Finlay Donovan Is Killing It | Holly Furtick Book Club

Foreign.

Welcome to the Holly Furtick Book Club. Here we are again to my favorite times. One of my favorite things that I do. I come together with all of you, and we get to talk about books. But I'm really happy to be talking about this book with you tonight. Oh, where's my book? Hold on. Finley Donovan is Killing it by Elle Cosimano. Guys, I can't wait to talk to you about this book. I can't wait to hear what you thought, how you enjoyed it, who your favorite characters were. But as you know. And not. But as you know, we have the author on with us tonight. We get to talk with everybody. Elle tonight about how she came up with this amazing character and. And where all these crazy things came from in her head. And so I'm really excited to talk about. Finley Donovan is Killing it tonight. I can't wait to hear how you are, how your stuff is going, and especially how you like this book. So I want to know, like, what did you love about this book? Because, number one, I have a theme. Okay. I. I love fiction. I'm open to reading almost anything. I'm not a huge fan of fantasy. I don't like, like, really, you know, raunchy books. I'll read romance, but I like. I don't know, I like a good story. I love stories about women. I love stories about strong women characters, and I really love stories about women coming to help each other. And of course, who doesn't love a story about women killing bad men? And that's what we have in this book. But you're reading it with such a smile. I was trying to think. I think we've done a couple of books where women killed men in this book club. Okay, so those of you who have been on for a while, help me out here. I'm going to try and go off top of my head. Remember the book about Australia? What was that one where the women were on the ship going. The prison women were on the ship going out to Australia? These are all book club books, by the way, and I'm sorry, I don't remember the names of them. You guys are going to help me with this. What was that book called? Anyway, so we read that one. And the Exiles. Thank you, Heidi. Okay, yes. You guys are coming through for me. So Heidi reminded me, in the Exiles, there's women who kill an evil man. And. And then Christy came through and she said, in the Lost Apothecary, we have women killing evil men and men who are taking advantage of women. And then it seems like, there is one more that we've done. I actually had to be like, okay, we have to pull back on the women killing evil men. And then it comes through again and this delightful little, like, comedy thriller. I don't know, I just love books about where the women come together and they help each other out and they're not competing, but they're helping each other. And that is what this story is about. It's a book where the bad guys die. And it's a book about women sticking together. And it's hilarious. It's about a single mom who is the giver of stars. That's right. Jojo Moyes. We did that one too. And remember the library? It's about the pack Horse librarians and they. Well, I don't want to spoil it for you. Well, I guess I just spoiled all those books for you. They're all excellent books. If you've never read any of them and you really like Finley Donovan's Theme, you need to do that. So the Giver of Stars. I don't know who I got to shout out whoever said the giver of stars. Hold on. I want to. I want to say your name because you really came through for me on that. Oh, it went away. Oh, there it is. Lisa Efam. So glad that you said that. So if you want to read another book, books like this. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. The Exiles. Was that Christina Baker Klein? I can't remember, but that one's really great. And then the other one, the Lost Apothecary. You'll love them. They're great books. And this is a great book that we're talking about tonight. So I. I loved how we have this single mom who is, like, drowning. Her husband has left her. She can't pay her bills. She's a rider. And her little kids are like. She's knee deep in little kids. She's over her head in little kids. And anybody who has little kids is, like, feeling for her from the get go. And the opening line of this book, I mean, can we just. My sister started this book and she texted me and she said, that is maybe my favorite opening line of any book that I've ever read. So let me just remind you what the opening line of this book is. It's a widely known fact that most moms are ready to kill someone by 8:30am on any given morning. Automatically you're like, yes. And so you have this mom and you're like, really feeling for her. You really want her to Get a win. And she keeps digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole, and her electricity is off and the garage door isn't working. And, like, all these things, right? I mean, it's just such a great story, and you're just cheering for her the whole time. Whenever I'm preparing for book club, I always go on YouTube and I like to try to catch an interview with the author that the author's already done about the book, just to see what kind of questions I want to ask. And. Or. And then sometimes, like, other people's book clubs will pop up. And I found these girls. I honestly don't remember the name of their. Of their book. Their book club. It was like a podcast, and it was these three girls, and they were. They were pretty young. I don't know if they were all single, but they were really young. And they were sitting around and they, like, talk about the book, and it was really great, except they. They were, like, really bashing Finley, and they were like, I just couldn't get on board with what a basket case she was and like, all, you