Julia Bonatti sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we, the readers, can get to know her better.

What is your full name?
Julia Elizabeth Bonatti

How old are you?
I’m 37 now. I was 36 at the start of my stories, but strangely, time has slowed down so I can age slower.

What is your profession?
I’m an astrologer.

Do you have a significant other?
Sadly, no, I don’t. My fiancé Michael was killed in a hit and run accident a few years ago and I’m still recovering from that loss. My good friends and my grandmother would like me to move on and find someone special, but I haven’t been ready to do that. At least not yet.

Do you have any children?
No.

Do you have any siblings?
No. I was an only child.

Are your parents nearby?
Only in spirit. My parents were killed in a car accident when I was five years old. I was raised by my wonderful grandmother, Gloria Bonatti. My grandfather’s (now deceased) and grandmother’s close friend, Kuan Lee, who lives in the first floor apartment of her house in North Beach, is my honorary grandfather. He’s been there for me my whole life.

Who is your best friend?
I’m very blessed with friendships. Gale Hymson, the owner of The Mystic Eye occult bookshop and Cheryl Perugia, the manager of the shop, are my best friends. I have lots of other friends and acquaintances and often some of my clients become good friends but, I have to say, Gale and Cheryl are the closest, most trusted friends.

Do you have any pets?
Yes, my amazing twenty-pound black cat, Wizard. If you’re interested, you can learn how I found Wizard, or rather how he found me, in my novella Enter a Wizard, Stage Left.

What town do you live in? Do you live in a small town or a big city?
I live in San Francisco. I guess it’s a good-sized city, but not too overwhelmingly big.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I rent a small four-room apartment in the westernmost part of the city, close to the Pacific Ocean and Lands End. I love where I live because I can listen to the foghorns every night.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
By the fireplace. I love to snuggle up on the sofa with Wizard on cold evenings.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
I eat pretty much anything, but I don’t really cook. I’m fairly useless in the kitchen, so my favorite meals are any that my grandmother makes. She’s a fabulous cook and my most favorite dish is her lasagna. Dessert? Hmmm . . . anything with dark dark chocolate and raspberries.

Do you have any hobbies?
I’m so busy with my private astrology clients and psychic fairs at The Mystic Eye, I don’t have much time for hobbies. I also write an astrological advice column, Ask Zodia, for the San Francisco Chronicle. All those jobs keep me very busy. I guess my only hobby is crime-solving. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking for trouble, but sometimes my clients are in trouble and really need my help.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Any warm ocean beach where I can swim and lie in the sun. I love the climate I live in, but most days in San Francisco are chilly, and in my neighborhood especially, foggy. So once in a blue moon, I take a trip to visit Southern California and enjoy the beaches. I’d love to go to Hawaii some day or even the Caribbean. One can dream.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Any time I can share good times with close friends. Dinners with Gale and Cheryl. Excursions with my darling grandmother. Parties and events at The Mystic Eye. It’s the people in your life who are most important.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
“Life Is What Happens When You’re Making Other Plans.” I was on a teaching path, along with my fiancé Michael. We had both earned our masters’ degrees and were looking forward to a quiet, settled life. It still causes me a lot of pain when I think of what might have been, but . . . the universe had another path in mind for me.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Amateur, of course. I’m always an astrologer. Bear in mind, I never intended to become involved in crime. Again, things happen that you least expect. Problems get dropped in my lap and I find myself pulled into investigations. Fortunately, I’ve made friends, if you can use the word ‘friend’ with a homicide cop, Paolo Ianello. I met him a couple of years ago when I witnessed the aftermath of a murder. He was the investigating detective in All Signs Point to Murder and he’s helped me a lot since then. I’m sure I annoy him no end, but he does always come through for me when I need help.

What is a typical day in your life like in general and when you are on a case?
My days are taken up with my private clients and answering questions for my AskZodia column. Whatever crime solving or investigating I do has to be balanced with the work that supports my life. I always try to find time to write too. I’ve written one astrology book on love triangles and I want to find time to work on another one about adopted children. Maybe because I’m kind of an orphan myself. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find time to finish that one soon.

Serpent’s Doom, A Zodiac Mystery #4
Genre: Cozy
Release: April 2022
Purchase Link

As San Francisco’s Chinatown prepares for the Lunar New Year festivities in the fogbound month of February, astrologer Julia Bonatti finds herself with three new clients, all in desperate straits who don’t seem to heed her advice. Tracy is the victim of a brutal husband with nowhere to run and Jeanette is worried sick about her son, whom she suspects has fallen in with a bad lot.

But most frightening of all to Julia is Frankie Chang’s dilemma. Frankie’s only eleven years old and he’s terrified. His mother is missing and no one will help him. Julia’s heart goes out to him but her hands are tied. Frankie won’t let her talk to the police and neither will his family.

Julia eventually discovers that the three worlds of her clients intertwine. Those lives inevitably collide exposing a dangerous smuggling cabal. Julia knows too much and becomes a victim of both a ruthless environmental group and criminals who will stop at nothing, including murder.

About the author
Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries featuring Julia Bonatti, a San Francisco astrologer who never thought murder would be part of her practice. Writing as Connie Archer, she’s the national bestselling author of the Soup Lovers’ Mysteries from Berkeley Prime Crime. Her recipes and excerpts can be found in The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook and The Cozy Cookbook. Connie is a member of the Crime Writers Association (UK), Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.

All comments are welcomed.