Today Angel Delaight is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Small Town Can Be Murder, the novel she has found herself in.

Welcome, Angel. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

Hi, I’m Angel Delaight and I live in A Small Town Can Be Murder. Who knew small towns could be so interesting. I grew up in Chicago and I chose an untraditional woman’s career. I am a carpenter, and I wore many hats in my dad’s construction company. He decided to retire, and I decided it was time to strike out on my own. I happened to be driving through Whistle Stop, Minnesota and fell in love with an old Victorian House there. It was uninhabited and in need of repair. I decided then and there I would try small town living and rehab the old Victorian. I thought for once I would lead a quiet life in a small town out of the big city of Chicago where it wasn’t unusual to find squatters or even dead homeless people in the properties we bought. However, on my first day in town I found a dead body in my new home, met Barney Pipe, the policeman and a very handsome bed-and-breakfast owner. And… my dad moved to town. It wasn’t very quiet but it was mysterious, especially when strange things happened in my house. I hope you visit. Whistle Stop is interesting and it is the name of the new series by my author, Julie Seedorf.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?

Oh no, I control her or should I say the story gets away from both of us. We never know what is going to happen from beginning to end. She can’t keep up with my small town happenings and I can’t keep up with her. We make a very interesting mix, and then the animals disrupt our plans too. Those critters have a way of doing that.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I was a very strong woman when I moved to Whistle Stop. I never married because all the men wanted me to change my career and have a traditional life with them. I always got cold feet at the last moment because I was afraid I would lose myself. Moving to Whistle Stop and getting involved in the community and history of the small town made me realize I can be strong, but I can also ask for help. It is part of small town living.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?

I met many interesting people, such as Matthew Harkin and his Aunt Mayme. Then there is Barney Pipe, one of the policeman who has eyes for the medical examiner, Lila Henshaw. One of my favorite people is Eudora Brown. At least she became that once I got used to her tapping me with her cane.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?

I grew up in a small town and Whistle Stop is modeled a little after my life in a small community. Everyone knows everyone and what you are doing before you are doing it and occasionally that is frustrating, but there is no better place to be when you need help and support. I wanted to reflect that in my book.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?

This book is a little more serious than my other series. While I want it to be enjoyable, I also wanted to touch on subjects close to my heart which I hope I did in the storyline. As writers, no matter which genre we write in, I feel we have the responsibility to bring awareness to some subjects. In my Granny books, I touch on Alzheimer’s which has plagued my family. In this book, I touch on Domestic Abuse, which is also close to my heart right now.

Thanks for answering my questions, Angel, and good luck to you and your author, Julie Seedorf with A Small Town Can Be Murder, the first book in the Whistle Stop Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Julie Seedorf and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – Kobo – BarnesandNoble.comSmashwords – Apple – Skye Bridge Publishing

About Julie Seedorf: Julie has worn many hats throughout her life such as working as a waitress, nursing home activities person, office manager and finally a computer repair person eventually owning her own computer sales and repair business. She never forgot her love of writing and quit her computer business in 2012 after signing a contract with Cozy Cat Press for Granny Hooks A Crook, the first book in her Fuchsia, Minnesota Series.

Adding five more books to the Fuchsia Series, adding a Brilliant, Minnesota Series and writing a column for local newspapers feeds her writing creativity. This year the Whistle Stop series was born. Small towns have her heart and she hopes to convey that in her new series.She also dabbles a bit in watercolor painting and hopes to eventually add pictures to her children’s book series, Granny’s In Trouble.