As regular readers of this blog already know, our beloved Chick Kathleen Valenti has flown the coop to wing her way off and engage in other fabulous adventures–though she promises to come back and visit! As a result, we find ourselves in need of a replacement. Not surprisingly, our thoughts turned to Marla Cooper, one of the founding members of Chicks on the Case. But before you hire anyone (okay, so there’s no money involved, but it is a highly important position!), you need to do a job interview, right?
Marla has graciously allowed us to share that interview with you today:
Q: Have you ever blogged before?
A: First of all, let me say thank you for considering me for this exciting position. As noted above, I was a founding member of Chicks on the Case and blogged with them — you? Us? Anyway, I was a Chick from 2015 to 2020! Readers who have been around since the beginning may remember that time I bought a skeleton or that time I wanted to buy a haunted mansion.
Q: Tell me the first time you ever heard about Chicks on the Case.
A: In March of 2015, I was at Left Coast Crime in Portland and I had just met my online mystery writer pal Lisa Q. Mathews in person for the first time. She said, “Do you want to start a blog with me? I already have a name for it.” She had already hand-picked Ellen and Kellye, who I hadn’t met yet, to be blog mates. I said, “What’s the name going to be?” and she said, “Chicks on the Case,” and I said, “Sold!”
Q: In how many states have you met up with fellow Chicks?
A: Individually, I’ve hung out with Lisa in New Hampshire, Ellen in Louisiana, Cynthia in Colorado, Chick Emerita Kellye in New York, and Leslie in both Hawaii and Texas! And I’ve had quality Chick time at mystery conferences in Oregon, Maryland, Hawaii, California and Nevada. In fact, one of my favorite memories is practicing ukulele in Leslie’s backyard in Hilo, Hawaii, for our duet at a reader event at Left Coast Crime Honolulu. That’s ten states and counting!
Q: Have you ever designed a logo for a blog before?
I’m so glad you asked. I’m the proud creator of Eggatha Chickstie, our Chicks on the Case logo. I had already been thinking Eggatha for a name, but then we had a naming contest and Teresa Danner Kander not only mind-melded and came up with Eggatha on her own, but also added Chickstie, which, I mean, of course. (Thank you for this softball question that gave me a chance to brag.)
Q: Have you ever owned actual chickens?
A: I did! One night I heard some weird bird noises outside and after a while I decided to investigate. The CDS (cat distribution system) must have been glitching that night because instead of the kitten I always hope will show up, it was three juvenile chickens. They were SO MUCH FUN! They would literally run out to greet us when we pulled into the drive. Ultimately, we couldn’t keep them safe without keeping them in a pen, so we found a home for them in the country. (That’s not a euphemism — we really did!)
Q: What’s your favorite chicken—wait, I mean beef!—dish?
I love an occasional burger… and never underestimate the bounty of eggs a good Leghorn hen can offer!
Q: Can you sing the Chicks theme song?
Wait, we have a theme song?! Okay, I have some catching up to do.*
Q: Who’s your favorite Chick?
A: The one currently reading this blog post, of course!
Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the position left vacant when our beloved Kathy Valenti flew the coop. If you were to select me, I could start right away. And if not, oh man that would be awkward!
Readers: Do you have any interview questions for Marla?
* Note that the Chicks theme song is “Eggatha Chickstie,” sung to the tune of “Eleanor Rigby,” by the Beatles. Marla gets one point off for this, but I’m guessing that won’t be enough to knock her out of the running.
Welcome back Marla!
Thanks, Dru! Good to be back! 🙂
Marla!!! I’m the Chick not quite on the case, or on the ball. I thought you were scheduled for tomorrow! So, glad you are back in the coop. Not that you ever stopped being a Chick, or ever could! You interviewed me when the Chicks invited me into the coop— so I’m eternally grateful to you! And some of your family were kind enough to turn up in person for one of my book signings near St. Louis!!
Hestia here.
