When I chose the concept/title element of “Double Cousins” it seemed an obvious enough concept to me.  I thought everyone knew what double cousins were.  After all, I did!  Isn’t that so human. The truth though is something much diffferent.  There is a vast lack of knowledge in this world about what the term “double cousins” means.  So today I am going to try and explain it.  I admit, that is difficult.  It’s one of those concepts that defies easy explanation.  So I’m going to attempt.  Here we go…

Double cousins occur when two siblings from one family marry two siblings from another family.  For instance, when my great- uncle Ervin Jones married my great-aunt Florence Trunnell, my grandparents George Jones and Mildred Trunnell met.  Eventually they married.  So, two brothers were married to two sisters.  Therefore, their children are all cousins twice, thereby making them double cousins…  That’s not so hard is it? 

Another example:  My sister, Cheryl Jones married Norman Eggers lo, these many years ago.  They now have five children.  Seven years later my brother, Clark Jones married Norman’s sister, Cindy Eggers.  They now have seven children.  These seven children are cousins… twice.  They have all the same Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.  They really have very much the same gene pool and they are all extremely intelligent, beautiful children.  Oh… I think I just crossed over into “bragging aunt territory.”  I’d apologize but I’m not a bit sorry. 🙂

So, I hope this helps you understand the concept of Double Cousins.  In the front of my book I have a family tree, another attempt to help understand the concept.  One reason I chose to have the cousins in my book be double cousins was for the future of the series.  Due to the fact that these families are so closely related, it will make for more family get-togethers in which they can solve mysteries.  A second reason…  my nieces and nephews are all my “muse” so to speak and they ARE double cousins.  So there you have it!

Happy Birthday, today to the oldest of the Jones/Eggers double cousins, my niece Kari Nora Jones!  She is 15 and I am so proud to be her aunt.

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