry; we’re having an adventure!’
About the author
Tracy Gardner is an Edgar Award nominated author of two cozy mystery series, one recent novel earning a spot on New York Public Library’s Best 100 Books list. Tracy also writes book club fiction with heart and grit under pen name Jess Sinclair. A Detroit native with one foot in the sand of Florida’s Gulf Coast, Tracy is a mother of three, the daughter of two teachers, and works as a nurse when not writing. She lives with her husband and a menagerie of spoiled rescue dogs and cats who inspire every fictional pet she writes.
At the end of Old Habits Die Hard, there were two vacancies to be filled at The Abbey: Senior Living. To recap, The Abbey is a former Catholic parish and school converted to senior apartments and 120 and 218 have new tenants at the start of Dropped Like a Bad Habit. Considerably bigger than the average apartments, 218 was a science lab, 120 a music classroom, very desirable real estate for everyone, but Meadow Jackson, The Abbey’s building manager, has a strict policy of No Apartment Swaps. To quote everyone’s Kindergarten teacher, You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit. Vacancies go to a newcomer, otherwise people would be forever moving and Meadow would never get the empty apartments filled with all the petty politics, right?
Allow me to introduce you to Natalie “Call me Nat” Williams and Dell King.
Ladies, first. Nat’s a recent widow, her daddy owned a car dealership that she and her late husband expanded into several locations. She’s rich and a bit of a …snot. Her apartment is decorated with a nautical theme and Nat prefers wearing cashmere to polyester, and she name- drops at every opportunity because she likes to remind everyone where she comes from (which makes Bernie wonder, What’s somebody as well-connected as Nat doing HERE?).
Nat immediately becomes a thorn in Sister Bernadette Ohlson’s side because as the self- appointed leader of The Abbey, Bernie likes to run the show. The trouble is, Nat doesn’t take advice or direction well from others, she’s used to being the Queen B. In Dropped Like a Bad Habit the tension between Bernie and Nat builds. Nat’s also a one-upper. If Rin mentions how her granddaughter recently mastered Beethoven’s Sonatina in G major, Nat will pipe up that her granddaughter performed Beethoven’s Sonata no. 25 in G major, op. 79 1 Presto alla tedesca at a concert. If Elena shows off a Quinceañera dress she finished sewing for a client, Nat will inform everyone that her daughter wore a vintage Oscar de la Renta gown to her prom, and do you know how difficult it is to find a seamstress skilled enough to make alterations on a custom piece like that? Bernie constantly grinds her teeth while ginning up ways to put Nat in her place.
Meanwhile, Dell’s the talk of the building. The attractive older gentleman gets everyone’s attention simply by showing up. All the women want him (except for Bernie, of course, since she’s married to God) and all the men want to be him—or at least be his friend. Dell’s tall, athletically built, and polite. Dell’s also private. He graciously accepts all baked goods and declines all invitations to dinner, much to Elaina, Nat, and Rin’s chagrin. He also leaves The Abbey every day, sometimes overnight… No one knows where he goes, but Phil Thomas and Leo Tanaka suspect it might have something to do with his enviably thick head of grey hair. It’s got to be hair plugs! The women are quick to object, though, pointing out the fact that Dell’s usually carrying a tennis racket, golf clubs, or a duffle bag when he leaves. He’s obsessed with exercise!
Dell quickly bonded with Cliff Warneke of all people! They’re regularly hanging out in the common area watching the Trail Blazers. Bernie’s suspicious of anyone who isn’t local, and he doesn’t seem to value community the way the rest of her neighbors at The Abbey do. Will Dell earn her trust, or remain a fishy outsider?
Melissa Westemeier grew up around the edge of nerd culture, but marriage and motherhood with three sons immersed her in it. She’s fluent in Marvel, DC, Dr. Who, Star Wars, Godzilla, and more thanks to their influence. Her fiction work includes rom-com and a trilogy loosely based on her experience tending bar on the Wolf River in Wisconsin. She’s thrilled to realize her childhood dream of writing murder mysteries. Her books blend her humor and appreciation for nerd culture while tackling serious themes and unpacking the puzzle of whodunnit (and how and why!). In her spare time, Melissa needs to be outside or near a window. Her passions include hiking, swimming, biking, reading, and fantasizing about her next vacation destination.
In Bonbons & Burglars, Ava’s new kittens aren’t just chasing clues—they’re doing it in style. That’s right: she gets 2 new mischievous sidekicks that are sporting diamond-studded collars, and honestly? They might be the real divas of the story.
So, in honor of our new four-legged fashionistas, let’s talk CAT BLING—because if you’re going to solve crimes and steal hearts, you might as well sparkle while doing it. ✨
💎 The Most Paws-itively Glamorous Cat Accessories
1. Diamond-Studded Collars (Fake, but Fabulous)
Think rhinestones, velvet, and just enough sparkle to say, “Yes, I’m a cat. Yes, I deserve this.” Ava’s kittens rock theirs like mini Kardashians with whiskers.
Enchanted Lockets for Cats(Okay, not actually enchanted)
Mini locket-style pendants that hold a photo of their human, a tiny note, or even a sliver of catnip. Bonus: a dramatic accessory for when the kittens dramatically meow and flop during interrogations.
3. Cat Crowns & Tiaras
Yes, they exist. No, they won’t stay on. But for five glorious seconds? Instagram gold.
4. Blinged-Out Harnesses for Walks of Fame
Perfect for the adventurous kitty who wants to strut down Main Street like it’s a red carpet.
5. Sparkling Food Bowls (Because Why Not?)
Even kibble tastes fancier in a glitter-coated dish. Trust us.
Ava’s Tip:
When your cupcake bakery assistant goes missing, the bride is sobbing and there’s a corpse in your freezer… focus on what you can control: like making sure your kittens are the best-dressed detectives on the scene. 🐾🔍
💎 Top 3 “Luxury” Cat Collar Brands (Totally Real…ish)
Known for: Matching collar-and-bracelet sets for pets and their humans.
Why it’s Ava-approved: Because nothing says “crime-solving duo” like coordinating accessories. Stylish, vegan, and guilt-free.
🐾 Tell Me in the Comments:
Would your cat wear a bejeweled collar or tear it off in 0.5 seconds flat?
And if your pet had a fashion label, what would it be called?
About the Author
Lisa Siefert is a USA Today Bestselling Mystery Author who writes humorous cozy mysteries. She dedicates all of her free time to testing out different latte flavors at every coffee shop she comes across and has never once skimped on dessert because life is too short not to. She lives in San Diego with Lucky, her own devious but adorable Abyssinian kitten. She excels at recounting every Hallmark Movie plot ever conceived and can also whip up a mean batch of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Her books feature amateur women sleuths that always believe in silver linings despite all of the murderous clouds surrounding them.
