Jodi Rath's Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Murder Blog Tour with a Spotlight and Guestpost

 

I am so excited to have Jodi Rath at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight and Guestpost.

Thanks Jodi and Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for allowing me to join your Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Murder Blog Tour!

Please take it away, Jodi!

GUESTPOST

The Importance of Diversity

Prior to being a full-time writer, I was a high school English teacher in a small farm community for close to seventeen years. It was the same community that I had lived in since fifth grade. But before that, I lived in the inner city. It was rough and I had to fend for myself and sometimes even fight. So, when I moved to this small farm community, there was no diversity — and I was awkward and different from the other kids because I walked around with a chip on my shoulder. In the farm community, everyone loved each other and got along, but they all looked alike.

When I became a teacher at this high school, I used as much of my salary as I could to build a classroom library filled with books that showed diversity. These kids weren’t exposed to it. Also, I made a point to do Socratic seminar discussions and literature circles where the students had to research and discuss diversity. This proved to be difficult because many of the students came from a place of ignorance which manifested itself in bigotry. Both teacher and students learned a great deal and, in the end, it was well worth the effort.

While writing The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series, again, I find myself wanting to stay within the structural boundaries of writing that typical cozy in a small village where everyone knows each other. But as Leavensport began to form itself in my mind, it was populated by diverse characters. Jolie’s best friend and business partner, Ava’s family is from the Dominican Republic. The mayor of Leavensport has family from India—and many other diverse characters where different cultures and religions mix. The issue with the villagers in Leavesport isn’t that they aren’t open-minded or tolerant—they are! The primary friction within Leavensport is not about diversity, it tends to be insiders vs. outsiders. When people from Tri-City begin to move into the village they will be tested to see if that tolerance expands to those “outsiders.” This concept came from teaching “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about those who were considered “outsiders.” I wanted a village of people that are close knit and grew up together but that respect a spectrum of sexual orientation, culture, and religion—yet they do so only within their small group. I think there will always be a need for all of us to be reminded of our internal stereotypes (I know I need reminded regularly). Creating a world of characters and places that are diverse is necessary to help unite us all. I hope the journey through The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series does just that!

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Murder (The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in the Series
MYS ED LLC (June 21, 2019)
Print Length – 185 Pages
Digital ASIN: B07Q1K4DN3



Financial fraud of elderly villagers in Leavensport, an urban sprawl threat to the community, disastrous dates, cross-sell marketing gone wrong, and another murder? Jolie Tucker is ready to try dating again. Well, she has no choice—since her family auctioned her off to the highest bidder. Her best friend, Ava, has agreed to a double date, but both friends find out hidden secrets about their partners as well as deception by one of the village’s own, who will soon be found dead. This plot is sure to be spicy!

About the Author

Moving into her second decade working in education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in her The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. Her passion for both mysteries and education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED, where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio teachers and creating mischief in her fictional writing. She currently resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her seven cats.

Author Links: Webpage: https://www.jodirath.com/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/jodirath FB

Author Page: Author Jodi Rath Twitter @jodirath

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jodi-rath

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jodirath/

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Purchase Links – Amazon –

All other e-platforms: https://books2read.com/u/bOAYyK

Please follow the rest of the tour here, thanks:

https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/great-escapes-virtual-book-tours/books-currently-on-tour/jalapeno-cheddar-cornbread-murder-the-cast-iron-skillet-mystery-series-by-jodi-rath