Brilliant |

Today I welcome author Julie Seedorf to my pages to talk about her cozy mystery, The Penderghast Puzzle Protectors. Welcome, Julie.

Why do you write cozy mysteries?
I like the premise of a book that doesn’t use bad language, graphic sex or graphic violence. I feel we have too much of that in our society. I don’t use bad language myself, and I taught my children and grandchildren that bad language is not allowed in my house, so I can’t write about it either. I want my books to be able to be picked up by adults and not have the parents worry if their kids should start reading my books. Although I still question myself because my new step-grandson asked me why I had to murder someone in my books. That question makes me think long and hard at what I write. I also enjoy reading cozy mysteries.

Please tell us about your book. What ideas or images inspired this novel?
This novel is the first book in my second series. My first series takes place in the fictional town of Fuchsia, Minnesota. Brilliant is mentioned in Fuchsia and is not far away. For this series, I wanted my characters to be just as quirky and a little younger. I also wanted my mystery to be a little different than my other series. Fuchsia is very pink and defies rules. Brilliant was founded by the Brilliant Brothers, and their minds created some intriguing secrets.
Jezabelle Jingle and her neighbors live in the first neighborhood in Brilliant, the Penderghast neighborhood. Each person in the neighborhood has secrets of their own, and they find the neighborhood holds a puzzle, leading them down a road of mystery, crazy events and even murder. The neighbors are all ages and have moved into the neighborhood at different times. None of them had any idea, especially Jezabelle who has lived there the longest, that the Brilliant Brothers built their neighborhood as a puzzle. They only realize it when Mr. Warbler is found trapped between floors in his house because someone carved up his floor and stole a hardwood square.
Jezabelle, my main character, is snarky, funny and has a secret love life no one knows about. She is smart, quick and not afraid to try new things. She takes her best friend, Lizzy, and the rest along with her to unearth the history of Brilliant, still leaving questions when this puzzle is solved, making the group realize solving this puzzle is just the tip of the iceberg in a community they thought they knew. There are also some crossovers with Fuchsia.
As far as my idea for this book — I wrote the first chapters before I wrote my Fuchsia Series, and I dug it back out and decided with a little tweaking, it would make the perfect follow-up series for my Minnesota books. Ideas just pop in my head. My goal is to take people away from real life for a few moments and give them something to laugh and smile about.

Do you have an ideal reader in mind when you write? If so, please describe that reader.
I don’t except to say I hope they like to be silly and enjoy a little fantasy and fun. My readers are all ages, and I feel my books span all ages. I do have some children’s books out that highlight the relationship between grandmothers and grandchildren. I also write a column for newspapers. Currently, I am in the process of writing a serious book that deals with aging and searching for acceptance with the later years of life.

Please describe your writing routine.
When I first was offered a contract with Coy Cat Press and I saw the writing routines of other authors, I felt almost defeated, as if I needed to change the way I write to conform to the way others thought the ritual should be. I finally realized each author must have their own routine. I get an idea or even if I don’t have one – I began to write and the story comes. There are times I don’t know what is going to happen, and it appears on paper. I stop and wonder what to do next because it wasn’t something I planned. My mind is always whirling so I have to adapt my writing style. I can sit all day or I can sit for a few hours. So, no, I don’t have a routine. It seems to work for me.

What advice do you give new writers just starting out?
Not everyone is going to like what you write. Listen to your heart and not your head. If it feels right to you, believe in yourself. Stay true to who you are. Success doesn’t come right away after being published. That is a hard thing to remember because we all want to sell lots of books, but it takes time to build up a following. Don’t give up your dream.

More about The Penderghast Puzzle Protectors:
Jezabelle Jingle and her neighbors in the Penderghast section of Brilliant, Minnesota, have a mystery on their hands.
Someone is stealing sections of hardwood floors in their homes and the thefts may be connected to a long-hidden treasure left by the founders of Brilliant. Not only that, there’s a dead body in a basement to add to the mix. Can Jezzie and her quirky friends figure out the puzzle and find the treasure before some other, unknown person–maybe the murderer–beats them to the punch? Or will the town’s Chief of Police, Hank Hardy, prevent the group from their sleuthing? Anything can happen in the strange little town of Brilliant, Minnesota. After all, brilliant minds create brilliant finds!