As you all know, when I LURVE a book, I give it a Gold Star Review here. Well, to liven up the blog a little, I'm going to (try to) interview the author of each book that receives a coveted Gold Star! I hope you'll enjoy these quick, little interviews. :D
Today's guest is the fabulous Kimberly Derting! I'm so excited. I have really enjoyed Kimberly's Body Finder mystery series, but she officially won my heart with The Pledge. It won my first gold star review of 2012, which you can go back and read here.
Welcome, Kimberly!
Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with me. I have just a couple of quick
questions for you:
1. How long did it take you, from first spark of idea to final proofs, to write The Pledge?
The Pledge was probably the longest—in
terms of time—that it’s ever taken me to put a book together. It took me a while
to get the idea just right, since it came to me in pieces instead of all at
once, like The Body Finder did. The first piece was a simple question:
“What would it be like if someone could understand all languages?” But I
definitely wanted the story itself to be bigger than just that component. I
spent a lot of time thinking about how Charlie’s ability would work, what kind
of world she would live in, and creating the monarchies and her friends and
family, before I’d ever written a single word.
The first draft was fast, only a couple of months, but there were several rewrites before it actually made it to the final version. In all, it probably took almost two years to complete!
I actually talk about coming up with the idea for THE PLEDGE here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcwK-Ja9wk4
2. If you could write a book under a pseudonym that no one would ever connect to you, are there any genres you would love to secretly explore?
I think I’d like to try my hand at historical romance. Believe it or not, I used to (and still sometimes do!) devour historical romances. They’re my not-so-guilty pleasure. I’m not even sure I’d bother with a pen name! *That's one of my go-to reading guilty pleasures, too!*
3. I LOVED that The Pledge was completely centered around language. It became so powerful, almost a weapon, and definitely a status symbol. Can you tell us how you came up with that concept?
Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I’m fascinated by language on so many levels. Not just how it can be used as a weapon—or a divisor—as in The Pledge, but also how it can be used as a tool to bring people together. And people will often use language to judge others and/or make assumptions based on their grammar, idioms, or dialect. Often times, language is the foundation for the first impression we make about someone else, whether intentionally or not.
4. If you could cross one thing off your bucket list tomorrow, what would it be?
I would love to become fluent in a foreign language! I took two years of Spanish in high school, but all I can remember now is how to order a drink, say hello and goodbye, and ask someone what time it is. How cool could it be to actually carry a full conversation? *Learning Spanish and basic Sign Language skills are on my bucket list, for sure!*
5. Quick picks list:
Favorite vacation destination? Used to be Maui, but I think it might be Paris now. If there was a Paris with Maui weather, I’d be in heaven!
Favorite childhood book? Charlotte’s Web
Favorite writing snack food? Lately: Pretzel M&Ms.
Favorite clothing item? I’m always cold, so anything that keeps me warm...sweaters, scarves, boots, fuzzy socks... *Me too! I LURVE my sweaters!!*
The first draft was fast, only a couple of months, but there were several rewrites before it actually made it to the final version. In all, it probably took almost two years to complete!
I actually talk about coming up with the idea for THE PLEDGE here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcwK-Ja9wk4
2. If you could write a book under a pseudonym that no one would ever connect to you, are there any genres you would love to secretly explore?
I think I’d like to try my hand at historical romance. Believe it or not, I used to (and still sometimes do!) devour historical romances. They’re my not-so-guilty pleasure. I’m not even sure I’d bother with a pen name! *That's one of my go-to reading guilty pleasures, too!*
3. I LOVED that The Pledge was completely centered around language. It became so powerful, almost a weapon, and definitely a status symbol. Can you tell us how you came up with that concept?
Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I’m fascinated by language on so many levels. Not just how it can be used as a weapon—or a divisor—as in The Pledge, but also how it can be used as a tool to bring people together. And people will often use language to judge others and/or make assumptions based on their grammar, idioms, or dialect. Often times, language is the foundation for the first impression we make about someone else, whether intentionally or not.
4. If you could cross one thing off your bucket list tomorrow, what would it be?
I would love to become fluent in a foreign language! I took two years of Spanish in high school, but all I can remember now is how to order a drink, say hello and goodbye, and ask someone what time it is. How cool could it be to actually carry a full conversation? *Learning Spanish and basic Sign Language skills are on my bucket list, for sure!*
5. Quick picks list:
Favorite vacation destination? Used to be Maui, but I think it might be Paris now. If there was a Paris with Maui weather, I’d be in heaven!
Favorite childhood book? Charlotte’s Web
Favorite writing snack food? Lately: Pretzel M&Ms.
Favorite clothing item? I’m always cold, so anything that keeps me warm...sweaters, scarves, boots, fuzzy socks... *Me too! I LURVE my sweaters!!*
Thank you so much, Kimberly, for letting us interview you. It was a pleasure!
For more information about Kimberly and her books, check out her website at http://www.kimberlyderting.com/
