Today I’m delighted to welcome CJ Connor, whose debut whodunnit, Board to Death, kicks off a brand-new series set in a board game shop. If you like “quozy” (queer + cozy) mysteries, nerdy humor, and a dash of romance, don’t miss this one.
In the interview below, CJ and I talk about board games, humor, publishing, and more. Enjoy!
Connect with CJ on Instagram and their website. Subscribe to their newsletter here. Grab a copy of Board to Death here.
Hi CJ, it’s great to have you! Board to Death kicks off your new “quozy” (queer + cozy) mystery series, the Board Game Shop series, in which English professor Ben Rosencrantz returns home to Salt Lake City to run his family’s board game shop—but things turn deadly when a shady collector turns up dead on his doorstep. What inspired this fun theme of board games?
I started reading cozy mysteries during the pandemic and really appreciated the escapism its characters and puzzles brought me but at the time, I had a hard time finding ones with queer characters. There really weren’t many back then. So I thought I’d write one of my own. I had a concept for the main character Ben early on—I liked the idea of this shy, bookish guy having to solve a murder that really pushes him out of his comfort zone—but I didn’t have a setting for him.I thought about what settings felt cozy to me in my own life, and I kept coming about the board game shops my husband and I would visit before the pandemic. They are an avid board game fan and so we’d spend a lot of time at local shops. Something I think board game shops do well is making all people feel welcome and bringing them together even if they wouldn’t naturally gravitate to each other in real life. Between the community that builds around these shops and the comforting memories people associate with board games, I decided that theme would lend itself well to a cozy mystery.
There’s also an adorable romance in the book: Ben and Ezra, a flower shop owner, make a great pair in both love and sleuthing. What do you love about this couple, and/or what do you like about blending mystery with romance?
Writing Ben and Ezra’s relationship is one of my favorite parts of the series. I think they bring out the best in each other. Ezra helps Ben come out of his shell and gain confidence in his ability to get through hard things. Ben opens Ezra up to a world of queer community and openness he wasn’t able to access in his Southern Utah hometown. They’re both at a turning point in their lives and are able to get through the challenges that come with that together.Something I enjoy about blending romance and mystery (both in cozies and in romantic suspense) is that the high stakes give two characters opportunities to see a more vulnerable side of their love interest. I think that’s true for Ben and Ezra. Ben recently went through a painful divorce and, while he has feelings for Ezra, he’s not initially sure he’s willing to open himself up again. The murder investigation makes him reevaluate what’s more important: protecting his heart or growing closer with someone who makes him happy.
I was especially charmed by your sense of humor, which often references pop culture, fandoms, and games—both board and computer. In your opinion, why is it important to have humor in a cozy mystery? Do you have some quick tips for adding humor to a story?
That is really kind of you! I read a lot of humor writers growing up and I admired the way they used comedy to address serious issues and open people’s minds to a new perspective without them shutting down because they feel threatened. I think that’s a clever way to get readers thinking and try to use humor as a similar tool in my own work.Cozy mysteries draw in readers who may have sensitivities to graphic violence or are looking for escapism from troubles they’re facing in their real life. Humor can be a great way to keep the story from getting too gruesome or heavy.Humor can be a tough element of writing to give advice on because it’s so subjective. What’s funny to me might not always be to you, and vice versa. To add humor into your own writing, I would recommend thinking about the styles of comedy that you like and what you enjoy about it. For example, I love absurdist humor—like Monty Python or, more recently, Chris Fleming—and find a lot of joy in writing stories about characters thrust into situations that really push their comfort zones and disrupt their understanding of the world.As you write, think about plot points or actions a character could take that would make you laugh. Have fun with it! Humor can feel forced if the author is including it because they feel compelled to and not because they’re enjoying themselves. It’s really one of those elements where you have to write for yourself first because that’s how you’ll give your work an authentic sense of humor.
With Board to Death as your debut novel, what have you learned during the writing and publishing process? Can you share any advice or tips on writing, and specifically, writing a cozy mystery?
Like one of my writing heroes, the late Douglas Adams, I struggle with procrastination on my first drafts. The messiness of early drafts can be intimidating for me, and I struggle to get that first one on the page without getting discouraged and starting over. Not so much a problem when you’re preparing to query and have no specific deadline but important to get a reign on when you’re a contracted writer. The biggest lesson I’ve had to learn as a debut author is to be okay with that messiness at the beginning and trust that you’ll be able to refine your work later on.For aspiring cozy mystery writers, I’d recommend letting your own passions and interests guide you to a topic for your series. My favorite part of reading cozies is learning all about a niche community, the insider facts about what makes it interesting and the quirky cast of characters surrounding it. Zac Bissonnette’s A Killing in Costumes and Korina Moss’s Cheddar Off Dead do that especially well with the Hollywood antiques and cheesemaking communities, respectively.If you’re struggling to think of a theme, bring your own passions into the setting. You’ll be giving your story a sense of realism and joy by including a topic you already know a ton about and that excites you. You’ll get your readers excited about it, too!
Lastly, what are you currently working on? Can you share what’s next with your Board Game Shop mystery series, and/or do you have anything else in the works?
Right now I’m working on the sequel to Board to Death, Killer Cube. As you might guess from the title, it takes place at a Rubik’s Cube speedsolving competition. In it, Ben comes to his own a little further as an amateur sleuth and deepens his relationship with Ezra.I’m also drafting a romantic comedy—a marriage of convenience between two queer graduate students—that delves a little further into what it’s like to not fit the usual “Utahn” mold.
Thanks so much to CJ for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.