Kim Fielding | Authentic Voices and Unconventional Heroes
Wow! We made it through all 30 days of the writing challenge. And it was fun!
30. One thing you’re excited for
My new book!
Love Can’t Conquer releases in four days. You can preorder it now, even. I’m really excited about this one, which will be the first in a series. Hunky urban park ranger plus an ex-addict trying to climb out of a deep hole. Angst. True love. Coffee. What’s not to love?
I have a bunch of other releases in the works too.
29. The night of your 21st birthday
Just after midnight the day I turned 21, I went to Safeway and bought beer. They didn’t card me, which was disappointing. And I couldn’t buy hard liquor because this was in Oregon, where you could buy wine and beer in grocery stores but had to buy hard liquor in special OLCC (Oregon Liquor Control Commission) stores. I think that may still be the case, but I’m not sure.
That night, friends and I visited a couple of bars with live music (blues, as I recall). I didn’t get drunk, but did try a grasshopper for the first time.
And that’s it. Not very thrilling.
28. The word or phrase you use constantly.
In person, I say these things a lot:
In writing, I find that each book has at least one overused word. Well, my editors find that, actually. In the current book, the word is slightly.
Today I’m doing one of my least favorite things: packing. But tomorrow I’ll be doing one of my most favorite things: traveling!
Today was the last day of school–hence the smiling faces. The whole family is piling in the SUV and heading north. We’ll be spending some time with family in Portland and also some time relaxing and being tourists in Vancouver, BC. I’ve been to Vancouver, but it’s been a few years. If any of you know the city and have eating/ visiting/shopping suggestions, I’d love to see them! My other plans for the trip include my parents’ 50th anniversary party and a new tattoo for me.
The timing is good for a trip to Portland, because Love Can’t Conquer releases a week from today and it’s set there. It will be there first in a series, actually. Each book revolves around a different couple in Portland. In Love Can’t Conquer, we have Jeremy the urban park ranger and Qay the former addict. I’m about midway through the second book now. It features Nevin the foulmouthed detective and rich boy Colin. And I have two more books planned afterward.
In the meantime, if you want even more Portland in your books. Dreamspinner is releasing all the Bones books in a discounted bundle. You can preorder now; the bundle releases June 10.
Also, if you’re a Speechless fan, not only does the bundle include The Gig, in which the Bones guys meet the Speechless guys, but also a certain couple makes a brief cameo in Love Can’t Conquer.
I have more summer goodness coming too, including some audiobooks and another novel–a fairly dark slave novel set in an AU–due out in July. It’s called Staged, and I’ll have more information on that one soon.
You can sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bau3S9 It comes out quarterly, more or less, with the next issue due June 3. It’ll include news, a contest, a discount code, and a free short-short featuring Dylan and Chris from the Bones books.
What are your summer plans?
27. What you wore today
That sounds like a question a creepy caller would ask. Okay. Today I don’t have to go into the office. I do have to do the laundry and pack for a trip, plus I need to walk soon. I’m dressed accordingly: in my least favorite black walking shorts and an oversized red T-shirt from a trip to Alaska. And reading glasses. I never used to wear glasses at all, but I started needing reading glasses a few years ago. I find them annoying. I’m constantly taking them on and off (which means they get fingerprinty quickly). I bought several pairs, which I keep in strategic places. One at work, one by my laptop, one in the family room next to my reading spot, one at my bedside, and one in my purse. I’m constantly digging for that last one.
26. Things you’d say to an ex
I don’t have an ex. My husband was pretty much my first boyfriend. I also try really, really hard not to harbor bitterness toward others. I’m not always successful, but I do believe that kind of anger only hurts the person who nurtures it in her heart. Anyway, I guess it would depend on why we broke up. Was it amicable? Did it devastate me? Mostly, I guess I’d say something like, “I hope life’s treating you well.” And then I’d move on.
25. Four weird traits you have
Not with either hand. My thumb and pinky just don’t work that way. My dad can’t do it either, so it’s probably some weird genetic thing.
I’ve had a couple of people ask about this, and I definitely don’t want anyone confused or feeling cheated, so let me tell you what’s going on with my novellas Treasure and Guarded.
Both of them are available as free downloads. Here are the links: Treasure and Guarded. You can also find the links on my Free Reads page.
But you can also find them both on Amazon, each for 99 cents. See? Treasure and Guarded. Why did I do this?
Basically, I wanted to make them both available as audiobooks. In fact, Treasure will be ready soon! But in order to do that, they had to be listed on Amazon, because Amazon owns ACX, the company that allows authors and narrators to come together. And Amazon won’t let me list the books for free. So I set the price as low as possible. And I’m donating all my royalties to Doctors Without Borders.
So what should you do?
Whatever you choose to do, I hope you enjoy them. And please consider leaving a review, on Amazon, Goodreads, or elsewhere.
PS–I plan to do the same thing in the future with another of my free novellas, The Downs. Oh, and all my audiobook royalties from these books will also go to Doctors Without Borders.
24. Something you miss
I miss my family. I live in California with my husband and kids, but most of my relatives are in Oregon. We see each other once or twice a year. I miss being able to hang out with them and do things together. I’m hoping to be able to move to Oregon in the not-too-distant future.
23. A family member you dislike
That’s awful. I can honestly say I like all my family members. A lot. So instead, I’ll write about a family member’s annoying habit.
I do almost all my writing while sitting at the kitchen table. I have a study, but I prefer the kitchen because then I’m not so cut off from my family. I can endure a fair amount of noise and chaos, and the TV in the adjacent family room rarely bothers me.
In the evenings, my husband often sits in the family room, watching TV or playing video games. And periodically he’ll say a thing. Like, “Remember I’ll be home late Thursday.” Which interrupts me, but okay. I respond. He goes back to whatever. And just as I’m getting back to work, he’ll say another thing. Like, “And I have an appointment Wednesday morning.” I respond. Another long pause. I get back to work. Then, “I think we should refinance the house.”
It makes me want to strangle him.
Sometimes I just glare. “Are you done yet?” I demand. Spit it all out at once, you know? I was once on a deadline, writing the last chapter of a book, and I threatened to stab him if he kept interrupting like that. He and the kids thought that was hilarious.