Interview with Travis Kennedy

Suspense Magazine’s Tracey Devlyn sits down with debut author Travis Kennedy to talk about THE WHYTE PYTHON WORLD TOUR—a hilarious, high-stakes ride through ’80s glam metal and Cold War chaos. 

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About the Book:

Rikki Thunder, twenty-two-year-old drummer for the scorching new ’80s metal band Whyte Python, is about to have it all: absurd wealth, global fame, and a dream girlfriend. But an unwitting role as an international spy? That was definitely not part of the plan.

“A rock-n-roll thrill ride… Heavy Metal icon Rikki Thunder’s satirical memoir is sweeter than Cherry Pie and better than a prescription from Dr. Feelgood! You need to read it.” —Ernest Cline, bestselling author of Ready Player One

It’s Los Angeles, 1986, and metal rules the world.

For aspiring drummer Rikki Thunder, life is beautiful, just like his hair—even if he is sleeping in a condemned paint store and playing with a band that’s going nowhere. But when Rikki gets a shot to join L.A.’s hottest up-and-coming club band, Whyte Python, his young life takes a mind-blowing turn. Soon he and his new band mates have a hit single rocketing up the charts, Whyte Python is selling out major clubs, and Rikki has a gorgeous girlfriend in the audience and in his life. He literally could not ask for anything more.

But good fortune can be deceiving. As the band gets a deeper taste of success in the US, the late-80’s Cold War is breathing its last gasps around the world. American music is blasting through the Iron Curtain and a youth revolution is taking hold—with a hair band unknowingly playing host to the final battle for the hearts and minds of young people everywhere. Rikki Thunder soon questions the forces that are helping to propel Whyte Python, and he realizes the stakes of his musical journey—to spread peace, love, and epic shredding across the globe—might be far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.

Crafted on the satirical knife-edge between high-suspense and head-banging hilarity, THE WHYTE PYTHON WORLD TOUR is a raucous, uplifting, and refreshing debut. Travis Kennedy’s adrenaline-charged novel is delightfully steeped in ’80s music and cultural nostalgia, delivering one of the most entertaining listens of the year.

(Outliers Writing University is Suspense Magazine’s sister site)

About the Author

TRAVIS KENNEDY lives in Scarborough, Maine with his wife, Liv, and their two children, Ella and Cole. He has a long career in public service and policymaking, having worked for the Maine State Legislature for more than nine years and the United States Senate for five years. Since 2017, his day job is Director of Public Affairs for Cumberland County Government in Southern Maine.

His work has been featured in the Best New England Crime Stories and Best American Mystery Stories anthologies, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. He is the grand prize winner of Screencraft’s 2021 Cinematic Book Contest for “Sharks in the Valley,” to be published as Welcome to Redemption. https://TravisKennedy.com 

 

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USA Today bestselling author Tracey Devlyn once dreamed of becoming the next Dian Fossey and exploring the wilds of Africa—until she met chemistry and calculus. With an enthusiasm for research that fuels the creative (and occasionally disturbing) plot twists her characters must navigate, it’s no surprise that her suspense-laden stories thrill readers and reveal the nefarious nature hiding behind her smile. Despite the emotional rollercoaster she delivers on the page, Tracey enjoys a laid-back, fleece-and-boots lifestyle with her husband and rescue dog in the mountains of North Carolina. Visit Tracey at TraceyDevlyn.com, @AuthorTraceyDevlyn on Facebook, @traceydevlyn on Bluesky, @traceydevlyn on Instagram, @traceydevlyn on Threads, and @traceydevlyn on X.