I’d like to welcome our guest today, Kathryne Kennedy. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun. 
I understand you have a new release out called Enchanting the Beast. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?Enchanting the Beast is about ghost-hunter Philomena Radcliff, who is hired to solve the mystery of Sir Nicodemus Wulfson’s haunted castle. Nico is a were-wolf who has more difficulties than a few spirits. Phil is a spinster who finds herself extraordinarily attracted to the young Sir Nico, and is soon tangled up with him in more ways than just hunting for his ghosts.
Enchanting the Beast is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?
The previous books in the series are Enchanting the Lady and Double Enchantment, so the title of this book follows naturally. And although she can’t quite tame him, Phil does enchant Nico’s beast.
What made you decide to write in this genre?
No decision here. I love the genre, and I write what I love.
Where did you get your idea for this particular book?
I’m fond of gothic romances and a haunted castle always has mysteries. And lately I’ve been watching the SciFi Channel series, Ghost Hunters, and I knew I had my heroine’s occupation. Throw a Relic in the mix and a young sexy were-wolf accused of murder and I was having the time of my life.
What are your favorite fantasy research books, and why?
I think the best way to research fantasy is to read it. Lots and lots of it. Some fabulous authors I can think of right off hand are: Robin Hobb, Patricia McKillip, Patricia McKinley, Sharon Shinn, Patricia Briggs, Midori Snyder & Andre Norton.
Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?
I fell in love with Nico, and I admired Phil’s calm practicality. Tup made me cry and Sarah the were-snake cracked me up. I wanted to strangle Edwina and save Royden. They were all such fun to write!
Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research and world affect your character development?
I’ve answered this in a previous interview at MCTT, so I think I’ll just expand on it by saying that as I write, my characters develop right along with the story. I get to know them almost at the same pace as my reader does. My worlds provide different challenges for my characters, and I think this helps to develop their strengths and weaknesses.
How do you go about building your world? Do you use maps, charts or drawings?
All three, including timelines of events, both magical and historical.
Do you have any authors that inspired you?
I can’t think of a single book I’ve ever read that didn’t offer me some new insight, idea, or way of looking at life.
What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?
My contests & my newsletter, combined. I give away fabulous jewelry, which I have fun shopping for, and it generates interest in my books. I combine this with signing up for my newsletter and have garnered some loyal readers.
What do we have to look forward to next?
My Victorian romance novel, My Unfair Lady, which inspired the Relics of Merlin series, will be released this year from Sourcebooks Publishing! Details will be on my website soon.
Thanks, Kathryne!
To celebrate her book release, Kathryne is offering an autographed copy of Double Enchantment to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (Please check the comment section Monday evening to see who won) She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...
Kathryne Kennedy is a multi-published, 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.
Check out author’s website at http://www.kathrynekennedy.com
Buy http://astore.amazon.com/kathkennauth-20 .
37 comments:
Great interview!
Like you I'm a fan of gothic and I'd like to see more of them.
Theresa N
weceno(At)yahoo(dot)com
I love gothic romances. When you include a ghost hunter and a haunted castle, I'm hooked. It was intresting to get some background on how the characters came to be.
Hi Minna, Theresa & Rosemary! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. Good luck!
Wonderful interview Kathryne, I love your books and am looking forward to reading this one. Thanks for being here today,
Penney
Good morning Kathryne. Great interview and great picture too. I love your books and can't wait to read this one.
Dani
Hi Kathryne,
thanks for your great books! I have the other two on my keeper shelf and I'm looking forward to reading this one too. I hope there will be many more books in this series!
Hi Penney & Tia Dani! Thanks so much for the kind words. They mean the world to me.
Woops, missed you coming in, Eva! Glad to hear they're on your keeper shelf. :}
Hi, that was a great interview. Congrats on your new release! Enchanting the Beast sounds like a good read - a ghost hunter and a were-wolf is an unusual combination. Tamsyn
Hey, Tamsyn! It was a fun book to write. :}
Hi Kathryne. Great interview. Ehchanting the Beast sounds wonderful.
