Making Books Accessible: An Interview with Kerry Kennedy

By Christina Consolino | April 21, 2025 |

As many of you know, social media really isn’t my thing, but somehow, I stumbled across author Kerry Kennedy on Instagram. Let me be honest—she impressed me right away. Her savviness, her outreach, her commitment, her kindness, her positivity. All the things! She’s the first to offer congrats on a new release or book award despite having to juggle her own projects, and she embodies “literary citizen” rather well, if you ask me. Kerry says she’s “addicted to caffeine and chocolate and drink[s] way too much coffee,” which puts her in the company of many writers I know and love. Unlike most authors I’ve interviewed, Kerry is very involved with multiple pathways to publishing. Her most recent book, Dark Obsession, a mafia romance released in March, was very well received by readers. As Kerry said, “the response by readers downloading it has left [her] breathless.” Read on to find out which online platforms Kerry is involved with and why Kerry want to make books accessible to everyone.

Welcome, Kerry!

Christina: Last year, You Hang the Moon—Book 2 of the Willowbrook series—released. How did this series come about? How is the series linked? Should we look forward to more in the series?

Kerry: Healing Hearts, Book 1 in the series, also released last year. There will be a third book in the series, likely in early 2026. The early title reveal is being shared with you in advance of any promotions—Love At Lazy Dukes! It’s the story of Montana, a wild and fearless Barrel Racer, and Abe, a former bull rider who is the grumpy bar owner of Lazy Dukes.

Christina: Hidden Desires, also released in 2024, is a standalone MM romance that features Bradley and Troy. They, like many characters in romance novels, must overcome some pretty big obstacles before they can find their happily ever after. Where did these characters come from?

Kerry: These characters came to me; they kept talking to me to tell their story, and I felt it had to be told. I would love to say it was based on some amazing inspiration or real life, but they kept appearing in my mind.

Christina: Readers say your books are just the right level of spice. How do you determine what spice level is appropriate for each story? Is there anything you won’t write about in terms of spice/heat?

Kerry: I do write spice in some of my books, and I always ensure that it is not chapter after chapter; whereas some readers love multiple spice chapters subsequently, that isn’t how I write. The plot is more important to me, and I write in the spice when it would be naturally evolving in the character’s story.

Christina: You are “a multi-genre author of romance, thrillers and children’s books.” Which of those do you enjoy writing the most? Which comes most easily to you? Do you approach the genres differently in terms of your writing process?

Kerry: For children’s stories, I love to create worlds mostly revolving around my cat Boris and his cat siblings—they are my inspiration. He will do something, and it creates a story in my mind. My favorite genre to write is romance because I love to deliver flawed characters and happily ever afters. For thrillers, which I also love to write, it is more intricate and there is naturally an awful lot more research. As a writer, there’s no real difference in the process of writing. I am a natural storyteller, and the words come as I write.

Christina: Some of your stories are available on sites such as Wattpad and Goodnovel. Why did you choose to publish on these online platforms?

Kerry: I write for many platforms alongside those you mentioned—Dreame, NovelSnack, MyFiction, and Inkitt. For Wattpad and Inkitt, my stories are free because I am a firm believer that everyone should be able to read, and not everyone can afford books or Kindle Unlimited subscriptions. For the other platforms—I have been approached by editors to write for them exclusively. Whereas these books appear not to be “traditional,” they do, in fact, create audiobooks and published books from your work alongside reel TV. So naturally, you have to have a publishing contract, and you still have to pitch your book as one with the “traditional” route.

I enjoy success on these platforms and have a wonderful reader base of loyal readers who support me. The other reason I won’t trad publish is because print-on-demand and in bulk are not in line with my sustainability goals and beliefs. Hence, I will no longer be creating paperback or hardback books. The cost to the environment is harsh and not something I want to add to.

Christina: On Goodreads, you mention that Stephen King influenced your writing. How so? What other authors would you consider influential to your work or growth as a writer?

Kerry: King is a master storyteller as is James Patterson. They write fluidly and can turn their hand to any story line, and what I enjoy the most about these two authors is that no two books follow the same format and pattern. I like the diversity they offer. Lee Child is another of my influencers.

Christina: One of the amazing things about you is your dedication to social media. You have IG, X, and FB accounts, a YouTube channel, and more. What do you like about social media? Is there anything you don’t like? Do you have any tips for those people who don’t take to SM as easily as you seem to?

Kerry: It’s true I am across all social media including TikTok, and I run my own YouTube channel. It works for me because I can create my posts in the morning and schedule them for output during the day. It saves a lot of time, top tip and takeaway. One reel can be sent to the multiple channels, so it isn’t time consuming. For LinkedIn, where I have the main base of followers, engagement, and revenue stream, I tweak my posts more inline with that as a professional platform. It’s all about managing time and balancing. For example, I post only three times a day at key times when social media analytics have proven for your reel to attract more attention. I don’t post at night unless of course it is already scheduled, as that is time for myself and my family. I allow 45 minutes a day at 16H for engagement with other’s posts, responding to comments on my posts, and DM’s. This is an optimum time to meet all time zones.

Christina: I always try to ask about fur babies when I can. What kind do you have? Anything you want to share about them is fair game!

Kerry: Thank you for asking. I have four adorable cats who all feature in my Boris Cat children’s book series. Boris is a Bengal aged 5; Bonnis is a tux, also aged 5; and Zeus is a Russian Grey, aged four. My youngest, Hades, is a black cat, and all are adopted. I lost my beautiful black cat, Jz in December, who was 18, so we’re all still grieving for his loss. I also have a beautiful, tan, teacup Chihuahua called Miss Precious Bambina who rules the roost and behaves like a diva. She is 18 this year but still going strong. They are always around me when I write and love cuddles, treats, and walks outside (always, of course, on the leash).

Christina: What’s next for you?

Kerry: To be honest I have so many things in the pipeline, it is an extremely hectic time for me. My web novel career has really exploded, taking me by complete surprise, and I have five new publishing contracts just signed, which means deadlines for this year for five books. I’m also creating scripts for my books and constantly pitching to directors and studios.

On top of the above, I have a Christmas book I will be working on for release in August (hopefully) with very Hallmark vibes, which I will also be pitching to them and a new thriller coming out early next year. The third book in the series for Willowbrook, I am starting towards the end of April whilst also plotting for the sequel to Dark Obsession, which I am aiming for release in the spring of 2026. An extremely busy year ahead.