An Interview with J. C. Kenney

by Grace Topping

 

During the past year, one of the things I’ve missed the most has been attending mystery conferences and running into friends like J. C. Kenny (aka Jim Cangany). I had the pleasure of meeting Jim at Malice Domestic, a conference of fans and writers of traditional mysteries, and learning about his mystery series, featuring Allie Cobb, a literary agent. Since then, I’ve been following each new book Jim releases, including his most recent one, A Deadly Discovery. Since an in-person Malice isn’t being held this year, I caught up with Jim online. It was a pleasure talking to him about his series. 

 

 

A Deadly Discovery

Back Cover Copy

 

Certain she’s seen more than enough death for one lifetime, literary agent Allie Cobb is ready to close the book on her amateur sleuthing, even when she learns that an unidentified body has been unearthed in a local state park. But when a worn and haunted-looking woman shows up on her doorstep with a grim story about her young daughter’s disappearance twenty years ago—and the police confirm that the recently discovered body is hers—Allie can’t bear to turn the poor woman away.

Determined to uncover the truth about the young woman’s murder, Allie begins delving into the circumstances of her life and those she knew so many years before. And when she meets powerful resistance from those she questions—many of whom are now trusted leaders in her small, tight-knit community—she’s sure she’s on the right track. But as she narrows down the list of suspects, Allie realizes too late that a cold-blooded killer is dead-set on keeping the secrets of the past buried, and it will take all her wit and cunning to avoid becoming the second young woman to meet an untimely end . . .

www.amazon.com

 

 

Welcome back to Writers Who Kill, Jim.

 

In your Allie Cobb Mystery Series, you’ve included interesting details about Allie’s job as a literary agent, including doing a happy dance when a client gets a book offer. Have you ever worked as an agent? If not, what was your best resource for information about the field?

 

I haven’t, and I tip my hat to all the hard-working agents out there. It’s a job I couldn’t do. I rely on two resources for information on agent life. First, is my wonderful agent Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. She and I have been working together since 2015. I’ve learned a lot from her simply by talking with her about what she does, as well as paying attention to how she interacts with other clients. Another source is my writer friend, C.H. Armstrong, who’s also a literary agent for The Purcell Agency. Knowing two literary agents has been a big help in writing about Allie’s “day job.”

 

After having a really bad experience in A Mysterious Mix Up, you would think Allie would be shy of getting involved in another case or would need some prodding. But in A Deadly Discovery, when she hears about the discovery of a body of someone who has been missing for twenty years, she readily agrees to get involved with the investigation. Why? 

 

I think that, at the end of the day, Allie has a servant’s heart. Given the circumstances around the person who asks for her help, she simply couldn’t say no. Along that line, Allie experienced being bullied growing up, so she has a strong motivation to come to the aid of those who she sees as having been treated unjustly. 

 

Over the course of the series, Allie has begun experiencing anxiety attacks. What has accounted for that? Besides seeing a counselor, how is she dealing with it?

 

Allie never intended to become a murder investigator. It was something that just happened. After a while, though, looking death in the eye from such a close distance has begun to wear on her psychologically. The anxiety attacks are a manifestation of that. At the end of A Mysterious Mix Up, she realized she needed help coping with what she’s gone through. Seeking professional counseling has done just that. She’s also been honest with friends and family about her challenges. She understands ignoring her mental health is a prescription for disaster.

 

Allie turns to use a punching bag. Does taking out her aggression on the bag helping her?

 

Absolutely! Working out with the bag helps her in a lot of ways. She’s a tiny woman and uses the workouts to keep her self-defense skills sharp. It also helps her maintain physical fitness. Walking and bike riding are great, but the bag gives her the chance to work on other muscle groups, especially in the upper body. Lastly, the endorphin release that comes with the workouts is a big help. She gets rid of the negative feelings and feels so much better afterward.

 

Allie often resorts to things like drinking chamomile tea to help her relax and using tea tree shampoo. Is she getting into natural products to help herself? 

 

Her mom’s a physician, so Allie trusts traditional, science-based medicine. Shortly after moving back to Rushing Creek, she tried some natural products on a whim when she was having trouble sleeping and found they helped her. She doesn’t know if it’s a placebo effect, but she feels better using herbal teas and natural bath products, so she’s not going to question the results. Plus, she buys the products from a friend in town. She’s always happy to help a local business.

