Today’s my birthday, and this is a big one. I turn sixty today, and I’ve been feeling old. I told my husband I just wanted to ignore it and treat today like any other day. My thought was turning sixyt-one might be easier.
I’ve never really worried about turning a specific age before. I do remember turning thirty, and BOTH my mom and brother said they weren’t sure how they felt about ME turning thirty. Haha!
Last week it came to my attention Amy Grant turned sixty in November. I also learned Robin Robers and George Stephanopoulous just turned sixty too. So, I decided to do a little search for others my age.
Did you know Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, and Antonio Banderas turned sixty last year? What about women? Valerie Bertinelli, Julianne Moore, and Jennifer Gray are a few to note.
Next I looked at who was born in 1961. Woody Harrelson wasn’t a surprise because I met in my freshman year at Hanover College. Meg Ryan, Toby Keith, Nadia Comaneci, Wayne Gretzky, and George Clooney.
None of these people seem old, so I’m going to take a big breath and slowly exhale. I can handle turning sixty with grace.
Thanks for letting me ramble. I’d love to hear if you ever struggled with a birthday.
While raising my sons, I didn’t have time to watch much TV. I’d heard of Monk, but until COVID forced us to social distance, I had seen very few episodes.
I first discovered Tony Shaloub when he acted on Wings, and he always made me laugh.
I watched every episode of Monk at least once in 2020, and I decided it’d be fun to share some of my favorite quotes.
“We’re going to follow the money. Mmm! Ahh! I’ve always wanted to say that.” Season 1 Mr. Monk Meets the Candidate.
“You’ve gotta be a little skeptical, Sharona. Otherwise, you end up believing in everything—UFOs, elves, income tax rebates.” Mr. Monk and the Psychic
“I’m as sure as I can be…without, any, you know, proof.” Mr. Monk and the Psychic
Sharona Fleming: “I bet you had lots of notes from your doctor.”
Adrian Monk: “As a matter of fact, I did. I had a whole separate binder.” Mr. Monk and the Marathon Man
“I don ‘t mind change. I just don’t like to be there when it happens.” Mr. Monk and the Other Woman
There are also some great quotes he said more than once.
“It’s a gift, and a curse.”
“I could be wrong. Which I’m not.”
“Here’s what happened.”
“He’s the guy.”
“I’m half-man, half-wuss. I’m a muss.”
Do you have a favorite Monk quote? I’d love to hear. Did you binge watch a TV show during COVID?
Thanks for stopping by and spending a little time with me today. I hope you have an amazing day!
Leah’s theme on The Cozy Ink Podcast is, “Let’s Get Cozy.” I had the honor of being on Leah’s podcast in 2020. She’s warm, friendly, and a lot of fun.
Leah began the Cozy Ink Podcast as a platform to connect cozy mystery readers cozy authors. She has introduced new books to readers, held an online conference, and read short stories.
Stephanie Graves, Carlene O’Connor, Nancy Coco, Lynn Cahoon and many more authors have been on Cozy Ink Podcast. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you don’t want to miss Leah’s podcast. Here’s the link: https://cozyink.buzzsprout.com/
I met J. C. Kenney at Malice Domestic in May 2019. Dawn Dowdle is our agent, and J. C. spoke at the new author breakfast. This was before COVID was a thought, and he always had a smile on his face. I’m such an introvert, his ease with others impressed me. J. C. agreed to join us today.
Welcome, J. C., thanks for joining us.
Hi, Jackie! It’s a thrill to be visiting with you today to chat about A Deadly Discovery.
Where is the setting? How did you decide to pick it? A Deadly Discovery is the fourth book in my Allie Cobb Mysteries series. It’s set in the fictional southern Indiana town of Rushing Creek. It’s based on the real town of Nashville, which was established in the mid-1800’s as an artists’ colony. For decades, it’s been a quaint community and a tourist community. I live an hour north of Nashville, Indiana and visit often. I think it’s an ideal place to serve as the model for a cozy mystery community.
How long have you been writing? I started writing regularly in 2011. For years, I’d wanted to write a book, but had never come up with an idea that kept me going beyond the first few pages. It all changed in August 2011 when an idea popped into my head and wouldn’t let go. A Deadly Discovery is the eleventh book I’ve had published. It’s been a crazy ride!
