Mary Dublin & Anne Kendsley have been such pleasures to work with on this project! Mary was able to join us in our studio to make scents pulled straight from the Shot in the Dark series! Each scent directly matches the vibe of each book in the series, so it’s the perfect chance to read them all while surrounded by their scent. They spoke with us about their Supernatural meets Fern Gully inspired romantasy series Shot in the Dark, indie publishing, and more! 

Mary Dublin and Anne Kendsley are a best friend and co-author duo that have been writing and adventuring together for over twelve years.

When they’re not penning the next angsty twist in their fairycore urban romantasy series, you’ll find them traveling, gaming, and cuddling their rescue pets, Piper and Clover. They bring a blend of heart, grit, and magic to everything they write. With backgrounds rooted in a lifelong love for immersive fantasy, sci-fi, and the surreal, Mary and Anne craft stories that both challenge and enchant.

It’s so cool that you work as an author pair. Can you talk a bit about what it’s like to write books and create worlds as a duo? 

We feel SO lucky to have found each other (thirteen years ago now!). Co-writing is truly a chemistry, and we feel endlessly grateful all the time to have found our platonic soulmate/best friend and writing partner all in the same person. It's so fun to have someone to gush about the juicy twists and heartbreaking secrets we can't share for years at a time, and we truly balance each other out!

What inspired you to write the Shot in the Dark series? 

We started a very different version of the story all the way back in our senior year of high school! At the time, we were both discovering Supernatural for the first time, and had both been lifelong fans of all things fairycore. Somehow, the question of what those two vibes would look like combined came about, and we both were immediately obsessed! Fairies that are delicate and dangerous, hot monster hunters, and a starcrossed forbidden love for the ages! We actually wrote an entire scrapped trilogy with the same characters before summoning the courage to revise and mature it in a new direction--this time, actually publishing. We were scared no one would want to read such a unique story in the fantasy landscape, but we are honored that the book is still finding so many amazing readers every day, even two years after publishing!

What does your drafting process look like? 

We have been writing together for over a decade, so oftentimes, brainstorming feels effortless and fun over voice notes, long phone calls and watching movies/playing video games together. We are big outliners, so we create a collaborative and detailed outline before diving into drafting. During drafting, we take turns writing several pages before passing the manuscript off to the other! It's truly such a treat to draft a book and watch it be written in the same method! Even after all these years, we are still so excited when we get the message that the other has finished their next part, and drop everything to read it!

For the monsters and fairies throughout your series, do you follow a certain set of folklore rules, or do you make it all up?

We are particularly in love with the fairies and monsters in our books! Be it the vampires in A Betrothal So Bloody, or the sirens, werewolves, fairies, and shapeshifters in the Shot in the Dark series. We do a lot of research on legends, folklore as well as pop culture interpretations of these creatures, and then add our own unique spin to it! We want our creatures to generally have an air of tragedy as well as a dash of beauty and horror about them, blending into something that creeps under the skin memorably.

What made you want to be an author?

Like many, it's almost like it chose us! We have stories burning on our hearts-- starting from composition books in sixth grade, all the way to now as fullass adults! Seeing the success of indie publishing made us believe in our ability to share our stories in a meaningful longterm way that hopefully leaves the world a little brighter and more fun than we left it! This is our legacy.

What do you hope readers will take away from your stories?

Truthfully, we both grew up reading to escape. Often in stories, we find ourselves. If a reader found comfort, a good laugh or cry, or saw themselves reflected in our pages, that would make our hearts so full.

What is your favorite thing about indie publishing?

As a multi-talented creative, I love the creative control over our passion projects to make the covers, interior, art exactly as we like! We also add special creative touches to our books (the pronunciation guide for example, IYKYK!) that I'm not sure would have been given to us as an option in other routes. We also love the direct connection to readers and bookstores! It's been so amazing to be a part of this community and meet so many other creative hard-working people.

What is some advice that you’d give to aspiring authors who are thinking about indie publishing?

It's never too early to start marketing your book and finding your people! These are both two things that we started much later on and sort of bruteforced our way into figuring things out. Never be afraid to reach out to your peers for support! We have learned so much from other veterans and our DMs are always open.

What’s the best advice you have for writing a romance?

Having just a touch of your own vulnerabilities or heart in the romance can go a long way! Making character imperfect and make mistakes makes the story far more interesting; keeping that push and pull going that keeps readers turning the page!

What is the best way to support you as an indie author?

We are happy for readers to indulge in whatever makes the most sense for them! We are in Amazon, audiobooks (wide), KU, B&N.com, many indie bookshops internationally, and offer signed copies with art via our Etsy!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/WingedFables

Where should people follow you to learn more? 

@authors.dublin.kendsley on Instagram, Threadsm and Tiktok! Subscribe to our newsletter and get a free bonus chapter here on our website: 

Facebook: Dublin + Kendsley Readers page.

What do you have coming next that we need to keep on our radars?

Lured in the Crimson released on June 18 - the highly anticipated third installment in the Shot in the Dark series, packed with revelations, heartbreak, and action-packed fantasy.

On September 29, we're releasing A Betrothal So Bloody (think A Knight's Tale meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer!). This is the first in a new dark fantasy vampire romance set in 1560s Italy. It's sexy, action-packed, tragic, and filled with our signature blend of wit and dark humor. We are seriously so proud of this story and can't wait for readers to sink their teeth into Dante and Ariya's story!

Click here to shop the Shot in the Dark collection today!

Available through July 13, 2026