What made you decide to be an author? I started writing poetry when I was 14 as an emotional outlet. I was dealing with serious injuries from a car wreck and then, one year later, my brother’s death. As an adult, I started with a short story, which was for a boyfriend, and then a few years later decided it was good enough to turn into a novel. I’ve been totally addicted to writing ever since.
What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least? Best: I love it when readers press me for the next book or the next chapter if they are a beta reader. Least: It stings when you give away copies of your book but the readers don’t bother to leave a review for you.
How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing? I’ve always been romantic, and I’ve always loved reading paranormal romance and crime fiction novels, which are my favorite genres to write.
Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book--as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with? Yes, with Under the Blood Moon, which took only 45 days to write.
You’ve written 6 novels and are working on a 7, 8, 9, and 10th novel. What’s your favorite time management tip? Find a time of day that works for you and then stick to using that particular time to write. For me, it is very early morning. Sometimes I’ll get up at 3:00 just to write. I love the quiet all around- except for the music I play in the background.
Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer? A little bit of both. My more difficult stories to write, such as Two Faced, require a little bit of plotting. I write down ideas as they come to me in the margin of my notebook and then refer back to them. Mostly I let the story tell me where it wants to go.
If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be? Write in pieces. That is, don’t think about the whole book while you are writing a chapter. Just concentrate on what is happening at that moment and don’t worry so much about where it will lead the story. Let the story flow on its own.
Did music help you find your muse with this book? If yes, which song did you find yourself going back to over and over again as you wrote? Yes, I write with a playlist playing on Spotify. I listen to a lot of 80’s music, but I have a variety in my list. My favorite song to write to is Return to Innocence by Enigma. It is very relaxing.
Tell me more about the Dial M for Murder Series.
Brooke Daniels is a newly appointed homicide detective in Greenville, MS, where she works with 3 other detectives to solve murders. Shane Braun, a brooding FBI agent, assists on the serial cases, and he has a dark paranormal life they know nothing about.
Ravaged-book 1- is about a Jack the Ripper copycat killer
Déjà vu-book 2- is about the return of a killer from 20 years ago
Cupid-book 3- is written from the point of the killer; He is looking for true love and will kill anyone who gets in his way of finding it.
How about an excerpt from Ravaged?
Brooke started putting dishes from the dishwasher away while waiting for them to come back inside. She dropped and shattered a plate, though, when they started barking fiercely. She heard low growling too, so she went to the back door and flipped on the patio light. She couldn't see the dogs, however, because the light didn't reach the corners of the yard. She grabbed her Glock and started to open the door when her phone rang. She looked at the display—the number was blocked. She heard breathing and something else on the other end—barking dogs—her barking dogs. She was hearing what was going on in her own backyard. She clicked the end call button and shouted for the dogs with an unfamiliar panic in her voice. "Come boys!" She called out to them again when they didn't come and held her breath until, finally, she could hear their panting as they ran to her. Once inside, she slammed the door shut and turned the deadbolt. Then she put the cover over the dog door and ran to the living room to check the front door. It was locked tight and so were the windows. The dogs stuck to her side like glue, but they didn't take their eyes off of the back door, and they kept their teeth bared. They know that he is out there.
Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?Website Links:Website:
http://alexiskennedy.netFacebook:
https://www.facebook.com/alexis.kennedy.author/Twitter:
https://twitter.com/authorAlexisKBuy Links:
http://alexiskennedy.netAuthor.to/AlexisKennedyhttp://titlewavepublishing.com
Alexis Kennedy, thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.
Ravaged
Dial M for Murder Book 1
Detective Brooke Daniel's first day in the Homicide Department began with the grueling discovery of unidentifiable human remains and continued with the Mayor's daughter being slain by a sadistic killer. The killer begins to taunt Brooke, as if he knows her personally, and the killings continue. The detectives soon dub him "the Ripper" because of his copycat behavior of the infamous Jack the Ripper, and he doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon.
Meanwhile, while hunting the Ripper, more unidentifiable remains are found and the homicide team soon finds itself hunting another kind of killer—an animal kind.
When "the Ripper" sets his sights on Brooke herself, who—or what—will save her?
AMAZON
Déjà Vu
Dial M for Murder Book 2
When she was a little girl, Elena Davidson had to witness something no child should ever have to. On
Christmas morning, she witnessed the murder of her parents from her hiding spot in their closet. The killer wore a ski mask, but he was eventually caught, and Elena would never forget the face of the man convicted—Jeff McCormick—because of the hideous scar running down his cheek and the bright orange hair that helped convict him. She would also never forget the coldness in his eyes, as he proclaimed his innocence on the witness stand, while being sentenced to sixty years imprisonment.
It's now twenty years later, and she's seen "the tall man" again—right before her house is broken into and a trinket of her mother's, missing since the day of her murder, is left behind—and right after similar grisly murders. This all brings about the questions—why is Jeff McCormick out of prison, and is he after her? Or was he telling the truth all along—and he really is innocent—and the real killer is after her? Either way, someone is breaking into homes and murdering couples in the Greenville, MS area.
With the help of Detective Brooke Daniels, and hunk FBI Special Agent Shane Braun, maybe Elena's haunting past can finally be closed—before it kills her.
AMAZON
Cupid
Dial M for Murder Book 3
Gavin Delray has a dark side, and many unfortunate and unsuspecting women are about to witness it. A scorned lover, he plans to use internet dating to search for his true love, all the while punishing those who won't measure up to the god of love, Cupid's, standards.
Detective Brooke Daniels has her hands full with the murders of young women piling up. Working with her gorgeous new partner, Dex Stone, and love interest FBI agent, Shane Braun—whom she has been keeping at arm's length—she risks her life in a dangerous undercover operation on the dating scene as she tries to find the connection that will lead her to the killer and just maybe even to her own heart's desire.
Another kind of killer, never flushed out, lurks in the woods once again as well. While trying to find their newest serial killer, the Homicide Team has to once again investigate what kind of being could be leaving bodies mangled in the area, including one of their own.
AMAZON
Alexis Kennedy is the fresh face of fiction. She writes thrilling and unique stories with twists and turns to keep you coming back for more. A talented author, Alexis knows how to please her readers.
Novels can sweep you off your feet and land you squarely in a new world. In the case of an Alexis Kennedy novel, that world is populated with compelling characters winding their way through a dynamic story. Her novels give you the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective, to be someone else, if only for an hour. Alexis’s writing transports you to richly realized lands full of love and intrigue, murder and mayhem.
Alexis lives in Missouri with her child and their beloved pet. She began writing poetry in her early teens and has been fascinated with writing ever since. Her novels reflect her education and love of writing, reading, learning, and living life to the fullest. She is a big follower of Karin Slaughter and James Patterson and she loves and enjoys reading books from Connie Mason and Shannon Drake.
Readers around the world seek out Alexis Kennedy’s books for their fast pace, exciting plot, and compelling characters. Today you can enjoy six books from Alexis, although rumor has it she is currently working on another six. Her books for purchase are: Bound Through Blood, Under the Blood Moon, Two Faced, and then from the Dial M for Murder Series: Ravaged, Déjà Vu, and Cupid. You will be captivated by her stories, and you won’t want to take your eyes off until the end
Facebook:
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Amazon:
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Website:
http://www.alexiskennedy.net
Publisher:
http://www.titlewavepublishing.com
Blog page:
http://www.fictionaddiction.club
