Say You'll Remember Me with Abby Jimenez

Summary

Barely Famous Podcast: "Say You'll Remember Me with Abby Jimenez" Summary

Release Date: April 18, 2025

In this compelling episode of Barely Famous, host Kale Lowry engages in an insightful and heartfelt conversation with Abby Jimenez, a renowned author and Cupcake Wars winner. The discussion spans Abby's journey from a struggling mother running a home-based cake business to a bestselling author, delving into her entrepreneurial spirit, creative process, and personal anecdotes that have shaped her literary success.

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1. Introduction and Background

Kale Lowry opens the episode by congratulating Abby on her new book, Say You'll Remember Me. He shares his excitement about reading it quickly and discusses Abby’s diverse background.

Abby Jimenez introduces her humble beginnings, starting a small cake business in 2007 out of her home in Palmdale, California. Initially a means to support her family after losing her job while pregnant, Abby's venture into cake decorating classes at Michaels sparked her entrepreneurial journey.

[02:04] Abby Jimenez: "I started really humble beginnings out of my house in 2007. I was pregnant with my third baby in three years and I lost my job six months pregnant."

2. Building Nadia Cakes Amidst Adversity

Abby recounts the challenges of juggling motherhood and running a burgeoning cake business. Her resilience is highlighted as she navigated severe carpal tunnel from extensive cake decorating, leading to surgery and financial strain. This period of hardship became a turning point, inspiring her to expand her business despite the odds.

[03:42] Abby Jimenez: "I just tend to bounce back, you know, really quickly from things like that."

Kale connects her adversity to the grit required for writing, emphasizing how overcoming challenges provides unique perspectives.

3. Transition from Bakery to Authorship

Abby's success with Nadia Cakes caught the attention of television producers, leading to her feature on TLC’s Fabulous Cakes followed by her participation in Cupcake Wars. Winning Cupcake Wars provided substantial credibility, reinforcing her brand and opening doors in the literary world.

[10:58] Abby Jimenez: "I would never recommend going on a competition show. The stakes are very high. It was exhausting. I did end up winning, so..."

Kale observes how Abby integrates her baking background into her books, creating a unique crossover appeal that resonates with her audience.

4. Expanding Nadia Cakes Across the Country

Abby shares her strategic decision to relocate to Minnesota after a cross-country trip, seeking seasons and a more favorable living environment for her family. Establishing multiple Nadia Cakes locations required significant effort, including securing loans and managing credit card debt. Her husband's support was pivotal, transitioning from a full-time job to serving as CFO of the company.

[06:33] Abby Jimenez: "We opened our first bakery... Immediate success. People lined up around the building..."

Abby emphasizes the importance of empowering her staff, leading to high retention rates and allowing her to manage multiple locations effectively.

[19:46] Abby Jimenez: "If you empower people to do their job and support them... they're going to get more out of people and they're going to be happier working for you."

5. Journey to Becoming a Published Author

In 2017, Abby began writing as a hobby, initially producing a dystopian YA romance that she later abandoned. Through Critique Circle, she honed her craft, shifting to contemporary romance with strong dialogue and dual POVs. This pivot led to her first successful manuscript, Happy Ever After Playlist, which garnered positive feedback and secured her literary agent swiftly.

[24:21] Abby Jimenez: "I was just doing it for fun. Never in my wildest dreams, pun intended, for the new book, did I ever imagine that I would be a published author ever."

Despite initial rejections and pressure to conform to bakery-themed romances, Abby remained steadfast in her creative vision, ultimately signing with Forever Romance after her books were put up for auction.

6. Writing Process and Creative Philosophy

Abby discusses her disciplined approach to writing, producing one book per year to avoid burnout. She maintains a running Google Doc for ideas and juggles multiple projects simultaneously to ensure continuous creativity without overwhelming herself.

[37:23] Kale Lowry: "I love that process."

[37:27] Abby Jimenez: "I have a Google Doc, like a running Google Doc, like Book Ideas."

Her emphasis on authentic storytelling and strong female friendships enriches her narratives, making her books relatable and emotionally resonant.

[61:47] Abby Jimenez: "I really love a good friendship in the book because the friend can deliver things that the reader is thinking."

7. Impactful Personal Stories and Community Engagement

A standout moment in the episode is Abby's emotional reunion with her former teacher, Mr. House, whose mentorship profoundly influenced her writing career. This encounter, which went viral, underscores the lasting impact educators can have on their students.

[47:18] Abby Jimenez: "We gave him the full VIP experience... It was like, instantly I was like 16 again."

Abby stresses the importance of supportive communities, both among readers and fellow authors, advocating for uplifting emerging writers based on her own experiences.

8. Addressing Real-Life Issues in Her Books

Abby incorporates personal experiences and important topics such as kidney donation, anxiety disorders, and caregiving into her novels. Her commitment to authenticity is evident through her use of sensitivity readers and advisors to ensure accurate and respectful representation.

[54:00] Abby Jimenez: "I deeply believe in it... people are going to get them mixed up."

Her books not only entertain but also provide solace and recognition for readers facing similar challenges, fostering a deeper connection with her audience.

9. Future Endeavors and Legacy

Abby reveals plans for future books and the interconnected universe of her novels, highlighting her dedication to rich character development and expanding storylines. She also shares her excitement about nurturing her children's interests, ensuring they have opportunities she once lacked.

[71:10] Abby Jimenez: "Nadia Cakes, Maple Grove, Minnesota. Nadia Cakes, Woodbury, Minnesota. And we ship nationwide into Canada."

Her ongoing commitment to balancing her professional and personal life serves as an inspiration to listeners navigating their own paths.

10. Closing Thoughts and Advice

In her final remarks, Abby offers profound advice to women starting over in life: "Do what you love and then figure out a way to monetize it." She emphasizes resilience, passion, and the importance of maintaining joy in one’s pursuits without succumbing to burnout.

[70:23] Abby Jimenez: "I think you should do what you love and then figure out a way to monetize it."

Kale concludes the episode by highlighting Abby's multifaceted life and achievements, appreciating her candidness and the depth of her storytelling.

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Notable Quotes:

• Abby Jimenez [03:42]: "I just tend to bounce back, you know, really quickly from things like that."

• Abby Jimenez [19:46]: "If you empower people to do their job and support them... they're going to get more out of people and they're going to be happier working for you."

• Abby Jimenez [54:09]: "I deeply believe in [organ donation]. And I thought, you know what would make this hero even sexier than he already is? If he donates a kidney to the heroine's brother."

• Abby Jimenez [61:44]: "I really love a good friendship in the book because the friend can deliver things that the reader is thinking."

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Conclusion

Abby Jimenez's story is one of resilience, creativity, and unwavering passion. From baking the perfect cupcake to crafting compelling narratives that resonate with millions, her journey exemplifies the power of following one's passion and overcoming obstacles. This episode of Barely Famous offers listeners an inspiring glimpse into Abby's multifaceted life, her dedication to her craft, and the meaningful connections she fosters within her community.

Transcript

[Abby Jimenez]

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[Kale Lowry]

We see you getting after your fitness goals, but what about those money goals? You can count on Credit Karma for a clear view of your finances and your progress, helping you see results so you can keep checking off those financial personal bests and find your way to money. Progress never felt so good. Download the Intuit Credit Karma app and start achieving your money goals today. Intuit Credit Karma Karma you can count on. Welcome to the Shit show. Things are going to get weird. It's your fave villain, Kale Lowry, and you're listening to Barely Fam. Happy Friday, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Barely Famous Podcast. Today I'm sitting with Abby Jimenez. Welcome to Barely Famous.

[Abby Jimenez]

Thank you.

[Kale Lowry]

Congratulations on your new book, say you'll remember me.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes.

[Kale Lowry]

I'm so excited. I read this back in November on my way to Spain and finished it in literally 24 hours. So. And I think everyone in this room has already read it.

[Abby Jimenez]

Oh my gosh.

[Kale Lowry]

Thank you. I'm so excited for you. But before we talk about say I'll remember me, can we start from the beginning and how you sort of entered into becoming an author and in the book world?

[Abby Jimenez]

Okay, I guess. How far back do you want me to go? Because. Because I've got a long history of many different endeavors. I'm a Cupcake wars winner.

[Kale Lowry]

Yes, that's what I wanted to talk about. Exactly that. So you, you were. You had a bake, you have a bakery in Palmdale, California?

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes, that was my first location.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay. And your second location is in Minneapolis.

[Abby Jimenez]

Suburbs of Minneapolis and then I have one in the suburbs of St. Paul. But I started really Humble Beginnings out of my house in 2007. So I was pregnant with my third baby in three years and I lost my job six months pregnant and took some cake decorating classes at the local Michaels and ended up deciding to start a small Cake business out of the house just to like buy groceries until I figured out what I was gonna do because we couldn't afford for me to not work.

[Kale Lowry]

Right.

[Abby Jimenez]

And that's turned into two years of me running a cake business out of my house with a newborn one year old and a two year old all in diapers. It was a nightmare. It sounds like it was a nightmare. There was for many, many years after. When I finally opened an inline store, I couldn't even have the kids come to the bakery because I would have like a PTSD response. I'd be like, I can't have them here because it was so hard. It was just so stressful.

[Kale Lowry]

But I would imagine that that sort of like when you're facing adversities and just challenges in life, that probably gives you a little bit of grit to go off of when you start to write books. Right. Because you, you have different perspectives and, you know, through different phases of your life.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah, I definitely learned, I don't want to say I learned resiliency more that I learned. I am resilient.

