Welcome to the latest Coffee Chat from the frozen Midwest!
This week’s guest author is Kimberly Packard, a writer of Women’s Fiction, featuring her exciting book Vortex.
Welcome, Kimberly. How do you drink your coffee?
KP: With a splash of Oat milk (Oatly is the best brand for coffee). Yes, it sounds weird, but it’s a really great flavor!
Ally: My magic pot can do anything, so while I collect our drinks, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio:
Kimberly Packard is an award-winning author of edgy women’s fiction. She began visiting her spot on the shelves at libraries and bookstores at a young age, gazing between the Os and the Qs.
When she isn’t writing, she can be found running, doing a poor imitation of yoga or curled up with a book. She resides in Texas with her husband Colby, a clever cat named Oliver and a yellow lab named Charlie.
Her debut novel, Phoenix, was awarded as Best General Fiction of 2013 by the Texas Association of Authors. She is also the author of a Christmas novella, The Crazy Yates, and the sequels to Phoenix, Pardon Falls and Prospera Pass. Her latest novel, Vortex, was released in early 2019.
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “The very first time I shaved my legs was in front of my entire 6th grade class. My friends and I had rewritten the words to Debbie Gibson’s Shake Your Love to Shave Your Legs, and I performed it during the talent show on the last day of school (side note: Debbie Gibson is my doppleganger). I didn’t realize until I came home with 18 cuts that I could have left the cap over the blade.”
Author Links:
Website: www.kimberlypackard.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlypackardauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlypackard/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KimberlyPackard
Kimberly Packard is an award-winning author of edgy women’s fiction. She began visiting her spot on the shelves at libraries and bookstores at a young age, gazing between the Os and the Qs.
When she isn’t writing, she can be found running, doing a poor imitation of yoga or curled up with a book. She resides in Texas with her husband Colby, a clever cat named Oliver and a yellow lab named Charlie.
Her debut novel, Phoenix, was awarded as Best General Fiction of 2013 by the Texas Association of Authors. She is also the author of a Christmas novella, The Crazy Yates, and the sequels to Phoenix, Pardon Falls and Prospera Pass. Her latest novel, Vortex, was released in early 2019.
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “The very first time I shaved my legs was in front of my entire 6th grade class. My friends and I had rewritten the words to Debbie Gibson’s Shake Your Love to Shave Your Legs, and I performed it during the talent show on the last day of school (side note: Debbie Gibson is my doppleganger). I didn’t realize until I came home with 18 cuts that I could have left the cap over the blade.”
Author Links:
Website: www.kimberlypackard.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlypackardauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlypackard/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KimberlyPackard
INTERVIEW:
Ally: Why did you write your featured book?
KP: The story seed for Vortex came while we were watching tornado warning coverage (I live in Texas – that happens a lot around here). I had this flash of a little girl being found in the rubble, but she didn’t know where she came from. That flash made me wonder who she was, what happened to her, and who she grew up to become.
Ally: What characteristics make a good villain? Why do we love to hate him or her?
KP: I’m going to take a twist on this and talk about antagonists. They are kind of villain-light in some cases (less filling, tastes great!). I love a good antagonist, and I think, for me at least, is to find something that endears them to the reader. There’s nothing better than having a scene with your protagonist facing off against the antagonist and you aren’t sure who you’re cheering for.
For my antagonists, I like to show them honestly. If they are low, show why they are low. In my novel, Phoenix, the antagonist, Shiloh, is someone still hurting from the death of her best friend, and I showed that pain and how her bitchiness was a protective measure. I also like to use humor. The antagonist in Pardon Falls and Prospera Pass is the main character’s no good ex-boyfriend, but my goodness he’s hilarious. It’s hard to hate someone when they make you laugh.
Ally: Talk about your main characters. Are they likable? Do they have off-putting flaws or beliefs? Are they “good” people? Is it important for them to be real or relatable?
KP: I’d say my main characters are likable but relatable. They have behavior that can get annoying. Both Amanda, from my Phoenix trilogy, and Elaina from Vortex have the tendency to bulldoze in order to get their way. But, they are extremely driven women who only expect to succeed. When we get so focused on our goals, we might lose focus on what’s important. That’s a big part of their journey.
