And Julieanne Holmes, and J.A. Hennrikus, and… I think that’s it? Ellen here, welcoming Julie to the Chicks, AND she’s offering a giveaway! I can’t believe it’s only her first visit, considering how prolific and wonderful she is. Today’s she’s going to share about the genesis of her latest work, The Garden Squad Series.
Thank you to the Chicks on the Case for having me on the blog today! Can I just say that I LOVE your tagline? Kick-butt cozies and fun, fearless sleuths. Yes to both, please.
A friend recently asked me where I came up with the idea for the Garden Squad series. I couldn’t answer her. My agent and I were talking, and he mentioned gardeners. I wanted to create a series with an older protagonist. I thought about it for a while, and then Lilly Jayne popped into my imagination. Lilly’s a 65-year-old widow and master gardener who is starting to come back to life, thanks to her friends.
Her friends showed up in my imagination as well. Tamara O’Connor, Lilly’s best friend. Her husband Warwick. Ernie Johnson, who owns Bits, Bolts and Bulbs, the local hardware store. Delia Greenway, the graduate assistant of Lilly’s late husband who moved in to help him finish his work and stayed to take care of Lilly. When I started writing, Roddy Lyden, the mysterious and handsome next-door neighbor arrived.
Lilly and her friends are guerilla gardeners in Goosebush, Massachusetts. There are several gardening issues that the town isn’t addressing, so Lilly, Ernie, Tamara and Delia go out in the middle of the night and take care of them. Then they start addressing other problems in town, including murder. Less to solve the murder, and more to help the person wrongly accused.
One of the things I like about reading cozies, and writing them, is the community aspect of the books. People care about each other. Relationships grow and change over time. When I open the cover of a series I love, I’m looking as forward to “seeing” folks again as I am to the mystery itself. Caring about our town and our friends is universal, and the cozy celebrates that. Lilly and Tamara have been friends for over sixty years and know their town well. They are both forward thinking, but they also remember the past.
I feel very blessed that the muses introduced me to Lilly and the rest of the Garden Squad. The first book in the series, Pruning the Dead, came out in January. Next week Tilling the Truth will be released, so readers have the chance to visit Goosebush twice this year.
In Tilling, readers will learn that the Garden Squad is still in action, but that citizen gardeners around town have taken it upon themselves to clean things up. I love the idea of collective action around gardening, don’t you? The world is a better place with trimmed hedges, weeded gardens, beautiful flowers and home-grown vegetables, don’t you think?
Do you love gardens, either enjoying them or working in them, or both? Let me know in the comments–I’ll choose a name on August 24 and send them a copy of Tilling the Truth.
Julia Henry writes the Garden Squad series. She lives in Massachusetts, where she has set all three of her mystery series. She blogs with the Wicked Authors and Killer Characters. Follow her on Facebook and on Instagram as @jhauthors. www.JHAuthors.com
Welcome, Julie! I love other people’s gardens. Does that count? I’ve never had a garden myself. Part of me thinks I would enjoy one, but another part knows they’re a lot of work. Maybe if there was a Garden Squad in my area I would be more motivated to start my own. Until then I will read about them in wonderful books like yours!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Marla, that absolutely counts! I love visiting and wandering through gardens.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love gardens! Although, I can’t work in them do to cerebral palsy. I don’t care if it is a fower or vegetable garden. I love them all.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love them both as well! A lot of vegetable growers plant flowers as well to help with bugs and pollination. I even like seeing large farms of corn and wheat. There’s something about things growing that soothes my soul.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love to garden and over plant….right now I have tomatoes coming out of my ears! Thanks for the chance!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love this time in August when my vegetable growing friends need to get rid of their tomato bounty. I’m glad you had a good year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love flower gardens, but I didn’t get the gardening gene. I have really bad luck with plants. I’m looking forward to reading the new book — I loved the first book! Thanks for the chance!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for your kind words about PRUNING! I used to have the gardening gene, but lately my plants are suffering from neglect. My sister has the gene in the family, and she also answers all my questions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Um, I’m a bit of a brown thumb here. Although I’d love to be better at gardening! Maybe Lilly and the Garden Squad can come to my house in the dark of night and improve my landscaping?! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wouldn’t that be fun? Wake up and it’s all fixed?