 

I read somewhere that authors use details from their own lives and experiences but start running out of personal material about book seven. Do you draw on your own life for your books? If so, are you running out of material?

 

My life’s pretty boring, so I ran out of that material a while back. LOL These days, I find myself drawing on the experiences of my family. For example, my wife is a genetic counselor. Her work in the genetics field gave me an idea that became the basis of the plot of A Deadly Discovery. My younger child is studying music education in college. I’m using his love of music in a new series I’m working on.

 

As a male writer with a female main character, do you ever hear from beta readers or fans that Allie wouldn’t say or do that, etc.?

 

You know, I don’t. I may have a reason for that. Before I got into mysteries, I published seven novels and one short story in the contemporary romance genre. One of the lessons I learned early on was the importance of taking the time to get inside of a female’s head and really get to know her as a whole person. I ask questions about what she likes to eat, what are her hobbies, what are the things that matter to her on an everyday level. Things like that. I hope the result of that effort comes across on the page.  

 

Do you use sensitivity readers to ensure you get the female viewpoints or characteristics right?

 

I used to but haven’t in the past few years. I’d like to think that the lessons I learned over the years get put to use automatically, nowadays. When in doubt, I don’t hesitate to go to my wife for guidance, though.

 

Fans love Ursula or Ursi, Allie’s cat. She is unusual that she will walk attached to a leash. Have you had or seen a cat that will do that?

 

I’ve never seen it in person, but my wife did one time when she was in Boston on business. She was so excited, she took a picture and sent it to me. I tried to get my cat, Maria, to walk on a leash, but she had no interest in it. I watch a lot of cat videos and see it in them from time to time. While it’s not a common sight, I get the sense it happens more frequently in large, urban settings where people live in apartments and take their pets outdoors to give them exercise.

 

Allie follows music groups that someone in my age group probably wouldn’t be familiar with. Are you a fan of these groups, or are you just good at finding the music someone in Allie’s age group would listen to?

 

A little of both, actually. I love listening to music from young, up-and-coming artists. I joke with my kids, both of whom are fans of classic rock, that I heard those songs enough when I was growing up. I don’t need to hear them again. I also think it's important to be mindful of the fact that Allie’s in her early thirties. That’s young enough for her to be my daughter. I don’t think it would be realistic for her to listen to the same music her parents do.

 

Allie gets around on her bike. Why only a bike and not a car?

 

She spent almost a decade living in New York City and found she could get around fine using public transportation. By the time she moved back to Rushing Creek, she’d gotten used to life without a car and didn’t want the expense that comes with owning one. She’s happy to admit that Rushing Creek is so small, she can get around on two wheels most of the time. When she needs four wheels, her family is happy to lend her a car. She always fills the tank as a thank you.

 

With so many authors writing a number of series, have you given any thought to another series?

 

Yes. I’m actually just starting work on one. In the new series, the amateur sleuth works in a record store near a college campus. Book one in the series, currently titled Record Store Reckoning, is scheduled for release in March 2022. I’ll be leaning on my younger son heavily for help with this one.

 

What’s next for Allie and her friends?

 

I’m about ready to submit book five in the series to my editor. The idea for this one, tentatively called An Unsafe Solution, comes from real life. My wife’s brother lives in the country. He told us how one time he was driving home and almost hit a gun safe that someone had dumped in the middle of the road. Well, that got me to wondering why someone would do that. That scenario forms the basis for An Unsafe Solution, which should be out in January of next year.

 

Thank you, Jim. Sounds like we have a lot to look forward to from you.

 

To learn more about J. C. Kenney and links to his books, visit https://www.jckenney.com/

 

 

  

An Interview with J. C. Kenney by E. B. Davis

Murder takes a page out of a killer’s playbook when literary agent Allie Cobb becomes her Indiana town’s number-one bestselling suspect . . .

Running the family literary business while preparing for her best friend’s wedding, chairing a park planning committee, and getting her rescue cat to bond with her boyfriend’s golden retriever doesn’t leave Allie Cobb much time for crime-solving. But when the guy who stood her up the night of her high school senior prom is killed and dumped in a pile of mulch, Allie’s suddenly the prime suspect.

