Writing is an exciting new career for me. I love reading, but until I reached my mid to late forties, my work focused on numbers versus words. Reading served as an escape. I often joke I’ve watched the sunrise when I couldn’t bear to put an amazing book down. Like many people, I wondered about my chosen career path as I approached my fortieth birthday.
As a busy mother of three working in a high stress position in corporate America, I became convinced something was missing in my life. My reading habits switched from fiction to self-help. I devoured books full of advice on ways others had discovered fresh paths to happiness. On the rare occasions I picked up a novel, I struggled to relate with the characters and storylines.
Our kids were graduating and heading off to college. The thought of an empty-nest left me feeling anxious. I wasn’t finding fiction I could get excited about anymore.
One day, I came across a quote by Toni Morrison that spoke to me. “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
Our kids were graduating and heading off to college. The thought of an empty-nest left me feeling anxious. I wasn’t finding fiction I could get excited about anymore.
One day, I came across a quote by Toni Morrison that spoke to me. “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
That quote sparked an idea. What if I wrote a story about a woman that wanted some of the same things I wanted out of life: a fresh start that still supported the rest of her values around family, strong women, and more? I started writing. I played around with it.
Then I started taking my writing time more seriously, since it was proving to be fun. I’d escape to the basement for an hour a night for “writing time.” Eventually, I reached “the end” of my first attempt at a novel. I shared it with my brother and my parents, and thought that might be the end of it.
Little did I know it was the beginning of a whole new passion.
When you started your first Whispering Pines book, did you already have the idea of writing a series?
No, I didn’t start out with the idea of a series. I wasn’t even sure I’d ever finish that first manuscript. But I got lucky. My storyline was the perfect setup for future books. I realize now that my first book was a chance for me to live vicariously through my protagonist, Renee. But there was also a real-life woman from my past, a great aunt, who’d always intrigued me. She died when I was still in my twenty’s, but her personal journey was like something out of a novel. My memories of her, and of all she did for our family, fueled my imagination.
My aunt never married. She found success in a male-dominated field in the mid-1900s. She was generous with her wealth, and a trail blazer of sorts for women in the workforce.
I loved creating Renee’s story of how she turns her life around after two devastating life events with the help of an inheritance from her wealthy aunt. Crafting her journey from bored corporate employee to the type of life she’s leading by the end of the book was so much fun, I couldn’t stop there. I found myself with a series on my hands. Subsequent books could focus on the story of how this aunt’s relatives each benefit from the legacy she leaves behind.
Little did I know it was the beginning of a whole new passion.
When you started your first Whispering Pines book, did you already have the idea of writing a series?
No, I didn’t start out with the idea of a series. I wasn’t even sure I’d ever finish that first manuscript. But I got lucky. My storyline was the perfect setup for future books. I realize now that my first book was a chance for me to live vicariously through my protagonist, Renee. But there was also a real-life woman from my past, a great aunt, who’d always intrigued me. She died when I was still in my twenty’s, but her personal journey was like something out of a novel. My memories of her, and of all she did for our family, fueled my imagination.
My aunt never married. She found success in a male-dominated field in the mid-1900s. She was generous with her wealth, and a trail blazer of sorts for women in the workforce.
How did it become a series?
Renee had three siblings, which meant four books. But that still felt incomplete. Renee’s aunt Celia has passed away at the start of the first book; however, just like real life, Celia took some secrets to her grave. The only way to know the answer to some of the questions raised throughout the series was to go back and write Celia’s story.
How many more books will be in the series?
I’ve now released six books, including a related holiday book, and I’m working on the seventh. Celia’s life was going to be captured in Celia’s Gifts (also the name of the series), but her story was too big to fit in one book!
My intent, at least as of today, is for the series to contain seven books. I’ll start a new series; however, I’m considering a spinoff of sorts. I hate to think of leaving this resort life at Whispering Pines and the fictional family I’ve created.
What made you decide to write a Christmas themed book?
I love celebrating holidays. I grew up in a house where Mom decorated for every season, and her Christmas decorations were over the top. You’ll find many of our family traditions sneaking into all my books. But taking the time to write a book that weaves so many of the family members I love in my Celia’s Gifts series into my holiday novel, Capturing Wishes was a special treat.
But I still struggle with how best to handle this book in relation to the overall series. The timeline overlaps with my third book. I could have labeled it Book 4 and kept its tie-in with the series more seamless. Instead, I included Christmas in the subtitle and didn’t insert it into the numbering (except with the online stores that allow me to number it 3.5).
