I’m Haylee Scott. I worked for awhile as an investment counselor, but my first love has always been making clothes, mainly by sewing them, though I can also knit and crochet.
My best friend, Willow, and I blew the whistle on our boss in the financial business, and I left town immediately. Willow, who is braver than I am, stayed on. Eventually, I got her to join me in a village in northwestern Pennsylvania, where I had opened the shop of my dreams, The Stash. I sell beautiful fabrics and teach sewing and tailoring. My three mothers had already quit their jobs and moved here, too, to open yarn, notions, and quilting shops. By the time Willow opened her machine embroidery boutique, In Stitches, the village had a new nickname—Threadville.
Yes, I have three mothers. I’m the product of a summer love when my mother was only sixteen. I don’t know my father’s name, but he was the love of my mother’s life, and I suspect that she’s still pining for him. My other two mothers are her best friends. They helped raise me. One of them got engaged when I was little, but a drunk driver put an end to my dreams of having a father. That mother hasn’t been interested in anyone since. These are three very loyal women. My third mother is dating a man whom we all love. I’m crossing my fingers for her.
Me? I’m not dating. I’ve had some bad luck with men. I managed to introduce Willow to a great guy named Clay, and they seem to like each other. I sense they’re conniving to find me a boyfriend, but those two are so busy they hardly ever see each other, so they don’t have much time to connive, which is probably just as well.
Right, I was going to tell you about my day. I teach courses in my shop mornings and afternoons. I often have lunch with Willow, and when the ice cream stand near the beach is open, we stroll along the beach for ice cream after supper. Tuesday evenings, Willow, Clay, and I have firefighting practice. Friday evenings, one of my mothers hosts storytelling events at her shop, Tell a Yarn (she’s the knitting and crocheting expert.)
There have been times when Willow and I have felt the need to do a little quiet investigating. We dress in black and drive out in Willow’s nondescript car after dark. Usually, we take her two dogs. If our police chief (who seems to have an antenna for discovering our whereabouts) finds us and asks what we’re up to, we can tell her we’re walking the dogs.
Don’t worry. We were very, very careful. The police chief won’t admit it, but without our help, she might not have solved a couple of murders.
But we’re done with all that. Anyone up for ice cream this evening?
Thanks to Penguin, I have one (1) copy of THREAD AND BURIED to give away. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. The book will be shipped directly from the publisher. Contest ends June 8; US entries only per publisher’s request.
You can learn more about Haylee and how she helps Willow solve a murder in the Threadville Mystery series.
The first Threadville Mystery, Dire Threads, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel, and was shortlisted for the 2012 Bloody Words Light Mystery Award (the Bony Blithe.)
The second novel in the Threadville Mystery series, Threaded For Trouble, is shortlisted for the 2013 Bloody Words Light Mystery Award (the Bony Blithe.)
The third Threadville Mystery, published June 4, is THREAD AND BURIED.
Meet the author
Janet Bolin invented Threadville because there weren’t enough crafty stores near where she lives, but it didn’t help, because now she wants more than ever to merely cross the street for a purple zipper, a skein of fluffy yarn, yards of quilt batting, and scads of beautiful fabrics. And she wishes she could buy that magenta embroidery thread in Willow’s shop… Janet has two dogs who have a strong resemblance to Willow’s dogs, and, like Willow’s dogs, are fond of investigating and sniffing out clues.
Two more Threadville Mysteries are in the works…
Visit Janet at Threadville Mysteries, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
Threadville Mysteries are available at your favorite bookstore or at these booksellers.
I have been wanting to start this series, it really sounds interesting. Winning a copy would be a great start!
Thank you for the chance to win the next book in this fun series.
Sounds like a great series–off to Amazon to pick up the first book in this series!
Thank you Kathy Gonzales, griperang, and Renee Hoffer, and welcome to Threadville!
I would so love to win this 🙂
Another winner! Woluld love to win a copy of THREAD AND BURIED.
Another great mystery to this series! I can’t wait to get ahold of it!!
This is a series that has been on my book list for awhile. Sounds like it will be perfect for summer reading. Thanks for the review!
sounds great would love to win it
Good luck, Debbie Carney, Cheryl, and Jane R!
Sounds great! Thanks for the opportunity.
The only thing Threadville needs is a bookshop and I’d move there in an instant! This sounds like my kind of town and my kind of book. I can’t wait to start this series!
I love this series. The characters are great!
Jan, you’re so right about the bookshop! Hmmmmm… Linda, thank you so much, and wait until you see what they’re up to next! Good luck, Barbara!
I would love to start this series!
I can’t sew a stitch but I do love to read about it in these fun cozies. Thanks for the chance to follow these gals as they solve another crime.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Sounds great. I would love to win this. Can’t wait to start on the first in the series.
What can I say? I love, love, love this series!
Thanks to a very dear friend (the good book fairy) I own a copy of Threaded for Trouble. I also read Dire Threads and enjoyed them both very much. I’d love to “get lucky” and be picked to win Thread and Buried for my over packed bookshelves. I know my partner and our kids will also enjoy reading it.
NoraAdrienne(at)gmail(dot)com
I’m off for the rest of the day, but may get a chance to check in. Thank you everyone for your good wishes, and I hope you all get a chance to visit Threadville!
I like the excuse of walking the dogs. Clever.
This sounds like a great series! I would love to start reading it!
I love knitting and I take my time browsing craft stores so I know I would love this cozy,
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
I enjoyed the first two books in the series and am glad there will be more.
I’m excited that there will be more in the series, too, and I hope you all enjoy your visits to Threadville.
I’m thready to win this book. Thanks. judydee22002@yahoo dot com
I LOVE to find new books that are in a series! If I like them I IMMEDIATELY find the others. I read at LEAST five books a week. This series sounds right up my alley! I plan to check Barnes & Noble for the first in this fun sounding series! Thank-you for the tip!
I grew up near a mill town and have lived in a few since being married, so I can relate to this story very well. I am anxious to order this latest in the series but will be optimistic, and wait for the giveaway to end. 🙂 Love this series; Janet is a fabulous writer and does her “homework” for sure.
Keep up the great writing, Janet.
As soon I can I WILL be reading this series!
Can’t wait to read more about Willow and Haylee. The first two books are sitting here on my shelf! Thanks for the chance to win the new one!
Sounds like a great cozy mysteries. Must read.
Love this title! ! !
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
I love sewing, embroidery, crafts and mysteries so this series feeds all of my addictions. Thanks so much.
Another great sounding story.
So loved the first two and I’m so not a crafty type person. Thread and buried is going to the top of my TBR stack!
Thanks Janet and Haylee for giving us a glimpse into your day.
Contest is closed, but comments are always welcomed.