know, yada, yada, yada. And I was just thinking. I was like, I don't think they have kids. I don't think they know how chaotic it actually gets. So anyway, I think that any mom, anyone who has had little kids is so there from the moment that we got into the story. So tell me, how did you like this book? What did you like about it? Maybe start off by telling me who was your favorite character? I mean, obviously we're loving Finley and we're hating her husband, and you guys are saying the duct tape was hysterical. Okay, I will say that. The duct tape scene, I was like. When she said she put duct tape on her daughter's head, I was like, oh, no. Is it really that bad that you have these duct tape? But the little girl's like, daddy would fix it, and so she, like, puts the duct tape on her head. Okay, you guys are all saying that your favorite character was Vero. I don't know. Her name was Veronica, so I guess you say Vero. Everybody loved her. Let's see. Abigail sue says, I don't have kids, but I definitely know that it's not too far off for many moms. Lol. Slingshot bait says Vero. Abigail sue says she loved Veronica. Sue's meadows says Vera. You guys are. I mean, Vera was a great character. She was a great, like, sidekick slash accomplice. And I loved how she said to Finley, like, that she. Her mom was a single mom. I forget the line, but she says something about how her mom was a single mom and how she, you know, just wanted to help her and she wasn't getting paid. And you come to find out that, like, the husband was coming on to her and everything and just really start just really cheering for this, like, dynamic duo. Right, okay, so. So here's like, a. A question that I feel like we've already answered just by talking about the previous book club books that we've done where evil men get killed. But do you think that the killing was justifiable? Like, this was a bad guy and the killing was justifiable, or did that kind of. Does do these books. Those books kind of bother you? So for me, I really loved how he kind of like, he was like, drugging women, right? And he accidentally drinks his own drug because Finley accidentally switches it or what? However that happens, I don't remember. And so I'm like, well, from the get go, you're like, I mean, he got what he deserved, right? Like, that's what he was. I mean, I don't think he would. No. I don't know. Some. One of the girls on that podcast I was listening to is like, he didn't deserve to die. He deserved to go to jail. And I'm like, well, it's fiction, right? Like, that's what we want. We want the evil man to, you know, get what. What you know is coming for him. Jennifer James hall says, yes, it was justifiable. Dawn. Dawn says, where. Where the Crawdads Sing. Yes. Another great book where evil is killed. Tara says she thought the storyline was hilarious. Nana Condi says that she definitely thought he deserved it. Let's see. Harris Rye says karma and Rachel Heiser. I totally agree with this. Rachel says, I love that she didn't actually have to kill him, but she gets credit for it. Plus, she did the hard part of disposing him. Rachel, that's really insightful and so true, right? Like, she didn't actually kill him. It just happens. Cherise Holden says, kill him. We all have a list of people that must die. I mean, it's fiction, right? Like, it's all about the fantasy of the. The person. Like, you know, justice. So let's see. Someone else says, let's see, who is this? Lenin. Find Lane Lynn Ann. I don't know how I say your name, but she says, I loved how she just kept accidentally killing them. I know. Okay, before, let's see, what other things did I have to ask you? Well, I want to ask you this. How many of you went on to read the whole series? Now there's two more books in this series, and then there's a fourth one. Surprise. There's a fourth one coming out, I think soon, or maybe that maybe I'm confused. I'm pretty sure there's a fourth one coming out, too. The reason that I'm confused is because I've shared this before on book club. I don't read sequels. I like for the characters to, like, end the way that they end the way that the book ends. And so I. I don't read sequels. So I want to know from those of you who did read them, how did it measure up? And, like, tell everybody about them, because everybody wants to read them. Lisa says, I want to read the second one. Heard they're all great. Christy says she read all three. Ashley says she read all three. Lisa Stevens says, I really want to read the rest of the series. Ail says, I'm going to read them all now. Debbie says, I read the third. Just started the third book. Love them all. Christy says, these ones are just fun throughout. Ngu's Ward says, I read the whole series. It was fantastic. Okay, so if you're into series, and most of us are, but I'm not, you're gonna love the whole series, and you're really gonna love it by the end of the night. After we talk to Elle. So are we ready to bring her on? I think so. Donna says, don't tell us what happens, though. We want to read them. I won't tell you what happens. I will tell you what happens in Finley Donovan if it comes up, because we do spoilers here. But I won't tell you what happens in the other ones because I haven't read them. I. I respect. I love. I respect it. I just. I don't know. I just like the characters to stay the way that they are. Right. Cherise says, I love a series. I get attached to characters. I get it. Guys, let's welcome Elle. And as always, if you have a question for her or you have a question about the book or about the characters or about how she came up with the story, I'll try to ask your questions, but put them in the comments, and I'll see if we can get to them. Okay, Here we go. Hi, Elle.

