Catching Up with Author Kellie Doherty

Speculative fiction has a way of pulling us into new worlds, sparking our imagination, and making us see things differently—and for Kellie Doherty, that love started young. From childhood favorites like Animorphs and The Secrets of Droon to epic fantasies and stories with rich queer representation, every book that she read has helped shape her own writing. In this interview, Kellie talks about her journey as a writer, the challenge of creating an interconnected standalone series, and how her late father’s adventurous spirit continues to inspire her work. Plus, we get a peek into her latest fantasy novel, Fatal Spores & Fiery Paths.

GeekPost: How has your love for speculative fiction evolved over the years, and how does that reflect in your work?

Kellie: I’ve loved speculative fiction since I was a child, reading Animorphs, Harry Potter, The Secrets of Droon, A Series of Unfortunate Events (which might not be “true” speculative fiction but had lovely hints of whimsy), and the like. Over the years, I’ve embraced more complex stories—like Lord of the Rings—and ones with positive queer representation—like The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, The Phoenix Keeper, etc. All my work is mirrored from those stories. I’ve written quest adventures, nanotechnology that changes who you are, and unique magic systems that pull from all those various sources of inspiration. But mostly, it’s reflected in the found families, sibling relationships, the sense of wonder and awe, the spark of magic in everyday life, and that anyone can be a hero, no matter what age or race or gender. Those stories are the foundation of my work, and ones I build upon everyday as I read even more speculative fiction

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GeekPost: Writing an intertwined standalone series is a unique challenge—how do you balance continuity while ensuring each book stands alone?

Kellie: For the continuity it’s three things: 1) a looooot of random notes—sticky notes, iPhone notes, Word documents with words like “roots” or “claws!” highlighted or bolded; 2) my worldbuilding and character documents that I strive to keep as up-to-date as possible; and 3) my eagle-eyed critique group who has no problem correcting me if I get something wrong. For the standing alone aspect, I’ve written this series in such a way where each of the first four books have their own unique character, with their own unique challenges and triumphs, their own enemies to defeat and their own journeys to go on. Misti’s story of trying to get the blood pendant off her neck is very different than Zayla’s rite of passage, for example. Orenda’s just trying to save her wife, and Adaris is trying to free herself from the fiery cult’s clutches. They’re each very different adventures. Because there are four stories and four characters, I also got to highlight the four different races and accompanying crafting (what I call magic). So, each book is inherently different. Buuuuuuut all the books are set in the same world, so you’ll actually meet all the characters in each book to twine them together. (So, if you go on Misti’s journey, you’ll bump into Adaris who comments on Misti’s companion animal, Zayla who points Misti in the correct direction, and Orenda who stands with Misti in the end.) It’s a chaotic challenge, but a fun one!

GeekPost: Can you walk us through a typical day in your life, balancing writing with a full-time job?

Kellie: Of course! The workdays look a bit different depending on the day, since Monday I have D&D and Tuesdays I have critique group, but I’ll walk you through my usual Wednesday since I don’t have after-work meetings. I get up at 7am, take care of my furry overlords (aka, my two gorgeous fluffy cats, Raven and Cinder), make breakfast (usually cereal or oatmeal, something that’s easy to grab and go), and head to work. My day job is from 8am until 5pm, so I’m head-down doing that for most of the day. I get a one-hour lunch, but I’m usually chatting with my mom or sister, since I work from my mom’s house. After work, I head back home to the condo, pet and play with my yowling banshees (Raven and Cinder) since they demand my attention and then start making dinner. It’s really only after dinner that I carve out time for writing, and what I do depends on how creative or how much energy I used at work that day. Sometimes I do low-creative things like brainstorming characters, researching cool settings, or prepping a scene, and other days I do high-creative work, like adding a scene or two (or ten if I get into a flow state) in my WIP. I tell myself that I only need to work on my writing for ten minutes a day during the work week. Sometimes I do more! But as long as I do at least ten minutes, I feel good. Normally, I dedicate my weekends to the longer writing sessions. (And I will admit that a part of my mind is always thinking about writing, even while at work, so sometimes I’ll stop to jot a note down or two. I’ve even written during my lunch hour a few times.)

