Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back, Kimberly Rose Johnson

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back, Kimberly Rose Johnson

Linda:  Welcome back, and congratulations on your latest release The Sleuth’s Dilemma (book 2 in The Librarian Sleuth series). What was your inspiration for this particular story?

Kimberly: As I was writing the first book Anna’s story started percolating in my head. At the time I wrote these books I worked in a high school, so I think my daily life there also helped to inspire Anna’s story.

LM:  I love series. Did you set out to write The Librarian series, or did that come later? How many books are planned?

Kimberly: I set out to write this as a series. Three books are contracted, with an open door to write more. That being said, my schedule at this time doesn’t allow for more than the three books. But you never know.

LM: What do you to prepare yourself for writing? Do you have a process you must adhere to in order to be productive?

Kimberly: I like to ease into my day lol and that applies to writing too. For example rather than jump into my story world at seven in the morning, I’m choosing to work on this interview. J I have found this to be a helpful way to “ease” into writing. The one thing I need to do before I start my creative writing though is spend time with the Lord by reading my Bible. My day/writing goes 100% better when I take some time to be with Him first.

LM:  Do you write a part of yourself in any of your characters? Or how about friends and family? Are they in any of your books?

Kimberly: Yes. Most of my characters do have a piece of me in them, some more than others. I would say this series is the least like me of all my books, but I did use the high school aspect of my life in this book.

LM: What is one thing you wish you knew how to do?

Kimberly: Crochet. My mother-in-law had planned to teach me once I graduated college but her life was cut short and that never happened.

LM: Here are some quickies:

Kimberly:

Favorite color: It depends on the day and what it’s for, but I’m often drawn to purples and blues.

Favorite actor or actress: Candace Cameron Bure

Favorite food: Avocados with a little salt. Yum!

LM: What is your next project?

Kimberly:  I am currently writing the third book in this series. J  After that I will be working on a Christmas screenplay. I quit my day job so I’d have time to pursue my other passion too—writing for movies.

LM: How exciting! Where can folks find you on the web?

Kimberly: 

Website https://kimberlyrjohnson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimberlyRoseJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimberlyrosejoh

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kimberly-rose-johnson

About The Sleuth's Dilemma
Anna loves her job as a high school English teacher until everything goes sideways. The one bright spot in her life it Titus Gains, the school counselor, who is there for her at every turn. Titus' boss complicates his ordered world when she tasks him with running a meeting that changes everything. How had he not noticed Anna earlier? Someone is out to destroy her, and he can't let that happen.

As the head of the English department, part of Luke Harms' job is to make sure everything runs smoothly. Things went haywire when Anna was put in charge of the big writing contest. Entries are missing, Anna appears to be in danger, and her job is on the line. Luke is investigating and wants to make things right for this woman he's starting to care about.

Can a trio of school officials along with Nancy Daley, the town sleuth, stop the saboteur before it's too late? And will Anna choose the right man, or lose them both?

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2DSwHuA

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Kimberly Rose Johnson

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Kimberly Rose Johnson

I love a good mystery, and I know you do too, so I'm thrilled to welcome Kimberly Rose Johnson to my blog today to talk about her latest release, The Sleuth's Miscalculation. Grab a cuppa and join us!

Linda:  Thanks for stopping by my blog, and congratulations on your latest release The Sleuth’s Miscalculation. What was your inspiration for this particular story?

Kimberly: Hi, Linda. Thanks for having me on your blog! Nancy Drew books inspired this story, which is the first in a series. My heroine, Nancy Daley, is the town librarian and the sleuth. She will be a point of view character in every book.

LM:  What a great idea. I loved reading Nancy Drew as a child. How do you decide where to set a story?

Kimberly: I like to use fictional towns so I have complete creative license over the story world. Lately, I’ve been setting my books in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, which is where I live.

LM: Lots of research goes into each story to ensure accuracy. What is an “aha” or “wow” moment you had while conducting research for one of your books?

Kimberly: Believe it or not, part of my research was reading Nancy Drew books. I was more of a Hardy Boys girl growing up, but I’ve really enjoyed the Nancy Drew books as an adult. I don’t do a lot of research in advance of writing. So when something comes up in the story that I need to know I either stop writing and research it, or leave a note for myself to come back after I’ve visited such and such.

LM:  You’re a prolific writer. Have you ever experienced writer’s block, and if so, what did you do to push through it?

Kimberly: Unfortunately, yes. How I deal with it really depends on the situation. Sometimes it’s a matter of creative fatigue, and I need a break. I give myself permission to take a short nap, or read some fiction, which usually gets my creative juices flowing again.

When I write myself into a corner and I don’t know how to get out of it, I have been known to cut thousands of words to get back on track. I’m a pantster, which means I don’t plot ahead very much. I start with a story idea and generally know where I want the story to go, and how I want it to end, but everything in between is a mystery to me until I’m actually writing. Most of the time being a panster works well for me, but not always.

LM: Who are some of your writing “heroes?” 

Kimberly: This could be dangerous because I know I’ll forget someone, but I’ll give it a whirl. I admire Margaret Daley, Dee Henderson, JoAnn Durgin and more. It’s really tough to name names.

LM: Here are some quickies:

Kimberly:

Favorite childhood book: Can I get there by Candlelight? By Jean Slaughter Doty. This is a story about a girl and her horse. They travel into the past when she steps through an iron gate in the woods. I still have this on my bookshelf. Telling you about it makes me want to read it again. J

Favorite season: Fall

Favorite place to vacation: Disney World

LM: What is your next project?

Kimberly:  I am going back and forth between my romantic mystery series and a contemporary romance series. The next book I need to write is for my Brides of Seattle series title TBD. 

LM: Where can folks find you on the web?

Kimberly: http://www.kimberlyrjohnson.com is my website and all my links are there. I would love for readers to follow me on BookBub and/or Amazon.

Thanks again for hosting me!

Book Blurb: Librarian Nancy Daley loves a good mystery and enjoys moonlighting as a consultant for the sheriff's department. When license plates go missing in Tilton County, she's on the case. This time things are different - she's been partnered with the new deputy, and he's not interested in her help. To make matters worse, she's angered the wrong person and now she's being threatened.

Sheriff Deputy Carter Malone expects Tipton County to be a sleepy small-town, but he's miscalculated. He'd come to town for a fresh start with his nephew-one without the issues big cities deal with. Had he made a mistake? To complicate matters, he told he must consult with the sheriff's daughter who is not in law enforcement. When the minor case they are working on morphs into something more, things quickly go from harmless to scary.

Can they solve the mystery before it's too late, and more importantly, what will they do about their growing attraction?

Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C5S8ZL6