I met Kimberly Derting, a fellow NW writer, last Summer at the Supernatural Summer Book Tour. Kimberly immediately struck me as a super nice author. She befriended me and others warmly, gave encouragements on going on submission, and continued to keep in touch. As soon as I heard Kimberly's book was getting released soon, I contacted her to do an interview. She's one of those authors I really want to support!Be sure to check out Kimberly's awesome website and her new book THE BODY FINDER that just came out! The cover is beautiful and I didn't want to stray too far from the style for the character illustration. I drew Violet, the sixteen year-old protagonist of THE BODY FINDER.
1) Thank you for joining us, Kimberly! What is THE BODY FINDER about?
The Body Finder is about a girl who can sense the “echoes” that the murdered leave behind and the matching imprints that attach to their killers. Oh, and there’s some romance thrown in as well. (This description is EXACTLY why HarperCollins did not ask me to write the jacket copy.)
2) What inspired you to write it?
So, one day my husband said: “Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a boy who could find dead bodies?” Almost as soon as he’d said that, I changed the main character to a teenage girl and started creating her creepy ability. Of course now he refers to himself as my co-author! :)
3) What's your advice for writing suspense and keeping the readers engaged?
I think it’s important to build strong characters so readers can really appreciate what they’re going through. If the characters are scared, hopefully the reader will be too! In my opinion, Stephen King does this very well! When I was younger I devoured his books, and they would hook me every time, holding me captive to the very last page because I truly cared about his characters!
4) He's a great writer! What was your journey toward publication like?
I met my agent at a writer’s conference and from there it has been a whirlwind! She signed me within two weeks, submitted to publishers about a month later, and we had a two-book deal with HarperCollins within two months. With the exception of always waiting for that next step, I have loved everything about my publication journey! What’s been especially fun along the way were the unexpected emails from friends, readers, bloggers, other authors, my agent, editor, etc. In this industry, something exciting can happen at any moment! *runs to check email*
5) What a sweet journey. Any advice on networking for authors?
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! The internet can be an invaluable tool as well as a way to develop relationships with others, and there are so many people (writers, agents, editors) who are willing to lend a hand and offer advice when you need it. Throughout all of this, I have met some of the most wonderful people that are now my friends for life (whether they like it nor not)! ;)
Thank you, Kimberly! Can't wait to read THE BODY FINDER (which can be purchased here)!
--Realm
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If you're an author, editor, agent, or illustrator and would like a five question interview and a drawing of your character (or of yourself), email me at rtlovejoy (at) yahoo (dot) com. Check out the FAQ page for more information!
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