Hi. How are you?

I'm wonderful. How are you?

It's great to be here. Thank you.

You're welcome. Thank you for this book. What a fun summer read. We have so enjoyed it.

I am so glad. It's been a It's been fun being a fly here on the wall, reading the comments and hearing from readers and it's, it's lovely to see how much everyone has enjoyed this series.

Yeah, we really enjoyed it. Okay, so we always like to start off hearing the author. Just like read a selection from your book. I'd love to hear it in your voice and I love to hear the selections that the authors pick. So do you have something to read for us?

Sure, yeah. I didn't pick anything very long because I figured everyone had loads of questions. So, you know, and I try as often as I can to avoid spoilers because, you know, trying to, trying to be a good mystery author and not reveal too many of the whodunits and the fun bit. But the first, like you mentioned, the first page is always what draws people in. And I think that the piece of us that most of us relate most closely to Finley over is the chaos, the mom chaos, the simple chaos of motherhood. So I thought it'd be fun to start maybe with the opening paragraph.

Love it.

Chapter one. It's a widely known fact that most moms are ready to kill someone by 8:30am on any given morning. On the particular morning of Tuesday, October 8th, I was ready by 7:45. If you've never had to wrestle a two year old slathered in maple syrup into a diaper while your 4 year old decides to give herself a haircut in time for preschool, all while trying to track down the whereabouts of your missing nanny as you stop up coffee grounds from an overflowing pot because in your sleep deprived fog you forgot to put in the filter. Let me spell it out for you. I was ready to kill someone. I didn't really care who.

I love it. I love it. Did it take you a long time to come up with that opening? Did you like, when did it come?

It did not take long at all because I was having a very similar morning. And so the inspiration sort of came on the he of some real genuine mom chaos. We were on vacation, my kids were older at this point. My children are grown, they're 18 and 21 now. But at the time that I started this book, they were, gosh, they were probably in height, they were in high school together and maybe one of them was even middle school at that point. And so there was a lot of bickering going on and you know, brotherly love as, you know, as, as they do. And we had rented like an Airbnb or a VRBO on vacation. That turned out to be a whole Lot smaller than what we had envisioned it would be. And so the two boys had to share a pullout futon sofa for the several nights that we were staying, which you can imagine growing teenage boys.

I have two boys. My boys are 15 and 17 right now. Yeah.

So you get it. You're right there with me. So it was very, very early in the. I mean, I don't even think the sun was up. And they were. They were in the. We were all in this big studio space, and they're fighting and kicking each other and accusing each other. Who's farting and who's snoring. And why are you. Why are you taking my side of the bed? And it was just like I sat up and I just thought, there's no point. Like, I'm already ready to kill someone that haven't even gotten out of bed yet. And that was sort of like, you know, when that moment struck me is like, that's sort of perfect. That's sort of perfect. That's exactly what should capture this opening moment of where my character begins her journey.

So at that point, were you already in the works of Findlay? Did you have some stuff written down or was it not there? Was that, like, one of the first things that you wrote?

That was the first piece I actually composed of the prose. I had been mulling the story at that point. I had already been to a writing retreat where. And for those of you who read the acknowledgments in the book or have seen some interviews with me, you probably know where the idea for the story came from. But I had actually been at a writing retreat with two of my very best girlfriends, who are also my critique partners, and we had been brainstorming the plot of a book I was working on over lunch in a very, very crowded Panera Bread. And I love this story.

I'm really glad you're telling it.

