I'm pleased to welcome Jennifer Chow to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Jennifer writes the Magical Fortune Cookie Mystery series. ILL-FATED FORTUNE is the first book in the series and will be released this Tuesday.
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Kathy: Felicity Jin had always been hesitant in the kitchen. What about you? Do you enjoy cooking?
JC: I enjoy cooking—but I started later in the kitchen. It wasn’t until college that I actually pulled together a complete meal.
Kathy: Felicity's mom makes enchanted baked goods, including puffy pineapple buns and creamy egg tarts. Just reading those words made me drool. What are some of your favorite baked treats?
JC: Of course, the two mentioned above! I also like chocolate chip walnut cookies, chiffon cake, coconut strudel—the list could go on forever…
Kathy: Felicity makes her own fortune cookies and writes personalized fortunes. Have you ever gotten a fortune from a cookie that was right on point?
JC: I used to tape fortune cookie messages on my writing journals. One of them read: “You will be successful in your work.” I hope that’s true!
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
JC: Agatha Christie. I would read cozy mysteries with my mom, and years later, it spurred me to write one.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
JC: In my backlist, I have a supernatural YA and an intergenerational family drama. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything non-mystery, though.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
JC: The Magical Fortune Cookie series features a family-owned bakery that serves charmed treats. Only it’s not so charming when an ill-fated fortune cookie prediction comes true—and a dead body is found behind the bakery.
Other series:
L.A. Night Market—Foodie cousins with opposite personalities get dished with murder cases.
Sassy Cat—Pet groomer Mimi Lee teams up with her telepathic sassy cat to solve crimes.
Winston Wong—An ex-video game tester bumbles his way into catching culprits in the Silicon Valley.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
JC: Hard to choose, but I really do like Whiskers in Ill-Fated Fortune. She adds an extra layer of enchantment and cuddles. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with a magical bunny straight out of Chinese mythology?
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
JC: A fortune cookie factory tour when I was a child, and also the general idea that I’m like a fortune cookie. I feel like my two sides of Chinese and American come together in a delicious way.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
JC: For the Magical Fortune Cookie books, my agent asked if I had any new ideas. I gave her a list of paragraph-long ideas, and then one sentence with the premise for Ill-Fated Fortune. Guess which concept she loved the most?
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
JC: My inspirations: Agatha Christie (as mentioned before), Amy Tan, Dale Furutani, and Joanne Fluke.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
JC: I recently read VERA WONG'S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS by Jesse Q. Sutanto and loved it!
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
JC: Reading, clearly. Besides that, I like painting with watercolors, taking scenic hikes, and kayaking in calm waters.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
JC: 1. Tea 2. Bread 3. Peanut butter 4. Apples
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
JC: Yes! There will be at least two more books in the Magical Fortune Cookie series. The next one involves murder at a wedding. Working title: Star-crossed Sweet Tarts
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
JC: The readers. I love it when people come up to me or email me about how my books help them find joy, speak to their identity, or resonate with their lives.
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Review
The First Magical Fortune Cookie Mystery
At Gold Bakery Mrs. Jin bakes traditional Chinese baked goods and infuses them with joy...literally. Her daughter Felicity, try as she might, has never shown a glimpse of the Jin magick, until the day she made her own fortune cookies. Not only are her delicious treats are a hit with customers, she's finally come into her own power, writing eerily accurate fortunes. When a too accurate fortune is found on the dead body found in the Jin's dumpster Felicity comes under suspicion. Felicity will try to understand her power and promote the family business all while investigating the death of the Fortune Cookie King.
Fitting in is a major theme of the first Magical Fortune Cookie Mystery. As close as she is to her mom, Felicity felt she never fit in with her own family as she didn't appear to have the Jin gift. But she's not the only one facing this struggle. Employees at the Smiley Fortunes factory, her best friend, Kelvin, Detective Sun, and several other characters are all looking to fit in and be accepted.
The friendships, the family, sticking together, and staying true to yourself all give the book more heart. I loved the traditional Chinese aspects to the story, not only the pineapple buns, but Whiskers the bunny bringing Chinese mythology to life. The mystery is intriguing and I enjoyed the various paths Felicity explored, combining her business and her personal power as she searched for the truth.
With a great cast of diverse characters and a sprinkling of magick ILL-FATED FORTUNE is a great new twist on a culinary mystery.
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Ill-Fated Fortune: A Magical Fortune Cookie Novel by Jennifer J. Chow
About Ill-Fated Fortune
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - California
Minotaur Books (February 20, 2024)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Felicity Jin grew up literally hanging onto Mom’s apron strings in their magical bakery in the quaint town of Pixie, California. Her mother’s enchanted baked goods, including puffy pineapple buns and creamy egg tarts, bring instant joy to all who consume them. Felicity has always been hesitant in the kitchen herself after many failed attempts, but a takeout meal gone wrong inspires her to craft some handmade fortune cookies.
They become so popular that Felicity runs out of generic fortunes and starts making her own personalized predictions. When one customer’s ill-fated fortune results in his murder, Felicity’s suspiciously specific fortune has the police focusing on her as the main culprit. Now Felicity must find a way to turn her luck around and get cleared from suspicion.
About Jennifer J. Chow
Jennifer J. Chow writes cozies filled with hope and heritage. She is an Agatha, Anthony, and Lefty Award-nominated author. Her newest series is the Magical Fortune Cookie mysteries; the first book is Ill-Fated Fortune. Jennifer’s previous series is the L.A. Night Market Mysteries. Death by Bubble Tea was reviewed by the New York Times, featured in Woman’s World, and hit the SoCal Indie Bestseller List. Jennifer currently serves as Immediate Past President on the board of Sisters in Crime and blogs at chicksonthecase.com. She is an active member of Crime Writers of Color and Mystery Writers of America. Connect with her online and sign up for her newsletter at JenniferJChow.com.
Author Links:
Website www.jenniferjchow.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jenjchow/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JenJChow
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-j-chow
Purchase Links - Amazon - Macmillian - Bookshop.org - B&N - Kobo
Sounds like a book I will enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rita!
DeleteThanks for the interview and the kind review, Kathy!
ReplyDelete