Names:
Cleo and Knish
Breed:
Cleo: Siamese chocolate point
Knish: Part Siamese blue point, part alien
Ages:
Cleo: 11
Knish: 3
How did they come to be a part of the Coleman household?
We bought Cleo as a gift for our then 12 year-old daughter, Kaitlin, who has since left the nest. Kaitlin then adopted Knish from a shelter to keep her company in her new apartment, but Knish had other ideas. Knish wasn’t fond of Brooklyn and came back to live with us.
Any odd traits or habits?
Cleo thinks she’s human and talks to us all the time. I should list her as a first reader, but it would be difficult to explain. Knish was rejected by her mom so she’s a handful, at least she used to be. My wife works with severely developmentally and emotionally challenged children. My wife adapted some of the same techniques she uses for her kids to deal with Knish. My wife, the cat whisperer. Cleo loves climbing onto the living room couch to be thumped on her sides. It makes her purr and talk like crazy. Knish loves playing fetch and comforts herself by sucking on her front left paw.
Reed Coleman
In addition to being a regular contributor to Crimespree, Reed is the former executive vice president of Mystery Writers of America. He has published fourteen novels: two stand-alones and three series, including seven books in the Moe Prager series. Reed’s novels have been translated into seven languages.
He is a three-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best Detective Novel of the Year and is a two-time Edgar® Award nominee. He has also received the Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards. Reed was co-editor of the poetry journals Poetry Bone and The Lineup and the editor of the short story anthology Hard Boiled Brooklyn. His short fiction, essays, and poetry have appeared in The Long Island Quarterly, Wall Street Noir, Brooklyn Noir 3, The Darker Mask, These Guns For Hire, Crimespree magazine, and several other publications.
Reed is an adjunct professor at Hofstra University and an instructor for MWA U. He lives with his family on Long Island.
