Voice recognition mistake of the day: “He tried to chuckle but it came out a kind of horse wheeze.” Neigh, no wheezing horses!

That was from my current work in progress, Pride and Prejudice at the Cat Café. I hope to finish it this autumn.

FYI, all the books in The Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series and all of my Romantic Suspense in the Southwest are now available at multiple ebook retailers! If you prefer to buy from Kobo, B&N, Apple, or Smashwords, now you can!

Calling cat lovers: Join the cat caretaking community for a virtual convention for anyone who’d like to help make spay/neuter services affordable and accessible in their community! October 13-14 online, $75. Learn more or register here.

I got a lovely message from a reader: “I love how grounded and realistic your stories, situations, and characters feel, even when the stories are action-packed mysteries or adventures. I feel like I could hang out with these people in real life.” Thanks, Colleen! 😊

New Release: Someone Murderous at The Midnight Motel comes out October 2 and you can preorder it now! This is book 5 in The Accidental Detective humorous mystery series: a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty.

When an old friend asks Kate and Jen to investigate suspicious activity at a motel he inherited, it sounds like a free vacation with a little surveillance thrown in. Then Kate's hot flashes wake her in the middle of the night, she wanders outside to cool off, and she stumbles into a crime scene. Soon they’re caught up in their toughest—and most dangerous—case yet.

Kate and Jen can’t trust anyone at the motel or the local police force they suspect of corruption. Good thing they have their eclectic senior sidekicks to share the undercover work. With this enthusiastic but inexperienced team on the job, things are sure to break soon. They just have to make sure they can survive the damage.

Learn more about the Accidental Detective humorous mystery series and get the links to all retailers.

Here’s a scene from autumn in New Mexico. We’re finally getting some of the monsoon rains we should have had in July.

A fried of mine rescued and socialized two feral cats. Lois Bradley created this artwork so he could remember Nosi and Boo as they go off to their new homes. Aren't they adorable? Learn more about Lois and her work or contact her to see about getting your own pet art.

Good Read: The Sleuthing Spinster: Why Single Women Rule Cozy Fiction, from CrimeReads.

And here’s Bear Bear the ferret getting cozy.

Books on My Radar:

Spirit Daughters: A Nicky Matthews Mystery, by Carol Potenza: "When Police Sergeant Nicky Matthews investigates a ruthless murder, she discovers the victim is connected to a powerful tribal fertility medicine. But when Nicky's father died, the identity and location of the plant that produced the pivotal compound was lost. Or was it? Determined killers are now searching for her mother, who holds the key to the rare plant and untold riches to whoever rediscovers it. In a desperate race, Nicky and her friends track the murderers into the New Mexico high country in the depths of winter, where the suspense builds to a heart-stopping climax." A Daphne Du Maurier 2023 winner in Mystery & Suspense!

The Invisible Cipher: A Neil Gatlin Thriller Book 1, by Ida Smith: "Neil Gatlin wants nothing more than to return home to Indiana and his girlfriend, Sunshine. But with truck problems and little money, Neil enters a pool game and misreads the cues. His win becomes a trap and he’s wrongly accused of a crime he didn’t commit. While imprisoned, Neil discovers coded messages about a deadly plan. As the code becomes clear, Neil realizes doing what’s right may cost him his life." This is "a fast-paced, action-packed thriller that will hold you captive until you’ve read cover to cover."

Better Endings (Tammy Mellows Trilogy book 2), by Tina Hogan Grant: "A single mother who overcame abuse, violence, and dependency, Tammy now finds herself struggling against addiction. When a drunken car accident leaves her in debt and in trouble with the law, it almost breaks her. Will the shame eat Tammy alive? Dwayne, a commercial fisherman, wants to show her his boat - a date that changes her life. The tranquility of open water had its hooks in her. What she decides to do next……makes all the difference." A "heart-warming tale of love, strength, and the sea."

Find More New Books and Authors!

Find Your Next Great Love Story: Check out new authors with free romance stories when you sign up for their newsletters (unsubscribe any time). You'll find sweet romantic comedies, tempting billionaire bosses, grumpy/sunshine pairings, and much more.

Funny Forensics: Humorous Mysteries Giveaway: Sign up for newsletters and check out authors with a free story. You’ll find mystery in many genres in the stories in this group, with cute dogs, senior sleuths, magical parole officers, and more.

Until next time –

Thanks for reading this far, , and thanks for choosing to sign up for my newsletter. If you want to unsubscribe, no problem—the link is below. You can also follow me on Amazon (click on the “Follow” button to the left) or BookBub if you only want New Release Alerts.

PS: If you don’t have “The Case of the Missing Monkey and other short mystery stories,” Lions and Love at the Cat Café, or “22 of the recipes mentioned in Kris Bock’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series,” go here (free).

You can also preview my brother's comedy, Totally Rad Wormhole, here and get Felony Melanie and the Moonshiner’s Cabin, which stands alone as a short story, here. Or get the links to ebook retailers for "The Teenage Adventures of Felony Melanie." Fans of the movie Sweet Home Alabama will love seeing teen Melanie in action!