Angela: Fingers crossed, I think we’re live, yes! Every time, I feel as if I’m going, (pauses) have you ever seen The Office?
Elle: (nods) Ah-huh.
Angela: Where they go, “I’m not superstitious, I’m just a little stitious.” That’s how I feel when it comes to this technology. “I’m just a little superstitious.”
Elle: Yes. I like how it never wears off, either, because you’ve been doing so many livestreams, but you’re still like, “Ahh!”
Angela: Every time, I go, (fingers crossed) “YouTube, please be nice to us tonight.” (raises hands) The YouTube, gods. For everyone who’s joining us, I am so happy to introduce you to the amazing Elle Hartford. She has been a member of The Cozy Mystery Book Club for so long and I was just talking to her beforehand which is why we’re a couple of minutes late because she’s just so easy to chat with and just started falling into a conversation with her. I just wanted to let you know that she is awesome; she has her Twitter and Instagram which is her name. I’m glad I have the tea right next to me because I don’t want to mess up the introduction; you’re too important to get an introduction fumbled over my words. You’re just so sweet and awesome, and she actually had a book come out, so all of the applause to you!
Elle: Yay!
Angela: We are going to end up doing a giveaway for her book at some point in time, so please be on the lookout for that. But I am so happy to chat with you. I feel like you’ve been a sleuther with the Book Club for so long that actually chatting with you live is so exciting.
Elle: Yeah, it’s so exciting to be here! I can’t believe it.
Angela: I was happy you said yes and we were able to get this organized. I love how you say you’re excited. I’m excited for this and everyone seems to have really enjoyed the book.
Elle: Yeah, we picked a good one.
Angela: I just feel as if we got this great guest host, we got this great book, we’re kind of in for a great night.
Elle: Excellent!
Angela: Oh, my goodness, so many comments are already popping up. I recognize Renee’s profile photo every time, and every time I get so excited for Clue. I’m going, “Oh, I got to go rewatch that movie,” because of the image that you have there, and let’s see if I can bring it up (displays comment by Renee “Hello everyone!”) There we go; for those of you who don’t know the movie, Clue.
Elle: Yes!
Angela: (reading comments) Oh, my gosh, Rants ‘N Reads, Lori, oh, I’m seeing all the familiar favorites, and I know we have a couple of newbies tonight, so, “Welcome!”
Elle: Yay.
Angela: Oh, my goodness, y’all are so sweet. I’m so glad you guys are joining us tonight; yes, and everyone’s congratulating you! It is such a big deal and such a huge accomplishment.
Elle: Thank you! Thanks! Another thing I can’t really believe that it actually happened.
Angela: (reading comments) Lady Gizmo wants to know if it’s a cozy mystery.
Elle: It is. It’s a little more on the fantasy side, though, because it’s fairytale themed; so, it’s cozy mystery but like a little bit out there.
Angela: It’s so funny because when you mention profile photos here, people, I actually didn’t have one for the longest time. I had those moments of, “Oh, yeah, I’ve got to update and do this.” Sometimes, you just forget the most obvious things; it happens.
Elle: Yeah, well, there’s so many things to remember.
Angela: Well, plus, too, now that you know that people are doing movie clips or images, and you have to get creative when you do an episode of Psych. Would you put up, you know, Angela Lansbury? I mean, there’s so many options.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: I’m trying to pull it up. I love how there’s the behind the scenes, I’m like, “Okay, will this work?” (displays image of four different books by Carrie Douglas: Death on Bull Path, Death on West End Road, Death on Lily Pond Lane, Death on Windmill Way) So, every comment tonight goes towards a giveaway that Poisoned Pen Press is making possible. One lucky sleuther is going to win four paperback cozy mysteries and here are the books that you will win.
Elle: I love those covers.
Angela: Poisoned Pen Press and Kensington, I think they have the most beautiful book covers. Crooked Lane has hardcover books so I look at those book covers a little differently than the other ones.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: But when it comes to paperback cozies, Poisoned Pen and Kensington definitely have it going on.
Elle: Absolutely.
Angela: And then for hardcovers, I mean, honestly, Crooked Lane, they do such a great job, but I love these book covers and they just sound so cute. So, one lucky sleuther tonight, and I’m going to ask you to do that. You’re going to have to pull a name at random at the end of the night.
Elle: Alright!
Angela: Let someone’s cozy dream come true. Every time, this little guy, (Max) he wants to know who I’m talking to, who’s not him.
Elle: Oh!
Angela: Every single time. So, if you guys hear any noises, it is my dog, Max, and he’s also a little mad at me because he got a bath yesterday and I was trying to clean his eyes, so he might even be a little bit more fussy because of that so we’re on the lookout.
Elle: Oh, he’s so cute though.
Angela: And that’s the thing, he uses the cuteness, he knows he’s cute.
Elle: Yes!
Angela: That’s almost like Ferdinand the bird in this book. We have to talk about the bird at some point.
Elle: True, true, okay.
Angela: So, from the looks of it, I’ve been asking people on Twitter and Instagram and I posted the poll here for the, YouTube polls are always amazing to me, I’m going, “Okay, it’s dropping down; it’s going up,” but it looks like everyone’s been really enjoying this book so I wanted to ask what you thought of our August read, Cloche and Dagger.
Elle: All right, let’s see, (holds book up) and I’m looking at it like that will help me remember.
Angela: (picks up Max) As he growls.
Elle: Oh, “Hi, Max.” Aww.
Angela: He’s making a cameo appearance. He’s like a little gymnast, he has no bones in his body. (places Max down on her lap)
Elle: Oh, my goodness, okay.
Angela: Anywho.
Elle: So, I did really enjoy it, of course. I’d say for me maybe not quite a Five Star. I did really like it but I have to admit I like some of her other series better, and I think it’s just because the protagonist, like, this protagonist was very funny but she was also kind of all over the place and it was a little hard for me sometimes to keep up.
Angela: I will give you that because I think this came up earlier, and I want to make sure because you mentioned that this is your first livestream, Allison was saying that she didn’t want a certain male lead to be the bad guy. But I also was getting annoyed with our heroine, our leading lady, because she was suspecting him and I don’t think he did anything worthy of being suspected.
Elle: Yeah! She kept coming up with all sorts of reasons to not like him, and I’m like, “But why?”
Angela: Exactly! I think because she was pointing holes in the guy that I liked a little bit, too, I’m going, “Oh,” you get protective of the ones you like and that’s going to make you dislike the people who are putting them down.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: I also want to know about the throwing of the cake a little bit; her viral video.
Elle: Yeah, really though and, at some point, it wasn’t the first time they mentioned it; it was like later on when they were talking it over, she like admits that there was also a diamond necklace involved so she was like chucking diamonds at people.
Angela: (nodding) I’m just going to throw this out there, even just throwing the cake without the diamonds, it’s still assault; technically, so she could be in jail. She was really lucky that she didn’t end up actually getting one of those prosecutors trying to make a name for themselves on something like that.
Elle: Right, good thing she fled the country.
Angela: (responds to comment by Ally Abramson) She “wants to know what flavor the cake was” (gestures with hand up and down) every flavor, you know, one layer’s vanilla, one’s chocolate, never coming out of that element. (responds to comment by Nancy J) I just saw this comment. She reminded you of Lorelai Gilmore, because she was so funny.
Elle: I can see that, and her friends were funny too, so that was very Gilmore Girls; that’s true.
Angela: Okay, I like this. (responds to comment) Yes, okay, Kim P, “She wasted too much time suspecting Harrison.” (nods) Yeah. (responds to comment by Laura Stevens “Can we talk about how many times Scarlett called her ex ‘the rat bastard’ lol”) Oh, okay, yes, this is very on-the-money.
Elle: (nods) Ah-huh.
Angela: The ex.
Elle: Yeah!
Angela: I, honestly, don’t even know this guy’s name. He just is the quote-unquote “rat bastard” that’s all she refers to him as.
Elle: I don’t think he had a name. I think you’re right.
Angela: Did we ever get his name?
Elle: I don’t think so.
Angela: I, honestly, cannot remember if he was given an actual name, other than ‘the rat bastard’.
Elle: I don’t think he was, I really don’t. I’m not sure on that though. But I think her cousin had, would give people nicknames too, of course, which becomes kind of a major point. So, maybe, it’s a family thing.
Angela: (reading comments) Thank you, Lady Gizmo. He was not given a name. So that was supposed to be a funny little moment, I guess, for Jenn McKinlay there. I was actually surprised that she got away with ‘the rat bastard’ in a way, because it’s a cozy mystery.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: I always think Hallmark as a sort of just jumping-off point or as a reference point and you can’t say that on Hallmark.
Elle: So true, and I didn’t even think about it while I was reading because it just fits so perfectly with how she feels about him, clearly.
Angela: (nodding) I think it worked with the character, maybe.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: Maybe that for me, maybe that’s how it works, even referencing Lorelai Gilmore; for her, there were certain things that only she could do on the show. She definitely had jokes and bits that probably wouldn’t land well outside of Stars Hollow but within that realm of Gilmore Girls, it was hysterical and on-the-mark. So, maybe, that was how it was with this one a little bit of, “Okay, Scarlett, we’re just going with you. We’re just gonna be along for the ride.”
Elle: Right, that is a fair point.
Angela: (responds to comment by Kim P “Was anyone else annoyed that Viv was missing for so much of the book?”) Oh! Okay. So, this was one of my notes for the evening because I feel as if we had almost multiple mysteries in this book.
Elle: (nodding) True.
Angela: Again, I read the book and I listen to it on audio, so that I come prepared and I don’t forget names and things.
Elle: Yes.
Angela: And the first time I read this book was audio. I always stumble over how to phrase it because you’re saying you read an audiobook.
Elle: Oh, yeah, that’s right.
Angela: So, I listened to the audio, an eight-hour audio, I believe, and I was already at two and a half, three hours into the audio, before there was even reference to a body.
Elle: (nodding) It was late, yeah.
Angela: So, there was a very long wait between the book beginning and the cozy mystery part of it kicking off.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: But I think Viv, almost, was the real mystery.
Elle: Viv was a mystery, yeah.
Angela: You’re nodding, so I’m like, “Please take it away!”
Elle: Yes, sorry. No, I definitely agree with you and, yeah, I made notes, like, it wasn’t until literally page 100 or, maybe, 102, before the body came in. But, yeah, I think Viv was like the placeholder kind of, like, another mystery to think about until that one happens, you know?
