Granny Skewers a Scoundrel by Julie Seedorf Giveaway & Interview

Granny Skewers A Scoundrel
by Julie Seedorf

This Laugh out loud whodunit will have you reading past your bedtime.
~Shelley’s Book Case

I really enjoy cozy mysteries like this one, with lots of wonderful characters including cute pets!
Granny is a smart, funny lady who really likes to get things done.
~Readingnks – My Recent Favorite Reads

Well, Granny really skewered me in this book. Once I started it, I didn’t want to put it down.
~Melina’s Book Blog
There are lots of twists and turns I did not expect. Kept me guessing. Lots of humor, crimes, memory problems and junk food.
~readalot

The characters are quirky and extraordinary, the plot a bit twisty, and altogether a fun read.
~Christa Reads and Writes

Now, there are many types of mysteries, ‘cozies’ being one of them. But add a sub-category here and call it a wild ride with a cool, funny lady.
~Latte’ Da

Granny is a spry, sassy little rascal and she makes me laugh out loud.
~Brooke Blogs

I love Granny! (Do you think she’ll adopt me?)
~Back Porchervations

This cozy mystery excels in lovable characters and zany situations.
~Author Teresa Trent

It ‘s a really fun book…a cozy mystery to be enjoyed from the first to the last page.
~LibriAmoriMiei

OMG, I fell in love with the cover of this book in a glance. Once I started reading, I fell in love with the series too.
~A Chick Who Reads

Granny Skewers a Scoundrel:
A Fuschia Minnesota Mystery
Cozy Mystery – 225 Pages
Cozy Cat Press (March 11, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-1939816382

Synopsis

Granny has a new addition to her arsenal of crime fighting weapons as Fuchsia, Minnesota’s most colorful detective. Now, along with her famous crook-hooking umbrella, she’s acquired a scoundrel-skewering knitting needle. And just in time! Residents of Fuchsia seem to be dropping dead like flies! First, it’s Granny’s neighbor Sally (who gives up the ghost in her weed-filled front yard), followed by Esmeralda Periwinkle (the squirrel lover on Main Street), and then, Mr. Nail, owner of the local hardware store (who is squashed when dozens of bags of fertilizer fall on top of him). Granny is baffled. Who is behind this murder spree?

Granny enlists the help of her sort of boyfriend franklin Gatsby, the town’s police chief Cornelius Stricknine (or “The Big Guy”), her reality-show loving neighbor Mavis, and her own son Thor. And, of course, the special assistance of her menagerie of pets — including Mr. Bleaty, the goat. Soon Granny is hot on the trail of this dastardly murderer. Unfortunately, when Granny herself is poisoned, everyone insists that she cool her crime solving ways and stay indoors and out of harms way. Of course, that’s never going to happen! Not when Granny knows all the secret passageways and tunnels that run underneath Fuchsia. Out she goes–and watch out, you evil doers! Granny will solve this mystery–you can bet your pink undies, she will!

About This Author

Julie grew up in a small Minnesota community. She knows the value of neighbors looking out for neighbors.

Julie has worn many hats during her lifetime. She has been a waitress, barmaid, activities assistant, store clerk, office manager and for the last 14 years has worked in computer repair, and finally owning her own computer repair business. In January 2014 she closed her computer business to write full time.

Her most important career in her estimation has been wife, mother and grandmother. Nothing could equal the gift of nurturing and watching her children and grandchildren grow.

Julie is also a columnist for the Albert Lea Tribune. Her column “Something About Nothing” brings a little fluff to an unfluffy world. She believes there is always something underlying in the nothings we talk about. In 2011 she self-published “Whatchamacallit? Thingamajig?. It is a book about grandmothers and grandchildren. It was a collaboration between her grandchildren and Julie. Along with a glossary and lots of weird words, it is a mystery that reveals to the characters grandchildren who Grandma used to be.

