What is the title of your latest release?
CROSS YOUR HEART AND HOPE HE DIES
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Fierce marketing manager Juliette Winters is trying to save her publisher from ruin by making the book deal of the century – when the author drops dead at the announcement party and the manuscript goes missing. Now she’s got to enlist hot doc Charlie Hawkins to help prove the death was no accident so she can recover the stolen manuscript and save the day.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
CROSS YOUR HEART AND HOPE HE DIES is a standalone companion novel to my debut adult murder mystery rom-com, SHE DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE, so I knew it would be set in the Pacific Northwest same as my first book. But while CLUE took place on an island out in the ocean, I wanted somewhere new and fun and interesting to explore for the next book. And because these books are about the rich behaving badly, I knew it needed to be somewhere lavish and over the top. So of course a luxury yacht belonging to an exclusive country club was pretty much the only place I could set it.
Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Oh in a heartbeat. She’s objectively terrifying, and her ambitions far outstrip mine, but she’s also hilarious and has no problem speaking her mind. I’d probably take her with me to buy a new car or haggle at a flea market. She really shines best when she’s arguing.
What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Hilarious, whip-smart (look it’s hyphenated so it counts as one), and guarded.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I always try to learn something new from my books, because I enjoy research and it keeps things fresh and interesting for me. I spent a lot of time learning about luxury yachts and the types of parties that wealthy people throw on them, and now I know that they’re basically tiny cruise ships. They’ve got gyms, media rooms, multiple bedrooms, full-on kitchens, and some even have fully-staffed spas. If they weren’t a bajillion dollars, it would be nice to hang out on one.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I usually try to power through a first draft with little to no editing, because otherwise I often lose my momentum. Editing and drafting are two different brains for me, and if I leave the headspace of one, I find it hard to get back into it. The hardest part is when I’m on final edits for one book and trying to draft the next one, and I’m constantly nitpicking word choice when I’m only 8,000 words in.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Ooooh, anything baked goods. I can’t have gluten anymore, so I’ve been the hunt for really good gluten free baking in the last couple of years. And I’ve actually discovered that for a lot of things (brownies, cookies, coffee cakes), gluten free is actually much tastier! The only thing I ever really miss now are donuts. I used to love me a Saturday morning donut run.
Describe your writing space/office!
I have a nice office space that I had built during the pandemic that’s got a great desk, dual monitors, mounted whiteboards, the works. But I also have two young children, so most of my work happens hunched over the dining table with headphones on while I ignore the kid standing two feet in front of me repeating “mom” over and over. I did just buy a comfy little lap desk so I can migrate to the couch now, though.
Who is an author you admire?
Oh, this is a good question. There are lots of authors whose books I love, but an author I admire is definitely Rachel Hawkins (aka Erin Sterling). I love her books, but I also really admire the career she’s built for herself. She started in magical YA, wrote some funny contemporaries, and then moved to adult cozy romances as Erin Sterling and thrillers as Rachel Hawkins. She’s built a career in multiple directions, which can be hard for authors to do. Plus, she’s hilarious and I enjoy her social media, which is also very rare.
Is there a book that changed your life?
You mean besides my first book? (It’s called Hood, it’s a YA historical adventure about the daughter of Robin Hood, go check it out!) I’d say the first book that really made me aware of how impactful storytelling can be is WALK TWO MOONS by Sharon Creech. It’s a middle grade book about a girl on a journey to find her mother, but it’s about so much more. It’s beautiful, sad, insightful, funny, and totally took over my brain. I recently read it to my kids and it was so incredible to share it with them. That’s the real power of storytelling.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
Ooooh, that feels so long ago now. I was in a Wal-mart letting my tiny children run amok in the toy aisle because it was Texas in the summer and it was too hot to be outside. My agent called me to let me know that Disney had offered on my YA, and I remember just wandering around with my shopping cart looking at other people in a daze like “do they know? Can they tell my life just changed??”
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I have a couple of genres I like to bounce between – mystery and romance OF COURSE, but I also really love horror. I can’t watch horror movies because the visuals are too much for me, but thematically I love the kinds of stories that horror books tell. They’re often about questioning what we think we know about our humanity, about our society and the world around us. They’re meant to challenge us, and I find that they often have some of the most ingenious storytelling around.
