Clea Simon's Blog, page 38

Chatting with Steph Post

Steph Post will be my guest here when her amazing new (in every sense) Miraculum, comes out next month. In the meantime, though, she interviewed me over at her blog, in the last of her Book Bites. Go check out her magical, nostalgic, Southern Gothic world here – or read our chat below.

“Here we go, folks- the very last Book Bites. Of the year and of the run. I’ll be starting up a new feature in 2019 (stay tuned) and tomorrow I’ll have my Best Of list out (to replace my Spectacular Book Awards feature- always got to try something new!).

On that note, today’s interview is with Clea Simon, author of A Spell of Murder. This is so far off the beaten path for me, I couldn’t resist. Cats, witches and a cozy mystery at the center. A Spell of Murder is the first in its series- ‘Witch Cats of Cambridge’- and it’s already garnering rave reviews. Enjoy!

“[A] fun new cat mystery that effortlessly mixes in paranormal elements with murder and a little romance.” – Criminal Element

What drew you to the genre you write in?

The whimsy! While I often read (and now occasionally also write) dark, I have basically made my name writing mysteries with cats in them, some of which are quite dark (the books, not the cats, although …. Well, never mind). I believe this is because I grew up loving smart whimsical writers like Edward Lear, Edward Gorey, and their ilk. I think it is vital to take imagination seriously and keep that childlike spark alive. Plus, in these times, we all need some warmth – some happy endings. Plus, of course, I talk to cats, and most of my books come out of that, and how they respond to me. 

How do you handle writer’s block? 

I was a journalist for too long to believe in writer’s block. As long as you can physically hold a pen or sit at a keyboard, you can write something. I do go through spells of feeling dull and uncreative. The secret to getting through those is giving myself permission to write badly. I mean, really badly. Like, “she looked at the clock. Only ten minutes had passed. ‘Why is time going so slowly?’ she asked.” And then adding adverbs to up my word count. This works in a few ways. First, I think of writing as kind of like a tap. You have to let the rusty water run before you get the clear. And, second, odds are whatever you write isn’t that bad. You might be able to use some of it. Finally, it works because writing is a habit, a muscle that you use or lose. If you write everyday, your mind will expect it – and even if one day is awful, the next day you’ll want to get back at it. 

Have you ever given up on a writing project? 

Yes, for a few decades. My last dark mystery, World Enough, came out of a novel I was trying desperately to write in my twenties. I was a music critic at the time, with aspirations of being a novelist and documenting the punk-rock subculture that I called home but … I just could never get beyond 100 pages. For years, I kept at it and kept scrapping it. When I returned, something like 30 years later, I saw something salvageable there – at least in the first few chapters. But by then I’d both developed the writer chops to be able to pace and produce a long-form work, and, probably more to the point, I had the distance to recognize what I was really writing about – which was my own infatuation with and denial about that little subculture that I loved. 

In your eyes, what does it mean to be a “successful” writer? 

When readers respond to me wanting to engage with my characters, as if the characters were real people and I am simply their translator. That’s the best. That’s what I go for, in large part because that’s how I respond to books I love. If someone wants to know more about Clara’s background, for example, then I’ve done my job. If someone has a case for Becca, then I know I’m a success. 

Who was your intended audience for the novel?

I’m hoping that anyone who loves a good yarn will give it a try. One problem with so-called ‘genre writing’ is that people who would actually enjoy the work are put off by the label. I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard, “Oh, I don’t like mysteries. I only like novels.” But a mystery is a novel, and not just in the sense that it is a work of fiction. A good mystery, like any other fiction, relies on characters that you develop feelings about, characters who go on some kind of journey – whether it is a personal quest, a voyage of self-discovery, or on the trail of a murderer. And, yes, I believe my feline characters are as fully fleshed as my human ones, and will provoke their own responses. Reading any fiction requires a leap of faith – these are all made-up stories, after all. I wish that people would look beyond the label and try my mystery – or any mystery. A Spell of Murder is intended for anyone who enjoys a good read.

“Like sisters…” thank you!

