Please join us at Yardstick on Friday evening, April 14, 2023, from 5:30-6:30pm to hear Kewaunee author Ralls Melotte read from his novel CAT’S CAFE and discuss his writing process and the extensive research that went into it. CAT’S CAFE is the first book in Melotte’s Eagle Rock trilogy. Set in the 1870’s American West, aristocrat Catherine Stubin finds herself in the arms of the handsome charismatic Irishman Patrick Callaway, who takes her by rail to the hardscrabble town of Eagle Rock. Far from the love story he had promised, the West was fearsome and filthy. Catherine has a choice to accept a hard-living life amongst cowboys, rail workers, Native Americans and Mormon settlers, or return to her life of ease, a life she despises.
“With rich descriptions of the land, history of the region, realistic dialog, and well-developed characters, Cat’s Café is an interesting and fun read which includes a love story, a murder mystery, a twist, and a hanging ending.” - Illinois Times
“The dramatic center of the story — Catherine finding the inner strength to take on a pile of troubles — is handled with an engaging sense of compassion … A zesty and occasionally touching story of a woman confronting the crude realities of a new life.” - Kirkus Reviews
Melotte is an avid historical fiction and mystery reader. CAT’S CAFE is his first novel. He used the events that led to the creation of the real town of Idaho Falls, Idaho as inspiration for Eagle Rock. Melotte moved back to Wisconsin from Springfield, Illinois after 50 years as a founding business partner in the architectural field with focus on historic preservation, environmental hazard remediation, and major stained glass art collections and restoration. He currently lives in Kewaunee.