Angela: I almost don’t know what to do with that because, in a way, I liked Viv and I didn’t want anything to happen to her. But on the other hand, I’m going, “You literally just didn’t have Internet to tell me you’re okay?”
Elle: I know! I really wanted it, it would have been fine if her excuse had been maybe just a little bit stronger or like tied in just a little bit more, you know, because she came back and, yeah, I was expecting her to have like a bigger reveal of why she had been gone.
Angela: I just gave the dog my water. I just emptied my water bottle into his; so, now, he’s happy, hopefully, in case you were wondering what the sound effects were with that one.
(responds to comment by Nancy J “Love audiobooks”) Okay, thank you. Yes, I love audiobooks. I love my Audible subscription. I think audiobooks are wonderful and, so, sometimes I stumble over how to phrase things because it’s almost going, “Okay, you don’t say you read a podcast but you read an audiobook.”
Elle: True, yeah. (shakes her head) I don’t know.
Angela: Yeah, my literary grammar side pushes through, sometimes, where I’m going, “I’m saying this but I don’t know if it’s accurate.”
Elle: It’s spontaneous overthinking, right?
Angela: (responds to comment by Sonia Grgas) Okay, so this is kind of going along with Viv being missing for a while; so, you thought Viv should have reappeared earlier. I’m going to go with, “Yes.”
Elle: But I could tell why she was kept back for so long, because when she reappeared, it’s basically like boom-boom-boom they solved the mystery, you know, because she was able to answer so many questions.
Angela: Well, that’s exactly when you mentioned before, the nicknames.
Elle: Right.
Angela: I, also, didn’t realize it was a family trait because you have Scarlett, who’s doing Harry for Harrison, and she’s being Red instead of Scarlett. Then this one over here has a nickname for her customer which, obviously, the cousin who has not been working with her does not know, and that’s exactly the catalyst for everything that happens; the nickname, not finding it in the system.
Elle: Yeah! Although, also, I don’t know if this is jumping forward, we need to talk about the wardrobe and like why it pulled that trick on her. Like, I don’t get it.
Angela: Yeah, I also just saw this comment. (by camerajen “Also, why do Harrison and Viv kiss?”) So, yeah, we’re kind of just going to, I love how she doesn’t appear until near the end of the book but everyone just has so many questions about Viv, we’re going, “We’re just going to talk about her right now.”
Elle: Alright.
Angela: So, yes, Harrison and Viv do a little kiss on the lips, just a little peck, but it happened. I was surprised.
Elle: Yeah, well, they were, like, the flirting was pretty intense especially for a cozy. I feel like a lot of time was given to the relationship, so it kind of made sense, you know, that we would get some payoff for that, I guess.
Angela: Okay, maybe he’ll like that better. I bribe my dog to be a good boy. I’m like, “Will you drink this? Do you like that?”
Elle: Aww.
Angela: There’s so many treats in front of him, it’s ridiculous, right now. But we also didn’t have a cozy companion; just throwing this in there! We’re going to get back to Viv.
Elle: Except the bird.
Angela: Yeah, but I was so surprised at this, because we have a cozy companion without having a cozy companion.
Elle: Yeah, yeah. Hmmm, I’m wondering if one shows up later in the series. I think I read book two but it was a long time ago so I don’t remember.
Angela: Oh, my gosh! (reads comment by Venessa Arthur) “I thought Viv would end up dead not just be a flake.”
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: Oh, my gosh. (reading comments) I was kind of waiting for her to be a kidnap, “Here’s the ransom,” or here’s this reason why of, “Here’s the worse vacation story in the history of stories” – “My plane was this,” – “I lost my cell phone. I didn’t know your numbers because we no longer know numbers in this world.”
Elle: Right, or even just like slightly tying in more to the mystery of like I don’t know, buying this material or I don’t know.
Angela: Maybe it could be the material with the hat, the mysterious two-fashionable hats, maybe there was something going on of, “Oh, here’s the rare diamond that I hid in the hat,” because they have crystals in one of them. I remember that.
Elle: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Angela: (reading comments) Okay, so people are pointing this out. I also like this comment. (by Lu G) You “like the corpse earlier in the story!” I kind of just want to take that quote and put that somewhere on our Cozy Mystery Book Club website, “We like the corpse early.”
Elle: Well, and as someone who has written a cozy mystery, the going advice out there, usually, is to have your mystery start like, you know, in the first couple of chapters; so, it’s something I always look for now.
Angela: I think Jenn McKinley was able to get away with it, though, because Viv being missing
Elle: Yes!
Angela: was a mystery.
Elle: It was like the placeholder, yeah.
Angela: Okay, (Max) he’s been such a good boy all day; now, all of a sudden, he wants attention because Mommy’s not talking to him. (reading comments) Okay, yes, we’re finding the plot holes with Viv’s storyline here.
(responds to comment by SM V) “She should have had Internet access back at the airport,” that’s a good point too! Also, free Wi-Fi is kind of a generally accepted thing now. (responds to comment by Mama Rox 2.0 “I thought Viv and Scarlett were cousins?”) Yeah, they were cousins, right?
Elle: Yeah, weren’t they?
Angela: Yeah. Oh, (Max) he wants to play. I just figured that out. I know what that little look was. (responds to comment by Renee “Viv is an adult AND a successful business person. You CAN’T just leave on the drop of a hat (pun intended)”) Yes.
Elle: Yeah, and I think that’s because it’s a business and it’s not just her business, it’s the family business, you know, so it’s not like she’d be totally used to like only doing her own thing; there’s always been the grandmother or Scarlett involved a little bit. So, yeah.
Angela: I just saw this comment. (by Lady Gizmo “Have to admit though when Viv body-tackles Elise (at the end) I was impressed”) It is true. I’m glad that she was okay. I liked her as a character, so even though I was wondering if it was going to be a ransom or if it was going to be this or that, I’m glad she’s okay, and she did tackle the bad guy. She definitely was no pushover.
(responds to comment by Marta’s Magical Mystery Class “Paranormal Cozy vibes!!”) Oh, yes. So, this was one of the comments that I saw pop up on Instagram a couple of times when I asked about, (looks down) Max has opinions on things that he has to share; so, you’re barking, I apologize. But this was the reoccurring, okay, “We have the wardrobe that actually locks for no apparent reason.”
Elle: Right.
Angela: And, “We have a bird that’s not a bird but it’s watching us.” So, what did you think are the paranormal components?
Elle: Yeah, and at the end, I feel like they really lean into the kind of ghost vibe
Angela: I knew he was going to growl. (leans over and brings up Max cuddling him)
Elle: I really liked it. I thought that was a really neat aspect to have but then if you start thinking about it, it is a little strange, because what really kind of kicks off the murder and the whole investigation is the fact that Scarlett finds the wrong hat, which the wardrobe does, so like why would the wardrobe set her up like that?
Angela: It’s the wardrobe’s fault. I just got this flash of Beauty and the Beast.
Elle: Ah! Yes!
Angela: The wardrobe not wanting to open when the villagers come into the castle.
Elle: Yes.
Angela: (responds to comment by Crystal Tea Knits “It’s the grandmother’s ghost using the wardrobe”) Yes, so, the question is, if it’s the grandmother, what’s her name, Mim, if she’s channeling her spirit.
Elle: Mimi, maybe, Mim. I think it’s Mim’s Whims, yeah.
Angela: (responds to comment by Rants ‘N Reads “Yes, was the wardrobe magic or like a secret compartment spy thing?”) I know, the wardrobe. There is kind of something with wardrobes, though, where I’m wondering if it’s Narnia-esque of, “Oh, you’re going through this?”
Elle: Yeah, and it had a false back or something she kind of tried to explain it but I had a hard time picturing it and, so, I was just like, “Okay, magic wardrobe.”
Angela: (reading comments) Oh, my gosh, okay, so people are liking Ferd, though.
Elle: Yes.
Angela: It’s funny because, I mean, people do that. I do that. I talk to my dog like he understands everything. I know he doesn’t.
Elle: Yeah, I’ll talk to inanimate objects.
Angela: I know, I was trying to figure out how do you say that, if the computer acts up, I talk to it. I’m going, “Oh, please start working,” or if I drop something on the floor, I’m like, “Oh, thank goodness you didn’t break,” and I’ll tell like the mug, “I’m so happy you’re okay.” So, yeah, people do that, so I don’t think it was too weird to have her have a fake.
Elle: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, no, like I said, I liked it. I just was a little unsure about why it did set her up like that.
Angela: (smiles at comment by Rants ‘N Reads “We like a fresh body”) I almost feel as if I have to design a mug of some of the quotes that are randomly interspersed throughout the livestream, “We want a fresh body.” I remember one time there was a quote about, “Yeah, if they killed this character, I wouldn’t have mind,” or “Yeah, if the character dies, things happen.” We have the most random comments but I love it because it totally goes with what we’re talking about.
Elle: Right.
Angela: (responds to comment by Tracy D “It took FOREVER to get that corpse! Usually in the first 15% of the book. But the missing person situation definitely helped”) Yes! Okay, everyone seems to be talking about the body taking longer to drop; so, this wasn’t just me making a note, this seems to be a general consensus.
Elle: Yeah, yeah.
Angela: (responds to comment by Lize Jalbert “I’m guessing, dropping the magic wardrobe towards the end of the book is a lead-in to the second book but I haven’t read it”) Okay, so, it is a lead into the second book. Okay, so I’m hoping it will come back or have the magical components.
(responds to comment by Ally Abramson “I have a controversial opinion. I liked the body being so late so I got to know the characters and all”) Oh, okay, Ally, so we’re not saying you’re wrong, I’m just saying it’s interesting that the body dropping is not the norm because it usually does happen so early. I just thought it was interesting that it didn’t happen until later, but you did get to know the characters; that’s a fair point.
Elle: That is true, yeah, that is true. It also started making me like really nervous because I liked all the characters and I guess it says on the back who is going to die; but it’s also, like, I hope they’re not actually involved.
Angela: I would have been very sad if Harrison was involved. I did not think he should have been suspected; that’s just me, though. I also really liked her little helper.
Elle: Yeah, she was cool, and Nick and Andre, I thought, were adorable.
