Take Five With...Doralynn Kennedy

Doralynn Kennedy’s Sleeping With Skeletons has been described by Long and Short Reviews as an ‘edge of your seat’, ‘nail biting’, ‘heart racing’, ‘roller coaster ride’ kind of read. I haven’t read Skeletons yet, simply because I was holding out for a Kindle, which is almost in my grasp. As soon as I’m done reading, I’ll post my own review over at The Readers’ Suite.  Those of you who like romantic suspense will no doubt enjoy Doralynn’s debut novel. Now on to the good stuff.

1.    How did you start writing?

I owe that to my 8th and 9th grade English teacher, Mr. McIntyre. He is the teacher who made the biggest impact on what direction my life would take. At the beginning of each school year, he gave his students contracts. We entered into an agreement that was based on what grade we would like to earn. He gave us the option of making an A, B, or C in his class. Each grade placed different demands on us. 

I wanted an A. One of the things I had to do to earn that 'A' was write several short stories. It was then that I discovered I could write. Much to my amazement, he started reading those tales to the class. It was thrilling for me to hear my fellow students laughing at all of my jokes and cheering my characters on to their ridiculous end. One day I turned in a story, and he shook his head and gave it back. "I know what you're capable of, and you can do better than that. Never do anything less than your best." It was the best piece of advice any teacher ever gave me. I've been writing ever since then.

2.    How has your background influenced your writing?

My background has had a huge impact on what I write. I tend to write what I know, so I have a lot of law enforcement and military characters in my books... since I have a background in the military and law enforcement.

3.    Any particular reason you chose Ireland for your setting?

My family hails from Ireland, though not recently. Ireland is my family's past though. I've always loved Ireland, so placing Margaret there seemed like a good plan, especially since she wanted to feel closer to the mother she lost as a child -- and her mother's childhood home was Ireland.
 
4.    Where do you see yourself in five years in terms of your writing and do you see yourself branching into any other genre?

I imagine that in five years I'll still be writing. Hopefully, I'll have found an agent by then. I like to joke that it's easier to get to the moon without a rocket or find the Loch Ness Monster than it is to find an agent.

I like to write a lot of different genres. Originally Sleeping With Skeletons was a thriller, but in order to get it published, I needed to change it to romantic suspense. It wasn't too hard to do. I needed to include some additional scenes between Margaret and Aidan. I also had to cut out some of the more violent action sequences in the book. But I do love to write thrillers and mysteries. I enjoy writing romance as well, and my current work in progress is a paranormal romance.

5.       What do you think of current publishing trends?

They scare me a little. I don't like e-books. They hurt my eyes. And I just love the feel of a book in my hand, the smell of paper. Plus, I just can't snuggle up with an e-reader the same way I can with a book. But, it looks like the writing is on the wall, and e-books are here to stay. Many books will never see print publishing. They'll have a lot of readers, but they'll lose a lot of readers too.

Doralynn served as a Military Police woman in the Army. She mostly worked law enforcement, but she was also attached to the Personnel Security Division, PSD. They provided security for high-ranking officers. At one point, her team also provided residential security for the CIA Station Chief in Frankfurt, Germany. She mostly worked uniform, but she has also done some undercover. Among other things, her Military Occupational Specialty and training included crime scene investigation, counterterrorism, bomb threats, and hostage situations. She has traveled extensively inside and outside of the U.S..

She owns a job service, and writes part time from her home in Colorado. 
Visit her at http://doralynn.net/

 

Feel free to leave any comments and/or questions you may have for Doralynn. One lucky follower who comments will win a copy (e-book version) of Sleeping With Skeletons.  The winner will be announced on Saturday, March 19, 2011.