Guest Post

Guest Chick: J.C. Kenney

Jennifer here, and I’m welcoming J.C. back to the blog. Cheers for an ardent Chicks on the Case fan and a fun shirt enthusiast. Special congrats to J.C. on his 31st wedding anniversary!

31…and Counting!

Hi, friends! It’s always a thrill to be back hanging out with the Chicks on the Case, especially today. You see, today is special because it is the 31st anniversary of the best day of my life. The day I said, “I do,” to my favorite person in the world, my wife Nancy.

How it Started

Just look at that picture. Good golly, were we ever really that young?

On that day, May 18, 1991, we enjoyed sunny weather, the company of friends and family, and one whale of a reception. Shoot, even our cat Jake got into the spirit. That morning, before we headed for the church, he returned from his morning prowl with a baby bunny in his mouth and took it straight to Nancy. After the shock, we recognized it for what it was – a wedding present from our feline roommate. How thoughtful, right!?!

BTW, the bunny wasn’t dead. I got it outside before it suffered any permanent damage. Once free, it escaped to safety under some nearby bushes. No doubt with its own story to tell of that day.

Since then, we’ve had our share of adventures as we’ve made the trek from young newlyweds to one of the last couples still standing during the anniversary dance at our neighbor’s recent wedding. That includes moving six times during our first nine years as a married couple. When we moved into our current home, twenty-two years ago, I swore I’d never move again. So far, so good on that edict. Though the yard work isn’t nearly as enjoyable as it used to be!

Like any couple, Nancy and I have had our fair share of ups in the last 31 years. We both got our Master’s Degrees. Our older child, Shea, was born in 1996. The younger, Aidan, in 2001. We watched the Indianapolis Colts bring home the city’s first Super Bowl Championship ever and the Chicago Cubs, Nancy’s favorite baseball team, win their first World Series in over 100 years. This past February, we got to take a bucket list trip and spent a week in Puerto Rico. Talk about the best of times!

There were even a few years where we got all fancy and attended a Holiday Ball that raised money to buy Christmas presents for kids in need. That’s us at the 2012 event. Pretty fancy, huh?

And like all couples, we’ve been through our share of downs, too. Parents and friends have passed away. On May 1, 2009, Nancy was diagnosed with breast cancer. The months that followed were some of the toughest in our lives, both physically and emotionally. I spent the summer of 2011 slipping into a deep hole of depression that almost cost me my life. Then, in June 2013, Shea attempted to take their own life. Talk about the worst of times!

We made it through those bleak days in large part by leaning on each other. I’m pleased to report we’re all still together, hopefully ready to take on whatever the future has in store for us.

Thinking about the good, the bad, and the in between makes me proud that Nancy and my marriage is something that’s lasted, that’s had staying power.

Definitely more staying power than my formerly dark head of hair! lol

How it’s Going

It also got me pondering other things that have lasted. As an author, those musings naturally lead to the written word. The Gutenberg Bible, considered the first mass produced book, was printed in 1455 and type-set books have been with us ever since! There are still 48 copies around today, though not all are complete. Imagine having one of those in your book collection!

The U.S Constitution was ratified in 1788 and is still around over 230 years later. The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie’s first novel, was published over 100 years ago. Between the recent adaptations of Death on the Nile and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, I don’t think her influence will be waning any time soon.

A few other things with staying power? How about the Pyramids of Giza, at 4,500 years old, give or take a decade or two! The Mona Lisa has been looking at us with that enigmatic smile for over 500 years. A little closer to home, that quintessential form of American music, jazz, came out of New Orleans (please tip your hats to our NOLA devotee, Ellen Byron) 130 years or so ago. In my hometown, the Indianapolis 500 Race is over 100 years old, having first been run in 1911.

In our world, a lot of things come and go. Remember leaded gas, Beta format videocassettes, and Waldenbooks? All gone. Sometimes, though, through hard work, some faith, and a lot of love, something manages to last for a long time.

Like Nancy and I being each other’s partner in crime for the last 31 years. That’s something I’ll take any day of the year.

How about you? Tell me about something that deserves a shout out for having some staying power? And raise a glass with me. Cheers to 31 years of being happily married! And hoping this ride lasts as long as possible.