Marla? The Marla? If the chicks don’t hire you, I will boycott! I love you Marla!
the question I have for Marla is this.
if you were to continue your destination wedding series, what would be your next spot? Might I suggest European and sexy language? Paris perhaps?
and part 2. Would you ever consider putting a themed mystery anthology together written by the chicks? I keep trying, but they ain’t taking me seriously. 😂 I’ve got lots of theme ideas running through my head. I really need to write them down!
I’m gonna meet you one of these days. When I get published, it will be a requirement!
Hestia! Hello, dear friend! Thank you for the question. I have a rough outline and a few chapters for a Kelsey book set in Hawaii… but my secret dream is to do a book set in Ireland. Now I just need to get invited to a wedding in Ireland! If you know anyone who needs a wedding date, I’m game!
Part 2: YES! Why haven’t we done that yet?! Let’s talk!
Maybe this will be the year we finally meet in person. Are you going to Left Coast Crime?
girl, it depends on work. I will start looking into it right now, and see if I can deal!
Welcome back, Marla!
The Chicks logo is amazing, Marla! Brava!
Thank you, J.C.! I love Miss Eggatha … I’m thinking we need tee-shirts!
Thanks, Liz! And hiiiiiii! 🙂
Welcome back, Marla! I’m so happy to see you on The Chicks again!
Kim! Hello, and thanks so much!
Kudos, Marla, on coming back to the roost and the excellent logo.
Thanks, Grant! It’s good to be back!
Hurrah, Marla! I think you’re hired! 🙂 Excited to hear about and cheer on your next writing goals!
Thanks, Jennifer! Looking forward to hijinks and shenanigans.
For sure!
I think we should definitely hire her. I mean, weren’t we trying to get a Chicks band together?
Marla, I have always LOVED that logo! So glad you’re back in the coop with us!
Thanks, Becky! I’m all in for the Chicks band! I can play the ukulele and I own a tambourine. I don’t know how to do more than bang it against my thigh, but I’m pretty sure that’s all there is to it?
Er, was that part of the Chicks requirements? Maybe I can play the shaker?
Jen, I’ll lend you one of my tap shoes and we can wow them as a duet.
That’s absolutely all there is to it, Marla! And I “tap dance,” which means I’m also likely to bang against your thigh.
I call triangle! You know, like Tracy on the Partridge Family.
So happy to have you back, Marla! I love Hestia’s questions for you. Mine is more basic. What are you working on these days?
To keep the Chick metaphor going, I am sitting on a bunch of eggs right now, and a couple of beaks are poking through. None are up and clucking around yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing what hatches!
Happy New Year to all the chicks and other fans of this great blog!
Looking forward to another year with you and to reading more from Marla!
Thanks, Marjorie! Happy New Year to you too!
It does sound like she has eggselent credentials for the position. But I’m just now sure if she’s the right fit. 😉
Seriously, glad you are back in the coop, Marla!
Bah-dah, bum! (That’s the sound of a snare drum.)
Mark!! Good to see you! It’s been a minute. Thanks for saying hi and bonus points for “eggselent.” 🙂
Good point, Mark. Chick culture can be tough. We have (ahem) serious rules. Marla, did you say that you ate EGGS? That could be a problem. (ha)
Definite points for “eggselent!”
Gold star for Mark!
Love that photo of you with the chicken, Marla! And yes, I’m thinking you may very well have passed the audition…. xoxo
WHEW! Thanks for welcoming me back to the coop — looking forward to what the new year has to offer!
Marla, Of course you had my vote at “First of all…”! We are so thrilled to have you officially back in the coop. In our beady Chick eyes, you were never actually “away”–we’re like the Hotel California of blogs (did you hear that, Kathy? heh heh). Here’s my question: Do you actually know the words to either Eleanor Rigby or Eggatha Chickstie? If so, please slip me a note with the lyrics on the Chicks one, because I just sing, “Eggatha Christie, Eggatha Christie, da-da-da-DA-da-da-dah…
Here are the lyrics:
Ahhh, think of all of those red herrings.