[Kale Lowry]

Yes.

[Abby Jimenez]

You know, just I had a lot of setbacks in my life and, you know, losing my job unexpectedly, you know, while pregnant was definitely one of them. And I just tend to bounce back, you know, really quickly from things like that. And I think that was the first time I really saw that in myself.

[Kale Lowry]

Right.

[Abby Jimenez]

And that's been true sort of for everything that I've done ever, you know.

[Kale Lowry]

And when you started this cake business or this baking business from your house, how did you sort of launch that into. Because that was before social media really hit its peak. Right?

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah. So what I did was I sat down and I googled cakes, Palmdale. And then every listing that came up, usually those websites have a free listing that you can put your business on. So for a whole day I just sat down and googled cakes. Palmdale birthday cakes, Palmdale cupcakes, Palmdale fondant cakes. And I added my business to every single free listing that I could add it to. So I maximized, like when you would google those things in the weeks following, I'd be the first result. So I had people start calling me, did it, you know, everything by myself. I did all the deliveries, all the consultations, all the decorating, all of the baking. I did what now takes four full time people in one of my bakeries to do. I did all that by myself while I had three kids that I was also taking care of at the same time. It was very exhausting. I'm sure it was I developed severe carpal tunnel while I was doing the cakes. So I had 40% nerve damage in my right hand, moderate to severe carpal tunnel on my left. And I ended up going to the doctor after a year and a half of this, just my hands hurting and waking me up in the middle of the night. And, you know, had had it looked at, and I thought he was going to give me, like, the shots or give me a hand brace. And he was like, no, you need surgery. Like, I went in on a Monday, and I was in surgery on Friday. And when I was recovering from the surgery, I was getting unemployment. I remember if I would have waited two more weeks to go and have this consultation with this doctor, I would have fallen outside of previous employment window to actually qualify for unemployment. Or, I'm sorry, not unemployment, a disability.

[Kale Lowry]

Right.

[Abby Jimenez]

So I was getting a disability check during this time. It was the first time in a year and a half that I was actually able to breathe. And I had a check coming in, and I didn't have to worry about money. And I told my husband, like, what are we doing? People that do what I'm doing have a bakery or they have a daycare. And my husband was like, why don't we open a bakery? And I just thought that was the most banana pants idea ever, because what do we know? I mean, I didn't even go to college. I didn't go to culinary school, neither did my husband. You know, we had no street creds other than we were just managers who are retail managers. And he convinced me, you know, that we could do it. So we went to the bank and tried to get money, but it was 2009, and nobody was loaning any money. So we got a small business loan for $5,000 from the SBA and ended up charging the rest of the entire opening, $125,000 on our credit cards.

[Kale Lowry]

To open the bakery.

[Abby Jimenez]

To open the bakery. Yeah.

[Kale Lowry]

So that is literally how you went from running a bakery, being a mom, doing all of it in one house, to opening your first location.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes. I wrote out, you know, those advance checks that you get, like the ones with 0% interest for 12 months. Well, we had very, very good credit. We. We weren't making a ton of money, actually. We were descending into debt the entire time I was working out of my house. I think we had almost $20,000 in credit card debt just from living, like, fixing the car and, you know, buying groceries and paying medical bills. So we were not doing well financially, but we had really good credit. We Always paid our bills. So we had a really big line of credit to tap from over several different cards. So we sat down and we wrote all the advance checks out, $125,000. And we did it all at once because we knew as soon as we start doing it that the banks would start to lower our credit limits. We knew we had to do it at once. And we spent five months opening up Nadia cakes in construction. And during those five months, we paid the minimums on the $20,000 worth of credit card debt we already had. And then the 125,000 that we had written out. And the day we opened our bakery, we were so broke we didn't even have to put money in the register to make change for customers. That's how broke we were. And we opened Immediate success. People lined up around the building. All the people that came and sat in my living room and held my baby while I filled out their order form. And you know, the people that came and got their wedding cake and then a year later were getting their baby shower cake, they all came to support. So three months after that, or, I'm sorry, three weeks after that, my husband quit his full time job.

[Kale Lowry]

Shut up. Yes.

[Abby Jimenez]

I was like, you have to quit because I can't. I. If I don't get help, it's going to fail. I can't get to anything. I couldn't get to invoicing. I couldn't get to, you know, working with the city to get a sign put on the back of the building. I couldn't do anything other than just bake the cupcakes and put them in the pastry case because we were so busy. So my husband, who had our only 401k, the only, he had our health insurance, the only reliable paycheck, quit his job after three weeks and became the CFO of the company.

[Kale Lowry]

How was that in terms? And obviously you don't have to get too personal, but I have a very similar situation to that where you are able to not retire your partner, but basically move the pivot them. And I get a lot of hate for it. They're like, but he should go do, he should go do something else. Like, was that ever, like, was there ever like an ego thing or, you know, like a struggle there with, you know, because I feel like there is like, how do I say it? And you don't have to get into too many things, but like, did people ever look at you crazy, like, okay, you're doing this, so now you're opening, you know, you're opening A shop. And now what does he do? Or did they immediately they were like, okay, this is their business together more.

[Abby Jimenez]

You know, I have to say, the thing that I think about when I think about that situation is if my husband had been like a victim of the patriarchy, you know what I mean? If he had been intimidated by my success, if he had been and he's not, my husband looks at it like, if my wife is successful, our family is successful 100%. And he jokes sometimes because we have three daughters, that his entire job in life is to raise up the women in his life. And he does that. And because of that, we have a very nice life. You know what I mean? And. And he is a very, very smart man and has different skill sets than I have. He's got a very analytical brain. He's, you know, obviously he's the cfo. He's really good with the financials and, and seeing, like, broader picture. And I just want to be the creative. That's the thing with me is I'm just, I'm the creative in all things. So, no, I'm really glad that my husband, you know, didn't succumb to, I guess, what are sometimes cultural norms, you know, that he's got to go out and he's got to do his own thing. He was more than happy to, you know, say, hey, she's got the good idea. Let's do that.

[Kale Lowry]

I love that. And so when you were in there full time, your husband is helping you, then, then what's next? Did you go on Cupcake wars after that or before you got into the first bakery?

[Abby Jimenez]

No. So we opened our first bakery and it is in LA county, so it's 60 miles north of Los Angeles. And a lot of those Food Network shows actually film in la. They film in the Hollywood studio, you know, sets. Right. So I started to get calls for shows and I got a call first from TLC for Fabulous Cakes. It's just you documentary style show of us making a really fantastic cake. So we did that first and then they ended up using us for another season. So we did two seasons of Fabulous Cakes and then the producer from that show ended up going to Cupcake wars and he called me and was like, your cupcakes were the best that I've ever tasted. You totally have to audition for the show. So we did and we ended up getting casted. I was on season four. That was so stressful.

[Kale Lowry]

I can imagine.

[Abby Jimenez]

I would never recommend going on a competition show. The stakes are very high. It was exhausting. I would probably. People ask me all the time, like, would you ever do one again? I would not do one again. I would judge one.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah. Oh, that would be fun. Yeah, that would be cool.

[Abby Jimenez]

I'll go and I'll be the nice one. Like, I'll say all the nice things, like. Yeah. But it was very stressful, very exhausting. I did end up winning, so. Won $10,000. Got to slap Cupcake War's winner and everything. And to this day, I mean, gosh, that was like, 13 years ago or something.

[Kale Lowry]

2000 2013.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes. It was so long ago. And to this day, it still gives you the creds. Like, people. People hear that and they're like, oh, it's good cupcakes.

[Kale Lowry]

I think people that I've seen online, obviously, I, you know, I know you as an author, but we'll say, like, author and Cupcake wars winner, you know, author and, you know, from Food Network, which I think is so funny. Like, they really hold on to that.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah, they do.

[Kale Lowry]

But it's also. You also put it in your books.

[Abby Jimenez]

I do, and I love.

[Kale Lowry]

I think that's so cool.

[Abby Jimenez]

You know, I think people either love that or they hate it. But I will say I did not become successful by having bad ideas. And also, people really like the. The tie in. Like, they like to do the Abi Jimenez Nadia Cakes pilgrimage. They'll come down and they'll go to the shop, and I sell signed copies in all of my shops, and we make a cupcake for each book every year.

[Kale Lowry]

I love that.

[Abby Jimenez]

So, like, right now, there's a say you'll remember me Cupcakes. So people like to go and have the full experience. And I write other small businesses into my books because I like to support small business.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah.

[Abby Jimenez]

You know, so why wouldn't I write my own in there?

[Kale Lowry]

No, absolutely. I think it fits right in. I love a good crossover, so I think it's great.

[Abby Jimenez]

It's like a little Easter egg. If you. If you know me, then, you know, you kind of get a giggle when you see it. And if you don't know my background, then it just fades into the background and you don't, you know, you don't get the reference right.

[Kale Lowry]

I love it. I think it's so cute. You went from the first location to the second location. When did you open the one in Minneapolis?

[Abby Jimenez]

So we were open for two years in Palmdale and then decided we wanted to open up another location. But at the time, cupcake shops were everywhere in California. I mean, you could throw stone and Hit a cupcake shop. And it was really expensive to live there. We didn't really love where we were living. Like high desert is, it's hot, you know, it's, it's like 110 in the summer. And then you don't get the seasons, you don't get snow in the winter. It's just like bitterly cold, but there's never any snow. And we really wanted to live somewhere where there were seasons. And we decided we were going to take a cross country trip to decide if there was another state that we wanted to live in. So we took a five week, 23 state cross country trip.

