In the Hot Seat - Author Mary Kennedy!

 

Ma-ROW! ROCCO here. Today Chazz and I are interviewing author Mary Kennedy!

 

Mary Kennedy is a practicing psychologist and the author of the Talk Radio Mysteries and the Dream Club Mysteries from Penguin Random House. She's written nearly 50 novels, including both mysteries and young adult fiction and has sold over four million books worldwide. Mary lives with several neurotic cats in the northeast. She has tried unsuccessfully to psychoanalyze them but she remains optimistic!

 

R:  Hello Mary. Tell us a little about your background, Meow!

I’m a licensed psychologist and have written  47 novels. And yes, I think I might be a workaholic.

C:  Tell us a bit about your latest book.

 Death of a Shady Shrink is book five in the Talk Radio Mysteries. Dr. Maggie (the host of the radio show On the Couch with Dr. Maggie) goes to a psychology conference in Palm Beach and unmasks a killer. Her sidekicks, Vera Mae and Lola tag along and hunky detective Rafe shows up, too.

R: How do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by the seat of your pants”?

I write a detailed synopsis, I like having a road map for the book. That way I’m never facing a blank page.

R: Interesting. Our human does an outline, but it usually gets thrown out by chapter Two.

C: What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you and keeps you motivated?

The Visa bill on the fridge keeps me motivated!

R: What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

I’m working on book 4 of the Dream Club Mysteries.

C: What is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or week) do you devote to writing?

I think of word count more than pages and strive for 500 words a day.

R: What advice do you have to offer to an aspiring author?

Don’t quit your day job! (and no, this is not a joke). And don’t get taken in by vanity presses. Remember the money flows from the publishing house to you, not the other way around.

C: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

 I auditioned for a bit part in a Burt Reynolds movie even though I had a temperature of 103. And yes, I got the part!

C: Wowza! Now we have to find out what movie!!!!!!

R: Where can we learn more about you and your books?

My website is www.marykennedy.net  and I’m on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/mary.kennedy.948.

ROCCO’S FAST FIVE

· What is your favorite movie quote?      “Tomorrow’s another day.”

· What food do you wish was calorie free?     Pizza!

· What book was your favorite growing up?     Anne of Green Gables.

· What authors have had the most influence on you?    Janet Evanovich, Lorraine Bartlett, Agatha  Christie, Carolyn Hart.

· If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would do?    Open an animal shelter and offer free neutering for pets. (Rocco shudders at the word ‘neuter’)

 

Thank you Mary for a great interview!  And now – giveaway time!

Mary will giveaway a $15 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter!  Just leave your name and email address in our comments section. (Very important – leave that email addy. You can’t be entered without it!)  Chazz will select the winner at random. Contest closes midnight, April 29