Burden of Poof

September 24, 2021

Burden of Poof

Burden of Poof (Bonnie & Clyde Mysteries)

by Julie Anne Lindsey

About Burden of Poof

Burden of Poof (Bonnie & Clyde Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cozy Queen Publishing LLC (September 15, 2021)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 254 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 195487801X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1954878013
Digital – ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08ZL91YMW

An amateur sleuth named Bonnie and her kitty companion Clyde, with names like those, what could possibly go wrong?

Life hasn’t sparkled too brightly for Bonnie Balfour over the past few years, but a heart-breaking divorce has brought her back to her small rural hometown of Bliss, Georgia, and things are starting to shape up.

The proud new owner of Bless Her Heart—a second chance dress shop and boutique on the town square—Bonnie thinks thirty-eight might not be too late for a fresh start in life after all.

Until a grouchy old widow turns up dead in a pile of donations meant for Bonnie’s shop, and the town’s new detective pins her to the top of his suspect list!

To save her shop, dream and reputation, Bonnie must coordinate clues and stitch together the truth about her innocence, but the unreasonably handsome detective and prying eyes of the local gossip mill are fast fraying her nerves.

When a series of anonymous attacks begin to hem her in, Bonnie fears the real killer is fixing to make her his next victim. Can this amateur sleuth measure up?

About Julie Anne Lindsey

Julie Anne Lindsey is an award-winning and bestselling author of mystery and romantic suspense. She’s published more than forty novels since her debut in 2013 and currently writes series as herself, as well as under multiple pen names, for Harlequin, Kensington, Sourcebooks and Crooked Lane Books.

When Julie’s not creating new worlds or fostering the epic love of fictional characters, she can be found in Kent, Ohio, enjoying her blessed Midwestern life. And probably plotting murder with her shamelessly enabling friends. Today she hopes to make someone smile. One day she plans to change the world. Learn more about Julie at julieannelindsey.com

Q&A With the Author

When did you first consider yourself to be a writer?
I started thinking of myself as a writer as soon as I decided to write a novel. I’ve taken the whole endeavor seriously from the start, and I treated writing like a job long before I’d had a single story published. I think it’s important to say it out loud and accept it. You are who you are, and you’re in great company. Being a writer isn’t something to be ashamed of, as too many new writers think. It’s your calling, so shout it from the rooftops and find your people. They’re out there chasing the same dream.

What advice do you have for a new writer?
I have so much advice for new writers. I don’t even know where to begin, so I’ll start at the beginning 😊
Read. Reading is the foundation of it all. So, READ. Stephen King says if you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write, or something like that, and who are we to argue with Stephen King?
Also, study the craft of writing. Writing is an art, and there are techniques and details you need to know. Writing is also a business, so learn everything you can about the industry you’re trying to become part of. Let it sink in. Understand it. Be professional about it.
Join writers groups, attend conferences, find your writing people, then support and learn from them. They will be there for you when you rise and when you fall.
Keep going. No one will chase this dream for you.
And get up when you inevitably are knocked down. Then get up again the next time. And the next. Making it in this industry is nearly impossible.
It’s tough, but you’re tougher.
Keep going.

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
For me, the easiest part of the writing process is coming up with new ideas. My mind is never still and never quiet. When I sit down at my desk, and put my fingertips on the keyboard, the words just come. Every time. Always. Like turning on a faucet. They aren’t always great words, but they are words, and I can work with that.
Choosing which ideas are worth pursuing is another story.

What is your favorite part of this story?
My favorite part of this story is that Bonnie, a woman who left her small, rural hometown for college in Atlanta at 19, is returning home now at 39 and divorced, and she’s learning that it’s okay. Life doesn’t always go as we plan, but no matter our age or the paths we’ve taken, it’s never too late to hit Reset. Starting over is uncomfortable and hard, but we’re tougher than we think. We just have to take that first step. I love that Bonnie comes home a little broken, but she lets the family, friends and community of her youth love and accept her. I love watching her grow and heal. She has so much good to do in Bliss, and she’s just getting started.

Which Character was the most fun to write about? Why?
I had a good time writing the character of Mason Wright, a former Cleveland, Ohio homicide detective transplanted to Bliss, Georgia, and trying to make sense of adorable small town life. I like him because he’s grouchy on the outside, but sweet underneath, and I like him because he likes Bonnie, and I love Bonnie. I want her to have nice friends.

Which Character was the hardest to write about? Why?
The killers are always the toughest for me to write, because I can’t understand why anyone resorts to murder, or why adults ever resort to violence (barring self-defense, or the defense of others of course). I struggle with this in every mystery and suspense story I write.
How can I make murder make sense on the page? How can I portray the thoughts of someone I can’t understand, and do it in a way that seems reasonable for readers? I definitely spend more time crafting the killer’s intentions and mindset than anything else. And I cross my fingers each time that I might hit the mark.

Thank you, again, for inviting me over today! And for sharing your blog with me. I hope you’ll get a chance to meet Bonnie & Clyde soon, and that you’ll join them on their first sleuthing adventure in BURDEN OF POOF!