[Kale Lowry]

That's so fun.

[Abby Jimenez]

My kids all get car sick. So we like puked across the US and then ended up in Minnesota and really loved it. My husband had worked for room and board prior to us, you know, starting Nadia Cakes. And they would always talk about how great Minnesota is, how much they love the culture. And they were always so nice. Like the room and board people were so nice. And you know, we're like, okay, when we get to Minnesota, we'll look really seriously at Minnesota. And I remember when we got there, we got. It was August. And I remember driving over the state line and pulling up to like a fast food place and getting out of the car and just being hit by the most stifling heat. We were there during Minnesota in Minnesota. And now that I've lived there, you know, for 13 years, I know how uncommon that is. Like, maybe you'll get four or five really muggy days, but for the most part, our summers are really pleasant. And I just remember it was so hot. And I was like, I thought this place was cold. And we stayed for three days, fell in love with the Maple Grove area, which is a suburb of Minneapolis.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

And then three months later, packed up our house that we had lived in in eight years, lived in for eight years, and moved to Minnesota in the winter. And nobody, we didn't know anybody there. We had no friends, no family. Just on a whim, we're like, we're doing it. Yep. Just packed up the house and just left. And it was the hottest winter that they'd had in like a hundred years or something. It was the winter where it, it barely snowed. It was like 80 degrees in March, which is unheard of. And I was like, it's not that bad here, people. I thought it was cold.

[Kale Lowry]

You were in for a ride of your lifetime.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes.

[Kale Lowry]

I've heard about the winters in Minnesota, so I could imagine that when the next winter rolled around you were probably like, this is a little bit different.

[Abby Jimenez]

I feel like for the first five or six years, every winter people will go, well, this isn't a normal winter. This isn't a normal winter. We had a polar vortex. Well, this isn't a normal winter, you know, or you get a winter that snows a ton. Oh, this isn't a normal winter. It's. They change every year, every single year.

[Kale Lowry]

I feel like that in Delaware too. It's a peninsula, so you never know what you're gonna get, you know what I mean? Let's talk about health and children's vitamins right now. Because typical children's vitamins are basically candy in disguise and I hate that they're filled with two teaspoons of sugar and unhealthy chemicals and other gummy junk that kids should not eat. I have some really picky children. That's why Haya was created. The pediatrician approved superpowered chewable vitamin. The most children's vitamins are filled with 5 grams of sugar and can contribute to a variety of health. But Haya is made with zero sugar and zero gummy junk and it tastes good. The kids love it. Even picky eaters like it. Haya fills the most common gaps in modern children's diets. To provide the full body nourishment, our kids need to grow with the taste they love. These are formulated with the help of nutritional experts. Haya is pressed with a blend of 12 organic fruits and veggies, then supercharged with 15 essential vitamins and minerals. And this includes vitamin D, B, 12C, zinc, folate and many others to help support immunity, energy, brain function, mood, concentration, teeth, bones and more. I love that these are non gmo, vegan, dairy free, allergy free, gelatin free, nut free and everything else that you can imagine. And Haya is designed for kids two and up and sent straight to your door. So we have one less thing to worry about at the grocery store. We don't have to worry about doing an extra stop or a run to the grocery store to grab vitamins. They all come to your door. I love them. My kids have absolutely loved decorating their little yellow bottles that come in when they for when we first signed up for Haya, I've actually worked out a special deal with them for their best selling children's vitamin. You guys can get off your first order to claim this you have to go to hiahealth.com famous this deal is not available on their regular website. Go to h I y-a H-E-A-L-T-Com famous and get your kids the full body nourishment they need to grow into healthy adults.

[Abby Jimenez]

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[Kale Lowry]

I'm comfy.

[Abby Jimenez]

I'm cozy.

[Kale Lowry]

Cozy.

[Abby Jimenez]

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[Kale Lowry]

The second location there, but how do you manage a bakery on the other side of the country?

[Abby Jimenez]

We have really good people. Yeah, we pay them very well and we treat them very well. And we, all of our store managers have been with us. Actually we, we had our very first employee ever from the Palmdale store. She was with us for 15 years and she just left to go work for Disneyland, which was her dream. So. But left, you know, after 15 years with us. So we have a really high retention. People stay with us. You know, our store managers have all been with us over 10 years each.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah.

[Abby Jimenez]

So that enables me to you know, be more administrative and not have to be physically in the bakery. But I always say that if you empower people to do their job and support them in doing their job and allow them to be creative in the job, you're going to get more out of people and they're going to be happier working for you.

[Kale Lowry]

100%.

[Abby Jimenez]

You know, more than half of the recipes are no longer my own. These are things that the staff has created. You know, they get a fun idea and they make it, and I think that's what keeps naughty cakes exciting and keep their job exciting for them.

[Kale Lowry]

I love that, though, because I think a lot of times we find owners that don't want to really share in the creativity they want. It's their way and they don't allow sort of the. The cre. The creativity to flow. But I love that. So you open the second location in Minnesota and then. And then now you have two. You have three locations.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes. So then two years after we open Maple Grove, we opened Woodbury. And every time I open a bakery, I have to be physically in the kitchen running that store for one to two years to get it up and off the ground. So it's very time consuming. It's very exhausting. You know, you have to fully train that. It was a little bit easier when we opened Woodbury because we already had Maple Grove 45 minutes away, so we were able to share staff, and it wasn't like I had to train a team from the ground up on how to do, you know, the recipes and how to bake and how to run the store. So after I got Woodbury up and running, I was like, you know, I think I'm done. Like, I don't want to open any more locations. I'm really happy with the three that we have. I really wanted to just step back and enjoy my kids and get back to things that were my hobbies. You know, I've been so busy for so many years, and I got back into reading. That's what I got back into. So, like, when people tell me your books got me out of my reading slump, or your books introduced me to reading, that is the greatest compliment that people can give me because I understand what that means. Like, that escapism, to be able to lose yourself in a good book is. It's priceless. And I lost that for a really long time because I was working so much.

[Kale Lowry]

Before he walked in, we were talking about, I don't go anywhere other than working and maybe an occasional trip. I'm a homebody. Right. And they were like, you, we got to take you to dinner. We got to do this. I said, there's nothing that I need to do that's not in a book. I can read about characters doing those things. I don't need to do any of that. Before we get into all of your books, can. Is there a secret to creating a cake or a cupcake that both looks very pretty and aesthetically pleasing and also tastes really good? Because I think a lot of times we see these, like, really cool, elaborate cakes, and then you cut into them and they're not that great.

[Abby Jimenez]

I think the thing for me, like, one of the secrets to my success, I guess you can say, is I don't really know the rules, so I just do what works. And it's the same thing with the cakes. Like, I think a lot of people have, you know, the mantra like, okay, you know, it has to be all from scratch or it has to be all organic. And that's not necessarily true. Like, maybe, you know, the recipe that's going to taste the best is one where you start from scratch, but then you dump some pudding mix into it. You know what I mean? And that's what's going to taste best. And I wasn't baking like somebody who went to culinary school. I was baking like somebody who just really likes cake and wanted to make a really good cake. And a lot of times, you know, those church cookbook recipes that are, you know, these amazing, incredible recipes are really things that have cool whip in them, you know, just that have, like, jello in them, you know? Yeah, they're poke cakes, you know, where you pour some condensed milk on top of it. Like, you know, those. Those are the recipes that I find myself gravitating to. So those are the recipes that I baked when I started Nadia cakes. And then as far as, like, making it look good, that's just practice.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

You just have to practice. You know, there's a lot of really easy cake decorating techniques that you can do that are pretty easy for beginners that make it look like you know what you're doing, you know, and there's so many videos out there that you can find for those. But I just say, like, use your own taste bud compass and bake and cook what you like.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah.

[Abby Jimenez]

You know, because if you like it, other people will probably like it.

[Kale Lowry]

What do they measure with your heart? Measure with your heart?

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah. It's kind of hard to measure with your heart for cakes because it is. Is very chemistry based.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

And if you measure wrong it will mess up your cake.

[Kale Lowry]

One time I tried to make brownies, and it. I put them in the oven for 45 minutes, and it still came out like pudding. I said, I'm definitely missing something here. So I'm def. I'm not a baker, but I. I love a good cake, that's for sure. So you transition from the three bakeries to 2019, you come out with your first book?

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes. So in 2017, I have been reading a ton, and I decided to start writing. I had always written in high school. I was creative writing for many years, but when I graduated, I couldn't afford to go to college. I had to go right into the workforce. I went into, you know, retail and food service. And, you know, I always thought, like, to be a writer, you had to have some sort of background. Like, you had to be a journalist or a blogger. You had to have a degree of some sort. You know, I didn't think you could just write a book and get, you know, really good at it and write a good book and get published. So I just started writing creatively. It was a really terrible dystopian YA romance that I was writing.

[Kale Lowry]

Why do you say it was terrible?

[Abby Jimenez]

Oh, because it was like. And I. And I'm telling you, like, I. It was so terrible. And sometimes people are like, no, we want it. I'm like, you don't want it?

[Kale Lowry]

You wouldn't even, like, maybe revise it and put it out there now?

