Janet Bolin

Janet Bolin's love of sewing, knitting, crocheting, quilting, and machine embroidery led her to invent the village of Threadville where the supplies for all these hobbies, and experts to untangle all those unavoidable snares, are only a short walk away. Bolin's love of reading, writing, and mysteries caused her to add some rather nefarious activities to Threadville, along with a slightly reluctant sleuth named Willow who co-opts her best friend, Haylee, and Haylee's three (yes, 3) mothers to help solve murders.

Bolin's latest Threadville Mystery is Night of the Living Thread.

From her Q & A with Rosemary McCracken:

Janet, you are becoming well-known as a writer of “cozy” mysteries. What does the cozy sub-genre mean to you?

Cozy is a sub-genre of the traditional mystery—think Agatha Christie—in which the reader can attempt to solve the puzzle along with the sleuth. In a cozy, readers won’t encounter overt violence (except for the murder itself, but gore in cozy mysteries is held to a minimum), gratuitous sex or profanity. The sleuth is an amateur, often with a skill or hobby that may help solve murders. Cozies take place in a defined space where everyone usually knows everyone else. It gives a whole new meaning to “cozy,” doesn’t it?

Do your novels require a lot of research?

It’s terrible! I have to visit sewing and embroidery shops and try out the latest embroidery machines and software. I can hardly stand that. (Where’s the nearest sewing store? I’m on my way!)

Is the protagonist at all like you? If so, in what ways?

Willow is in her early 30s. She’s tall, slim, talented and feisty. Yep, that pretty well describes me. No? Well...[read on]

Visit Janet Bolin's website, Facebook page, and Twitter perch.

The Page 69 Test: Threaded for Trouble.

Read--Coffee with a Canine: Janet Bolin and Laddie and Lacy.

--Marshal Zeringue