Author Interview – Julie Seedorf, author of The Penderghast Puzzle Protectors

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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!

Q: Julie, thanks for stopping by Island Confidential! Can you tell us a little bit about your protagonist Jezabelle Jingle? 
A: Jezabelle Jingle is a 60-something woman. She has a little snark to her personality but is like most of us, having good days and bad days. Jezzy likes to bake, has a secret late night visitor, cares about her neighbors and is inquisitive but not intrusive. She develops lifelong friendships and those friends are with her through thick and thin. She doesn’t suffer fools lightly but likes the quirkiness of her neighbors and is not afraid to delve into the mystery when a burglar and murderer threaten her neighborhood, the Penderghast neighborhood. More of her character will be revealed in the coming books.
Q: How much is Jezabelle like you? How would you feel about her if you met her in real life?
I would like to think that I have a little of the quirkiness and fun that Jezabelle does. I would love to have her quirky friends. Otherwise I have a feeling I write characters that I would like to eventually become in real life. If I met my characters in real life I would want to hang out with them because they would make my life interesting. And I’d probably get in a lot of trouble.
Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
A: Yes, in my Fuchsia Minnesota Series you get to know the background and what makes the characters who they are now. The same thing will happen in the Brilliant Minnesota Series.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
A: No, I guess I haven’t. I have those people, like all of us that I don’t like but I would think you would almost have to hate someone to kill them. I don’t know. There is no one I hate and I may threaten to put someone in my book and kill them, but no, I never would. Maybe next year. Ask me again. I have been known to change my mind.
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A: Very unrealistic. Brilliant is fictional and very different then Fuchsia in my other series. None are like the real world with the rules we live with today. They are more relaxed settings and quirky. My goal is to take people away from the real world for a short time and give them something to laugh about. And I never mention where in Minnesota they are located except close to each other. I leave that to my readers’ imaginations.
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A: In the Brilliant Series I can see Dolly Parton or Diane Keaton for Jezabelle Jingle and Mark Harmon for Police Chief Hank Hardy.
Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A: The best advice would be to have faith in my writing and write from my heart. And don’t dwell on bad reviews if they aren’t constructive criticism. I can’t think of any worst advice. I have had some very good mentors.