Hiding Love Messages in my Novel by Jennifer J. Chow

Jenn McKinlay: I am absolutely delighted to have one of my fave foodie mystery authors with us today. Jen has writeen multiple series all clever and full of...you guessed it...food. Here's Jen to tell her all about her latest, which I have on order, because of course I do as should you!

Jennifer J. Chow: The joy of introducing a new series is getting to dream up everything from scratch. My Magical Fortune Cookie series is set in a small town with a tight-knit community. The first book, Ill-Fated Fortune, gives affectionate nods to the cozy genre and provides loving connections to my own life. 

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Small towns are some of the best locations for a cozy mystery. I grew up reading Agatha Christie and especially loved Miss Marple and the village of St. Mary Mead. My protagonist, Felicity Jin, is a lot younger than Miss Marple, and lives across the ocean in the United States in Pixie, California. 

The setting of Central California is inspired by my own childhood growing up in the geographic region. Although Pixie is fictional, I do, in fact, refer to real local landmarks. For example, in Fresno, there’s a fascinating underground gardens that’s mentioned in my novel.

I chose to call the town “Pixie” for multiple reasons. First, small is an accurate descriptor of Pixie. It’s also a play on Pixley, an actual place in California.  Moreover, there’s a tie to my own Sassy Cat books, where one of the characters is named Pixie St. James. 

There’s even a personal element to the magic featured in Ill-Fated Fortune. I add a cultural twist to the fantastical parts of the book. The magical bunny (yes, there’s a pet with powers!) has ties to Chinese mythology. And the Jins have their own backstory on how the ancestors from their homeland came to possess magic. 

Pineapple Bun - YUM!

I really liked crafting the baking duo of the mother and the daughter. The sweetest of relationships exist between Felicity and her mom, Angela. I wanted to have that particular pairing in this book to explore the complex and beautiful love between a mother and her child. It’s also a special chance to honor my own mom, who passed away in 2015 after a brief bout with cancer. 

I’m grateful for the chance to launch this new series. Beyond the hidden love messages I’ve placed in Ill-Fated Fortune, I hope readers will enjoy my more obvious appreciation of food, especially fortune cookies!

Reds and Readers, what “loves” do you have in your life?

Jennifer J. Chow writes cozies filled with hope and heritage. She’s been a finalist for the Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Lilian Jackson Braun Award. Her newest series is the Magical Fortune Cookie mysteries; the first book is Ill-Fated Fortune. Her other series include the L.A. Night Market Mysteries and the Sassy Cat Mysteries. Jennifer currently serves as Immediate Past President on the board of Sisters in Crime and blogs at chicksonthecase.com. She is an active member of Crime Writers of Color and Mystery Writers of America. Connect with her online and sign up for her newsletter at JenniferJChow.com.

Hot Pot Tradition by Jennifer J. Chow

** Congratulations to Paula Adams, the winner of Jen's Death by Bubble Tea!**

LUCY BURDETTE: Our next two guests for the week have both served on the board of Sisters in Crime, an organization we here at Jungle Red are devoted to. And they come writing about where they found ideas, one of my favorite topics. Today we welcome Jennifer Chow!

JENNIFER CHOW: In my family of origin, we actually didn’t eat much hot pot. We were more used to stir-frying our food. Having a meal around a steaming pot of bubbling broth and dipping raw veggies and meat into it wasn’t our thing.

But I married into a family who enjoyed hot pot. It is, in fact, a standing tradition around the holidays. This go-to meal has now made its way into the pages of my newest release, Hot Pot Murder.

Here are a few things I like about hot pot:

• It’s a warm meal during the winter months. Okay, so it doesn’t get quite as chilly in California, but hot pot still makes for a comforting dish. And everything is freshly (and deliciously) cooked in front of you.

• People can choose to eat what they want. There’s a huge spread of items, and eaters can pick various options (and quantities) of fixings.

• There’s a wonderful balanced meal at the ready. A great mixture of food is involved: greens, tofu, mushrooms, meat, noodles…

A couple of things I dislike about hot pot:

• For kiddos, danger lurks everywhere. It can be trying to keep little hands away from the boiling soup and the hot container. (Thank goodness for high chairs!)

• Speaking of dangerous items, the cords can be tripping hazards. Usually, the pot is electric and needs to be plugged in to maintain the heat. Since the meal is at the center of the table, it requires long wires (and sometimes extension cords) to keep the energy flowing.

• I have a personal issue with raw meat and the fear of cross-contamination. I definitely require separate “raw meat” chopsticks and have been known to excuse myself to wash my hands or spritz sanitizer on my palms. That, or I delegate the cooking task to my husband. 

Overall, I appreciate a good hot pot meal. I love the tradition because of the emotional positives. Extended family get to bond over shopping for goodies and prepping the raw ingredients. And it’s not an eating experience restricted only to relatives; it’s easy to add an extra plate and invite a neighbor or a new friend (which we’ve definitely done!). I also enjoy the built-in time to chat while waiting for the broth to boil or the food to cook; it’s like a warm, fireside chat, but with hot soup and ambient burbling instead of crackling flames. 

What’s your go-to eating tradition? Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a signed paperback copy of Death By Bubble Tea (US only)

BIO:

Jennifer J. Chow writes cozies filled with hope and heritage. She is an Agatha, Anthony, and Lefty Award-nominated author; her most recent series is the L.A. Night Market Mysteries. Death by Bubble Tea (Book 1) was reviewed by the New York Times, featured in Woman’s World, and hit the SoCal Indie Bestseller List. Kirkus Reviews described Hot Pot Murder this way: “Great characters and a delightful mystery filled with luscious descriptions of food.” Jennifer currently serves as President on the board of Sisters in Crime. She is an active member of Crime Writers of Color and Mystery Writers of America. Find her online at JenniferJChow.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Trouble is brewing for cousins Yale and Celine Yee after a hot pot dinner gets overheated and ends in murder in this second novel of the L.A. Night Market series by Jennifer J. Chow.

Yale and Celine Yee’s food stall business is going so well that they’ve been invited to join an exclusive dinner with the local restaurant owners association. The members gather together for a relaxing hot pot feast…until Jeffery Vue, president of the group, receives a literal shock to his system and dies.

Everyone at the meal is a suspect, but the authorities are homing in on family friend Ai Ho, owner of the restaurant where Jeffery was killed—and Yale’s dad is a close second on their list. Yale and Celine step up to the plate and investigate the dinner attendees: the association’s ambitious VP, a familiar frenemy, a ramen king, a snacks shopkeeper, and a second-generation restaurateur. It’s up to the detecting duo to figure out what really happened before their friends and family have to close their businesses for good.

BUY LINK:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/673134/hot-pot-murder-by-jennifer-j-chow/9780593336557/