Hello Folks, Alberto here.

We ‘ve been hearing that there’s quite a heat wave going on. Even in our neck of the woods, where summer heat is only terrible a few weeks, we’ve been suffering from the heat too. Lily, Oliver and I are keeping cool thanks to the efforts of The Human.

We don’t want to appear like ingrates for the the effort The Human has put in to keeping us cool but Oliver, Lily and I do have dreams about how we think a hot day should be spent.

For instance, my ideal way to beat the heat is to sit by the lake, in a comfy chair with a catnip martini within reach. We have a huge beautiful lake here and, if we could just get rid of the humans that flock there in the summer, it would be the perfect spot.

Oliver, on the other hand, purrffers to stay close to home. Being the creative little fellow he is, he has worked out a way to stay safe and cool at home.

And as for Lily, well she’s a feline of refined tastes and she said her ideal “beat the heat” scenario would be poolside at a classy hotel with a fancy tuna cocktail.

I’d be interested to know how all our feline furiends are beating the heat. On summer mornings, I like my old tried and true method which is to stick my head under the bathroom faucet.

The Human is spending these summer days working furiously to get her books closer to release (where have we heard that before?) but she did allow me to share the book covers designs she’s decided upon and would love to here your comments. Are the covers inviting? Do they make you want to read the stores? Do they say “cozy mystery”? We would love to hear your feedback.

The Human is setting up an online list for those interested in her books. She’ll be doing drawings, sending emails about news and even gifting her readers with short stories and other goodies. We’ll let you know as soon as everything is set up.

Oliver, Lily and I wish you all a cool and wonderful summer with all the treats your hearts desire.