Ker Dukey: Author

I first met this smashing gal at book event in London and again in Edinburgh, and at several other signings since. It’s always a pleasure to have my bottom pinched by this absolute doll. Love this naughty gal, and she always makes me laugh.

 

You can meet Kerry at RARE in London on 21st September 2019.

 

Kerry Duke or Ker Dukey? What’s with that? Do you have a split personality? (Asking for a friend)

Haha! I remember when I first met you, and you said my name Dookay, and it hit me that it sounds completely different the way it’s pronounced in the US. 

 

Ker Dukey is just my nickname that I was known by in the industry and pronounced Juke-E, so I thought it made sense to keep it as my author name. I wish I’d gone with my full name, but it’s stuck now.  

 

When did you start to feel like a writer? 

I think for me, it was my first signing when I met some of my readers for the first time in person. They were so passionate about my stories. It brought it home that the worlds and characters we create go on in some way to live on in every person who reads our books. It’s mind-blowing.

 

What is the most rewarding part of being a writer?

Meeting my readers! I’m so lucky to have some of the most incredible readers in the world. I can never express how grateful I am for them. Their love and passion for my books drives me to keep creating worlds for them to lose themselves in.

 

As a writer, what is the piece of work of which you’re most proud?

Oh, that’s so tough. I’d say, Empathy.  Those characters gave me so much inspiration and were so exciting to write and explore my darker, darker side.  It was also my first International bestseller and was my first title to be translated into other languages.

 

What do you want to achieve next? 

Everything. World domination. I joke, I joke. I have some exciting projects in the works and want to keep growing as an author and creator.

I look forward to having more titles translated into foreign languages and Audio. Attend international signings. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future brings.

 

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received: about life / about writing?

You can’t please everyone! Be true to yourself and just your voice.

 

Is there any subject/genre that you wouldn’t want to write?

Historical, Sci fi, Non-fiction. [Shrugs]

 

What is your favourite reader experience, either in messages or at an event?

When I receive messages that say my book helped them in some way. I think when you can relate to a character, it makes you feel connected in someway and less alone, and that’s powerful.

 

Do you think writers are different to other people? Are we observers? Creators? 

We are, for sure, creators. I believe our minds work differently in the sense that we’re more visionary perhaps. We see things from nothing and are always thinking. I know for me, my brain never shuts off. I dream storylines and wake up to jot ideas down. I can be in a crowded room, but in my mind, I’m on a quiet beach watching characters play out a scene. We’re never alone, an empty room to some is just that, but for a writer, there’s never an empty room.

 

You’ve written several books with K Webster? What was the experience like? How did it differ from writing by yourself? What were the pros and cons?

I adore K Webster, she’s a fantastic storyteller and shares a flair for the darker side of fiction like myself. I love exploring ideas with her and creating worlds. I honestly don’t have any cons. It’s super fun to co-write as you know yourself. I find we push each other to be better and learn a lot from each other. We have some incredible readers who brought us together, and I’m so grateful for them because K is one of my best friends, and our characters forever bond us. There’s something special about creating fictional worlds with someone, so it has to be the right pairing, in my opinion, to translate onto the pages. I got very fortunate.

[The Dolls series had me looking under the bed and in the wardrobe before bedtime—just sayin’: JHB]

 

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?

Hopefully, happy, healthy, and living my best life. I hope to have many more stories out there in the world and a thousand more waiting to be written.

 

What is your philosophy in life?

Try your best. 

Practice makes perfect.

Don’t be a dick. 

Be kind, understanding, and forgiving.

Love with all you are and never settle for mediocre. 

Only you can change your life. Your destiny is yours to navigate.

 

Describe yourself in three words.

Loud, caring, anxious.

 

How would your best friend describe you?

Ok, I asked K to answer this for me. K Webster: “Sweet, funny, driven.” Awwww.

 

If you were an animal, what would you be?

A lion. Hear me roar.

 

Most likely to say…

Fuck it.

 

Least likely to say…

I wrote a fluffy romance. 

 

What is your favourite colour and why?

Red, it’s the color of blood.  Life. It’s powerful and vibrant. 

 

When you’re having a bad day, what cheers you up?

My husband and children. My kid’s laughter could cure any problem for me. They are happiness—love—everything.

 

What would be your ideal day? Where would you be? Who would you be with?

With my husband doing EVERYTHING! 

 

Mountains and snow, or beaches and sunshine?

I prefer the cold weather, wrapping up in blankets and cuddles, hot chocolate. Snowball fights and making snow angels. 

 

What message would you like to give to the people who read your books?

I adore you. Thank you for taking a chance on my titles. Thank you for embracing the darker side of fiction and loving the characters I create. Your love, loyalty, and enthusiasm is everything to me. I love my darKER souls.

Connect with Ker

Website | Facebook | Facebook Readers Group | Instagram | Twitter

Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon

Stay up to date with Ker and sign up for her newsletter

Contact Ker here:

Ker: Kerryduke34@gmail.com

Ker’s PA: terriesin@gmail.com

Amazon: U.S | U.K | CAN | AUS

Daddy always told us to be careful. Not to talk to strangers, no matter how friendly they appeared.

To question everyone.

With two naïve little girls growing up in a wicked world, he wanted to educate us and explain the evil that ran rampant on the news channels.

He forced us to watch the happenings of the world far from what seemed like our own, educating us on the beasts walking the earth with faces just like ours, just like his—even in middle America.

We lived on a quiet street in a quiet neighborhood in a quiet town, but that didn’t mean the monsters of the world weren’t always lurking.

They’re everywhere, he said, not just in the shadows.

He wanted us to perceive the world with narrowed eyes and closed hearts.

And so I did.

I’m my daddy’s girl, through and through—a skeptic by nature.

Suspicious. Standoffish. Untrusting.

I heeded his instructions to the letter and kept my sister and I both safe.

Until I didn’t.

Until the day my world spun, turned on its axis, and everything was stolen from us.

Or should I say, until we were stolen from the world.

Amazon: U.S | U.K | CAN | AUS