Today, I am thrilled to welcome Kit Mackenzie, author of the Alias Jeannie Delaney trilogy, an epic western with a bold twist. In Go West, Girl!, the first book in the series, readers are introduced to Jeannie Morgan—a pants-wearing, gun-slinging, fiercely independent cowgirl who refuses to be confined by the rules of the Old West. With lightning-fast reflexes and an unbreakable spirit, Jeannie’s journey is one of vengeance, survival, and self-discovery in a world that isn’t ready for a woman like her.
Kit’s storytelling brings a fresh perspective to the western genre, blending action, romance, and identity in a way that challenges convention while staying true to the grit and grandeur of classic westerns. Join us as we chat with Kit about her inspiration, writing process, and what readers can expect next in Jeannie’s journey!
Book Description: This gripping tale of love, loss, and retribution is a raw, evocative portrait of a young cowgirl’s rise in a brutal world. She will fight to the death for what she believes — and nothing will stand in her way.
Dynamic cowgirl Jeannie Morgan sets out on a wild, unforgettable journey of vengeance, survival and self-discovery in the rugged landscape of the late 1800s.
Born into the bustling streets of New Orleans, she is a rebellious spirit with an untameable fire. When her family boards a wagon train headed for the harsh plains of Wyoming, where grit and audacity become close companions,
she takes to it like a cowpoke to a saddle.
Growing up on her father’s ranch, Jeannie becomes a fierce, unyielding force,
learning to shoot, fight, and do ranch work. Her skill with a gun earns the awe of some and the disdain of others. Though the townsfolk are divided in their opinion of her, the local kids find in her the kind of leader they crave.
Shockingly, a revelation strikes her with the force of a cattle stampede. She desires both men and women. Her world turns upside down again when her girlfriend is attacked by four men. Sworn to avenge the woman she loves, Jeannie sets out to track down the attackers and deliver justice from the barrel of her gun.Go West, Girl! By Kit Mackenzie
Interview Questions:
Eliza: What first drew you to writing westerns, and what inspired the creation of Jeannie Morgan?
Kit: When I was a teenager back during the sixties and seventies, I was becoming fascinated by the wild west, particularly the wilder gun totin’, cheroot smokin’ women, and I grew increasingly irritated at the lack of decent roles for women in westerns. So I decided to create my own. I wanted to write the western that hadn’t been written and I wanted to read! I wanted to write a western with a female protagonist who played the role in a traditional western. Jeannie was almost fully formed when I created her, and she evolved through the years until she was the female western hero I wanted. My PA husband described it as being a story before it’s time, and it still is, I think. Over time I’ve discovered that Jeannie is me. My upbringing was emotionally neglected and I was misunderstood. Jeannie was the person I wanted to be. Everything to everyone.
Eliza: You’ve described Alias Jeannie Delaney as a western with a twist. How does your story challenge traditional western tropes?
Kit: Jeannie is the fastest gun west of the Mississippi, and she’s also bisexual. She’s born in New Orleans in 1865 and she’s a tomboy determined not to be brought up a typical Victorian girl. The idea appalls her and she changes her image aged eight, cuts her hair and adopts her brother’s pants. Her Mama is shocked and deeply disappointed but her loving Pa adores his little tomboy. Her brothers think she’s a hoot although her eldest brother, Rodger, hates her.
The family move to Wyoming and Mama dies of tuberculosis on route. Aunt Martha, Pa’s sister, come to look after them. She understands Jeannie and is a little envious of her niece’s courage. Jeannie becomes a cowgirl on her Pa’s ranch. She becomes the fastest gun, discovers her bisexuality and also becomes a magnificent lover to both men and women. To my knowledge there are no westerns of this nature in existence.
Eliza: Jeannie is a fierce and complex protagonist. What was the most rewarding (and the most challenging) aspect of writing her character?
Kit: I was determined to create the western woman who existed in my mind. She excites me tremendously. When I wrote her story, particularly when the scenario was a typical macho western scene with her either as the leader in a western saloon brawl, or she was the bisexual woman fighting for her life, I loved writing it. The challenge was creating her to be a devastating tomboy beauty with extraordinary charisma, a powerful persona, and stylish in male clothes as she grows older. I made that credible by introducing people’s jealousies. Introducing credibility was great. Another challenge was my embarrassment over creating such a character. My parents and siblings knew I was writing a life story of a Calamity Jane character (most people know who Calamity Jane was) but I couldn’t tell them the story in depth. I had created illustrations of Jeannie but couldn’t show anyone until I had to show my husband and tell him the story. He told me ‘Just get on with the story!’. It’s taken me years to appreciate that readers enjoy the story and there’s nothing to be embarrassed about!
