Paulette Kennedy
Author Interview - Paulette Kennedy
Author of Parting the Veil and The Devil and Mrs. Davenport
About The Devil and Mrs. Davenport:
The bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman under pressure―from the living and the dead.
The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.
Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant professor at a Bible college. They’re the picture of domestic tranquility―until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. Loretta knows they’re real―and frightening.
Defying Pete’s demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman with a rare gift, more blessing than curse. With Dr. Hansen’s help, Loretta’s life opens up to an empowering new purpose. But for Pete, the God-fearing image he’s worked so hard to cultivate is under threat. No longer in control of his dutiful wife, he sees the Devil at work.
As Loretta’s powers grow stronger and the pleading spirits beckon, Pete is determined to deliver his wife from evil. To solve the mysteries of the dead, Loretta must first save herself.
Author Interview - Paulette Kennedy
About Parting the Veil:
When Eliza Sullivan inherits an estate from a recently deceased aunt, she leaves behind a grievous past in New Orleans for rural England and a fresh start. Soon after settling into her new home, Eliza finds herself falling for Malcolm Winfield, the mysterious lord of Havenwood Manor. Despite the sinister rumors that surround him, Eliza is drawn to his melancholy charm and his crumbling, once-beautiful mansion. But there’s something terribly wrong at Havenwood: Forbidden rooms. Ghostly whispers in the shadows. Strangely guarded servants. And Malcolm’s threatening moods, as changeable as night and day. As Eliza delves deeper into Malcolm’s troubling history, the dark secrets she unearths gain a frightening power. Has she married a man or a monster? For Eliza, uncovering the truth will either save her or destroy her.
Author Interview - Paulette Kennedy
Author I draw inspiration from:
Daphne Du Maurier
Author Interview - Paulette Kennedy | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
Tucked in a quiet corner, with a cat purring on my lap and rain beating against the windows.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Merricat Blackwood from WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE by Shirley Jackson. She's my favorite Gothic heroine.
Author Interview - Paulette Kennedy | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
When I was in third grade, I concocted an elaborate lie that I owned fifty horses. Due to the amount of detail with which I described said horses, my classmates believed me. I guess that's when I first realized I could tell a story and enjoyed doing so!
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
All of the above, but I do love a beautiful hardback. I collect antique books, and hardcovers have that heirloom feel. My sister recently gifted me an early edition of BLACK BEAUTY by Anna Sewell--one of the first books I ever fell in love with as a child. There's just such a presence to physical books, though I love the convenience of digital and audiobooks.
The last book I read:
THE TASTE OF GINGER by Mansi Shah -- I had the opportunity to read an advance reader copy, and Shah's debut is a stunningly immersive and emotional exploration of family, identity, and what "home" truly means. It'll be releasing January 1st!
Author Interview - Paulette Kennedy | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Both! I love my journal for scribbling down ideas and working out my plot. After I brainstorm with pen and paper, I move to my computer to draft and revise.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Rachel from MY COUSIN RACHEL by Daphne Du Maurier -- I think she was incredibly misunderstood by most who knew her, especially Philip, and I admire the way she asserted her independence and defied the norms of her time period.
Author Interview - Paulette Kennedy | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Author! I have worn lots of hats and worked many different jobs over the years. I've been a hairstylist, a dancer/dance instructor, and a professional photographer. I'm at a place in my life now where I am dedicated to being a full-time writer. It's truly my dream career, as well as something I'll hopefully be able to do for the rest of my life, unlike some of the jobs in my past.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
This is a difficult question to answer because I have so many favorites! I do love the late Georgian period, especially the 1780s--early 1790s, with the relaxed, almost "bohemian" silhouette the Duchess of Devonshire favored. I swoon for a robe à la polonaise.
I also love the 1930s. The way in which women's clothing was draped and fitted during that era seemed deceptively simple, but designers like Madeleine Vionnet and Elsa Schiaparelli accented the female form without aggressively altering it with structured underpinnings. You see female designers making big waves during the 1930s. I love the era so much that my wedding dress was based on a 1930s design.
Place I’d most like to travel:
The Scottish Highlands
My signature drink:
Non-Alcoholic: Matcha Latte Alcoholic: Sazerac
Favorite artist: Gustav Klimt
Number one on my bucket list:
I'll finally be able to check my number one item off the list at 47 years old: becoming a published author. I'm so grateful.
Anything else you'd like to add: My advice to younger and newer writers is to not rush the process and have patience. It's okay to take breaks from writing. It's okay not to write every day. Writing will be there for you when you're ready. I took the entirety of my thirties away from writing so I could focus on raising my daughter and building my photography career. It's never too late to pick up that pen again. And always, always be kind to fellow writers and give more than you take.
Find more from the author:
Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok are all @pkennedywrites for my handle.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pkennedywrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pkennedywrites/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pkennedywrites
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorpaulettekennedy
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21248655.Paulette_Kennedy
Amazon Author Profile: https://www.amazon.com/Paulette-Kennedy/e/B0934S8R6R?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000
Author Interview - Paulette Kennedy
About Paulette Kennedy:
Originally from the Missouri Ozarks, Paulette Kennedy now lives with her family and their menagerie of pets in a quiet suburb of Los Angeles. In her free time, she enjoys tending to her garden, knitting, and finding unique vintage treasures at thrift stores and flea markets.
As a history lover, she can get lost for days in her research—learning everything she can about the places in her stories and what her characters might have experienced in the past.
Paulette’s current work-in-progress is a witchy southern gothic set in rural Northern Arkansas during the Great Depression.
