Debbie Manber Kupfer's Blog

Hi folks, it’s been a hot minute, but today I have a new author interview here on Paws 4 Thought. Today I’m happy to welcome science fiction and fantasy author Kellie Doherty.

So Kellie, what are some science fiction and fantasy stories that inspired your work?
Oh so, so many stories inspired me! I’ve been watching and reading science fiction and fantasy
stories all my life. From my childhood (Digimon, Pokemon, Titan AE! Have you seen Treasure
Planet? It’s still amazing.) through my young adulthood (Lord of the Rings, Firefly, Hunger
Games, Star Trek, and Stargate) and even now (Critical Role, Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea,
The Phoenix Keeper). If you’re sensing a trend of adventure, motley crews and found family,
queer representation and a sense of wonder, you wouldn’t be far off the mark of stories that
sparked my own ideas.

Why write science fiction and fantasy?
I write science fiction and fantasy to go on an adventure of my own creation. Unlike real life
where chaos reigns (Kidding mostly, but also sometimes it does!), I can control what happens in
my stories. I can go on quests and visit planets and experience magic and create a
world—worlds—where anything I want to be true, can be true. Queer people experiencing hate
and erasure? Not in my worlds! It’s also a lovely creative outlet for me. It’s where I can create
that nanotechnology that slowly changes who you are, or the fearsome mythological beast that
can fit in your pocket. Quite simply, adding a dash of magic or unique tech can be fun! And while
I do write to tell important stories and represent my queer community, I also (mostly) write to
have fun!

What’s it like writing an intertwined standalone series?
It’s a … headache. No really. I mean it. Have you tried to write a five book fantasy series where
each of the first four books are supposed to be standalone but intertwined, and the fifth book
brings them all together? It’s a LOT to keep track of. (Hmm, try writing a 12 book series with a continuing story arc! DMK) A lot of sticky notes, and iPhone notes, and Word documents, and my critique group going: “I don’t really remember this character?”
Juggling so many characters—even in the solo books because you KNOW they all have to meet
one another in each of their books and impact each other in some way—is just plain hard. It’s
the most challenging thing I’ve tried to do in my writing career. But it’s also been so, so fun. (See
above note about having fun!) I’ve gotten to expand my world not once or twice but four times
thus far, taking my readers into the deadly and dangerous Ravenlock Woods and Cinder Forest,
exploring the lush Nemora Groves, visiting the fiery cult home of Slagrock, and delving deep
underground into ancient ruins of Alastra. (And I’m working on the fifth book now, expanding
even more.) With each book, I’ve gotten to really highlight each of the main characters—Misti,
Orenda, Adaris, and Zayla—and swept them each away on their own unique adventure, with
challenges and victories and sapphic romances all their own. I’ve had the chance to explore
their unique races and accompanying magics (which I call crafting)—Vagari with their Animal
crafting, Elu with their Moon crafting, Divus with their Blood crafting, and Nemora with their
Nature crafting. So, while it is hard to keep track of everyone and to keep all of their stories
moving forward in a meaningful way and to remember all the little things in my world, it’s also
been so rewarding. (And my readers have enjoyed it, too!)

Tell us, what does a day in the life of an author (who also has a full-time job) look like?

Juggling a full-time job and a writing career is difficult, but I have a good system that works for
me. During the week, I really focus on my day job (hello, book marketing!). I wake up at 7am,
take care of my two gorgeous black cats, get breakfast ready, then get to work at 8am. I’m off
work around 5pm, then I need to take care of my animals (my cats literally yowl for nuzzles,
lounge on my shoulders, and demand to be fed as soon as I get home… or at the very least
given a treat or two), do some exercise, and make dinner. On Mondays I play D&D (hi, nerds!)
and on Tuesdays I have a critique group, so that takes up my evenings. On the other nights, I
carve out some time after eating dinner to write or brainstorm my next scene. I try to keep those
sessions short because I’m whipped out (both mentally and creatively) by then, so a usual session is around 10-15 minutes long. Just a quick dip into my story to keep it fresh in my mind.
Then, I round out the night with some TV or reading a quick chapter, and head to bed. (My main
writing happens on the weekend where I dedicate a few hours each day!)

