Grayson, the resident feline at Jasper Beach, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us a bit about her life with Emily in Murder Most Eastern, the first book in the Great Maine Mysteries series..

Welcome, Grayson. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

People say cats don’t care.

To which I say: People are idiots.

I care very much. About my home. About my human. About the crunchy treats in the top cabinet that she thinks I don’t know about. And lately? I care an awful lot about murder.

Yes, you read that right. Murder. The big messy kind with secrets and whispers and shifty eyes. I’ve lived at Jasper Beach longer than Emily has. She inherited the house from my previous human, Becky (rest her soul), and let me tell you: I knew something was wrong before anyone else did.

You see, humans are loud and slow. They think if something isn’t obvious, it isn’t happening. But cats? We know better. We see the moments you miss. We feel the tension in the room. We smell the change in the air when danger walks through the door wearing a polite smile.

When Emily arrived, she was all sharp corners and nervous energy. Boston people. Always rushing. Always doubting their instincts. But I liked her well enough. She had the decency to speak to me like I understood (I do). And she didn’t get rid of my favorite window perch. That earned her some respect.

At first, she thought she was just here to clean out the house.

Ha.

Within a week she was neck-deep in a murder investigation, getting herself into trouble, asking the right questions, and refusing to let go of the scent—even when it got dangerous. I stayed close. Watched. Guided when I could. I knocked a few things off shelves when she needed nudging. I sat beside the hidden compartment until she finally noticed it. Humans can be terribly slow.

She calls it coincidence. I call it strategy.

And maybe it’s silly, but I’ve come to care about her. Emily’s different now. Still a bit high-strung (bless her), but she’s softer. Stronger. She’s learning to listen—to the wind off the cliffs, to the history of the house, to her own intuition. She’s becoming someone her sister would be proud of. I think Becky knew what she was doing leaving her the house. And leaving her me.

Now, since people keep asking—I am a real cat. The author based me on her own clever companion, who also thinks she’s the queen of the household (she is). And yes, Grayson is my name. I get strange looks sometimes because it sounds like a boy’s name. But I was named after Grayson Hall, the legendary actress from Dark Shadows—so I carry it with feline pride.

So yes, I’m just a cat.

But I’m also a guardian, a sounding board, and occasionally, a clue-delivering genius. When the wind howls and the past comes knocking, you’ll find me curled up nearby, keeping watch.

Because in a town like this, with secrets this deep?

You need someone who always lands on their feet.

Even if they occasionally swipe a muffin off the counter when no one’s looking.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Grayson, and good luck with Murder Most Eastern, the first book in the Great Maine mysteries series.

Readers can learn more about Grayson and her author, Nellie H. Steele by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads pages.

The book is available online at the following retailers: 

 Amazon 

About Nellie H. Steele: Nellie  is a storyteller who doesn’t just write books—she writes the stories her characters tell her. With distinct voices and minds of their own, her characters often take over, guiding her through tales of romance, mystery, adventure, and suspense.

A lifelong bookworm, Nellie vividly recalls sitting on the concrete floor of her childhood library, eagerly devouring Nancy Drew books and dreaming of solving mysteries of her own. Now an award-winning author, she spends her days crafting immersive worlds and unforgettable characters that feel like old friends. Her house is a zoo—literally—thanks to her rescue animals who seem perfectly happy napping while she writes.

Nellie’s writing process often involves background TV she never actually watches because she’s too wrapped up in her characters’ antics. When she’s not spinning stories, she works as a professor of statistics, where students who know her as an author are often surprised to find she really does teach math.

If you love twisty mysteries, soap-opera-style romance, and thrilling adventures, dive into Nellie’s books today and discover worlds you won’t want to leave.