Angela: I loved them so much. I’m trying to figure out how to say this in a nice way because, sometimes, cozy mysteries don’t have diversity or representation and I was so happy when she referenced, it was, she did the fun play on words I’ve seen with other movies and TV shows and other couples talk about, “Oh, no, he’s not just my partner in business, he’s my life partner too.”
Elle: Yeah, that was cute.
Angela: They were so cute, like, they are relationship goals. I love them.
Elle: Yeah, plus, they were such good friends.
Angela: They were so kind to her.
Elle: (nods) Ah-huh.
Angela: See, I was wondering how, going into this, she’s setting it up so we’re in Notting Hill and, again, I can’t help but just think of Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts’ movie; that’s my main go-to reference. But we’re not in a quirky fictional town, we’re in a real place that people have ideas or preconceptions about.
Elle: Good point.
Angela: She made it work as if, “Okay, here’s my little shop on the street and here’s his little shop.” – “Oh, and he has his boyfriend,” because it’s boyfriend not fiancé, I don’t want to mess up their relationship, but because he’s visiting the shop, she kind of made the street the center of it and they were a big part of the community for her, which I loved.
Elle: Yeah, that’s one of the best things about cozy mysteries is the community feel, right? I think that’s one of my favorite parts.
Angela: Because, otherwise, I think she just had Harrison and her own shop worker. What’s her name, Fee?
Elle: Yeah, Fee, I think it’s short for Fiona. I think I wrote it down. Yeah, Fiona but they called her Fee.
Angela: (responds to comment by Ally Abramson) Oh, okay, so “it felt a little everything in one.” You definitely had the different tropes. You’ve got the romance trope; you had the paranormal trope.
Elle: Yeah, I got that. I can see that.
Angela: (responds to comment by Regina Williams “Viv is described as very absent minded and prone to chase down a material she falls in love with so I totally bought Viv just up and leaving”) Okay, so you just bought Viv getting up and leaving, that’s fair.
Elle: Fair enough, yeah.
Angela: Maybe it’s because I’m so not that; I mean, I’ve got my entire organizational planner going with my To-Do Lists.
Elle: I know, and I think that was my problem, because like the whole family was kind of that way. Like, Scarlett was admitting that she was that way too and, again, yeah, also not me, so I think that’s kind of why I was like, “What’s going on here?”
Angela: (holding Max) I’m trying to lean forward to read the comments and he’s not letting me because he’s on my lap, now. (responds to comment by Lady Gizmo “I honestly didn’t catch on to the wardrobe being magic; the ending was a surprise for me”) Okay, so you didn’t catch the wardrobe being magic, because it’s not –
Elle: It was subtle, yeah.
Angela: Max is magical. It’s also, the premise isn’t, “Oh, we’re going to go find this in the paranormal section,” or “Oh, we have a ghost on the cover or something.”
Elle: Right, yeah, it does kind of sneak up on you.
Angela: (responds to comment by Ally Abramson “I want friends like them in my new city lol”) Oh, you want friends, okay. I’m still scrolling, it takes me a while to get on. But yeah, they were just, they’re friendship goals, they’re also relationship goals.
Elle: Yes.
Angela: Because the way they were so cute together and perfectly complimented one another personality-wise, ah! Nick and Andre, they were so cute.
Elle: Absolutely.
Angela: (responds to comment by Ally Abramson “I LOVE NICK AND ANDRE”) Can we also appreciate the fact that he was wearing a bright pink outfit, and he was about to work out and she asks him to dinner.
Elle: Oh, that’s right.
Angela: “No, I don’t want to work out. Take me to dinner.”
Elle: Yeah, that was perfect.
Angela: I also thought it was really cute how, again, they made it a little awkward putting out that she was looking at Harrison crushing on a little bit, but he brought Harrison with him when he met up –
Elle: Right, he brought him along, yeah, to dinner.
Angela: Like a faux date or faux set up or something.
Ella: (nodding) Ah-hu, ah-huh.
Angela: Oh, my gosh, I’m falling behind in the comments. (responds to comment by Lu G “Max looks extra fluffy tonight! Did he just have a bath?”) Yes, Max just had a bath. I was trying to wash out, well, not wash out, but wash around his eyes. I want to look at his beautiful little face so I gave him a little bath and, maybe, that’s also why he’s a little fussy tonight.
Elle: It’s payback.
Angela: (nods and holds up a bandaged finger) Well, I mean the bandage is him. I got that trying to clean his face, so, that’s the other thing too, right? You just love your dog; you love your kids.
Elle: Yes, yes.
Angela: When I picked him up, I put down the notebook. But basically, okay, (Max barking) he has things he wants to say tonight, apparently.
Elle: Maybe he’s upset that there wasn’t a cozy companion aside from the bird.
Angela: Right, so, I was just looking down at my notes because, so talking about the mystery itself, I didn’t solve this mystery. I don’t know if anyone else was able to put the puzzle pieces together because –
Elle: The pieces came really late (Angela nods) like as soon as we started getting the pieces, it made sense, I think. But yeah, it was hard. For a long time, I was suspecting fake Lord Ellis because I picked up on that clue that he was fake, earlier.
Angela: See, I wasn’t really sure what was going on or who the real suspects were.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: I don’t know how to phrase that, the real suspects, because they’re all red herrings and they’re all fictional.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: But mostly, because she would reference Harrison every so often, then I would get defensive for him, and I didn’t want it to be Fee, the shop worker, because I thought she was horrible.
Elle: No.
Angela: I mean, they also were new and had no kind of skin-in-the-game situation, so I wasn’t looking at them as suspects. So, we only got to really meet Elise when she did (covers her mouth) as I just said the name, we only meet the friends of our victim once prior to the open-casket funeral situation.
Elle: Right! Yeah.
Angela: So, we only really meet them twice, I think, or maybe three times?
Elle: I think twice is right, yeah. Well, she, like, they gossiped about them beforehand. So, they talk about the friends quite a bit; but yeah, I think we only meet them twice.
Angela: (reading comments) Okay, so I’m glad people are not looking at Nick and Andre because I would not have wanted to look at them as suspects; they were too cute.
(responds to comment by Rants ‘N Reads) Okay, “the ending is spontaneous, you got me.” Yeah, that’s a good way of phrasing it –
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: because we didn’t have the clues and the things to (Max) he’s going behind the bookcase. I love how I’m giving you guys a play-by-play of what’s going on because I can’t move the computer so y’all can see.
Elle: Well, we need to know, just in case we hear books falling over.
Angela: Exactly, as a little Funko Pop goes over.
(reading comments) It doesn’t look like anyone actually solved this; so, okay, we’re all in the same boat.
Elle: (responds to comment by Marta’s Magical Mystery Class “I was too distracted by Harrison and the hats”) Harrison and the hats, yeah, distracting.
Angela: Oh, yeah, I actually put a hat aside, before my dog went and got me distracted. (gets up and returns wearing a large, floppy, black hat) I feel like I was trying to channel my Alexis from Schitt’s Creek vibe.
Elle: Nice, very nice.
Angela: I’m also wearing my bookish sweat pants, you also got to see those too; they have books on them.
Elle: That’s perfect.
Angela: I know. I didn’t put it on beforehand, though, because it kind of droops forward and then I want to go like this (moves front flap up) like it’s a pirate hat.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: I don’t have any fancy hats like they do at the shop.
Elle: I know. You need like some bling or something on the side, maybe.
Angela: Yeah, maybe, the peacock feathers and stuff to dress it up and make it look like you’re going to one of the fancy events like the Queen would.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: This is not a hat that she would sell in her shop; she sells fancy hats. (removes hat)
Elle: Fancy hats definitely, definitely.
Angela: Okay, now I’m curious about local hat shops. I’m going, “Are there local hat shops? How much do hats cost if they’re handmade or a luxury item?”
Elle: We have friends who moved up to Saratoga Springs in New York, which is like an old tiny resort town and horse racing is kind of big there. So, I know in the Downs, there’s a really cute downtown, and there’s a fancy hat shop there because everyone wants their fancy hat to wear to the races, right?
Angela: (now wearing a knitted pink hat) True. (removes hat)
Elle: So, that’s the only time I think I’ve seen a hat, like, a shop just for hats.
Angela: (shows both hats) You can also tell I go for very simple; this (knitted hat) is a simple color and this (floppy hat) is just black.
Elle: I do like the color in that one though; the pink is very nice.
Angela: I’m not exactly taking the chances here. I’m not doing any of the red carpet ‘gotcha’ moments.
(responds to comment by Mama Rox 2.0) Oh, my gosh, “The Real Housewives of Notting Hill” that’s really cute.
Elle: Yeah, very appropriate.
Angela: (responds to comment by ubiquitousfiend “I figured it out during that tea at the shop”) Okay, so you did figure it out. Go, you!
Elle: Because she was kind of obsessive about the hat; Elise was, at the end, she was.
Angela: I almost feel as if there’s a psychological component to the murder with the hat; it was the hat as a catalyst for bigger issues of, “This is the woman who takes everything from me. This is the woman who takes the jobs and titles and whatever else.” Like, they were always competing and this woman was always winning, and then it was the hat was the thing that tipped her over the edge.
Elle: Yeah, it was an extremely spiteful murder. I mean, you know, it’s murder so it makes sense that you’d have like a strong emotion attached. But yeah, she was kind of a piece of work.
Angela: But she also killed the husband; we don’t even, she just drops that bomb.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: She just throws it in there saying, “Yeah, I told everyone he’s away at work for business,” and then she was willing to kill two more people; so, this woman was really going to kill four people all because the hat was sold to the wrong woman.
Elle: Yeah, yeah, talk about the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Angela: (responds to comment by Annie O’Brien “I only have straw hats and baseball caps”) Okay, okay, thank you, Annie. I don’t have any fancy hats.
Elle: I have hats for gardening, that’s true, because I burn immediately. I’m basically burning in the lamplight right now.
Angela: I was going to say your lighting came out beautiful. She was trying to get the lighting done before we went live and I was going to say it’s beautiful, shining perfectly.
Elle: Thank you very much.
Angela: Not too bright, just the right angles, no shadows. Good!
Elle: Yeah, I have to remember this.
Angela: Oh, the things that go on behind-the-scenes. There was an image I saw where someone drew Ariel where there’s that scene in the movie where she pulls her head in and you see her through the peep hole; so, they did behind-the-scenes of, “Okay, here’s her standing on two chairs and she goes like this, (bends to the side) and there’s (points forward) the ring right there. That’s what it is, you see the angle.