LikeLike
I was hoping this very thing!!
LikeLike
Hi Julie, thanks for your post. Sounds like an amazing series–love how Lilly has a flower name and is literally using gardening to help her blossom again. Connecting with the protagonist and the community is what makes cozies cozy.
Not much of a gardener… maybe someday!
LikeLiked by 2 people
OOH, yeah, you could have gone nuts with the names. Like Lily, Dahlia, Rose… perhaps a friend named Bea, who buzzes around getting into everyone’s business…and maybe their handsome neighbor, who is a bit of a rake!
#ICrackMyselfUp
I only grow vegetables: 11 tons of them last year, in our church Mission Garden. with *ahem* a little help…from about 100 friends.
LikeLiked by 2 people
11 TONS! Wow. How wonderful!
As for the book, I have a Rose. And Delia’s last name is Greenway. Now I’m going to add a Bea. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so grateful to have the gardening theme–lots to work with for sure!
LikeLike
Ohhh…I just got the flower name!
LikeLike
Etta, you are the randomly chosen winner of TILLING THE TRUTH. Please email me your name and address at JHAuthors@JHAuthors.com
LikeLike
Congrats on the upcoming release, Julia. Thrilling times! My wife enjoys working in her “salsa garden.” She grows peppers, tomatoes, and spices. My main gardening skill is staying out of the way. lol Wishing you lots and lots of sales of the new book!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you so much! As for your wife’s garden, how wonderful does that sound?
LikeLike
What a terrific idea for a series, Julia–love it! My garden is in full swing right now–zucchini and green beans overflowing from my countertops, and the tomatoes are just starting to turn red (here in coastal California that fog delays things a bit).
So glad you could join the Chicks today, and congrats on the new book! Yippee!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Leslie, the zucchini and green beans sound wonderful! Tomatoes here are just coming into full force. Thanks for the congrats, and for having me visit!
LikeLike
I bet I could learn a thing or two from you master gardener character! I do like to garden, but tend to let things get away from me–hence the research and purchase of a new perennial each year. And the splitting of previous ones! I grow veggies too–everything is beginning to ripen at once! Congrats on the new book and thanks for the chance to win!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com
LikeLiked by 2 people
My sister’s father-in-law split his perennials and gave them to people. He passed 10 years ago, but his flowers are part of his legacy. Love that practice.
Have fun with your blooming garden!
LikeLiked by 3 people
I have a very black thumb, but I do enjoy plants and gardens. I just killed them if I try to Garden.
This is a great series. I’ve read both books and they are fun.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for your kind words about the series, Mark. A friend had trouble with succulents so she started to make them out of paper. Much more successful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love to garden but find it difficult to do now that I am older. Thanks for the giveaway.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My grandfather built a stool that allowed him to continue to garden. I agree, it is not easy on the knees or on the back.
LikeLike
Thank you for the giveaway. I love to find new authors.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLike
I love visiting my daughter in laws garden. She has a green thumb for sure. My gardening skills are lacking.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Its always wonderful when someone in the family has a green thumb. I love visiting my sister’s gardens as well!
LikeLike
Julie, thanks so much for visiting! I have a black thumb, too. But living in semi desert has been very helpful. I just stick succulent cuttings and native plants in the ground and call it a day!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love succulents! When I owned a house I got rid of the grass (there wasn’t much, it was in the city) and put plants that were impossible to kill all around. Presto! Thanks for inviting me today, Ellen!
LikeLike
I have a small garden and love it! Love the idea of a garden squad.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m really enjoying writing about them!
