Kenya Wright is a multi-bestselling author with more than 45 novels in the romance and fantasy genres. She is also known for her mystery fiction that explores societal issues in the millennial technological age. Her works have garnered international acclaim and are available in print, eBook, and audio formats. As an active member of both the Romance Writers of America and the Writer’s Guild, she champions inclusivity in literature.
Before becoming an author, Kenya served in the United States Navy as a foreign linguist specializing in Persian Farsi translation and transcription. After more than half a dozen years in the military, she pursued academics, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Social Psychology from New College of Florida. Subsequently, she attended the University of Miami School of Law, where she discovered her love for persuasive writing. Fueling her innate storytelling aptitude, Kenya embarked on a journey to refine her craft through the MFA Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill University.
When she is not writing her novels, Kenya can usually be found homeschooling her three children. The family leads a nomadic lifestyle, traveling to different countries and states to connect with people and explore the world.
Early Influences and Career Beginnings
Kenya Wright began writing at a young age, but it was her love for music that ignited her passion for storytelling. In middle and high school, she started dabbling in storytelling, which further fueled her love for words. Initially too shy to share her work, she kept it to herself until a teacher discovered her composition book. The teacher encouraged Kenya to consider a career in journalism or writing, knowing she was actively involved with the school paper. However, Kenya initially aspired to become a famous songwriter.
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Life took an unexpected turn when Kenya became a mother shortly after high school. Years later, with several more children, her dream seemed to fade. However, the more she read, the more she started writing, eventually completing a full manuscript. Despite initial doubts about her ability to become an author, a persistent inner voice urged her to believe in herself.
In 2017, Kenya Wright signed with "S.Yvonne Presents," marking the beginning of her career as a published author. Her debut novel, "I'll Always be Loving You," was the first of many bestselling titles.
Notable Works
The Lion and the Mouse Series
One of Kenya Wright's most popular works is the "Lion and the Mouse" series. The first book, "Dirty Kisses," focuses on Kazamir and Emily.
“Dirty Kisses” by Kenya Wright opens with the head of the Bratva Kazimir in New York investigating the killing of the top washer of the Russian mafia in the city. Rumi had been nicknamed “The Russian Lion” as he had more than 200 kills to his name. Aged only twenty, the FBI had him just below the most wanted list with the likes of Usama Bin Laden. Killing his washer sparks off a deadly and dark war and unfortunately, Emily finds herself on the man’s radar. Initially, Emily and Kazimir have a tricky arrangement based on danger and fear. Working for the man is like walking a tightrope given that he is a gorgeous man that can be a monster too. Still, he comes with an air of sensuality that most of the time she forgets how terrifying he is. Soon enough, the sexual tension increases until things change one night as Jamaicans, Russians, and anyone with a gun are pitted against each other.
Kazamir is a Russian mob enforcer known for his dangerous reputation, while Emily is a skilled money launderer who catches his attention. Wright excels at creating chemistry and mutual respect between the characters. Their attraction is immediate, but Wright creates situations where readers feel as though Kazamir and Emily have known each other for a long time. Kazamir's growing respect for Emily is fascinating to witness. Their steamy scenes are intense, both physically and verbally. The book is fast-paced and easy to read, with excellent characterization and found family elements within a mafia-based romance.
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“Dirty Love” by Kenya Wright is a work that picks up right from where the debut novel left off. Following the death of two people that were very important to them, this work starts off with our protagonists hellbent on growing their love and seeking vengeance. Just like “Dirty Kisses,” it is an enthralling story with a whole bunch of mystery, deception turns, and twists. Kenya Wright also writes a story that comes with a perfect ending. From Prague to Harlem, St Petersburg to Moscow, the Harlem Crew, and Kazimir will stop at nothing to crush all their enemies. But there are some enemies who know how to hide in the shadows and not everyone who seems part of them is their friend.
In “Dirty Hearts,” Kenya Wright takes everything from his previous works and ramps it up several times. For much of the novel, Mysh and Kaz are on holiday in Paris and enjoying themselves even though everyone seems intent on drawing them into their battles. They find the attention of such people annoying though this makes for some entertaining reading. Romping across Paris we learn a lot about Paris, Russia, and Kazimir. Kenya is an expert at painting real-life images of tourist sites and makes it possible for his readers to experience the different sides of Paris thanks to Emily’s obsession with tunnels and the leather pants Kaz loves to wear. He would do anything to protect her.