Ally: What’s the most meaningful thing a fan could say about your book?
KP: That my characters stick with them long after they finished the book. I had one reader email me and tell me that she was still thinking about my characters weeks after she finished the books, wondering where they were, what they were up to.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
KP: I’m working on a story that can be best described as a cross between The Breakfast Club and The Bucket List – and everyone is dying. I promise it’s not as morbid as it sounds. And, maybe we’ll see it by the end of 2019. :)
Ally: Give me your quick responses to these personal trivia questions:
Ally: Why did you write your featured book?
KP: The story seed for Vortex came while we were watching tornado warning coverage (I live in Texas – that happens a lot around here). I had this flash of a little girl being found in the rubble, but she didn’t know where she came from. That flash made me wonder who she was, what happened to her, and who she grew up to become.
Ally: What characteristics make a good villain? Why do we love to hate him or her?
KP: I’m going to take a twist on this and talk about antagonists. They are kind of villain-light in some cases (less filling, tastes great!). I love a good antagonist, and I think, for me at least, is to find something that endears them to the reader. There’s nothing better than having a scene with your protagonist facing off against the antagonist and you aren’t sure who you’re cheering for.
For my antagonists, I like to show them honestly. If they are low, show why they are low. In my novel, Phoenix, the antagonist, Shiloh, is someone still hurting from the death of her best friend, and I showed that pain and how her bitchiness was a protective measure. I also like to use humor. The antagonist in Pardon Falls and Prospera Pass is the main character’s no good ex-boyfriend, but my goodness he’s hilarious. It’s hard to hate someone when they make you laugh.
Ally: Talk about your main characters. Are they likable? Do they have off-putting flaws or beliefs? Are they “good” people? Is it important for them to be real or relatable?
KP: I’d say my main characters are likable but relatable. They have behavior that can get annoying. Both Amanda, from my Phoenix trilogy, and Elaina from Vortex have the tendency to bulldoze in order to get their way. But, they are extremely driven women who only expect to succeed. When we get so focused on our goals, we might lose focus on what’s important. That’s a big part of their journey.
Ally: What’s the most meaningful thing a fan could say about your book?
KP: That my characters stick with them long after they finished the book. I had one reader email me and tell me that she was still thinking about my characters weeks after she finished the books, wondering where they were, what they were up to.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
KP: I’m working on a story that can be best described as a cross between The Breakfast Club and The Bucket List – and everyone is dying. I promise it’s not as morbid as it sounds. And, maybe we’ll see it by the end of 2019. :)
Ally: Give me your quick responses to these personal trivia questions:
- a. high heels or sneakers: High Heels (and I’ve been known to run in them)
- b. hiking or sunbathing: Hiking – with SPF 100
- c. Your pets: Charlie is a Golden Lab, and Oliver is a golden retriever trapped in a tuxedo cat's body
- d. favorite place to write: I love writing from the far southwest Texas desert
Vortex
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Rating: PG-13
Constant spinning, round and round and round, temperatures rise and fall from stifling heat to chilling cold, emotions run high in anticipation of what will happen next… there’s a fine line between surviving a tornado and falling in love.
A close encounter with a tornado, during the final months of her doctoral studies, jogs a lost memory to the surface. Desperate to relive the vision and find answers, storm chaser Elaina Adams continually puts her safety at risk by placing herself in the path of dangerous storms.
When betrayal strikes, Elaina is forced to pair up with Robert Tucker. “Tuck” owns a storm chasing tour group and only cares about two things: chasing tornadoes and making his next buck.
Seth Maddux was climbing his way to the top as the star meteorologist for the Forecast channel, but an embarrassing outburst on camera sent his career on a downward spiral. Hoping to reignite his career with a promising field assignment, he meets Elaina and a different kind of flame sparks.
Family secrets surface and passions explode in this twister of a tale.
Vortex is a story of family, love, identity and determination set against the thrilling backdrop of Tornado Alley.
Buy Link:
I’m doing KindleUnlimited for this one: https://www.amazon.com/Vortex-Kimberly-Packard-ebook/dp/B07MKLN9YY
RSS Feed