“A new cozy series that will appeal to cat lovers … [the cats] argue, cast spells, and behave as if they truly were sisters.” Lesa Holstine reviews my new A Spell of Murder: 

“Clea Simon launches a new cozy series that will appeal to cat lovers with A Spell of Murder. It’s the first Witch Cats of Cambridge mystery.

Becca’s cats mean well, but when Harriet, the oldest of three cats with magical powers, conjures a pillow, Becca now believes she’s a witch who can cast spells. Clara, the youngest cat, is right to fear that that pillow will create problems. Becca wants to believe she has magical powers, and that’s what she tells her coven.

Becca was laid off from her job as a researcher. She lacks self-esteem, and needs money. Now that it appears she can cast spells, Trent, the coven’s only male, shows interest in Becca. And, some of the women in the group now want to confide in the young woman. Suzanne has a secret she wants to share. When Becca’s the one who finds Suzanne’s body, that draws the attention of the police. It’s only after Suzanne’s murder that Becca discovers her ex-boyfriend was seeing Suzanne. One more reason to suspect Becca.

Becca knows she’s a suspect, and she sets out to clear her name, questioning people. Clara and her sisters use their powers to follow and protect their human.

While Becca is a weak character, easily influenced, the anthropomorphized cats are amusing. They argue, cast spells, and behave as if they truly were sisters. Simon specializes in mysteries that combine cats and the paranormal. Fans of Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy books or Sofie Kelly’s Magical Cats mysteries might enjoy the talking, spell-casting cats in A Spell of Murder.”

You can read the full review on Lesa’s Book Critiques here.

A life in cats…

The Wicked Cozies were kind enough to host me today. Of course, I had to talk about my life in cats – or the cats in my life. And I’m getting to hear about the cats (and other pets, real or imaginary) in everyone’s life. Won’t you join the conversation? (You can jump right to this blog, which features a rotating crew of wonderful cozy authors here.)

When the muse won’t move…

There’s no sound with this, but she’s snoring.

“Delightful…a fun new cat mystery.” Thank you!

Criminal Element on A Spell of Murder 

BY DOREEN SHERIDAN

December 11, 2018

A Spell of Murder
Clea Simon

Witch Cats of Cambridge Series

December 11, 2018

A Spell of Murder  by Clea Simon is the first book in the new Witch Cats of Cambridge series.

This delightful series debut revolves around a trio of feline sisters and their owner—or as they prefer to call her, their person, Becca Colwin. Both newly single and newly unemployed, Becca has thrown herself into honing her paranormal abilities with the help of the coven she’s recently joined. When a pillow materializes before her from the ether, she thinks she’s finally coming into her own.

Alas, Becca doesn’t actually have mystical powers—those belong to her cats, lazy Harriet, waspish Laurel, and loyal Clara.

Though cats aren’t supposed to reveal their abilities to humans, Harriet thoughtlessly conjured up the pillow for her own comfort. Since Becca happened to be performing a spell at the same time, the woman naturally assumed it was her own doing. This, of course, is also the view of the other human members of the coven, who begin to look at their latest recruit with greater interest and respect.

Various members seem to start demanding more attention from her, from the handsome coven leader (and only male in their group), Trent, to pretty, nervous Suzanne, who invites Becca to her home for a private conversation. The conversation is not to be, however, for when Becca arrives at Suzanne’s apartment, she finds the other woman dead, stabbed through the throat.

As the police investigate, all the evidence points to the involvement of someone close to Becca, if not Becca herself. Determined to clear her name, she flings herself as enthusiastically into bringing a murderer to justice as she had into witchcraft, to the continuing alarm of her cats. While Harriet’s primary concern is how all these shenanigans might interrupt her feeding schedule and Laurel prefers to fixate on and subtly influence Becca’s love life, Clara prefers to use her powers for the explicit benefit of the woman she feels bound to protect. So Clara sets about helping her owner, with her sisters following far more reluctantly.

A large part of A Spell of Murder‘s charm lies in Clara’s narrative viewpoint and the contrast between human and feline perspectives. Here, Clara is snuggling by Becca as the latter is researching the ancestor whose existence sparked her interest in witchcraft in the first place:

I quite enjoyed the direction the ending takes the series in and am looking forward to reading more of Clara and Becca’s adventures. I rather hope Harriet and Laurel grow to be more agreeable to their long-suffering youngest sister, but I suppose their aloof and ornery manners are more in keeping with their species (though, personally, I have known and loved far more affectionate cats like Clara than her siblings). Regardless, a fun new cat mystery that effortlessly mixes in paranormal elements with murder and a little romance.

