Author Interview: Kim cox

How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a writer?

I think I was about 30 at the time. I was stuck at home for months with nowhere to go and no way to get there. My husband was working hundreds of miles from home, and he had our only vehicle with him. I started writing my memoirs by hand into spiral notebooks. One in particular, I thought about publishing and tried to whip it into publishable shape but never had it published. After that, I started a WWII novel and then since I loved mysteries, I started writing one that ended up being a romantic suspense. The romantic suspense was the first one published.

What inspired you to write your first book?

My first book, Suspicious Minds, came about when I read about a mystery short story contest in Writer’s Digest magazine. The story, per the instructions, had to involve one of the seven deadly sins. I chose greed. Later after joining American Online’s Writer’s Club, I learned about romantic suspense, and since my book had romance and there were more romance books sold than any other genre at that time, I changed it to that.

What have you written?

So far, I’ve written two full-length novels (both romantic suspense and both published), three novellas from the Lana Malloy Paranormal Mystery series (one published now, another coming out July 1st, and the third in September), and four short stories (all published).
The titles for the published books are: Suspicious Minds, All This Time, Lana Malloy Paranormal Mystery series novellas: Haunted Hearts, Get Out or Die and The Wedding Crasher, and the short stories: A Dream Come True, In His Arms, All For Love and Love Conquers All. One of the four short stories, A Dream Come True, is free right now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, etc. Another, All for Love, is only free at the publisher’s Website, Amber Quill Press. Love Conquers All is a sequel to All For Love. A Dream Come True and In His Arms are short stories in a series called Second Chances. All the short stories are clean, contemporary romances.

Is there a message in your book and/or books?

I never thought of there being messages, but perhaps, “not everything is what it seems” and “if you believe enough or have enough faith, anything is possible”.

Is there anything in your book and/or books based on real life experiences?

No, but they are all based on all my life experiences combined. Oh, there is something I forgot about. The characters in the shorts All For Love and Love Conquers All are based somewhat on my husband and me in that he’s a chain saw artist and she’s an aspiring author, but that’s all. Everything else is fictional.

Who is your favorite character from one of your stories?

Right now, Lana Malloy, since these are the books I’m writing right now. I’ve always wanted to write a private investigator series with a female sleuth. Lana is just that, plus she’s psychic and can communicate with ghosts. As the stories go, her abilities grow. The stories also get darker with each one. For Instance, Haunted Hearts is a pretty light paranormal with Lana solving her great aunt’s cold-case murder, in Get Out or Die, Lana has to talk an angry ghost into moving on instead of haunting the new home owners, in The Wedding Crasher, Lana has to find a missing woman and rescue her from an obsessed mad man who had killed another woman, in Christmas Cruise, she has to find a serial rapist/murderer. Lana is Wonder Woman to me. I actually thought Christmas Cruise would be the last of the series, but I have had ideas for two more, novellas five and six. Novella five will deal with a serial killer (Demi’s Serial Case) and novella six (Haunted by Her Past) will feature a woman who is being haunted by her dead, abusive ex-boyfriend. I hope to start writing these early next year.

What actor do you see playing them in a movie?

While writing Suspicious Minds, I pictured the cop team from the Silk Stalkings television show. Their names are Mitzi Kapture for Natalie Southard and Rob Estes for Ryan Donatelli. For All This Time, I pictured Jenny Morgan as a young Reba McIntyre with long red hair, and Chris Potter for Trevor Drake. For the Lana Malloy Paranormal Mystery series, for Lana, I can visualize Madolyn Smith Osborne as she appeared in “Urban Cowboy” or Angie Harmon who portrays Detective Jane Rizzoli in “Rizzoli & Isles”. but I think I found the perfect model for her which is on the cover of the series. And for Tony, a young Andy Garcia, at least as far as hair, complexion, and facial structure, but I gave Tony blue eyes. I love a man with very dark hair and blue or green eyes. For a book I plan to write next year, I’ve been looking for an image of a man with blond hair and they are much harder to find than I thought, at least they are if you’re looking for one with a female who has sort of short to medium-length dark brown hair.

