KD Pryor

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

I'm Kelley and I write as KD Pryor. I live with my husband, who is an amazing plotting companion and my biggest supporter. My hobbies include travel, yoga, hiking near my home and reading. I am involved with a philanthropic organization focused on providing educational opportunities for women through scholarships, grants, and loans. I love to spend time with my family, which is more difficult now that my three kids are grown and out on their own. We get together as a family as often as we can. I have wonderful friends, a fantastic family, and now a new goal – to get my series completed and launched into the world.

When and why did you start writing books?

My travel adventures often show up in my stories. I took my first informal writing class nearly 20 years ago and wrote a ghost story set in an abandoned mine in rural Kentucky. We lived in northern Kentucky at the time, and we visited the mine and the small town where it had operated. Something about the place piqued my interest and led to a story. My current book series is set in Ireland, where my husband and I lived for two years. Writing is a puzzle for me. Sometimes the experience is frustrating, when my characters don’t cooperate, or the plot won’t unravel no matter how hard I work at it. But other times, it is a joy, and the words flow with ease. In either case, writing is something I’m drawn to. I don’t plan to stop.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

I love to write, and I want to share my stories. But that’s not all an author does. I had no idea the work involved in publishing and marketing. Writers can’t let that dissuade them. I’m learning every day. Each time I master a new skill, whether that skill pertains to the craft of writing, the publishing aspect of the job, or I discover a new way to market my books, I am filled with purpose. Writing is much more than getting words on the page, and I wouldn’t want to do anything else.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

The Dreammasters is the first book in my new series, Of Gods and Monsters. I can’t choose a favorite character. All of them are interesting to write and present their own challenges.

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

The Dreammasters has undergone several revisions. The book is now three books. I’m revising book two, The Fae, as I prepare for the launch of The Dreammasters. This has been the most challenging project I’ve undertaken. I hadn’t planned to divide the book into three books, but I’m happy with the choice and I hope readers enjoy the books.

Who is your favourite author and book?

This a very difficult question. I have many books I love to read and re-read. My favorite stories are complicated and twisty and may have supernatural elements. My favorite authors pull me into the story with their use of language to set a scene and create atmosphere and mood. My goal as a writer is to create stories as complex and absorbing as the books I love to read. Kate Morton is one of my favorite authors and “The Lake House” is my favorite of her books. “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield is another of my favorite books. I also love the way author Louise Penny weaves mystery and humanity throughout her Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery stories and how the characters grow and change in each installment of the series. In my genre of Paranormal Women’s Fiction, there are several authors’ series I love, including The Crone Wars by Lydia M Hawke, The Majestic Midlife Witch series by N.Z. Nasser, and the Baking up a Magical Midlife series by Jessica Rosenberg.

What book are you reading right now?

I am reading several books right now, including some great books from other Paranormal Women’s Fiction and Urban Fantasy authors including Spells and Sandwiches by Kate Moseman and Murder Above the Fold by ReGina Welling and Erin Lynn. I’m almost finished with The Long Way Home, book ten in Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

Travel, myth, and magic combine to inspire my writing. Ireland and Irish myths inspired my current series. I’ve traveled to Ireland many times, and my husband and I lived in Galway for two years. The inspiration for “The Dreammasters” came to me while living in Ireland during take-off on a flight from Dublin bound for Lisbon. I’d put my head back as the plane began its ascent and an idea popped into my head about particular people, specific women, who could change things via their dreams. I started writing the book in Ireland. I’d been reading Irish fairy tales and Celtic Mythology. It was a natural step to connect the women who changed things via their dreams to the Celtic goddess of dreams.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

In my spare time I enjoy exercise, including walking and yoga. I love to travel with my husband and my family. I read every day. And usually, my husband and I have a series we watch in the evenings. I love to not only read stories but to watch as they unfold on the screen.

Do you have any new books in the works?

I am working on revisions to The Fae, the next book in the Of Gods and Monsters series.