Interview with Kimberley Dehn

Author Kimberley Dehn is my guest, a fellow author at Wings with an August 2008 release titled Southern Exposure available at www-wings-press.com

Let’s jump right in.

Hopefully, visitors have already read your bio, so I'm not going to ask you to tell us about yourself. Instead, what do you find the most difficult about being a writer?

Organization. I tend to write my stories without a concrete roadmap in order to keep my creative juices fresh. I want to be surprised as much as my readers. If I have a good idea about how the story will begin and how it will end, I keep a loose hand when writing the middle. Some of my best plotting comes from this method. Planning out every minute detail of a story will ensure that story never sees the light of day, because I will never finish it. In my head, the story has been told and I’m ready to move on to the next idea. However, there are times, like on my current work in progress, when the plot is multi-dimensional and there are more than two characters that have a meaty part to play that I wish I could be a bit more left brained. Unfortunately, I recently took a test and discovered I’m 20% left brained and 80% right, so I have no chance of ever being organized.

What is your hero's biggest challenge?
Dean has a paternalist complex fostered by his father dying when he was fourteen, leaving him to take care of his mom and sister. He can’t do what he wants to do for himself, which is leave town for Atlanta and resume a successful architectural career, until he takes care of his town and loved ones first. The people of Potter’s Kiln bailed him out of a personal problem in his past and he will do whatever he can to repay them, even if it means he’s stuck in a backwards burg going no-where for the rest of his life. He puts everyone first before himself, and as a result, he’s miserable.

What is your heroine's biggest flaw?
She believes her family’s opinion of her and hasn’t grown past it. Kat is from a wealthy, successful food icon family and as she puts it, is the red hot chili pepper in a family of instant potatoes. Her family is business first, last and always, while Kat, at age 24, has no idea what she wants out of life and is struggling to find herself.

What prompted you to write this story?
In a world filled with fascination for heiress party girls like Paris Hilton, and runaway brides like Julia Roberts or Jennifer Wilbanks, I wanted to see what would happen when such a woman lost everything and had to face life without privilege and family support. Thus, Kat Hubbard, the heroine in Southern Exposure, was born. This story was written years before Paris spent time in jail, so I watched how she dealt with her situation with great interest. In fact, she inspired me to dust Southern Exposure off and give the world another chance to see it, so I guess I have Ms. Hilton to thank for my novel’s success.

What is your least favorite genre? Would you ever consider writing it?
Erotica. I had a hard enough time writing passionate scenes in Southern Exposure because I could envision my mother-in-law…my father…reading what I wrote.

Who has helped you the most?
Marge Smith, who writes as Elizabeth Sinclair for Harlequin. We have been friends forever, and her advice and critiques over the years has made me a better writer.

Do you have a favorite theme? Eg: love conquers all; good vs evil; How do you use it?
Struggle brings out the best in people, and the worst. I love for a main character to have everything and then lose it all. I want to see what they do to survive.

What have you learned about yourself from your writing?
To trust my instincts. I no longer work with a critique group. I tend to write outside the box of what is typically published in the categories and genre’s, so in the past critique groups, especially when my work is not fully developed, have hampered my creative flow. I will give the work to trusted critiquers who are not writers, but rather readers for feedback. I’m writing for readers after all.

Why will your reader think your book is different?
Well, it’s not your typical contemporary romance. It’s actually a relationship comedy, with Kat Hubbard as the focal point of the story. Southern Exposure is about her journey of self-discovery, her personal growth and her relationship not only with Dean the hero, but also with his daughter Stevie, and various townspeople in Potter’s Kiln. It’s funny, poignant and at times, ridiculous. I wrote it to entertain readers in dire need of a good laugh.