Other Standalone Novels and Series
Kenya Wright has published 20 standalone novels, starting with "Chameleon" in 2013. Her most recently released novel was "Eat Slay Love," released in 2025. There are no upcoming standalone novels by Kenya at this time.
Series
- Santeria Habitat
- Chasing Love
- Lion and the Mouse
- Butcher and the Violinist
- Love Death and Magic
- Filthy Rich Alphas
- Diamond Syndicate
- Immortal Crown Saga
- Sinful Duet
- You & The Alpha Chronicles
- Ruthless Legacy
- As You Are Duet
- Tokyo Empire
Here is a list of series and standalone novels written by Kenya Wright:
| Series | Books |
|---|---|
| Santeria Habitat |
|
| Chasing Love |
|
| Lion and the Mouse |
|
| Butcher and the Violinist |
|
| Love Death and Magic |
|
| Filthy Rich Alphas |
|
| Diamond Syndicate |
|
| Immortal Crown Saga |
|
| Sinful Duet |
|
| You & The Alpha Chronicles |
|
| Ruthless Legacy |
|
| As You Are Duet |
|
| Tokyo Empire |
|
Kenya Wright's Creative Process
Kenya Wright, author of No Ordinary Love, shares how she "steals" from the world around her to create her stories and make them stronger. When I steal, inspiration sparks my senses and a character is born. My creation process happens many ways. A song hits my ears and I hear a new story between the melody and the hard-hitting drum. Some bloody scene from a film plays, and I'm inspired to write an alternate moment, where the characters fall in love, and maybe everything works out according to plan.
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I bite into a tiny cake filled with warm chocolate, and am transported into a sugary world, where lollipop nymphs battle against licorice soldiers. I walk into an art gallery. Celebrated paintings hang before my eyes, and I am no longer in this world. I am flying high, a cool breeze rushing through my hair, and there's a large castle up ahead, where a prince with dark eyes and a wounded heart rests. He's all alone, and my new heroine is wondering how she can heal him.
The inspiration to write my current novel happened just like that. Cruising YouTube, I stumbled onto an old Calvin Klein ad that presented this gorgeous Japanese soccer play, sporting designer underwear. There the man stood, surrounded by flashing cameras and adoring fans. It could've just been me, but he didn't look overjoyed. Instead, he looked scared. Fear showed in his eyes, and in the way he flexed his fingers in and out.
I wondered to myself, what could be going on in his head? Was there some major life decision that he had to solve during the photo shoot? Was he guilty of something, and scared others smelled his shame? Or was he battling a broken heart?
Now, to be fair, this is a writer thing. Authors overanalyze, when it's really simple. We fill our heads with fantastical possibilities for any given situation, when there's a basic logic to most day-to-day decisions.
Still, I fantasized about this handsome Japanese model. In my mind, I followed him after the photo shoot. It was raining. He wore a long jacket, and I tiptoed after him, while holding an umbrella. Every step he took, I remained right behind him, in the shadows.
We walked all over Tokyo, and to help me add to my daydream's details, I bought tons of books on the city. I read about the culture and customs of that area. I subscribed to Tokyo Street fashion blogs, followed famous Japanese actors' Instagram pages and even rented lots of the country's top-selling movies. Non-fiction books on social influence and emotional intelligence gave me great ideas for intimate scenes. A sad song inspired a breakup moment. A funny joke gave me ideas for the snappy dialogue between the hero and heroine.
During the day, I typed away my hero's story. At night, I traveled through shadows and burglarized the world. I read celebrated books on intriguing topics, listened to experimental music, prepared an exotic recipe and even drew what I wanted my characters to look like. With each activity and theft, I shifted deep into my world, at times needing to be slapped by a hard hand, in order to come back to reality.
The world inspired me, from everyday friends to popular trends. Everything was up for grabs and triggered a new detail for my plotline. I consumed it all, broke the things down into tiny pieces, reshaped their ideas, re-theorized the themes and then redefined my stolen items to fit the story that I wanted to tell.
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