Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a writer, veteran and mother of five. I live in a 100 year old farmhouse in rural Illinois, where I enjoy coming up with outrageous stories and telling them to whoever will listen, including my chickens. I’ve just published my first book and have many more planned.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Crazy in the Heart is my first book, and the first in a romantic comedy series set in the Midwest. It was inspired by the ten years I spent living in the small, beautiful town of Metamora, Illinois. I wanted to capture life in the rural Midwest at the beginning of the 21st century and how it changes (or doesn’t) over time. I started the first book in 2002 and then my life exploded. Apparently, when you write about Job experiences, God will send you a few of your own. The book sat untouched for a decade. I picked it up last fall and was able to finish and publish it in May of 2016. I promise my next one won’t take as long!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I use the Miracle Morning routine to write. I work full time and have small kids, so I find very early mornings to be my most productive time. I also write over my lunch breaks at work (I’m an IT professional). I keep playlists for every book idea I have on Amazon Prime, and listen to those in the car or while I’m cooking/cleaning/etc. This helps me visualize scenes. It’s an important part of my prewriting, and I can do it anywhere and everywhere.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I come from a family of writers and most of them are indie authors. My mother, Anita Gordon (writing as Kathleen Kirkwood) is a huge inspiration. I watched her struggle in traditional publishing when I was a teenager. I watched how publishing and technology changed and was thrilled to see her go into self publishing. My other big inspirations are Oscar Wilde (my next book is a tribute to him) and William Shakespeare. I also really love the Bible, not just as a religious book but as great literature. The stories there are classic, and are often the basis for so many modern ones. The Book of Job is one of my favorites, and was the inspiration for Crazy in the Heart and my hero, Brett Jacobson.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second book in my Calpernica (Midwest) series, Wilde in the Heart (my tribute to Oscar Wilde). I’m also developing a romantic comedy series with superheroes in it. My brain just informed me that there will also be a romantic comedy series with magical objects, retelling classic stories (think Aladdin, Pymalion, etc)
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is an area I’m still learning about. Networking is huge- getting into groups with fellow authors, getting the word out with friends and family, setting up newsletters. There are so many pieces to the puzzle. I haven’t figured out the “secret formula” yet. I guess the best method is to keep trying, keep experimenting, and keep picking yourself up!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If it terrifies you, do it. Don’t worry about what other people think. What kept me stuck the most in that ten year stretch of doing nothing was trying to fix something for other people. In the end, I figured out a way for my story to work without changing it. The solution was much simpler than I originally thought. Sometimes we have to step back, and sometimes we have to delve deep inside.
Ultimately, the story inside of you is about YOU. Honor it, give it space to breathe and grow organically. As authors, our job it to shape those stories into the best form they can be. They need a basic framework, but they don’t need massive formulas and over-production. Follow your gut and your heart when you write.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s the opening quote from my next book:
“Be yourself. Everybody else is taken.”
~Oscar Wilde
What are you reading now?
I have a long list of books to review for friends and fellow authors. I’m also reading The CompleteWorks of Oscar Wilde, Book Marketing is Dead by Derek Murphy, and The Miracle Morning for Writers (preview copy- should be out very soon and I’m so excited!)
What’s next for you as a writer?
There are so many books in my head! My goal is transition to working at home as a full time writer, and living to be a thousand years old so I can write them all! The first book in my superhero series, Black Kat, should be ready by fall. It’s a twelve book urban fantasy/fantasy series. I’m hoping to have Wilde in the Heart by spring of 2017. Both series will keep my pretty busy for the next few years, and there are more series I’d like to work on- scifi especially. I like writing romantic comedy set anywhere and everywhere!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde, and The Rhetoric and Poetics of Aristotle. (I know, I kind of cheated. Hard to only pick four books!)
Author Websites and Profiles
Kimberly Gordon Website
Kimberly Gordon Amazon Profile
Kimberly Gordon’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account