Nana Jo sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we, the readers, can get to know her better. Nana Jo, take it away!

What is your full name?
Josephine Thomas, but my granddaughter’s call me, Nana Jo.

How old are you?
I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. Let’s just say, I’m old enough to know what I’m doing and too old to care what anyone thinks about it.

What is your profession?
I’m a retired school teacher, but now I help my granddaughter in her mystery bookshop, Market Street Mysteries. I also help her solve mysteries from time to time, too.

Do you have a significant other?
I’m a widow, but I’ve been fortunate to have found a wonderful man to share my life with.

What is his name and profession?
Freddie Williams is a retired policeman.

Do you have any children?
I have one daughter, Grace Robertson. Although, if you looked at her, you’d never believe that we were related. Grace is barely five feet tall and one hundred pounds. I’m just under six feet and I’ve got at least a hundred pounds on her. I blame her father for treating her like a princess, but she’s proved that when the rubber meets the road, she has inner strength along with a good right hook.

Do you have any siblings?
Nope. I’m an only child. I’m sure I was more than enough to keep my parents busy.

Are your parents nearby?
Sadly, my parents died long ago.

Who is your best friend?
I have three really close friends. Dorothy Clark, Irma Starczewski, and Ruby Mae Stevenson. I’m also really close to my granddaughters, Jenna Rutherford and Samantha Washington.

Do you have any pets?
No, but I’m really fond of my granddaughter’s toy poodles, Snickers and Oreo.

What town do you live in?
North Harbor, Michigan. It’s on the Lake Michigan shoreline and is beautiful in the summer.

Do you live in a small town or a big city?
North Harbor is a small town.

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
After my husband died, I bought a home in a new development near the lake. I have a lovely home, but I spend a lot of time with my granddaughter. She has her mystery bookshop in the old Gargoyle building downtown North Harbor. The bookshop is on the first floor and she’s converted the upstairs into a lovely living space.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
My favorite spot in my home is the sunroom at the back of the house. It has unobstructed views of Lake Michigan and is peaceful.

Favorite meal and dessert?
I love good food, so I’m not picky. My granddaughter’s boyfriend, Frank Patterson, owns a restaurant and he’s a great cook. I love everything he makes. Dawson Alexander works at the bookshop and lives in an apartment over the garage. He’s also a fantastic baker and makes the most amazing cookies you’ve ever tasted.

Do you have any hobbies?
Boy, do I have hobbies. I love martial arts and have a black belt in aikido. For years, I’ve held the lead role in the Shady Acres Senior Follies. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen me as Eudora Hooper. I love to sing and dance and I’m pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. I also love going to the casino, and I’m a crack shot with a gun.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
I’m a mystery lover and had a great time recently on a Mystery Lovers Tour of England with my granddaughter and friends. If you want to read about our adventures, check out A Tourist’s Guide to Murder. I highly recommend it.

What music do you listen to?
I like everything from rap to classical and everything in between. When it comes to music, I don’t discriminate.

Do you have a favorite book?
I love mysteries. I take pride in the fact that I got my granddaughter, Sam, interested in them. She prefers cozies, but I like thrillers. However, as long as there’s a crime to be solved, I’ll read it.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
I love when Sam, the girls (Dorothy, Irma, and Ruby Mae) and I go out on the town. We start with dinner at Randy’s Steakhouse or the buffet at the Four Feathers Casino. Then, we play some games at the casino.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Well, that’s a good question. How about, Old Enough to Speak My Mind or Shoot First, And Skip the Questions? Both are mottos that I live by.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
We don’t get paid to solve mysteries, so technically we’re amateurs, but we should get paid. If it weren’t for my granddaughter, Sam, the girls, and I, a number of bad guys would have gotten away with murder. Detective Pitt (I like to use his childhood nickname, ‘Stinky’) has actually tried to arrest my granddaughter, Sam; our assistant, Dawson; and even me for murders we didn’t commit. If it weren’t for the work of us amateurs, innocent people would be behind bars and killers would be roaming the streets of North Harbor.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Even though I have my own home, I spend several days each week at my granddaughter’s. I like to get up early and make breakfast in the peace and quiet of the morning. Once Sam is up, we go downstairs and get things ready in the bookstore. I’ve developed a knack for helping customers find books they’ll like, and so far I’ve been dead on. At the end of the day, I like to unwind with a good book or by hanging out with my friends.

What is a typical day when you are on a case?
One of the benefits to age is an extended network of friends and contacts. Dorothy, Irma, Ruby Mae, and I have a lot of friends and family who we reach out to for information when we’re on a case. Someone is bound to know someone else, especially in a small town like North Harbor. We’re also good at talking to strangers. People underestimate older people and chalk us up as nosy old busybodies. We aren’t seen as a threat, so they’re willing to talk to us and tell us things they’d never reveal to the police. That’s our superpower.

Killer Words, A Mystery Bookshop Mystery #7
Genre: Cozy
Release: November 2021
Purchase Link

Bookstore owner and mystery writer Samantha Washington comes to the aid of the cop who once arrested her own grandmother . . .

Sam and Nana Jo are back in sleepy North Harbor, Michigan, where Sam is eagerly awaiting the publication of her first book. In search of more immediate excitement, Nana Jo hits the casino with her fellow Shady Acres Retirement Village gal pals—but they get more than they bargained for when they witness Detective Bradley Pitt decking mayoral candidate John Cloverton.

As Sam well knows, mystery novels are full of brilliant detectives, genius sleuths, and hero cops. Detective Bradley Pitt—aka “Stinky Pitt”—is another story. In the past, the dull-witted detective has mistakenly accused members of Sam’s family for crimes they didn’t commit. Now, it’s his turn: when Cloverton turns up dead, he’s arrested. With his predilection for polyester, Pitt has been wanted by the fashion police for years, but Nana Jo knows her former elementary school math student would never commit murder—it doesn’t add up. Somebody’s framed the flatfoot to take a fall, and Sam and Nana Jo must step in to restore the reputation and good name of Detective Pitt.

About the author
V.M. (Valerie) Burns was born and raised in Northwestern Indiana. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dog Writers Association of America, Thriller Writers International and is on the national board for Sisters in Crime. V.M. Burns is also the Agatha Award nominated author of The Plot is Murder, the first book in the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series; and the RJ Franklin Mystery series. She now lives in Eastern Tennessee with her two poodles. Readers can keep up with new releases by following her on social media via Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.

All comments are welcomed.