Grab a cup of coffee for our morning chat with Joann. It’s such a great way to start the day. Joann is also part of the Cozy Christmas Anthology, Clues, Christmas Trees and Corpses.

Marry Christmas                                                        by Joann Keder

Chloe is living her worst nightmare: planning a Christmas wedding for her impossible cousin, Nova. When she and her friend, Doris hear there’s been a murder at the wedding venue, they’re determined to find the killer before Nova’s big day. The more they dig, the more they are convinced the killer is a member of the wedding party who may kill again. The clock is ticking for them to solve the mystery before anyone else is killed!

What quirky Christmas tradition does your character do every year?

Doris uses a blow torch to caramelize a nice Christmas ham. Not the kind designed for kitchen use, but the one her late husband used while restoring their ’78 Pinto.

What would be a great gift for your character?

Doris would love a fancy “mixin'” bowl so she could create goodies at home when she wasn’t at work. Chloe would definitely enjoy a trip somewhere tropical where she could sip on drinks with little umbrellas while she reads a bodice-ripper novel by the pool.

Speaking as your character, what is your (their) favourite thing about Christmas?

(Doris) “Never did enjoy the holidays much until Chloe and her dad began inviting me over. Now, we do a themed holiday dinner. This year is my turn to choose, so I’m going with a Western theme. Can’t wait to see how my holiday jello turns out when I mold it in a boot!”

Your story is set in Piney Falls, Oregon. Why did you choose that as the setting for your book?

It’s a fictional town used in “Piney Falls Mysteries” on the Oregon Coast. During summer months, it would be a very scenic place to get married. I thought it would be a great way to marry (see what I did there?) my Piney Falls series and Pepperville Stories by bringing an Iowa character to Piney Falls for a wedding.

If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

Oooh, I love this topic! My goal is to have one of my books made into a streaming series, so here’s what you can expect to see: Doris is played by Kathy Bates, Chloe is played by Emma Watson, and the larger-than-life character of Nova would have to be played by Anya Taylor-Joy. A girl can dream!