NK Chats To… Jodie Morgan

Published December 19, 2025 | By Laura

Hi Jodie. Thank you for joining me today. Can you tell me about Murder at the Summer Cheese Festival and what inspired it?

Thank you so much for having me, Laura! I’m really excited to be here.

Murder At The Summer Cheese Festival follows Laura Evans, who’s traded her high-stress Boston restaurant career for the charm of small-town Vermont.

She thinks she’s found peace as the new café manager at the Silver Springs General Store, but when a body turns up after a pre-festival cheese tasting…her boss Maggie becomes the prime suspect. With the festival just two weeks away and the store’s reputation on the line, Laura can’t just stand by and watch her new life crumble!

With the help of her observant landlady, Evelyn Chan, she discovers beneath Silver Springs’ picture-perfect surface lies a web of rivalries, secrets, and scandals.

The inspiration came from so many parts of my life coming together.

My background in hospitality (studying it at university and working long hours in restaurants and cafés) taught me the skills you need for excellent hospitality work are the same an amateur sleuth would need: observation, empathy, and reading the room.

Then there was my love of fall colors, mountains, and all the gorgeous produce of that season: apples, late summer berries, maple syrup, and my favorite, cheese! When I pictured where all this would happen, I immediately thought of Vermont with its stunning fall foliage, beautiful mountains, and those amazing annual cheese festivals.

And I had to include the crafting community. My maternal grandmother, Mama, taught me to knit and crochet, and after nine years as a knitting and crochet blogger, I knew that world had to be part of this story. The crafting community is so generous and kind!

What are the challenges of writing a book in a series? What things do you need to consider?

I knew I wanted to write a series, because the books I enjoy the most are part of a series! If you look at my Goodreads, you’ll see many Poirot and Miss Marple novels!

A series lets the reader become part of the community. You watch people grow, make mistakes, repair relationships, and discover things about themselves. I want readers to feel like they’re returning to a welcoming place when they pick up the next book.

The challenge is keeping track of all the details!

You need to remember what happened in previous books, what secrets have been revealed, and what relationships have developed. I keep detailed notes about every character, location, and item within Silver Springs and the series’ wider world.

You also need to balance making each book satisfying on its own while still moving the series forward. New readers should be able to pick up any book and enjoy it, but long-time readers deserve those lovely little callbacks and character growth moments.

I suppose it’d be like juggling, and I’ll do my best to get it right as the series progresses.

How do you approach the planning, writing, and editing processes and how long does it take you before you complete the book?

I’m a plotter! I come up with a basic premise, expand on the details, and then write a plot outline of what’ll happen in each chapter. It’s often so detailed it rivals the finished novel! Then, I go back through the outline and identify any areas that don’t work: looking at you, way-too-suspicious red herrings and convenient realizations!

I admire writers who just let the words flow, but that’s not me.

Once I have a solid outline, I write the first draft. It’s such a relief when it’s done, as it takes weeks, but that’s just the first step!

Because…then comes the editing. So. Much. Editing.

I didn’t keep an exact count, but Murder At The Summer Cheese Festival went through at least a hundred and twenty editing passes!

I get as many eyes on my work as possible. Different editors and readers catch things you’d never notice yourself. I’m so grateful for everyone who took the time to read my work-in-progress. It wouldn’t be the book it is today without everyone’s suggestions.

As for timing, my first book took about nine months from that initial idea in December 2024 to publication in September 2025. I’ve finished the first draft of my third book already, and the many, many rounds of edits will start soon!

If you were compiling a playlist for this book, which songs would you pick?

What a fun question! I’d want songs that capture that feeling of small-town Vermont: cozy, nostalgic, with hints of mystery lurking beneath the surface. I’d include some folk music, maybe something with fiddles or acoustic guitar. Songs about coming home, finding your place, and discovering what’s hidden.

Phoenix by Big Red Machine and Backseat by Charli Adams come to mind.

I’ve compiled a mixtape of songs to accompany this book, which is available as an exclusive for readers. So if your lovely readers pick up the book…they can get a collection of fun bonuses I think they might enjoy.

What’s your favourite word and why?

Soporific! If you’re unfamiliar with the term, you can use it to describe something that ‘causes or tends to cause sleep.’ I love the way it sounds when you say it, and in a way, it reminds me of all things cozy: things that are peaceful, relaxing, and feel safe.

I just realized I haven’t used it in any of my published books or short stories, and clearly, that’s something that needs to change! Now to find the appropriate idea…

What comes first for you – plot, or characters?

They both developed together, at least for my first book.

I started with the ‘what ifs’:

What if a midlife crisis wasn’t a catastrophe, but an awakening?
What if a hospitality worker used their intuition and empathy in solving crimes?

From there, Laura Evans emerged as someone who embodied those questions. But I needed the plot to show who she really was. So I suppose they’re inseparable for me: the plot reveals the characters, and the characters drive the plot forward.

Now, I have a better sense of my characters, so plot has taken more of a driving force in new novels and short stories. But they always reveal how they would act in a scenario!

What advice do you have for overcoming writers’ block?

Show up even when it feels impossible, because one day, you’ll have a book!

When I’m stuck, I go back to my outline and remind myself what the scene needs to accomplish. Sometimes I skip ahead to a scene I’m excited about and come back to the difficult bit later. You don’t have to write your book in chronological order!

Other times, I take a break and do something completely different. Knitting or drawing usually helps! There’s something about the rhythm of making that frees my mind. A walk in nature works wonders too. The key is to not panic. The words will come.

