It’s spring and new books are popping up all over the place!
Meet Kimberly Conn, the author of the touching, popular novel, BUYING THE FARM. Her latest novel, AUDREY ANONYMOUS, is out now. I asked her to drop by the Handbasket to tell us all about it!
Please tell us all about your latest book, AUDREY ANONYMOUS. What inspired you to write this particular story?
Audrey Anonymous is about a mother struggling to raise a very emotional teenage daughter and autistic son. Her role as mother is certainly not an easy one and she self-medicates with alcohol to make day to day life easier, but her growing dependance on alcohol clouds her better judgment regarding her kids. It’s a pretty raw look at the unglamorous nature of parenting, tackles some important kid-related issues (friendship, peer pressure, cyberbullying, special needs children) and takes a look at how quickly we can lose sight of what is important when regrets and addiction get in the way.
While this novel is not based on any one person, I have taken bit and pieces from many, many women I’ve known over the years and created Audrey as a portrayal of how tough it is to be a mother, be true to yourself, and do what’s best for your kids.
What inspires you to get out of bed everyday?
My family and the third graders I teach inspire me to get out of bed every day. It’s always nice to know people are expecting you to show up for them!
What is your process when developing a new book or project?
When I am developing a new book, it’s usually pretty messy at first. Lots of notes, not much organization, so eventually I have to just sit down and start piecing it together. Some projects don’t make it very far, but it’s always interesting to see how things materialize (or don’t!).
What writers are in your Writer Gods pantheon, and why?
Writers who capture moments in history and turn them into novels amaze me. I recently finished reading the Kingsbridge series by Ken Follett and was sad to turn the last page. The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See were two brilliant novels set during World War II. I love reading about these important times in our past from the perspective of a fictitious someone who tells the human part of the story.
Who is the last writer you met and fangirled over?
I fangirl inwardly anytime I meet a writer. I just can’t get enough of listening to writers talk so intelligently and passionately about their writing.
What are you reading right now?
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. It’s total brain candy, but next week is our Spring Break and I really need some brain candy!
Milk, Dark, or No Chocolate?
Dark. With sea salt.
Please tell us something you do every spring!
I clean out my attic. It serves as a catch-all for whatever my family isn’t using at any given time, and usually most of what we stash can be donated or thrown out. It’s cathartic to get rid of stuff and I find that as I clean out the literal clutter, often the clutter in my mind is alleviated, too!
Kimberly Conn is the author of two novels, Buying the Farm and Audrey Anonymous (2018 release). She was born in Mississippi and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. As a child, Kimberly’s wild imagination often got her in trouble but her fourth grade teacher encouraged her to put her stories down on paper, inspiring a lifelong interest in creative writing. Kimberly graduated from Virginia Tech and currently teaches third grade in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. She loves living in Birmingham with her husband and teenage sons.
Nice interview, thanks for posting. Anyone who prefers the depth and complexity of dark chocolate over milk chocolate obviously is a good writer!