Bastille Day with J. C. Kenney #WordWranglers

The Wranglers are excited to have our friend J. C. Kenney today, here to talk about Bastille Day AND his new Allie Cobb release, The Dead of Winter. Jim's one of our favorite guests, so please make him welcome!

Hi, folks and Happy Bastille Day, also known as French Independence Day! When I’m not writing, I enjoy watching pro bike racing, so I spend a good portion of the month of July glued to the TV following the Tour de France. The stunning scenery, the fervent fans cheering alongside the roads, and the incredible exploits of the cyclists are all sights to behold. A lot of folks have said over the years that le Tour is basically a three-week ad for French tourism. Well, as my younger kiddo likes to say, they’re not wrong. Visiting France during the Tour is one of the top items on my bucket list. Thus, today’s tip of the hat to our French friends!

I’ve learned so much about France, Europe, and points beyond in my decades watching La Grande Boucle, or Great Loop, for us English-speaking folks. One of the things I learned was that France celebrates its Independence Day on July 14 to commemorate the day in 1789 that the Bastille, a Parisian jail, was attacked. The storming of the Bastille is considered the first act of the French Revolution.

Thinking about Bastille Day got me pondering when other countries observe their own Independence Days. That’s the thing about writers, we’re always wondering about things, and especially how we can work things we’ve learned into one of our books. LOL! Here are when our neighbors celebrate their Independence Days.

Our friends to the north celebrate Canada Day on July 1. It commemorates the forming of the Canadian Confederation on July 1, 1867.

South of the border, Independence Day isn’t celebrated on Cinco de Mayo. I didn’t know that until a few years ago. Mexico’s Independence Day is actually celebrated on September 16, the day back in 1810 that the Grito de Delores, the battle cry for independence from Spain, was first spoken.

I’m of Irish heritage, so I wanted to find out when the Republic of Ireland observes its independence from the United Kingdom. I was surprised to learn that home of The Wearing o’ the Green doesn’t have a specific Independence Day. They gave us all St. Patrick’s Day, though, so no complaints there.

Learning about other cultures is one of the things I love about being a writer. It helps me give my characters full and rich backgrounds, just like we have in real life. Having characters celebrate holidays and special occasions makes them more real. Hopefully, that also gives readers more reasons to care about them.

For example, in my Allie Cobb Mysteries, Allie gets together with her family for a picnic in the town’s main park every July Fourth. It’s a tradition I’m as a key plot point in the Allic Cobb mystery I’m currently writing. In my most recent mystery, The Dead of Winter, Allie enjoys going sledding with her twin niece and nephew. Again, that pastime leads to the discovery of a clue that helps Allie figure out who murdered the local taxidermist.

So, how about you, friends? Is there a holiday that’s your favorite or carries special significance in your family? Do you observe a tradition that’s been passed down from generation to generation? If so, tell me about them. And until next time, Vive la France!

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J.C. Kenney is the Amazon and Kobo bestselling author of The Allie Cobb Mysteries. His debut, A Literal Mess, was a finalist for a Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers' Association in mystery fiction. When he's not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife, two children, and a cat named Maria who is the inspiration for Allie’s fur baby Ursi. You can find him at www.jckenney.com on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JCKenney1 , on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JCKenney1 , and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/j.c.kenney/ .

More about The Dead of Winter:

When her brother calls to say he’s been in an accident and needs her help, literary agent and amateur sleuth Allie Cobb doesn’t hesitate to go to him. And though she’s worried for his safety, her concern turns to confusion when she learns that he ran his truck into a ditch to avoid hitting a large safe sitting in the middle of the road. Stranger still, when the safe is opened, police discover the grisly remains of the local gun club president.

All the evidence indicates the dead man was poisoned by lethal injection, and that the drugs could only have come from Allie’s favorite veterinarian. Determined to prove the woman’s innocence, Allie’s digging reveals that the victim’s wife may have wanted him out of the picture, and also that he was embroiled in a long-running dispute with a local businessman. With no shortage of suspects and a very ominous sense of danger lurking around her, Allie will have to watch her back, because until the killer is caught, nobody’s safe . . .

Purchase links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095XF49L8

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dead-of-winter-j-c-kenney/1139574746

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-dead-of-winter-34

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_C_Kenney_The_Dead_of_Winter?id=kRkwEAAAQBAJ

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1086321

All photographs courtesy of Pexels