The Cozy 52: Q&A with author J.C. Kenney

J.C. Kenney is the next author to join us at The Cozy 52! I discovered J.C.’s books when I saw someone mention A Literal Mess, the first book in the Allie Cobb Mystery series. After zipping through the three books that were available at that time, I was hooked. I’m really excited to have J.C. here today so let’s dive right in!

Who or What is The Cozy 52? Each week I will be sharing an interview with someone involved with Cozy Mysteries – an author, blogger, Facebook Group host, podcaster, cover designer – so that we can showcase this amazing community! I hope you’ll discover some new authors, plus learn more about what goes on behind the scenes with the people who write, publish and promote cozy mysteries!

Introducing J.C. Kenney

NAME: J.C. Kenney

LIST ALL YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES: First off, I’m so happy to be here. Thanks so much for inviting me! My first series is The Allie Cobb Mysteries. Currently books 1 through 5 have been published. The second series is The Darcy Gaughan Mysteries, Record Store Reckoning is the debut for that series.

HOW ARE YOUR COZY MYSTERIES PUBLISHED? I’m traditionally published by small, independent houses. Record Store Reckoning is published by Level Best Books.

The Q&A

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF

I live in Indianapolis, Indiana with my wife of almost 31 years. We have two wonderful twenty-something aged children and the princess of the house, our cat Maria. I’m a big fan of IndyCar racing. And music, too, which is a big part of the reason I wrote Record Store Reckoning.

LIST THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WE WOULDN’T READ IN YOUR ‘OFFICIAL’ BIO.

I’m not the most adventurous sort, but here goes.

1. My senior year in high school, I played the role of Harold Hill in the spring production of The Music Man. Wow, that was fun.
2. I used to be an avid cyclist until my knees told me it was time to stop. I even spent a couple of years racing my bike. I only crashed once, but it was a whopper, and I broke my bike’s frame.
3. I’ve got another music-related one for you. Back in the 90’s, I was a professional disc jockey for weddings, parties, events like that. Not surprisingly, I have a massive music collection. It’s been so much fun putting my love of music to work over the years.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE COZY MYSTERIES?

My mom was a huge traditional mystery fan. I remember her reading Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, all the legends from the golden age of mystery. She told me once that she read them because the enjoyed the challenge of solving the puzzle that’s such an integral part of the genre. I enjoy that, too, and find it’s as much fun plotting out that puzzle as it is reading them. Plus, I like the fact that cozies don’t have a lot of blood or violence in them.

WHAT SUBGENRE(S) OR THEMES OF COZY MYSTERIES DO YOU WRITE?

I like to call my mysteries contemporary whodunnits. They’re on the darker end of the cozy spectrum. I’m not much of a cook, so you won’t find recipes in my books. I mean, everyone can boil water and put spaghetti in it. Know what I mean? The amateur sleuths in my books are cat lovers, though. That’s because I’m a total cat dad.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES. WHAT INSPIRES YOUR SERIES?

In Record Store Reckoning my amateur sleuth, Darcy Gaughan, works in an independent record store. It’s set in the fictional town of Marysburg, Indiana, located on the outskirts of the real-life Muncie, Indiana. I’ve been a music lover all my life and still love the experience of going into a record store. The opportunity to hang out with other folks who enjoy music and flip through countless record albums and CD’s can’t be beat. Also, my son is a trombone player studying music education at Ball State University. I thought it would be fun setting the story close to the community where my kid goes to school. So, that’s a bit of backstory of the why and where for the series.

WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LOVE TO READ COZY MYSTERIES?

For me, two come to mind. First, I think folks enjoy and identify with the sense of community one gets from a cozy. You come to know the characters and the key landmarks. There’s a sense of comfort that comes from that, like visiting with old friends. Second, I think readers enjoy reading a genre where, at the end of the day, justice prevails, and the good guys come out ahead. Goodness knows, it’s not that way often enough in real life. It feels good to have that in the pages of a book.

ASIDE FROM BEING AN AUTHOR, ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE COZY COMMUNITY IN ANY OTHER WAY?

I’ve had the opportunity to speak on author panels at Malice Domestic, Killer Nashville, and Bouchercon mystery conventions. It is so much fun hanging out with authors and readers who enjoy the same kind of stories I do. I’m also a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. Those organizations include a lot of cozy authors as members.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS?

The first one is easy. I adore Agatha Christie. I’ve read about half of her books and short stories. In fact, I have a list to track my progress. I hope to read all of them before my final curtain ends. After Dame Agatha, there are so many wonderful authors, I have a hard time narrowing my favourites to just a few. Having said that, I love Catriona McPherson’s Lexy Campbell series. I find myself laughing out loud all through those books. Other amazing cozy writers include Ellen Byron, Maddie Day, and Sarah Burr, just to name a few. Outside the mystery genre, I love Terry Pratchett. His Discworld novels are absolute masterpieces of fantasy, satire, and amazing worldbuilding.

IF YOU WERE MAROONED ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT 3 BOOKS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU?

The Lord of The Rings. I’ve read it six times already and pick up something new every time I read it. I’d want something that made me laugh, so I’d go with something from Ellen Byron, probably Plantation Shudders. Last, but not least, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Those stories are a lot of fun.

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW OR UPCOMING WRITING PROJECTS THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
The sixth book in my Allie Cobb Mysteries, A Final Sendoff, comes out later this Spring. It’s Allie’s final mystery. I’d like to think I gave her a last ride worthy of her crimefighting efforts. Also, the second book in the Darcy Gaughan Mysteries, tentatively titled Guitar Slinger Slaying, is scheduled for release next March. Stay tuned!

The Quickie 5

• FAVOURITE FOOD: Pizza with sausage, green peppers, and onions. I discovered that combo in college and still love it!
• BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: Black tea. I can’t get going in the morning without it.
• MOST PRIZED POSSESSION: A model of the Starship Enterprise made from MegaBloks. It consists of over 3,000 pieces and took me two weeks to build.
• SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer, totally. I love hot weather with trees in full bloom and sitting outside with a cold beverage.
• FAVOURITE VACATION SPOT? The Florida Gulf Coast. I adore the soft beaches and warm waters.

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To keep up to date with J.C. Kenney online, you can connect with him on:

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB