I had the opportunity to chat a bit with Kathryne Kennedy, author of Relics of Merlin, My Unfair Lady, which I reviewed recently and loved, and a new series I’m looking forward to reading, The Elven Lords.I like books that linger in my mind long after I finish them. Stories that I can periodically pull out and again *visit* the world and characters. If I can recall the plot and characters and their names two weeks, two months later, then the author has truly written a good book. There are a few authors that do that for me and Kathryne is one of them. These are the books that go on my keeper shelf, much to my husband’s dismay, since we’ve been hauling my *keeper shelves* around all our married life. :-)
Kathryne, I’m so glad you could visit with us a bit today. At the risk of sounding all fan girlish, I have to tell you, I love your books. Your characters and world are so well crafted I feel if I could just find the door to the past, I’d be able to go and visit.
You’ve published, what a dozen books, now? Do you have a favorite?
- Err, no. I’m not that prolific. :} I’m happy to write a book a year…although I’m going for two, right now. My favorite book is always the one I’ve just finished writing, which just recently is The Fire Lord’s Lover. I’m still wrapped up with the characters and their story and it’s always sad to leave them behind. Until I start my next book. Then that one will be my favorite.
In My Unfair Lady, there aren’t any of the “magical” elements that marked many of your other historicals. What made you decided to “play it straight”, so to speak?
- I wrote My Unfair Lady prior to the Relics of Merlin (Enchanting the Lady, Double Enchantment, Enchanting the Beast) series. I have always loved historicals, and wanted to try my hand at writing one. Yet, the whole time I was writing it, I kept thinking…what if? It didn’t seem fair that only the males inherited the titles, yet, titles were originally gained by right-of-arms. So what if I could even the odds up a bit? What if there was another power besides the sword, that of magic, which a woman could wield as easily as a man. And if there was magic, how did it get there? And wouldn’t titles be based on how much magical power one wielded? And so when I finished My Unfair Lady, I had the basis for an entirely new magical world.
What was the most fun about writing this story?
- Oh, gosh, I had so much fun writing My Unfair Lady that it’s hard to find what was the most fun! Maybe Summer’s best friend Maria, teaching the monkey how to ‘eavesdrop’ properly. Or Summer’s little Chihuahua hiding under skirts and chewing the Duke’s shoes. Or Summer herself, with her outrageous honesty and unfailing courage. Or when the monkey jumped in the freezing pond and the look he gave Summer? Or the Duke and his shocked expressions…and his thing with boots?
What's special about your hero? What makes him different?
- Byron, the Duke of Monchester, is just so very guarded that he’s difficult to get to know. He is too sensitive, and because of this, he’s built up solid walls. Only someone like Summer, who is so compassionate and honest, could chip away those defenses to reveal the true man beneath that suave arrogance and sophistication. I think that I honestly grew to know Byron through Summer, and I’m sort of unsure if I would have done so without her.
- It actually teared me up a bit, but the one in which the little fox she rescued doesn’t survive, and the Duke helps her bury it, and despite his protestations to firmly deny it if Summer ever tells anyone of it, says a prayer over the little grave. Despite Byron’s demeanor, that one scene defined him as a man, and revealed Summer’s reliance on his love…whether she realized it at the time or not.
- And then--okay, sorry, there’s two--the scene at the end of the book where they are each trying to seduce the other without knowing it. Now, that was such a joy to write!
Like many of us, you’ve had a rough year. How are you able to continue writing when under stress? What does your writing bring to your life?
- I don’t know what happened this year. It was just one horrible thing after another. It was almost as if God said, “Let’s see how much she can take before she cracks.” The major reason I made it through the year was having my writing to focus on. There were times when it was difficult to write, of course. But most of the time, I could bury myself in my magical world and leave all the trauma of my real life behind me. My writing brings me such joy, along with all the readers who are kind enough to share it with me, that I don’t know how I could manage to continue without it.
I can relate that whole one thing after another...
What can we expect from you next? Can you discuss your new series at all?
- Absolutely! I am so very excited about The Elven Lords…and very much infatuated with the heroes these wicked elven have created in this new world.
BOOK ONE: THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER
Fighting for control of a Georgian England that is split into seven domains, elven warlords use their human slaves to breed an endless supply of soldiers for their armies.
Dominic Raikes, the half-blood son of the Elven Lord himself, is one such warrior. Betrothed to Lady Cassandra, who has been raised in a convent to keep her pure, he little suspects that she’s been secretly trained as an assassin to murder his father.
Dominic and Cassandra soon discover that each one is not what they seem, but the price of trust may be their very lives, and the destruction of the magical realm each is desperately trying to save…
This sounds like a fabulous story. I can’t wait to read it. I’ve noticed your paranormals are mainly “magical” in content and set in the past. What draws you to writing your magical stories set in Georgian, Regency, and Victorian periods?
- I love all of those eras, of course. :} I love tweaking history and imagining a different world changed by magic. I can experience all of the pageantry, drama, and glorious richness of the past and take it even one step further with magic.
Finally, anything special you’re doing for the holidays? Do you guys have any special traditions?
- We do…we did…but I’m not sure how things will be this year. I can tell you that I have personally resolved to cherish every person in my family from this point onward. And all of my friends. Because life is ever changing and these times may not come again.
Kathryne, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to be here and answer my questions.
- My absolute pleasure, Sia. You are one of those persons I cherish. :}
- Question: What makes a book magical enough for you so you put it on your *keeper shelf*?
Kathryne will be giving away a copy of her book to a commenter today.
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Kathryne Kennedy is a college graduate and business owner, and is a multipublished, award-winning author of magical romances. She’s lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the U.S., and currently lives in Arizona with her wonderful family—which includes two very tiny Chihuahuas.She welcomes readers to visit her website where she has ongoing contests at: http://www.kathrynekennedy.com/