Elle: True, true. Oh, my goodness.
Angela: Yeah, (looking down at Max) you don’t see the crazy dog knocking things over.
(reading comments) Okay, yeah, we need to buy some fancy hats and do our own little show-and-tell or a little buddy, I don’t know, buddy hashtag, buddy read of sorts.
Elle: Yeah, The Buddy Hat Club.
Angela: I’m trying to think how to say this. I almost feel as if I would buy the fancy hat just to wear it when I’m reading the Hat Shop mysteries, not to actually go out in.
Elle: Yeah, you have to really immerse yourself.
Angela: I mean, do that whole thing where you’re a little kid dressing up and then you don’t actually go to the party, you’re just at home with a party.
Elle: Yeah, I think that’s excellent.
Angela: I didn’t really have too many notes for tonight but I am curious, so, what did you think of just the mystery in general? What did you think of the book? What was your takeaway or your favorite thing? Because you’re always so thoughtful and I’m just curious if there’s something in particular you wanted to talk about.
Elle: Let’s see, let me look at my notes.
Angela: Same question for everyone else, if there’s something in particular you guys want to talk about tonight, because I had written down about Ferdinad the bird, so that was one of them; and Harrison, big topic, he came up a lot on Instagram. So, if you guys have something you want to talk about, please comment away.
Elle: Yes, and I actually think we’ve hit on some of my major notes that I made. But I also have to say, Angela, and I know somebody, we touched on this briefly before, but it’s just so cute how she makes these new friends and they get along and they all have like the same kind of punny sense of humor, and they’ve got that quick wit and everything; that’s what really makes it cozy for me is that feeling, you know. So, I really enjoyed that.
Angela: I think it would’ve been a totally different read without those two guys; without Nick and Andre, they were the levity, they were the break in the constant anxiety of what’s going on with Viv.
Elle: Yeah, and people breaking into her house! Like, a lot! People broke in.
Angela: We have to talk about that.
Elle: Right? Like, it started with Fiona coming up to wake her up and standing right over her, which then made me really worried that when there was an actual house break-in, I was like, “Oh, no, I hope it’s not Fiona again,” because I like her. But yeah, that house, man, she needed an alarm system.
Angela: I am very happy that Harrison was there to tell her to actually get an alarm system.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: But one of my notes was, she didn’t know what to do when someone tried to kill her; and also, he didn’t make that big of a deal of people trying to kill her.
Elle: Yeah!
Angela: I’m sorry.
Elle: That was very sweet but, yeah, he could hardly convince her to call the police.
Angela: People call the police or the fire department if they get locked out of their homes and their apartments, and this woman had someone literally try and smother her to death and she wasn’t going to call for help because she didn’t know if it was an emergency. I would have been blaring any horns. I would have been screaming, making all the noise.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: I’m just kind of curious, I will admit, though, I’ll give you the, she said she forgot if it was 999-911. She didn’t know the crossover for Americans.
Elle: And that’s fair, it’s in a new country; that’s tough, yeah.
Angela: But it was the motivation of not wanting to bother them, I’m going, “That’s very kind of you.” I know it’s late slash early and they’re probably asleep, and you’re being nice, you don’t want to wake them from their REM sleep but there’s a killer on the loose.
Elle: Yeah, technically, it’s the housebreaker who is going around annoying everybody. So, yeah.
Angela: It sounds as if, almost, Viv is a high-end fashion designer because they even mention her going to runway shows and things.
Elle: Right, yeah. I can see that, yeah.
Angela: (responds to comment “I felt violated someone broke into the shop/house and attempted to smother Scarlett”) Yeah, thank you, Mama Rox 2.0, the smothering moment of when she didn’t want to call the cops, I’m going, “Yeah, the lack of oxygen really did hit you.”
(responds to comment by NancysBookBlog “I loved the writing, this is the first cozy where I actually laughed out loud. However, the story? It was okay. Hat shops don’t personally give me the cozy feels”) Oh, this is interesting, so the hat shop didn’t give you the cozy feels; hmm, interesting.
Elle: Oh, okay, yeah.
Angela: I will admit, maybe, part of it has to do with the fact the crafting was done beforehand by Viv and I feel as if now that she’s back in the book, we can probably get to see her making the hats versus just selling them.
Elle: More of the artsy side of things rather than business, yeah.
Angela: I’m kind of curious about that because one of my favorite things with the baking cozies is you get the, “Oh, we’re heating up the oven, we’re preparing, we’re doing this.”
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: So, we didn’t really get the play-by-play of the creations. I will admit, though, I loved when she found one of her old designs.
Elle: Yes.
Angela: It was a horrible hat.
Elle: Rhinestones and like all this stuff, yeah, that was excellent.
Angela: I thought it was great.
Elle: I think it’s a neat aspect of her character, clearly, her special skill isn’t hat-making, it’s dealing with people and we get to see her do that a couple of times and that was impressive.
Angela: Yeah, it was interesting to me because Harrison pointed out and he almost spun it in a negative way because she looks at her as a positive because she was able to sell a hat to Mrs. Looksee, she was able to figure out how to maneuver the situation. But Harrison was wondering if it was manipulative because she was like, “Oh, this woman’s vain, let me ask about a photo shoot because that will feed her ego.”
Elle: Right.
Angela: So, she knew what people wanted, and she would say what they wanted, but it worked in the moment. But, at the same time, I think he was questioning the authenticity of it. So, then, I was later on because up until he pointed it out, I just thought she was really good at being a manager; not a mega lot manager, because he’s –
Elle: Because he’s hospitality.
Angela: Yeah, she’s the person I feel as if, if she was in charge of, I was going to say like running a school or something, she would know exactly what each student would need, like, “Oh, you’re the student that needs to go there,” – “You’re the student, I’m going to send you over there to the teacher.”
Elle: Right.
Angela: She would know where to send people without needing to have the full conversations.
Elle: Yeah, yeah, which is like a superpower. Although, it does have that kind of dark side of like people manipulation; that is true.
Angela: I didn’t think of it that way until he pointed it out and then, all of a sudden, that was all I could think about when she did it. Because the lady, Mrs. Looksee, I’m curious why that conversation was the reason she purchased something. I kind of want more from that conversation. I wanted to just read the transcript of it.
Elle: Right, like, get Scarlett’s behind-the-scenes thoughts a little more, maybe.
Angela: Maybe you’d just do a side-by-side of what the previous conversation with the other staff members.
Elle: Oh, right, to see what would have happened before, yeah.
Angela: I’m kind of curious about that too. Did they not talk to the people who meandered around the store?
Elle: They’re like, “Go away, I need to make more hats.”
Angela: Right, “You’re interrupting my creative time, I’m in the zone.”
(responds to comment by Lady Gizmo “Ginger & Harry, the tone and tension would change from old friends to current strangers”) Oh, okay. So, yes, did he? He calls her Ginger, right?
Elle: Yeah, he does, he does, yeah.
Angela: Yeah, so, we were talking about Harrison before, but we didn’t really talk about the relationship between the two of them.
Elle: As soon as he brought it up as like the, “Don’t you recognize me?” conversation, as soon as that happened, I was like, “Okay, this is second-chance romance, cool.” But then, like, because that’s a very familiar trope and you’re like, “Oh, okay, it’s cute,” like we were parted as kids and now we can come back together. But then she spends the rest of the book coming up with reasons to not like him, so I was like, “I don’t know.” The tension is enjoyable but maybe twenty-five percent less tension.”
Angela: It was very angsty to me.
Elle: Yeah!
Angela: I wasn’t really sure what to do with some of it because we didn’t know up until her mother pointing it out that this was just another bad relationship, or she’s one of those women who constantly needs to have a guy around.
Elle: Oh, yeah, that’s right that she, yeah, that’s right.
Angela: So that kind of put things in a different spin or perspective because I just thought Harrison’s great, like, “This is a guy for you; go take your chance on him.”
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: So, we didn’t really get the behind-the-scenes psychology of it until a little bit later on; but even then, I hesitate because, yeah, maybe she was someone who constantly needed to be in a relationship, but this might be the relationship!
Elle: Right, this is the right one, yeah.
Angela: I wasn’t really sure what to do with that; I still don’t, but I still like them together. Again, that’s why you’re going, “Oh, and there’s a book two because there isn’t this resolved issue.”
Elle: Right, yeah.
Angela: (responds to comment by Venessa Arthur “He was a little hung up on that missed date when they were kids”) Okay, so this is a good question, though. If you were supposed to go out on an ice-cream date with someone and they stood you up to go out with someone else, or not even go out with, just go stalk another older boy who they think is cute, would you forgive them twenty years later?
Elle: Hmm, I feel like I, especially, like, what was it like nineteen years later? I think I could probably let it go.
Angela: I was curious because I think it’s much easier for her because she was the one who did the rejecting versus him who was the one who was rejected.
Elle: Fair, and he does make a very valid point of like, you know, “The first girl who broke my heart,” and all that and it’s like, “Oh, yeah.” She never really does apologize either which probably doesn’t help.
Angela: He’s so cute, though, and he’s so, I don’t know what the proper word for him would be, reliable or dependable?
Elle: Yeah, he is, he’s very steady, and she’s kind of all over him.
Angela: Yeah, I was trying to think how to phrase it because when she’s attacked and she calls him, he comes right over. It’s not just a matter of him answering her call, he gets up out of bed and rushes over to her. He’s helping with the business. He helps her get into the funeral to do the open casket. I mean, he has connections. He’s helping her do what she wants to do. So, I’m trying to think how to say it because he is the rock and in that way of, he helps her, and I think that’s why I was so annoyed about this whole, “Oh, I’m going to take one year off from dating guys.”
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: I’m going, “But the perfect guy is just walking by your door right now.”
Elle: We know, yeah, and you’ve already been mean to him once.
Angela: (responds to comment by Holly M) Okay, we’re getting the comments, so “he was holding a grudge.”
(responds to comment by NancysBookBlog) Okay, “that was twenty years ago.”
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: (responds to comment by Rants ‘N Reads “Harrison brought it up a lot. I didn’t know if he was joking or not”) Okay, yeah, because sometimes you’re going, “Are you being sarcastic?” or “Are you actually (moves hands up and down).”
Elle: They did have a lot of banter, so, yeah, that’s true.