J.C. Kenney is the bestselling author of The Allie Cobb Mysteries and The Darcy Gaughan Mysteries. Record Store Reckoning, the first Darcy Gaughan Mystery, came out in March 2022. A Parting Shot, his final Allie Cobb Mystery, was published on April 19. You can find all of his novels wherever books are sold. To learn more, visit his website at www.jckenney.com

In her final case, amateur sleuth Allie Cobb has to track down a vengeful killer from the past before they wreck her future . . .

With her wedding just around the corner, Kickboxing Crusader Allie Cobb decides it’s time to hang up her sleuthing cap for good. But when an affable local cop on the verge of retirement is shot dead at the town’s Fourth of July picnic, Allie can’t help but reconsider her decision. And with everyone at the festivities a potential witness, the police have their hands full and are more than happy to accept Allie’s help.

Certain that the murder has its roots in one of the policeman’s old arrests, Allie begins digging into his past and discovers a surprising history of clashes with regional drug dealers and a local gambling ring. But then her investigation unearths a more alarming possibility that hits much closer to home, and Allie will have to bend a few rules to break the case and bring down a killer . . .

54 thoughts on “Guest Chick: J.C. Kenney”

  1. JC, you are in my TBR mountain, I swear!

    First, Happy 31st Anniversary! I wish you at least 31 more!

    Second, I fully understand about Nancy’s cancer. My late wife had 6 separate bouts of cancer over 7 years. May you never have to deal with that again!

    Lastly, as for staying power- I’m going with my family and inner circle of friends. My 7th grade reading teacher turned into my BFF! 40 years in September! I’d be lost without them. I’m blessed to have them. And yes, I’m including the fur people family members too.

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  2. Congrats on your 31 years, JC. My wife Terri and I will celebrate 30 years on Memorial Day weekend.

    In addition to my own mystery series, I write Sherlock Holmes stories. Talk about your staying power! One of the anthologies I write for has published over 700 new stories about the Great Detective since 2015. I’m sure Sir Arthur never realized what he had created when he published A Study in Scarlet in 1887.

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    1. Congratulations to you and your wife, Tom! Yeah, Sherlock Holmes, there is some serious staying power. So many wonderful stories!

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  3. Happy anniversary! 31 years is an amazing accomplishment. I’m glad you’re still enjoying life together. And I’m doubly glad you (and Shea) made it through those dark days, and Nancy is still here after her cancer diagnosis. Congrats on your latest release and may the end of this series only mark the beginning of bigger and better things for you!

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  5. Fantastic reflections on the events and emotions that hold long-lasting marriages together. My best to you and your “bestie” for many more years to come!

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  6. Happy anniversary to you and Nancy, J.C.! Being married for 31 years and dealing with life’s ups and downs together is a wonderful accomplishment.

    Here in Ottawa, Canada, today’s big event is the arrival of Prince Charles and Camilla. They are here to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 70th (Platinum) anniversary on the throne. Talk about longevity! She is slowing down (a bit) at age 96. But I saw a video clip of her opening the new Elizabeth Line on the London Tube yesterday. Her radiant smile & bright yellow outfit made a statement.

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  8. Happy anniversary, JC! My husband and I will celebrate 26 years this August.

    As for staying power, how about the printed book? Rumors of its demise (remember when ebooks were going to take over the world?) were greatly exaggerated.

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    1. Congratulations in advance on 26 years, Liz! And you are so right about printed books. My current read is a hardback I got at Malice. Cheers!

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  9. Happy anniversary! What a great post. Duane & I will celebrate 51 this month. Like you said, “The day I said, ‘I do,’ to my favorite person in the world…” Aren’t we the lucky ones! I’m so happy for you and Nancy.

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  11. Happy Anniversary to you and Nancy, JC! We’re going on 38 this year.

    One of the things very long-lived at our house (where we’ve lived for 32 years) is the crabgrass! Man-o-man, if we could bottle *that* anti-aging potion we’d be RICH!

    My prediction is that not only will print books stick around forever, but so will ebooks. Hope so anyway.

