Join me in welcoming Jennifer J. Chow for today’s featured author interview. I’ve seen tons of buzz around Jennifer’s new release, the multicultural culinary cozy Death by Bubble Tea (some of my friends on Bookstagram have already read and raved about this one!).
This series opener follows cousins Yale and Celine as they are paired together to run a food stall in the Eastwood Village Night Market in Los Angeles. The pairing isn’t ideal—Yale and Celine are polar opposites—and yet, when a customer drops dead and their bubble tea is seemingly to blame, they must work together to find the culprit.
Connect with Jennifer on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and her website. Grab a copy of Death by Bubble Tea from your favorite retailers here.
Hi Jennifer, thanks so much for joining! Death by Bubble Tea kicks off your new L.A. Night Market series, which follows cousins Yale and Celine as they run a food stall. Alongside the murder mystery, there are strong themes of family: Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, and Yale is initially hesitant to team up with her, especially because they are polar opposites. What did you like about incorporating these themes of family and culture in a cozy mystery?
In all of my books, I explore nuances of family. Familial connection also ties in well to my culture, including the concepts of sacrifice and filial piety. I love the theme of family because it enhances the sense of community found in a cozy mystery. Cozies are known for the intimate connections between characters; extended relatives just add another sweet layer to that community feel.
Culture and food often go together, so it’s no mystery why cultural elements showed up in my culinary cozy. I’m also honored to be able to offer more Asian American representation to the genre, and I appreciate how an increasing number of diverse cozies are getting published.
You also write the Sassy Cat Mystery series, which stars Mimi Lee, a pet groomer who discovers an ability to talk to her sarcastic cat, Marshmallow. This is a lighthearted series with a lot of humor—how do you approach writing humor into a murder mystery? And/or, how would you compare writing this series with your new L.A. Night Market series?
Humor is fascinating—and subjective. I find it hard to please everyone, but if something tickles my funny bone, I’ll add it to my manuscript. I’m grateful that Marshmallow is very clear in my mind, and his zingers often appear unprompted at my fingertips. I also run sentences by my critique group and editor to make sure the funny bits work!
Although the L.A. Night Market Mystery series is more serious in tone, there’s still a bit of humor at play, especially in the tension of polar opposite cousins, Celine and Yale. Plus, Celine does go to great lengths to satisfy her foodstagramming ways!
As a SoCal native myself, I love that both of these series are set in Los Angeles, where you live. With so many cozies set in (often fictional) small towns, what makes LA a fun setting for mysteries?
LA is such a wonderful setting for mysteries. (Admittedly, I do make the murders happen in more fictional parts of the region. I don’t want to scare anybody away!) I find writing about Los Angeles fun because I can dive into different communities and insert diverse material, whether that’s through meals or suspects or even the car culture. In the L.A. Night Market series, I also get to throw in a few hidden LA attractions because Celine is visiting from Hong Kong.
With multiple series under your belt, what does your writing process look like, particularly for mystery? Are you an outliner, or do you like to write and see how the mystery unfolds?
For mysteries, I start with the characters. I’ll create profiles (and sometimes a family tree) for everyone in the book. I make sure to give my suspects motive, means, or opportunity (or a combination of those). For the actual plot, I do a general outline. Then I add in scenes but will often use bullet points instead of writing out every detail. I’ll let the chapters flow organically—and allow the characters to act in accordance to their true selves.
Lastly, what’s on the horizon for you? Will there more installments in the L.A. Night Market and/or Sassy Cat series? Do you have any other exciting projects you could share?
The second book in the L.A. Night Market series, Hot Pot Murder, will be coming out next spring. I’m also working on a new series idea, and my agent is shopping around the proposal.
Thanks so much to Jennifer 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.