Meet Joann Keder - An Interview

I'm pleased to welcome Joann Keder to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Joann writes the Piney Falls Mystery series, The Charming Mystery series, and more!

Kathy: In your Piney Falls Mystery series a woman vacationing in Piney Falls finds herself embroiled in a century-old mystery with connections to a modern day cult. What makes cults so intriguing for outsiders to read about?

JK: I think we all have a curiosity about what makes others tick- we want to find some common ground. When it comes to cults, that can be difficult. It becomes more of an oddity and the more we learn about cults, the more we want to understand why. Maybe it's also a case of wanting to assure ourselves that the reason those people "fell" for it isn't a shortcoming we ourselves have. Of course, we can never put ourselves in others' shoes, but that is the basic mentality in my thinking.

Kathy: I love reading about old unsolved mysteries. Is that something you enjoy as well? Do you have a favorite to ponder? A Ripperologist, perhaps?

JK: Yes, I do! I'm with you on Jack the Ripper. I've also been especially curious about the events surrounding Marilyn Monroe's death, as well as the many other famous people who died or were assassinated during the 60s. So many layers!

Kathy: Your Charming Mystery series takes place in Oregon and features a reluctant paranormal investigator. Have you ever been on any paranormal investigations yourself?

JK: I had some actual experiences in a house we used to live in. Over the years, we had many unexplained events. My daughter's bedroom was in the basement and she had horrible nightmares. She said there was a man and a girl who stood at the foot of her bed each night. She said she slept so much better after she moved out. When she went off to college and my sister came to visit, she had the same dream and ended up sleeping upstairs on the couch. As the years went on, the experiences ramped up. Doors slamming, cupboards slamming, footsteps, etc.

I'll never forget the time I was lying on the living room floor. (I did that frequently because it felt peaceful. We had skylights in our living room, and I loved watching the clouds float by.) It was a Saturday morning, and I could hear kids playing outside, but I heard something else. There were noises I couldn't account for, and eventually I realized it was a radio playing music from the 1920s. It sounded as if it were coming from her bedroom. When I worked up the courage to go down and check, it was gone.

A paranormal investigator DID come to our home. He said our daughter's bedroom was a portal of some kind. We moved not long after and I've always wondered if the next owners had the same issues?

Kathy: Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a paranormal experience?

JK: Piggybacking on the first answer, I'll mention that, growing up, we lived next door to a mortuary. I always thought people were in my bedroom. Once we started having issues with our home, I realized it very well could have been otherworldly visitors. I don't pretend to have the answers, but I do believe we continue to have connections to those we've lost, as well as others who want to be heard.
 

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

JK: I didn't really know what I was writing. The old adage, "write what you know" gave me some direction. I spent most of my life living in small towns and trying to navigate very complex, out-of-the-ordinary relationships. Those two are both cozy mystery-centric. I'm proud of the fact that not only do my characters evolve, but so do the relationships within their circle. They all create families outside of their families of origin.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

JK: Yes! I write literary/women's fiction. I have a series based in Iowa called, "Pepperville Stories." It covers different decades in two small Iowa towns. The next book in that series will be released this fall! It's called, "Secrets and Sunflowers." I think it's some of my best work.
 

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

JK: Piney Falls Mysteries

This series takes place in the fictional Oregon coast town of Piney Falls. It follows Lanie, a serious Chicago businesswoman who is visiting on vacation. After she uncovers a century-old mystery, the place kind of grows on her and she decides to stick around! As she finds mysteries, she also finds new branches of her family. There are currently five books in that series with a Christmas crossover coming in October. This book will take place in Piney Falls, but will also include a character from the Charming Mysteries series!

Charming Mysteries

This series also takes place on the Oregon coast, this time in the fictional town of Charming. Retiree, Gemini Reed and her sidekick, paranormal investigator Feather Jones, make an unstoppable team as they solve not only the mysteries in modern Charming, but also right the wrongs of those who lived there long ago. This series currently has three books with the fourth coming in October. (The crossover) The new book will be called, "Cranberries and Chaos," so please watch for it!