[Abby Jimenez]

No, it was in third person, so it was written. I mean, the whole thing would have to be completely rewritten. And it was 300,000 words long. It was complete word vomit. It was terrible. Um, and I queried this to a literary agent who actually got back to me, and she was like, you need to get some critique partners. So I was like, okay. Um, so I went online and I searched and I found a site called Critiques or Circle. And this site, when people ask me, like, what is your number one advice for budding authors? It's Critique Circle. Because every resource that you can imagine is on that site. They have forums for everything. How to self publish, how to write, you know, quippy dialogue, where to put action beads, you know, how to build tension. Anything you can think of, they have forms for that. And it's a tit for tat community where you run your chapters through and people critique it and then you in turn critique their chapters. And in order to get the credits to submit your chapters every week, you have to, you know, do enough critiques to get the points to Submit your own. So it's a very active site. You have to be really involved, you know, helping other people with their stories in order to submit your stuff to get help. And I started submitting this terrible dystopian YA romance. And then, like, right away, people were like, wow, this is a terrible dystopian YA romance. And they were like, but your dialogue is really good. Okay. So I decided to trunk that book. And I was like, all right, I'm gonna le lean really heavily on what I know I do well is my dialogue. I'm going to write a contemporary romance. I'm going to switch to first person. I'm going to do dual POVs, because I really love dual POVs and romance. And I started writing the Happy Ever after playlist. And immediately it took off on that site. People were loving it. And I had people from other genres because there's all different cues, you know, like, there's like, the thriller, you know, group, there's the mystery group, there's the romance cues. I had people outside of my genre reading my book, which is a really good sign, means that it was, like, universally liked. So I got really encouraged at the reception was getting, and I decided to query that book to a literary agent and got an immediate reply. I was so excited. She loved it, asked me for the full manuscript, which was not done. I had five more chapters that were very roughly written but had not been edited. And I was like, can I have until tomorrow editing?

[Kale Lowry]

So you finished it until the, you finished it the next day.

[Abby Jimenez]

I stayed up all night and edited the final chapters as best I could and sent them to her. And, and by the next day, I ended up getting, I had an agent.

[Kale Lowry]

Do people know this about you?

[Abby Jimenez]

I don't know if they do.

[Kale Lowry]

Have you ever talked about this?

[Abby Jimenez]

Maybe, like a little bit, you know.

[Kale Lowry]

But I mean, fascinating to me.

[Abby Jimenez]

I'm very tenacious. And when I get into something, it becomes like my entire life. Like, I, I, I get very, very into my hobbies. And, and, and the thing that I always say is if you love something, it'll get easy to practice it, right? That's how you get really good at things, right? Is just by practicing it. So I just was literally on critique circle practicing my craft for a whole year.

[Kale Lowry]

And when you say hobbies, did you have, you had the goals to be a published author or you didn't?

[Abby Jimenez]

No.

[Kale Lowry]

You were doing this as a hobby?

[Abby Jimenez]

I was just doing it for fun. Never in my wildest dreams, pun intended, for the new book, did I ever imagine That I would be a published author ever.

[Kale Lowry]

So I never thought the next day after you submitted the final manuscript for the Happily Ever after playlist, you had an agent.

[Abby Jimenez]

I had an agent. And then that was the last time that it was easy for me for like a whole year.

[Kale Lowry]

Because then you published a book. I think almost every single year after that.

[Abby Jimenez]

Well, even just getting a book deal, it took almost a year for me to get a book deal. So I got an agent really quickly. But then the next nine months was nothing but rejections. I had queried six agents total. I got my first pick agent on the first try. But then the other five agents that I queried, I got rejections from all of them for the next month and a half. Then we were in submissions to publishers and I got nothing but rejections.

[Kale Lowry]

I wonder how they feel about that now.

[Abby Jimenez]

I think I can guess. But it was, it was. I, I don't think they knew what to do with my books because the thing is, is they are funny, they're.

[Kale Lowry]

Welcome and they're so realistic, which I am. Like I have not read another rom com that is so realistic with the banter, with the humor, with the, you know, anxiety, all the real life struggles put into a. I've never read a book like yours.

[Abby Jimenez]

Well, and they kept saying the rejections. Kind of the general consensus was we're looking for lighter fiction. Like I think they were looking for flu romances. And mine had some really serious topics in them, you know, and I don't know if maybe they didn't know where to put them. I did get a revise and resubmit from one top five publisher and when I turned it in, she ultimately declined. She didn't want that even after I revised it. And she did offer me a three book bakery romance series and I actually turned that down because I didn't want to be pigeonholed. Like I understood the tie in I'm a baker, but I didn't want to write. I wanted to sell the books that I was writing. I very much. And this comes from a place of privilege and I recognize that. But I did not need to become a published author at any cost. That wasn't my end game. If I was going to be a published author, it was going to be on my terms. And with the books that I was excited about writing, I didn't want to sell my soul Writing bakery romance, fluffy bakery romance books, which, there's nothing wrong with those, but these were the books that I wanted to write. I don't want to get burnt Out. I don't want to get bored. I want to write the books that I'm continuously excited about. And. And the tone of my books is what I was excited about. So I turned it down. I think my agent, I felt really bad. I was like, she's never gonna make any money. She's got this poor woman. She's been on the wrong horse. And then I had submitted by this time when I was in submissions, I actually wrote the Friend Zone. So I wrote the Happy Ever after playlist first. And then I wrote the Friend Zone while I was in submissions. And then we started leading with that book as a first in my series because it came first chronologically. And I submitted both of them into the Romance Writers of America Golden Hearts competition. Both scored low, and one person actually marked the Happy Ever after playlist as not a romance in an attempt to get it disqualified.

[Kale Lowry]

I was like, what did she think the category was?

[Abby Jimenez]

I don't know, but it's so clearly wrong. I don't know. It was weird. And I just was like, nobody wants these books. They're terrible. They got low scores in the on the RWA competition and my agent's never going to make any money. And she. And then we ended up getting nine months in, ended up getting an offer for a three book deal.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

And then we got another offer the next day, like out of nowhere. It was like they just came out of nowhere. The books went to auction and I ultimately ended up choosing Forever Romance, which is my publisher now. Love them. I've been with them through my whole journey. And we've got many more books that I'm contracted for with them, which is great because I like to write connecting characters.

[Kale Lowry]

And did you always know that you were going to do that? Because that was one of the questions I had is that, you know, the. The only other series that I know that does that is like the House Made by Frida. And, and. And even that is like, that's a series where yours are sort of inner. Oh, I guess Kennedy Ryan does it in her books where it's like interconnected.

[Abby Jimenez]

Where.

[Kale Lowry]

Where did you get that idea from?

[Abby Jimenez]

I just love that.

[Kale Lowry]

I love that.

[Abby Jimenez]

I love it.

[Kale Lowry]

Your entire audience loves that.

[Abby Jimenez]

I love it when you find like the title of a book hidden in the book. I love it when you get a little glimpse of a previous character. Like, I love that we get to exist in the same universe, you know, even if I don't bring back characters every single time, we're still in the same universe, you know? And if you Love the universe. You get to see, like, these little tidbits, and I'm gonna keep doing that.

[Kale Lowry]

It's sort of like. And. And maybe I hope that no one takes this the wrong way, but like a reality show, when you follow the different groups of people.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah.

[Kale Lowry]

And so you get a glimpse of this person's life or that person's life. It's. It's sort of like that. And I love it. It's great. Great.

[Abby Jimenez]

I'm gonna keep doing it.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah, I hope so. I. I love it so much. So then you. You get the. The next deal or. No, the next offer. The next day. And is that also with Forever Publishing?

[Abby Jimenez]

I think Forever was the first offer, and then I got completely separate, and then I got a second offer from a different publisher, and I chose forever.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

And then. Yeah. So that just, you know, brings us to now.

[Kale Lowry]

All right, y'all know I love Rocket Money. I talk about it all the time. And. And we're well into 2025, and we need to get organized, set goals, prioritize what matters most. For me, my top priority is financial wellness. I've talked about this and been pretty transparent about it over the last several years. Thanks to Rocket Money, my goals feel achievable. So, as you guys know from what I've said in the past, I was able to save for my in ground pool using Rocket Money. And they show me all of my subscriptions right in one place, which is huge, because when I first signed up, I canceled eight subscriptions that I wasn't using right off the bat, and I forgot that I was even paying for some of them. So. So Rocket Money pulls together all of my spending across all my different accounts so I can clearly track what my spending habits are and see where I can come back, which is mostly food and sometimes subscriptions that I sign up for. And if you sign up for something, you forget about it. The trial period ends, and then you're charged, and you literally forget about it month after month. The subscriptions are there, but you're not using them. So, like me, I learned that 85% of people have at least one paid subscription going unused every single month. And thanks to Rocket Money, we can see all of our subscriptions in one place and cancel the ones that we're not using anymore so that we're saving that money instead of spending, sending it. Missing out on a show that everyone is talking about is not an option. And I'm constantly signing up for new things and then forgetting about them. I recently did that for a documentary that I was watching to talk about on the podcast and I signed up for an app that I literally only used for that one thing and then I need to go cancel it, but I forgot and I think I ended up paying for it for like six months. But the cool thing is that Rocket Money is actually a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscription. It monitors your spending and helps you lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Right? It's not just for subscriptions. One of the benefits is seeing all of your subscriptions one place and knowing exactly where your money is going. You guys can create a personalized budget with custom categories to help keep track of your spending, get alerts if bills increase in price, and the new Goals feature automatically saves money for you so you don't even have to think about it. So if you're trying to pay off credit card debt or put money away for a house, you're able to do that right from the app. Rocket Money has over 5 million users and has saved a total of $500 million in canceled subscriptions, saving members up to 740 a year. When using all of the app's premium features, cancel your unwanted subscription and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket money, go to Rocketmoney.com famous today that's Rocketmoney.com famous Rocketmoney.com famous Rakuten is the smartest.

