From the Booking Desk:

I can’t actually remember when I first met Kellye Garrett. It was certainly online, and I’m thinking it must have been shortly after she announced that Midnight Ink was publishing, Hollywood Homicide. By the time I first met her in person at Malice Domestic, I had already read and fallen in love with her debut book. Suffice it to say, she is a most welcome fixture in my literary life now and any time I get to hang with her is a good time! She has an enviable day-job, a killer sense of humor, and is just an all-around sweet, kind, and supportive human being. I feel lucky to be able to watch her star rise in the crime fiction world! Now, let’s see how she answers our weekly questions.

Name: Kellye Garrett
Location: New Jersey

This person from my personal life is such an inspiration:

Such a cliché but my mom. She is a psychologist who got her doctorate in education when she was in her thirties and already had her three kids. I remember she’d put us in our pajamas and take us with her when she was doing her hours to get her license. We’d play in the waiting room while she saw patients.

She has always been that person who went above and beyond to help others. I didn’t quite understand it growing up when she’d be gone all day for work and then be on the phone for hours with someone because I wanted her to myself. But when I got older, I realized she was saving people’s lives while I was pouting in the other room.

One of the people I admire most in the crime fiction community is:

I love, love, love, love Rachel Howzell Hall. I don’t know if she gets the credit she’s due both as an amazing mystery writer and an advocate for the mystery community as a whole.

I half-jokingly refer to other black mystery writers as unicorns because of Rachel. Even before I had my deal, she reached out to me on social media. The first thing she said was, “It’s like seeing a unicorn” since there are so few black women traditionally published in this genre. Later, she was the first person to give me a blurb for my book. She’s always there to give me advice or let me vent, which happens a lot publishing.

STALKER ALERT! If this fictional character were real, they would likely need to get a restraining order against me:

Kinsey Millhone in Sue Grafton’s B is for Burglar. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read that book because of how much I love Kinsey’s voice and the twist at the end. Like if a book could put out a restraining order, I would have to stay 100 feet away from all libraries.

People are always surprised that I am a fan of this individual (singer, actor, or artist):

Judge Judy. Her show is like my visual comfort food. If I had a hard day, I will literally come home, get into bed and just watch as many episodes of Judge Judy as I can. At this point, I can accurately guess what her ruling will be based on the first question she asks. There’s just something satisfying about justice being served in 10 minutes or less.

My personal catch phrase is (or should be):

“Be happy with what you have while working for what you want.” – Helen Keller

I have this clumsily stuck on a post it on a wall in my kitchen because it’s something I have to constantly remind myself to do. I have a theory that people live in the past, live in the present or live in the future.

I live in the future, meaning that I barely enjoy when anything good happens to me because I’m always thinking about the next step. This quote is my reminder to enjoy the present.