Julie Seedorf - Cozy Mystery Author Spotlight and Interview

I am going to be hosting a number of cozy mystery authors on my blog for the next two months. If you have not had the pleasure of enjoying a cozy mystery I encourage you to do so. The cozy mystery industry as a whole is in danger of being lost as the publishers are ending a number of series. Please note that not all series I will be sharing are in danger. There are many that will be continuting on as normal. I just wanted to do my part to make everyone aware of this genre as a whole. 

Today I will be showcasing Julie Seedorf

About this 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 of 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 are Granny Hooks a Crook, Granny Skewers A Scoundrel, Granny Snows A Sneak and Granny Forks A Fugitive. Closing her computer business in January 2014 Julie 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 give her grandkids a hint of the young Grandma underneath the wrinkles. Her books are light and fluffy and highlight the fact 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 go to Veteran's Charities. 

Where to follow this author:

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 http://www.twitter.com/julieseedorf . 

Enjoy the moments; they may carry you through a lifetime. *from the author

Interview:

1. Who or what inspired you to start writing?English class in 11th Grade and Mr. Colletti. It was my first creative writing class. I was always a reader but wasn’t inspired to write anything except poetry until then. After high school one of my friends encouraged me to write and I dabbled, but didn’t have the confidence until many years later when she came back into my life and wanted to know why I wasn’t writing.

2. What do you do to help you get over writer's block?
I don’t often have writers block when I am writing a book, but when I am writing my column it happens frequently. I turn to some other creative endeavor until the juices start flowing again.

3. Do you have scheduled writing time or a certain amount of words you write each day?
I don’t. Some days I write a 1000 to 2000 words, but I find when I am getting close to the end of my book I will write 8 to 10,000 words a day, because I am in a flow with the story and don’t want to stop.

4. How did you choose this genre to write?
It chose me. I wrote Granny Hooks A Crook and didn’t realize it was a cozy. I didn’t know what a cozy was at that point. My other series, my children’s books in The Granny’s In Trouble series, were developed because of my grandchildren. I am now branching out also into a more serious writing genre.

5. Where do you get your ideas for your books?
I call it God because this has all come by accident. And the ideas just spin in my head out of nowhere.

6. When you are not writing what do you like to do?
I like to read, spend time with my family and grandkids, paint, craft, watch movies and spend time with friends learning something new and eating out.

7. What one piece of advice would you like to give to aspiring writers?
Listen to your inner voice. Your talent may be like no one else’s. Write what is inside of you. When I first signed with Cozy Cat Press and I read and saw how others write and their stories, I felt I needed to change the way I write such as outlining. It doesn’t work for me. That isn’t who I am, and so I would tell writers to never give up on their dream and accept who they are, because then they will find their true calling. I struggle with that a lot.

8. Who is your favorite author or book that you would like to recommend to your readers?
Wow, my favorite author or book changes all the time. I love Kris Radish and Annie Freeman’s Traveling Funeral. It is an unusual book. I love Allen Eskens books and William Kent Kruger. I also am a fan of many Cozy Authors and of course Catherine Coulter. I also am a fan of many new authors. People tend to congregate to the well-known and often highly publicized New York Times best authors, but they are missing out if they don’t read authors from small publishing companies or indie authors. These small companies and independent authors do not have the money to promote like the big publishing houses, and so they get missed. And some of them are better authors then the well-known ones.

9. If you could meet any famous person dead or alive who would it be and why?
Well I am always teasing in my books that I love Robert Redford, so of course I would have to say him, and because he is handsome. On a serious note: Robert Redford, because I swoon when I see him on screen.

10. If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you like to visit?
When I was growing up we traveled so much. I actually don’t have a place I would like to visit, perhaps somewhere to have my entire family together.

11. Five interesting facts about yourself
1. I get frustrated with small attitudes and judgements.
2. I fight anxiety and depression as do many other people.
3. I like kid’s toys. They make me laugh.
4. It took 60 years to accept me.
5. I am not a neatnik especially when I am in my creative zone.

What did I learn about this author:

She is a fan of Robert Redford and would like to meet him. As a child she traveled a lot with her family. Like many people she suffers from anxiety and depression. What did you learn about her?

Stay tuned for the next author.