[Abby Jimenez]

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[Kale Lowry]

Visit monster.com today.

[Abby Jimenez]

Your next job opportunity is just a click away. I do one book a year. One thing is I'm very cognizant of not getting burnt out. I got really burnt out on the cakes. Like if I never decorate another cake for the rest of my life. I'm so tired of baking. I'm so tired of cake decorating. If I am baking something in the kitchen, my kids are like, mom's baking. What's going on? Because I don't bake anymore. I got so burnt out on it. And that really sucks because I loved baking. I mean, clearly that's why I got into cake decorating because I loved it and I lost that love for it and it never came back. Even with distance.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah.

[Abby Jimenez]

So I'm very cognizant of not doing that with the books. I told them I don't want to publish more than one a year and.

[Kale Lowry]

They were fine with it.

[Abby Jimenez]

Oh yeah? Yeah. And I write really quickly, so I'm always really, you know, careful to give myself lots of breaks and, you know, stay excited about what I'm working on. And it's been working for me. I've. I have so many ideas in my head for future books.

[Kale Lowry]

Like do you write them down? Where do you put them? Or you just keep them in your head?

[Abby Jimenez]

I have a Google Doc, like a running Google Doc, like Book Ideas. And sometimes it's just one line. Like two sisters bury a body. Like, just like one line, you know. And other times it's like actual, you know, small synopsises, you know, or ideas or, you know, or concepts. But like right now, say youy Remember Me is my seventh book. I've already written my eighth book. It's completely done.

[Kale Lowry]

That's what I was going to ask. So when you're writing, do you. Are you writing one per year or you're publishing one per year or is it one in the same?

[Abby Jimenez]

It's one in the same.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

So at any given time, time every year I have a book due on January 15th. That is my. That's my due date every year. To turn in my books. So at any given time I'm promoting the book that just came out.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

I've already written the book that comes out the following year and it's in edits. Either I'm editing it or my editor is editing it, or it's in proofreading or it's in edits. And then I am working on the book that's going to get turned in. January 15th of 2026.

[Kale Lowry]

I did. Okay. So because I read that you have, this one just came out. You have one for 2026 and one already in the works for 2027.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes. So the one I'm working on right now, I'm five chapters in is my 2027 book that will be due January 15th of 2026.

[Kale Lowry]

That is so cool to me.

[Abby Jimenez]

So it's, it's a constantly. Your hands are in three different books at the same time.

[Kale Lowry]

Sort of. That's how I read though. I read a physical copy, a Kindle book and then one on audio. So I think that works. Three is good. Three is a good number.

[Abby Jimenez]

I feel like if it was any more, I'd have like a hard time separating my brain from, you know, that's a lot of characters to try and juggle, struggle. But yeah, I'm really loving the next one and the one that I'm working on, I'm very excited about the one I'm working on my, my ninth book.

[Kale Lowry]

But you have, your books have sold over a million copies. 1 1/2 million copies, which is incredible. How does that feel when you think about that or do you ever think about it?

[Abby Jimenez]

Oh, I think about it a lot. I'm, I'm very blown away by it. So like one ongoing theme for me is like me just sort of stopping where I'm at and looking back and going, what the heck? Like when I became a cake decorator, I was a ret manager. I ran a New York and company. Okay. I, I was not at all, I was not a baker. I had worked in food service, but as a server, like you know, or running a drive thru window. I was never in the kitchen. I, I, if you would have told me a year into me baking cakes out of my house, I was going to be a cake decorator. Okay. Selling cakes out of my house with a very successful home based cake business. I would have been like, what? And I feel like that happens to me with the books. Like if, if the me of right now were to like hop back 10 years ago, you are going to have this huge writing Career, and you've sold over a million books, and you're published in 28 languages. I would have been like, what? I would have thought I wrote a cookbook or something.

[Kale Lowry]

I mean, would you do that?

[Abby Jimenez]

It doesn't even interest me at all. And I. I really do love cooking. I don't love baking so much anymore, but I really do love cooking. So, you know, sometimes I'll throw some recipes into my books, you know, I love that. Yeah. And that just sort of like, you know, does it for me. But I. I would never have believed you in a million years that I would be sitting here talking to you about my book that was number one on the New York Times in two categories. I would have been like, what do you mean?

[Kale Lowry]

Like, when I saw that, I. I already knew when I read the book. Here's the thing. When I read most of your books, every single one, I'm like, this is my favorite. Oh, this is my favorite every single time. So I knew when I read this one, I was like, this is going places. How do you. Do you ever look back and you're like, okay, this is my best work, or, this is my favorite. And then the next time you write it, you're like, okay, this is my best work. Or do you feel that way about your own?

[Abby Jimenez]

They're all very different for me. They're. It's. They're all just so different for me.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah.

[Abby Jimenez]

Like, for example, just for the summer I slogged through writing that book, that was the hardest book for me to write. I just. I wasn't feeling it. I kept sending it to my editor. I'm like, I don't know. I don't think it's very good. And she was like, what do you. You mean it's great? And it turns out it's like my highest rated. It was. It really a breakout book for me. I mean, people loved it. It was just, like, universally adored. And I was like, really? Because it didn't occur. I just. I thought that that main character was not going to be as relatable, being that, you know, she had these very unique circumstances where she was in the foster care system. And I just thought, people aren't going to relate to that. But I think what they related to was the toxic mother. I think everybody has somebody toxic in their lives, and we don't know what to do with them. And that made people feel. Now, with this book, say I remember me, this book was so easy to write. Like, it just. There's some books that just absolutely flow out of you like, part of your world. Okay. I wrote it in two and a half months. Just, like, you know, just flowed out of me. Those are the best. Like, when you write a book that's just so easy to tell that story and you don't get caught up on things, and it's just easy to write it. That was this book for me. I loved every piece of writing this book, editing this book. I was excited about getting back to these characters. And I don't. You don't always feel that way.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah.

[Abby Jimenez]

Sometimes the book comes back for edits and you're like, oh, God, I have to read this again. You know, it's like. And I really loved writing this one. It was just. It was just a very natural story for me to tell.

[Kale Lowry]

Going back to just for the summer with the foster care and the toxic mom was me. So when I got to that part, like, those parts of the book, I mean, I sobbed, like, real tears, ugly crying, because I was like, this is me in this book. Like, it was the. I remember texting the group chat. We have a book club group chat. We have a book club online. I remember, like, remember exactly where I was and how I was feeling when I read those books. So when you say they're not relatable or you didn't think they are. They are. They really are. And also, I think part of your world, too, there. It's relatable. And I. And I. I could see why it took. It was maybe easy for you because that one was so, so good as well. Yeah, so good.

[Abby Jimenez]

They're all different. But one thing I will tell you is I am having the best time writing them.

[Kale Lowry]

Good.

[Abby Jimenez]

Like, I genuinely love what I get to do. I have so much fun doing it. And. And that is just a gift.

[Kale Lowry]

Absolutely. And you get to see your books in other countries and written in different languages. And I saw. I think it was on your. It was either your Tik Tok or your Instagram when you went to El Salvador and there was. That is so cool to me. I think your fans really connect with that because you are so personable towards them. And I think that, you know, readers love that.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah, I tell people because oftentimes I'll get like, a message or somebody in my reader group will be like, I saw you somewhere and I. I didn't want to say hi. Just say hi. Hi. Oh, because it. Just say hi. I'm super friendly and, like, I'd rather you come and. And let me know that you recognize me and, like, you know, say hi to You. You know what I mean? It's totally fine to approach me. I'm not, I'm not gonna bite you. And I. And I love my readers. Like, I'm so fortunate. I have the best readers. I can feel the energy difference when I sometimes I host other authors events and I can feel the difference in other authors crowds versus my crowds. Yes. And. And my readers are just so fantastic.

[Kale Lowry]

Oh, I can imagine.

[Abby Jimenez]

And I keep every single thing they give me. So if I get. If somebody makes me something or you.

[Kale Lowry]

Have like a jar.

[Abby Jimenez]

I've got a jar for all of my friendship bracelets. Every friendship bracelet goes in there. I put all the things that they send me on display. And actually we're building a library in my basement so that I have all the room for all of these books and all these things and my library is just going to be covered in all the little things that they do.

[Kale Lowry]

I love that though. How do your kids feel about this? Do they just. They're like, oh, mom's an all author.

[Abby Jimenez]

They're very proud of me. They kind of. They're like, you're just my, you're just our mom though. Yeah. Like they. You know what I mean? I. I think it kind of makes them laugh that like people think I'm cool and they're like, we know the truth. You're not that cool, mom. No. They're really proud of me. And I've been taking my youngest, Maya on book tour with me, which has been a lot of fun. And you know, she really likes meeting my readers. She's been doing like crowd interviews.

[Kale Lowry]

Really?

