Posted by It’s been almost ten years since my first cozy mystery was published. Granny Hooks a Crook was a funny mystery I started on my blog while I was in a depression and illness. The fact it was published by Cozy Cat Press was a gift from God, at least in my eyes.
Granny leads a secret life in the small, unique community of Fuschia, Minnesota. It’s not just her all junk food diet, multiplying pets, or her shocking bedtime attire that makes Granny one in a million. No, Granny is an undercover cop, charged by “the Big Guy” (the town’s police chief) of preventing theft in local stores. Granny takes her job seriously and daily foils many shoplifters using her trusty spiked umbrella and amazing acting skills. When some startlingly brazen burglaries begin to occur that Granny can’t solve, along with mysteriously appearing bad guys, disappearing clerks, and misplaced Corvettes, Granny begins to wonder if she isn’t ready for the wrinkle farm. Maybe, it’s fortuitous when she accidentally on purpose falls in the lap of an attractive older gentleman who is soon roped into her wild adventures, as they try to figure out what’s happening in their little town.
I just finished a new cozy mystery. It’s called Weed Lake and it is a crossover mystery featuring Granny from Fuchsia, and Jezabelle from Brilliant. I thought it was a good idea to bring the characters from neighboring towns together and see if we could somehow stop their feud. It is now in the hands of The Editing Pen. You’ll find their ad on my pages on this site if you are interested in an excellent editor. I always say I am comma-challenged and a few other things, The Editing Pen straightens me out and makes my books shine.
Since I’m bringing the two characters together and continuing on with new books in both series, I decided it was time to read and reconnect with the stories and the characters. Plus, I needed to look at the editing and the writing and make some changes. It should have been done a long time ago, especially with the first books. I hope my writing has grown and I’ve learned a few things about grammar and storytelling.
One of the criticisms for Granny Hooks A Crook is the poor editing. As I go through the book, my readers were right, it needs some help. Over the years I’ve learned publishers don’t always employ the best editors. That’s a tip for all of you writers out there, always check the final copy. Don’t rely on trusting that your book is always edited by whoever is going to publish it. As a newbie, I didn’t know that. Also, friends are great for finding mistakes, but there is a big difference between someone who has a degree in English and an actual book editor. Editors find and know things that make our books excellent and it is more than good grammar.
Granny is getting a makeover, meaning the early books are being edited, and I have to say I hide my head that I didn’t pay attention and do it sooner. Having a little experience and working with Annie at The Editing Pen has taught me so much. I also have new software that shows me my mistakes and some of them are whoppers.
Having said that, Granny Hooks A Crook has been popular over the years and my readers are fabulous because most have overlooked the mistakes and went on to read the entire series. Thank you.
Since Weed Lake will be out in the new year I encourage you, despite some of the snafu’s with the editing, to catch up on both series, the Fuchsia Series and the Brilliant Series so you’ll be ready for the Granny/Jezabelle twist.
The books are available as an e-read on all platforms, print, and audiobooks. Don’t forget about my other series, The Whistle Stop series. It is only available right now on Amazon and also on Kindle Unlimited but that will change the end of January. So if you want to read A Small Town Can Be #Murder in Kindle Unlimited the time to do it is now.
A New Year is on the way. Let’s make it a prolific reading year. I have a stack of books waiting for me in print and on my Kindle. It’s a mixture of my favorite authors and new ones too. Make sure you subscribe to my Pink Percolator Blog for book reviews and hopefully author interviews in the new year.
Links to books
All e-reads except Amazon –https://books2read.com/ap/8pAaMx/Julie-Seedorf
Author Julie Seedorf 