Greenwich author Kia Heavey released her third novel, Domino. The book is published by Kindle Press, a digital imprint of Amazon. Kia was awarded the contract by winning a Kindle Scout campaign. Scout is an “American Idol” style talent search program initiated by Amazon to scout out new literary talent. Authors who are accepted into the program have 30 days to impress the judges — in this case, the acquisitions editors at Kindle Press.
Kia independently published two novels before Domino, so she was ready with a well-edited manuscript and professionally designed book cover to promote the new project. “I have always enjoyed the creative control an author has when self-publishing,” Kia explains. “Of course, the downside is that it’s very hard for an indie author to become well-known.” Kindle Press seemed like a good hybrid of indie control (authors get final say over cover design and edits as well as a generous share of the royalties) and the benefits of a major publisher (authors are paid an advance and their books enjoy the promotional power of the imprint). Kia notes that Amazon is the largest bookseller in the country. “I couldn’t ask for a bigger or more innovative partner,” she says.
Domino is a modern fable about a barn cat locked in a deadly rivalry with a pampered house pet who convinces all the other animals that hunting is wrong. Before he knows what’s happening, Domino is in an existential struggle to protect his territory, his family, and a time-honored feline way of life.
Kia Heavey was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City and has lived in Greenwich since 1990. She graduated from Barnard College and works as a creative professional in advertising. She is a member of the Greenwich Pen Women, a group she credits with being essential to her Kindle Scout win. Kia has been married to Greenwich Police Chief Jim Heavey for twenty years. The Heaveys have two children who attend Greenwich Public Schools and, of course, a cat.