I want people to feel like they can read Capturing Wishes without the background of the other books in the series. I also don’t want readers of the series to miss it. I think it’s such a fun book! The timeline actually stretches from Halloween to Valentine’s Day, so it’s so much more than a Christmas book.
Renee had three siblings, which meant four books. But that still felt incomplete. Renee’s aunt Celia has passed away at the start of the first book; however, just like real life, Celia took some secrets to her grave. The only way to know the answer to some of the questions raised throughout the series was to go back and write Celia’s story.
How many more books will be in the series?
I’ve now released six books, including a related holiday book, and I’m working on the seventh. Celia’s life was going to be captured in Celia’s Gifts (also the name of the series), but her story was too big to fit in one book!
My intent, at least as of today, is for the series to contain seven books. I’ll start a new series; however, I’m considering a spinoff of sorts. I hate to think of leaving this resort life at Whispering Pines and the fictional family I’ve created.
I love celebrating holidays. I grew up in a house where Mom decorated for every season, and her Christmas decorations were over the top. You’ll find many of our family traditions sneaking into all my books. But taking the time to write a book that weaves so many of the family members I love in my Celia’s Gifts series into my holiday novel, Capturing Wishes was a special treat.
But I still struggle with how best to handle this book in relation to the overall series. The timeline overlaps with my third book. I could have labeled it Book 4 and kept its tie-in with the series more seamless. Instead, I included Christmas in the subtitle and didn’t insert it into the numbering (except with the online stores that allow me to number it 3.5).
I want people to feel like they can read Capturing Wishes without the background of the other books in the series. I also don’t want readers of the series to miss it. I think it’s such a fun book! The timeline actually stretches from Halloween to Valentine’s Day, so it’s so much more than a Christmas book.
How are book sales for this book outside of the Christmas season?
All of these wrinkles do make it harder to sell the holiday book outside of the Christmas season. But I love the book and have no regrets about taking the time to write it. It’s a timeless story of second chances, new and old love, and fresh perspectives.
What is the hardest part of writing for you?
The hardest part, at this point in my life, is committing long enough chunks of time to sit down and lose myself in the writing. The writing flows so much better when I can do it in longer sessions versus a half hour here and there. I’m still working my “day” job, and while I consider myself an author, I can only “be” that outside of the old eight to five.
If a few days go by without a strong writing session, I lose the thread and waste time reacquainting myself with where I’m at when I pick it up again. I have little formal training in creative writing. I’ve read voraciously for fifty years, done plenty of business focused writing during three decades at my job, but I try to write from my heart with my creative work.
I sometimes wonder if I’d suffer more hang-ups if trained professionals filled my brain with a flood of do’s and don’ts. I rely on my talented editor to help me with the technical aspects of writing. I’m sure I drive him crazy in some areas, but he’s stuck by my side, and I learn so much with every book we work through together.
What does your editor remind you to do most often?
An early lesson he taught me was the need for factual accuracy, even while writing fiction. My contemporary stories are true to life, and when I placed one of my US born characters in a law-enforcement position in Fiji, he wondered if that was even feasible. I groaned at the notion this might be a problem, did some research, and had to layer in some fancy tapdancing to tiptoe around the issue. It was too important to the plot line to simply take it out, but we made it work.
He flags plenty of grammatical errors and helps me correct them. Of course, I work to improve with each book, but my primary goal is to write stories that capture my readers’ hearts. I’ll always need an editor to help me polish the work. I’m focusing on learning more about plotting these days.
What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
I’ve received more encouragement in my writing than in anything else I’ve done in my life. Maybe it’s because those who know me best are shocked I’d even attempt to write books. After thirty-plus years in a number-focused corporate job, transitioning to a novelist wasn’t a path anyone expected me to follow.
I also found encouragement through an online publishing course and a book coach. He kept me on past the end of our final scheduled call to tell me he honestly thought I have what it takes to make this work. I took his encouragement to heart.
But I think the most impactful encouragement I’ve received came very early on. Months after I’d nervously handed my very rough, unedited first draft to my brother, he called me to discuss it. I remember standing in the middle of a crowded shopping mall, tears in my eyes, when he told me he thought I had to do something with my story. I couldn’t hide it away in a drawer.
If he’d have thought it was terrible, he’d have told me that, too, because that’s what brothers do. I didn’t yet know how to take my messy Word document and turn it into a proper book, but his encouragement was all it took to send me on the path to find out all I could about publishing.
We have all experienced rejection. How have you learned to write past it?