We were talking at length out loud in a public space, asking questions like, well, who needs to die? And how should it happen? And who's going to clean it up? These are, you know, as murder mystery writers do, when it occurred to us that the. At the table beside us had probably been eavesdropping. And she looked so deeply uncomfortable with the content of our conversation that she actually got up and left the restaurant. So the idea for Finley came to me at that point, and when someone posed the question, wouldn't it have been funny if she had assumed your contract killers? And I had toyed with the idea of writing it, my. My critique partners had been Very supportive. And they're like, you have to write this book. It's such a great idea. You know, we believe in you. You can do it. I hadn't actually started it yet, but it was that morning when I actually pulled out my laptop before I even got out of bed, and I put that opening line down on paper, and I just felt right at that point, I felt like I had that starting block that I needed to launch into the story and start experimenting with it.

I. It's so great, and it's such a good story of just how life is. Some of the best, holds some of the best ideas, but then you can take them and take them places that, you know, hopefully they wouldn't go in real life, but they make for such a great story. So, okay, here's one of my questions. So, all right, you've got this idea for the story. All of a sudden, you wake up one morning, you got. You're like, okay, this is what's happening in this woman's life. Then did you, like. Did you outline? Did you know where the story was going? Because I love to ask authors this question I'm so fascinated by. Because some authors will say no. I just start. I just have the characters, and I let them do what they're going to do. What's your method in that?

Yeah, you know, it's different for everyone. And I very firmly believe there's no one right way.

Right.

I just believe every author. Not even just every author, every book has its own way of being written, and no two are exactly the same. For me, I kind of go back and forth. I've had some that I've felt compelled to outline pretty thoroughly from the get go. I've had others where I've flown completely by the seat of my pants all the way through. And, you know, in the end, I've always found that my process just involves a whole lot of revision and rewriting. That's really kind of, for me, where the magic happens. But I tend to feel like if I outline too, too deeply that the story ends up feeling very rigid. It loses some of the magic for me. And I think that's because I don't give myself room to experiment along the way, to follow whims, to, you know, to explore opportunities that pop up as I'm writing. And so I tend to find I do better when I have. I think with mysteries, it's important to have a strong sense of where I'm going, of the who done it, and kind of, at least at the beginning, have an idea. So I try to give myself like maybe four or five major plot points that I know are coming that I can kind of anchor the story to. And then I leave it very loose. My whole process is very, very loose. Because I do think I have more fun meandering a little on the way. As long as I hit those major points, it gives me some room, some flexibility to play a little bit. And I think when I'm having fun, my readers end up having fun. More fun, too.

Yeah. Yeah, I can see that. So when you start writing this book, did you know that it was going to be. Because originally you were writing more like thrillers, so did you set out to write a book that kind of doesn't really even fit into a genre? Because this book is very quirky. It's like, is this a comedy? Is this a mystery? Is this a thriller? Like, what am I supposed to be doing right now? But yet it works, right? So did that just happen? Or were there points where you're like, is this supposed to be funny or serious? Like, how did you. How did you. Were you okay with letting it kind of become what it became?

Yeah, it's such a great question. It is a genre, Bender. No doubt about it. And you know, to me, at its heart, it's a mystery, but it's also so many things. And I think that's one of the most wonderful parts of Finley Donovan is there's something in it for everyone. It appeals to all ages. You know, it's joyful, it's exciting, it's mysterious, it's fun, it's quirky, it's all the things. And I did not set out necessarily with that as a goal, but really my whole background in writing all of the six novels I published before Finley were all about and for young adults. And in the young adult market, we don't stick so rigidly to genre. We're not categorized so tightly. So a YA book is gonna be shelved on a YA shelf regardless of if it's a sci fi or a romance or a contemporary. They usually just do section.

I never thought about that, but I'm with you.

Yeah. So I had been writing for years not having to think about genre and only thinking about how do I tell this story the way I feel the story needs to be told. And so as I was writing Finley, I was just having fun with it and, you know, kind of following her voice, which, you know, and of course, sticking to my roots, which are thrillers. So there, there was. There was the pacing at points of a thriller and the edge of your seat moments of a thriller. Sticking to my roots in mystery, but playing a little bit with my own voice and the humor, my own sense of humor in bringing that in. And it wasn't until we actually went to try to sell the novel to publishers that we realized exactly what a genre bender we'd made. So, you know, that's where we really started to struggle a bit to identify it. But I. That experiment has worked out so beautifully and I'm really proud of the fact that Finlay's done so well that I think we sort of kicked the door down for other genre bending authors to come in and experiment and do wildly different things that maybe other people aren't doing and trust that readers will find and love these books.