In 2013 Julie signed a contract with Cozy Cat Press for the publication of her Cozy Mystery “Granny Hooks A Crook.” It fulfilled one item on Julie’s bucket list. Granny lives in the fictional town of Fuchsia, Minnesota. The Fuchsia, Minnesota books is a series. Granny Skewers A Scoundrel, book two in the series was released in March 2014. The Fuchsia books are unusual cozies with a little satire about small communities and an over the top Granny that gives a new meaning to old.  Julie also writes free lance for the Courier Sentinel and the Albert Lea Tribune. She also is designing a line of shirts, cups and other material to complement her books.

Never quit dreaming is Julie’s motto. Dreams are the gateway to fun, fantasy and the future.

Interview

Thank you so much for having me on your site. I appreciate it so much.

Where are you from?

I am from a small community of around 2700 people in Southern Minnesota.

Tell us your latest news?

I recently closed my computer repair business to write full time. I just finished writing the second in my Granny Is In Trouble Series called Snicklefritz, and it should be out in late June or early July. I am also working on number three in the Fuchsia, Minnesota Series. I don’t know what it is going to be called yet.

When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing when I was in high school. While I was raising my kids I wrote church programs. I started writing a column for a couple of area newspapers about seven years ago. During an illness I started writing my fantasy Fuchsia, Minnesota Series as a way to think about something positive and fun.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’m not sure I still consider myself a writer. It seemed like such a far off dream that I still have trouble using that word when people ask me what I do. It doesn’t seem possible.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I wrote my first book for fun, never intending that it would actually get published. I sent it in to Cozy Cat Press on a whim and they accepted my book. I was astonished.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I don’t know that I do. I write from the heart. My columns are a mixture of fluff and seriousness and that is why my column is named Something About Nothing. Under every nothing there is something that isn’t said. I write what I feel. My young reader books are about a Grandma showing her Grandchildren who she used to be when she was young and reminding them that in that old body are memories that are worth passing on to the younger generation.

How did you come up with the title?

The title for my first book seemed to pop up out of the blue. At first I had named it Fuchsia, Minnesota but my publisher Cozy Cat Press wanted me to rename it. The second book I wanted the title to tie to Granny’s new weapon of choice, which happened to be a knitting needle. What is there to do with a knitting needle? Skewer. It was easy naming the second book. The third book now is more of a challenge.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes, my books in the Fuchsia Series are fluffy and silly. They are not meant to be taken seriously. Fuchsia is a town with rules unlike the rules we live with in our communities every day. Granny is a bit over the top and a little unbelievable. But who would we be if we were older? Would we want to have Grannies spunk? I have known women just like Granny, they defied the odds and they didn’t listen to who society told them they should be. They don’t believe they are old and because they don’t believe it, they keep a young spirit. My books are meant to make people laugh at the book and at ourselves and our communities. Are they realistic? No. But don’t we have enough realistic happenings in our real lives?

What would you like my readers to know?

We all have had dreams for our lives. We may have had to give them up because of life’s circumstances. We may have given them up because they didn’t seem realistic. We may have given them up because of lack of support from the people we love. We may have given them up out of fear and because we didn’t believe in ourselves. Granny got to a point in her life where she had lived the way her family wanted her to live, and now, later in life, it is her time to be who God created her to be. Whatever reason our dream has died, it may not be too late. Dreams aren’t always realized and dreams may change but dreams are also the breath of life. They keep us going forward to tomorrow.

Author Links

http://www.julieseedorf.com,http://www.sprinklednotes.com,http://www.facebook.com/sprinklednotes,http://www.facebook.com/grannyfromfuchsiaminnesota, Twitter: @julieseedorf

Purchase Links

AMAZON  B&N

Tour Participants

July 14 – Shelley’s Book Case - Review
July 15 – Kelly P’s Blog - Interview
July 16 – My Recent Favorite Books – Review
July17 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review, Guest Post
July 18 – readalot blog – Review
July 19 – Christa Reads and Writes – Review
July 20 – Latte’ Da! – Review, Guest Post
July 21 – Author Michele Lynn Seigfried’s Blog – Guest Post
July 22 – Brooke Blogs - Review, Guest Post
July 23 – Back Porchervation – Review
July 24 – Teresa Trent Author Site - Review, Interview
July 25 – Omnimystery News – Interview  -
July 26 – LibriAmoriMiei - Review
July 27 – a chick who reads – Review
July 28 – deal sharing aunt – Interview

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