​

It’s insulting enough that gambler, drunk, and all-around lowlife Georgie Alonso was found on the site of the memorial park honoring Allie’s deceased father. Now she’s fighting to clear her name and hold off a rush to judgment. But politics, decades-old secrets, and a slew of high-profile suspects make dangerous bedfellows as the eve of the park’s grand opening draws nearer. She’ll have to nab a killer soon, before her storybook life gets a bad ending . . .

https://www.jckenney.com/books

I read J. C. Kenney’s first book in the Allie Cobb mystery series, A Literal Mess, earlier this year, but Grace Topping beat me in getting an interview with him. A Genuine Fix continues Allie’s adventures in her small hometown of Rushing Creek, Indiana where she took over the literary agency started by her late father. Because the population is under 3300 people, everyone knows each other and their business, which makes for interesting circumstances in the case of murder.

Allie’s sidekick is her tortoiseshell cat, Ursi. Her boyfriend’s work keeps him out of town except on the weekends. Her sister runs a restaurant/pub. Her best friend trains for her trail runs. Her brother is the town’s superintendent of the parks department. Her mother is the local doctor. In short, Allie is the only one who doesn’t have a typical job, and her best friend is too busy. Allie can arrange her work to suit murder investigations.

When Allie finds the body of a guy she had bad experiences with in high school, and, of course, everyone knows about them, she becomes the number one suspect. The Chief of Police is her sister’s ex-husband, which can make dealing with him problematic. But Allie also has her cozy side and creature comforts that take the edge off her investigative discoveries.

Please welcome back J. C. Kenney to WWK.                                  _____                                     E. B. Davis

Sloane, Allie’s best friend, is marrying Allie’s brother, Luke. Does that make Allie uncomfortable? If anything happened, she’d probably lose her BF.

She couldn’t be more thrilled. Sloane’s had a crush on Luke for years and Allie’s always thought they would make a great couple. Allie also wants Sloane to be happy. If Luke makes her happy, Allie’s all for it.

They go to the Brown County Diner, where the pie varieties are seasonal depending on what fruit is in season. Does Indiana have cooking apples? Green and so tart sugar must be added. They don’t taste good to bite into. Like Rambos?

Indiana definitely has cooking apples, but they don’t come into season until September. My wife has an apple peeler/corer that she uses to make apple pies and cobblers. Her apples of choice for cooking are Galas.

Angela Miller, the diner’s owner, is running for mayor against the incumbent Mayor Larry Cannon. Why is Allie supporting Angela’s campaign against Larry?

I get into this a little bit in Allie Cobb book 1, A Literal Mess. The Millers and Cobbs have been family friends for decades. When Allie was in high school, she babysat Angela’s children. While she respects the job Larry has done as mayor, she thinks the world of Angela. It’s not so much being against Larry as being for Angela, in a big way.

Sloane is a professional trail runner. Is there such a thing? Does it pay?

There is! You can find more about trail running at https://trailrunner.com. Elite level trail runners can make a living at it, often through endorsement deals. Sloane knows she’s unlikely to make much money at it, but she’s very good with her money. She’s fortunate in that as the sole heir of a best-selling author, she doesn’t have to rely on her trail running income to get by.

Allie finds the body of murder victim Georgie Alonso at the park, which will be named after Sloane and Allie’s fathers. What did Georgie do in high school that contributes to the suspicion that she murdered him?

All through her school-age years, Allie had a thing for Georgie. She was attracted to his bad-boy attitude, despite knowing he would never be interested in a quiet, bookworm like she was. When they were seniors Georgie asked Allie to be his date for the prom. The night of the event, he stood her up, then made fun of her about it the next school day. Word got around town how he humiliated her, which made things even worse. Allie never forgave Georgie, so that’s one reason she’s a suspect in the murder.

Matt Roberson, the police chief and Allie’s ex brother-in-law, makes Allie take two tests to help her prove she couldn’t have committed the murder. What were they and how did they prove she couldn’t have committed the murders?

One of the pieces of evidence in the case is a heavy-duty lock that has been cut open with a bolt cutter. The murderer cut the lock to gain access to a truck that was used in the murder. Matt doesn’t believe Allie is the murderer, but since she found the body and had a bad history with the deceased, Matt wants to thorough in ruling her out as a suspect. The way he does this is by giving Allie a similar bolt cutter and lock and having her demonstrate whether she can cut through the lock. She’s unable to do it, despite her best efforts, which is all the evidence Matt needs to clear Allie.

What caused Allie and her sister, Rachel, to have such a bad relationship?

