Spotlight & Giveaway: Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Jenny Elder Moke to HJ!

Hi Jenny and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies: A Novel!

 
Hi there, my adult debut was SHE DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE, about a bestselling mystery author who attends her ex-fiance’s weekend wedding and gets accused of poisoning the bride when she’s found with the body.
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

CROSS YOUR HEART AND HOPE HE DIES is a standalone companion novel to CLUE in which fierce marketing manager Juliette Winters is on the verge of saving her publishing company from ruin by announcing the book deal of the century when the author drops dead at the announcement party and the manuscript goes missing. Juliette has to enlist Charlie Hawkins, a doctor with a heart of gold and abs of steel, to help prove the man’s death was more than natural causes to track down the missing manuscript and achieve all her dreams.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

Oh my gosh, there are genuinely too many to name. If there’s one thing Juliette is going to do, she’s going to serve some LINES. My absolute favorite line isn’t appropriate for mixed company (but if you read the book, let me know when you get to Chapter 34 page 264 – you’ll know the line I mean). But I’ll go with a line from the very first page of the book that immediately set Juliette’s voice for me:

“Juliette Winters contemplated the skyline, her future, and the possibility of throwing up. Not from nerves, mind you. Nerves were for discount mall magicians and toddler beauty pageant stage moms during the talent portion. Juliette didn’t get nervous. She got aggressive, hyped, focused, and vicious, in that precise order. But never nervous.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• I actually went on a family vacation to Seattle while I was writing this book, so I got to do some fun research on the world! Juliette’s apartment is in a real building that I got to walk around, take pictures of, and really get a good feel for while I was there.
• CROSS YOUR HEART is a stand-alone companion novel to SHE DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE, featuring an all-new mystery and a new romantic couple as the main characters. But many of the supporting characters from CLUE make an appearance in the book, so if you were a fan of CLUE you’ll love revisiting these faves!
• We went through a LOT of title ideas for this book, which is unusual for me. It ended up being a collaborative team process (shoutout to my editor for the final awesome name), but I get big laughs every time I share the title with an audience so I think we did good.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Well, Juliette would say that it’s because she’s smoking hot lol. And Charlie probably wouldn’t deny it. Charlie is a snack himself. But I think they’re a very classic opposites attract couple – she’s loud and powerful, taking up her space, and Charlie is more serious and reserved, with an intensity that Juliette can’t deny. I think more than anything, they’re drawn to each other’s energy, and they do an excellent job of balancing each other out.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

Well, the first time Juliette and Charlie kiss, he figures it’s going to be a chaste little peck on the lips and she’ll stop hitting on him forever. Of course, neither one of them expects it to take the turn that it does…

Charlie closed his eyes and sighed. “Why do I think I’ll end up regretting this? All right. One kiss.”
Juliette leaned forward, sliding her legs out of his lap to afford her better access to his mouth as she pressed her lips against his. She was surprised at how excited the prospect of kissing Charlie made her, and even as he seemed hesitant to return the gesture, she felt his mouth curving into a complementary shape against hers. There was a spark, something simmering and expectant like they were always going to kiss. Juliette let him take a breath, let him relax and drop his guard, slowly luring him into her trap. When he leaned back, he seemed almost relieved.
“Well, there you—” Charlie started, but Juliette wasn’t anywhere near done.
She leaned in, pressing against him as their mouths came together again, and this time she didn’t hold back. She raked her fingers into his hair, her legs sliding over his until she was straddling him, her mouth hungry and insistent. She ran her tongue across his lip, making him shudder as his hands flexed against her back, like he was commanding them not to grab her ass, a command they joyfully ignored as those gorgeous, long fingers of his lifted her up against him.
When her hand brushed the front of his pants, Charlie jumped to attention at the same time as his cock. He shifted her, plopping her back on the couch and staggering to his feet. His hair was pulled in five different directions, mouth shining with her saliva, breath ragged as he sucked in air.
“That,” Charlie said, hoarse and panting, looking at her like she was a feral creature he had found in his kitchen, “was more than just one kiss.”
“Technically two,” Juliette said with a grin, “but that was your fault for ending the first one too soon.”
Charlie shook his head. “People don’t . . . they don’t kiss like that.”
Juliette smirked. “I do.”
But that wasn’t really true. Juliette had never kissed anyone like that, and she had kissed a lot of people.

Readers should read this book….

If they’re looking for a fun, zany, twisty mystery with plenty of heat.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I don’t have anything official to share yet, but we’ve got some great ideas in the works that I hope to be able to announce soon!
  

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: One copy giveaway 0f CROSS YOUR HEART AND HOPE HE DIES, US Winner only please

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: How far would you go to save your career and your reputation – even if it meant getting arrested for murder?

Excerpt from Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies: A Novel:

From Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke. Copyright © 2026 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.

