Interview with writer Kimberly Love

Writer Kimberly Love is under the spotlight today. We’re talking about her memoir You Taste Like Whiskey and Sunshine.

During her virtual book tour, Kimberly will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Kimberly spends her days writing about serial killers and playing on her blog while trying not to get sucked in by her Facebook notifications or get into the whiskey decanter (just kidding...kinda).

Welcome, Kimberly. Please share a little bit about your current release.
There's an evil queen, a demented father, some amateur boxing and a trailer park story. Even a silver fox makes an appearance. Why wouldn't that entice you?

If you are looking for something different from the rest of the books out there, something that might make you question your sanity then you will love this book.

Seriously! The comedic and sassy perspective will make you see things differently, and you may even find yourself laughing out loud. It's a good story and one that I truly believe needs to be told. Period.

It’s dark, raw and takes you to a door that keeps all my innermost secrets. I hope that the book makes you laugh, makes you cry, and inspires you to be the best version of yourself.

What inspired you to write this book?

Raising my daughter was probably the best inspiration that I had for the book. I’ve had to go through a lot of healing in my life in regards to things that happened to me in my children and then subsequently in my dating life. I wanted to show her that it’s okay to be brave and to talk about the things that happen to you in the hopes that it can help others as well.


Excerpt from You Taste Like Whiskey and Sunshine:

Introduction

    Mom? Are you reading this? Maybe you should have a drink first. Can we get a rum and coke over here? She’s gonna need it...

​

    I might as well add the disclaimer to anyone who has made some impact in my life, good or bad. I’ve changed the names to protect the wicked but if the words “oh shit” entered your head when you heard this book was coming out, you might not want to peek inside. Or, better yet, ride the rollercoaster with me, baby!

    
    A lot of people have asked me throughout this process, why I would want to write this book. There are a few reasons why I decided to completely expose myself for the world to see, but certainly, one particular moment comes to mind. During a heated argument with my ex-husband, post-divorce, he blurted out that he thought I was incapable of loving another human being. It’s one of those things you hear that is so shocking to you that the argument just ceases. I was speechless, I didn’t know what to say. Normally I would have chalked it up to the fact that he was, in fact, a disgruntled ex because it wouldn’t be the first time we got down and dirty in an argument, but this time I didn’t. I never forgot that comment, mainly because I wondered for years if it was true. There was just something about the way he said it that made me wonder if I was really that irrevocably screwed up. So, I decided to delve into my past, for my sake as well as my daughters, to find out why I walked out on a relationship that everyone thought was perfect. ​

    
    Well, the truth is, I’m pretty fucked up…hahaha…no really, I am. Call it a twisted DNA strand mixed with a childhood that was anything but boring, throw in a couple of jerks (men) and you end up on the wrong side of crazy. I wish it weren't true but I’ve accepted it, in fact, you might be hard-pressed to find a woman who isn’t. I assure you, as much as you don’t want to believe it’s true, we aren’t born this way. Something happens to bring us to this point. Thankfully, the people in my life have embraced my crazy and love me for it. My best friend once told me, “Kim you’re insane, you know that right? It’s okay though, I dig it.”

    I loved him for saying that. I know that the men that have managed to stick it out with me, despite the fact that I have a straitjacket similar to that of Beetle Juice’s blazer hanging in my closet because they really love me. I’m not an easy person to love, so I hold tightly to the people who, no matter what, never leave my side. Those are the gems and those kinds of people are really hard to find. If you have people like that in your life, don’t let them go.

    So, I’m a crazy girl. What now? I’ve accepted the fact that I must live amongst normal humans trying to live accordingly to rules of the somewhat sane--rules made by people that, more often than not, make no sense to me. In this world, it’s impossible not to make waves and I no longer apologize for the ripple effect that I have on the people around me. I love deeply and strongly and do my best for the people in my life. If anything, being me means that there is never a boring moment.

    I wrote this book as a means of not only telling the story of who I was or who I have become but more to accept the things that have happened to me in my life and acknowledge that it has made me the person that I am today, which is a good thing. It’s important to my own journey through this hell we all call home that I say out loud that I lived. I’m wild and raw and take no prisoners in any aspect of my life. I hope that this book opens your eyes and, above all else, makes you laugh. If you are lucky enough to be along with me for the ride, you won’t regret it.

What exciting story are you working on next?
My next project is actually going to be in the realm of dark romance/thriller, so from here on I plan on writing fiction. It’s a story based on the true story of a serial killer that wreaked havoc in Thailand in the early 90’s. I’m pretty excited about it because it’s almost finished.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I don’t think that there was ever a point where I “decided” to become a writer, it’s just always been there. I used to journal as a child, so I was always creating stories. I guess the decision to become a professional/full-time writer came later on in life, really in my thirties when I knew that I wanted to start a career based on something that I loved doing.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I do write full-time, which means I write a lot and for hours on end. I usually like to start my morning with journaling and a cup of tea. I use part of my day completing ghostwriting projects for clients and then the other half of the day working on my own books. It can be a juggle at times, but both are important to me, so I make sure I make time for both.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I play episodes of Law & Order: SVU in the background while I write. It’s super weird, but I work from home and so I’m alone a lot. Cabin fever can creep in so hearing voices from the TV show helps pass the time and it alleviates such a quiet house.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An actress, I would often picture myself accepting an Oscar for Best Actress. I studied acting and was in various plays before I moved from acting to writing.

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