Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe by Ruth J. Hartman

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Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe
by Ruth J. Hartman. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!

Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe
by Ruth J. Hartman

Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe: A Seneca James Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Indiana
Level Best Books (November 19, 2024)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 281 pages

Seneca James’ cousin, Evie, ends up in hot water, when she’s accused of stealing a wallet from an angry customer in Seneca’s Painted Wings Café. The customer also happens to be the local bank manager, who Evie pleads with for a much-needed loan, resulting in a public spectacle as the bank manager refuses, and ridicules Evie. When the manager later turns up dead inside the cafe, and Evie is the most likely suspect, it will take all of Seneca’s sleuthing and help from her best friend, Sheriff Cody Bales, to get Evie out of trouble.

Interview with Author Ruth J. Hartman

Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!

Tell us a little about yourself.

I live in rural Indiana with my husband of over 40 years and our spoiled cats. We live in a 150-yr-old farmhouse, and love it!

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil, creating little stories that made no sense, but seemed to entertain my family. The first book I wrote for publication was in 2008.

Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?

I wanted to be an author, but in my family, you went to college for something more practical. I’m a dental hygienist, along with two brothers and a sister, who are a doctor, a dentist, and a nurse! I used to write romance and historical romance but when I began reading cozy mysteries, I loved them! It made sense to try to write those, and I’m glad I switched.

Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?

I do like reading cozies, but I also like some women’s fiction, and psychological suspense. Right now, I’m reading Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. It’s great!

Do you have a favorite place to write?

We have an enclosed porch on the back of our house that I’ve adopted as my writing den. One whole wall is windows, so we get a lot of sun back there. Our cats love to join me out there and enjoy the sunbeams!

What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?

I have one, but don’t use it much. Usually, nearby I have a calendar of my writing deadlines, a notebook with story notes, and a journal where I keep lists of characters and facts from each of the books I’ve written to make it easier when it’s time to write another book in one of those series.

What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?

I remember reading A Wrinkle in Time and being fascinated. Not only by the story, but that someone had written that straight from their imagination. I wanted to do the same thing.

Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?

I go back and forth from ebooks to print books. I like both. I don’t listen to audiobooks much because my attention starts to wander if I’m being read to, rather than reading something myself.

If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

I’ve always wanted to visit Scotland, since some of my ancestors are Scottish. I’ve seen photos and read books about the area and it seems so beautiful.

What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?

I have to give credit to my parents for being avid readers and influencing me to be the same. And my husband, Garry, who is my biggest supporter when it comes to my writing.

Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?

Yes! I’m part of a writer’s blog and another online group of authors where we can discuss anything writing related. I also have a good friend who checks in with me every day to see how my writing is going and I do the same for her. 😊

Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?

I just started writing Book 3 in the Seneca James Mysteries. It will follow Butterfly Betrayal, and Murder at the Painted Wings Café in that series about a butterfly farm.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!

About Ruth J. Hartman

Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. She, her husband, and their cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats sit in the people’s recliners. Not that the cats couldn’t get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else’s.

Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who seem to find trouble without even trying.

Ruth’s husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her despite her insistence all of her books have at least one cat in them. See updates about her cozy mysteries at Ruthjhartman.com.

Author Links

Website https://www.ruthjhartman.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ruth.j.hartman

X https://x.com/ruthjhartman

Facebook Author Page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063631596817

Purchase Link – Amazon