Eliza: The Alias Jeannie Delaney trilogy explores themes of gender, sexuality, and self-identity in a rugged, male-dominated world. How did you approach weaving these elements into the narrative?
Kit: I just wrote the story and it seemed to work. I was determined to make it work. Jeannie is tough as hell and has a mesmerizing pale blue, unblinking gaze and a powerful persona which she uses to greet effect. Everyone is terrified of her except when she’s hysterically funny, which is often, when she’s leading her gang or with her boys on her ranch, the Double D. The only family member who’s not afraid of her is her Gran, Pa’s mother, but even she’s nervous of her granddaughter at times
Eliza: Many westerns focus on outlaws and gunfighters, but Jeannie’s journey is also deeply personal. How does her search for acknowledgment and acceptance drive the story?
Kit: It’s a raw, harsh story. She loves being a cowgirl and discovers her phenomenal gun skills as a teenager, and relishes it. The fact that she’s a woman doing male activities gives her enormous satisfaction although her family are concerned for her. The townsfolk are nervous and scared of her, although she has great buddies in local cowboys and frontiersmen. She is constantly being nagged for her behaviour in town. When she discovers her sexuality, she’s terrified and tries to prove her womanhood by ‘dating’ many boys. She has a girlfriend, Vicky, and they eventually make love. When Jeannie’s sexuality comes to light, the townsfolk punish her, then later try to kill her. In the end, she can take no more and she leaves town. That is the end of Book 1
Eliza: You’ve mentioned that your own fascination with the Old West started in the ‘60s and ‘70s when you were disappointed by the lack of strong female leads. How does it feel to finally bring a character like Jeannie to life?
Kit: It is amazing! I have been depressed over the years and writing the story has been the cause of a lot of it, but I couldn’t stop writing it. I love the story despite everything and intend to write further stories about Jeannie in novella form in future.
Eliza: You’ve self-published your books and built a dedicated readership. What advice do you have for indie authors looking to find their audience?
Kit: I’m proud to be able to say I have over a thousand and fifty readers and the number is growing. I’m absolutely delighted but it does feel very surreal and I’m hugely bemused! My daughter is the successful author of corset ripping novels and has made it into the best seller lists in the US. We sometimes compare notes!
Finding your audience is extremely hard work. First off I’d say a great story and plot from an unusual angle helps, but good quality writing is essential. My editor was the first professional to confirm that my writing wasn’t amateurish. After that comes the book design. If you’re not a visual creator, find yourself a decent cover designer. After that – marketing. My PA hubby and I are extremely creative between us, he’s an ex-businessman and we’ve had a good two years experience under our belts, so we’re doing all this ourselves. Create an author website and share blog posts about your writer journey on social media. Try to make your posts quality too, with images, and always respond to comments and messages. I’m sure there are many more pieces of advice, but the last piece of advice would be to say that you must really, really want to do it. If you have a quality product and the desire, go for it
Eliza: Can you give us a hint about what’s coming in Book 3? What can readers expect for Jeannie’s future?
Kit: Yes, I don’t want to give anything away! I’d like to call Book 3 Unfinished Business with a western twist to the title. I may even ask AI for some ideas. Jeannie’s power grows, enemies resurface, her old gang become hands-on and a major gun battle takes place. I shall say no more! 
Because there are long gaps in the timeline in the story, I’m tempted to write further stories in novella form about Jeannie during those times. That’ll be a challenge, but I’ve lived so long with her that I would miss her if I didn’t write about her.
Links to Learn More About Kit Mackenzie:
www.thefestivalofstorytellers.com
Smorgasbord Spotlight – a blog run by writer Sally Cronin:
https://jo-b-creative.blogspot.com/2024/01/smorgasbord-new-book-spotlight-western.html
Kit Mackenzie Featured in TET.LIFE (The Extraordinary Tourist Blog):
https://www.tet.life/2023/09/guest-post-new-novel-alias-jeannie.html
https://www.tet.life/2024/06/guest-post-new-novel-alias-jeannie.html?m=1
Kit Mackenzie Social Media Links:
Facebook Kit Mackenzie Author Page
Kitty Le Roy’s Wild West Saloon Facebook Group
0 Comments