[Abby Jimenez]

At some of my book events. Yeah.

[Kale Lowry]

That's so fun. She plays the piano, right? Yes. Okay. I, I have seen her on your socials and I think that's so cool. And you know, bringing her on tour is really awesome.

[Abby Jimenez]

It is. Yeah.

[Kale Lowry]

That's really cool. Do they have any interest in writing?

[Abby Jimenez]

None of them do, really.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah. Maya, of course, is going to be a musician. I mean, she already is a musician. My middle child wants to be a doctor.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

So she's like pre med.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

And then my oldest is going into to school for accounting, business management.

[Kale Lowry]

You have to be so proud.

[Abby Jimenez]

I am. I'm very proud. But like most of all, the fact that I've been able to give them a very different upbringing in childhood than I had absolutely is. And I think you probably identify with that is the, like the greatest reward of all because I did not have a family that could afford to put me in music lessons or creative writing classes. Or send me off to college. You know what I mean? I had to really work for every single thing that I've had. Like, I did not, I was not born into money or privilege. I was not born into really, like I said, a family that could do anything for me. So the fact that I can do this for my kids is just it. Just like, that's my favorite part.

[Kale Lowry]

100. And speaking of creative writing, you talked to or you, you posted a video about your teacher, your professor.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes.

[Kale Lowry]

And it went viral.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes.

[Kale Lowry]

And then you guys had an emotional conversation how, what about him compelled you to want to do the video in the first place?

[Abby Jimenez]

Okay. So what happened was I had been looking for him for a few years, but I couldn't remember his first name. I just KNEW he was Mr. House. I didn't know his first name. And I had actually called my old school, but he didn't work there anymore. And the person I spoke to, like, never heard of him, didn't, you know, was no help. Well, I got a bin of photos and like memorabilia that I had left in my dad's attic. And my dad was cleaning out his attic, so my dad sent it to me. And I was going through it and there was a poetry book that I had been publishing when I was 16. And Mr. House's name was in there, his full name. I was like, oh my gosh. Okay, I have a first name and a last name now. So I put him on social media and I was like, does anybody know?

[Kale Lowry]

I'll cry right now.

[Abby Jimenez]

I know I this it. I've cried so much. And I actually met him last week in person.

[Kale Lowry]

Are you serious? Did he come to one of your signings?

[Abby Jimenez]

He did. So I, I, I put it on social media and within I'm not kidding you minutes, they found this man. Okay. And it was like my dad was the principal at the school and he's still friends with him. Like it was like one of those types of connections, like a very close connection. And she shared my information. And it all happened super fast, right? Like it happened within like an hour or something. And so she gave my information to her dad. Her dad gave it to Mr. House. Mr. House. They didn't tell him everything. They were just like, hey, a former student would like to talk. Talk to you. He didn't want to tell him, like, no, she's a best selling author now. Like, this was the only actual, like real schooling she had for writing was your class. And so my kids were so invested in this story. And my daughter was at work So I was like, I should record this call so I can show it to Naomi when she gets home. And so I recorded the call of me calling him, and it was just like this incredibly emotional phone call. And it went totally viral. And I realized, like, when I was thanking him, him, I was like, I feel like teachers need to see this because I feel like teaching is such a hard.

[Kale Lowry]

I don't know why this is emotional.

[Abby Jimenez]

Because it should be. They don't pay them enough.

[Kale Lowry]

No, they don't.

[Abby Jimenez]

They are so. Especially for kids that have rough childhoods. That is often we're both going to.

[Kale Lowry]

One teacher can make the difference for a child's entire childhood.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes. I was horribly bullied in high school. I had a really awful, awful. You know, my teen years were terrible. I ended up actually not even finishing my senior year. I went on independent study because I had to work full time to be able to afford to live okay. And so, like, this was like a 30 minute phone call that I had with him, and I was about halfway through it, and I realized, like, this man appreciates this call. Like, this man made his entire career worth it to hear what I had to say. Like, and he's retired. He's two years retired now. And he had no idea.

[Kale Lowry]

Two years. Oh, my gosh.

[Abby Jimenez]

That I carried the impact of his class with me to now, like, it's huge. We're gonna cry. And so I asked him, I said, would you be okay with me sharing this? And he was like, absolutely. Share it. So I shared it. And of course, it went totally viral. Um, and thank you. You know, just to hear him say that he was proud of me, you know what I mean? Like, I have a complicated relationship with. With my mother. You know what I mean? And to be able to just have somebody say, like, I'm proud of you. I'm proud of what you became, you know, you did good. So anyway, I had an event in Seattle and he. He went. So he has a son that lives in Seattle. And he's like, I'm going to be there. And so he came. We gave him, like, the full VIP experience. My husband ran out and got him and brought him to the green room. And I got out with him for like three hours. It was the most. Just full circle moment. I totally cried when I saw him. It was like, instantly I was like 16 again.

[Kale Lowry]

I never thought I was gonna cry in this interview today. Oh, my gosh. And so now he fully understands, you know, first of all, who you are. And. And did he remember you?

[Abby Jimenez]

Oh, yeah, he remembered. Well, I think he also remembered my car because I, I actually drove the 1966 Dodge Dart convertible that I wrote into this book. I drove that when, when I was in his class.

[Kale Lowry]

I saw that on your social. The one that you bought. You bought one?

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes.

[Kale Lowry]

Oh my gosh.

[Abby Jimenez]

And he also had a Dodge Dart, so I think, I think he like vaguely remembers impressions of me. But it was, I mean it was almost 30 years ago. This was a long. And he had a lot of students, but it was just so cool. Like just meeting him was just so full circle. I think for both of us it was very full circle.

[Kale Lowry]

I'm sure that was one of the highlights of his entire life too, which is incredible. When I first started this podcast, it seemed like I had to figure it all out on my own. Scripts, set up, filming schedule, logos. I was so overwhelmed and every day seemed to introduce a new decision that I did not know how to answer. But when you're starting off something new, it seems like your to do list keeps growing every single day with new tasks. And that list can easily begin to overrun your entire life. So finding the right tool that not only helps you out, but simplifies everything can be such a game changer. And for millions of businesses, that tool is Shopify. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10 of all e commerce in the US from household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands that are just getting started. And you guys can get started with your own design studio. With hundreds of ready to use templates, Shopify will help build a beautiful online store to match your brand style and you can accelerate your content creation right? Shopify is packed with helpful AI tools that write product descriptions, page headlines and even enhance your product photography which is amazing. Get the word out like you have a marketing team behind you. Easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are strolling or scrolling. And best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert with world class expertise and everything from managing your inventory to international shipping to processing returns and beyond. And if you're ready to sell, you're ready for Shopify. Turn your big business idea into With Shopify on your side, sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com barely famous go to shopify.com barely famous shopify.com barely famous.

[Abby Jimenez]

I have way too much free time said no one ever. Work, appointments, family and friends. Life is non stop and trying to find a new place on top of all that completely overwhelming that's where apartments.com comes in. If you want to make time for the things you love, but you still need to find your next home, apartments.com has tools to make your home search so much easier. And it's all on one site with 3D virtual tours to get a peek at a rental listing, online tour scheduling plus the ability to see the exact unit you're interested in and apply for.

[Kale Lowry]

A place with one click.

[Abby Jimenez]

Renters can handle it all on apartments.com whether you're looking for a three bedroom condo downtown, a two bedroom duplex in a quiet neighborhood, a cozy studio in a walkable city, or even a single family home in a cul de sac, you can find a place that checks all the right boxes boxes. So whichever stage of life you're in, settle down in your perfect home. By using apartments.com. make your move from the comfort of anywhere and make more time for you. Join the millions of happy runners and visit apartments.com the place to find a place.

[Kale Lowry]

You talk about a lot of real life topics. I mean, infertility, cancer, all kinds of things. What inspires you to do that in your books?

[Abby Jimenez]

It's different for every book. So in yours truly, I wanted to write about kidney donation because I myself had a bout with kidney disease. I'm since enrolled mission. I'm healthy.

[Kale Lowry]

You've lived a thousand lives.

[Abby Jimenez]

I know. I. I feel like sometimes that my life is a show and the writers have to keep like changing things up to keep it interesting. I.

[Kale Lowry]

Everything that comes out of your mouth, I'm like, wait, what?

[Abby Jimenez]

I know, I know. It's just wild. Sometimes when I do an event and they read my bio, you know, like they'll read my bio and I'm like, man, I did a lot of stuff like that sounds exhausting. Who's she? You know, it was like over the course of 18 years. But yeah, I had a bout with kidney disease in 2020. It was very scary. Things were not looking good and fortunately we found a medication regimen that works for me and put me in remission. But it's always been important for me to talk about organ donation in general. It's something that I talk about organically in almost every single one of my books because I deeply believe in it. And I thought, you know what would make this hero even sexier than he already is? If he donates a kidney to the heroine's brother. So that was the reason for that theme in that book. And then of course, I wrote social anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder into Jacob because I deeply understand that I also deal with anxiety. You know, it just depends on the book, you know, why I want to write about, what I want to write about. But, you know, for see or remember me, I really wanted to write a book about making memories and also losing them, you know? And also I really wanted to write a hot veterinarian that's been in my heart for a long time.

[Kale Lowry]

Please, please share with us why you picked a hot veterinarian.

[Abby Jimenez]

I mean.

[Kale Lowry]

I mean, I know that you've written about other doctors, so maybe you just needed a new career.

