🏆 Cat Person of the Month: Caryn Larrinaga

Caryn Larrinaga, Author

Caryn Larrinaga, an award-winning horror and mystery fiction writer from Salt Lake City, Utah, is Kwazi’s Cat Person of the Month. Caryn’s novels feature cats as secondary characters. She has published seven books, most notably the supernatural Soul Searchers Mysteries, starring a spirited tortoiseshell cat named Striker. Her short stories appear in a variety of anthologies, including From a Cat’s View Vol II and Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse. 

Caryn was named the 2021 Writer of the Year by the League of Utah Writers and has won multiple awards for her work, including the Cat Writers Association Muse Medallion (for her novel Donn’s Legacy). 

MY: Caryn, Welcome to our website! Tell us about your latest book, Dread Softly:

CL: Thank you so much for having me! Dread Softly is a collection of eleven horror stories, most of which were previously published in print and audio anthologies. I chose the title because the book contains quiet, accessible horror for readers who love spookiness but not gore or extreme violence. One of my favorite pieces in the collection is “Watchers’ Warning,” which is about a newly rescued tabby cat who must protect her human from a supernatural danger. 

MY: That sounds so amazing and creative, Caryn! Tell us, when did you first fall in love with cats, and what was it that made you fall in love with them?

CL: When I was little, my family rescued a pregnant Siamese cat. Mama Kitty gave birth to three little Siamese boys, and there’s nothing like a litter of kittens to make you fall in love (case in point: my husband wasn’t a “cat person” when we first met, but he was converted by a lapful of gray tabby kittens before we got married). 

I love the wild spirit and positive energy a cat can bring into a home. Purr medicine is a real thing, and playing with my cats is my favorite pastime. I firmly believe that anyone who says all cats are “aloof” or “snobby” just hasn’t experienced the joy of a cat’s friendship. 

MY: You have a wonderful way of describing what makes cats remarkable. It means so much for us to have an author here who advocates for cats and understands how special they are. Who are the cats in your life today?

CL: Thanks to our status as failed fosters for a local animal rescue, our household is run by six cats. Ren (aka Bug) is a sweet but sassy tortoiseshell. Our five tabby boys (Howler, Fred, George, Bill, and Percy) are masters of chaos and destruction, but their collective addiction to warm laps and forehead kisses more than make up for the shredded furniture and high dishware turnover rate. We’re also lucky to have many friends and family members who have opened their homes to kitties of all ages, and I love spoiling all of them with scritches at every opportunity. 

Author Caryn Larrinaga with Striker (Photos courtesy of Caryn Larrinaga)

MY:  So, there are many lucky felines in your life. Sounds like paradise, lol! We are curious how cats have inspired your writing. Can you tell us about the role of some of the cats in your other books?

CL: I love writing about cats who protect or guide the humans in their lives. In my Soul Searchers Mysteries, Striker protects her psychic human, Mac, from ghosts while cleverly guiding Mac to important clues about the murders. My story “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” (Women in Horror Volume 4, Kandisha Press) features an orange tabby tomcat named Beanie who… well, it’s impossible to talk about Beanie without spoilers. And in “Sorginak eta Katua” (Galtzagorriak and Other Creatures: Stories Inspired by Basque Folklore), a clever black cat faces off against three devious witches. 

MY: OMGosh, how amazing!  I think our visitors are going to need to buy your books immediately!  Where can readers go to find out more about your books and next projects?

CL: Readers can find information about my books and order signed copies at:

https://www.carynlarrinaga.com.

I’m most active on BookTok, where I share videos about books and cats: http://tiktok.com/@carynlarrinagabooks.

Thanks again for having me! This was so fun!