Reading under the Rainbow: Interwiew with Leigh Kenzie, author of Il Padrone

AUTHOR NAME: Leigh Kenzie

Introduce yourself and your writing

I’m a dark romance M/M author who is way too addicted to coffee and deals with naughty plot monkeys frequently. In my real life I manage chaos in both my job and family. You’ll also find plenty of kink in my books and since I believe light is found only through darkness, it’s not an easy journey for my characters.

Tell us about your new release. What inspired you to write it?

Il Padrone is book 1 of the Vendetta Series. I wanted to write a dark M/M mafia story. I only intended for it to be one book but it ended up becoming a whole series. It just grew until there wasn’t any other option. As for inspiration, I was wanting some dark M/M mafia and a friend suggested writing one. I sent a very rough idea to one of my alphas and was encouraged to write it. I wrote a (very) rough scene and my other alpha insisted I continue. After that it was just following the characters. My hope is that I’ve created a story and series that will provide an escape for readers.

How did you decide on the title?

This is a fun question. Since this is mafia based, I have both the Italian and Irish factions. Allesandro is the head of the Italian Family. When I was writing it, it just felt right that the title be in Italian as well. Allesandro’s title is Il Padrone (Master). I have a very dear friend who lives in Italy and she has helped me with every title of the Vendetta series. She’s also helped me with any Italian in the books themselves.

Did you learn anything from writing your book? What was it?

I learned so much! Some of it was research-based like naughty toys ;) Part of it has been grammar rules. Since I’m not a classically trained writer I have grown throughout the series on my writing ability. I’m sure that will continue. Most of all though I learned a great deal about myself. Writing is intensely personal. I’ve always admired how authors could put themselves out there. To put your heart and soul out there is terrifying! Yet, I learned I’m able to do it. I credit the amazing people in my life and their support for helping me with that. The journey has certainly been an interesting one.

Do you have any genres you prefer reading, and if so what are they?

I read both M/M and M/F and while I often prefer dark reads I devour pretty much everything. I would say M/M is my preference overall though I have certain M/F authors that will always be autoclicks for me.

Are any of your characters based on you or people you know?

I believe I draw certain facets from real life. My characters aren’t fully based on people I know but there may be parts of people in my characters. Emilio is probably the closest based on me.

Do characters and stories just pop into your head, or do you take your time thinking about and planning them?

Characters pop into my head regularly! Sometimes they even introduce themselves with a line or two that fits perfectly in the story, even if it changes the entire plot. It’s very rare that I actually plan out my characters. However, when they pop in my head I do take time to really think them through and find out more about them.

Are you a panster or a plotter?

Complete panster. I’d love to be the type to outline and know where I’m going but that doesn’t happen. If anything I’ll get an idea for a certain scene and know I have to get there but otherwise I go where I’m told by the plot monkeys and characters in my head. They frequently surprise me.

Do you write often? Do you have a schedule?

Due to my chaotic life, I don’t necessarily have a schedule. I try to write Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. It doesn’t always happen but that’s always my goal. I set word counts for myself instead of hours and have two wonderful alphas who encourage me on it when I’m actually able to have a writing day. It makes a huge difference for me.

Are you a cat person or a dog person? Tell us about your pets.

I love all animals. We currently have two Jack Russell Terriers. I call them terrors of terriers because they get into all sorts of trouble! They both are very high-energy troublemakers. They have destroyed a few pairs of eyeglasses, shoes, furniture, even their dog beds! However, I don’t know what I’d do without them and love them completely. They own us—we just pay the bills. For Christmas our dining room is covered in toys for them. To be fair, they destroy toys quickly. Our family also will go so far as having a birthday party for them (they’re brothers). It will be complete with a doggie bakery cupcake and since one of the “grandmas” lives in a different state she insists on a video call each year to watch them open their gifts and cause more chaos.

Are there big events in your life that affect your writing?

I believe life, in general, affects my writing. The joy of writing dark romance for me is that when I’m stressed out I have a whole world to play in to help with it. As a primary caretaker for a family member, I’m able to use writing to address my fears and worries. It’s a stress reliever. I lost two people in my life who meant the world to me growing up. That acted as a catalyst for me to actually go through and publish. They had spent years encouraging me and it’s easy to push things aside out of fear. Losing them made me realize I should try and that gave me the ability to follow through on this series.

Thank you!