Ahhh, think of all of those red herrings.
Eggatha Chickstie,
Pecks at the draft of a novel that’s due in a week,
Tries not to freak.
Ponders her premise,
Wondering how she can fix all the holes in the plot.
What a tight spot.
All of those red herrings,
So many pesky clues.
All of those red herrings,
Which suspect should she choose?
Ohhhh….thank you, Leslie! I’ll write these words on my forewing in ball point pen.
Leslie!!! Did we already have those lyrics or did you just make them up???
I think we need to sing this at our LCC Author-Reader Connection!
I penned them shortly after Eggatha got her name, and they were in a Chicks post from around then (which is where I dredged them up, just now.)
And yes, we should indeed sing them in Denver!!
You gotta record this, Leslie!
Yay! Thanks for the warm Chick welcome! It’s a little startling how many years slipped by, but it’s so nice to be back in the feathery fold!
Would you ever think of writing a series set in Key West so that you could include the free-range chickens they have there? Welcome back. I love this post. Thank you all for including me and writing it.
Would I?!? I LOVE Key West! I actually covered it as a travel writer in one of my parallel career paths and spent about three weeks there researching it. Maybe Robert the Doll could be a groomsman! (Hee hee!) Okay, I’m putting that one in the file! Thanks for saying hi!
You know, you could also write about those chickens on Kauaʻi!
If you wrote about Robert the Doll, it would not be a cozy but a scary book .
We have been going to the Keys since 1981, but from 2003 to 2017, we went every year and stayed in Marathon. It started out as two weeks stay, but quickly escalated to 2 months stay. We rented the same house on the ocean, took our boat and did it all. Our pup got her butt kicked by a free-range chicken and a feral cat at two different places in the same day in Key West. Poor thing. She survived. Our best friends (one from HS and his 2nd wife) spent a week or two with us each year. Lots of friends made, great food eaten, fishing like crazy, and all of the sights. We drove across the 7 mile bridge every day of every stay. I think we figured out that we spent a year crossing that bridge during those years. That is cool that you know the place. I t would be an interesting premise to do something with those chickens. But Robert the Doll would make it scary.
Ha Ha hi from Denver Colorado
Hello, Denver! You’re perfectly situated for this year’s Left Coast Crime conference! xoxo
Welcome back, Marla!
I fondly remember that musical duet you did with Leslie at Honolulu LCC. The Chicks on the Case author-reader connections have been so much fun.
Are you going to Denver LCC?
Hi, Grace! That was so much fun! Somewhere I have a picture of all of us on the beach. I am leaning towards going to Denver but haven’t 100% committed… hope to see you there! xoxo
This is a wonderful job interview! Hi Marla, nice to “meet” you here! Love the logo! Would love to hear/read more about you!
Hi and thanks! Nice to meet you too! Thanks for saying hi. 🙂
YAAAAAY!!! Dear Marla, incredibly happy that you’re back! And what a terrific post…very fun to re-live the memories and see some new pics too (love the flower in Hawaii one so much).
Welcome home…to the home that YOU built with the other founders! Hope you are enjoying your homecoming party. 🩷
Thanks, Cynthia! That first photo of me and Lisa was from where it all began, at LCC in Portland — almost ten years ago! Here’s to many fun memories ahead!
With the cat show downstairs!
ps: You’re definitely hired. You had us at hello!
WHEW!!! Love you!
Love you too! 💕
I don’t get a vote, but this member appears well qualified. The logo alone should give her plenty of Brownie points. And I think a video is in order of all the chicks singing Eggatha Chickstie 🙂
Welcome back Marla! I think you had left before I started reading the blog. I think the chicks need to sell t-shirts with Eggatha Chickstie on the front and the lyrics of the song on the back. I think the Rock Bottom Remainders will be beyond jealous.
I’m very late to this welcome back party, Marla, but so SO happy you’re back in the feathery fold. I adore you. <3 And I just realized that I think we were at the same LCC in PDX, which was my first mystery con!