Thank you! See the original post here.

A SPELL OF MURDER out today!

Happy book birthday to A Spell of Murder! The first in my new “Witch Cats of Cambridge” cozy series from Polis books is out today. That means if you pre-ordered it (thank you!) it will ship (or appear on your e-reader) today. If you want a signed copy, please contact Harvard Book Store or Porter Square Books, which have signed copies on hand.(I’ll also be celebrating Clara and her sisters belatedly at Porter Square Books with a party on Jan. 3.)

What are people saying about A Spell of Murder? You can read full reviews here, but for a sampling:

“Delightful … You don’t have to be a cat lover to appreciate this paranormal cozy’s witty observations, entertaining dialogue, and astute characterizations. ”

– Publishers Weekly




“Simon’s witty way of sketching in characters and tight way with a plot serve her well, as she dishes up a charming story that’s never too scary but does have some actual menace to it.”
– Aunt Agatha’s

“A delightfully charming debut series” – Dru’s Book Musings

“Cats and magic – two of my favorite things! A Spell of Murder is a charming series debut.”

– ~Diane A.S. Stuckart, author of the Tarot Cats Mysteries and NYT bestselling author (as Ali Brandon) of the Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries

“Clea Simon has a knack…” Thank you, BOLO Books!

“If you are reading a Clea Simon book, you know it’s not going to be stodgy and traditional in any way. That applies to this series launch as well. While technically a cozy, Simon never shies away from the edgier-side of the coin. As a cat-lover, Clea Simon has a knack for convincingly depicting the thoughts of our feline friends while blending in the paranormal in ways that might convert in the most skeptical of readers. Plenty of plot is unspooled, sure to be expanded upon in future books in the series.”  – BOLO Books  previews the week’s releases, giving A SPELL OF MURDER (out tomorrow) the lead spot. Thank you! (Read the full piece .)

FIVE QUESTIONS with Clea Simon

Love cats? Mysteries? A little bit of magic in the mix? That’s what tomorrow will bring as I launch my new A Spell of Murder, the first in a brand new “Witch Cats of Cambridge” series. And so I thought I’d take on my own challenge and answer the five questions!

How does a book start for you?

Usually, I get a scene or a conflict in my mind. That’s the core of the puzzle, and I have to write to work it out. In the case of A Spell of Murder, I saw that Harriet had summoned a pillow, for her own comfort, just at the time when her person, Becca, was trying out a summoning spell. Poor Becca then thinks – reasonably enough – that she has made the pillow appear. And only Clara, the youngest of Becca’s three cats, sees what problems are going to arise if their human thinks she can do magic. Because magic, as Harriet, Clara, and their other sister Laurel, know, is only the province of cats!

Who in your latest book has surprised you most – and why?

Clara, the calico and the youngest of the three magical cats who cohabit with Becca. I didn’t realize when I started writing this that she was going to be the real protagonist. I love that one of the reviews caught this, writing, “Most of all, I like that the book features an engaging, sweet-natured, intelligent heroine.  The fact that she has four legs, fur, and a tail, is just a bonus.”

 

When and/or where is your latest book set and is there a story behind that setting?
It is set in present-day Cambridge, near where I used to live. Cambridge is now fairly commercialized but at its heart the hippie/alternative subculture still lives on, and Becca, my human protagonist, goes to that when she’s laid off and looking for purpose and a sense of belonging. Because it is a city, it has lots of opportunities for interesting characters (and crimes). But because of the community that Becca has found, it has a small-town feel that works well for a cozy, I hope!



What are you working on now?
The second Witch Cats of Cambridge! (It will be listed here when it’s closer to being done.) I want to give readers a little more background on the cats’ heritage, but only in the context of the story. So far, I have the owner of a small magic and charms store who comes to Becca because someone is stealing from her. Only the prime suspect, a kind of laid-back Goth girl who works for her, believes someone is trying to poison her. Can they both be right? And what can Clara and her sisters do to help Becca unravel a rather tangled case?