What kind of scene do you find the hardest to write?

The confrontation scenes, where everything comes together.

There’s so much pressure to make sure all the clues line up, that the reveal feels earned and satisfying, and that the characters react authentically.

I recently read a cozy mystery where I gasped out loud during the reveal.

I want my readers to have the same reaction: the one where they never saw it coming but, in hindsight, all the pieces were there.

Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?

Miss Marple! I’ve always adored Agatha Christie’s sleuths, and Miss Marple especially.

There’s something wonderful about the way she notices what others miss and how she pieces together the puzzle using her understanding of human nature.

I’d love to sit with her over tea and just listen to her observations about people.

What are you currently working on?

I’ve finished the first draft of my third book in the Silver Springs Mysteries. The many, many rounds of edits will start soon!

I can’t share too much yet, but Laura will investigate another mystery in Maplewood County, and there’ll be plenty of delicious food, crafting, and snowy moments.

I’ve also recently written a festive-themed cozy mystery short story called Gifts Of Goodwill. It’s an accompaniment to my Silver Springs Mysteries where someone’s trying to ruin the festive season with unkind anonymous holiday cards.

What’s been the highlight of writing Murder at the Summer Cheese Festival?

The interactions between characters! Bringing each one to life on the page has been such a joy. I also loved writing about the dishes served up at the Silver Springs General Store and the research I did about cheese and its production. I learned so much.

As one of my reviewers said, “I loved how deliciously tasty this book was! It really was an enjoyable treat for all the senses…” That just made my heart sing!

In your opinion, what elements are important in a mystery?

Fair play with the reader is essential. All the clues should be there for them to solve it alongside the detective, even if they don’t realize the significance until later. I love that ‘aha!’ moment when you realize a seemingly innocent detail was crucial.

Memorable characters are important too. You need to care about the people involved. And if a series happens in the same place each time, it needs to be somewhere readers would want to return to. Ideally, it’s a character in itself!

And justice being served!. There’s something deeply satisfying about wrongs being righted and truth coming to light. That’s why I’ve never stopped loving mysteries.

Would you rather:

Sing or dance to your favourite song for the rest of your life?

Dance! I’m not much of a singer, but I love to dance, especially if you put on a song like Xanadu by Electric Light Orchestra, or one of Coldplay’s upbeat ones. My sons often run from the room whenever they play, because I try to get them to join in!

Music, especially when it’s upbeat, has the power to bring so much joy into your life.

Have money or power?

Money, but only enough to be comfortable. Too much of either seems like it would complicate life rather than simplify it!

Would you rather have magical powers here on earth or live in a magical place without powers?

Live in a magical place without powers! I’d love to explore somewhere like Narnia or The Magic Faraway Tree in books by Enid Blyton.

The wonder of experiencing such a world would be enough for me.

Would you rather have the ability to communicate telepathically or know every single language on the planet?

Every single language! I study French every day. My goal is for a local to understand me when I speak French! Being able to connect with people from all over the world in their own language would be incredible. Language opens so many doors.

Be able to have a one-minute conversation with your past self or future self?

Future self! I’d like to know if I’m still writing and learning. Though knowing me, I’d probably just ask if I’ve finally knitted that Fair Isle sweater I’ve been dreaming about!

Live in a world where it is constantly snowing or always raining?

Constantly snowing! I love cozy winter scenes, curled up with a knitting project and a good book while snow falls outside. Plus, fresh snow always looks beautiful.

Live in a world without music or movies?

Without movies, I think. Because then, at least, there’d still be books! Music has such a profound way of affecting our emotions and connecting us to memories. Though I’d miss the stories films tell. (Do I get to keep television series in this world?)

Take part in a dating show or a survival show?

Survival show! Then you’d gain useful skills. Dating shows seem terrifying: all that public vulnerability! I’d much rather learn to build a shelter or identify edible plants. Good book research! Besides, I’ve been happily married for twenty-five years.

About Jodie Morgan:

Jodie Morgan is an author & knitting blogger. Her books welcome readers to the charming Silver Springs Mysteries in Vermont, filled with intriguing puzzles, memorable characters, and the satisfying solutions readers love.

When she’s not plotting her next book, you’ll find her reading, savoring a coffee (always with cream!) or doing her latest knitting or crochet project.

She loves to travel as it sparks ideas for her stories. Her most satisfying creative moments come from quiet evenings at home with her family.

Say hello to Jodie via her website, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Click here to get a free festive story from Jodie called Gifts of Goodwill.

Murder at the Summer Cheese Festival is part of the Silver Springs Mysteries and was released in September 2025. Click to buy on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Waterstones and Barnes & Noble.

About Murder at the Summer Cheese Festival

When cheese becomes deadly business, one woman must slice through lies to uncover the truth…

Laura Evans escaped her high-stress Boston restaurant management career for small-town Vermont charm. Instead of peace, she finds murder.

Just weeks into her new role as café manager at Silver Springs General Store, a renowned food critic turns up dead after a pre-festival cheese tasting. Worse still, her boss Maggie becomes the prime suspect.

The Summer Cheese Festival is days away and the store’s reputation is crumbling faster than aged parmesan. Laura must act.

With her sharp-eyed landlady Evelyn Chan, she discovers beneath the town’s picture-perfect surface lie rivalries, family secrets, and long-buried scandals.

When there’s an entire festival’s worth of suspects, she must separate friend from foe before it’s too late…

Can she unmask the murderer before the festival’s finale, or will her investigation end in disaster?