“Horse of a Different Color” is a romantic comedy set in the Kentucky horse world. Photo provided.
Clermont County resident Halle Kenton has published her debut novel, “Horse of a Different Color.” Photo provided.
Clermont County resident Halle Kenton has published her debut novel, “Horse of a Different Color.”
The book is a romantic comedy set in the Kentucky horse world. It was released on Jan. 24.
Kenton grew up in Ohio with a passion for reading and horses. She wrote her first poem in the second grade and has graduated to other genres, “always with a dash of humor,” according to her author website.
Kenton is a graduate ofOtterbein College, with a B.S. in Equine Science, and the University of Kentucky with an M.L.S. in Library Science.
Kenton left her day job as a Reference Librarian and Branch Manager in the Clermont County Public Libary system to write full-time.
Kenton lives in Clermont County with her author/attorney husband — The Clermont Sun’s columnist Gary Knepp, and barky Chihuahua.
The Clermont Sun put some questions to Kenton ahead of her book’s release date. Here’s what she shared with us:
Q: Your bio notes you were a librarian. Where did you work and for how long?
A: I worked for the Clermont County Public Library, in many branches including Milford, Amelia, and Batavia, for almost twenty-five years.
Q: You worked as a librarian; what inspired you to transition to writing? How did you get started?
A: I began writing in my twenties, before I became a librarian and continued through my library career. I have always loved books and reading, obviously, and when I joined the local chapter of the Romance Writer’s Association, I began to think I might have a chance to get published.
Q: What inspired you to write this specific story?
A: The fire started in my brain when I interned at a Thoroughbred breeding farm in Lexington, Kentucky, to complete my undergraduate Equine Science degree. I wrote the book, put it in a safe place and started other stories.
Q: How long did it take to write this book? When did you start and finish?
A: I wrote this story in the late ’80s and pulled it from storage three years ago. After a long editing process, I decided to submit the manuscript to agents and publishers, and received acceptance to publish by Wild Rose Press in 2022. I guess you could say it took me thirty plus years to write it. I’m pretty sure that’s a record, although not necessarily a good one.
Q: Please describe your writing routine.
A: I write every day, with no pattern on length of time or time of day.
Q: How does it feel to have written your first book and have it published? How does it feel to have this project come to fruition?
It’s frightening and satisfying and overwhelming and hilarious.
Q: Please describe to me what it feels like to share your stories and words with readers. What are you feeling as the release date is here?
A: My main purpose is to entertain readers. If I can make them laugh and show them a different world, even for a few hours, all the better.
Q: What advice would you give to someone else who is considering authoring a book?
A: Do it, but prepare yourself. The publishing world has changed a great deal, influenced mostly by the self-publishing trend. It can be daunting.
Q: When do you expect to finish and release your next book?
A: I hope to finish my next book by the end of 2024. The release date, if it’s published by a traditional publisher, would likely be in 2025. However, there is no guarantee what might happen, or when.
Q: What do you like to read for pleasure? What are your favorite books and authors?
A: My answer would take at least another week, but here’s the short version: I mostly read fiction, both literary and genre. I love romance and my favorite authors are Sandra Brown, Kylie Scott, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Linda Howard, Jane Austen, Diana Gabaldon and many more. Other favorite authors (not romance) are Cormac McCarthy, Margaret Atwood, Nelson DeMille, James Lee Burke…whoops, I promised the short version. As for favorite books, “The Road”, “Outlander”, and “Cry No More” come immediately to mind.
For more information about Kenton and to find out how to purchase “Horse of a Different Color,” visit https://www.hallekenton.com/.