What’s your favorite movie?
Listen. The Mummy (1999) is a masterpiece. Cinematic perfection. No greater film was ever made. This is inarguable.
What is your favorite season?
Definitely the fall. Weirdly enough I associate it with new beginnings, I suppose because school always starts in the fall. It feels like this blessed reprieve from the withering heat of summer, and it has all the best baking. Plus I love me a cozy sweater, and spooky season is the best.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I’m not a birthday person at all, so generally I celebrate by not letting anyone wish me happy birthday or acknowledge that it’s my birthday in any way. But recently I’ve tried to reclaim that day for myself by using it as a time for reflection and envisioning. Looking back on the year I had and what I achieved, and envisioning for myself what I want to focus on and prioritize in the year to come. Also I get a massage and cake. So all in all, a pretty good day.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Along with the rest of the world, I recently watched ADOLESCENCE on Netflix, and it truly blew me away. The deep humanity of telling this story through the eyes of the perpetrator’s family, the shame and pain and confusion, it was absolutely incredible storytelling. Astounding acting. I sobbed my way through the last episode because it was so thoughtfully done. Highly recommend (though it’s a tough watch so check out the descriptions and trigger warnings first).
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Coming from Texas, it’s a toss up between bbq and Tex-Mex. I love me a sloppy nacho plate. The more toppings, the merrier.
What do you do when you have free time?
That’s a real loosey goosey concept when you have kids, but I love anything crafty. I love to make jewelry, I loooove to knit, I love puzzles and picking up random craft projects like painting or building tiny models. I’m planning to take a pottery class soon. Anytime I can make something with my hands, I’m a happy camper.
What can readers expect from you next?
I’m working on some fun new mystery rom-com adventures that I will hopefully be able to share soon!
Narrator: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
Hobnobbing with Seattle's elite on a super-yacht, Juliette Winters is about to land the deal of the century - if she doesn't get arrested first. She Doesn't Have A Clue author Jenny Elder Moke returns with another riotous mystery rom-com that delights in rich people behaving badly.
Juliette Winters is used to taking care of business alone. She has no time for petty things like romance, friendships, or emotional commitments. Love is for people who believe in reality TV dating and holding hands in public. She's too busy dominating the publishing world by single-handedly saving her company from financial ruin with the book deal of the century.
Business magnate Warren Ellingham has guaranteed Juliette exclusive rights to his explosive memoir that promises to expose the secrets of his ultra-exclusive country club, Pacific Pines. But when Warren drops dead of an apparent heart attack and the memoir is stolen, Juliette suspects that someone was willing to resort to murder to keep their secrets from being exposed.
Enlisting the help of Charlie Hawkins, a doctor with a heart of gold and abs of steel, Juliette dives into the glamorous and messy world of Pacific Pines Country Club. As the investigation heats up, so does the tension between Juliette and Charlie. But Juliette can't afford any distractions because the bodies keep dropping, and Juliette is tee-d up to take the blame. If she doesn't uncover Warren's killer soon, the thing that was supposed to secure her future might just be the thing that ends it.
Jenny Elder Moke's twisty mystery rom-com blend will delight readers with its outrageous characters, laugh-out-loud jokes, and opposites attract romance.
Romance Comedy | Mystery Woman Sleuth [ Minotaur Books, On Sale: January 20, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9781250354990 / eISBN: 9781250355003 ]
Jenny Elder Moke writes young adult fiction in an attempt to recapture the shining infinity of youth. She worked for several years at an independent publisher in Austin, TX before realizing she would rather write the manuscripts than read them. She is a member of the Texas Writer’s League and has studied children’s writing with Liz Garton Scanlon. She was a finalist in the Austin Film Festival Fiction Podcast Competition in 2017 for her podcast script, Target. When she is not writing, she’s gathering story ideas from her daily adventures with her two irredeemable rapscallions and honing her ninja skills as a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Jenny lives in Denver, CO with her husband and two children.
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