Many authors experience rejection when they attempt to pursue a traditional publishing deal. I’ve never attempted that route. When my brother called to tell me he thought I should turn my story into a book in September 2016, my goal was to get a physical copy of a “real” paperback into my mother’s hands. My amazing, fun-loving mom was suffering from a terminal illness, and I had zero time to spend attempting to convince gatekeepers that my story was worth publishing.
For me, the rejection that hurts the most are the nasty reviews. Luckily, there are only a few on my books to date, and I understand that every author experiences these confidence bombs at some point. Maybe I’ll get to a point where I no longer read my reviews, but I’m not there yet. As I toughen up, they usually only sting for a few minutes. Fiction is extremely subjective. No one can avoid hurtful people, regardless of what we do in life, so we fight back in the best way we can—we keep doing the work that lights us up and never let the naysayers slow us down.
What has surprised or frustrated you the most in writing/publishing?
My biggest surprise has been discovering the incredibly supportive author community anyone who wants to pursue writing can tap into it. The number of high quality online groups, individuals, books and courses available to anyone willing to do the work and be a positive contributor is mindboggling.
With anything new, there are plenty of frustrations. My biggest frustration is figuring out where I can best spend my limited time. As an indie author, my task list feels unending.
What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
I wish I’d have had a better sense of how important the “packaging” of your books is in finding readers: titles, covers, metadata, etc. I knew little about “genres” and I know this makes my first series a bit more difficult to market, too.
I’ve learned so much about writing, publishing, marketing and networking over these past handful of years. But I’m glad I didn’t know what I know now. It might have scared me off. Learning as I go on an “as needed” basis is a blessing. We learn by doing and through experimenting. I try not to look back with regrets.
What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
The best life advice I’ve ever received is to “do my best, every single day.” It’s as simple and as complicated as that!
The best writing advice I can give is to do something, every single day, related to your writing. Even if you can’t get new words down on the page, at least read something, study a new strategy, or work on your mindset. Just don’t quit.
I don’t yet know what the best writing advice I’ve ever received will turn out to be. Because I stay plugged in to so many groups, podcasts, and courses, I feel like I’m still drinking from a firehouse nearly four years after publishing my first book. If I had to pick one piece of advice today, it would probably be to always be working on your next book.
Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
Keep it fun. You’ll encounter plenty of resistance throughout the process, but when you hold your first physical copy of something you worked so hard to turn into a book, you’ll feel a sense of contentment and joy you doubted would ever come.
Write something you’d love to read. Try not to get too caught up in trying to predict what will sell well. If you don’t enjoy the process while you are writing the words, your reader won’t enjoy reading the words either.
What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
Celia’s Legacy will be out later this year, and it will capture the second half of Celia’s life story. Most of her family members that are integral to the first books in the series weren’t born yet in Book 5, which wraps back to 1942 and the first time Celia visits Whispering Pines. In Celia’s Legacy, Renee and her siblings are young adults, starting families of their own. Family ties and the legacy each of us will leave behind are integral themes to this latest book.
That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Kimberly's books, here are some links to get you started.
Website: https://www.kimberlydiedeauthor.com/
Book Catalog: Whispering Pines
All of these wrinkles do make it harder to sell the holiday book outside of the Christmas season. But I love the book and have no regrets about taking the time to write it. It’s a timeless story of second chances, new and old love, and fresh perspectives.
The hardest part, at this point in my life, is committing long enough chunks of time to sit down and lose myself in the writing. The writing flows so much better when I can do it in longer sessions versus a half hour here and there. I’m still working my “day” job, and while I consider myself an author, I can only “be” that outside of the old eight to five.
If a few days go by without a strong writing session, I lose the thread and waste time reacquainting myself with where I’m at when I pick it up again. I have little formal training in creative writing. I’ve read voraciously for fifty years, done plenty of business focused writing during three decades at my job, but I try to write from my heart with my creative work.
I sometimes wonder if I’d suffer more hang-ups if trained professionals filled my brain with a flood of do’s and don’ts. I rely on my talented editor to help me with the technical aspects of writing. I’m sure I drive him crazy in some areas, but he’s stuck by my side, and I learn so much with every book we work through together.
What does your editor remind you to do most often?
An early lesson he taught me was the need for factual accuracy, even while writing fiction. My contemporary stories are true to life, and when I placed one of my US born characters in a law-enforcement position in Fiji, he wondered if that was even feasible. I groaned at the notion this might be a problem, did some research, and had to layer in some fancy tapdancing to tiptoe around the issue. It was too important to the plot line to simply take it out, but we made it work.
