Janet Bolin writes in a genre that forsakes violence for wits and rapid-fire action for red herrings. It’s the cozy mystery genre, a type of book that she believes depends on an unwritten contract between the author and readers. The contract, she says, states that “the good guys will win, the bad guys will lose, and the reader will enjoy the ride.”
In addition to fulfilling her end of that agreement, Bolin wants her books to do certain things for readers. “I hope to make my readers laugh. I'd like them to be concerned about my characters. If my books fire my readers up to do something, it will probably be a project involving textiles, yarn, and thread.”
Bolin has always been interested in handicrafts and she brings that passion to her writing. In her second book, Threaded for Trouble, a sewing machine goes on a killing rampage.
The killer sewing machine idea came in part from Bolin’s recent interest in machine embroidery. “I discovered machine embroidery a few years ago and was hooked on the fun of painting with thread. But I live way out in the boonies, and supplies for these hobbies tend to be in distant towns, so I made up Threadville, where the materials for sewing, quilting, embroidering, knitting, and crocheting are across the street or down the block.”
In Threaded for Trouble, Bolin’s protagonist runs a sewing and embroidery shop called "In Stitches." When a sewing and embroidery machine from Willow's shop is blamed for the death of the fire chief's wife, Willow and her sewing machine are in trouble. The only way she can clear her name is to go undercover as a volunteer firefighter.
Willow is sure she’s going to solve the crime, but then a second machine goes on its own killing spree.
Bolin says that she frequently meets people who remind her of her characters—after she’s created those characters. She said, “If you ever meet me, don't be shocked if at first I act like I recognize you. And let's hope, for both our sakes, that you don't resemble one of my villains.”
For more information about Janet Bolin, visit her website at www.threadvillemysteries.com. Learn about the real Threadville here.
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