 | Kelly Risser knew at a young age what she wanted to be when she grew up. Unfortunately, Fairytale Princess was not a lucrative career. Leaving the castle and wand behind, she entered the world of creative business writing where she worked in advertising, marketing, and currently, eLearning instructional design. When Kelly is not immersed in the middle of someone else's fantasy world, she's busy creating one of her own. Never Forgotten is her first complete series, which includes Never Forgotten, Current Impressions, Always Remembered, and Sea of Memories, a novella collection. |
Kelly is one of the authors of award-winning Fractured Glass and 7: The Seven Deadly Sins. She also has a short story in the Twists in Time anthology, and will be part of several other anthologies releasing in 2016. You can visit her at www.KellyRisser.com, or click here to sign up for her newsletter.
What is the biggest influence/interest that brought you to this genre?
I always wanted to be a writer, but after high school, I let my creative writing go, trading it in for the world of business, which was in some ways still creative, just different. When I started discovering the early indie writers on Amazon, like Amanda Hocking, that’s when I first thought that I could do this too, if I just put my mind to it.
What is the biggest influence/interest that brought you to this genre?
I always wanted to be a writer, but after high school, I let my creative writing go, trading it in for the world of business, which was in some ways still creative, just different. When I started discovering the early indie writers on Amazon, like Amanda Hocking, that’s when I first thought that I could do this too, if I just put my mind to it.
What were you doing five years ago?
Five years ago, I was working through revisions on Never Forgotten, my first book.
How long does it typically take you to write a book?
Never Forgotten took me five years of on and off writing and revising. The remaining books in the series were about 9 months each. I am not a fast writer, and I do not write every day. I find that it does me no good to force my writing; I’ll just end up junking those pages.
What is your favorite thing to do on your day off?
What day off? I kid, but not really. I work full time during the week and fit my writing in around the rest of my life. Between writing, blogging, and promoting my books, I don’t have a lot of free time. When I do, I like to shop or hang out with my family.
Do you have hobbies that don’t involve writing or reading?
I like to make my own swag. I find it relaxing. I also enjoy decorating cakes. I make the cakes for my children, as well as my nieces and nephews.
Do you have pets?
We have a soft-coated Wheaten Terrier/Poodle mix named Clyde and a tank full of fish.
Do you have a favorite television series?
Grimm. I love how unique the series is. And Nick Burkhart is a cutie.
What is your favorite thing about being an author?
When readers contact me and tell me how much they loved my book. It absolutely makes my day!
Five years ago, I was working through revisions on Never Forgotten, my first book.
How long does it typically take you to write a book?
Never Forgotten took me five years of on and off writing and revising. The remaining books in the series were about 9 months each. I am not a fast writer, and I do not write every day. I find that it does me no good to force my writing; I’ll just end up junking those pages.
What is your favorite thing to do on your day off?
What day off? I kid, but not really. I work full time during the week and fit my writing in around the rest of my life. Between writing, blogging, and promoting my books, I don’t have a lot of free time. When I do, I like to shop or hang out with my family.
Do you have hobbies that don’t involve writing or reading?
I like to make my own swag. I find it relaxing. I also enjoy decorating cakes. I make the cakes for my children, as well as my nieces and nephews.
Do you have pets?
We have a soft-coated Wheaten Terrier/Poodle mix named Clyde and a tank full of fish.
Do you have a favorite television series?
Grimm. I love how unique the series is. And Nick Burkhart is a cutie.
What is your favorite thing about being an author?
When readers contact me and tell me how much they loved my book. It absolutely makes my day!
About the Never Forgotten Series:
Meara Quinn is about to find out there are worse things than moving to a tiny oceanside town before her senior year. Like discovering there's a secret being kept from her and knowing it's a life-changer.
After experiencing vivid visions of her absentee father, Meara decides she deserves answers. With the help of her new friend Evan, a guy she happens to be falling for, she embarks on a journey in the hopes of unlocking family history and finding her true self. But when she meets a handsome stranger at a local club who knows far more about her than he should, her world is again shaken. In him, Meara may have uncovered the key to the very secret that will reveal not only who she is... but what she is.
Meara Quinn is about to find out there are worse things than moving to a tiny oceanside town before her senior year. Like discovering there's a secret being kept from her and knowing it's a life-changer.
After experiencing vivid visions of her absentee father, Meara decides she deserves answers. With the help of her new friend Evan, a guy she happens to be falling for, she embarks on a journey in the hopes of unlocking family history and finding her true self. But when she meets a handsome stranger at a local club who knows far more about her than he should, her world is again shaken. In him, Meara may have uncovered the key to the very secret that will reveal not only who she is... but what she is.
Never Forgotten Excerpt – Evan asks Meara on first date
The sun was hot on my back, but it felt good. I always soaked it up in the summer, knowing that I would be wishing for some of its warmth in the dead of winter.
