AJ Arts & Entertainment

Thomas Krivak Abington Journal Correspondent

Local author Kelly McDonough’s newest book, “Her Magical Marriage,” is her seventh contemporary novel. Published by Publish America, “Her Magical Marriage” is described by McDonough as a romantic tale of “…just someone who happened to fall in love with the person who owns her company and the fairy godmother just pulls it all together.”

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Kelly McDonough

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To McDonough, of Dunmore, one character stands out—a fairy godmother named Lucienda who is fairly unusual and unique. “I had this Whoopi Goldberg-type of character in my mind and it wouldn’t stop,” she said. “You really have to experience her magic yourself to understand it.

“The heroine in this book is totally different from me. All the characters are fictional and have nothing to do with real people,” she said. “I started thinking about this in my sleep, literally. It got to the point where it was annoying and I had to sit and write it down. If it’s in the middle of the night, I’ll jot stuff down. If I’m doing anything around the house I’ll just scribble things out, or I’ll sit at my computer and update things. When it comes to me, it comes to me—I am a seat -of -my -pants writer.

“I write romance novels with a modern-day twist,” she continued. “It’s something different. It’s something that’s unique in the sense that it doesn’t always end in a sexual interlude, but it certainly heads that way. But I close the bedroom door—it’s the old-fashioned way. I firmly believe in keeping the bedroom door closed.”

Adding humor to the book came naturally to McDonough as she was crafting this tale. “The angels are beneath my fingertips when I write,” she said. “I’m not a funny person. I love humor, I like to laugh, but in the instance when I’m in a writing mood, she just came to me… She just makes you laugh, and sometimes humor is a good thing to inject into romance.”

McDonough has other goals for future books she writes. “I’d love to see one of my romance novels published by Harlequin. Second, I’d like to be a New York Times best-selling author.” She adds that she would like to pursue a topic that isn’t romance for a future title. “I’d like to write a story in me that has nothing to do with romance…with more of a psychological bend to it, sort of a mainstream story—a la ‘The Firm’ but in a whole different way.”

Publishing her first book, “Crazy for Kate,” in 2004 opened the door her subsequent publications. “The first time I got published, I said to myself, ‘Wow, I can do this…maybe,’” McDonough said. “There was still a question mark—then I moved on, and as I moved on and through the process… [I’m] still gaining momentum, I’m still not where I want to be, but I’m in a place where I’m happy. I have other things to accomplish and other goals I’d like to meet.”

In addition to having six previous books under her wing, McDonough is also a member of the Romance Writers of America, Society of Children’s Bookwriters and Illustrators. Her books are available online at www.kellymcdonough.com.