Seneca sits down for a Q&A with dru’s book musings responding to twenty or more questions so we can learn more about her. Are you ready? Let’s get to know Seneca.

What is your full name?
Seneca James

How old are you?
27

What is your profession?
I raise and sell Monarch butterflies, and I own the Painted Wings Cafe, located on my farm property.

Do you have a significant other?
Well, that’s complicated. I have a secret thing for my best friend, Cody. We’ve always been close, but have never taken the step beyond the friend stage. There are days I wonder…. well, it hasn’t happened yet. We’ll see!

What is their name and profession?
Cody Bales. He’s the town sheriff.

Do you have any children?
No, not yet.

Do you have any siblings?
No, but my cousin, Evie, and I were born on the same day and are as close as sisters.

Are your parents nearby?
No, they moved to Florida several years ago.

Who is your best friend?
Cody, though, it might change from the friend stage someday!

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
I have Winifred! She’s a marmalade cat who wears butterfly costumes and thinks she’s royalty.

What town do you live in?
Maple Junction, Indiana. It’s small and rural, and everyone knows everybody else’s business.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I own the old farmhouse where my grandparents lived. My grandmother left it to me, as well as the butterfly farm, when she passed away.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
I love my bedroom. At night before I go to sleep, Winifred likes to snuggle next to me while I read books to her. I try not to make it something that will be scary for her. Otherwise, she’d never get to sleep, and that would be weird for a cat.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
Pizza and chocolate cake, always.

Do you have any hobbies?
I guess I’d have to say, making sure Winifred is happy, haha!

What music do you listen to?
80’s rock is my favorite. I know I might be young to like that, but it’s the best!

What is your favorite color?
Orange. I can’t imagine a more beautiful color than that of my monarchs.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
What’s a vacation? Haha! Farm owners don’t get many of those. If I could, I’d love to see the places in Mexico where the monarchs migrate to every year. Maybe someday.

Are you a morning or night person?
Definitely morning. Winifred never lets me sleep in.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
We have an amazing park that is right next to my farm. Pines Park. When I visit there, I feel calm and restored, and able to go back to my busy days caring for the butterflies.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
“Don’t Clip My Wings.” As much as I love Maple Junction, there are times when it can be a little stifling, if others get too nosy about my life.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Definitely amateur, although I get some help from Cody, the professional. But many times, it’s just me, or I have Winifred or my cousin Evie along to help me.

What is a typical day in your life like?
I get up before the sun and head to my greenhouse to check on the butterfly larvae and clean their pens. Then, I head out to my milkweed fields to make sure my adult monarchs are thriving and healthy. There’s always work to do there, weeding out any dead milkweed stalks and keeping a close eye on my monarch numbers, that nothing bad has happened to them. They have natural predators and need protection. Winifred likes to follow me around the farm, but I usually end up carrying her because her short legs can’t keep up with mine. I always stop into Painted Wings Cafe at least once a day to make sure my cousin Evie, who runs it, is doing all right.

Murder at the Painted Wings Café, A Seneca James Mystery Book 2
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: November 2024
Format: Digital (Print to follow)
Purchase Link

Seneca James’ cousin, Evie, ends up in hot water, when she’s accused of stealing a wallet from an angry customer in the 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, and her cat, Winifred, to get Evie out of trouble.

About the author
Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. Her husband reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and adores her even though all her books must have at least one cat in them. Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who find trouble without even trying. Follow updates about her mysteries at Ruthjhartman.com.