Yeah, it's really fun. It's really a pleasant surprise. It kind of has the vibe, actually. Our last book club was remarkably bright creatures. We have a talking octopus. And then earlier, I don't know if it was this year or last year we did Bonnie Garmas book the Lessons in Chemistry. And I think those a lot. Those are also like, is this a romance? Is this dog talking? You know, and it's fun when you are open in fiction to not like I, that's what I crave is I don't want this like formulaic anything. Whether it's a formulaic romance or a formulaic mystery. Like, I just want something that's fresh and surprises me and I think that's what grabs me about this book. And the COVID is amazing.

It is.

And so I was just like, yeah, I wanna, I wanna read that. And then I'm hooked.

Right.

Right away. And then I like, then I'm like, oh God, this woman got. Needs to get herself together. And so you're also kind of listening to me, like, is she gonna, is she gonna like get out of this whole situation? It's just, it's just, it's just wonderful. And I, I'm just so happy when, when a book like this comes along. So while you're writing, were there spots where you got stuck?

Oh, all. With every book. With every book, there'll be some place where I get stuck. And you know, for me there are a lot of solutions to that. I think, you know, we see some of that too. This is a very meta book. You know, we see the book within the book. We see a little bit behind the curtain. Some of that is grossly exaggerated, but there's some of it that's really spot on. And there are moments I've had nights where I have stared at a blank screen or it has taken me five hours to write three sentences. And you know, and I go to bed that night feeling like the world's biggest imposter. Like, what am I doing here? You know? And I just, I think that's a very real part of the creative life and what we do. But, you know, when I get stuck, what I found that really helps is getting out from behind the desk. Sometimes that's hands on research opportunities where I get to go out and do fun things that inspire stories or just make me fall in love with my story again. Sometimes it's being around other creative people that break it wide open for me. I have critique partners that I cherish, that I've written side by side, you know, with for more than a decade. And when I'm stuck, those are the people that I go to to brainstorm to bad ideas around just to feel inspired by. And you know, that whole thing you were mentioning about women lifting up and supporting other women, that whole theme came from that very authentic place. There are women in my life who do that for me. When I get stuck behind the screen and I feel like I cannot write this book, they're the ones who are kicking me in the pants and saying, you can and you will write this book. And we are here. We are going to help you do it.

That's so amazing because I know that writing. My husband has been writing a book this year. And writing is such a solitary process. And so to have people that you can like, interact with, like actual human beings, because you're spending all day with, with, with characters, they're like kind of like people. They're like people in your head. Right? And then to actually be able to have a group of women who are like reading and giving you feedback and telling you you can do it, that's just. It's just so. That makes me so happy. And I think that's probably one of the reasons why the book is what it is. Because you had people like cheering you on and going like, no, this is really good. This is different. So I love it. Okay. Are there, I love to ask authors this question. You might not be able to honestly answer it, but are there any friends or family members that you have like secretly written into the book?

I get that question a lot and I think a lot of authors get this too. We get emails from family who are like, I know that character was based on me. There's always that one person. No, it really wasn't. There's no one who is a direct translation of any character ever in any of my books. But what I do take away are these little kernels, these little morsels, details, experiences that all sort of lend themselves to authentic characters. So, for instance, Vero, who is everyone's favorite, isn't any one particular woman in my life. She's many women from my life. She's the spirit, the embodiment of those relationships, of what those women have meant to me and what they've done for me, and sort of the celebration of that. You know, Finley's mother, who we get to, you know, to see quite a bit more of in the next books, you know, is not necessarily my mom, but she is. There are parts of her that capture motherhood and our experiences with our. Not just being a mom, but our experiences with our own mom. And, you know, so, you know, there are. There are people in the story thinly. I don't personally have experience with divorce. I'm very, very lucky. I have a wonderful spouse. He's my best friend. We've been together for more than 30 years. I couldn't imagine doing this or raising our kids without him. But there are women in my life, very, very close women in my life who have had horrific experiences through divorce. And, you know, there are little bits and pieces of those experiences and those parts of themselves that they've shared with me, that I tried to honor or in some way incorporate, you know, to make these characters and their experiences feel more authentic and real. So there. There's a little bit of everyone that touches me in my stories, just different ways.