Chapter Two
Juliette didn’t know how you could make a barefoot boat party still feel stuffy, but June Piedmont had managed it. It was her country club instinct, no doubt, to make every party a black-tie affair just as it would be at Pacific Pines, the ultra-exclusive club she and her husband cofounded with Warren Ellingham.
“Juliette Winters, darling, there you are!” came a woman’s voice that walked the exact border between polite and commanding. June Piedmont swanned through the crowd, not waiting to see if waiters would dodge out of her way in time, knowing they would if they valued their paychecks. Her feet were perfectly dainty as they peeked out from beneath her floor-length de la Renta gown, though Juliette noted the style was at least a few seasons old. June must have borrowed it from the designer’s vault.
“Mrs. Piedmont, you found me,” Juliette said, doing her best to maintain a pleasant smile. Veeta nudged her discreetly, which meant she wasn’t doing as good of a job as she hoped. “What a lovely party you’ve put on this evening.”
“It is lovely, isn’t it?” June cooed, looking around the dazzling interior of the main deck. A five-piece band—including a baby grand piano—played live music while girls in beautiful pink satin dresses wove through the crowd carrying bottles of rosé in the exact same shade as their dresses. A carving station at the far end of the party room boasted prime rib, lobster tails, and a raw oyster bar with an impressive collection of hot sauces. Veeta snagged a rice dumpling from a waiter as they passed.
“Aren’t those divine?” June said as Veeta popped the tasty little packet into their mouth. “Bánh giò. Vietnamese street dumplings, a signature offering from our executive chef, Troy Pham. We’re lucky Warren saw the potential in him and snatched him up. He could run any five-star restaurant in the world. But that’s Warren, the brilliant mind, always seeing opportunities. That’s why we’re honoring him tonight.”
“I’m sure Warren will be more than pleased,” Juliette said.
June cooled herself with a small hand fan she produced from some clever pocket in her dress sleeve, wafting a strong floral perfume toward Juliette with the embroidered silk. “I do hope so. Though I’ve not seen him as yet. Always playing coy. And speaking of coy, darling, how could you keep such a juicy secret from me?!” June snapped her fan shut and used it to playfully slap Juliette on the arm. “I have it on good authority that Warren’s little announcement tonight will cause quite a stir, and it’s all thanks to you, isn’t it?”
Juliette happened to know that June’s “good authority” was simply the gossip pages of Pub Daily, but she wouldn’t hold it against the woman. Gossip was the way women like June Piedmont ran the world behind the scenes. When a man collected information, they called it intelligence. When a woman did it, they branded her a gossip. The work of the patriarchy.
“Imagine the things a man like Warren Ellingham could share. The secrets he could tell. You know he has a nickname around the club. The Lockbox. You need help, any kind of help—money, advice, the number for a good lawyer—Warren is your man. Not that Robert has ever needed him, of course! But when a man earns a reputation like that, well . . . you can imagine the skeletons he’s collected from other people’s closets.”
Juliette could well imagine it, which was why she’d courted Warren so hard. Simon Says couldn’t compete with the big publishers on advance money, but Warren had more money than he could spend in ten consecutive lifetimes. He didn’t need another million dollars for a book; what he needed was personal service, a dedicated team that would see his vision from concept to printed page. And that was the deal Juliette had sold him all those months ago, when she promised to personally shepherd his book through the publication process. She’d kept Simon out of the negotiations and held off on involving Spencer in any of the brainstorming pitch sessions, choosing to handle Warren directly. This was her brainchild, start to finish. She couldn’t let anyone else ruin it for her.
“You know, people would kill for a glimpse at a story like that,” June continued. “I’d be willing to bet anyone on this boat tonight could make it worth your while for a little sneak peek. Just the first chapter! Between us ladies.”
June wasn’t the first person that evening to approach Juliette asking for a “sneak peek” of Warren’s manuscript. The blind item had stirred up all kinds of attention, which was exactly the kind of publicity Simon Says needed to make Warren’s book launch a success. Had Juliette contacted her source at the magazine to plant the blind item and stir up the attention in the first place? Well, that was how business got done.
“You know Warren, he likes to keep his secrets,” Juliette said with that patient smile.
“Oh, I’ll get it out of you, you be sure of that,” said June. “Name your price. Do you golf? Or play tennis? We have excellent spa services at the club, I could get you in for the best massage of your life. And our saunas are Norwegian, you won’t believe the wonders it will do for your skin. Just name a date and I’ll add you to the list of guests.”
“Mrs. Piedmont—”
“June, please, call me June!” June moved in closer, her grip on Juliette’s arm unyielding. “Darling, you have the hottest ticket in town, let me help you leverage it!”
Juliette spotted Kennedy Hempstead nearby, her friend and (by a small technicality) boss. “Kennedy!” she called out, startling several party guests around them. She practically dragged June in her wake as she headed toward the other woman. “Ken, have you met June Piedmont? June, this is Kennedy. Kennedy Hempstead.”

From Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke. Copyright © 2026 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

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.
Book Links:  Amazon | B&N | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

JENNY ELDER MOKE is the author of award-winning children’s and adult literature. She enjoys fast-paced adventures with plenty of mysteries, surprising turns, and laughs along the way. When she’s not writing, you can find her knitting, puzzling, or fighting imaginary crime as a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. She Doesn’t Have a Clue is her adult debut. Jenny lives in Denver, CO.
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