Icy cold dripped on my shoulder and made me jump. I looked up to the source and saw Evan holding out a water bottle. “Sorry for startling you,” he said. “I thought you might be thirsty.”
“Thanks.” I opened the cap and downed half the bottle. I didn’t realize how thirsty I had gotten. “Did you get the paint?”
Evan held up one gallon of paint and two brushes in response. “Is the sanding done?”
“Almost.” I pointed to the last board. “I just have that one to finish.”
“Okay.” Evan set the paint supplies down near the boards I’d already sanded. “I’ll get started then, and you can join me when you’re done.”
I finished sanding as fast as I could, and then went over by Evan. He smiled and handed me a paintbrush. “You’ve painted before, right?”
“A little.” Mom and I had painted the kitchen in our old house. I didn’t tell him about the mess we made in the process. We were covered in paint, but laughing when we were done.
“Why’d you come here today?” Evan asked.
I shrugged and dipped my brush in the paint.
“Just a little,” Evan cautioned as he watched me.
“I just wanted to hang with my grandfather a bit, I guess.”
“Is it hard?”
“What?”
“Getting to know them?”
“No… yes… I don’t know. It’s weird. I don’t understand why we never visited them or why they didn’t come see us.”
“Yeah. That’s a little strange, although I can guess why they didn’t come see you.”
I looked at Evan and waited for his answer. His eyes took in the boats surrounding us before he gestured with his paintbrush. “This takes year round dedication. Your grandfather can’t leave.”
“Sounds hard,” I said. Evan returned his brush to the paint bucket. In his haste, droplets of paint flew, and one landed on my nose. Evan started laughing before brushing it off with the sleeve of his shirt.
“Sorry about that.” He grinned at me, but it soon faltered. Once again, I was locked in his gaze. We leaned toward each other. He brushed a strand of hair back from my face and tucked it behind my ear. “Meara?”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to go to dinner?”
“Tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“With you?” I asked, realizing that was an incredibly stupid thing to ask.
Evan grinned again. “Yeah. That would be the general idea.”
“Okay.”
The sun was hot on my back, but it felt good. I always soaked it up in the summer, knowing that I would be wishing for some of its warmth in the dead of winter.
Icy cold dripped on my shoulder and made me jump. I looked up to the source and saw Evan holding out a water bottle. “Sorry for startling you,” he said. “I thought you might be thirsty.”
“Thanks.” I opened the cap and downed half the bottle. I didn’t realize how thirsty I had gotten. “Did you get the paint?”
Evan held up one gallon of paint and two brushes in response. “Is the sanding done?”
“Almost.” I pointed to the last board. “I just have that one to finish.”
“Okay.” Evan set the paint supplies down near the boards I’d already sanded. “I’ll get started then, and you can join me when you’re done.”
I finished sanding as fast as I could, and then went over by Evan. He smiled and handed me a paintbrush. “You’ve painted before, right?”
“A little.” Mom and I had painted the kitchen in our old house. I didn’t tell him about the mess we made in the process. We were covered in paint, but laughing when we were done.
“Why’d you come here today?” Evan asked.
I shrugged and dipped my brush in the paint.
“Just a little,” Evan cautioned as he watched me.
“I just wanted to hang with my grandfather a bit, I guess.”
“Is it hard?”
“What?”
“Getting to know them?”
“No… yes… I don’t know. It’s weird. I don’t understand why we never visited them or why they didn’t come see us.”
“Yeah. That’s a little strange, although I can guess why they didn’t come see you.”
I looked at Evan and waited for his answer. His eyes took in the boats surrounding us before he gestured with his paintbrush. “This takes year round dedication. Your grandfather can’t leave.”
“Sounds hard,” I said. Evan returned his brush to the paint bucket. In his haste, droplets of paint flew, and one landed on my nose. Evan started laughing before brushing it off with the sleeve of his shirt.
“Sorry about that.” He grinned at me, but it soon faltered. Once again, I was locked in his gaze. We leaned toward each other. He brushed a strand of hair back from my face and tucked it behind my ear. “Meara?”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to go to dinner?”
“Tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“With you?” I asked, realizing that was an incredibly stupid thing to ask.
Evan grinned again. “Yeah. That would be the general idea.”
“Okay.”
Never Forgotten is available on Amazon, iTunes, and Barnes and Noble.
Risser keeps her focus on the little details of Meara’s everyday life, lending the book a nice, homey charm. ~Kirkus Reviews
"NEVER FORGOTTEN is a sweet romance with a paranormal twist!" ~InD'Tale Magazine
USA BEST BOOK AWARDS (2014) AND INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (2015) FINALIST.
Risser keeps her focus on the little details of Meara’s everyday life, lending the book a nice, homey charm. ~Kirkus Reviews
"NEVER FORGOTTEN is a sweet romance with a paranormal twist!" ~InD'Tale Magazine
USA BEST BOOK AWARDS (2014) AND INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (2015) FINALIST.
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