Interview with Monica Lee Kennedy

Published 2016-02-04.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I move for my husband's job frequently. We are never in the same place for more than 2-3 years. This is fine, except getting jobs and establishing hobbies in new places can be difficult. Writing has proven to be a fabulous gift in light of this. I have loved creating something unique and rejoiced in the people with whom it has brought me face to face. Writing has kept me focused and driven. It has helped me remember I am my own person beyond being a wife and mother, even though I love these pieces in my life.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
In my free time, I love to cook with my husband, read, go to dinner parties, listen to audio books, play board games. I enjoy traveling and whenever we have the opportunity we try to visit somewhere new.
What do your fans mean to you?
I love my fans! It is incredibly encouraging whenever a reader lets me know he/she has appreciated my work. It pushes me forward to create more, and hopefully, better things.
When did you first start writing?
I first began writing as a child. I remember sitting down to our family computer at about 10 and trying to type out a story. It never amounted to much, but the desire was there. As a child I remember telling others I wanted to be an author when I grew up... Does this mean I've grown up?!
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Typically, it is my youngest daughter pestering me out from my sheets, but if I am honest, I am happy to rise and begin each day. I have so much. Yes, my life is not easy, but I have a wonderful family and still have a few moments every day to myself to write. I think that I am very blessed.
Who are your favorite authors?
How can I pick?! I love so many. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Patrick Rothfuss, Frank Herbert, Mary Stewart, Lois McMaster Bujold, Laurie King... So long as the story is imaginative and compelling and it is paired with good writing I am typically hooked.
What do you read for pleasure?
I read a bit of everything, but prefer fantasy. I love it when an author can surprise me with his/her imagination.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
My phone! It means I have a book on hand whenever I need it.
What are you working on next?
I'm currently working with my editor on the 2nd book, a novella, in the Parting Breath Series. It is called Eyes in the Waters. It involves the same characters as the Land's Whisper, but now Brenol has matured to young adulthood and must face the trials of the time. It should be available Spring/Summer 2016.
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Books by This Author

The Forbidding Blue
Series: The Parting Breath Series, Book 3. Price: $3.34 USD. Words: 132,950. Language: English. Published: July 6, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Epic, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Fantasy
The once green world is turning to ice. A princess is beset with nightmares she knows reveal truth. A malicious demon runs rampant, killing without abandon. Brenol and Arman throw themselves into a daring hunt to destroy the spirit, and Colette seeks aid out in the desert, but the future of Massada remains bleak as death and deceit thrive. All things good and true stand in peril—even love.
Eyes in the Water
Series: The Parting Breath Series, Book 2. Price: $3.23 USD. Words: 58,250. Language: English. Published: May 15, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Epic, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Fantasy
Brenol, grown now to full manhood, returns to the land to discover it is faltering. Fate nips at his heels, and he must race to beat a poison uncovered far too late. Sorely tried in his oath of protection, Brenol realizes he must choose honor over his own pursuit of love if Massada is to be saved.
The Land's Whisper
Series: The Parting Breath Series, Book 1. Price: $3.43 USD. Words: 135,730. Language: English. Published: January 12, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Epic, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Fantasy
The land itself is alive. It sees, it thinks, it speaks. For the few who can communicate with it, a phenomenal power is granted. Yet this connection also consumes them—once they experience it, they would do anything to keep it forever. Darse returns home with his surrogate son, Brenol, to discover the boy possesses this connection, and the longer he remains, the more corruption takes hold...