Meet Kim Richards

Originally Posted at Bibliophile's Retreat by Melissa Meeks

All right readers I promised some interviews and a review for Firestorm of Dragons another anthology that my author friend Karina Fabian contributed to. Warning though this is a mainstream Dragon anthology so not my usual reading but I couldn't pass up Vern and some good fantasy.

Today author Kim Richards joins us via an email interview and later this month Karina and Vern will join us as well as Sandra Ulbrich. Be watching for these upcoming interviews along with my review of FSOD.

Now on to our main content for today Kim's interview:

1. Who do you want to meet and why?
Anyone who enjoys my work. I want to know what their favorite part is and least favorite part is.

2. What’s your favorite comfort food?
Ice cream!!!

Do you always go for a particular flavor ice-cream or does it vary?

3. What would be your dream vacation?
I’ve already taken it…this year (2008) when my fiance’s company sent us to Germany for six weeks. I came back with tons of pictures, new experiences and story ideas. One of those ideas has already sold.

Congrats on the story idea selling - I look forward to hearing more about it.

4. Is there anyone who has influenced / encouraged you to write? Who and how / why? My fiancé, William encourages me a lot. He asks me nearly everyday what did I write today. My sons who believed in my dreams.

5. Can you give a brief synopsis of your journey to publication with your first piece of fiction?
I gave a few pieces out to online zines for free at first, wanting to get some feedback on what needed work. Then with The Death of Jabari, I had the opportunity to try print on demand technology for free and so took it. No, I didn’t get rich but I wouldn’t trade away the experience I’ve gained and knowledge I’ve picked up from it about promotion and the publishing world. I was told by a big name author that someday I’d be too embarrassed to admit it. That has never happened.

I’ve had paid works in anthologies, print and ebook; in magazines and calendars. I don’t want to limit myself to any single venue because there are readers in all of them.

I've actually come across some very good authors who used POD options, subsidy publishers, or small press publishers rather than traditional large publishers.

6. What else have you written / are you currently writing (including unpublished works)?
Please see my website for a complete list and trailers.

7. What first gave you the idea for your story in FSOD?
I wondered what dragons really do with those maidens regularly sacrificed to them.

8. Share with us one of the craziest things you've done or that's happened to you?
Quit my city job and moved to California, taking a chance on love.

9. What five books would you take with you to a desert island?
The Bible. A dictionary. Three blank ones to write in. Grin.

I'm assuming thats an unabridged dictionary and the biggest thickest possible blank books? If it were me that would probably be the case.

10. Why did you start writing and when?
I’ve been writing my whole life. My dad has a screenplay I wrote when I was about nine. It’s embarrassing nowdays. In middle school, I learned to journal and in high school started on poetry.

11. How do you choose names and get to know your characters?
I like to use baby name books. The name is one of the last things I choose and so I like to find one with a meaning which fits the person. I do character sheets—a throwback from tabletop roleplay gaming. Why not? Everything you need to know is right in front of you on one sheet. Then there’s usually a background page as well.

12. What’s your favorite character / scene from your stories or books (so far)?
My favorite character is Julian, the hero in my unpublished work, Holy Blessed Homicide. He is a man with depth and love despite his gang life.

13. Do you have any teasers you can share for your next book or story to be published?
I shouldn’t. My next book being published is an erotica (under a pseudonym).

14. Are there any closing remarks you’d like to share?
Read anything and everything you can get your hands on. Don’t limit yourself to genre or whether it’s an ebook or print. Being close minded, only limits your experiences.

Codicil:
Kim thank you for taking the time to share with my readers. Readers be sure and check out the upcoming interviews with two more authors from this anthology in a couple weeks and my review tomorrow. Visit Kim's website using the link in question 6 or click her photo. Also check out the tour schedule to read more interviews and reviews throughout this month.