Author Interview Killarney Traynor
I found Killarney (or rather, she found me) through a mutual friend on Facebook. She is a maker of independent films, actress, writer and producer. She has a keen interest in history, as well as a sharp wit. She had recently did me the favor of answering some questions about her work.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Where do you live now? What did you want to be when you grew up?
I was born in Massachusetts, but I was raised in southern New Hampshire and still live there today. I spent a lot of vacations in Maine, so I feel a kinship with that state as well. When I was a kid, I wanted to run my own dinosaur museum. I even started collecting books for the purpose. Honestly… I still think that would be cool!
Q: What made you want to start writing? What motivates you to keep writing?
I started writing because I was reading the Little House series and was amazed that reading could make me lose all sense of time and space. It felt like magic! And I immediately wanted to see if I could conjure the same kind of magic for someone else. What I didn’t realize until I really got into it, is that writing creates the same feeling - I get almost as lost writing stories as I do reading them.
The magic is a big part of what keeps me writing, but there are two other major components: one is curiosity. Even though I’m a plotter by nature, I still want to see how the story turns out. And the second is, I love creating safe escapes. Books help take me away from present-day problems and trials and I can’t help but think that the best way to thank the authors who help me (who are most often passed away) is to try and pass on their gift by creating escapes for other people.
Q: What is your latest book about?
My latest book is The Monster of Deep Water Lake, which I wrote with my sister, Margaret. Briefly, it’s about this Navy man, Emery, whose mentor may or may not have seen a monster in a lake. The mentor is either crazy or being driven crazy - or, worse, he’s right about the monster. It’s set in the 1930s and it was a lot of fun playing with elements from the era, like gangsters and the new fangled radio!
Q: When did you start writing (originally, not this specific book)?
I think my first piece of writing was when I was six or seven. It was about a dinosaur family who lived in a tree and I even illustrated it! It… lack somewhat in the plot department.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for this book specifically?
I think it was Margaret that came up with the initial concept - we both were watching old movies at the time, so the setting and the story naturally flowed from that interest.
Q: How was this book different than any of your others?
This book forced me to research the Navy, fishing techniques, and early 1900s style fishing boats, as well as mental health issues of the day. I’m by no means an expert on any of these subjects, but learning about them was really interesting.
Q: How did you go about publishing your book? Would you do it that way again? Why or why not?
I currently self publish, which is a lot of fun. You get to plan everything, from the font size to the back cover copy. Eventually, I’d love to pitch to an agent and work through a publishing house as well, just to see what that is like.
Q: Are you planning on writing more? If so what are you working on now? / When is your next book going to be coming out?
Oh, yes, absolutely. I’m currently outline two other books in the Encounter Series, and I’m working in the early stages of three stand alone novels. Hopefully one or two will be out by the end of the year!
Q: Can you tell us about your other books?
I have two anthology series, one of the which is the Encounter Series (written with Margaret Traynor). These are shorter, thriller novels, each based in a different era with a different supernatural or sci-fi threat. They’re a lot of fun to write because A. Monsters, obviously! and B. trying to capture the feel of different eras is an interesting challenge.
The other anthology series is the Mysteries Next-Door series, which are New Hampshire based mysteries, usually murders. I like using the landscape as almost a secondary character and try to show my home state in her best light.
I also wrote a western, Jenny Goodnight, which was a total blast to write. It’s a murder mystery/western, and quite possibly the most fun I’ve ever had writing. I’m thinking I need to do more westerns. John Wayne was and is one of my favorite movie stars and when you write a western, it feels like you’re kinda hanging out with him.
Q: What helps you to write? Music, pets, reading, specific pen, etc.?
Music is HUGE when I write. I always create a playlist for each story. Reading is also essential, because the more you know, the better you are.
Q: What has writing taught you?
To always try to see a situation from multiple points of view. Until you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes, your perspective of most things is going to be extremely limited.
Q: What authors inspire you?
Such a good question: I try to read widely, but my go-tos are John Lacarre, Ellery Queen, PG Wodehouse, Edith Wharton, Dorothy Sayers, CS Lewis, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott and Elizabeth Gaskell. More modern authors that I’m a huge fan of are Simone St James, Riley Sagar, MC Beaton, and Francine Rivers. One of the books that made the biggest impression on me was Jane Eyre - I was always the odd ball out in book clubs because this was my favorite book and not Pride and Prejudice (which, I also love, but I do tend to lean towards the gothic.)
Q: Do you go back and reread your writing after it’s been completed?
Do you mean after it’s published? Sometimes, but not too often. It can be helpful to look at old work and discover that, after all, your genius wasn’t… quite as amazing as you originally thought, haha! But I generally tend to focus more on the work in front of me rather than what was behind.
Q: What is your advice for writers?
Write what you love for the love of it. Don’t do it for fame or fortune, because you cannot conjure these two genies - you can only do your best and let God figure the rest.
And be VERY careful who you show your early work to. Some people call their cruelty “honesty” and a mean-spirited or mis-guided critique can really derail and discourage you. A good critique may sting a little - like a good workout leaves you sore, but not debilitated - but ultimately it should empower and encourage you to make good, solid changes where needed. When seeking help, select somebody you know is honest, fair, and kind and don’t let a bully ramrod or shame you simply because they are “being honest” about your work.
Q: Is there anything else you want to add?
If you want to learn more about my books, you can find them on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and on my website at www. killarneytraynor.com. If you stop by my website, drop me a line to say hello!