Guest Post

Guest Chick: J.C. Kenney

The Chicks are thrilled to have author pal J.C. Kenney on the blog with us again. Welcome back. J.C. will be giving away a copy of Dead in the Ditch to one lucky commenter. Take it away — J.C.! 

Hello and Happy Wednesday! It’s fabulous to be hanging with the Chicks on the Case again. Every time I visit, it’s a blast. And with the state of the world these days, we need to celebrate the good times whenever we can.

The reason I’m in a celebratory mood is because “Dead in the Ditch,” book 3 in my Elmo Simpson Mysteries series came out a couple of weeks ago. I have been absolutely overwhelmed with the continued positive response to the series. Readers seem to really love Elmo, Nic, Rambo, and the rest of the Paradise Springs oddballs.

 In addition to the fact that “Dead in the Ditch” is a fun whodunnit, it also has flamingos on the cover! My wife and I are long-time fans of the graceful, colorful birds and the book’s release gave me a chance to take my flamingo-inspired wardrobe all the way up to 11. You may want to shade your eyes before continuing with this post.

I’ve joked with folks that all I need now is a call from Marvel or DC Comics to appear on screen as The Flamingo Kid. With that get up, it’s a no-brainer, right? Whether The Flamingo Kid is a hero or villain will be left to others to decide, but I’m leaning toward hero. 

Though, if I’m honest with myself, I’m more sidekick material. Besides, the pressure that would come with being the main hero would be greater than I’m interested in dealing with. 

This idea of having an alter-ego fighting crime as The Flamingo Kid dovetails quite nicely with the opening of sequences of “Dead in the Ditch.” As the book opens, it’s Halloween and Elmo and his girlfriend Nicola are getting ready to attend the annual costume party. They’re going as the notorious crime duo Bonnie & Clyde—with a twist. You’ll have to read the book to find out what the twist is.

That got me to thinking. Which is something that makes my wife cringe, but anyway. In the spirit of Halloween, if you could be a superhero or a supervillain, which would you choose and what would your alter-ego’s name and power be? Bonus points for giving your character a backstory. I’m thinking The Flamingo Kid’s power would be overwhelming the villain’s sense of vision with that colorful suit. 

I’m giving away an ebook (pdf or epub) copy of “Dead in the Ditch” to a random commenter. So, spill the beans. If we get enough characters, maybe we can start our own series of comics. You know, something like “The Adventures of Magnifying Glass Margaret and The Flamingo Kid take on The Nefarious Nutters of Squirrel Square.” 

By the way, a group of flamingos is known as a flamboyance. With that in mind, let your flamboyant flag fly, and until next time, bubbles up!

J.C. Kenney is the bestselling author of mysteries full of oddball characters in unusual settings, including The Allie Cobb Mysteries, The Darcy Gaughan Mysteries, and the Elmo Simpson Mysteries. He’s the co-host of The Bookish Hour and A Bookish Moment webcasts and contributed to the “Writing the Cozy Mystery” anthology, which won the 2025 Agatha Award and was nominated for the 2025 Anthony Award for non-fiction.

When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He has two grown children and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and a cat. You can find him at https://www.jckenney.com/. 

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

  1. Great post, J.C.! Loved it! True story, I’ve often wondered what superpowers I’d have if I were a superhero. All the good ones seem to be taken. I love Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth and Superman’s ability to burn things with his eyes and Green Lantern’s ability to create protective domes. So many to choose from. I’m going to give this one more thought and come back. Ha!

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    1. I hear you, Patricia. When I was a kid, I was a fan of The Flash because he was so fast. It sure would make my commute to the day job easier. And thanks for the kind words about the suit. Cheers!🦩

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  3. JC, we’re thrilled to have you as our guest today! And your Elmo Simpson series is da bomb–they literally light up my bookcase. Congrats on Dead in the Ditch–it’s on my Memorial Day Weekend reading list! So…I’ll play. Here’s my, uh, superhero:

    Name: The Green Herring (Tagline: Don’t look at her, she didn’t do it!)

    Hapless mystery writer by day, The Green Herring moonlights as a crime-solving trickster who sows confusion in the minds of characters, evildoers, and virtuous readers alike. Often found in Irish pubs. Bitten by the nefarious Mystery Bug as a child.

    Powers:

    Confusion Field; Snark; Compulsive Overexplaining–Like Flossie Bobbsey and Bess Marvin, she can stall any villain with a long, crazy story that makes them surrender.

    Gadget: Handheld Plot Hole Generator

    Weaknesses: Loves to follow the wrong suspect. Also, allergic to cats.

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    2. I want The Green Herring in my corner! Absolutely brilliant, Lisa, especially the Compulsive Over explaining power. Sláinte! ☘️

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  4. Veronica Swift Race car driver and baker. Her superpower is lightning fast reflexes she can take her car to light speed if it could hold up to the friction. So she bakes in her spare time while solving cases that seems to be unusual since they involve the mafia and are often undercover. Thank you Deborah deborahortega229@yahoo.com

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  5. J.C., you know I’m a fan of the series – and that suit! Superhero or villain. Hmmm… well, I’ve always wished I could instantly speak and understand every language. I don’t know a good superhero name for that, though. Linguawomen?

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    1. That would be so cool, Ellen! Both practical and useful on both sides of the hero vs. villain fence. She would also dress super fashionably!

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  6. When we were kids my brother’s super hero name for me was Pezley of America, so I’m sticking with that one: a punk eight-year-old in a ratty sweatshirt and canvas tennis shoes who saves the world.

    Thanks so much for bringing some flamingos to join the Chicks today, dear. J.C., and congrats on the new book–yippee!

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  7. Hurrah, J.C.! Love the great response to your series—and the flamingo attire! 🦩I’m not sure what superheroine I’d be, but I definitely wanted the powers of teleportation or flight as a kid. Or can I have a ton of powers like Jack-Jack in The Incredibles?

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  8. J.C.! I am in awe of your flamingo suit. I have a jumpsuit with bananas on it and for a while it became, as the kids say, my entire personality. So I’m going with a supervillain named the Banana Bandit. I’m out to cause mayhem and destruction by harnessing the world’s potassium stores.

    We should plan an entire party at one of the cons around our respective outfits! Loud patterns, unite!!

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    1. The Banana Bandit, Marla, is genius! I can see images of you tossing out banana peels from your banana shaped car while The Banana Boat Song plays on the loudspeakers. 🍌

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  9. Congrats on the new book. A flamboyance of flamingos. Love it. Is that the full suit that went with the jacket I saw at Malice?

    I would be a sidekick – the faithful research assistant who never leaves home and her computer, but can find ANYTHING in the blink of an eye and a few taps on the keyboard. That way I don’t have to dress up and can hang in my yoga pants and a T-shirt. 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Liz! Yep, that’s the full suit in all of its flamboyance. 😉 I love your sidekick role. It reminds me of Jason Schwartzman’s role in the new Equalizer show.

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  11. I feel like I’m more of an observer. Not sure I would even want to be a side kick. Not sure accounting is a skill that would be useful, either.

    Congrats on book three!

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  12. Great post! I’d want to be someone who harnesses the power of the moon. I love moonflowers, so my name would be Moonflower. I haven’t decided if I want to use my powers for good or evil . . .

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    1. The Moonflower, I adore that, Mary! The power of the moon, mysterious and just a little bit threatening. The Flamingo Kid will not be doing anything to annoy The Moonflower! 🌛

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