Interview with Penny Kim, author of 'Desert Wedding'
ABOUT PENNY KIM
Penny Kim is a Washington, DC lurker and resident of Alexandria, Virginia. She is active in several area book groups that span several genres, from murder mysteries to chick lit and beyond. Currently working on her second book, her debut novel “Desert Wedding” is a compelling coming of age story for the Millennium generation.
To purchase Desert Wedding, click here.
Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life, Penny. Can you
tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?
A:Hello! I
live in Alexandria, Virginia and have been writing ever since I can remember.
The first book I ever wrote was called Cutie
the Dinosaur. I wrote it in grade school and all of my teachers thought
there was a mistake when I submitted it for an award—they just couldn’t believe
I had written it. I think that’s the most fun about writing, how it shocks
people closest to you.
Q: Can you please tell us about your book and why
you wrote it?
A: Desert
Wedding
is a riff on the classic chick-lit wedding story. It takes on the oftentimes
bizarre rites-of-passage that comes with getting engaged and married, told
through the lens of two best friends—Elsie and Res—living in Phoenix, Arizona.
After planning my own wedding I had a very clear sense of why I needed to write
this book. There is so much friction that goes on during this process and at
the end I realized it was all part of the crazy, life-changing experience. The
arguments aren’t really over the invitations or the flower arrangements but
about your role as a part of a new, emerging family. I wanted to write about
that journey. We like to hide the friction and focus on the window dressing,
but it’s really that friction that makes a wedding such a rite of passage for a
woman.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you
faced writing it?
A: This was
a very cathartic, personal book for me and I think distancing myself from the
characters was a challenge. These characters are certainly exaggerated
fragments of personalities from my life. Certain
characteristics of Res, for example, are based off of someone very familiar to
me. Elsie is my shrew, a compilation of
women I’ve run into over the years who have a take-no-prisoner attitude. It was
a challenge at times to make her likable, but I think her relationship with the
sweet, accommodating Res is an important one. It teaches her to catch flies
with honey and soften up some of her aggression.
Q: Do you have a press kit and what do you include
in it? Does this press kit appear online and, if so, can you provide a link to
where we can see it?
A: Yes, the
press kit contains a press release, testimonials from reviewers, a book cover
image, a sample chapter, an author bio, and an author interview. http://www.storygirlpress.com/presskit
Q: Have you either spoken to groups of people about
your book or appeared on radio or TV? What are your upcoming plans for doing
so?
A:I’m
attending several events with local book groups in the area, with plans for a
more extensive tour in the summer.
Q: Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind
sharing who he/is is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel
it’s necessary to have one?
A:No agent
yet!
Q: Did you, your agent or publisher prepare a media
blitz before the book came out and would you like to tell us about it?
A:Story
Girl Press really focused on social networking and creating buzz before the
book came out.
Q: Do you plan subsequent books?
A: Yes,
I’ve gotten quite addicted to the writing process and have a few ideas for
where to take the characters in a sequel!
Q: Thank you for your interview, Penny. Would you
like to tell my readers where they can find you on the web and how everyone can
buy your book?
A: Yes! You can
buy a paperback copy of the book on Amazon, or you can download it to your
Kindle at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Wedding-ebook/dp/B008QQ5Z1O/ref=pd_rhf_cr_p_t_2_F4QE
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