Interview: Ryshia Kennie

What have you had published?

From the Dust – an historic romance set in 1935 Saskatchewan.

Ring of Desire – a medieval paranormal romance set in the make belief place of Hafne on the southern tip of England.

What genre(s) of book do you write?

I’ve dabbled in a number of genres and I’ve finally settled on two.  Now, after my first forays into publication, I write romantic suspense and women’s fiction. 

What inspired you to write your first book?

There was a story about a relative who had died after accidently drinking gopher poison.  That inspired the opening of From the Dust “He died with liquor on his breath and poison in his soul.”  Of course, unlike the story, the real man who died was a good guy who left a young family to grieve.  I was also inspired by the real life story of a woman who immigrated from England in the early 1900’s to take over a farm in Saskatchewan that her brother was failing miserably at.  So with the impractical long skirts of the day and no knowledge of farming, she made a success of a farm where he had failed.  She was the inspiration for the heroine, Eva.

How long did it take you to write ‘Fatal Intent”?

Fatal Intent took a little over a year to write.  I find though, with each book that a little more time is shaved off and now a book takes about six months.

What is the working title of your next book(s)?

Absolute Zero

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing some time around the age of nine when many girls get that urge to diarize their lives.  I always loved reading from the time I was little and as I grew up I almost always had a book in my hand.  So the writing, well that came naturally.  When I was a teenager I dabbled in poetry and children’s stories and eventually I knew I wanted to write a novel.  But it took me years to figure out how to make the time and take the writing seriously.  I always thought of writing as a creative endeavour that you did when the mood hit you – thus I had many unfinished novels that fell apart at the middle.  It took a course on writing to learn that it isn’t all inspiration, in fact the inspiration falls second to discipline, organization and structure.  Once I got that – the rest just happened.

Do you self publish your books or go through an agency?

I went through a publication agency with my first two books.  The book was reviewed by two American publishing agents and published by beyond the page publishing

What part of writing books do you find the hardest?

Marketing.  In one way there’s things I love about it, meeting interesting people and connecting with other readers.  But I’m getting better at it although in a conversation with a stranger I usually come out of it knowing more about them then they do about me. 

What do you do in your spare time?

In my spare time I love to travel whether in real time or via a book.

Who is your favourite author?

Stephen King although I don’t love all he writes but he has that ability to blow it out of the park. 

What’s your favourite genre to read?

I’m rather an eclectic reader.  Right now I’m reading a horror by Bentley Little.  It’s been a while since I’ve picked up one of those bare-bones horrors but I find I’m enjoying that complete drop with reality.  I love historic fiction including romances, suspense – romantic and otherwise, basically just a good story whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. 

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep reading and keep writing and don’t get discouraged.  Writing is as much a skill as a talent, the only way to improve and eventually succeed is to write and as Aerosmith would say – Dream on – that’s the only way to make it happen.