Interview with Cathy Rueter & a Giveaway
I’m excited to introduce you to Cathy Rueter, one of my 1129 Scribes critique partners and a debut novelist. We had a fun Zoom chat about writing and her Murder Mystery release, Murder May I, and you get to listen in!
Be sure to comment below by June 4 for a chance to win an ebook of Cathy’s novel. (US resident only)
Visit the #HopeFilledFiction blog and comment on Cathy Rueter’s author interview by 6/4 for a chance to win her debut Mystery/Suspense novel, Murder May I. #giveaway
TweetJoin the conversation. Are you a Mystery fan? Does Cathy’s book sound like one you’d like to read? What elements of the interview did you most enjoy? Do you have any questions or comments for Cathy?
Be sure to comment below by June 4 for a chance to win an Ebook of Murder May I. (US resident only)
Murder May I by Cathy Rueter
Book One in the Games We Play series
Click the book cover for purchase link
Is the killer hiding behind a mask of familiarity?
Dallas clothing designer, Jennifer Clark, wants to get through the next show before her style house’s respected reputation is tarnished by further mishaps. But someone is playing dangerous games at the expense of Jen and the Lilac Lane Fashions family. When the scheme turns murderous, beautiful Caribbean Marshall, Jen’s best friend and lead model, falls victim.
Cari’s children, nine-year-old twins, August and January, are caught in the snare. Did they witness their mother’s demise … or worse? Is the killer hiding behind a mask of familiarity?
To complicate matters, Colin—Cari’s brother and Jen’s former crush—arrives on the scene. Devastated that her best friend kept secrets, Jen questions her future with the kids and the tenuous control she’s gained over her own tumultuous past. The one certain thing in her life is her faith … or is it?
When the twisted rules change once again, Jen and Colin must work together to save the twins and win the deadly game of murdered model.
Cathy Rueter is a Christian murder mystery author, speaker, and creative—stitching together stories with a dash of romance and a slash of death—professions she learned as a former bridal accessories designer, reporter, and newsletter editor. With Michigan roots and Texas shoots, her heart and accent are firmly planted in both states. If she’s not at her desk, she can be found with her nose in a book, hanging out with her family, or making a creative mess of some sort.
Her cozy mystery Christmas novelette, It’s Beginning to Look a Llama Like Christmas (December 2024), and her prequel novelette, Scaring Miss Muffet Away (May 2025), are with CLeaRly Creative Publishing. These cozy mini mysteries are wrapped around the bigger picture of Jennifer Clark and the Lilac Lane Fashions family in the Games We Play Mysteries. Her award-winning, Murder May I, Book One in the GWP Mysteries, is her not-quite-cozy debut novel contracted with Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. and scheduled for publication May/June 2025.
Connect with Cathy: Website / Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn/ Amazon
Please share Cathy’s interview on social media to help spread the word about her debut novel!
If you missed Leslie DeVooght’s spotlight on Stealing Magnolias last week, find it HERE.
Deena Adams
As a Jesus girl for more than thirty years, Deena Adams understands how important hope is to daily life, which fuels her passion to inspire others through hope-filled fiction based on true to life stories. She is a multi-award-winning writer, an active ACFW member, and ACFW Virginia president. Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
12 Comments
Paula J Peckham
What a fun interview. I’m trying my hand at a mystery right now. I should pick your brain.
Cathy Rueter
I’m glad you liked it!
Writing mysteries is like putting a puzzle together with some of the pieces missing until the end, but it’s great fun ~ Let’s chat!
Deena
Thanks for stopping by, Paula! I’d love to try writing a suspense story one of these day.
Cathy Rueter
Thanks for inviting me to be on your blog, Deena ~ I had great fun talking with you!
And to your visitors: While I wish I could say that Scaring Miss Muffet Away is available for order today (5/28/25), I’m new to this publishing gig and my learning curve has been steep. We’re awaiting approval for publication on that novelette – it should be any day now, so please keep checking back, or visit my Amzn Author Page.
But not to worry, while I’m told that SMMA does answer some questions that arose during Murder May I, and each story builds on the others, all my books are standalone reads in that the main mystery is solved within each book.
Happy reading!
Deena Adams
I’m happy to host you, Cathy! I hope your novelette gets published soon so readers can enjoy it!
Cathy Rueter
Good news! The novelette (prequel), Scaring Miss Muffet Away, is finally live! Woohoo!
Just look for my name on Amzn and it should bring you to all three books I have published in the Games We Play Mystery Series.
All mysteries are solved in each book, so they can be read as standalones, but each of the novelettes enhances the storyline and characters of the full-length novels.
If you choose to read them, I would love to hear what you think.
I hope you enjoy the stories of the Lilac Lane Fashion’s family and friends in the Games We Play Mystery Series.
Priscilla Bettis
Great interview! I think it’d be fun to write yearly Christmas mystery novellas.
Cathy Rueter
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Writing Christmas stories is so much fun!
Deena Adams
Thanks for reading and commenting, Priscilla!
Patty Johnson
Not in to murder novels
Deena Adams
That’s okay, Patty. Every book isn’t for every person, but I will say that Cathy doesn’t write creepy or gory stories. You might be surprised and actually like her novel.
Cathy Rueter
I understand Patty, but if you like mysteries, you could read the novelettes. So far, I haven’t included a murder in them – they’re just straightforward mysteries (and standalone reads, for the most part). But like Deena said, I don’t include graphic details – my imagination gets too creeped out!