Rachel is two years older than Allie, so when she was young, Allie wanted to be like her older sister. Rachel and Allie are very different, though, so Rachel looked at Allie as her annoying, nerdy little sister. Rachel, who was very attractive, and her friends often made fun of Allie and her bookish ways. Over time, Allie resented the treatment she got from Rachel. As a teenager, Allie wasn’t emotionally mature enough to ignore the behavior, so it wasn’t until years later, Allie and Rachel began to work through their issues.

Brent, Allie’s boyfriend, installs genealogy equipment in local libraries. What is genealogy equipment, and what does it do?

Basically, it’s computer hardware and software designed to help people research their family histories. Over the last decade or so, there’s been a surge in interest in finding out where we come from. Commercial sites like Ancestry.com have done great work to facilitate the search for our roots. Not everyone may have access to paid commercial sites, so libraries have stepped in by offering searchable databases that can be used free of charge.

Sloane went from rags to riches after she inherited from her father. How does she feel about her change in economic status?

She has mixed feelings. After years of alcohol abuse, her father had finally sobered up and they were beginning to build a health relationship. So, on one hand, Sloane regrets having her father taken away from her just as things were getting good. On the other hand, her inheritance allowed her to pursue trail running full-time, so she appreciates her good financial position and the opportunities she now has.

Georgie sued an old boss because he had a wreck on the job driving a truck and got injured. But after the accident, he failed a drug test. But even so, he still was awarded money. Why wouldn’t being under the influence mitigate his getting an award?

This is a great question. Georgie was never one to take responsibility for his actions, so when he was fired, he claimed the reason his employment was terminated wasn’t because he failed a drug test, it was in retaliation for filing a workplace injury claim. There was enough of a question about who was right, that the company’s insurance carrier decided to settle the case instead of taking a chance of losing at trial. It was a decision that Georgie’s former boss wasn’t happy about. Which is how he ended up a suspect in Georgie’s murder.

Is Rugrats still on TV?

Sure is. Several subscription services carry it. Allie watches it on Hulu.

Allie doesn’t trust people, unlike Sloane, who Allie thinks is naïve, or her mother, who always thinks the best of everyone. What contributed to her distrust? Was Allie treated unfairly growing up? Does she have a complex about it? A chip on her shoulder?

I think Sloan exudes a childlike zest for life, an innate joyfulness, that Allie admires. Having said that, Allie’s trust issues come from what she perceived as being bullied growing up. She never really found her niche in Rushing Creek, so her distrustfulness came about as a defense mechanism. To her trust is something that must be earned, not freely given.

  

What is it about walking that helps Allie think?

First off, the exercise is good for her. It also helps her clear her mind, so thoughts and ideas can come and go freely. Most of all, she enjoys it. It puts her in a good mood. When she feels good, she’s a lot more productive.

What is a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt Chart is a tool used in project planning. It’s kind of a cross between a spreadsheet and a calendar. The chart allows someone to plan out a large project, like a home remodeling job, from start to finish. Each individual task can be included in the overall chart at the appropriate time. The chart is used by project managers to make sure tasks are being completed on time, and on budget.

I was confused by your use of the word “subpoena” in getting records of a victim. Why wouldn’t the police get a “warrant” from a judge?

In Indiana, a subpoena is used by the court to order a third party to attend a hearing and/or produce documents. A warrant would be issued by the court for an arrest or to conduct the search of a home or place of business in which a reasonable suspicion of a crime has been committed.

What’s next for Allie?

Allie and the gang will return next January, in A Mysterious Mix Up.

Murder hits the stacks when literary agent Allie Cobb investigates a fatality in the local library…
 
Allie Cobb returns home from a book conference armed with hugs for her cat and her boyfriend, and dreams of a long, hot bath. She’s also getting ready to take the plunge by hiring an intern for her expanding literary agency. But it’s one for the books when Allie finds the town’s librarian—and her longtime role model—seconds away from death on the library floor. 
 
Who would want to poison Vicky Napier—one of Rushing Creek’s most beloved citizens—on the eve of her retirement? But it seems there were toxic people in her life, like the handyman with an obsessive crush, and a wood carver with a hair-trigger temper. The list of suspects includes Allie’s boyfriend, Brent, who’s in the running to take over as town librarian. Avenging her friend’s murder could be a trap as she goes up against a killer determined to write Allie’s epitaph…

J.C. Kenney is the author of the Allie Cobb Mysteries, which are set in the fictional small town of Rushing Creek, Indiana. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife, two sons, and a snuggly kitty cat. He loves motor sports, so when he’s not writing, you can probably find him checking in on the latest from IndyCar and other forms of racing.

