Julie Anne Lindsey | Five Ways A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder Changed Me

1. I discovered the magic of Renaissance Faires.
I visited my first Ren Faire as research for this series. I expected people in costume, probably speaking botched Elizabethan, and minstrel music piped through the fairground speakers. To be honest, there was plenty of all those things, but there was also so much more. I fell instantly in love. My entire family bought annual passes. The Ren Faire is magical. It’s like stepping back in time to a place where everyone is glad to see you. I can’t even imagine another place where that’s true. There are tons of people in wonderful costumes. Whimsical magicians. Fire eaters. Sword swallowers. Live minstrels. Giant turkey legs. You name it. The Ren Faire has it. I love it. My kids love the acrobats and comedy shows. I love the jousters and joy on everyone’s face. I’m sure my husband enjoyed the gratuitous cleavage. I did.

2. I’ve learned to shout Huzzah!
I’ll be honest. The first time I attended the Ren Faire and a group of strangers spontaneously shouted, Huzzah! I nearly wet my pants. Now, I love it. Huzzah is a loud rejoice. It’s a proclamation of “Ain’t that grand!” I use it regularly. It lowers my blood pressure and reminds me of the small blessings that come along every day. Front row parking? Huzzah! My missing sock? Two for one Frappuccinos? A Gilmore Girls marathon? Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah! Life is good. Even when it’s not, it really is. Think of the alternative.

3. I’ve embraced cosplay.
Cosplay is when we dress up as characters from a book, movie or play. It’s a wonderful creative release and a great expression of yourself in terms of something you love. I’ve kept tabs on several online Cosplayers for years, anxiously awaiting their next costume and pouring over the generous step-by-step instructions they share on making their phenomenal creations. I never dreamed I’d don a costume and go out in public this side of Halloween or a masquerade ball, but I did this year. A lot. I bought tickets to local Comicons and gamer fairs, dressed in my best, and off I went. In 2014 alone, I was Alice in Wonderland, Lady Guinevere, Mary Poppins, Thor, Felicity Smoak, and Bruce Wayne’s mom, may she rest in peace. Some costumes were pieced together from my closet, some were purchased as ensembles and others were homemade. All were thrilling. I’m so glad I did this.

4. I rediscovered my love of vintage fashion.
Vintage is my lover. I get weak kneed at the sight of cat eye glasses and victory curls. My heart flutters over cashmere cardigans and pinup dresses. It’s true. I fell in love with vintage as a child. I grew up on reruns of I Love Lucy and Laverne and Shirley. I couldn’t understand why my mom didn’t dress like them. Eighties fashion did nothing for me. Neither did the nineties stuff. By the millennia, I’d made it to college and shopped resale shops by necessity. The pieces I loved were available for pennies. It was sad and glorious. I added new pieces to my wardrobe every pay day, combining the best of both worlds. Mary Janes with skinny jeans. Structured blouses with corduroys. I had my own style, and I loved it, but I let it slide recently. My adorable pedal pushers and twin sets were replaced by yoga pants and shirts with my kids’ school name on them. It was a sad, dark time for my wardrobe, but dressing my heroine sprung me back into shape. Thank you Mia! Now, I’m smiling brightly in my navy polka dots,and strutting in my red patent heels.

5. I made dozens of new friends
For an introverted nerd like me, making one new friend is a daring feat. Making “dozens” is sheer crazy talk, except it’s true. Over the course of researching for this series, I’ve connected with tons of incredible people and bonded over our common interests like robot battlers, the language of flowers, and our shameless Alice in Wonderland fixations. Writing this book has helped me truly embrace the things I love to see and do.

For that, I’m forever thankful. Huzzah!

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About Julie Anne Lindsey

As an only child Julie always had plenty of time to people watch and make things up. When she didn't think she could make a living at the latter, her love of people led her to a BA in Psychology instead. A few years and three kids later, Julie discovered the thrill of writing. Writing lets her harness a seemingly endless supply of energy and enthusiasm and create something of value in the wake.

Mother of three, wife to a sane person and Ring Master at the Lindsey Circus. Most days you'll find her online, amped up on caffeine & wielding a book.

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About A GEEK GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER

IT manager Mia Connors is up to her tortoiseshell glasses in technical drama when a glitch in the Horseshoe Falls email system disrupts security and sends errant messages to residents of the gated community. The snafu's timing couldn't be worse—Renaissance Faire season is in full swing and Mia's family's business relies on her presence.

Mia doesn't have time to hunt down a computer hacker. Her best friend has disappeared, and she finds another of her friends murdered—in her office. When the hunky new head of Horseshoe Falls security identifies Mia as the prime suspect, her anxiety level registers on the Richter scale.

Eager to clear her name, Mia moves into action to locate her missing buddy and find out who killed their friend. But her quick tongue gets her into trouble with more than the new head of security. When Mia begins receiving threats, the killer makes it clear that he's closer than she'd ever imagined.