The Writer’s Life

So my new book is coming out and while those in the book club may have already received their November shipment, the rest of the world has to wait until A MAN WORTH LOVING hits the shelves the second week in November. And because I’m excited about the release of this new book, I thought I’d give one away! But first, you have to answer a question. I’ll pick one lucky poster and send them a free book. Is that cool or what? I think so. Free books make my day.

Okay, so here’s the question: What do you think about heros that start out kinda prickly? Personally, I love them. Maybe it’s because once upon a time I used to have a thing for bad boys, I don’t know, but I do love reading books with jerky heroes. With that said, they have to change and become wonderfully soft and sweet by the end of the book in order to qualify.

Tell me what kind of hero makes your toes curl and I’ll randomly pick a winner!

What's a single guy to do?

A new cover is always cause for celebration, especially when it’s been a stretch since the last one came around, which is certainly the case with this one.

My sixth book will hit the shelves in July (it seems so far away at this point) but I’m very excited about this book. This story features the most amazing couple. John Murphy and Renee Dolling are two characters that I loved from the start. I have a soft spot for men who are slow to speak and quick to listen and that’s who John is. Then there’s Renee. When I say that I loved her, you’d be surprised why. Renee abandoned her three small children but no one feels that pain more sharply than she does as she tries to make amends. I loved her spirit, her determination, and her ability to grow and change through adversity. What can I say? I love flawed characters.

My editor said this book made her cry. (This is a very good thing!) And you know what? This book made ME cry. So I was really anxious for the art department to create a killer cover. And I have to say, they did a bang up job. Although John is a wee bit more manly looking in the book, the man on this cover has a warm smile and that is certainly true of John (when he smiles, that is).

Boy, it’s been a while since I blogged. Geesh, can you tell I’m not very good at keeping a schedule? Let’s see, what’s new? Well, I managed to finish all of my contracted work (no small feat with back to back deadlines) and now I’m coasting. Confession: I don’t coast very well but I have a few projects that I’ve been tinkering with and my agent really wants me to put some effort into and well, now I have no excuse! Oh, and here’s some exciting news; I’ve decided to give my website an overhaul and it just so happens that Amy Knupp and her uber cool hubby are in the webdesign biz and so as soon as I pony up the cash, the site is going to get a fresh, hip new look and boy, do I have some wild ideas in store for the site. Keep checking for updates. It’s going to be COOL.

Anyway, since it’s been sooo long since I blogged I figured WTH, let’s give something away. Post your opinion on my new cover and someone will win a book. Not gonna tell you what book. It’s a surprise. I’ll just put my paw into my book bag and draw something awesome.

Happy writing,

Kimberly

Okay, so technically only one is a baby but my boys are still my babies in my heart even if they tower over me at this point. We took our annual Christmas pictures on Sunday and as usual, my boys groaned and complained through the entire shoot but I managed to catch a few shots that pass my internal perfectionist gauge. Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone!

Eryleigh, 3, smiles for the camera. What a natural!

Jaidyn, 13, and Sebastian, 15; such handsome boys!

You’re never going to guess where my younger sister, Kristen, is at this very moment. If you guessed anywhere in the United States you’d be wrong. My sis is currently in Kitale, Kenya. Yes. You read that right. Africa. Pardon my mouth as I say, “Holy crap!”

You see my sis is the antithesis of me and she is such a dedicated activist with causes she believes in. She’s the mother of a son with Down’s Syndrome, who was also recently diagnosed with Tethered Cord Syndrome and autism (PDD-NOS). He’s in remission for leukemia and, oh, did I mention she has rheumatoid arthritis? Yeah, she’s like that Unsinkable Molly Brown character who just won’t be stopped no matter what is thrown in her path. (Although she has asked God to stop testing her strength because she’s about had it. Can you blame her?) Anyway, so at church (another huge diff between me and her) she learns about the plight of these poor African children who are sold into slavery and prostitution because their parents have died or abandoned them and apparently, there’s this school that takes in these poor children and it just so happens that her church was sponsoring a mission trip to that very region. Well, I guess my sister decided she didn’t have enough on her plate already and started raising money to go to Africa to do her part for these poor children. Wow. I mean, wow. I’m floored. And, I’ll admit, a little bewildered. Seems a long way to go to satisfy a humanitarian urge. But, more power to her. The world needs more people like her and probably less people like me who tend to get a little distracted by meaningless things in life. I consider myself a good person but, hot damn, my sister makes me feel like a total slacker. I know, it’s not about me or my competitive nature so I will just say, kudos to you Kristen for being such a warm-hearted, giving person. The world is certainly a better place for you being in it.

And in honor of my sister’s humanitarian journey to the other side of the world, I’ve decided to give away more books! This time, since I don’t have any new releases coming until next year (egad!) I will just reach into my RWA goody back and pull out something lovely for whomever wins this time around.

Tell me what you do to make the world a better place? Perhaps it’s volunteering in your child’s school or simply recycling or maybe you’re like my sister and you travel across the globe administering wholesome goodness in the form of sandwiches and vaccines to third world countries. Dunno. You tell me. I’m curious. Truly.

Kimberly

So, it’s time to name a winner. And you know what’s cool? I have another giveaway after this one because my next book is coming out soon and it’s just put me in a jolly, generous mood! Drumroll, please!

The winner of last week’s blog is: Jeannie Watt!

No joke! And this isn’t a rigged contest, I swear! My hubby picked the name out of a hat. So Jeannie, hit me back with a request from my backlist!