[Abby Jimenez]

I just think that a man taking care of animals is just. I just have this vision of, like, a very handsome man holding a baby animal. Like. Like what?

[Kale Lowry]

There's nothing hotter than that. Actually, I have my chicken. One of my chickens got stolen yesterday, and I. My. He's not my dad, but I call him my dad. And my children's father went over, and he's holding my chicken, so I'll have to show you that before you leave. So. Yeah, I would agree that hot men with animals are. I mean, come on. Yeah, I love that. But what inspired Pooter the cat?

[Abby Jimenez]

I don't even know where I got the idea. Okay. Well, I knew that I needed her to meet him in a veterinary setting.

[Kale Lowry]

Right.

[Abby Jimenez]

Okay. So I needed her to be bringing an animal in, and I thought, you know, wouldn't it be funny if the kitten had no butthole? No. I, like, actually pitched this to my editor, and, you know, but I was on the. I was in New York. I was at the Archer Hotel. We're on a very, you know, fancy, swanky outdoor patio, drinking, like, a mimosa or. And I'm pitching her this book idea, and I was like, so there's this woman, and she finds this cat, and it has no butthole. And she was like, okay. And I'm like, do you trust me? She's like, I do. No, I just thought it would be, you know, funny to give this cat sort of a unique health condition and to see. I think it's very telling of who these two are as people. You know, he's very into rescue, very into alleviating the misery of the animals that he. He takes care of.

[Kale Lowry]

Right.

[Abby Jimenez]

And she's somebody who believes in the faith of the Internet. You know, she believes in the people of the Internet. She believes in humanity in general. They have very different mindsets. And I just thought that was a situation that really showcased that. Well, and I like that he comes off not very well.

[Kale Lowry]

Yes. You know, I also really appreciated that. But I liked how it was very realistic. Like, you come across people every day. One who believes in, you know, the Internet and the. The good in people, and then other people who are little bit more cold and jaded. Yeah, yeah. So I feel like that's so realistic. I. I personally loved that. Is there any other inspo. From, like, family, friends, anything like that for your characters or. Or situations?

[Abby Jimenez]

The house that I wrote into the book was my grandfather's real house in Glendale. So it was very easy for me, like, with the apartment over the garage, like, it was very easy for me to write that entire universe, basically, because I. It was my childhood. I grew up there. I grew up going to the beach. I grew up going to Santa Monica Pier. I grew up, you know, running around, around California and going to In n Out and, you know, so those things are very easy for me to write. I remember early in my writing career, my editor told me, you always want to write your books in either California or New York because it's easier for a global market to recognize those places. Like, we all know what New York and California looks like. And I ended up veering way off course and writing most of my books in Minnesota, which is now, I think. I think I've done more for Minnesota tourism than anything else.

[Kale Lowry]

I mean, I would definitely go, yes, beautiful.

[Abby Jimenez]

I mean, we chose to live there. We, you know, could have lived anywhere. We were literally looking for anywhere to live and picked Minnesota, and we will stay there. I love Minnesota.

[Kale Lowry]

I think another. Doesn't Geneva Rose live in Minnesota?

[Abby Jimenez]

She lives in Michigan, I think. Or Wisconsin? No, I think she's in Wisconsin.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay. I was way off then. Sorry about that. Geneva, if you ever come on the podcast, I have same vibes.

[Abby Jimenez]

Same vibes.

[Kale Lowry]

But I do. I do appreciate all the seasons, though. That's one thing when I. I'm not a West coast girly, I just, you know, I go there for work, but I'm not a West coast girly. I do like, as much as I complain about the winters, in the winter time, I like that we have spring, fall, summer, winter, you know, so that. That's a. That's a good point. So how do you name your characters also?

[Abby Jimenez]

You know, it depends on the character's personality.

[Kale Lowry]

You can name one Kayla if you want.

[Abby Jimenez]

Okay. You know what I named. I named the sister in this Geneva. And I. And I didn't actually name it after Geneva Rose. I just thought, that's a pretty name. And I named her Geneva. And I spelled it with a J, like Geneva does. And so Geneva said now she has to name a character in her book after me. And do I want to be a villain or. Or a murder victim?

[Kale Lowry]

That is. Wait, that is like you're connecting with other authors over books and stuff. That's so cool.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah. I've made so many great author friends. Like, like, the community is just so. Has been so supportive to me and just so amazing. And I try and do that for the authors that are up and coming also because I was so green and new to the author universe. Like, you know, most people, I think by the time they get a traditionally published book deal, they've been in those trenches for like a decade, a long time. You know, and I did it really fast. Like, I started writing. I was on critique circle for a year in my, you know, five to ten year, one year boot camp and got published really quickly. And I didn't have those author relationships. Like, I didn't know anybody that could give me tips or tell me how to do things or give me heads up about things. So I try and be that for other authors and try and lift up other authors coming after me.

[Kale Lowry]

Are you on Kindle Unlimited or on Kindle?

[Abby Jimenez]

Some of my books are on ku. They cycle them in and out.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

So you just kind of have to see which ones are there. I think maybe the part of your. Part of your world is there right now. I can't remember books are in there.

[Kale Lowry]

You have a lot of strong friendship connections in a lot of your books. What. What inspired. Inspired you or, you know, compelled you to write that, to. To write those types of relationships.

[Abby Jimenez]

I really love a good friendship in the book because the friend can deliver things that the reader is thinking. Okay. It's a. It's a writing technique. You know, you as the reader can be getting really frustrated with the main character. And if you've got a really good friend in there, the friend can be like, you are being ridiculous and like, say the things that the reader is thinking, which I think helps alleviate frustration in a book. No, the friend really just serves a lot of different functions, you know, to say the things that the reader is thinking to help, you know, guide and shape the story, to get things that would be otherwise in the head of the character, gets it out onto the page, into dialogue, which I think is more fun to read than reading, you know, just the thoughts of a character. And then I just really love a good, strong female friendship.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah.

[Abby Jimenez]

Like, I just love it.

[Kale Lowry]

Girl power.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah. The next book also has another strong, strong female friendship. My. My eighth book, which is Called the night we met comes out this time next year.

[Kale Lowry]

And that's interconnected to say you'll remember me.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah. So in. In say or remember me, Xavier's got a friend group. Jesse, Chris, Mike, there's.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay. So then the next book will include them.

[Abby Jimenez]

So we're following this friend group all the way through. I love this friend group. I love this whole universe.

[Kale Lowry]

I love all the universes. I mean, I can't. I'm so excited. I hope that I can read an art copy of that one. So let me know if you need me to be. What do they call them? Beta reader.

[Abby Jimenez]

Oh, yeah.

[Kale Lowry]

I don't know what the difference is between arc copy and beta reader.

[Abby Jimenez]

So an arc reader isn't really. An arc reader is just reviewing the book.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

Beta reader is actually contributing to, like, changes in the book. Like, a beta reader would read it and go, o, I didn't like that. And then tell you. And then you would change it.

[Kale Lowry]

How do I become one of those?

[Abby Jimenez]

I mean, do you want. Some people don't like to be in that stage of it because you're not reading a final copy. So there's going to be issues. It's going to have grammar problem. You know what I mean? Not a very clean copy. It's kind of like a more work in progress type draft.

[Kale Lowry]

So sort of like critique circle.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes. Yeah.

[Kale Lowry]

I don't know. I feel like I would love that process.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah. I mean, it's very different than being an arc reader because an arc reader, you're just reading for enjoyment to give your opinion on it, you know, for. For social media purposes or whatever. And it's more of a finished copy. You know, maybe there's like some grammatical errors or things like that because it isn't entirely edited.

[Kale Lowry]

Sure.

[Abby Jimenez]

But when the book is in beta reads, it still is very much a work in progress. You could read a whole chapter that'll be gone in the final.

[Kale Lowry]

Could. Is it possible? And maybe you don't know. Maybe you do. If you are in the beta process and then they decide not to publish it at all.

[Abby Jimenez]

Not to publish the book at all.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah.

[Abby Jimenez]

It's pretty rare.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

I think that that happens like that. That would be pretty rare because typically, at least for my process with my publisher, I don't even write anything until I've gone over the entire concept with my editor and she's 100% on board sign on, likes where I'm going with it. And then once I've written a first draft, she gets the first draft and then Reads it, you know, and then if she wants changes, I change it. You know what I mean? So there's a lot of back and forth. Like when I say I write a book and I can write a book in two and a half months, that's just a first draft. There is many, many layers of edits that it goes through, many layers of beta reads and advisory reads that I put my book through, insensitivity reads that I put my book through. And often even the arcs, when you, when the arcs go out, they haven't even complet gone through those. Like, the sensitivity read is the very last thing that I put my books through because I want my sensitivity reader to read every single change that the book is going through to tell me if I need to change anything else.

[Kale Lowry]

And when you say sensitivity read, what does that mean for the listeners?

