Featured Author: Kendra Pecci

Adrenaline, Reinvention, and Writing on Her Own Terms

Kendra Pecci lives for the thrill, both on the page and off. In her younger years, that meant riding horses, winning cop car chases, and jumping out of airplanes. Today, the adrenaline rush comes from writing women’s suspense novels filled with complex, independent heroines who refuse to play it safe.

For a long time, Kendra didn’t allow herself to admit she wanted to be a writer. Success, she believed, meant climbing the corporate ladder and earning a steady pay-check. That changed the moment her first child was born. In an instant, her priorities crystallized: she wanted to be a good mother and a writer, in that order. She had no roadmap for either.

Kendra learned how to parent and how to write the same way most meaningful skills are learned: through trial, error, and persistence. Her children grew up watching her write, submit, face rejection, and keep going. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, self-publishing support systems barely existed, and her focus was always her family first. The writing had to wait.

Twenty-seven years later, after her children were grown and college bills paid, Kendra published her first novel at the age of 54. Not as a beginning, but as a breakthrough earned slowly.

Her debut novel, Focus on Deception, introduces readers to Stella Meyers, a woman living a double life beneath the surface of suburban respectability. With sharp pacing and high stakes, Kendra writes suspense that celebrates risk, reinvention, and women who live life on their own terms.

When she’s not throwing her characters into danger, Kendra can be found immersed in a Stephen King novel, deconstructing her father-in-law’s meatball recipe, or chasing her next adventure in the Colorado Rockies.

Excerpt

Stella Meyers slid into the sleek Mercedes and took a moment to run a gloved hand over the supple leather of the passenger seat, a discreet smile touching her lips. This level of luxury was new to her. She felt like she was in a cockpit, not a car. Every part of her wanted to start hitting buttons, to program the seat to conform to her body, and change the ambient lighting to fit her mood. This car could do everything.

She glanced at her watch and marked the time: 12:37 p.m. “Stop gawking. Time to go.” She punched the ignition, and the engine purred.

Stella backed out of the parking space and watched Max take her spot. Same model car, same plates, only the ones on Max’s were fake. The valets shouldn’t notice. Max tapped his watch as Stella pulled away; she was due back within the hour.

As she navigated the crowded streets of the marina, Stella envisioned the job ahead one final time. The two biggest risks were talking her way past the guards at the gate and disarming the alarm. If she could clear those hurdles, she would be home free. Stella visualized herself succeeding each step of the way. This was no time for fear; she’d planned the job down to the last detail. By the time she hit the highway, she knew nothing would stop her from getting her prize.

The clock on the display read 12:41 p.m.

Stella opened the sunroof and let herself enjoy the gorgeous spring day. She blared The Struts’ “Could Have Been Me” in her ear on repeat, and raced down the highway, hyping herself up during the twenty-minute drive to El Paraíso. The Mercedes needed to dust itself off after wasting time in a garage, and the speed helped calm her nerves.

Doing a job in broad daylight bordered on recklessness, but the security at El Paraíso left her no choice. Some of the world’s wealthiest people called the community home for at least part of the year, and they demanded first-rate protection. Cameras captured everyone coming and going from the sole entrance gate, manned by one of the top security teams in the world. Nestled against a mountain range to the north and a sea to the south, the landscape provided the final barrier against unwanted visitors. El Paraíso was a fortress designed to make getting inside impossible.

Stella loved a challenge.

When the chance came to be the first person to break into El Paraíso, she grabbed it. Six months of preparation taught Stella everything she needed to know about Sebastian Hayes, his security, and his art collection. She’d planned for every contingency and prided herself on being able to switch gears on a dime. Stella smiled to herself and floored the accelerator; she was ready for anything.

📘 Focus on Deception

Genre: Women’s Suspense

Available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0fIIIHpM

🔗 Connect with Kendra

Website: https://www.kendrapecci.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_kendra_pecci/