It’s so fun to introduce new to me authors and J.C. Kenney is no exception. His tale of making a leap is fascinating.
J.C.: Hi, folks! Thanks so much for stopping by. I’m thrilled to visit with you and the Wicked Authors today.
While A Literal Mess is my first cozy, it’s not my first book. Prior to A Literal Mess, writing under a different name, I published seven novels and a short story in a different genre. My career was headed in the right direction and I was having a lot of fun writing those stories. I had a good thing going.
At this point, I’m sure you’re asking if things were going well, why switch? It all came down something I’m sure we can all identify with. Without boring you with the details, I was presented with a choice. I could keep doing what I was doing, or I could begin a new adventure. I chose the latter.
I took a leap of faith. (That’s not me in the picture, by the way.)
With no idea how things would turn out, I said no to an offer to write two more books in my former genre and dove deep into the fun and crazy world of cozy mysteries. Over the years, I’d read the exploits of sleuths from Sherlock Holmes to Stephanie Plum, so I wasn’t exactly wading into uncharted waters.
It was still scary, though, like packing my things and moving across country for a new job. While there’s a certain level of familiarity with the new neighborhood, almost everything is new. Instead of meeting new co-workers, I would be meeting new authors. In place of the old “office,” my new workplace involved researching things like death by drowning and the scientific term for suffocation.
I thought I could handle this new job, but I didn’t know for sure. All I could do was get to work.
And have faith.
Well, almost two years after making the decision to forge a new path, I’m thrilled to say the decision has worked out as well as I could have hoped. The reception to A Literal Mess has been overwhelmingly positive. I’ve met the most amazing and kind authors, including the Wickeds. I’ve studied “interesting” topics from poisonous plants to how to escape from having your hands duct taped together.
And the fun’s just beginning. The next Allie Cobb Mystery, a Genuine Fix, arrives July 16, 2019, which just happens to be my late father’s birthday. Go figure.
Will writing cozy mysteries work out for me in the long run? I don’t know. But I sure hope so. After all, isn’t the journey into the unknown one of the things that makes life so interesting? To me it is.
So, how about you? What decision have you faced that change your life in unexpected ways? We’ve all had them. Tell me about yours.
In closing, I want to thank Sherry Harris for the invitation to hang out with you all today and to all of the Wicked Authors for their amazing work. Until we meet again, wishing you sunny skies and warm breezes!
Find out more at www.jckenney.com.