Now…time for another giveaway. Let’s talk about pet peeves! What chaps your hide or twists your panties? I can name a few, inconsiderate drivers, people who talk in a movie theater during the flick or forget to turn off their cell phone, people who put down romance for no discernible reason, and clothes that I’ve thoughtfully folded for my children, yet somehow end up BACK in the dirty clothes because they fell on the floor without being put away. GRRRR…

Please share. I want to know I’m not alone in my gripes.

Warmly,

Kimberly

Where to start…first off, surgery went well. I am now one less organ but thankfully, it’s one that I can live without.

Went to San Francisco for the RWA conference. It was wonderful but I was ridiculously homesick by Sunday. John met me at the hotel on Friday to go to the Harlequin party with me at the Four Seasons and that was fabulous. First, it was awesome to dance the night away with the man in my life (and oh, yeah, we did some SERIOUS dancing and between the two of us we rocked the floor beside my Super friends Amy Knupp, Kay Stockham, Jeannie Watt, *and her daughter Jamie, and Supers editor Victoria Curran) and second, it was the freakin’ Harlequin party where the likes of Nora Roberts, Kathryn Caskie and a host of other ultra cool people were milling about. It’s a very heady thing to be standing next to someone you only read about under normal circumstances. It’s true I accosted Kathryn Caskie in the drink line to gush in regards to her awesomeness and she was so cool about it. Gracious, kind and even complimentary, she’s a favorite in my book. In fact, I think I need to run out and buy her newest release this weekend just to show my gratitude.

Anyway, conference was great. I learned a lot. Came home with tons of new books and I am so grateful for the opportunity to attend. I was one of the lucky receivers of an RWA scholarship and someday I hope I can return the favor by contributing to the scholarship program. Thanks again to those who made that decision.

So, I’m feeling generous and I have a new release coming out in September, so let’s give a book away! Tell me about a cool encounter with someone you admire (they can be famous or not) and one lucky poster will receive a free book! How cool is that? Hey, if you’re like me free books motivate me like no other!

Warmly,

Kimberly

Tomorrow I go under the surgeon’s knife to have my gall bladder taken out. You see, I’ve been having terrible gall bladder attacks that are quite painful and a sonogram revealed my gall bladder full of gravel. Note how I said gravel, not stones. Yep. I’ve been carrying around a pocketful of calcified bits of blech in my body. Gross. And they have to go. The little suckers have been causing all sorts of havoc with my digestion, and I’m just finished with it. I know there’s some kind of flush you can do (Trudy, I know you’re railing at my decision not to go herbal) but it involves lying on your side for an entire day while you take this herbal concoction while your body flushes out more than 300 stones in one go because it also pulls from your liver. Note again how I said, “flush,” yeah, as in lots of bathroom time. No thanks. Not this time. I just want the sucker gone. I know your gall bladder makes this certain enzyme that I will need to supplement but I figure that’s okay.

So, in preparation of tomorrow I’ve been — ready for this — totally nesting! Yeah, you know that phenomenon where pregnant women start cleaning obsesssively right before they go into labor? Yeah, that kind of nesting. I’ve already scrubbed my kitchen and now I’m eying the bathroom with a speculative stare. I’m also in a hurry to get everything I need done such as laundry, groceries, last-minute work stuff and packing needs for our vacation (which isn’t until the end of the month but hey I’m in a organized kind of mood) but as I sit and pen this short blog I think I’ve hit upon the reason for all this productivity…I’m nervous.

I know it’s a simple surgery, second most common, actually, but I am a bit twitchy about going under the knife. Weird things happen. Like the surgeon could forget some kind of tool in my body and I wouldn’t know about it until years later when I keep setting off the metal detectors in airports. Or I could..*gulp* die in some freakish this-never-happens-but-once-in-a-million-surgeries and that would really suck. My family accuses me of drifting toward the melodramatic when I say these things but someone has to be the statistic and sometimes my luck isn’t so hot. Just ask my best friend. She’ll tell you. If it’s odd, unexplainable, or just plain OMG that was weird! it’ll happen to me. *sigh* Guess I’m special.

So, I could use a little good luck coming my way if anyone were so inclined. Good thoughts count too. I’ll post again when I come out the other side, minus an organ but feeling 100 percent better.

Happy writing!

Kimberly

I know what you’re thinking…two posts in one day? Certainly that’s a sign of the coming Apocalypse but no, just one silly writer who has started making lists on her Post It notes in some semblance of organization trying to get things done.

Anyway, loved this pic. That’s my Honey Bunches with her Auntie Kamrin. Kamrin used to be our nanny (yes, she is my youngest sister and yes, it was slave labor) and we miss her terribly. Most of all her Honey Bunches!

Just wanted to share.

So I had a helper pick the lucky winner of my blind contest winner and you’ll swear there was some cheating going on but I swear to you it was all very fair and my other editor Marg was the lucky poster!

What did she win?? Well, I decided to give away a copy of my UK release of Father Material, which released across the pond May 08. Cool huh? So, I guess I’ll mosey on over to the next office or maybe I’ll just holler at her that she’s the lucky winner. Hehehe…

Thanks for reading and keep posting cuz this giving away stuff is fun!

Kimberly

Right before I was going to bed last night I decided to check Amazon.com for something and lo and behold! My new cover was available! Had to share. It’s so lovely and the art department did a great job with Annabelle and Honey. Dean is supposed to be in his early 40s but hey, everything else looks great so who am I to complain?

This is my September book, the story of Dean Halvorsen and Annabelle Nichols. Very cool story. It practically wrote itself. I love it when that happens.

So, because I’m in a particularly happy, bouncy and giving mood, one lucky poster will get something fun in the mail. Nope. Not gonna tell. You just have to post and find out if YOU’RE the lucky winner!

Happy writing!

Kimberly