Interview with Kim Smith

avengingangel

Interview with Kim Smith

I “met” Kim Smith in the fall of 2008. We were both presenters in the Muse Online Conference. I took her cozy workshop, hoping to get some inspiration and guidance. I wound up developing the Helena Francis mysteries, AND my friendship with Kim began. She’s warm, supportive, intelligent, and very, very funny. That intelligent and humor carries over into her writing.

DE: Can you tell us a bit about the evolution of the character Shannon Wallace?

KS: Sure! Shannon originally was supposed to be one of Dwayne’s girls who he was going to hire for his private detective agency, in the very earliest stages of creating the book. In fact, Dwayne was supposed to be the hero. HA! Funny how characters have a totally different opinion of themselves than you do!

DE: What are some of the freedoms in the mystery genre? The limitations?

KS: In mystery, you can kill people. You can stab ‘em, poison ‘em, and shoot ‘em any way you wish. Sure cannot do that (and remain unfettered!) in real life! Gosh, think of it… the freedom to do away with your worst enemy, (on paper of course!) how free-ing is that?? Now the limitations on the other hand, they are many. You can’t not research. There are too many CSI fans out there. They will hand you your head over that forensic stuff. And also, there are the fine weaving of many threads with plot and subplot that must be accounted for. Can’t leave anything hanging!

DE: Have you created a series bible for the whole series, or do you plan to see how it evolves book by book?

KS: I had planned on writing the Angel series until I was old and tired, but here of late, I realize that readers can only stomach so much zany-ness in their reading. So, I have left off thinking that and decided to let the readers decide. If they hunger and thirst for more Shannon stories, I will keep them happy. If they quit reading, quit buying, and begin berating me for being so droll, I will end the series and be thrilled that it lived as long as it did. And the books evolve on their own. I do not plot or plan too much.

DE: We hear so much about Katie in AVENGING ANGEL. Do we get to meet her in future books?

KS: Yes! Book three, lovingly titled, Crooked Angel, will have a bunch of Katie ☺ scenes and some of the minor characters come back around in book two(Buried Angel due to release in December 2009) also, including Yoshi, the Neighbor.

DE: Can you tell us a bit about the next Shannon Wallace mystery?

KS: I will! I have subbed and been accepted for Buried Angel, book two in the series. It is all about Dwayne and his troubles this time. A quick blurb would be : “Shannon and Dwayne spend time in the local cemetery, but turn up a whole lot more than daisies”.

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I also want to congratulate and celebrate Kim’s release TODAY of her newest book, A WILL TO LOVE, also from Red Rose Press. Here’s a preview:

Benton Jessup wants his bed and breakfast to be successful. He will go to no lengths to insure that it does.

But when Kitty Beebe, a famous romance author, arrives at The Inn, his desire for success becomes a struggle of wills with love.

I have every intention of buying this book today, so you can bet that Kim will be back to talk about it soon!

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Kim, and happy release day!

BIO:
Kim has been writing since the late 1990’s after her husband bought their first computer and sat her down in front of her thereby ending her excuses as to why she couldn’t get published. Today she is the author of the popular Shannon Wallace Mystery series and several short romances.

LINKS:
You can find Kim at:
http://www.mkimsmith.com
http://www.myspace.com/mkimsmith
http://www.twitter.com/mkimsmith
and her blogs:
http://writingspace.blogspot.com
http://visionaryphotos.blogspot.com
http://bookmadness.wordpress.com
http://murderby4.blogspot.com
and you can buy her books at Red Rose Publishing:
BUY LINKS:
Avenging Angel, Book One of the Shannon Wallace Mysteries