I love that. I really love that. I think one of the reasons I like to ask people that is because it came out in an interview one time with, I think it was Lisa C. And she said that she puts her grandmother in every one of her books. And so I just always thought that was so fascinating. Okay, so you've created this amazing character in Finley, and the book does so well. She gets to live on, and you create this whole series. Right? So. And tell me. Okay, because I don't know if you heard me say I never read sequels, because, I don't know, I just have this thing. But there's two more and one on the way.

Yes, and more. So we have two more that are already out. They're all color coded to me because they're so much easier for people to see the color. So we've got the pink. We start with the pink, and then we've got the blue. Finley Donovan knocks him dead. Then we've got Finley Donovan jumps the gun. Those are already out. Coming on March 5th is Finley. Donovan rolled the dice, which is so much fun. We're wrapping that one up now, getting that one. We're gonna have a cover reveal coming very, very soon. And beyond that, we've just contracted for books five, six, and seven. I'm so happy. So for those of you who have been banging down my DM door, asking how many books are gonna be in the series, and I keep saying that's up to you. It depends on, like, how many, you know, how many the publisher will be willing to invest in how enthusiastic our. Our fandom is in our sales. That's all a function of the word of mouth. Like, everyone talking up this series. We're.

We're.

We're on board for three more after that.

That's amazing. First of all, congratulations. That's. That's huge. That's a big deal. I'm glad there are a lot of people in the world that are open to sequels and all and beyond, but. Okay, so this is my question about that. Is Finley always with you?

I think so. I mean, I think all of my characters are. That I've ever written, though. They all sort of occupy their own little corners of my subconscious, you know, because I've lived with them for so long, Finley longer than any others, and presumably will be much longer, you know, into the future. So, yeah, absolutely. Finley is. Finley is a huge part of me. And I think some of that is just because the amount of time I spend in this character. Character's head, but also because of all of my characters, I think Finley's voice most closely mirrors my own. So there's a lot of Finley. There's a lot of me in Finley, I should say. And so, yeah, absolutely.

So, like, you're in Target. Is there a moment where you're like, what would Finley do? Or, like, I don't know. Like, my husband was telling me the story today about how someone honked at him and the parking lot of our. Of our offices and how he handled it. He, like, got out of his car and went and, like, talked. It was somebody cutting through the parking lot. So, like, you get in a situation, are you ever, like, what would Finley do in this situation?

Yeah, you know, there are times when we. You know, it's an ongoing joke between me and all my. Especially all my girlfriends about, like, you know, I'll bring the shovel, you know, so in that sense, yeah, I do. We do spend a lot of time thinking and talking about, you know, from Finley's point of view. Like, what would. What would Finley and Vero do? And that's usually in the context of a conversation with a girlfriend when, you know, we're. We're talking more like, what. What would we be willing to do together to resolve your problem? You know, and.

Ever been a moment like that that made it into the book? Like, something that happened in your life that you're like, this is how Finley would have handled that. And it, like, worked its way into one of her stories.

Oh, gosh. I mean, yeah, they're. They're. There are scenes that are definitely based on real. I mean, the Panera scene right away is like, one that was based on, like, a real experience. And without spoiling too much, the opening scene of Finley Donovan Jumps the Gun takes its. All the books open with a mom moment, a very typical mom moment. And the opening scene of Jumps the Gun is probably my favorite I've ever written. I still laugh till I cry every time I have to read it out loud, but it was. It's a scene in a toddler scene out of hand in a public restroom. And, like, as a mom, we have all been there. We have all been there, but this one takes the cake. And, you know, and, you know, we have experiences with our own children from when they were very small that I carried with me when I wrote that scene. So, yeah, there are moments where, you know, I would never say I'm as impulsive as Finley. I'm definitely more reserved and certainly more cautious. But there are absolutely moments of my own life where I thought to myself, oh, dear, what would Finley do in this moment?

So lots of people are commenting on it. Ashley. Let's see. One lady says the mom moments in the bathroom scene cracks me up. Ashley said she read that scene twice, the mom moment in the bathroom. She was like, I just had to read it again because it was so funny. She said I was. Somebody says, the toddler scene, I was dead. So a lot of people are asking about a TV series. Is there any secrets out that you can tell us about that?

