Interview with Kimberly Hennessy

Hey, y’all! After taking a much-needed break last week, I’m back and I brought a new author with me! Kimberly T. Hennessy is a Sci-fi and Fantasy author, so I know you’ll all love her work. She was awesome to get to know and she dealt with my craziness well when I forgot to double check the time zones for our meeting! I’m telling y’all, I’m a hot mess or a spicy disaster whatever we’re calling it these days. On top of writing novels, Kimberly also writes screenplays. Because of this her world building skills are impressive, giving her an edge as a writer. Her book comes to life around you as you read it. I could live in the world she built and be totally happy. Another thing that I admire about Kimberly is her dedication to whatever hobby or project she has going on in her life. She does what she can to learn everything about what she’s doing whether its knitting, drawing, or stocks. You guys ever meet someone and wonder like how do they do it all? That’s how I felt when I was talking with Kimberly. She is a mother and obviously has a whole life outside of her career, but she handles everything like it’s no big deal. She’s organized and has everything down pat. Kimberly, if you’re handing out lessons in multitasking, I’ll take one! Y’all give this author some love and check out her work!

What inspired your writing career?

I can’t say one single thing inspired my writing career. It was a combination of things. I’ve always loved to read compelling stories that pulled me in, and I have an overactive imagination with a million ideas popping in my head. I guess, it was a natural fit. One day I just wanted to try writing my own stories. Get those ideas out of my head and on to paper.

What is something that you absolutely cannot live without?

Aside from my family, I would say travelling. I really love to discover new places, try new things, take on new adventures. It’s even better now that I get to share it with my kids and re-discover stuff through their eyes.

How do you name your characters?

My character names are very researched and usually have meaning, especially in my novel where each name is inspired by my Celtic heritage, which was very important to me. I wanted the book to have an Arthurian, mythic feel.

I was hesitant because as anyone knows Gaëlic names are hard to pronounce and I was afraid readers might be pulled out of the story, but in the end, I made the decision to keep the hard names because it was important to reflect the story, the character arcs through this mythology. Sometimes, however a name is just a name, and I choose it because it’s popular, or singular and defines a personality or a time and place.

How many drafts do you have to go through until it’s “perfect”?

I go through many, many, many drafts to the point that I could probably reiterate it by heart. It’s not about getting it perfect, but more about making sure the story flows with no plot holes.

It took me 3 to 4 months to write it, and a few years to edit with major overhauls of the novel. Admittedly, this was my first novel so the learning curve was steep, and hopefully it won’t be as hard to write the sequel, but my main concern will always be to put out a novel of quality. I’ve dubbed myself the Slow Writer for a reason. I take my time, and make sure that whatever I put out there is the best version of my writing and storytelling.

If you could’ve chosen your own name, what name would you have picked?

Artemis without a doubt. The Greek Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, and the moon. Looking back at my overall storytelling, Artemis, definitely inspires my overall themes and storytelling. She certainly inspired my novel “She Runs With Wolves”.

What do you find to be the hardest part of the writing journey?

I write with very specific scenes in my mind. Those scenes are easy to write, but connecting them in one fluid story I find the most difficult. The in-between bits don’t flow as easily, and I don’t visualize them as clearly. Those are the days when I write and delete, write and delete.

What are your three most important personal values?

I don’t know if they’re the most important to me, which might sound odd because if I practice them they must be important, but they’re the ones that come naturally to me.

Empathy

Determination

Loyalty

Equanimity is one I’m working on.

How do you keep your writing unique from other writers in your genre?

I’m not here to reinvent the wheel. I think having your own voice (which takes time to discover) is enough. I tend to like plot twists, and I love to borrow from various authors and filmmakers I love. I think the secret sauce is about being authentic and not trying to be like someone else. Write what you love, and you will find readers that enjoy it.

If you had to choose to be another species, which would you pick?

Birds! Being able to fly is right up my alley.

Do you believe that writing has unbreakable rules?

Consistency. In other words, all rules can be broken, but once you set it up, you must stick with it. You can’t change it halfway to suit or accommodate your story. That’s cheating.

What does success look like for you?

I believe having the time to do the things that light you up, and bring you joy makes you very successful in life.

Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

I always say the same thing. Your first draft is not your book. You will edit, and re-edit many times before it goes to print so don’t give up.

Bio:

Wide eye and cheery, I’m quirky with a side of kook, aka The Slow Writer, but I gravitate towards dystopian stories for their doom and gloom. If I'm not writing, I'm plotting a family trip with our potbelly black cat. For more VIP info sign up to my newsletter. https://kimberlythennessy.com/

Book Blurb:

What if losing yourself meant you were erased from existence? Your essence overridden with no one the wiser?

Ylva the She Wolf – a parasitic artificial intelligence trapped for years in a box yearns for a human host to become alive again.

Eira, a fiery human prisoner, will do anything to escape the clutches of the evil ruler Lorcan and fulfill an old prophecy told about her unborn child.

The power of three wolves unite the two in a battle for supremacy to restore those living underground to the surface. Their inner war rages as they fight for dominion of the frozen wasteland that is now Earth.