I note that The Cat Who Turned On and Off was first published in 1968 – but then the next book, The Cat Who Saw Red, was released in 1986. Huh?
Yes, indeed – there is a eighteen-year window between On and Off and Red. Braun had had The Cat Who Saw Red written in the late 60’s, but, by then, the climate at her publisher and in the mystery market in general had changed, putting heavy emphasis on sex and violence, and Braun’s books were no longer welcome. It was not until her second husband, Earl Bettinger, read the manuscript years later and urged her to re-submit it to the publishing houses that the Cat Who… series was reborn. Q: When is the latest hardcover coming out in paperback? A: Paperbacks of the latest hardcovers are generally brought out anywhere from about the month before to the same time as the release of the next hardcover – and those are now generally released in January of any given year. Ergo, the next paperback should be available sometime in December or, at the very latest, early January. In any circumstance, the previous book will most certainly be released in paperback before the hardback of the next book
