The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady by Debbie De Louise

Debbie De Louise is an award-winning author and a reference librarian at a public library on Long Island. In addition to her cozy mysteries, she also written a time-travel novel. The Case of the Crazy Cat Lady is her first Buttercup Bend Mystery.

A love of animals

Debbie said that she’s always loved animals and has featured them in her writing, both in her cozies and in her other novels. “Many years ago, I became involved in the virtual world of Second Life where I opened a pet memorial center called Rainbow Gardens. In this center, I displayed photos of people’s real-life pets who had passed away and offered the lighting of virtual candles. My Floppy and Oliver are both featured on this display, and I’ve just added my Stripey whom we just lost from cancer. While I’m not as active in Second Life as I used to be, the memorial center is still there and is now part of the Community Virtual Library’s land. The name of Cathy and Doug’s pet cemetery is based on this virtual display.” 

Family dynamics

In The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, Debbie explores the differences in family dynamics between two different sets of characters. Cathy and Doug have suffered a terrible loss after their parents died in a car accident in which Cathy was also hurt. This crisis bonded Cathy, her brother, and grandmother and drew them closer. Cathy couldn’t imagine not being on speaking terms with a relative. She and her brother Doug had always been friends as well as brother and sister. Besides Florence, it was because of Doug that she was able to survive the loss of their parents.

“On the other hand, Brody and his sisters were never close. They came from a dysfunctional family with two alcoholic parents but, instead of making them closer, it divided them. Gladys was jealous of Maggie and hated her for being thinner, prettier, and attractive to men. She and Maggie both abused Brody emotionally and physically. He feared them and coped by committing petty theft and taking drugs.”

Debbie said The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady also deals with pet rescue and pet grief/bereavement. “Cathy, as co-owner of Rainbow Gardens Pet Cemetery and Rainbow Rescues pet rescue center, sees both sides of the spectrum. She is happy when she finds home for abandoned pets but sad when she attends their burials.”

Exploring new avenues

“I started writing The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady in 2017. My author’s note at the beginning explains how I had a Siamese cat named Oliver at that time. He passed away during the writing of the book. There are several reasons this book took so long to publish. One reason was that I was hoping to find an agent and revised it several times after feedback from beta readers and editors. I was also working on other projects and published other books during this period. I finally decided to submit it to one of my publishers after creating a poll for my newsletter subscribers that showed they would prefer me to start a new cozy mystery series than any of my other writing projects.”

This book also took Debbie into the world of square dancing. “I researched the history of square dancing so that the Pastor could introduce it at the church dance. In one of my Cobble Cove cozies, I spoke with a vet about the effects of marijuana on dogs, and in my psychological mystery, Sea Scope, I did a lot of research on lighthouses and maritime history that was quite interesting.” 

Learn more about Debbie De Louise at debbiedelouise.com. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.