Mary's career as a novelist then takes a very "Hollywood" turn, "It was a rainy horrible day in Manhattan. One of the secretaries didn't want to go out for lunch; she figured she'd have something at her desk. She didn't have anything to read, so she pulled from the slush pile. So there she was, sitting at her desk reading my manuscript and laughing out loud. It turns out her boss is a senior editor and kind of an icon at Scholastic, who asked her, 'What are you laughing at?'"

That was 39 YA novels ago. And with a number of Mary's books appearing on adult bestseller lists, it was only a matter of time before she entered the mystery/thriller market. As you might have guessed by now, Mary did so in a big way with a series called the Talk Radio Mysteries.

The first in the series, which already includes three books, is Dead Air. It introduces us to Maggie Walsh, who leaves her Manhattan clinical psychology practice to become a radio talk show host in Florida. She thinks that being tucked away safely behind a microphone will keep her safe from all the crazies. But when one of her special guests turns up dead, Maggie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. She has to clear her roommate's name while dealing with a killer who needs more than just therapy.

For Mary, this series if the perfect write-what-you-know platform. It combines her experience in radio, training as a practicing (and former forensic) psychologist, sense of humor, and love of Florida into a series pitched as "Frasier meets Murder She Wrote." And any questions about Mary's ability to deliver on that promise are answered by Donald Bain, creator of the Murder She Wrote series, and best-selling author of over a hundred novels, who said, "Mary Kennedy's smart and sophisticated radio shrink uses her wit and wiles to catch a killer. Frasier would be jealous!"

With her extensive experience as a psychologist, Mary has plenty of real life experience to frame the kind of complex, and often dark, characters that psychologists-turned-author like Jonathan Kellerman made famous. But Mary also knows that good writing means staying true to yourself, "Maybe someday I will go that route. For the moment, I always find myself going for the one liner. I can't resist. You can't deal with the more serious themes in a comedic way."

Dead Air, which is currently being considered for an option by Hollywood, was released in January 2010. The second in the series, Reel Murder, is scheduled for a June 2010 release. And with the third manuscript in the series turned into Obsidian just before Thanksgiving, one can only assume the third will be available about this time next year.

Mary Kennedy resides and practices clinical psychology on the east coast. She lives with her husband and "eight neurotic cats." According to Mary, "The cats have resisted all attempts to psychoanalyze them, but I remain optimistic." Learn more about Mary at www.marykennedy.net.

Dan Levy works from his Lincoln, Nebraska home as a freelance writer for the aviation and financial industries. His first novel, THE BLOWDOWN LIMIT, is an aviation-thriller winging its way in search of representation and publication. Bestselling author Jon Land noted, "Dan Levy's THE BLOWDOWN LIMIT reminded me of Michael Crichton's AIRFRAME and Thomas Block's MAYDAY in all the right ways. Levy pilots his tale in a smooth and seasoned fashion that will make this the next book to make people think twice before flying the friendly skies."