Interview continues below:

GeekPost: Your late father continues to be your biggest motivator—can you share how his influence shapes your writing and career?

Kellie: Dad was the biggest nerd! He loved all kinds of scifi and fantasy shows, so I started watching them with him when I was a kid. Him and my mom showed me that it was okay to love nerdy things. He also loved going on adventures—camping, sailing, cruising—him and my mom would travel the world together. I learned how to be adventurous because of them, and that’s always what he would say. Don’t buy things, buy adventures. Go on adventures. Follow whatever dream you have. So I do! I not only go on adventures with my mom and sister (we went on a cruise to Mexico last year), but I write characters who go on adventures as well. And it’s no shock to anyone that I write science fiction and fantasy with how steeped my childhood was with those stories. I’ve also really enjoyed adding little nods to real life into my stories—my dad was a woodturner and so I added some woodturners to Ink Stains & Ill-Fated Lies, the twins Lan and Lyra. Fun little things like that keep him fresh in my memory.

GeekPost: What’s a piece of advice or a lesson from your father that you carry with you every day as a writer?

Kellie: Don’t be afraid to live, go on all the adventures! (Hence my characters having SO many different adventures of their own.)

GeekPost: Can you tell us about Fatal Spores & Fiery Paths and what readers can expect from this new high fantasy adventure?

Kellie: Fatal Spores & Fiery Paths follows a Nemora noxling named Zayla. She’s the sole survivor of a fiery attack on her home and ever since there’s been this strange violent humming inside her that grows more painful each time she harnesses her crafting. (What I call magic.) She’s desperately trying to finish her rite of passage so she never has to craft again, but betrayal and sun goddess worshipers meet her at every turn. It’s got some major creepy vibes—the Cinder Forest is spooky, and the underground ruins of Alastra are downright scary—and while it’s centered on Zayla’s walking the path, I also got to explore some other Nemora happenings. For example, Zayla is still a noxling, young for her race, so her body shifts between genders in what I call the nox. One night she might be presenting as female, and the next night male. I’ve hinted at it in my other stories, but with her story I finally got to do a deep dive on the fluidity there, and how Zayla feels about it. You’ll also get to learn all about Nature crafting, and how that works for the Nemora people. Readers can also expect the usual gamut they know and love: sapphic romance, found family, sibling bonds, unique creatures, fun settings, the reversal of light/dark = good/bad, and more.

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GeekPost: How are your cats doing? Any pictures to brighten people’s lives?

Kellie: My cats are doing so well! Raven turned 15 this year, so you’d think she’d be slowing down but she still loves playing in the middle of the night and darting after her toys. Cinder’s 12 and still my feisty little girl. They continuously bring me joy every day. Now that I’m writing the fifth (and final) book and returning to Misti’s POV with her companion animal, Zora, I’m also gleaning inspiration from my cats, too. I based Zora’s movements and personality off Raven and Cinder, after all. I have SO MANY PHOTOS! Here are a few!

GeekPost: Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know?

Kellie: I’m currently writing the fifth book of this series, the final book of the Broken Chronicles! It’s been an interesting challenge for me since it’s a four-person POV book with the four main characters going on a final adventure together. It’s going to be a beast, so wish me luck!

It is clear that Kellie’s love for speculative fiction runs deep, shaping not only her stories but also her outlook on life. From crafting rich, interconnected worlds to drawing inspiration from personal experiences and loved ones,  passion shines through in every project. With Fatal Spores & Fiery Paths and the final installment of The Broken Chronicles on the horizon, there’s plenty for fans to be excited about. Whether you’re here for the intricate worldbuilding, the compelling characters, or just the adorable cat updates, one thing is certain—Kellie’s adventures, both on and off the page, are far from over.

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