He flags plenty of grammatical errors and helps me correct them. Of course, I work to improve with each book, but my primary goal is to write stories that capture my readers’ hearts. I’ll always need an editor to help me polish the work. I’m focusing on learning more about plotting these days.
I’ve received more encouragement in my writing than in anything else I’ve done in my life. Maybe it’s because those who know me best are shocked I’d even attempt to write books. After thirty-plus years in a number-focused corporate job, transitioning to a novelist wasn’t a path anyone expected me to follow.
I also found encouragement through an online publishing course and a book coach. He kept me on past the end of our final scheduled call to tell me he honestly thought I have what it takes to make this work. I took his encouragement to heart.
But I think the most impactful encouragement I’ve received came very early on. Months after I’d nervously handed my very rough, unedited first draft to my brother, he called me to discuss it. I remember standing in the middle of a crowded shopping mall, tears in my eyes, when he told me he thought I had to do something with my story. I couldn’t hide it away in a drawer.
If he’d have thought it was terrible, he’d have told me that, too, because that’s what brothers do. I didn’t yet know how to take my messy Word document and turn it into a proper book, but his encouragement was all it took to send me on the path to find out all I could about publishing.
We have all experienced rejection. How have you learned to write past it?
Many authors experience rejection when they attempt to pursue a traditional publishing deal. I’ve never attempted that route. When my brother called to tell me he thought I should turn my story into a book in September 2016, my goal was to get a physical copy of a “real” paperback into my mother’s hands. My amazing, fun-loving mom was suffering from a terminal illness, and I had zero time to spend attempting to convince gatekeepers that my story was worth publishing.
For me, the rejection that hurts the most are the nasty reviews. Luckily, there are only a few on my books to date, and I understand that every author experiences these confidence bombs at some point. Maybe I’ll get to a point where I no longer read my reviews, but I’m not there yet. As I toughen up, they usually only sting for a few minutes. Fiction is extremely subjective. No one can avoid hurtful people, regardless of what we do in life, so we fight back in the best way we can—we keep doing the work that lights us up and never let the naysayers slow us down.
What has surprised or frustrated you the most in writing/publishing?
My biggest surprise has been discovering the incredibly supportive author community anyone who wants to pursue writing can tap into it. The number of high quality online groups, individuals, books and courses available to anyone willing to do the work and be a positive contributor is mindboggling.
With anything new, there are plenty of frustrations. My biggest frustration is figuring out where I can best spend my limited time. As an indie author, my task list feels unending.
What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
I wish I’d have had a better sense of how important the “packaging” of your books is in finding readers: titles, covers, metadata, etc. I knew little about “genres” and I know this makes my first series a bit more difficult to market, too.
I’ve learned so much about writing, publishing, marketing and networking over these past handful of years. But I’m glad I didn’t know what I know now. It might have scared me off. Learning as I go on an “as needed” basis is a blessing. We learn by doing and through experimenting. I try not to look back with regrets.
What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
The best life advice I’ve ever received is to “do my best, every single day.” It’s as simple and as complicated as that!
The best writing advice I can give is to do something, every single day, related to your writing. Even if you can’t get new words down on the page, at least read something, study a new strategy, or work on your mindset. Just don’t quit.
I don’t yet know what the best writing advice I’ve ever received will turn out to be. Because I stay plugged in to so many groups, podcasts, and courses, I feel like I’m still drinking from a firehouse nearly four years after publishing my first book. If I had to pick one piece of advice today, it would probably be to always be working on your next book.
Keep it fun. You’ll encounter plenty of resistance throughout the process, but when you hold your first physical copy of something you worked so hard to turn into a book, you’ll feel a sense of contentment and joy you doubted would ever come.
Write something you’d love to read. Try not to get too caught up in trying to predict what will sell well. If you don’t enjoy the process while you are writing the words, your reader won’t enjoy reading the words either.
What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
Celia’s Legacy will be out later this year, and it will capture the second half of Celia’s life story. Most of her family members that are integral to the first books in the series weren’t born yet in Book 5, which wraps back to 1942 and the first time Celia visits Whispering Pines. In Celia’s Legacy, Renee and her siblings are young adults, starting families of their own. Family ties and the legacy each of us will leave behind are integral themes to this latest book.
That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Kimberly's books, here are some links to get you started.
Website: https://www.kimberlydiedeauthor.com/
Book Catalog: Whispering Pines
Newsletter: Sign up and get a FREE novella -First Summers at Whispering Pines - 1980
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