Published: January 20, 2016
Number of pages: 270
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Brilliant Minnesota Mystery #1
Synopsis:
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!
About the author:
Julie Seedorf is a Minnesotan. She calls dinner, supper, and lunch, dinner. She has had many careers over her lifetime but her favorite career was that as mother to her children. In later life she became a computer technician, opening her own business. In 2012 Julie signed a contract with Cozy Cat Press for her Fuchsia, Minnesota Series. Books included in that series areGranny Hooks a Crook
, Granny Skewers A Scoundrel
, Granny Snows A Sneak
and Granny Forks A Fugitive
.Closing her computer business in January 2014 Julie has transitioned to becoming a full time writer adding free-lance work for various newspapers, along with continuing her column Something About Nothing, which is now in book form in a book of the same name released in early 2015. Her children’s series, Granny’s In Trouble gives her grandkids a hint of the young Grandma underneath the wrinkles.
Her books are light and fluffy and highlight the fact that in the midst of life we have to find the humor in bad situations to keep us going. “We all take ourselves too seriously and we need to have a little fun.” Julie secretly yearns to be like the Granny characters in her books.
In February 2016 the first book in the Brilliant Minnesota Series was released titled the Penderghast Puzzle Protectors. She also is part of a group mystery by Cozy Cat Press Authors titled “Chasing the Codex.” Julie’s serious side is revealed in a story included in the Anthology, We Go On – Anthology for Veterans where the proceeds will go to Veteran’s Charities.
Visit her website at http://www.julieseedorf.com.
Her blog http://sprinklednotes is a little scattered like Granny but lends itself to wisdom and occasional flip flops about life.
You will also find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/julie.seedorf.author and on Twitter at julieseedorf@julieseedorf and her character Granny has her own Facebook page,http://www.facebook.com/GrannyFromFuchsiaMinnesota. Enjoy the moments; they may carry you through a lifetime.
Author Links
Purchase Links
Guest Post:
Thank you Angela for being my host today on my blog tour.We live in a world where it is difficult to tune out the news. We live in a world where it is difficult to find time to breathe and take time for ourselves, especially if we have a family and work commitments. I find myself running in circles trying to take care of the details in my life and it is not hard to put myself last on my list of priorities.
I have learned over the years that somewhere –somehow–if only for a moment, I need to take time out of my busy world for me. An illness and broken bones at different times taught me living my life in a hurry can be hazardous to my health. During one of those times my writing career was born.
Writing cozy mysteries wasn't something I planned but taking the time to concoct a fictional town with a fictional fun older character took me out of the real world and into a world of laughter, if only for a few moments. I wanted to share that fun and fantasy with others and take them away for a time of relaxation. I did that with my Fuchsia Minnesota Series.
The Penderghast Puzzle Protectors, the first book in my Brilliant MInnesota Series, led me down another road. In actuality The Penderghast Puzzle Protectors should have been the first book and the first series because the first few chapters were written before my Fuchsia Minnesota series, but the time didn't seem right so the pages sat in a drawer waiting to be discovered again. I felt the time was now right to began another series while keeping Granny and Fuchsia alive in my other series. I dug in my files and found the old chapters I had written years ago and they seemed to fit.
Of course I had no idea what I was going to name the book or the series. It happens that way with most of my writing as the stories take on a life of their own, making my fingers move, and writing their own story without my having any idea where it will lead. I had to watch carefully or Jezabelle Jingle would begin acting like Granny in my first series and I wanted them to both be quirky but with different characteristics.
I was surprised when my supporting characters in The Penderghast Puzzle Protectors became quirkier than Jezabelle, my main character. Yes, there are many surprises in store for me when I write.
I always wanted to be an author but I was born in a time where writer and author were something to be used as a hobby and not a career. I was born to a family and society where common sense was the order of the day and imagination was deemed as silly and blonde. I was also a blonde, strike two. Yet my imagination took me away from the harsh realities of life if only for a few minutes. My imagination got me through and kept me living. For a short time I lost my dreams and when dreams die it almost feels like your life is gone too.
It is a different time and a different world in 2016. Imagination and creativity are valued. But I feel the world is grittier and so my goal is to take my readers to a place of imagination, laughter and joy to help them navigate the real world when they put their book down. My goal is silliness and smiles and mystery, and facts that aren't really facts, but figments of a writers imagination.
Take it away. Use your imagination any day. If it makes you smile, it's all worthwhile.
Giveaway:
Tour Participants
May 23 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
May 23 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT
May 24 – The Girl with Book Lungs – SPOTLIGHT
May 25 – Lori’s Reading Corner – GUEST POST
May 26 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
May 27 – Omnimystery News – INTERVIEW
May 28 – A Holland Reads – GUEST POST
May 29 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW, GUEST POST
May 30 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & , Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
May 31 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
June 1 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – COZY WEDNESDAY – GUEST POST
June 2 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, GUEST POST
June 3 – Author Annette Drake’s blog – INTERVIEW
June 4 – Book Babble – REVIEW
June 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
I have been reading many reviews, and am very interested in this book. Thanks for joking in the giveaway.
ReplyDeletekat8762@aol.com
This sounds like such a fun read. Can't wait to read. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like such a fun read. Can't wait to read. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThank you Angela for the intro to a brand new series! Thank you for hosting the give-a-way too!
ReplyDeletesxygrndma48{at}yahoo{dot}com
Thanks for the review and the chance to win..
ReplyDeletesalvatoresmom71@yahoo.com
Julie Seedorf's books are such fun. Thanks for the review and chance to win this one.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware of this series. The Books sounds great and there is nothing like a mystery...
ReplyDeleteMarilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com