Excerpt/Cover
Dean veered his motorcycle left off Main to skirt Polliwog and Pine and, despite Kat's scream, jumped the train tracks onto Old Man River Road. The bite of her nails through the paper-thin denim into his thigh became a constant reminder that he was a fool to give in to Rooster. Kat was going home with him, but only until her check cleared the bank. Four days tops. He had until Thursday to somehow use her to save his town.
Kat leaned to the right to glare at him over her left shoulder. He felt his pulse leap with anticipation. They would be the longest four days in his life. He noticed her large eyes were framed with the thickest lashes he'd ever seen on a woman. Probably synthetic.
"I need to stop at my yacht."
He shook his head. "Rooster will filet my hide if you escape."
"I won't escape."
"Right, you won't. End of discussion."
"Oh, for…” She stiffened her spine and leaned forward in an attempt not to touch him. After a moment, she again turned to him. "I need decent clothing; something without racing emblems or beer advertisements. If you won’t allow me to board my yacht, at least take me to the nearest mall with a Bergdorf anchor. I have their credit card.”
“Sweetheart, the North has Bergdorf. The South has Dollar General.”

Kimberley Dehn
Southern Exposure
www.kimberley-dehn.com

Thank you so much for being my guest. Good luck with your new release.

Barbara Edwards

Coming soon from The Wild Rose Press: Ancient Awakening, a Black Rose
www.barbaraedwards.net
http://barbaraedwards.net/blog/blog.asp for Barb'Ed Comments
www.Wings-press.com for Annie's Heart, Another Love, Rachel's Rescue

Why is mentoring such a scary word?

I recently put together a mentoring program for my chapter and volunteered to help with one for Novelsisterhood.com. A number of things made me wonder why the response wasn't more favorable. I think I understand.
The concept of mentoring can paint a frightening picture in a new writer’s mind. The Buddha-like figure perched high overhead, showering concepts onto the ignorant newbie springs to mind. So there is a distance involved and even a little fear. The basic taking of information without a return to the giver makes the experienced writer hesitate to be a mentor. It can make an inexperienced writer hesitate to ask a ‘dumb’ question. Never mind that everyone says no question is dumb, it feels that way.How does mentoring work? Two people exchange information. That’s right. Both benefit in a number of ways. Ask about finding an agent or editor and answers jump from every corner. A place to find a list of reputable people, names of editors taking submissions, agents looking for a new authors are some of the things I’ve learned. This benefits the more experienced writer as well as the beginner. Even beginners have information to share.So let’s change the concept to a friendlier picture. The older sister showing the younger how to put up her hair in a new fashion is a better one: a partnership rather than lecturing by the professor. Everyone benefits.

Keeping up

It’d not easy to write a blog. I’m a writer. It should be easy, but like writing a novel it takes persistence and patience. I might be persistent (another word for stubborn), but I have little patience. I want everything done right now!
So how do I keep my blog current? Good question. Last week my computer gave a twitch, curled up into a fetal position and stated gasping. I forgot about blogging while doing CPR, but it finally gave up and died. I had to shop for a new machine, get my files transfered, and (most dreaded of all) learn how to use a new format. To give a hint--it took me three years to lear windows 98, two years to learn XP, and I expect vista to be another long leaning curve.
I'm finally back on track.
I like to think my words are gold and a wide audience is waiting breathlessly to pluck up every one. Sigh. I am not delusional. It takes a long time to find interested readers. I like to talk about writing. A blog is one way to interest people in the way I write. Hopefully, they’ll go on to buy my books and tell others to read them, too.

The writer’s curse is a sagging middle

Not your stomach. It’s the middle of your manuscript dragging into oblivion. Classic advice says ‘kill someone’. A dead body injects life. I’ve killed a few characters. Then found a reason why. Who is the ‘real killer’? Can’t have a fake killer, can we? Red herrings abound. Threads weave another layer to the plot.
Or it is a murder the death of the story?
At one RWA conference an editor stated she hated to find a dead body at midpoint in a comedy. I rewrote that one and found the story went no-where. Its still waiting under my bed for inspiration to strike.
An extra dead body is a clue that your story isn’t alive. Every action must have a cause. Tossing a corpse off the roof might not do anything but make the editor toss your book.
Back to my middle. I’m a by-the-seat-of-my-pants writer. I learn my characters as I go. I plot day by day. I’m constantly surprise by what happens. A murder? Sometimes an earthquake, a riot, a hurricane or a love scene fits better.
Be creative. It’s your job.