Who is your biggest motivator in your life?
My late father is my biggest motivator, even beyond the grave. My dad was a huge nerd. You know how I mentioned Star Trek and Stargate and Lord of the Rings? Yeah, he was the one to introduce me to all of those geeky things when I was a kid. He loved them. And so I grew to love them as well. I think that’s what really sparked my love for SFF. (That and HP, but we don’t talk about Harry anymore.) He always said to do fun things, to not be afraid to have the adventure, to be silly sometimes (he LOVED the Minions, let me tell you), to go after your dreams. He passed away in January 2022, but those words stuck with me.
They motivate me every day—to keep following my dreams even when things are chaotic and
challenging.

Tell us about your new release!

Fatal Spores & Fiery Paths (Desert Palm Press, March 2025) released yesterday and is my fourth sapphic high fantasy book, centered on a Nemora. It features a woman named Zayla. She’s the sole survivor of a fiery attack on her home that leaves her with a savage humming within her that grows more painful each time she uses her crafting. The story follows her as she goes on her rite of passage, called walking the path, and with it, readers are able to explore the Cinder Forest, visit the Ratnaa Grove (a place full of gemstones!), and dive into tunnels and cave systems of some underground ruins. There’s also a sapphic romance subplot—as always in my stories—with an alluring musician named Shadre. Her story was so
fun to write, and I think readers will have an ~opinion~ about her for sure. There’s also Oryn,
Zayla’s sibling, who is just the most badass character ever once you get to really know them. I
had such a good time writing this story, researching fungi and tree types and what poison can
do to someone. Zayla’s story is a powerful one, and I can’t wait for readers to really meet her!

Where did you get the inspiration for Fatal Spores & Fiery Paths?
What happens when nature tries to constantly attack you? That was basically the inspiration for
Fatal Spores. That, and I wanted to explore a hybrid-type character and what that mixed blood
would mean to someone, and to others who meet her. I was also curious about different rites of
passage. Since I’m half Irish, I wanted to pull from the Irish culture, and there is something
called “Pilgrim Paths” where you can walk in the footsteps of the original Saints of Ireland. I
really liked the idea, so I created a rite of passage called “walking the path” for the Nemora
people, where they travel through each of the seven Nemora Groves and learn about the
Groves, show off their crafting abilities, and get a token for doing so. It was a fun nod to some of
my Irish roots!

What it’s like living in Alaska, the “land of the midnight sun”
You’ve gotta love sunlight and darkness in equal parts! In the summertime, where I live close to
Anchorage, it stays light pretty much all night—not sunlight bright, think dusk colors. (Land of the
midnight sun and all.) But in the dead of winter, we have a ton of darkness here, too. I joke that I
go to work in the dark and come back in the dark, since there’s only a three-to-four-hour chunk
in the middle of the day where it’s light outside. It’s something you have to get used to! It’s
beautiful here, though, nature is all around—tall mountains, towering trees, stunning lakes—and
so many animals! Moose, wolves, lynxes, bears, foxes, birds. I enjoy living here because of
those stark differences—because in the summer I can go outside at 2am and think it’s time for
dinner, and in the winter the air sparkles because of the cold. It also inspired the light-dark
reversal in my high fantasy series. We have so much of both, I had to use it in some way! The
cold, dark nights also allowed me to get cozy, and what’s cozier than writing a book—tucked underneath a blanket, with cats snoozing on my lap, and a cup of hot tea nearby, of course. The
only downfall of living here? The mosquitos. They’re truly terrible!

Discover more about Kellie and her books by checking out her LinkTree.

And pick up her brand new book, Fatal Spores & Fiery Paths on Amazon!

3 Days Only – FREE eBook Giveaway!

Ready for a magical reading adventure? From January 15-17, download enchanting dragon picture books, fairy tales, and folk tales – absolutely FREE!

Perfect for bedtime stories or cozy afternoons.

Stock your digital library and keep the magic going all year long!

