Three Times A Charm with Kerry Kennett

Welcome to Three Times A Charm. I love introducing my readers to new authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the children’s publishing industry.

Today’s guest is author, Kerry Kennett. Thanks for joining us, Kerry. Can you tell us a little about you, please?

I grew up enjoying the freedom only writing provides.  I used to create my own stories, poems, and I even wrote our fourth grade graduation song that a group of my friends and I sang at the little ceremony!  I love creative writing!  I am also a certified teacher and librarian.  I hold two Masters Degrees, an MST in Education and an MLS in Library Science.  I currently substitute teach in New York State, but have had the opportunity to teach special needs students in the Bronx, middle school English in my hometown, and to work as a school librarian in Dutchess County, New York.  I have published my first e-book via MeeGenius titled To The Lady Upstairs, Sincerely, The Centipede.  I'm currently working on a dozen other picture and chapter book manuscripts at this time, and hope to have a paperback or hard-copy book published by me, in my hands, before I am fifty! 

I love that title! Tell us more about To The Lady Upstairs, Sincerely, The Centipede.

My story is about a centipede who doesn't feel appreciated.  He complains that the “Lady Upstairs” doesn't thank him for keeping the basement dry, throwing lint into the garbage can, and other such chores!  The centipede is wonderfully drawn by illustrator Justin Sadur-Torres to be a cartoon that is reminiscent of the characters in “Ants” or “A Bug's Life.”  I don't particularly like bugs myself, but with Justin's drawings, and the adventures I have sent him on, this centipede is easy to love!

I find it funny that you don’t like bugs, but wrote about one. We had centipedes in the basement of the house I grew up in—I don’t like them either! *shudders*

Now, for the Threes. Share with us your top 3’s to help us know you a little better.

  • Top 3 leisure activities.

I love snorkeling.  I love writing and reading as work and leisure.  I find it fun to come up with new ideas and snippets of scenes!  I also enjoy dining out with my husband!  We love finding new places to try old favorite dishes, or new items! 

  • Top 3 pieces of advice for kids these days.

I would tell kids to not worry so much about what everyone thinks.  It is hard, and I even catch myself worrying on occasion, but it is important to be yourself and not let others have a major influence over you.

I would also tell kids that everything gets better.  Any issue that you are worrying about now is much easier to handle when you're older.  I have found this to be true at least.  Things can seem so overwhelming and awful at the time, but just look like a “rough time” in hindsight.  Talk to your friends, family, neighbors, etc.!

A third bit of advice I would give to kids is to travel whenever you can.  If a relative invites you on a trip, GO!  If your grade is going on a trip or has a foregin studies group, JOIN and GO!   

  • Top 3 favorite places.

My favorite places are New York, Hawaii, and Italy.  I have always lived in New York, except when I went away to college for four years to Connecticut (go Sacred Heart University, woo!).  I love it here.  I fell in love here.  I have so many memories in so many parts of this great state!  I love New York and I will be very sad if we move some day!

Hawaii.... Well, of course!  Who doesn't love Hawaii?  I have been lucky enough to go to Hawaii three times.  Two of which were with my fabulous husband!  I love beaches and sunsets and snorkeling...  There is never a dull day in Hawaii and everywhere you go is just gorgeous.

Italy is beautiful.  I have been to Italy twice.  During my junior year of high school and before my senior year of college when it was part of a cruise my aunt took me on!  I liked the land trip much better because I got to explore all over three cities: Rome, Venice, and Florence.  Venice is MAGICAL! 

Where can our tech savvy readers find you online?

My website is: kerrykennett.com
I am on Facebook under Kerry Kennett.
I am on Twitter, but I don't use it as much as I should!, @KerryKennett22
If you write to me, I WILL write back to you!  I can even send an autographed page from the e-book if I am e-mailed and this is requested.  I can be reached through my website for this purpose on www.kerrykennett.com.    

It was lovely having you charm us on this week’s Three Times A Charm, Kerry. Best of luck to your book and your upcoming projects.

THANKS!

GUESTS WELCOME!  I am always looking for guests for Three Times A Charm. If you are an author, illustrator or book reviewer, an agent or an editor. If you have something related to children’s publishing that you’d like people to know about, feel free to contact me about a future appearance.

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 9, 2014 at 11:17 AM

    Yay, two of my favorite author peeps on one blog!

    I agree that centipedes (and bugs in general) are creepy, buy Kerry's book is absolutely adorable, centipedes and all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kai Strand, AuthorApril 9, 2014 at 11:54 AM

      Aw, thanks Katie! And thanks for 'introducing' me to Kerry. I met her through your blog.

      Bugs are important and necessary. However, it is necessary that they stay outside, or else I might have to squish them. I wish they were as cute as Kerry's!

      Delete
    2. Kerry KennettApril 9, 2014 at 1:14 PM

      Thanks, Katie, and Kai! I was happy to see only the one.... We get a lot of spiders in our house. I know they are supposed to eat other bugs.... But when they get to a certain size, I do scream for my husband to kill them! LOL! :)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Susan Kaye Quinn, Author of Open Minds, Presents:

Image
Finding Time to Write the Sequel by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) Even before I decided to self-publish my new paranormal/SF novel Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) , I knew it would be a trilogy. But once I had made the decision to publish, the need to get busy on the sequel(s) kicked into high gear. Except that I was also publishing a book. Most writers find it difficult to balance writing with all the other demands in life. Even people who are lucky enough to write full time (which I am, since I write while my kids are at school), there’s still a tug between writing time and all the other things that need to be done. Once you’re published, this all changes, and not for the better. Now, not only do you need to write and get the kids to school and get the laundry done, but you also need to market your book, which can mean everything from actually getting it published (edits, covers, websites, blogs)...
Read more

Robot Writing - What It Is & How to Avoid It

Image
Many beginner writers fall into the habit of what I like to refer to as “robot writing.” It’s when you basically write your scenes like a grocery list. Ex: Marcy stood and walked across the room. Then she picked up the candle stick to inspect it. She blinked when she noticed the spot of dried blood. Marcy dropped the candlestick and ran from the room. I call it robot writing because when I'm reading it I tend to fall into a robotic pattern and start to sound like the robot from the old Lost In Space series. "Danger. Danger. Will Robinson." You may as well put numbers in front of each sentence: First Marcy stood and walked across the room. Second she picked up the candlestick to inspect it. Third she blinked when she noticed the spot of dried blood. Fourth she dropped the candlestick and ran from the room. Don’t get me wrong, robot writing is absolutely acceptable in your first draft, no matter your writing experience. Your first p...
Read more

Don't Be Closed Minded. Read a Banned Book. #Giveaway

Image
On this list , compiled by the ALA, of the top 100 challenged books of the decades 1990-1999 and 2000-2009, I've read: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Adventure of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Blubber Crank The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time The Dead Zone The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things Fat Kid Rules the World The Giver Harry Potter (series) The Hunger Games (series) The Kite Runner The Lovely Bones Olive's Ocean Speak Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes That Was Then, This Is Now Thirteen Reasons Why Twilight (series) A Wrinkle In Time I would recommend any of them, but especially the titles I've linked. The thing with me and banned books is that I don't get it. The banning thing. Why would you ever feel the right to keep a book out of the hands of other readers? Why would you feel you have the authority to say what some can and cannot read? Do you have the right to voice your o...
Read more