   

J.C. is a member of Sisters in Crime. You can find him at www.jckenney.com, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JCKenney1, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JCKenney1/, and on BookBub at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-c-kenney.  

An Interview With J. C. Kenney

by Grace Topping

Some people seem to have stereotypes in mind when they think of writers of different genres. Rough rugged men write westerns, little old ladies write cozy mysteries, and young gorgeous women write romances. Meeting writer J. C. Kenney, a male writer of romances and cozy mysteries, definitely dispels the stereotype of romance and cozy mystery writers. I had the pleasure of meeting J. C. Kenney, aka Jim Cangany, at Malice Domestic last spring, and was pleased when he agreed to tell me about his entry into the worlds of romance and cozy mystery writing. 

A Literal Mess

by J. C. Kenney

Book Jacket Copy

The first book in a new series featuring Allie Cobb brings the New York literary agent back to her Hoosier hometown where a mysterious death keeps everyone on spoiler alert . . .

Allie Cobb left home for the literary circles of Manhattan to make her name out from under the shadow of her legendary father. Now his death brings her and her rescue cat Ursula back to the southern Indiana town of Rushing Creek, population: 3,216. But a tragic new chapter hits the presses when the body of her father’s hard-drinking, #1 bestselling client is found under the historic town bridge. The local police suspect foul play and their prime candidate for murder is the author’s daughter—Allie’s longtime friend.

Determined to clear her bestie, Allie goes into fact-checking amateur detective mode while trying to ignore the usual rumormongers. Those with means, motive, and opportunity include the vic’s ex-wife, his rejected girlfriend, the mayor, and a rival agent trying to mooch clients. With a rugged genealogist distracting her and the imminent Fall Festival about to send tourists descending on their once-peaceful hamlet, Allie needs to stay alive long enough to get a read on a killer ready to close the book on a new victim: Allie . . .

www.jckenney.com

Welcome, J. C., to Writers Who Kill.

What inspired you to write a mystery with a literary agent as your main character? 

J. C. Kenney

To begin with, I want to thank you, Grace, for having me today. I appreciate it. As to your question, I chose my main character’s career based on two criteria. First, I wanted her to be able to live wherever she wanted. Doing that would give me flexibility in choosing the story’s setting. In today’s wired world, agents live all over the place. For example, my agent lives in Virginia, while I have a friend whose agent lives in Chicago. Making Allie a literary agent gave me great flexibility to choose where she wanted to live. 

Second, there aren’t many characters in the cozy mystery genre who work as literary agents. I thought it would offer readers something unusual and hopefully give them a glimpse into the real world of a literary agent. 

The Allie Cobb mystery series is the second series you’ve written. Please tell us about your other series.

Under my real name, I wrote seven contemporary romance novels. The first series comprises three books and is called The North Star Trilogy. The second series, also a trilogy, is The Irving University Series. My final romance, Start Your Engines, is set in the world of IndyCar-style racing. 

Start Your Enginesis the only one that is currently available to purchase. I have the rights to the other six novels and may publish them sometime in the future.  

As a male writer in genres overwhelmingly written by women, what has been the reaction from agents, publishers, and readers?

In the majority of cases, it’s been overwhelmingly positive. I think if you show people you respect the genre in which you’re working, whether it’s romance or cozy mystery, and have done your homework, they’ll give you a chance. I’ve done those things. At the end of the day, you have to be able to tell good stories. That’s what agents, editors, and readers want.

You’ve done an excellent job writing using a female POV. What was your secret? 

Thank you very much for the compliment. I appreciate that. What I try to do is put myself in my main character’s shoes. I want to get to know her, figure out how she thinks. What does she like? What does she dislike? 

The key for me is to spend the time to get to know a character like Allie on an individual basis, so I know her as well I know someone in my family. Once I get inside of her like that, I’m able to see the world through her eyes, and hopefully write a convincing female protagonist. 

What advice would you give to male authors interested in writing romances and cozy mysteries?

First off, make sure you’re writing in those genres because you enjoy them. If you’re doing it to chase a trend or to make money, your work will lack the luster that only comes when one is writing with the fire that comes from the heart. 