Download ALL the books here or mix and match!

FREE books include my story of friendship between a flower fairy, Esmeralda Grunch and her best friend Tulip.

You can also listen to the story on YouTube read by the awesome Matt Lovell

Happy New Year everyone. At the end of each year I love to look back on my favorite reads of the year. This year I set myself a goal of 24 books in 2024 – and beat it – ending up with 27 books read!

Here is a highlight of 12 of my favorites, one for each month.

I started the year gloriously with what turned out to be my favorite book of the year and a book that will go on my all-time favorite reading list. I loved THE WISHING GAME by Meg Shaffer so much this year that I actually read it twice. Once by myself in January and then again in the summer with my son Joey when he come home from college. I even got my husband to read this wonderful book, that left me with happy tears in my eyes.

In February I was delighted to continue Charlie Holmberg’s Whimbrel House series with THE BOY OF CHAOTIC MAKING. This is book 3 of the series and I highly recommend you start from the beginning. It’s well worth it. A whimsical, magical read. Very much looking forward to book 4 which is releasing in early 25.

March seemed like a good time for a vampire book! And this one THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES by Grady Hendrix was just the ticket! Lots of twists and turns and actually would make the perfect book club book! This was my first book by Grady Hendrix and I’ll definitely be adding others to my future reading list.

One of my favorite books of 2023 was Travis Baldree’s LEGENDS & LATTES, so I was super excited to read his prequel book BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST and even more excited as later in the year I got to meet Travis at Archon. He was super lovely (just like his books) and he signed both books for me.

More vampires In May, but cozy ones this time. I devoured THE VAMPIRE KNITTING CLUB books by Nancy Warren, reading five of them in succession and I plan to go back and read more at a later date.

Still cozy in June but a cozy mystery this time instead of fantasy or paranormal. BED, BREAKFAST AND THE BEYOND is the latest Eileen Duggan book. Eileen is a local author and friend and I love her books. Each have a local flavor and a hint of the unusual.

Once a year I need to read a Terry Pratchett book and this year it was SNUFF. This was a Vimes book with a lot to say that had me thinking about it for a long time afterwards.

My favorite book of 2023 was THE HOUSE ON THE CERULEAN SEA by T.J Klune. and I was super excited not only to read his new book SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SEA but also to hear Klune speak at our local library in the summer as part of the book’s release. There was even someone dressed up as Chauncey at the event!

Discovering THE TOMB OF THE QUEEN by Joss Walker was a happy accident. The author had applied for a newsletter swap with me and I made an error and accidentally left his book off my newsletter that month. I felt bad of course so reached out to the author and agreed to share the book on this blog and social media instead and a the same time picked up a copy. I’m glad I did. It’s an awesome story and not at all what I expected from the cover and fit well with my other cozy reads this year.

I met Esme Symes-Smith at Archon and swapped books with them. I’m so glad I did because their book SIR CALLIE AND THE CHAMPIONS OF HELSTON turned out to be one of my favorite books of 2024. It’s a lovely empowering story that I feel should be in every middle school and high school library and I plan to continue the series.

I’d wanted to read THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES by Sangu Mandanna for a while and was thrilled to pick it up in a local Little Free Library. It’s a wonderful warm hug of a book and was well worth the wait.

My final book of 2024 was THE STORY COLLECTOR by Evie Woods. Last year I read her wonderful LOST BOOKSHOP and this one was just as good but in a different way. Read it – you’ll understand!

Check out ALL the books I read here on Goodreads!

What was your favorite book of 2024? I’d love to see some of your recommendations in the comments.

Happy New Year everyone!

Congratulations to my friend Jamie Glaser on the release of her new poetry book. I had the privilege of reading an early copy of this collection which contains a number of thought-provoking poems.

Available on Amazon today!

Jamie has also written the wonderful novel Poppy and has poems in Catstruck.

From December 16-18, bring holiday magic to your bookshelf with our FREE children’s picture books!

From snow-filled adventures to Santa’s surprises, to my own fairies making their yummy Chanukah treats, these stories are perfect for family reading time during the holidays and beyond.