Did you always dream of writing or have you always worked as an author? Writing has always been a big part of my day job career, even though that’s been more on the technical end. For example, for my current day job I’m in charge of my company’s policies and procedures. While that’s a quite different discipline from creative fiction writing, I think technical writing has helped me with things like clarity, grammar, and conciseness.
What are your hobbies? Reading’s my number one hobby. All my life, I’ve loved to read. I stick mostly to fiction for the escape from reality.
Do you have a favorite character? If you could spend a day with this person, what would you enjoy doing? Allie’s best friend, Sloane Winchester, is probably my favorite character. She’s such a kind soul and is so upbeat. It would be a pleasure to simply hang out with her and revel in her bubbly personality.
Do you have a favorite beach or vacation spot? I love the Florida Gulf Coast. It’s easy to get there from Indianapolis, whether its by plane or car. For my money, the soft, white beaches can’t be beat.
Is there a place you’ve always longed to visit? I’m of Irish heritage so someday my wife and I hope to visit Ireland. My parents vacationed there in 1979. To this day, I remember how excited they were to take that trip.
Have you been to the Indy 500? I’m a big fan of IndyCar and the 500, in particular. I attended my first race in 1977, the year A.J. Foyt won his fourth race. It was really cool to be a part of that. I’ve only missed one 500 in the last ten years. It’s a big deal in my household!
Do you have a pet? What about the cat in your book? I do! Maria is a Russian Blue cat who is also known as the Princess of the House. She’s a rescue and has been with us since February 2014, so almost seven years. She has me totally wrapped around her little kitty paw. I based Ursula, the Cat in the Allie Cobb Mysteries, on Maria. I’m a total cat guy, so it’s tons of fun including felines in my books.
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…
J. C., thanks for joining us today.
If you’d like to reach out to J. C. Kenney, you can find him in the following places.
I won’t get political here during these turbulant times. Recently I shared my goal to show more compassion to others in 2021. Martin Luther King Jr. believed the only way to change society was to show compassion to others.
When I chose compassion as my word for the year, I didn’t have him in mind. After a year of tragedies, I saw people hurting and decided we could all benefit from receiving compassion from others.
“True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.” Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr Day 2021 will be celebrated differently.
We’re still social distancing and wearing masks where I live, but my goal for today is to find one person to show kindness and compassion to today.
What about you? How will you celebrate Martin Luther King Day?
Definition of compassion according to Merriam-Webster is : sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.
The Bible has many verses on compassion.
1 Peter 3:8 says, “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
Martin Luther King, Jr. is well known for his compassionate nature.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” ― Plato
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” ― Aesop
“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” ― Albert Einstein
In 2020, we saw horrible events in the news. In 2021, I plan to reflect on compassion. I may not change the world, but maybe I can help one person.
This year I’ve tried to find the best way to reach out to readers. I’ve started a newsletter, and I’d love to hear what you think about it.
The December newsletter will include a favorite family recipe for apple casserole.
Do you read author newsletters? Or are they one more thing to delete from your inbox? Would you rather learn about authors on social media? What’s your favorite format?
Here’s the link to sign up for my newsletter if you’re interested. I’ll only email you once a month or less.
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I’d like to thank all of you who’ve recommended my books to others. Whether you’ve done it by word of mouth, social media, Goodreads or Bookbub, thank you. If you’ve left me a comment on book-selling webistes, thank you. I appreciate your support!
Recently Sherida Stewart posted a recommendation and review on Bookbub. I don’t have a big marketing budget, and it means more than you can imagine when readers step up with reviews and recommendations.
Sherida even listed her favorite quote: “You push me to be a better person, without even realizing what you’re doing.”
I wanted to let you know, I’m still married after another NaNoWriMo! Tim is always supportive of my writing.
We took walks on the beach in November.
Besides writing, we were able to meet our newest grandson, we hung out with my youngest son and his wife, and I even got to play disk golf with my oldest son. Considering we’re still living through COVID-19, I felt blessed to see part of my family.
Here’s the newest member of our family. He’s got a sweet temperament, and we’re all in love with the little guy.
It’s rare for my kids to get together now that we’re so far apart, making this time even more special.
Bill taught me to play disk golf and never complained about how bad I was.
In case you’re not convinced I finished writing 50,000 words on the fourth book of A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series, I did complete NaNoWriMo! Normally my books are 75,000 words, so I continue to write. But I consider November a success.
Jackie Layton 