I'm so UNBELIEVABLY excited to be a part of the Authors Are Rockstars tour being put on by the ultra-awesome Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books!! And I'm even more excited to be hosting the fabulous, fantastic, super talented Kim Harrington!!
As a huge fan of both music and books, I'll be the first to agree that authors most certainly are Rockstars! And as a huge fan of books featuring mystery, romance, humor, and kick-butt protagonists, it's no surprise that Kim Harrington is one of my favorites! Her books Clarity and Perception are some of my top mystery picks for ANYONE!
Clarity's heroine, Clare Fern, is a normal teenage girl...except, you know, she's psychic. In Clarity, she uses her extra sense to try and help the police solve a murder, bringing danger, murderers, and potential love to her doorstep.
I haven't read Kim's series for kids, Sleuth or Dare, but they look absolutely fantastic, as does her upcoming YA title, The Dead and Buried! I can't wait to read it!
For a book to really hold my attention and gain my absolute adoration, the author has to be really awesome at mixing action-packed adventures that make my heart race, mysteries and questions that make me think, humor that keeps me giggling, and yes, a good-sized dose of romance--and Kim, I feel, has found the perfect balance!
In case I haven't gushed enough here, be sure to check out my reviews of Clarity and Perception!
Now, without further ado, I'm very pleased to introduce you to Kim Harrington and present an interview with her!
About Kim:
Kim Harrington is the author of the Clarity series for teens and the Sleuth or Dare series for kids. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and son. When not writing, she's most likely reading, watching one of her favorite TV shows, or fantasizing about her next vacation. Her first book, Clarity, received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly, was a 2012 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, sold to nine countries, and was optioned for television by Warner Brothers.
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Interview
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Q. What was your inspiration for
becoming an author? Have you always wanted to write or is it a passion that
developed later? And what was the first story you’ve ever written about?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer,
ever since I could read. The first works I remember creating as a little girl
were a poem about my dog and a story about a house that swallowed children who
walked by. The main character in the story was named Shelly because I was
looking around my room trying to think of a name and saw a seashell on my desk.
It was far from genius. But I was seven, so there’s that. ;)
[Mag says: THAT SOUNDS LIKE SUCH A COOL STORY (:D)]
Q. What is your favorite part about
being a writer? Is it creating the characters or world? Is it being able to get
lost in your imagination? Or is it something else?
I love writing a first draft.
Getting lost in the setting, daydreaming about the characters. That’s my
favorite part of writing. I also love, love, love getting emails from readers.
Sometimes it can turn a terrible day into a wonderful one.
Q. Both your Clarity series
and your Sleuth or Dare series mix mystery with the
paranormal/supernatural. And your upcoming title, The Dead and Buried also
seems to incorporate both. What is it you most like writing about these types
of stories? What do you find challenging about adding the
paranormal/supernatural into your books?
I might not always write paranormal—Sleuth
or Dare has none—but there will always be a mystery element to everything I
write. However, whether it’s psychics (Clarity) or ghosts (The Dead
and Buried), I find the paranormal intriguing and fun to write. What’s
challenging is balancing out the supernatural with the rest of the plot.
Especially when paranormal abilities are involved. I want them to be keys to
solving the mysteries, but I don’t want them to be cheats. I still want
limitations, hard work, and regular brainpower to come into play.
Q. You mention on your website that
both you and Clare share a few quirks and both of you enjoy sarcasm. Would you
mind sharing what those similarities are? And what traits of Clare’s are all
her own?
Clare’s food likes and dislikes are
basically mine. I don’t eat seafood, like Clare, and it’s strange to grow up in
Massachusetts and admit that you’ve never tried lobster, clams, shrimp, etc.
Also, I love horror movies like she does. And we both love our family LIKE
WHOA. For differences, while we’re both sarcastic, Clare actually says the
things that pop into her mind. I keep most of it inside. She’s also much braver
than me.
Q. Your upcoming book, The Dead
and Buried is due out in January. How would you best describe it in 10
words or less? And is there anything you can reveal about the book now?
A haunted house, a buried mystery,
and a very angry ghost.
(That’s 11 words, but I didn’t want
to cut the “very.” Because, yeah, she’s very angry.)
The full cover and synopsis are up
on my site! http://www.kimharringtonbooks.com/Books.html#Dead
This or That questions
Disneyland or Disney World? Disney
World! I’ve been to Walt Disney World seventeen times, but I’ve never been to
Disneyland.
Lost: Jack or Sawyer? Jack. I almost
always go for the “good” guy.
Pizza: By the slice or the whole
pie? THE WHOLE THING. Nom nom nom. Pizza is my favorite food.
[Mag says: Pizza is the greatest food that was ever invented. And chocolate.]
Write at night or write during the
day? During the day. My brain is fried by nighttime.
Write in silence or write with
music? Silence, though sometimes I can write with instrumental music on. I love
Explosions in the Sky. They’re great writing music.
Write by hand or write by computer?
Mostly by computer, though I write by hand sometimes when I get stuck. For some
reason, it helps me get unstuck. ;)
Yellow cake with whipped frosting or
chocolate cake with traditional icing? Neither. Yellow cake with traditional
icing!!!
Happily ever after or happily never
after? Happily ever after. :)
Thanks for having me!
[Mag says: Thanks so much for stopping by!!!!]
website - www.kimharringtonbooks.com
facebook - www.facebook.com/kimharringtonauthor
twitter - www.twitter.com/kim_harrington
So there you have it, folks! Kim Harrington is awesome, supercool, and a TOTAL ROCKSTAR!! If you haven't yet, be sure to check out her books! You won't be disappointed!
Thank you so much to Kim for stopping by my blog, and to Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books for putting this whole thing together!!
Also, don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour!! There are so many great authors and bloggers participating!
(:D)
~Mag