    Thanks for visiting with us today!

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    1. Thanks, Becky! and I totally hear you on the crab grass thing. I think if we didn’t have any of that, we wouldn’t have much of anything for a yard, except maybe dandelions! lol

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  12. Happiest of anniversaries to you and Nancy, my dear J.C.! Sounds like quite the wild ride, but how fabulous to have such an amazing partner along with you for it! As for longevity, Robin and I still have a Beta-Max machine which we occasionally pull out to play old tapes, and we have some 2,000 LPs, as well.

    Congrats on the new books, and thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today–we love you!

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    1. Oh, vinyl! Indeed. I have a bunch too. It was always a bit surreal when my teenagers discovered all the records I loved in high school, and songs I hadn’t heard in years began wafting up from the basement.

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    2. Thanks so much, Leslie. You and all the Chicks are the best! That is too cool and you and Robin have a Beta-Max. At one time, I had about 500 LPs. Vinyl’s rebound has been so much fun to see!

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  13. JC, what a beautiful post—congratulations on your and Nancy’s ongoing journey. And I’m loving reading everyone’s comments. I’d like to add that we adore having you here on the blog, as a guest or just hanging out with us—it means so much to us Chicks. And congrats as well on Parting Shot—another amazing journey. What are you working on next for us readers, JC?

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    1. You’re too kind, Lisa! Getting to hang out with you all is always a great time. As for the future, readers can be on the lookout for Darcy Gaughan Mysteries book 2, Guitar Slinger Slaying next March. I’m also working on a project set in the Florida Panhandle that has a heavy Jimmy Buffett influence. Stay tuned for more details!

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  14. Happy anniversary! That’s absolutely wonderful!

    I’ve been in my condo for 18.5 years. (Just the thought of moving frightens me.) I’ve been reviewing online for 21 years now.

    And a well timed something that didn’t last. I started watching season 6 of Murder, She Wrote over the weekend, and the ads on the first DVD in my set was for HDDVD. Remember the format war between that and Blu-Ray. As they were talking about how you can future proof your collection by getting the HDDVD set that included a DVD I had to laugh since, if you bought those, you’d wind up getting the Blu-Ray set a couple years later.

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    1. Mark, thank you for all of your years supporting authors through your reviewing and blogging. I appreciate it so much!
      I had totally forgotten about HDDVD and the battle between that and Blu-Ray. My, how time flies!

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  15. Happy, Happy Anniversary – here’s to the next 31! A happy marriage may be the closest thing to heaven on earth. Celebrated 52 years in January and I don’t know that I’d change a thing!

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    1. Thanks so much, Mary. And a big three cheers to you for 52 years! That is truly something to be celebrated!

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  16. Happy anniversary, J.C. — and thanks for sharing a bit of your story with us today! Hope you and Nancy have a lovely day!
    This year makes 34 years for hubs and me!

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    1. 34! Nice, Vickie! It’s been so much fun having folks check in with more years together than Nancy and me. Cheers!

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  17. I got so lost commenting on all the comments that I forgot to respond to your post and question.

    All the congrats and warm wishes on your anniversary, J.C.! Thank you for being on the Chicks again!

    What has staying power? The power of reading. It helps me through anything/everything!

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    1. Jean, you and the Chicks are so kind. I treasure the time spent with you all, both virtual and IRL. And you are so right about reading having staying power. It’s timeless, something we get to pass from generation to generation. May we all enjoy reading for millenia to come!

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  18. J.C., apologies for not commenting sooner! I was traveling all day, returning a week of bittersweet celebrations for Eliza’s college graduation. Congrats on your anniversary! I LOVED your post! Thank goodness you made it through the tough times. I don’t know what the mystery community would do without you!

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    1. Thanks so much, Ellen! And three cheers to Eliza and the rest of your family on her graduation. Best wishes to her future adventures!

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  19. Aw, J.C.!! Your post both warmed and touched my heart. Happy, happy anniversary to you and Nancy. What a blessing to have such lasting love and partnership. ❤

    My thing-that's-lasted shout out goes to my best friend. We met in first grade and have been besties ever since. I'm thankful for her every darn day.

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