BY ELIZABETH EDNIE
After earning a degree in English from Stonehill College in 2002, Kerrin (O’Boy) Willis is releasing her first book titled, Iron & Fire, which is available online for pre-order and will hit the shelves in April.
“Books, reading and writing have always been a huge part of my life,” Willis said in an interview. “Writing a book seemed like the natural next step in my career.”
Willis grew up in Taunton, Massachusetts and currently resides there with her family. She taught for several years at Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton and now teaches English at Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro, Massachusetts.
“My entire family is made up of teachers, and although I said I was never going to be a teacher, I finally gave in and started teaching at the high school I actually went to, and I love it,” Willis said.
Willis’ mother also has a degree in english from Stonehill and used to teach at Bishop Feehan as well. Willis said that her mother was an influential person growing up.
Willis earned a Masters degree in English from Simmons College in 2005 and earned a second Master's in creative writing in 2009. She is currently working on a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Southern New Hampshire University in fiction writing.
Willis’ father, Frank O’Boy, was a well-known defense attorney in Massachusetts who handled a number of high profile cases. He died in 2017 but is still remembered as one of the top attorneys in Massachusetts, according to his obituary.
“My dad was obsessed with learning and literature and was reading me Macbeth as a bedtime story when I was a kid,” she said. “He would bring me to the bookstore once a week, so it was always a part of my life.”
Willis’ book is historical fiction and takes place in Colonial New England during King Phillip’s War in 1675. She said that growing up in New England and learning about the history that took place in her backyard was what inspired the book.
“I love the idea that land holds memory, and that the dirt we walk on has witnessed thousands of years of human history,” Willis said in her press kit.
Willis said that when she started doing research during the beginning stages of writing her book, she realized that living on the land where her book was taking place made it easier to picture and write about.
“The roots are pretty deep,” she said.
According to a press release on the book, Iron & Fire explores what life was like for a smart, opinionated young woman in Puritan New England.
“I really enjoy and have always been interested in history, literature and writing, so I combined them to write this book,” she said.
According to Willis, she already has a first draft completed for a second novel, with hopes to finish editing by the end of this coming summer.
“Time is tight, I work full time and have two kids, but I would love to get that done,” she said.
Willis is hosting book talks at various local libraries in Southeastern Massachusetts, and her book will be available at Barnes & Noble, An Unlikely Story, Walmart, and wherever books are sold, according to her press kit.
Kerrin Willis said that anyone who wants to know more about her novel can visit her website https://kerrinwillis.com/.
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