Angela: (responds to comment by Crystal Tea Knits “He really liked her apparently”) Yeah, he did really like her, so I think that’s why it hurt more.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: If someone you don’t care about rejects you, well, you didn’t care about them in the first place, but he did.
Elle: True.
Angela: (responds to comment by Lady Gizmo) I think “it was an ice-cream date, he was more upset than her, he does want a second chance” and she’s still, yeah, her breakup is still pretty fresh.
Elle: Yeah, and it was really big.
Angela: I wasn’t really sure what to do with her viral video, with the breakup, because did we actually find out why she was there at the party, or how she knew to go to it?
Elle: I think it was at the hotel that she worked at.
Angela: Okay, so that’s how she –
Elle: They like mentioned that in passing at one point.
Angela: Okay, because I was curious about that; that was my only kind of lingering detail of, “Okay, how did she end up there with the wife?” Because she knew he wasn’t officially divorced, she thought he was separated, but it was when you find out there’s also two other girlfriends in the picture, where you realize this guy’s really a snake.
Elle: Yeah, well, I don’t recall how long their relationship was either.
Angela: Two years!
Elle: Two years, was it?
Angela: (nodding) Two years.
Elle: That’s a long time just to be separated and not get a divorce. I mean, I can’t help it. To each their own, but.
Angela: That’s why I was kind of curious, because then I think that, honestly, Jenn McKinlay is a brilliant writer here because I think the conversation with her mom gave me so much insight into her characterization.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: Because this is also where she says, “You didn’t introduce him to us. You didn’t bring him over for any holidays,” and she points out things that we as the reader don’t know otherwise.
Elle: Right.
Angela: And so, that gave you more context of, “Okay, he didn’t just cheat, he was a bad relationship all around.”
Elle: Right, yeah, that’s a good point.
Angela: I am curious, though, about that twenty-five-thousand-dollar diamond necklace and what he does for work.
Elle: Apparently, something that doesn’t cut into his free time because I have a very steady boyfriend and we joke all the time of like, “Yeah, I don’t have time to have another partner.”
Angela: I mean, most people have jobs and hobbies and friends and other things on the To-Do List. I mean, even just doing laundry takes time.
Elle: (nodding) Right.
Angela: Playing with dogs take time; (looks down at Max) he wants to do things. I mean, a lot of people have trouble finding time to sleep, like, how people juggle three adultery relationships and a wife!
Elle: Plus, your wife, yeah.
Angela: And you work to get that twenty-five-thousand-dollar necklace; maybe, he inherited the money.
Elle: Probably.
Angela: (responds to comment by Lu G) I mean, “if you’re going to crash a party, you might as well throw cake.”
Elle: Fair enough.
Angela: I think, I was just curious about it because I almost feel as if so many videos go viral for so many different reasons. I was kind of curious why the throwing of the cake was enough to warrant a viral video because I was hoping there was more to the situation of, “Okay, yeah, she was yelling at him and all the dirty laundry was being aired and she didn’t hold back anything in that moment.” I feel as if there was more to it, but we just didn’t necessarily know.
Elle: Well, yeah, that’s a good point, yeah. And I think I’m actually not sure when the book came out but it did feel like it was written, maybe, I feel like several years, even just several years ago, like, it was easier for a random video like that to go viral, you know what I mean? Like, now, we’re so inundated with viral videos, it’s like, “How do you stand out?” but I feel like maybe a little bit further back in the wild days of the Internet, the bar was lower, maybe.
Angela: I think it was 2016. Yeah, that’s true too. The viral videos of YouTube versus now there’s TikTok.
Elle: Well, 2013 is when it came out.
Angela: Oh, okay, so I was, oh, wow! Okay, no wonder the viral video, yeah, people were still learning how to upload to YouTube.
Elle: Right.
Angela: Okay, definitely. That is a little bit more of, “Okay, we only have a few social media platforms.”
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: Instagram was a brand-new thing on the horizon, but I’m kind of curious if it will come up again in other books, even if because now we are –
Elle: If we meet him because, sometimes, the rejected boyfriend comes back in future books; that’s right.
Angela: And even then, too, she’s a celebrity now of sorts.
Elle: Right.
Angela: So, is this thing going to stay with her? Once it’s on YouTube, it’s on the Internet forever.
Elle: Yeah, that’s very true.
Angela: So, I’m kind of curious, because Jenn McKinley’s publishing the seventh book in the series because, originally, it was just six books, because it was the three-book deal, then a second three-book deal. So, I don’t know what the new deal is but I know there’s a seventh book and, hopefully, there’ll be an eighth and a nineth, because I know they do book in threes for deals like that. So, I’m curious if there’ll be a homage to her previous viral video, somehow.
Elle: It’s got to be; it was such a big part of the book. It’s got to come back.
Angela: (responds to comment by Bookish Benz) Okay, you hope they don’t rekindle anything. Yeah, I’m hoping that this guy is gone.
Elle: Well, not go back to the guy, but have him show up and just tick him off again.
Angela: (responds to Crystal Tea Knits “that’s what I’m hoping and it will be the push Harrison needs if the ex comes back”) Oh, okay, I like this comment about Harrison pushing the ex away. He defended her, that’s the other thing, I liked Harrison.
Elle: Yeah, that was so cute, and the policemen were like staring at the ceiling; that was adorable.
Angela: That was a great moment, because they let him kick the reporter out and, again, with her throwing the cake, that’s assault; like, him picking up the guy and toss him out on his butt, that’s assault; but the cops are going, (leans back and looks up) “Oh, I like the paint stroke you have there.”
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: That was really cute, but I love that Harrison got rid of the guy who was making her uncomfortable; so, all the more reason to like Harrison.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: (responds to comment by Jeja admirerofwordsandcoffee “So far this has been my favorite description of any male character in a cozy!!! He was also very handsome in an academic sort of way!”) This is cute. He was also very handsome in an academic sort of way.
Elle: That’s a good way to put it, yeah.
Angela: In his little tweed blazer. (reading comments) Okay, so the ex does not come up again.
Elle: Oh, okay, okay.
Angela: Thank you, because I feel as if that would have been just angsty and annoying almost, because you’d just want to throw the book, “I don’t like you.”
Elle: (responds to comment by Venessa Arthur “He could be a corpse”) See, I was going to say, sometimes, you can bring back annoying characters and it is a good thing, case in point.
Angela: I remember one time we were talking during a livestream, having a chat and it was a matter of me saying, “Oh, if you have to kill off a character, you can kill him off.”
Elle: Right.
Angela: I love our out-of-context quotes; these are great, “Yeah, he can be a corpse.”
Elle: Makes for a very good, very menacing, mug full of quotes.
Angela: Well, the reason why I think my head was in that space was because last year for 12 Days of Cozies, I created the webpage featuring our sleuthing family. So, sleuthers submitted their names and photos and this (raises hands up to the side to ‘present’ Elle) lovely lady was one of them. I’m trying to do that, like, “Her,” she’s on the website.
Elle: Meanwhile, I’m disappearing. (jokingly leans out of onscreen frame)
Angela: So, I had just made a note of, “Oh, we can update the page because it’s been almost a year since I’ve done that,” and I had people submit quotes and I took the quotes and made images. So, I think that was why it was on my mind of, “Oh, for the livestream,” that’s another thing I can think of for future. I don’t know if it would be on the website; a future whatever, but I think that was just why the idea was kind of meandering around.
Elle: That’s adorable; it’d be good swag, too.
Angela: Oh, speaking of, if you took a photo or you posted about the book, please let me know and I’ll send you a bookmark. I moved the bookmark out of reach because Max was around. Just send me the link to your post or the photo and I will happily send that to you as a Thank You. I, also, I’m so proud of how this page came out because I just finished updating it a couple of weeks ago. So, I was really sick for a really long time and I’ve been catching up on everything and one of the things I wanted to do was add more to the special sleuthing page that I created for International sleuthers, because I can’t mail all over the Globe.
Elle: (nodding) Right.
Angela: So, right now, I’m only mailing physical bookmarks to the United States and Canada, because Forever Stamps go to Canada, so it works out perfectly.
Elle: Right.
Angela: I’m so proud of how this extra page for the International sleuthers came out because, now, there’s Murder, She Wrote images, and I have a couple of adult coloring book pages made up by graphic designers and, so, I just love that page.
Elle: Aww.
Angela: So, if you are an International sleuther, please let me know. I’ll share the password and you have access to all sorts of extras.
Elle: That’s awesome.
Angela: You mentioned swag, so I just wanted to throw that out there because sometimes people are like, “I didn’t know you did this thing!” That’s always a great one.
Elle: Well, it’s hard because you do a lot of things; so, you really do all the things.
Angela: I love how I’m just going, “Yeah, there’s just so many different balls in the air,” you’re like, “Oh, that’s almost falling, and that one’s really high up. I can’t remember.”
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: It takes, sometimes, people messaging me, for me to go, “Oh, yeah, make sure that you know that there’s this extra website page for you,” because similar to the sleuthing page, people who join the Newsletter family, they have access to so many extras on the website.
Elle: That is true.
Angela: And so, someone messaged me the other day, and said, “I literally clicked on this by accident, your email, I was cleaning my inbox.” It was just so funny, I was reading the direct message and I’m going, “Yeah, I should probably make sure people know to take advantage of this.” So, basically, I updated that page as well when I was doing everything else and there’s downloadable bookmarks and designs there; more cozy mystery stuff for y’all. So, just wanted to throw that out there!
Elle: I still have some of your Bingo Boards on my bulletin board, and I was putting thumbtacks in them when I was reading the right cozy or something; it was fun.
Angela: I will happily send out more Bingo Boards, and that was actually one of my surprises for everyone who lets me know about their posting.
Elle: Aww.
Angela: Honestly, if you’re doing tonight’s livestream and you want a bookmark, just let me know, and I’ll mail you one. I have more Bingo Boards that I printed off; some of them are Autumn-themed, some of them are for upcoming months. I have an October one, I have a November one, so I was going to put in surprise Bingo Boards when I was mailing out the swag this month.
Elle: That’s awesome.
Angela: I love how, yeah, same mentality, you mentioned the Bingo Boards, “That was one of the things!” Anyways, that was kind of a little moment going off topic but just wanted to mention that though. You’re just so sweet to talk to.
(reading comments) Oh, it’s my pleasure! I’m honored you guys are taking time to chat and be a part of this community, it just blows my mind when I see people comment, I’m going, “Oh, my gosh, I put this thing together, and you’re here!” So, I’m thankful for you; it’s all about you.