[Abby Jimenez]

Sensitivity reader will go through and flag things that maybe are outside of your normal experience. So you don't realize that it might be offensive or you don't realize that, you know, you might have said something that might rub people the wrong way. So I have a really great sensitivity reader that I use on all of my books. And, and she will read, like I said, the very last round of edits. Like when, like, like right before we're probably going to proofreading is when I will send it to her because I don't want there to be any additional changes that she has not laid her eyes on. And it's not a foolproof system. You know, obviously not everybody is going to pick up on every single thing because with so many people reading your books, you know, one thing that you might not even think of might be very different from somebody else's experience. It might rub them wrong, but it's the due diligence, you know, that I always try and do my due diligence. I have advisors on every single one of my books to go over the more difficult topics in my books, you know, depending on what the book is like. For part of your world, there was a theme of emotional and mental abuse and domestic violence. I had three domestic violence advocates read that book to make sure that I got the language correct and that, you know, the things that I was depicting were harmless or, you know, perhaps providing a roadmap out for people. And again, you don't always get it right. You try though, right? You don't always get it right. And it's something that I've, you know, really started doing, especially after the Friend Zone, you know, I didn't know what I didn't know when I wrote that book. And it's become a big part of my process to make sure that I put out books that are authentic and accurate and harmless. No, I think that's my ultimate goal.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah. And do people know that you do that? Have you ever talked about that?

[Abby Jimenez]

I do talk about it quite a bit and it is in the back of my book too. I always thank my advisors and a lot of times, you know, I put my advisors in there however they would like to be listed. And some of them do not want me putting Dr. In front of their name. That's just their personal preference. So sometimes you'll read it and you won't realize, oh, she, you know, asked a cardiologist about that. Oh, she was actually speaking to, you know, a memory care nurse. You know, just say the person's name. But every single one of my books I get advisors sensitivity readers. It's very important to me in a big part of my process.

[Kale Lowry]

I really love that. I respect that a lot. Do you have a favorite character from any of your books? Any, all seven of them.

[Abby Jimenez]

I really like Tristan in this one. The, the sassy brother.

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah, I love him.

[Kale Lowry]

I thought he, I, I could relate to every single character in this book for some, you know, in some capacity. But what also was it Alzheimer's or dementia? I don't know if they're one in the same.

[Abby Jimenez]

They are different, they present differently. I know that they kind of have like the same outcome. And yeah, people get them mixed up. But in this book it is early onset dementia is what the mother is, is struggling with. But I think if, you know, you know, somebody with Alzheimer's, you're going to find a very similar journey there. But yeah, I had an advisor who was a memory care. She was in memory care for 20 years. Memory care nurse. Okay. So I, you know, messaged her throughout the entire process of writing this and I, I think one thing that I've really taken away from this book is caregivers felt very seen reading this book. Caregivers and people in long distance relationships. I think if you've ever experienced either of those two things, this book will really speak to you.

[Kale Lowry]

I mean, people definitely resonated with the long distance relationship and I couldn't imagine being in one, but it really put things into perspective for me because I had never, I never really had been in one.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah, I've never been in one either.

[Kale Lowry]

Well, you did a great job.

[Abby Jimenez]

I'm glad I got it right.

[Kale Lowry]

And then how do you feel about if it was to become a movie or a TV show, would you also get a say in who's casted or, you know, the type of characters that are cast, People that are casted for characters?

[Abby Jimenez]

You know, I think authors have varying degrees of participation in their books. There's some authors that just sign the rights away and don't want anything to do with it. They don't want to have anything to do with the screenplay. They don't want to have anything to do with the casting. I feel like for my readers, I should have a lot of involvement because I. I want to stick with the integrity of the story that I told and, you know, make sure that the readers are going to get the most out of the movie. So I would try to be really involved. But the reality is that even if you are very involved, even if you have producer credits, even if you're writing the screenplay, at the end of the day, whoever owns the rights to that movie can do whatever they want.

[Kale Lowry]

So do you feel like that would make it harder for you to want to give up rights to any of your books?

[Abby Jimenez]

It does. And I'd really want to make sure that whoever I sell it to is on the same page, is committed to making. Making the kind of project that I. In telling the story the way it should be told. Yeah. Because that. It just sucks so bad when you watch a movie for a book that you loved and it's not good.

[Kale Lowry]

Well, and I was gonna say some. All of the books that I've read of yours, the. The banter is so necessary for the entire book that if you remove any of it, it would change. It could change the entire dynamic of, you know, the movie or, you know, how it connects. I don't know. I. I would. I feel like if I was writing romcoms or any type of book that was turning into an adaptation, a movie, TV show, anything, I would want it to be so close to the actual book, and you have so much banter and, like, real life struggles in. In sort of intertwined that I. I just. I. I'm with you on that. I completely agree.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah, it's easy. They just need to lift my banter out and plop it down.

[Kale Lowry]

They have to say it verbatim, some of the quotes and the banter. They have to.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yes. And I feel like the way that I write my books is sort of cinematic to begin with. Like, it's very easy to picture it in your head. It just feels like you're kind of watching a movie anyway, so. But yeah, just know that if I ever do a movie adaption, it will be, it'll be good because I'm going to try my hardest to make sure that I vetted the people that are doing it. And then I've, you know, put in my two cents and I have a seat at the table so that I can make sure that it's what we want 100%.

[Kale Lowry]

If you could give one piece of advice to a woman starting over in their life, whether it's their love, their career, just life in general, what would it be?

[Abby Jimenez]

I think you should do what you love and then figure out a way to monetize it. So if you're, if you really like paper quilling, get really, really good. Oh, you know what paper quilling is?

[Kale Lowry]

No.

[Abby Jimenez]

It's so pretty. It's like paper art. You know, this, that's just a very niche, random thing. Okay. If you like charcuterie boards, if you, you like crocheting, if you like, you know, whatever the things that you like, get really good at it and then figure out how to monetize it.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay. But don't burn yourself out because Nadia Cakes and you got burnt out. Okay. And where can people, just for all the listeners here, if you have not been to a location, where are the locations of your three bakeries?

[Abby Jimenez]

There's Nadia Cakes, Palmdale, California. Nadia Cakes, Maple Grove, Minnesota. Nadia Cakes, Woodbury, Minnesota. And we ship nationwide in to Canada.

[Kale Lowry]

Oh, I actually didn't know that. Yes. So we can order in Delaware.

[Abby Jimenez]

It, yeah, it's a little pricey because we do have to overnight the cupcakes frozen and that's, that's pricey. But it is available.

[Kale Lowry]

It's possible.

[Abby Jimenez]

It is possible.

[Kale Lowry]

I want to have, I would love to have a book club event and maybe we could get like themed cupcakes, right?

[Abby Jimenez]

Oh, they could do that.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay. And where can people find you on social media?

[Abby Jimenez]

I'm on Tik Tok. I'm on Instagram, I'm on Facebook. I have a really active Facebook group. It's called the Abby Jimenez discussion group or something like that. And there's a lot of giveaways in there. They usually get first access to tickets. It's a free group. It's not like a Patreon or anything. And that's probably the best place to be to follow me for the most up to date stuff and the most interaction with me.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay. And some of your books are on Kindle Unlimited. You can get Abby Jimenez books anywhere you can buy books. Barnes and Noble, Amazon, anywhere you can buy books. Right.

[Abby Jimenez]

Local Library?

[Kale Lowry]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Local library, local bookstores.

[Abby Jimenez]

I would say sign up for my emails. Oh, yeah, because you get an instant auto reply with a bonus chapter for part of your work world in it. It comes as a PDF.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay, cool.

[Abby Jimenez]

Yeah. And it's. It's free. I don't spam you a lot with emails, so sign up for my emails.

[Kale Lowry]

Will people be able to see your book signing schedule on your website or anything?

[Abby Jimenez]

We do update my website, but usually my book tour stops end up in my reader group first.

[Kale Lowry]

Okay.

[Abby Jimenez]

I like to get my group first access, so that's a really good place to be. Second, good place to be to sign up for my emails because I will send out any tickets that are still available. But I have to say, my events are selling out. Out in like two minutes. Yeah, like it's. It's actually kind of wild. There's, you know, there's a lot of times virtual events that you can sign up for, even if my in person events are sold out.

[Kale Lowry]

Perfect. Well, thank you so much for coming on Barely Famous. I loved having you.

[Abby Jimenez]

Thank you. So fun.

[Kale Lowry]

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[Abby Jimenez]

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[Kale Lowry]

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[Abby Jimenez]

You're gonna need some backup, which means suspense is free.

[Kale Lowry]

Very cool.

[Abby Jimenez]

Watch CSI New York, Criminal Minds, Blue Bloods Tracker, FBI and swat all for free. You can't outrun this.

[Kale Lowry]

Someone's gonna pay for through all this.

[Abby Jimenez]

Crime, but it's not gonna be you. Take care of business, fellas. Watch all the cases, all for free.

[Kale Lowry]

From all your favorite devices.

[Abby Jimenez]

We got you.

[Kale Lowry]

Feel the free Pluto TV stream.

[Abby Jimenez]

Now pay. Never. Hello, my name is Jackie Schimmel. I'm the host of the Bible Podcast. If you never listen to the Bible Podcast, I genuinely feel terrible for you because up until this moment, you haven't really been been living or experiencing true, untethered, unhinged, morally flexible joy infiltrating your ear canals on a weekly basis. The good news is there's still time for you, Katie. Buckle up, buttercup, because I'm about to take you on a real bender for pop culture musings. Aggressive social commentary, both piping hot and barely lukewarm, takes plus charisma for days. Make sure you listen to the Bitch Bible Podcast because objectively and unbiasedly, in my very humble opinion, it's the best podcast you will ever listen to. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll guffaw, you'll be appalled. And guess what, Katie, you'll just keep coming back for more. So go listen to the Bitch Bible Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. You're welcome.