Interview with Debut Author Karina Kennedy
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I am so excited to bring you this fun and exclusive interview with Karina Kennedy! She is an explorer and can’t wait to share her debut novel, A Not So Lonely Planet: Italy, with you this June!
Marina Taylor is a bold, adventure-seeking writer with a one-way ticket to Rome and big dreams to write her book, Italian Women of Influence . . . but an undeniable connection with an irresistible stranger—and her penchant for disaster—just may derail her plans.
Inspired by actress and sex icon Regina Lombardi, Marina tries to master the sexual gaze as she researches her book and stumbles her way through Italian scholars, Turkish footballers, and Sicilian twins. From the nightclubs of Rome to a Venetian masquerade ball, Marina’s escapades leave her yearning for a particular French-Italian photographer. Will she catch her illusive stranger, or prove more calamity than coquette? And what about the ruggedly down-to-earth ex who’s waiting for her back home?
Equal parts laugh-out-loud travel comedy and sexy adventure, Marina’s first trip abroad will inspire you to throw your own itinerary out the window and throw caution to the wind. Art, love, sex, wine—the Italian playboy and the boy next door—who says you can’t have it all?
HEA Novel Thoughts: Are any characters based off of you, friends, family, or anybody in your life?
Karina Kennedy: Well, I like to think I’m not as klutzy as Marina! But truthfully, there is a bit of every author in every character we write. How else can we create realistic thoughts and emotions? Marina’s adventures will always have slices of my own, usually embellished. I love to lean into the comedy. There are also characters in A Not So Lonely Planet: Italy, that were inspired by real life friends. Nadya, who is actually a talented Italian actress, is and always will be my Titania, queen of the fairies. Also, Marina’s friends, the Michaels, in real life are just as loveable and hilarious as the playful couple in the book.
HEA: Is there a certain place where you get more inspired to write than others?
Karina: My best thinking I do in the bathtub, like Trumbo, with a glass of wine. Did you know they make waterproof paper? Typing happens on my beautiful patio outside, surrounded by flowers, listening to bees and waiting for the occasional hummingbird to bomb past my head. While traveling I’m great at finding a favorite coffee shop, with a great view or lots of interesting people, and I make it my ‘international office’ for however long I’m staying. Tip well! The staff are the best insight to the people and place you’re visiting.
HEA: What made you start writing?
Karina: My mother and aunt are both writers, they encouraged me from an early age, and I had two stories printed in the local paper when I was in grade school. I believe writing is in your blood. Most writers have an inner narrative that eventually finds its way to the page. It’s like a tap that’s always open. It’s either dripping or running full blast, depending on the day, pouring out ideas for plot or character, even dialogue. You have to write so you don’t overflow.
HEA: Have you ever cried while writing?
Karina: I’m usually laughing, not crying. Either because my jokes are funny or because my draft is so bad. Writing is the thing I do to escape from the things that make me cry.
HEA: How do you balance writing with real life?
Karina: This is always a challenge, even if your fulltime job is writing. I try to write everyday, to keep the ideas flowing and nurture my creative muscles, even if it’s only for a short time. Having a set time of the day helps me prioritize my writing.
HEA: Are your book settings based on a real place? Your favorite place?
Karina: Yes, my books are all set in real places. There are a few fictional locales, like Regina’s paradise in the hills, Casa di Pavone in A Not So Lonely Planet: Italy, But Marina visits real places all over Italy, and researches real influential Italian women. I want to inspire my readers to see these places for themselves and have their own romantic adventures.
HEA: What makes a great romance novel?
Karina: For me it’s a strong heroine with independence and grit, falling in love. She’s not perfect but she’s going after what she wants. I’ve never been a Bronte sort of gal. Even the quintessential Austen characters are in the end, hunting husbands. That’s why I love Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, now on Netflix. She takes Austen’s world and turns it horizontal, if you know what I mean. Those women have pluck.
HEA: If a reader discovers your books today, where would you recommend they start reading?
Karina: A Not So Lonely Planet: Italy. This is Marina’s first adventure abroad. They can also get a short taste of some of her romantic misadventures on her blog, Wanderlust.
