A Slice of Cake With... Kimberley T Hennessy

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with author Kimberley T Hennessy.

Kimberley was born on a cold January 13th with snow banks as far as the eye could see, in a small town called Île Bizard. The surname translates to weird island. She wishes she could say it was a Friday. The ominous allure is tempting, but there’s nothing grim about this gal. 

Wide-eyed and cheery, Kimberley is quirky with a side of kook, but gravitates towards dystopian stories for their world-building and character layering, and well because they’re cool! She admits her fondness for most genres has kept her entertained many nights into the early morning hours but isn’t watching movies and reading books part of an author’s job description? At least, that’s what she tells her family when she snaps back from utter exhaustion. They’re not convinced. 

It’s no wonder Kimberley majored in psychology and science at Montreal’s Concordia University. Human foibles intrigue her, the likes of which have led her to a fulfilling career in writing, screenwriting, and film. After completing her Masters at Staffordshire University in screenwriting, she embarked on a wild journey to create a world with characters that appealed to, shall we say a mature woman with an odd sensibility for impending doom?    

In between writing her debut novel, screenplays, and every other story idea she jots down on sticky notes, she's more likely plotting her next family vacation with her husband and two children, and their potbelly black cat.

The next chapter is a surprise, but she's looking forward to it, especially if that means eating her way through the fridge as she types away her story.

What kind of stories do you write?

I write dark, twisty, other world stories. I’m a sucker for grim, futuristic stories that offer alternate histories, or a glimpse of what could be, of what might be. There’s a sense of loss in my writing, but if you look deep enough, there’s also hope, and redemption. Bottom line, I enjoy killing my darlings ;)

Can you describe your writing why?

Why do I write? It’s simple because my mind is filled with half-baked story ideas that just won’t quit pestering me until they are fully developed. I will spend sleepless nights lying awake in my bed going over the same details like a movie. It’s exhausting, and I must put them to paper. If only these scenes included plot and arc, then I would be all set.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

So far I only have one finished novel under my belt, but my favourite bit was by far when my main character Eira succumbs to her illness and falls into a deep mind-bending stasis, which is where she discovers that she is not like the others. She communicates with the dead.

I had this scene from the moment I started writing, and because I write in sequence, it took close to ¾ of the book to finally write it. Phew! Thankfully, the scene wrote itself. I was just the fingers typing it.

Tell us about your latest project

My latest project is my current novel. “She Runs With Wolves” Set in a desolate winter barren future, Eira flees her captor the Mad King Lorcan after she discovers she’s pregnant.

She hopes to offer her child a better life, but she falls into the hands of an underground sect bent on reviving their ancient religion the Grimnìr and take down Lorcan the tyrant.

Eira wants nothing to do with it, but she discovers she’s at the heart of the insurgence. Her body is growing sick and weak and she learns she could save her child and the Grimnìr religion if she relinquishes part of her soul to another Ylva the She-Wolf.

The only guidance she gets come in the shape of three wolves. They will help her determine her fate. It’s a story that mixes tribal histories and science fiction. The whole idea came from Albert Einstein’s quote: I do not know with what weapons world war III will be fought, but world war IV will be fought with sticks and stones.

Combining remnants of past technology with the world’s destruction appealed to me. It’s like waking up from a coma a hundred years into the future, and not understanding the world around you.

What is your favourite cake?

My favourite cake is chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, and a drop of cream. Yum!

Chocolate cake is always a good choice! You can connect with Kimberley at the following places:

Website: https://kimberlythennessy.com/
Twitter: @kthennessy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyt.hennessy/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlyThennessy
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/kimberlythennessy/she-runs-with-wolves-dystopian-novel/

Join me next week when I have a slice of cake with Nicholas Turner.

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.