Download your free books during this limited-time offer and share the gift of reading with your little ones. Hurry—these festive freebies won’t last!

Happy December folks! Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, and Yule are all coming up this month and what better present than a book or two or five! And I have you covered.

Signed copies of all my books including the picture book Esmeralda’s Chanukah and my new card game Adana’s Game of Friendship and Flowers available directly from me (I’m going to the post office later this week) OR come see me at my two events this month. ToyMan Show – Toys, Comics & Con on Sunday or at the St. Louis Writers Guild sale the following Saturday.

Order your signed books here!

Or check out my books on Amazon!

Hi everyone, I’m thrilled to announce that I’m once more part of the Artists Against Antisemitism Auction.

Our artist community has outdone itself! With nearly 400 unique items, this auction is packed with incredible moments— dining with Henry Winkler, Zoom chats with Mayim Bialik, Rebecca De Mornay, and Mark Feuerstein, a private cooking class with Adeena Sussman and more. We’ve got original art, jewelry, memorabilia from star athletes, and tickets to talk shows, Broadway, concerts and sporting events!

Add to that, we’re a book lover’s paradise! Own signed books and score private book club visits from dozens of New York Times bestselling authors, get exclusive access to upcoming releases, and so much more. Aspiring writers can snag private sessions with literary agents, editors, and award-winning scriptwriters.

The best part? The more you bid, the more we raise to fight antisemitism in the arts. With our donation, Project Shema will train facilitators to expand their antisemitism awareness trainings both in and outside of the arts community A portion of proceeds will go toward our own future initiatives to support to Jewish artists through grants for marketing, security, travel, and more.

My donation is an audio book of the omnibus edition of P.A.W.S. books 1-3.

You can bid on my item here!

And find all the awesome items here!

A librarian. A spellbook. And a magical terror organization set on controlling the world…

Librarian Jayne Thorne enjoys her quiet life of tea and books. That is, until she finds a spell book in the Vanderbilt University archives that accidentally gives her access to a magical dimension.

Now she’s hunted by a magic-wielding terrorist group, and the only way for her to survive is to team up with a secret branch of the CIA. Her first mission: Go undercover at Trinity College Library in Dublin and determine if the Book of Leinster is actually a magical necromantic grimoire.

With the help of a handsome Irish kickboxer, Jayne uncovers the truth of her unexpected spell book: The Irish manuscript is one of five grimoires that can raise five dead, master magicians, and secure their totems of power. With these totems comes the power to control the world.

But the spell book isn’t the only thing with secrets in Jayne’s new life. Danger lurks in every corner and Jayne must rise to meet her fated role…or perish alongside the rest of the world.

A Discovery of Witches  meets Mercy Thompson, with a splash of Indiana Jones and Gilmore Girls, in this award-winning fantasy adventure.

Pick up your copy today!

Do you live in the St. Louis area? Come out and see me this month at three awesome events.

First up on Saturday October 19th I’ll be on two panels at St. Louis City’s Central Library’s day-long fiction writing workshop. At 2:00pm I’ll be joining my friend George Sirois to talk about audio book creation. And at the end of the day we’ll be taking audience questions while we discuss Authors Dos and Don’ts. Check out the full schedule here.

Next on October 26 I’ll be sharing a table with the author of Poppy, Jamie Glaser at the Local Author Showcase at Jefferson County Library. Come meet some cool local authors and pick up some books.

Finally on Sunday October 27th I’ll be at the Shriner’s Toy Art Craft Fair at the Moolah Shrine, 12545 Fee Fee Road. This is a perfect place to pick up your holiday gifts. Join us from 9:00 to 2:00.

Hi folks I’ve got together with a bunch of cool indie fantasy authors to offer our books for FREE for the next couple of days and for once both book 1, P.A.W.S. and book 2, Argentum are FREE on Kindle. Plus books 3 through 9 are just 99 cents. Check them out here!

Still need MORE to read? Check out the two fall book fairs below for oodles more reads. Enjoy!