I also will just mention because, again, it’ s all about you guys. The polls are up for, um, excuse me, as I lose my voice. So, the polls are up for the 2023 Book Club reads, so please make sure you vote. Just check in once a week, and there’s been a new poll, so far, six titles are voted on, are done, and, actually, did I upload the banner? I’m pretty sure I did. Was I a good girl? Yes! (displays image The Cozy Mystery Book Club In 2023 TBR)
Elle: Yay! It looks good.
Angela: So, this is where we’re at! We have six titles down, six more to go. So, when we were talking about that earlier, with the comments, you guys just reminded me there’s voting going on. I want your voices to be heard, so please visit the Twitter account and vote for the, right now, I believe, the poll is for July 2023 and I am so surprised that we have not had any ties as of yet.
Elle: Wow.
Angela: But it looks like we’re almost heading to a tie because, right now, I think it’s been going between 28.1% for two titles and it just keeps going back-and-forth, so it’s going to be close this time.
Elle: Those all look like really good ones. I was looking at them like trying to pick which one am I most excited for, but several of them look really good, so I couldn’t pick.
Angela: I’m really happy with the themes that I’ve been able to create because, again, I take all the titles, they’re recommendations from y’all, every title that ends up in a poll is recommended by a Book Club member, by a sleuther, so all of those books are submitted by you and then they’re voted on by you.
I don’t even vote because I feel as if that’s, I don’t know, it makes me feel awkward; it feels as if I’m trying to sway the vote or I feel as if I say something it pulls weight. I don’t want to make one person feel like, “Oh, she wanted this book and I voted for that one,” I mean, whatever you guys want, I’m just going to go with it.
So, if you don’t have a Twitter account and you have a title that you really want to see win, just let me know because I have my personal Twitter account, Max has a Twitter account, I can vote for you so your voice will be heard.
Elle: Max can vote, aww.
Angela: Yes, I can make your voices known. Oh, my gosh. So, if you don’t have a Twitter, I can still vote for you, so don’t worry about it. The reason I’m looking down is because I was hit with a bone so I know he’s around here doing his stuff.
(reading comments) Okay, yeah, the notes that I’m talking about because I always have my little updates, I’m going, “Yeah, I wanted to mention the bookmarks and this.” So, I’m looking at the cards, the cards, I was thinking of Bingo Cards. I was looking at the comments.
(responds to comment by Regina Williams “I love this series so much. This was the first book I read by Jenn McKinlay”) Okay, yeah, Jenn McKinlay, she’s so fabulous.
Elle: I think the first book of hers I read was the librarymysteries. I can’t remember what that one’s called –
Angela: A Library Lover’s Mystery.
Elle: but, yeah, I definitely read others of hers before this one.
Angela: (responds to comment by Rants ‘N Reads “Thanks so much! We ask for a bookmark, Angela, and you get us stickers, BINGO cards, cut outs, and more!”) Yes, so, I do the book mail where, even if you ask for one bookmark, you’re getting more than one bookmark, and stickers and bonus.
Elle: Might as well fill the envelope, right?
Angela: Exactly, if I’m doing postage, you know, I’m going to fill the envelope. I mean, it makes me so happy to send those out in the world because you’re spreading the sleuthing love. I just have the best time putting those little envelopes together because I feel like I’m doing something right or I’m doing something, I don’t know how to describe it.
Elle: I can totally see that, yeah.
Angela: I’ll be like, “Oh, I want to add this because this will make someone smile, and this will make them happy.”
Elle: Aww, that’s so sweet.
Angela: Yeah, so I’m just looking down, the Library Lover’s Mystery series, that was the one that inspired –
Elle: That was the initial Buddy Read, right?
Angela: Yeah, I was going to say that was Sherlock Hamsters, and I believe I had a detective hamster drawn up for you because that’s what I do.
Elle: Aww.
Angela: Y’all usually name our cozy companions and I think that one is just Sherlock Hamster.
Elle: It was Sherlock Hamster, yeah.
Angela: I mean, we have Casey, the Detective Penguin, who’s (uses finger quotes) “on the case” Casey. We have MoriarTEA for the logo and Purrlock Holmes for our mascot, so we do have the different ones going on, but I’m pretty sure the Library Lover’s has always just been Sherlock Hamster.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: I was going to say, “There’s always more cozy companions on the horizon.” Wink-wink, nudge-nudge.
Elle: The more the merrier.
Angela: (reading comments) Oh, okay, question. So, for those of you who’ve, because you’ve read other books by Jenn McKinlay, what is your go-to or favorite for Jenn McKinlay? Would it be the Hat Shop or Library Lover’s?
Elle: Library Lover’s for me, I think, and I think that’s just purely personal. I kind of jived with that protagonist more. I can’t recall her name off the top of my head, but I felt really at home in that setting and with her, whereas the Hat Shop, it was funny, but I was kind of scrambling to keep up sometimes.
Angela: I mean, I’m just going to throw out there, with the leading man, Sully, in the Library Lover’s Mystery series, he’s another book boyfriend for me.
Elle: True.
Angela: He makes her hot chocolate. They have the Crafternooners; and, he’s a supportive member of the Crafternooners.
Elle: That’s right! Oh, my goodness.
Angela: I mean, Harrison’s great and he’s sexy in an academic sort of way as we’ve established; but Sully, I really like Sully.
Elle: (nodding) Very good point, yes.
Angela: (reading comments) Okay, so, yes, I do recommend you adding that to your TBR, the Library Lover’s. I know that it’s been in previous Twitter polls. I don’t think it was in any this year thus far but I know she has a Cupcake Bakery series as well, and I’m pretty sure that book was almost one of their choices, but it came in second, I believe. So, there is more Jenn McKinlay around the corner for us, potentially.
Elle: That’s right. The Cupcake series has been around a while. I haven’t read that in a long time, but I just saw on her Instagram, she’s doing a giveaway, she’s doing a recipe book from that series like of cupcakes.
Angela: I didn’t know that; that’s cool.
Elle: Yeah, if you’re into cupcakes and stuff, you should check that out.
Angela: I mean, she’s one of those authors where I just sort of pause when you say giveaway, I’m going, “How does this woman exist writing all of the books that she does?” and she even did romance. She had just a romantic, a contemporary romance published and she’s always doing something, and I’m going, “She’s now organizing giveaways,” and you have to keep track of all this stuff.
Elle: I know, she’s incredible.
Angela: Bow down. The romance-writing goddess that you are Jenn McKinlay. Oh, my gosh. So, is there anything about our book of the month that you guys wanted to chat about? I’m just kind of wanting to make sure that I don’t overlook anything, whether you guys had a character, a scene, the mystery big reveal, if there was something about that that we didn’t touch on that you wanted us to, if you have any questions about the Book Club or any upcoming things? So, if you guys have anything like that, please comment. I want to make sure I don’t overlook anything because we are bouncing around conversation-wise. I don’t want you to think I forgot about anything or we overlooked something. I just want to make sure I ask because you’re all so sweet to talk to and the little guy (Max) does also make noises from time-to-time, getting my attention. He really is like a toddler.
Elle: Aww, how old is he?
Angela: He just turned nine.
Elle: Oh, boy, wow.
Angela: He’s still my baby, though.
Elle: Yeah, of course.
Angela: He’s still my little baby, my little one; and, again, I just gave him a bath and he looks so tiny with the fluff down. I’ve never actually posted one of the videos. I totally should at some point the next time he gets a bath, because the fur makes him look so much larger than he is. He’s so tiny.
Elle: Aww.
Angela: (reading comments) Okay, so I just saw the question for next month’s book and I’m pretty sure I must have this graphic. I’m almost positive I have the graphic. (displays image The Cozy Mystery Book Club In 2022 TBR) Yes! I’m proud of myself here.
Elle: Woo! That one looks good.
Angela: I like to organize. I out-organize myself and then I can’t find the thing I spent time on.
Elle: I know. I keep everything in my downloads folder, which is not the right thing to do because it’s like overflowing.
Angela: Well, in our book collection, she mentions Viv and how she has everything on her desktop, and she knows that she would never be able to find anything in the chaos, but yet the chaos is organized to Viv.
Elle: Right.
Angela: That’s very familiar to me, because that is how my desktop looks most of the time.
Elle: True.
Angela: So, this is the remainder for the current TBR that we have. So, for those of you who are brand-new, December is the only time that we do a Buddy Read because I organize 12 Days of Cozies. So, December 1st through December 12th is the Christmas Extravaganza and, so, instead of having the month culminate with that, we have the beginning of the month with all sorts of activities, so that’s the only month where things are a little different, but other than that, those are the reads.
Elle: Nice! September’s looks spooky, looks good. I’m ready for spooky.
Angela: Well, I had my mom read the book and she loved it, she really enjoyed the book.
Elle: Oh, good, okay.
Angela: So, I wanted to make sure everything was on the up-and-up when it came to this book, and I asked my mom and I was like okay, “You’re going to be my outside reader.” She loved it, she was going, “Oh, she nailed the Salem references and she gets all the autumn things going too.” So, I’m kind of curious now myself going, “Okay, she loved this book, now I have to go find out why.”
Elle: Yeah, awesome.
Angela: (reading comments) What is a buddy read? I just looked down like, “What is a Buddy Read?” So, Buddy Reads are meant to be more informal and they’re not really done on a full schedule. So, we do our livestream the last Tuesday of the month, every month, and so this is our day. This is Cozy Mystery Book Club Day. So, Buddy Reads, there’s no due date there. It’s just very much informal and for us, we’ve been doing the hashtag #SherlockHamsters, although, you can just tag @cozymysteryclub account and I can add your tweet or post to the feed so it can be shared and then you get to talk about your current read with all your favorite sleuthing family, your friends.
(responds to comment by Rants ‘N Reads “Did anyone get a PSL for today?”) Oh, pumpkin spice lattes. Yeah, we have to get them.
Elle: Oh, I didn’t go out today. I have to admit, I really like Matcha. My boyfriend says it tastes like seaweed. I think it’s delicious.
Angela: I like Matcha. I like green tea lattes.
Elle: Oh, yeah. So, that’s usually my go-to. They need to make pumpkin spice flavored things that aren’t necessarily coffee because I don’t really like coffee.
Angela: I’m totally with you. I get the pumpkin spice frappuccino.
Elle: Oh, okay.