Diagrams, outlines, graphs and time-wasters

At a recent chapter meeting another speaker advised using an outline. Yuck. I actually hate outlining. So many authors have these cute little charts and graphs to get their story together. I do envy their organizational skill. I have tried. Honest. I tried Deb Dixon’s outline for goal, conflict, and resolution. Remember the Wizard of Oz example? Boy, I grabbed that like a lifeline to a drowning sailor. Too bad the graph defeated me. Did this fact go here? Or here?
I’ve used the character question forms. His name, her name, mother’s name, listed like a genealogy. Who gives a rat’s butt what the hero’s mother’s maiden name was?
After years of searching for what works for me, I’m finally doing my own thing.
I have a book bible for each manuscript.
In it is a timeline- day, night, moon phase, whatever is relevant to when.
When I add a character, I copy the description, adding details as they appear.
This is part of my first draft process. I do a simple edit on the previous day’s work, put items in the bible and start the flow for today’s pages. Works for me.

Keeping up with the Jones’

My parents had a color television. They were proud to say it was the first on our block. We weren’t rich by any means. Ordinary people living ordinary lives. My Dad was working class, making his way into management. My Mom stayed at home and volunteered. In many ways, they were caught in the Jones’ race. My brother had to go to college. My sister and I had the latest fashions.
I didn’t go to college until I was thirty-five. Years later I realized that it was my parents’ dream I was still chasing. Those Jones’ again. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad I went. I enjoy saying master’s degree on my resume although that seems like a land far, far away.
My dream was and always had been to tell my stories.
So here I am. Not so famous author of romances with a website, a blog, an email address that uses my pen name and four books contracted for publication.
I'm still trying to keep up with the neighbors. Have you seen all those author interviews? Read all the wonderful critiques? Checked all those lovely covers? Written and contracted four books this year with a major house? On and On I race.
So far, the Jones’ are in the lead.
Barbara

Delete that sucker!

Boy, do I understand about the email addiction. When I was seriously trying to finish my manuscript, I set everything to no-mail or digest. And checked every other day. Gosh did I have jittery fits wondering what I was missing, but it was really freeing. Then reality set in. I have an ebook to sell. I have to be on the web.
The break did allow me to do some rethinking. Many posts from similar interest loops are repeats-delete. Personal messages-after a congratulations-delete, good review-ditto, new grandbaby- delete, signing off or on- delete, pictures of the cat, dog, baby-delete.
You get the idea.
My delete key has the writing worn off, but its cut my time on email in half.
I love the contact with that big world. People are the source of so much information, support or help. Deleting has to do with priorities.
My writing must come first, then selling my books. I didn't 'get' that message for years. I bet most successful authors have.

Why didn’t anyone give me a magical roadmap?

Daily entries sounded so easy. Find an interesting topic. Jot a few paragraphs. Post and wait to answer all the comments. Hah. First, the list of things to do every day grows like Jack’s beanstalk. And I’m not Jack climbing ambitiously, I’m the cow being lead down a sidepath.
Do me a favor. Tell me the secret formula. You know the one. How do you do it? I want to be Superwoman, although Wonder Woman will do. Click those magic bracelets together and alakazam. Yikees.
Where is my brain? It doesn’t happen that way. Not in my world. In my world the magic is a good scene written, a plot snag resolved, a nice word from my editor. All so small in the overall scheme of things, but like shiny pebbles are so pretty when collected.

So you write those trashy bodice-rippers

Yes! After years of mumbling a reply when asked what I write, I lift my head and square my shoulders. I’m proud to say ‘Romance’.
Why? Romance novels are a powerful societal force. They show ordinary men and women working through problems, overcoming obstacles, finding love, and overcoming evil.
Romance novelists show social problems and how people react to them. A prime example is Kathleen Eagle. She writes of the difficulties of the American Indian in a heart-warming manner that can be related to many readers.
The first novel I ever read about rape was the first romance book printed by Meteor Publishing. It dealt with the difficult emotional recovery of a woman and the man who stood by her. Literacy, alcoholism, homelessness, single motherhood, adoption and the search for roots have all been done in a number of sympathetic ways.
Not every book takes on the deep subjects. Some are for fun. Or erotic. Or inspirational. I love it when a taboo subject is exposed. And I applaud the writers who venture into areas like mastectomy, blindness, handicapped individuals of any kind, and show us that love is never limited to the perfect few.
Have you found that author who stirred your heart? Do you write something that grabs a reader, makes her laugh or cry?