No more updates that are already out there, but I'll fill everybody in. For those who may not know, the option for a TV series was picked up by 20th Television Studios, with Marlene King set to produce and to adapt for the screen. And for those of you who are familiar, she was the brilliant producer of Pretty Little Liars, so we're super excited about that. Also, if you've been following the news, you know about the WGA strike that's happening right now. And so everything as Far as TV adaptations, not just for me, but across the board, are sort of in a holding pattern right now. So we're all just sort of waiting, supporting the writers, waiting to, you know, waiting for them to, you know, resolve all of the business that they need to resolve. And then we'll get back into those conversations, hopefully this fall once everything settles. But, yes, we are very, very optimistic and super excited and very, very eager, hopefully, to see Finley and Vero on the small screen.

So Brianna asked this question. She said, is there an actress that you envision playing Finley?

Yes, there. Well, there are several that I have envisioned. You know, I try not to answer this question because we were in the middle of casting conversations when all this was happening.

Like, what if it's someone else?

I would hate to put out the name of an actor and then, you know, have it pop up that it was somebody different. But we've had some fantastic interests and some very, very talented folks who have been reading the script, and I am totally confident that we're going to come away with the perfect Finley.

Yeah, that's exciting. I actually think that Finley would make a really great TV series because it's just so funny and so, like, I don't know, just the things she gets herself into. You can just visualize it so well. It just seems like it'd be a great show. Okay, so first of all, thank you so much for being on here. Before you go, we always love to know what are your favorite authors, your favorite books? Do you have a book that is your favorite of all time or an author that you've, like, read all of their books? Tell me about what you love.

I have so, so many. And I read the way that I write across all the genres. So I bounce from different stories. Different stories. So I can start with the romance and go to a horror and then a thriller and then a mystery and historical. I'm sort of all over the map, and I probably have far too many favorites to bore you with. But what I would love to do is use this time to maybe recommend some other books for people who enjoyed Finley who might be interested in reading something along a similar vein. Someone in the comments earlier mentioned the mostly true story of Tanner and Louise. I'm gonna jump on that and say this is one of my very favorite reads of the last year. Like, if you loved Finley and Vero's partnership, that women supporting women, you know, women, you know, doing what needs doing. This is a fantastic. It's so full of heart. I just absolutely loved it. That's by Colleen Oakley. Also, if you're looking for women seeking justice, you know that same kind of thing. Loved Johanna Porter is Not Sorry by Sarah Reid. This one, it's not going to be quite as light and rompy as a Finley Donovan book, but it has that same spirit of women reclaiming their sense of self and I loved that and then one other and I don't have a physical copy because I have the ebook for this. But one of my very, very favorite mysteries, if you're into really fun mysteries with similar light hearted spirit, is by Jesse Sutanto and it's Vera Wong's unsolicited advice for murderers. And it is phenomenal. It is so much fun and this one's gonna have more of a Finley feel it. It's light, it's funny, irreverent at times, but there's so much heart in these characters. And I just fell so deeply in love with Vera Wang as a sleuth, an amateur sleuth and she's like the grandma we all want. And so I just. Those would be three books if you loved Finley and you're looking for other reads that might be good leapfrog reads. Those would be three I would recommend.

I love it. Thank you so much. Thank you for coming on and we just hope all the best for you and for Finley and all the things you guys have ahead and I, we just can't wait for, for more from you to come. So thank you so much for just coming and talking with us tonight. I really appreciate it.

Thank you everybody. It was wonderful being here.

Have a great night.

Thanks. Bye. Bye.

Well guys, I hope that you enjoyed this book. Finley Donovan is killing it as much as I did and that you enjoyed the conversation with author El Cosmano. And hey, if you want to join us live for our book clubs, all you have to do is join the book club, which is super easy. Go to hollyfurtick.com give us your email address and we won't spam you. We will only let you, you know what we're reading and when we're meeting so that you can read the book with us and join us for the discussion. If you enjoyed this video and you want another one like it, another interview with a similar book, check out my next video which is going to be Confessions of the Shopaholic, the Christmas book. It's by Sophie Kinsella and if you love Finley, you're gonna love Becky. It's gonna be amazing. So check that out and sign up for the Holly Furtick Book Club and If you like this video, make sure you like subscribe, share it with a friend who's also read the book and we will see you back here next time for book club.