Angela: When I go for it, I go for it.
Elle: Nice, okay.
Angela: I also get the green tea, the Matcha Frappuccino, though, too.
Elle: Oh.
Angela: I like seaweed.
Elle: Seaweed is good for you, that’s very true.
Angela: I just love how it’s very difficult to keep up with the comments.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: And, so, one of the things is, with the giveaway, when you go back and you go through the comments and get everything organized and you make sure that you have everyone’s entry done and counted, that’s when you usually get to read the comments because I miss them a lot during the livestream. So, I apologize if I have missed your comments, but I love when something like that pops up and that’s one of the ones that I see. I like seaweed. (looks down at Max) So cute.
Elle: That’s the uplifting like other side too, “He could be a corpse.”
Angela: Yeah, now, we have the new random. We got just talking about food and pumpkin spice.
Elle: Yeah!
Angela: I mean, especially, I’m sure, during the baking cozy mystery references, as soon as you start talking about The Great British Baking Show and then a cozy mystery-based baking series, you’re just gonna have all the references.
Elle: That’s true.
Angela: I lost him. (Max) I hear the growling. I’m like, “I know you’re there somewhere.”
Elle: Like Jaws.
Angela: He’s five pounds. He’s a little baby. He’s a little thing, but he’s in charge.
(responds to comment by Ally Abramson) “I bet Harrison drinks pumpkin spice lattes.”
Elle: I bet he would.
Angela: Okay, I’m just curious if I missed anyone’s comment because they had a question or they had something about the book. So, I’m just going back up because I don’t want to overlook anything. I’m just sort of skimming. So, again, if I miss something, I apologize.
Okay, so, I answered the question about next month’s book, Caught Dead Handed. I actually have an image for thumbnail (displays image The Cozy Mystery Book Club, Caught Dead Handed by Carol J. Perry and profile pics of Angela @writerahart & Ben). So, yes, we have Ben, @botanyandbooks is going to be the guest host, and I might as well just show y’all.
(displays image A Sprinkling of Murder by Daryl Wood Gerber with profile pics of Angela @writerahart & Colleen @ilikeoldbooks1213. We also have October, which is going to have the magical-themed.
Elle: Oh, that is a cool one, too.
Angela: (displays image Fresh Brewed Murder by Emmeline Duncan with profile pics of Angela @writerahart & Angela Cox @wheel.and.wool) And then we have coffee-themed.
So, those are the upcoming livestreams, and it’s so weird because I’m thinking, “Okay, am I missing one?” (quickly displays all three images again) Because we have September, October, November. I’m going, “Ah!”
Elle: No December.
Angela: We’re not that far away. Where’s the time gone?
Elle: So true.
Angela: In the know with that one. (reading comments) Yes, “little dogs, they have a big presence.” Okay, there he (Max) is, he’s guarding his bone, I found him. So, yes, I’m excited for next month’s book. We have an actual cozy companion in that one; we have a cat.
Elle: Oh, good.
Angela: So, we have a, I was going to say living, breathing fictional cat instead of Ferdinand.
Elle: It counts.
Angela: I’m thinking, if there’s anything else. I think those are my notes because we kind of went through them relatively quickly near the beginning with the mystery.
Elle: I know.
Angela: So, is there something else you wanted to touch on?
Elle: I think we’ve got all of mine. Oh, just the, and I know we had talked about this on Instagram, too, just the whole Hat Shop, especially, at the beginning, really gave me Howl’s Moving Castle vibes. So, I don’t know if people have seen that, but that was really cute and maybe that’s why I’ve thought of it as more cozy maybe than I would’ve otherwise, because I was picturing that movie, which is adorable.
Angela: I don’t really have a lot of references when it comes to hat shops.
Elle: I know; it’s weird, right?
Angela: Every so often there’ll be a cozy mystery series that’s based around something that I just never expected. It’s based around a shop or a premise where you’re going, “That makes sense,” but I didn’t think of it that way.
Elle: Which is cool, I think, because then you get to learn. I really enjoy that too.
Angela: (reading comments) What did I miss? Oh, yes, so, the other question is, “Are you going to continue reading the series?”
Elle: Nice. “Yes,” she says with the TBR pile that’s like over my head. Yeah, I will, though, I will.
Angela: Yeah, I’m just sort of nodding going, “Yup!” Oh, that TBR just never ends.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: And then you end up doing the mood reading, sometimes, that’s another factor –
Elle: I know! Yes.
Angela: where you have something on the list, and then you end up getting really excited about a book or a series, or you have a due date for something that you got to read it by.
Elle: Yeah, right.
Angela: (responds to comment by ubiquitousfiend) Aww, that’s so cute, you “already have the next book on hold.”
Elle: Oh, that’s good, nice planning.
Angela: I’m so glad you guys liked the book. See, this is also one of the things that crosses my mind when it comes to the Book Club, I always think that you guys know what you’re doing with the books that you choose because you end up loving them. We’ve been having a really great run of books that people have been enjoying and it’s all because of you. You guys pick the titles, you vote on the titles, but because of that, I don’t read the books in advance. So, you guys are in charge of my TBR and there’s some books that I’ve put aside because I’m going, “Oh, someone’s going to recommend this,” or “Oh, this might end up as a Book Club thing,” and then I get to read and chat with y’all, but I don’t know what’s going to happen! So, I always have a little bit of a, not a fear of, but “Oh, I really hope people like this book,” or “I hope this book is good,” but you guys haven’t let me down thus far. But I love it when you guys say you’re going to read the next book in a series. I’m going, “We did something right!”
Elle: Yay! The hive-mind works.
Angela: It works! I’m like, “You guys, you know what you’re doing. You choose the books. You do well!”
(responds to comment by Mia Snow) Oh, okay. I like this, “The other books just keep getting better.”
Elle: Okay, good to know.
Angela: We have more books to read by Jenn McKinlay then.
Elle: Nice.
Angela: That sounds about right.
(responds to comment by Lady Gizmo) Aww, “Best. Book Club. Ever.” Thank you.
Elle: Yes!
Angela: Well, I also wanted to make sure you guys know she, this little Elle Hartford over here, if you’re not already following her on Instagram and Twitter, you should do so because she is talking about her writing and she had her very first book come out, but you have more books coming out too that you’re working on.
Elle: I do! Yeah, because I’m crazy.
Angela: So, I was going to say, if you guys want to see her writing journey, please go check out her social media accounts because she’s also so sweet and there’s something so endearing when you post about your cozy mysteries, because you’re so positive and happy with them. Like, every time I see a post from you, I just smile. You brighten my day when I see your comment or I see your post. I’m going, “Oh, there she is!”
Elle: Aww, I’m so glad. Mission accomplished. Because that’s what I love about cozy mysteries, is that feeling of community and having a place that’s like a warm, cozy home. You know? I think that’s the best thing about this genre.
Angela: That’s, again, you got me thinking back to our previous conversation about Nick and Andre, like, you want the fun camaraderie of people loving the same thing that you love and supporting your love of something even if it’s not their same thing. Like, “Okay, I love paranormal cozies over here, and I love historical cozies, but we can still be friends.”
Elle: Yeah!
Angela: (reading comments) Oh, yes, people are congratulating because you deserve the congratulations.
Elle: Thank you. Thank you, everybody.
Angela: I know. I need to go get my own copy of the book. I was going to say I need to make sure that I support you and I get my own book so that I can take photos of it. So, I was going to say, “Another item for the To-Do List, but a fun one!”
Elle: Right. I know, and I’m sorry to add to your To-Do List. I’m sure it’s extensive.
Angela: It is perfectly fine. It’s a happy To-Do List item. So, I was going to say that is one I will do with glee and happiness in my heart.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: Sometimes, we’re going, “Okay, like, what else is on the To-Do List?” and you’re like, “Oh! There’s the fun distraction one!”
Elle: You have to have those in there, that’s true. You have to lighten things up.
Angela: Exactly! Maybe take a photo or two to support a fellow sleuther.
Elle: Yay!
Angela: (reading comments) Yes, the current poll is live. The Twitter poll is live Sunday to Sunday. So, I believe, right now, yeah, A Deadly Inside Scoop (by Abbey Collette), and I forget the other book, they’re kind of in a dead heat. Oh, Survival of the Fritters (by Ginger Bolton), I believe.
Elle: I just voted for it.
Angela: Yeah, those two, they keep tying, so what ends up happening, I’ve seen this, again, this is only Tuesday, so the pattern has just emerged. So, Survival of the Fritters will pull out by a single percentage, and then they’ll tie; and then, Survival of the Fritters will pull out by a percentage or two, and then they’ll tie. So, A Deadly Inside Scoop is still there, it’s still holding its own, but Survival of the Fritters is pushing out just a little bit.
Elle: Oh, alright.
Angela: Yes, and To Brew or Not to Brew (by Joyce Tremel) is not far behind either. That’s the other thing, while these two are maybe going to tie off, that one might actually be the surprise taker; that might be the one to come from behind.
Elle: Oh, okay, keeps things interesting.
Angela: There was a three-way tie on Monday. I saw that.
Elle: Whew! Wow.
Angela: So, again, it’s still any books game. Which also makes me feel so, I feel so much better about those polls when I see the close percentages because, again, you guys submit the titles, so then I’m also glad going, “Okay, so all of the titles people are interested in, people are behind them.”
Elle: They’re all good, yeah. It’s not like people are like, “Oh, my goodness. I don’t want to read that book.”
Angela: I think there’s only ever been one poll where one book just had a very small percentage, but everyone was just so pumped for the book that won; they really wanted that one book. So, all the percentages for the other ones were lower because one book just was the front runner from the get-go. But aside from that one atypical poll, everything else has been relatively steady, where the poll numbers show interest across the board and that just makes me so happy.
So, this one is food-and-drink-themed. The last one, the previous poll for June 2023, was female entrepreneurs.
Elle: Right!
Angela: Every single book in there had a female-owned business. So, I’m trying to do the themes and make sure that they’re offered, and this month I also, it’s not just, as I’m trying to remember, going back through my notebook, so these are all authors that we haven’t read before as the Book Club. So, these are authors that we have not had conversations about. Like, we’ve read Jenn McKinlay before.
Elle: Right.
Angela: So, this is kind of an author we’re semi-familiar with. We have never read any of those four authors either. It’s not just food themed, they are new authors who are writing about food and beverages.