LikeLike
I love beautiful perennials in the ground, and annuals in pots. And oddly, I get satisfaction out of weeding.
browninggloria(at)otmail(dot)com
LikeLike
We have a large garden for our family of 10 (8 of us are Vegan or Vegetarian) and many planters/hanging pots in our yard. My husband & I enjoy garden shows & the magic we find there!
Cheers-
Kelly Braun
Gaelicark(at)yahoo(dot)com
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a wonderful way to make sure there’s fresh vegetables for all!
LikeLike
I love it when friends give us tomatoes and squash from their gardens’ bounty. Enjoyed Pruning the Dead — congrats on the new book! And thanks for hanging out today with the Chicks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for having me, Vickie! I also love it when my gardening friends pass on the bounty. Especially fresh tomatoes!
LikeLike
Thank you so much for hanging out with us, Julia, and warmest congrats on the upcoming release–just days away! I absolutely loooooooooooove book genesis stories. Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your series’ inspiration!
I’m terrible at keeping anything but my children alive, but I enjoy seeing other people’s gardening handiwork. We do have some blueberry plants, which are doing quite nicely (but I think that’s because I basically don’t interfere).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for having me! Blueberry bushes–be still my heart. My very favorite fruit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are delicious–all five that survive the birds! We savor each and every one. 🙂
LikeLike
Big congrats on the new book, Julie!! It sounds fantastic! As a kid my job was to weed my mom’s prize rose gardens for 5 cents a grocery bag full. I saved up, not for my college education, but for Madame Alexander dolls. I do grow shamrocks and succulents now—on my windowsills. Also appreciate the flowers that come back every year that our home’s previous owner thoughtfully planted.
LikeLike
That’s a lot of weeds for a Madame Alexander doll! I’m a windowsill gardener as well–I live in a condo and get my dirt digging needs taken care of when I visit my folks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love to look at gardens, but my husband is the one with a green thumb.
LikeLike
Looking is one of my favorite things!
LikeLike
I share a garden with my sister-in-law. Part of the garden is devoted to vegetables and herbs, the other part to flowers.
LikeLike
Looking is one of my favorite things!
LikeLike
How great is that? A family garden. I should think about that for the books.
LikeLike
I loved my dad’s gardens. He had cucumbers, string beans, bell peppers, onions, squash, tomatoes, plums!
LikeLiked by 1 person
His garden sounds like my grandfather’s up to the plums. Yum!
LikeLike
So happy that you’re visiting us–thank you! I could not agree more about the friendship aspect of cozies. What a lovely point!
I love gardens! Very much admire the art of gardening, though I’ll confess I’m not a gardener…we tend to plant perennials, then basically let nature do its thing. I’m sure there is more we should be doing for maintenance, but I don’t know what it is. Ha.
Congratulations on your success–I’ve read and enjoyed all of your series. Was thrilled to get a copy of Pruning the Dead at Malice…it’s WONDERFUL. Excited to read the new one!
LikeLike
Thank you Cynthia, and thanks for having me on the blog!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love gardens but I don’t have much of a green thumb myself. I planted my first vegetable garden this year and it didn’t yield much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it takes a bit for the soil and everything to work together. I hope you enjoyed the vegetables it did yield!
LikeLike
I love seeing pretty gardens, but I’m not much of a gardener. My garden consists of mostly peonies and raspberries.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a lovely duo. Peonies are so lovely. And raspberries–yum!
LikeLike
My husband is the gardener and he does it very well. Only problem are the deer and rabbits. We were wiped out from them this year, everything. He spent so much time in that garden and it was just a shame. Any tips on keeping these guys away? This book looks fantastic! Thanks for the chance.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s so difficult, isn’t it? I know folks who put netting over the gardens, which can help. My mother tried Irish Spring, different essential oils and more, but her hostas are still down to the nubs. I will try to find more suggestions and add them to my next book.
LikeLike