I recently had the immense joy of reading and reviewing an e-ARC of I Will Never Leave You, a debut Sapphic thriller by author Kara A. Kennedy. This five-star, heart-pumping read explores the toxic relationship between two teenaged girlfriends that continues to wreak havoc even on opposite sides of death. My brief review can be read below.
The kind of book that will haunt you long after reading it. Tightly paced, eerily atmospheric, and SAPPHIC. I Will Never Leave You is a hair-raising exploration of female friendships, toxic relationships, and the frightening fanaticism surrounding true crime. I love how Kennedy dives into how the media flocks to cases regarding young, white, wealthy women as compared to other cases. With beautiful prose and a taught and twisty plot, I FLEW through this book.
I had the pleasure of asking Kara a few questions about this upcoming July 23 release and her author career thus far. Without further ado, read on to learn more about Kara and her thrilling debut.
Kara A. Kennedy has been telling ghost stories—and sometimes living them—since childhood. She holds a BA in Professional Writing from Penn State University, where she worked as a writing tutor and cultivated a love of coffee. She lives in a historic and possibly haunted home in Pennsylvania with her partner and their two cats. I Will Never Leave You is her debut novel. Kara is represented by Chloe Seager at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV, & Film Agency.
You were a mentee in #PitchWars 2021. Can you tell us a bit about your journey to publication – ups and downs included?
Growing up with a writer mom, I always knew I’d do something in the publishing industry. I interned at Penguin Random House and several literary agencies after college, and I queried an awful portal fantasy during that time, which wasn’t the best plan! I didn’t start seriously pursuing a writing career until I was accepted to Author Mentor Match in 2018, where I was lucky enough to be mentored by the amazing Rory Power. I loved the book that we worked on together, and while I got full requests, I didn’t get any offers, so I shelved it.
A couple years later, during the height of the pandemic, I wrote the book that would become I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU because I had all the time in the world to write! It was a quiet story at first, so I revised it to turn it into a thriller, and that was the version that was selected for Pitch Wars. Through the agent showcase, I received five offers of rep, and ended up signing with my amazing agent Chloe Seager. We did a few rounds of revisions over seven months, and then went out on sub. Nine days later, we sold to Hannah Hill at Delacorte Press, my absolute dream imprint at PRH. It feels like a whirlwind, but from first draft to publication, the journey for this book will have been just over four years!
Your debut novel, I Will Never Leave You, is set to release on July 23. How would you pitch this book to readers? Can you compare it to any other media – books, shows, movies, songs?
I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU is a spooky, sapphic thriller about a girl named Maya who’s haunted by the ghost of her toxic ex-girlfriend, who gives her a chilling ultimatum—help her possess another girl or go down for her murder. If you liked The Haunting of Bly Manor, Meg Cabot’s The Mediator series, or anything by Kara Thomas, Nina LaCour, or Courtney Summers, I think you’ll like it!
Similarly, how would you describe your “author brand?”
Sapphic girls making questionable choices while something creepy is going on! I love adding speculative twists to everything I write, and it’s also very important to me that I portray positive queer relationships in my work. While Maya and Alana’s relationship is far from ideal, Maya’s budding relationship with the girl she meets in her sister’s lake town, Rowan, is intended to serve as a contrast and a way to show Maya that better things are waiting for her.
What has been the highlight of being an author so far? What has been the greatest challenge?
Honestly, I think the highlight is getting to talk to other people about this story and these characters. So much of writing is a solitary endeavor, so it’s been wild to hear how other people are responding to the work you create in private.
The biggest challenge is balancing debut author life with my day job. I work a regular 9-5 as a content marketing manager at a real estate startup, and it’s been so hard at times. I have so much admiration for authors who do all of this and somehow raise their kids at the same time – how?!
What are you most excited for readers to experience while reading I Will Never Leave You?
I’m excited for readers to enjoy the spooky moments – I love a good ghost story, and I worked hard to make sure that the book is genuinely creepy.
Can you please share three book recommendations, recent or forthcoming, for our readers?
I’ve recently fallen in love with Krystal Sutherland’s writing; THE INVOCATIONS is one of my favorite reads of 2024 so far. It’s a knockout of a sapphic, witchy, feminist contemporary fantasy/horror with stellar worldbuilding.
For those who love an adventure romcom, Rachel Moore’s US IN RUINS comes out in September! It’s a gorgeous annoyances-to-lovers romance with an incredible setting (Italy!) and such beautiful prose.
I’m currently reading Lily Braun-Arnold’s THE LAST BOOKSTORE ON EARTH and absolutely loving it – it’s the sapphic apocalypse story of my dreams. I can’t wait for this one to take the world by storm in early 2025!
Do you have any advice for other writers hoping to be published?
Keep writing what you love and everything else will follow in time. The words come most easily to me when I really care about the characters and am having fun with the plot – if you’re enjoying yourself while you’re writing, it’ll show on the page. Also, read as widely as you can! I read as much YA as I can, but I also love checking out what’s going on in the adult thriller/horror space, and I love a good sapphic romcom. Even if I’m not writing in those genres, I always learn something new about craft!
To close out, can you share a favorite line from I Will Never Leave You?
“Everyone thinks I’ll forget, but I remember everything. Everything small, everything aching. The memories are ghosts I keep alive.”
A massive thank you to Kara for taking the time to answer the questions for me and my readers. Get your preorders in before July 23 and add to your Goodreads shelves! And while you’re at it, follow Kara over on her social media accounts.
In My Book 
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