Elle: Cool, very cool.
Angela: Not new authors to the world, but they would be new to The Cozy Mystery Book Club.
Elle: Yeah, that’s neat.
Angela: (reading comments) Yes, the second-chance polls end up doing really well, and I think that was actually when we had the And Then There Were Crumbs.
Elle: Oh! That’s right.
Angela: The January poll is always the second-chance poll, and I think that has been my favorite.
Elle: That was a really good one. That was, I remember that one.
Angela: Yeah, I was going to say the second-chance poll has given rise to some really great reads. So, again, you guys know what you’re doing with the books that you recommend.
Elle: It’s Oliver in that one, right? Is he a poodle or is he a golden? I can’t remember.
Angela: He’s a mix and he’s also the Town dog.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: But he ends up being her dog.
Elle: I just figured if he was a poodle, that would’ve been like, “Oh, okay, I see why that’s your favorite.”
Angela: I think he has poodle in him though.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: He’s also still a puppy, so he’s grown into his paws. I love that. (reading comments) I love that Lady Gizmo says you love the themes, To Brew or Not to Brew.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: I like the way you end the sentence with that (beer emoji).
(responds to comment by Nancy Janette “Kneaded to Death was so good”) And then Kneaded to Death (by Winnie Archer). This is what I mean, knowing that no matter which book wins, people love it and support it. People have already enjoyed it and are recommending it; every single book. So, all four of the books have gotten the stamp of approval tonight so that makes me happy.
Elle: Yeah, good work.
Angela: Yes! Apparently, (Max) he thinks that I’m talking to him.
Elle: Aww.
Angela: Apparently, I’m being summoned by the little guy. Anyway, so I think we talked about all of my notes; and, you, was there anything else that you wanted to add, touch on, mention?
Elle: I think I’m good. I think we’ve got all of mine. Yes, we’re good.
Angela: Okay, (glancing down at Max) I’m like, “Please just guard your bone for another couple of minutes, then I’ll take you out.” He was like, “Mommy, I’m over here, don’t forget about me.” As if I could ever forget about that cute little face.
Elle: Aww, of course not.
Angela: You guys are so great for reading the book and joining tonight and chatting with us. You guys just make me so happy. So, if there is anything else that you guys want to comment about with the book or you have any questions or something, now is your time to post and ask. Please do so before we say goodnight. I have to take care of my little furball of a man. I’m just going to scroll very quickly and see what else. (reading comments) Yes, and also “Thank You” to my lovely guest hostess.
Elle: Thank you!
Angela: And she’s been a part of the Book Club for such a long time, and it’s so great to actually chat and not just comment.
Elle: Right, I know, this has been so fun. Thank you so much for having me and giving me a shot.
Angela: Of course! Again, like, you’re just such a bright ray of positivity and sunshine.
Elle: Aww.
Angela: And I’m just so happy just to be able to have you in the community and talk with and just celebrate cozy mysteries with.
Elle: Yay.
Angela: And I’m so excited that you wrote a book and I get to buy that book and support you with it.
Elle: Aww.
Angela: So, I’ll have to carve out some time to read it, but I’ll be the first one to buy a copy.
Elle: I don’t have an audio version. I’m sorry.
Angela: Well, I almost feel as if I have a system now where I buy a book or I get a book, then I take photos of the book, and then I read it. So, there’s going to be a process; we’re going to get there.
Elle: You always have the best book pictures too.
Angela: Oh, thank you!
Elle: Yes, I feel my pictures, it’s always like, “Eh!” or like smudged; it’s always like iffy, but yours are beautiful.
Angela: Thank you. I don’t think the photos are smudged or something or anything like that. I get into, I really, when it comes to the cozy mysteries and featuring them on Instagram, I have this mentality of, “I want to do a good job for you, I want to make sure I do a good job for you.”
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: Like, if a publisher sends a book, if an author sends a book, I’m going, “Oh, my gosh, they sent this to me. I have to do a good job for them.” So, I’m always, again, the behind-the-scenes versus what’s posted, I take photos from every single angle and it takes so much time but, hopefully, by the end, it’s all worth it.
Elle: It is. It pays off.
Angela: (reading comments) Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much. It looks like you guys, pretty much, we’ve talked about the book and you guys enjoyed the book and it looks like your questions were mostly answered. I will go through the comments again to see if there are any other questions that I need to follow up on, but you guys are so sweet and thank you so much for taking the time to be a part of the Book Club and read this book and chat about it. It just amazes me and I’m so honored that you’re taking time out of your day to celebrate cozy mysteries with us.
Elle: Yes.
Angela: So, thank you so much!
Elle: Thank you for creating this space where we all can come and hang out and chat.
Angela: It is my absolute honor and pleasure and, you know, this has become my happy space. I love doing things for the Book Club. I will admit, because I was so sick for so long, I fell behind and I’ve been playing catch up and, so, I’m still playing catch up and I’m finally getting back into a groove making sure that things are getting done. But I am really proud of the things that I’ve been working on behind-the-scenes for y’all, so I have some more things to reveal in the coming weeks and months.
Elle: Cool.
Angela: Hopefully, to add some more fun and cozy mystery awesomeness to your lives.
Elle: Ah! Can’t wait.
Angela: There’s always something going on. I mean, there’s also, again, before I got sick, there was one idea, I had an idea for a very limited podcast series that I wanted to do for September because September 15th, I believe, is Agatha Christie’s birthday; hence, its Cozy Mystery Day.
Elle: Oh, I think, yeah.
Angela: But again, I was so sick, I was having trouble breathing. I didn’t sleep and it was a whole big thing, and so there was no, I mean, again, I could not talk or do anything so no limited podcast for September; that’s on the back burner now. Maybe, next Cozy Mystery Day, we’ll have a September-fun podcast.
Elle: There will always be a next year, yeah.
Angela: But again, so, something like that, there was something that was going to happen that didn’t happen; but, it’s now in the back burner. But again, those are the things that are going on; I’m going, “Oh, I can do this for y’all. This will happen.” So, yeah, there’s always something coming up for you, so keep on the lookout. And just because that limited podcast series didn’t happen this September doesn’t mean I can’t do something for another month with it.
Elle: Exactly! Yeah.
Angela: Especially because I can actually talk now, again.
Elle: Hallelujah!
Angela: Yes, for those of you who tuned in during the sick period, I appreciate you supporting. You were very kindhearted individuals and so I appreciate it.
Elle: You’re such a trooper though.
Angela: It was so hard to realize, like, oh, my gosh, I don’t have a backup plan.
Elle: Yeah, yeah.
Angela: “Oh, I’m supposed to be doing this,” and, you know, you can’t record a podcast episode, if you literally can’t talk, or do the livestream to discuss a book, and you can’t discuss.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: So, I appreciate everyone who’s stood by and I am getting back to your DMs and stuff now. So, hopefully, the catch-up period is also coming to a close and I will be able to respond to you guys about everything, and if you are waiting for something and I haven’t responded, please either sit tight or send me another line like, “Hey, I messaged you a while ago, just double checking to be sure you got it.”
Elle: Well, and your health comes first. You take all the time you need.
Angela: Well, I’m doing better. It was just, um, yeah, it was a very long-lasting sickness. I think it messed with my endurance.
Elle: Yeah.
Angela: And, so, I’m finally back on track, so I’m just hoping (responds to comment by Lady Gizmo) Thank you, I’m glad you love the podcast.
Elle: Aww.
Angela: Yeah, I’m just hoping that I didn’t let anything slip through the cracks during that period and I’m not letting anyone down with the comments or, again, questions or something like that. So, if you are waiting to hear back from me that’s why I’m just mentioning it again, because I received a message from one of the authors I spoke with at Malice Domestic. I interviewed her and she wanted to know when the interview was going live and, again, like, I couldn’t sleep, I was having trouble breathing, I couldn’t concentrate on editing a video. So, I have all this content and stuff that I want to do and edit, and posts and stuff, but I just haven’t gotten there yet.
Elle: Yeah, totally understandable.
Angela: It will happen someday!
Elle: Yes.
Angela: It will happen. I still have YouTube footage from like pre-Covid that I never edited, so things will happen at some point. So, I just appreciate you all being so understanding and kind, and I know that was a little bit of a tangent, but Thank You, guys, for being understanding with if you messaged me and haven’t heard back, that’s why. So, I appreciate that, but Thank You, guys, for joining tonight and reading this book and being a part of The Cozy Mystery Book Club. Is there anything you’d like to add?
Elle: I’m good, aside from of course, thank you for being amazing.
Angela: Well, I appreciate you taking the time to read the book and, I mean, she was setting up her lighting. She was invested in making sure that this was perfect for us. So, I appreciate you caring and doing this and taking time to chat about this book with me and being your amazing self on camera for the rest of the sleuthing family.
And I’m just so appreciative of you for that and everyone for joining tonight. I’m always so amazed that you guys are taking time out of your lives to celebrate cozy mysteries with me, so “Thank You” for doing that, and please take care of yourselves. And I was just telling y’all that I was sick, but please continue to take care of yourselves and stay safe and healthy and happy, and I hope your little fur babies are a little better behaved than mine, as he’s burying a bone in a blanket. No, it’s not going to work.
And if you think of any other questions for the Book Club or anything else comes to mind after tonight, please feel free to reach out, whether it’s through Instagram or Twitter DM or sending me an email, no matter what. Please, if you have a cozy mystery question, please feel free to reach out. I’m always willing to talk to you about The Cozy Mystery Book Club. So, thank you, yeah, Max. We’re ending the night with a little puppy, fluffy love.
Elle: I don’t know if you can hear, we barricaded my cat, Frankie, out of the room and he’s like, now, meowing at me because I guess it’s been too long. So, I don’t know if Max can also hear that and be like, “What’s that?”
Angela: I was like, “Thank you to Max,” for being relatively quiet tonight and “Thank You,” to this this lovely woman who is a newly-published debut author who we get to support. And the randomized winner will be selected and that will be announced on Twitter and Instagram, so be on the lookout for that!
Elle: (nodding) Ah, neat!
Angela: So, there’s more things coming. Thank you for joining us and being a part of the Book Club and we will talk to you guys next month on the last Tuesday of the month, every month, is Cozy Mystery Book Club Day, and next month is Caught Dead Handed. So more cozy mystery fun coming up!
Elle: Yay, have a goodnight, everybody.
Angela: Goodnight, everybody.
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