For those of you intrigued by this interview you can check out more from Kimberly at her blog Temporary? Insanity.
Now on to the good stuff...the interview.
Q–Tell us about yourself.
I’m quirky, 32-year-old Canadian, I suffer from a very intense delusion which leads me to believe I’m funny. I have three actual children, and three literary children, all six of whom bring me great joy and great frustration. I blog at: http://temporaryinsanitybykym.com
Q–On your blog you have "Letters from Kim." Tell us about this--what are they and what inspires you to write them?
I have conversations with people inside my head. My “Letters from Kim” segment allows me to bring them out into the open so that they exist somewhere other than my own imagination. When I’m out and about and someone does something funny or annoying, I keep my thoughts to myself. I’m polite like that. But under the cowardly guise of blogging anonymity I can post about them and have a good laugh, or a small rant.
Q–How did you get started writing?
From the moment I was old enough to string two sentences together, I’ve been a storyteller. It was rather adorable to start with, especially my five-year-old self’s story about how the Easter Bunny let me help him paint his eggs, but later this tendency began to worry my family and friends. I started writing my stories down on paper because that’s far more socially acceptable than becoming a pathological liar.
Q–Why do you write?
The people in my head yell at me if I don’t. Really loudly, too.
Q–Quick! Drop everything! Think fast and give us a quick pitch of one of your stories. Pretend an Editor or Publisher is reading this. You never know...
Umm . . . define “quick.”
Fourteen-year-old Alexandra Earhart is being blackmailed by her employer, a powerful organization named The Agency, which regulates the world’s superheroes. And she has no idea why. Though she’s used to living a life of mystery and has recently dealt with superpower-wielding ninjas, duct tape spider webs, and radioactive toilet plungers, the level of mystery in her life is seriously starting to tick her off. Plus, she’s scared. And Alexandra? Does not do scared.
Worst of all, the snarky teen secret agent has no idea who to beat up. One potential victim is Agent Bob Johnson aka Jonathan Earhart aka Dad, who knows exactly why they’ve been put into “protective custody” in small-town Colorado but refuses to dish. Also on her to-hit list is ten-year-old Zoe (the morphing superhero who’s stalking her dad), Quinn (local dork extraordinaire), and anyone else idiotic enough to annoy her.
Alexandra is mystified when The Agency orders her to befriend Quinn Underhill and pump him for information. But her belief that Quinn is worse than useless rapidly changes when, together, they battle brainwashed teenage superheroes, jellyfish attacks, and their intense dislike for each other. With agency operatives hot on their heels, Alexandra must find a way to break free from The Agency’s hold on her before it uses her to brainwash the world’s superheroes or makes good on its threat to detonate the neural chip in her dad’s brain.
Q–What is your favorite writing attire? For example, are you a lounge all day in your pjs and hope no one comes to the door kind of gal or do you get all prettied up for the day?
When I leave my house I’m the dress pants, nice blouse, earrings, and light makeup type. When I’m at home? Yeah. PLEASE call before you drop by. I am all about dressing comfy in my yoga pants when I’m writing. In fact, writing with proper trousers on feels wrong to me.
Q–What is your personal kryptonite? That one thing that weakens you. Is it chocolate? Perhaps a foot massage? Name your nemesis.
Cookies. I used to hate them and plot their destruction (which I usually accomplished in a gastro-intestinal fashion), but we’ve made peace with each other. They now send me a once-a-week sacrifice to appease my wrath (and stomach).
Q–If you could have any super power what would it be and why?
While it would be fun (although embarrassing) to read minds or have superhuman strength, I am all about wanting to fly. This might be why the character in my book who can fly is patently unlikable. I envy the heck out of her, smug twit that she is . . . Anyway, I just love the swooping feeling I get in my stomach when I feel like I’m soaring. Certain carnival rides, elevators, even just climbing up a really tall ladder . . . I love the thrill of it.
Q–What's the most embarrassing thing (that you're willing to admit to) that you've done as an adult?
I ate an entire box of thin-mints in one sitting, got sick from it, threw up, and then a couple hours later ate another half a box. I cringe at the mere thought of thin-mints now, even as I crave them . . .
Q–What's your favorite blog to visit and why?
I love http://writingonthewallblog.blogspot.com/. I never fail to be uplifted, inspired, or empowered after reading one of the posts there.
Q–Tell us about YouWriteOn.com.
Though I have a hard time making time to spend there, I love this site. For every critique you write, you receive one back. Simple as that. No currying favour or anything. It’s a great way to get unbiased feedback on your work.
Q–Finish this sentence: "If I had only known...."
I never would have strangled that goat. Ha, kidding. Okay, I would have laughed in my husband’s face when he suggested we try thirty-six different cookie-in-a-jar recipes in the space of one month. It was the beginning of the end, that was.
Q–What is the strangest person/place or thing that inspired your writing?
I picked up a small quartz rock on a beach a few years back and it turned out to be a whole world in embryo. I have a fantasy novel completely outlined and half written that will be complete and ready to share some day because of that simple rock.
Q–If you could be a fly on the wall of any room in any building anywhere in the world...Where would it be and why?
The headquarters of the people who secretly control the world, of course! Think of the secrets I would learn!
Very good...
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