CJ Connor (he/they) is the author of queer romances and cozy mysteries, including the Board Game Shop Mystery series. Active in both the writing and LGBTQIA+ communities, they are a mentor for Author Mentor Match, an EBSCO NoveList advisor, and a member of the Utah League of Writers. They are also the co-leader of a LGBTQIA employee affinity group and a contributor for Book Riot. When they are not writing, CJ Connor can be found perusing art museums, listening to angsty folk music, stress knitting, and attending weekly gatherings for board game enthusiasts with their husband, an amateur board game designer. They live in the Salt Lake City area with their dog, Yoda.

I had the opportunity to interview CJ, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks for having me! My name is CJ Connor, and I’m a queer mystery and romance writer. My debut novel Board to Death is out on August 22 from Kensington Books. Beyond writing, I love gardening, stress knitting (hats, mostly), and hanging out with my best friend–my pet chihuahua, Yoda.

What can you tell us about your debut book, Board to Death? What was the inspiration for this story?

Board to Death is a quozy (queer cozy) mystery starring Ben Rosencrantz, a gay adjunct English professor who is framed for murder after returning home to run his dad’s board game shop in Salt Lake City and navigating romantic tension with Ezra McCaslin, the florist next door.

My husband was a big inspiration for this series. They’re an avid board game fan and because of that, I spend a lot of time in local shops. When I decided to write a cozy mystery, I thought hard about the types of settings I find cozy. Board game shops kept returning to my mind. They’re very welcoming environments, especially for those who feel shy or like they don’t belong in social settings, and people often associate happy memories with board game. I felt board games lent themselves naturally to a cozy mystery theme.

As a writer, what drew you to the art of storytelling, specifically the mystery (particularly cozy mystery) genre?

I like the gentleness of the cozy mystery genre, how its quirky cast of characters and puzzles can offer needed escapism to those going through hard times. I’m a big Tolkien fan and think a lot about his praise of fantasy as an escapist genre: “Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don’t we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we’re partisans of liberty, then it’s our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”

Cozies offer a similar comfort, in my opinion. They don’t lead readers to ignore how hard and unfair the world can be. No one can deny that. But they can offer stress relief and the hope that we can face challenges in our own lives, no matter how seemingly insurmountable, with the strength and bravery we need when we are ready just as amateur sleuths do.

How would you describe your writing process?

I’m a plotter as a whole but especially with my cozy mysteries. It’s a tough but rewarding genre to write in. You need to add just enough clues that your readers can do armchair sleuthing of their own. Too much and the culprit is obvious, and too little means the readers don’t feel satisfaction when the killer is revealed. Without an outline, I’d be lost.

One of the hardest things about writing a book is finishing one. What strategies or advice might you have to say about accomplishing this?

This is something I struggle with a lot. I don’t like the first draft process out of all the writing stages. The messiness can be intimidating. Writing my first drafts in a big, silly font (i.e. comic sans) –advice I think I encountered on Instagram but can’t remember who shared it– has helped me a lot. It lets me take myself less seriously, allowing me to get through drafting much faster and keep from freezing up.

As a writer, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general? 

Growing up, my biggest influences were comedy writers like Douglas Adams, Eoin Colfer, and Terry Pratchett. I loved the way they used humor to explore serious issues and open people’s minds to new ideas. It’s something I find very clever and valuable, and I try to do in my own work.

Within the cozy mystery genre, I look up to Misha Popp and Mia P. Manansala as two authors who are welcoming in readers often shut out of the genre (particularly queer readers) and pushing its conventions in thoughtful, exciting ways.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or difficult? 

Characters are what stick with me from my favorite books. Similarly, I love writing characters and relationship dynamics between them. I also have a lot of fun with dialogue. Description is a bit more of a challenge for me, but I try to find the way it pushes me valuable in its own way.

Aside from writing, what are some things you would want others to know about you?

To go along with Board to Death’s theme, here are my top five favorite games:

1) Rummikub (would play it a lot with my great-grandma when I was maybe  eight or nine, some happy and early memories)

2) Nertz (defined my college years in a lot of ways)

3) Kingdomino (part of what my husband refers to as “shape goes in spot” games but more officially called tile placement games)

4) Wingspan (it’s just nice… you collect and take care of birds)

5) Tiny Towns (and its tiny expansion, Tiny Trees)

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

Have always wanted someone to ask what the “CJ” stands for. I’ve put a lot of thought into it and decided it stands for “Connor Jonnor Connor.”

What advice might you have to give for aspiring writers?

The usual advice is to set aside time for writing every day, and I definitely think that’s important. But I’d also encourage aspiring writers to get out and try new things–especially things that get them excited or push them out of their comfort zone. Lived experience will enrich your writing and potentially give you new ideas for stories or characters. And just as important, it’ll leave you with happy memories to look back on. Plus, it’s important to have balance with writing to avoid burnout.

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

Right now, I’m revising the sequel to Board to Death–Killer Cube. It takes place at a Rubik’s Cube competition (hence the punny title) in which a legendary speedsolver is murdered and Ben must prove his friend Kit’s innocence. In it, Ben gains a little more confidence in his amateur sleuthing abilities and his relationship with Ezra takes a new, exciting step.

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

Thank you so much for this opportunity! I’ll leave you with a few more quozy mystery recs:

*Devil’s Chew Toy by Rob Osler

*The Dinner Lady Detectives by Hannah Hendy

*Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective by Katie Siegel

*The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell

*A Killing in Costumes by Zac Bissonnette