Eileen Watkins came to fiction from a long background in journalism, writing and editing articles on visual art, architecture, interior design and home improvement for two major daily newspapers. During that time, she interviewed artisans, designers, and collectors, and acquired a taste for the type of quirky décor Vivian Joyce offers her customers. Early in her fiction career, Eileen published eight stand-alone mystery and suspense novels with Amber Quill Press, several of which won EPIC and Indie book awards. With Kensington Publishing, she then put out the  Cat Groomer Mystery Series; all six novels received Certificates of Excellence from the National Cat Writers’ Association, and two won the CWA’s MUSE Medallion, its top award for Mystery Fiction. Eileen belongs to Mystery Writers of America and national Sisters in Crime, and serves as publicity officer for Sisters n Crime/Central Jersey, a.k.a The Jersey Sleuths.

www.efwatkins.com