Curiosity Quills Author: Darin Kennedy

Darin Kennedy, born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is a graduate of Wake Forest University and Bowman Gray School of Medicine. After completing family medicine residency in the mountains of Virginia, he served eight years as a United States Army physician and wrote his first novel in 2003 in the sands of northern Iraq.

His debut novel, The Mussorgsky Riddle, was born from a fusion of two of his lifelong loves: classical music and world mythology. His short stories can be found in various publications and he is currently hard at work on his next novel.

Doctor by day and novelist by night, he writes and practices medicine in Charlotte, North Carolina. When not engaged in either of the above activities, he has been known to strum the guitar, enjoy a bite of sushi, and rumor has it he even sleeps on occasion. Find him online at darinkennedy.com.

1.     Tell us how you came to be an Author with Curiosity Quills Press.

My agent, Stacey Donaghy at Donaghy Literary Group, presented them to me as a potential publisher for my debut novel, The Mussorgsky Riddle, and after a ton of research, they seemed like a quality outfit with a fantastic business plan. We proceeded with submission, and I have found upon acceptance that my research was more than accurate.

2.     What do you enjoy most about being a CQ Author?

It’s been a quality experience from Day 1. The transparency of how the company works, the excellent editorial suggestions from Lisa in acquisitions through my actual editor and proofreader, the unwavering support as we sought out the perfect cover, the fantastic marketing team of Clare and Nikki, and most of all the beautiful book produced by Eugene and the rest of the team. My debut publishing experience has been very positive. Now, we just have to reach launch day.

3.     What have your experiences been like working toward being published?

I’ve been working toward this moment for right at eleven years: writing my first book, learning I had a whole lot to learn about writing and editing, slugging through the querying process for three and a half years to finally find the right agent, watching my first book not find a home, and finally arriving at this latest step in the publishing journey. It hasn’t always been easy or even fun, but I can tell you, it’s been worth it.

4.     What would you have done differently?

At each step, I’ve done the best I could with the information I had on hand, the time I had available, and the energy I had left at the end of the day after working the day job. I like where I am right now, so I don’t think I’d change a thing, other than the occasional faux pas along the way as I shed my newbie fluff for actual writer feathers.

5.     How has your book been marketed?

Between Nikki, Clare, and I, I think we’re on a good path with marketing. I have an online launch event, three signings, three science fiction conventions, several interviews and several reviews all lined up and launch is still a month away. I’ve felt very well supported in my marketing efforts. As we head into this last month before launch, I will work to bolster the numbers on all of these and get word about the Mussorgsky Riddle out to as many eyes and ears as possible.

6.     Any advice on how to better market a book?

Think outside the box. Go local and go big. Utilize the resources you have available. (Thanks Clare and Nikki!) Be flexible. Be available.
Most importantly, remember that your readers are your lifeblood. Treat them nice.

7.     Last question; If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go, when would it be, and what would you be wearing?

There are so many places I want to go, I’m having difficult narrowing it down to just one. I think I’d like to go to New Zealand and walk around some of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings set pieces while they’re still around. I think that would feel like walking into another world, which is what we all do every time we sit down at the keyboard, right?

Psychic Mira Tejedor possesses unique talents that enable her to find anything and anyone, but now she seeks a comatose boy wandering lost inside the labyrinth of his own mind. 13-year-old Anthony Faircloth hasn’t spoken a word in weeks and with each passing day, his near catatonic state worsens.

Pulled into Anthony’s mind, Mira finds the boy’s psyche shattered into the various movements of Modest Mussorgsky’s classical music suite, Pictures at an Exhibition. As she navigates this magical dreamscape drawn from Anthony’s twin loves of Russian composers and classical mythology, Mira must contend with gnomes, troubadours, and witches in her search for the truth.

The real world, however, holds its own dangers. The onset of Anthony’s mysterious malady coincides with the disappearance of his older brother’s girlfriend, a missing persons case that threatens to tear the city apart. Mira discovers that in order to save Anthony, she will have to catch a murderer who will stop at nothing to keep the secrets contained in Anthony’s unique mind from ever seeing the light.

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