I am taking this opportunity to remember authors Joyce and Jim Lavene. This husband and wife team wrote novels together. I cannot imagine writing a novel with another person, but Joyce and Jim made it look easy. They shared a love and marriage that spanned decades. Writing as Joyce and Jim Lavene, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant, the duo produced about 50 novels. I have counted at least 47 on their website, but I maybe missed a few.

Joyce and Jim lived here in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. They quietly churned out books and two different years visited Rocky River Readers Book Club to regale us with stories about the characters they created and their writing habits. They could finish one another’s sentences when talking about their books, and I suspect they did that in “real life,” too.

Joyce died suddenly in October 2015 and Jim died just as unexpectedly last week. Their genuine smiles and interest in people will be missed, as will all the novels they would have written if things had been different.

If you get a chance, you might enjoy reading one of Joyce and Jim Lavene’s books. Most of them would be categorized as cozy mysteries. At least for now, their website is still up. The address is http://www.joyceandjimlavene.com/. Their books are listed on the website.

As a novelist wannabe, I appreciated the encouragement Joyce and Jim gave me.