Hi Kathryne,
I love Nico and that's based on one excerpt. :) I can tell that Nico and Phil will make for very interesting reading. :)Can't wait.
Carol L.
Ooops, meant to tell you "great interviw " Kathryne.
Carol L.
Thanks so much, Carol. Kim does a fantastic job with her interview questions.
Hi Crystal! Thanks for your lovely comment!
Hi Kathryne. Thought I'd stop by and say hi. I already have my copy of Beast but alas, will have to wait until revisions are done before I can "sink" my teeth into this one:)
Actually, I'm happy to hear you say that, Kim! ;}
Kathryne, what's the scoop on how "My Unfair Lady" is the book that inspired the Relics of Merlin series?
Laurie, who LOVES that title!
Hey, Laurie!
As the title suggests, it's a twist off the concept of the movie. Here's a quick blurb:
Summer Lee travels to London to hire the Duke of Monchester to turn her into a lady. The last thing the duke expects is to love the girl just the way she is, but he's never failed at anything and isn't about to start now. When Summer discovers there's more to the duke than his title, it upsets her carefully laid plans. And when someone sets out to murder him, will she discover what she truly wants before it's too late?
As I wrote this book, I fell even more in love with the Victorian era. And it got me to thinking about titles and magic, and led me to the Relics series. It's interesting to see the tidbits in My Unfair Lady that link to my later books.
Thank you for asking, Laurie. :}
Great interview.
I enjoy your books and can't wait to read this one!
Thanks a million, Stella!
hi kathryne great interview cant wait to read enchanting the beast. thanks for the blog.
dandan
Hi dandan! My pleasure!
I really loved this book and I can't wait for more!
Thank you so very much, Laska! You rock!
As always, a fun interview!
Great to hear, LuAnn!
Hi Kathryne! I just picked up a copy of Enchanting the Beast yesterday! See ya on Gather!
I'm sneaking away from my daughter's extemely busy graduation week to drop by and wish you the best of luck with your series, although you don't need it. It is a great series. Anyone who reads one of the stories, will want to read them all.
You are awesome!
I went to the Mr. Romance competition and I was so impressed with Kostantinos Lelis' portrayal of your hero, Nico. I'm sure you must have been thrilled to have him be the contestant who represented your book since he was the best of the cover models. It's too bad he didn't win but I'm sure there's a little politics involved as there is in every competition....
Hi Sandra! So great to see a Gather friend here! Thanks so very much for stopping by. And a big woohoo for purchasing ETB! :}
You are so sweet to take time out of your schedule, Tina! My son is graduating next week, and I know how crazy you must be. We'll compare notes after next week. lol.
Oh, yay, Ronda, you were at RT! Yes, I think he did a fabulous job. Golly he was hot.:} I'll be posting my pics of the event on my blog as soon as I get caught up, so stop by in a week or so if you get a chance. And thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. So glad to hear that I'm not the only one who thought he should have won. ;}
finally a romance author who also loves scifi too
I loved Enchanting the Lady! Great Interview, and I look forward to reading both Double Enchantment and Enchanting the Beast.
On Kathryne I meant to ask, can this series be read as a stand alone or should we read them all in order?
Hi Maria Rose! Actually, there's quite a few of us. :} The authors that come to mind off-hand are Vijaya Schartz & Linnea Sinclair. Check em out! And thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Hi Heather D! Each book is a stand alone, so it just depends on your mood. :} What I like about Enchanting the Beast, is that since the relic doesn't appear until later in the book, we included a history of the Relics, which I think helps ground you in the logic of the world. Thanks so much for asking and stopping by to say hello.
Congratulations Thersa N. You're the winner of Kathryne's book. :) Please contact her at kathryne_kennedy (at) yahoo.com no spaces to claim your prize.
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