What books and/or writers have influenced you the most?

There have been many authors who have influenced me including, but not limited to, Mary Higgins Clark, Sidney Sheldon, Stella Cameron, Danielle Steel, John Grisham, etc.

What is your favorite book?

My all-time favorite is “Where Are the Children” by Mary Higgins Clark.

How do you conquer writer’s block?

Generally, I just sit down and start writing something, anything. Once I took out paper and pen and worked through it. There was something about slowing down the process that really helped.

What has been your greatest challenge when writing?

Portraying on the computer screen what I see in my head to where others can see it the way I do. I know what I want to say but describing it in the way it needs can be very hard for me. Actually, description is the hardest for me anyway. I like to get on with the dialogue and action.

How do you rejuvenate after a writing session?

The writing itself is rejuvenating. I have to wind-down after writing if I want to sleep. I usually watch television, normally a comedy after writing suspense.

What is your funniest experience in writing?

Not really a funny ha ha experience but an enjoyable or invigorating experience is when the characters take over and it seems the story takes on a life of its own. I love it when that happens.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on novellas three and four of the Lana Malloy Paranormal Mystery series. Edits for novella three and I’m writing novella four. I’m a bit behind as they both are projected to be released this year in September and November.

What have you learned and do you have any advice for other authors?

I always tell other authors to be persistent and never give up. If you enter a contests, get a critical critique or book review, don’t let it get you down. Just keep on track and write every day no matter what.

What famous person would you like to meet? Why?

Reba McIntyre. She appears to be an upbeat person who enjoys life as it comes.

If you could go anywhere in the world? Where?

I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland. Besides being part Irish, all the pictures I’ve seen have been breathtaking. I think I have two books I want to set parts of them there too. One is a time-travel and the other has background there.

What is your favorite book quote?

There are many, but the one that stands out for me is from Mark Twain: “My books are water; those of the great geniuses is wine. Everybody drinks water.” ― Mark Twain, Notebook

About the Books

Haunted Hearts: Lana Malloy Paranormal Mystery #1

Will Lana Malloy solve the twenty-year-old double murder of her great aunt and her great aunt’s fiancé by Memorial Day? If she can, they’ll spend eternity together; if she can’t, they’ll be stuck as Haunted Hearts for another year.

Get Out or Die: Lana Malloy Paranormal Mystery #2

Since the news of her first case, Lana Malloy’s Private Investigating/Mediator business is booming. At one pro-bono job, Lana helps a widow communicate with her late husband and learns of a frightening new ability she wasn’t aware she possessed — an ability that could give the spirit the upper hand if she’s not careful. Lana struggles for control when she encounters the angry ghost who doesn’t want to leave and who doesn’t want the occupants of the house to stay. Will Lana be able to control the situation or will the ghost sense he can overtake her? Does she have other abilities she can rely on to save her?
Amazon Author’s Page at:

http://www.amazon.com/Kim-Cox/e/B004WFKDAG.

About the Author

An author of Romance, Mystery, Suspense and Paranormal, Kim Cox lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with her chain saw artist husband, their West Highland White Terriers, Scooter and Harley, and an adopted Yorkie mix, Candi. She’s also a mother and grandmother.
Kim is published in novels, novellas, short stories and articles. Firmly believing she can do anything she sets her mine to, she has recently embarked on self-publishing and creates her own book covers.
Besides writing, Kim also works full time at a local workforce development agency. She is a graduate of Writer’s Digest’s Writing to Sell Fiction and NRI’s Fiction Writing, an associate degree graduate in the fields of Office Systems Technology and Web Technologies. She also has a Web Design Business at Kim Cox Designs. She loved college, or more accurately, learning so much that she continued and obtained a diploma in Medical Office Administration.
Please visit Kim’s Website to pick up a free short story, and to review upcoming release samples and works-in-process blurbs. Sign up for her newsletter to be eligible for exclusive free books, giveaways and contests.

Author Links:

Kim Cox Author: www.kimcoxauthor.com Kim Cox Designs: www.kimcoxdesigns.com

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About A.E. Albert

Originally published at www.aealbert.com on July 24, 2015.