We recently connected with Kerrie Faye and have shared our conversation below.

Kerrie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I wouldn’t call it a midlife crisis because I’m not quite there when it comes to age. But in 2017 I survived a violent crash and after pushing through recovery, I found myself a year later ready to make a change–ready to take a risk.

My children had reached an age where they were more autonomous leaving me time during the day to explore something new–something for myself. Soon thereafter, God put it on my heart to try writing.

I had always been an avid reader. In fact, one of my favorite things to do, beside hanging with my family, is to lose myself in a good book. But, I had never dreamed of writing one!

So, I took some time exploring the internet and discovered NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month). It was through their program that I wrote my first manuscript and fell in love with novel writing.

Kerrie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Since writing my very first manuscript just a few years ago, I have found that I feel the most comfortable writing for the young adult fantasy audience.

I adore the tropes found most commonly in young adult books. First loves! First kiss! Cue me swooning! Combine those “firsts” with a fantasy world where anything from magic to aliens are be possible, and I am a very happy author.

And, I am consistently writing stories where good triumphs over evil. In all of my stories, you will find a female protagonist with wounds but a will to do the right thing, even if it means conquering her biggest fears.

I like to say that I am bringing light to the dark, one fierce heroine at a time. I think my debut novel, DEAD GIRL, is a prime example of who I am as an author and what readers can expect in future projects.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I am a traditionally published author who took the non-traditional route to publication. Let me explain.

When I started querying literary agents with Dead Girl in 2022, I had no clue how the process worked. So, I did what I had done back in 2018 when I decided to pursue writing, I searched the internet. Unfortunately, the information that I found online was written for writers who were querying pre-pandemic. While some information still applied, like how to format a query letter, it didn’t account for the tremendous lag time that agents were now experiencing in their response times. Not necessarily a fault of theirs, a combination of factors led to unprecedented slush pile numbers.

As I’ve been told, I don’t necessarily have a ton of patience. With responses taking over six months, I took a risk and pivoted, deciding to query small publishers. The response time was much more reasonable and positive.

Soon, I was signing my first publishing contract with The Wild Rose Press!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

It is so scary putting yourself out there. I recall fear slicing through me when I sat in my first critique group. I had no idea if my story was “good enough.” I felt so out of place and wondered if I was delusional to think I could be a writer. With no credentials or a MFA to back up my work, I often dealt with imposter syndrome on this journey to publication.

But, wow, what an amazing feeling to have all those months of work validated! It is the most rewarding feeling when an industry professional says Dead Girl is really good! Or when a reader says they loved the characters in Dead Girl and can’t wait for book two! It makes powering through that fear and self-doubt worth it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kerriefayebooks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerriefayebooks
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerriefayeherron/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kerriefayebooks
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKCxSGr0IPskbyFcIQUWXFQ
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kerriefaye

Image Credits
Dead Girl Cover Art by Kristian Norris