Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Lindsey Kinsella
Book Title: Kill It With Fire
Released: 02/28/26
Genre: Sci-Fi Horror Novella
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “Kill It With Fire”?
Kinsella: A couple of years back I read a report about my favourite spider. Yes, I'm the kind of weirdo who has a favourite spider! Fen raft spider, if you're interested. The report showed the spider had seen a recovery in its population thanks to conservation efforts.
Needless to say, the social media comments were far less thrilled than I and one of the most common responses was "Kill It with fire" or some variation.
So I wanted to write a story which demonstrated how all life has a place and a purpose, even those which we don't find "cute."
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Kinsella: I almost always base my characters on real people, often diving WAY too deeply into researching obscure historical figures who I feel represent the character.
And then, because of how my strange brain works, I almost immediately forget who I've "honoured" in my books!
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Kinsella: With this book, it was the first time when it felt appropriate to set the story in my home country; something I've wanted to do for years. A tense horror seemed the perfect tale for one of my favourite places; Hirta.
This island was inhabited for thousands of years until it was evacuated in 1930, leaving behind a wonderfully creepy setting; a remote, abandoned Scottish island.
If "Kill It With Fire" was adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Kinsella: Since I rarely get to see James McAvoy use his real accent, I'd love to cast him as Bruce. He can definitely pull off his frantic, agitated personality.
For Kathy, I think Nicola Coughlan would be perfect. She's shown she can do drama and comedy, and Kathy definitely needs both.
If you could have dinner with any character you’ve written, who would it be—and what would you talk about?
Kinsella: Definitely Dian from "The Lazarus Taxa." She's a paleontologist, so we'd talk for hours about dinosaurs!
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Kinsella: I tend to just write something else until the inspiration come back around. That does mean I'm always juggling three or four projects, but it never feels like I have to force any of them.
What’s the weirdest or most unexpected place you’ve gotten a story idea from?
Kinsella: The above mentioned news report about spider conservation is probably top!
But aside from that, "Broken Voyage" stemmed from a David Attenborough documentary about orcas. The notions of "it would really suck to be that seal" soon morphed into a tale of stranded whalers being hunted.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Kinsella: My favourite book is Pet Sematary. I know a Stephen King book is a really basic choice, but I love the psychological angle. The horror isn't the undead; it's that the reader can relate to the protagonist no matter how far from sanity he falls.
I find it terrifying because, in his position, I know I'd do the same. It reflects onto the reader how fragile our sanity is.
What are you working on next?
Kinsella: I have a few projects on the go; most notably a sequel to my time travel thriller "The Lazarus Taxa" and a my first bash at a high fantasy series. I suspect the former will be ready soonest; hopefully by the end of the year.
Learn More About the Author and Kill It WIth Fire here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14bFwSxZ8KA/
IG: lindseykinsellaauthor
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lindseykinsella?_r=1&_t=ZN-96iB1lOz2Qt
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Find it for purchase here
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