Next, read in the genres. A lot. Doing so will help you become familiar with the main tropes, whether it’s friends-to-lovers in romance or a locked room in mystery. Another thing is to surround yourself with other writers in the genres. Follow them on social media, join a local writers’ group, and take advantage of opportunities to learn from them. Writers are giving people and want to help others. 

And one last suggestion: Be kind to others. 

Which do you find more challenging to write, romances or mysteries?

They each have their unique challenges. For me, mysteries are tougher when it comes to putting the story’s structure together. From the beginning, I need to know who committed the murder, how they did it, and why they did it. Then, I have to figure out who the other suspects are and make sure I have some convincing red herrings included. Because of all that, I have to do a ton of work before I write the first word of a new story.

Romance is a challenge from the emotional end of things. A romance is often more about the journey than the destination, so I have to make sure that journey’s believable and engaging, while also making sure the hero and heroine have fought for their happily ever after ending. It’s not easy, and those who can do it well, like Kristan Higgins, for example, are absolute rock stars.

In your Allie Cobb mystery series, Allie follows in her father’s footsteps and becomes a literary agent but in NYC and not in Indiana. Why didn’t she stay in town and join her father in his agency?

This is an issue I delve into more deeply in A Genuine Fix, book two of the series. Basically, Allie felt like she never fit in while she was growing up. Other than her bestie, Sloane, she didn’t have friends. She had neither her brother’s athletic ability, nor her sister’s homecoming queen looks, so she felt like she belonged more on The Island of Misfit Toys than among the people of Rushing Creek, Indiana. Because of this, she dreamt of leaving her hometown, and the bad memories that came with it, behind, and forging her own path in a place far away.

You’ve taken Allie Cobb to NYC for her job, but you bring her back home to Indiana to solve a crime. Why not place your story in NYC where she now lives?

I live in Indianapolis and wanted to set the Allie Cobb Mysteries in my home state. By having Allie live in New York City when the story opens, I was able to explore whether she truly could go home again. It had been over ten years since she left Rushing Creek. A lot of things had changed during that time, including Allie. By having Allie return to Rushing Creek as an “outsider,” I was able give her some additional challenges on top of trying to solve a murder. As if that wasn’t enough!

Living in Indiana, it’s only natural that you would be into motorsports and a fan of Indy and Formula 1 auto racing. You’ve written romances with that backdrop, but have you thought of basing a mystery series with a racing setting?

That would be really cool. Unfortunately for me, another author is currently doing just that. The Kate Reilly Mysteries by Tammy Kaehler involves a female racecar driver who also solves mysteries. The stories are wonderful, and I don’t want to become an unintentional copycat. Though, one should never say never!

Tell us about your path to publication. Was it a smooth path or a rocky one?

For me, it’s been more of a winding road than anything. I started writing seriously in August of 2011 when I got an idea about a cross-county adventure a young man and woman take together. I had no idea that story would turn out to be a contemporary romance. On June 13, 2013, that book was published by a small press. It seemed gut wrenchingly hard at the time, but looking back, I was unbelievably fortunate to land a contract and become a published author so quickly. 

The switch from romance to cozy mystery was a big change in direction. I hadn’t planned on the career shift, but when the opportunity arose, I went after it. So, I’ve gone from an adventure writer to a romance writer to a cozy mystery writer. Hopefully, I’ll be able to stick to the cozy path for a while!

You wrote your romances using your real name, Jim Cangany. Why the switch to J. C. Kenney for mysteries?

The different name symbolizes the new direction in my writing career. In a way, I’ve completely started over, so everything is fresh, including the author name. 

Now that you’ve had a few books published, what do you wish you could tell your younger self?

So many things, but above all, celebrate the accomplishments, even the small ones. There are very few overnight successes in publishing. For most writers, success is built on a foundation of hard work that’s been years in the making. Each page written, each manuscript completed, each book published is an accomplishment in and of itself. Let yourself enjoy them. The crazy ride that an author takes is much more fun that way.

What’s next for Allie Cobb?

Allie will return in July 2019 in A Genuine Fix. When the guy who stood her up the night of her senior prom is killed and dumped in a pile of mulch, Allie’s suddenly the prime suspect. Suddenly, it’s a race against the clock to clear her name before she’s the one who ends up behind bars.

Thank you, J. C. 

A Literal Mess was released on January 8, 2019. To learn more about J. C. Kenney, visit www.jckenney.com and Jim Cangany on Facebook.