Pepperville Stories

This series takes place in fictional towns in Iowa--Pepperville and Sandy Salts. Each story encompasses a different decade. In The Something That Happened in Pepperville, (1990s) we learn about Jenna Thompson, an outcast who thrives on routine, and the young man she finds living in a tree. They set off a series of events that will change Pepperville forever. Franniebell and Purple Wonder (1970s) tells the story of Georgina Hardwick, a young woman who has everything. Her life changes dramatically when she learns she is pregnant. The Story of Keilah (2000) is the story of Georgina's daughter. Keilah must face some hard truths about her past in order to move forward, leading her to some dramatic discoveries. COMING SOON- The sequel to The Story of Keilah, Secrets and Sunflowers, takes place in most recent times and follows Keilah and her close friends as they each try to solve a mystery.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

JK: November Bean for sure. She is unafraid to be weird. I wish I could say the same for me. As I age, I care less about what people say about me, but I'm still conscious that I'm not like others. November celebrates her uniqueness and never spends a moment worrying about the stares.


Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

JK: It depends on the day. I look back at the Pepperville books and can see the evolution of my own life. But when it comes to the cozy mysteries, I've just decided to let the characters tell me where they're going. It works out really well, believe it or not.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

JK: I've always been a writer. As a young child, I used to write stories and give them away to family members for Christmas. During a recent move, I found a short assignment from the sixth grade about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said I was going to be a writer.

I let insecurities, both those forced upon me and the ones I created for myself, dictate my life choices. I wasn't smart enough, good enough, etc. It wasn't until I was getting my master's degree in creative writing, at age 40, that I thought maybe, just maybe, I could write a book.

Out of that came The Something That Happened in Pepperville. A publisher picked it up and it was published two weeks before we moved halfway across the country. My whole world came crashing down at that point.

It was 2008 and I couldn't find a job. I struggled to make friends and all of those feelings of worthlessness just took over. I spent time just sitting in my closet, unsure of a time it would be safe to emerge. That went on for years.

One day in 2015, my husband was out in the woods hiking when he had a massive heart attack. He had to be life flighted in and was hooked up to machines for several days. I was sitting by his bed, listening to the machines keeping him alive when I had a revelation: If I wasn't going to be a writer now, then when? There were no guarantees I wouldn't be in the same condition that he was next day. Right then and there, I decided I needed to roll right on past those negative thoughts and get busy writing. During my husband's recovery, I wrote The Story of Keilah. I knew I had to publish and I had to keep going. Currently, I'm working on books thirteen and fourteen.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

JK: Stephen King, George Eliot, Maya Angelou and Emily Dickinson. Wouldn't that crew be a gas?


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

JK: I'm reading "The Weaver's Legacy," by Olive Collins. Fantastic!

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

JK: Writing is really my number one interest (after family) but I do enjoy an easy (emphasis on easy!) hike.


Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

JK: Blueberries are a must, chia seeds, pasta sauce and nut butter.

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

JK: I don't foresee an end to any of them. As long as I'm breathing, I'll be putting out new books.


Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

JK: When I finally made my peace with this profession, I realized it truly is what I was meant do to. There is something soothing to the soul about using what you were given exactly as it was intended to be used.

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 Blurb:

Lanie Anders has a perfectly-ordered life. From her half-foam morning latte to her high-powered executive job - she controls every outcome. But when her house burns to the ground in mysterious circumstances, her life is thrown into confusion.

Searching for some kind of purpose, she stumbles across a century-old mystery and flees to Piney Falls, Oregon, an oceanside hamlet with a curious past. But something isn’t quite right in the picturesque town. Her neighbor speaks in riddles, the death rate is alarmingly high and the impossibly handsome town baker is hiding something.

With each clue she unearths in the present and the past, she becomes more convinced that the townspeople are in imminent danger.

Will Lanie be able to solve both mysteries without putting her own life in jeopardy?

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USA TODAY bestselling author,  Joann Keder spent most of her years in the Midwest, growing up and raising a family on the Great Plains of Nebraska. She worked for sixteen years as a piano teacher before returning to school to receive a master's degree in creative writing. A mid-life move to the Pacific Northwest led her to re-examine her priorities. She now creates stories about life and relationships in small towns while her ever-patient husband encourages her on.

Awards: Page Turner Finalist, Literary Titan Silver Medal, New Apple Award for Humor

website: www.joannkeder.com

facebook: www.facebook.com/jkederauthor