 

Which question didn’t I ask you that I should have?

reading makes me so sleepy…

Why, Clea, I’m not sure! Maybe what Thisbe – our tortoiseshell cat – thinks about not being featured in this new series. (Answered, to some extent, here.) Or how I work with a ten-month-old kitten careening around the house? (I have several toy mice right at hand and when Thisbe comes around, I toss them!) Or maybe if I am ever going to write another dark, rock and roll noir again. (I do have one in the works. I like the idea of alternating dark and light books.)



But since I’m the interviewer and the interviewee here, I’d like to ask you all some questions: What do you look for in a cat cozy? Do you believe in magic? Do you believe in cat magic? Please, let me know!


Thanks, everyone, for dropping in!

“Murder, magic, and romance abound.” Thank you!

“Murder, magic, and romance abound, but the cats are the stars of this story. Clea has woven a rich tapestry of real and imagined qualities for her feline heroines that cat people will find authentic and humorously familiar….” So says Crazy Cat Ladies mysteries. Why, thank you! Read the full review below or here.

A Spell of Murder: the first Witch Cats of Cambridge mystery, by Clea Simon

Clea Simon’s new cozy paranormal mystery,  A Spell of Murder, is as captivating as a puzzle ball, a satisfying cat mystery in the truest sense.

 “Magic is for felines,” says Clara as she tries to dissuade Becca from becoming embroiled in things beyond her ken, but the young woman doesn’t understand. Alas, Becca is only human, where Clara is a cat!

Clara is one of three feline sisters, descended from the witch cat of Salem, but Becca doesn’t know that. She’d only yielded to a whim when adopting the trio— little did she suspect that the cats had chosen her, taking on her welfare as their covert duty.

Clara, especially, will go to any lengths to keep Becca safe, but when the young woman begins to investigate the murder of a coven member, things get complicated. Can the little calico save her person without giving their secret away?

Murder, magic, and romance abound, but the cats are the stars of this story. Clea has woven a rich tapestry of real and imagined qualities for her feline heroines that cat people will find authentic and humorously familiar.

—Mollie Hunt, author of the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series and fellow member of the Cat Writers’ Association

“A bit of extra edge and sparkle…” Aunt Agatha’s on A SPELL OF MURDER

Aunt Agatha’s closed its beloved brick-and-mortar store in 2016. But the Michigan mystery go-to lives on with an online store and a blog that  reviews new and upcoming work. I’m honored that they took the time to read A SPELL OF MURDER

Clea Simon’s cozies have a bit of extra edge and sparkle to them, and have ranged from a pet psychic to a rescue cat narrator in a long career spanning several series. In this latest outing, the cats are again front and center, and this time they are witch cats. They’ve confused their owner, Becca, who is a fledgling member of a coven – one of them made a pillow appear out of thin air and Becca thinks she’s done it herself, as does the rest of her coven.

The cats are a little disgusted by this but the three of them – adopted by Becca – have a mission to protect and care for her and their powers are many and varied. They range from the very real cat talent of comforting their owners to the talents of making things appear, controlling thoughts, and walking through walls, the better to track Becca undetected.

Becca is troubled – she’s lost her job, she struggling to “re-create” her supposed spell, and she’s oh so unlucky in love. She has an ex, a warlock in her coven who’s putting the moves on her, and a nice housepainter she meets when one of the members of her coven is discovered (by her) with a knife in her throat.

Simon’s witty way of sketching in characters and tight way with a plot serve her well, as she dishes up a charming story that’s never too scary but does have some actual menace to it. The members of the coven are especially delicious, and while they could have been written as total satire, it’s obvious Simon is actually fond of all of her characters to some degree and the affection she feels for them – and for the cats – shines through on every page of this delightful book.

In general I object to a story where the animals are the narrators and yet I’m a huge fan of Spencer Quinn’s dog, and the same applies here – Beca’s cats seem to think like actual cats might. As cats are some of the more mysterious animals to share space with us humans, anything that shines a light on their behavior is more than welcome. Thanks, Ms. Simon!

Read more about A Spell of Murder or order your copy here.