Interview with an Author Featuring Kim Alexander

The Literary Vixen presents…

Joining us today is Kim Alexander! Best selling author of the New World Magic and The Demon Door series.

Hi Kim! Tell us a bit about yourself.

Okay! I’m originally from Long Island NY, but I spent my growin’ up years in Fort Lauderdale, back when it was the center of the world for hot trash during Spring Break. I went to the University of Miami and majored in Communications, which qualified me for a job at Radio Shack. Instead, I went to work at a bunch of radio stations up and down the Florida Keys, and I finally settled in Key West, where, according to the police report, I had a great time. After that it was off to Washington D.C. where I do not work for the Feds (neither do any of my friends–D.C. is a real city with real people!) I worked at Sirius XM Radio for many years, helping to program Book Radio, where my only job was to read books and interview authors, and go to places like Comic Con. Did I like my job? <sob> it was okay...All good things came to an end with a generous severance package, and for the last seven years I’ve been writing full time. I live across the street from the National Zoo– I can see into the Children’s Zoo from my window, and we can hear the lions and monkeys! I have a fabulous husband, two weirdo cats, and despite <flails around at, well, everything> life is pretty good. (I sure wish the zoo would reopen, though.)

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes, I began writing stories about animals when I was just six or seven. It never occurred to me it could be an actual job until fairly recently.

What time of the day do you usually write?

Because I am desperately lazy, I wake up late and usually write from noon to four or five. I find diminishing returns after that, and usually have to do a lot of repairs. And even though it doesn’t involve sitting at my desk, I do a TON of work while I’m waiting to fall asleep. Something about that relaxed state allows dialogue to flow, and I just do my best to remember it the next day. Pages I write in my head at night are almost always the best parts of my books.

How much ‘world building’ takes place before you start writing?

Oh, you mean the all important staring-out-the-window phase? A lot. But I find that I learn so much once the actual writing has begun, and I start to ask the interesting ‘what if’ questions, which you really don’t know until you learn more about the characters. I guess that makes me a world building pantser?

Which of your books were the most enjoyable to write?

I had just completed my epic fantasy series The Demon Door, which ran four books and something like 455,000 words. It had over 40 named characters, two vastly different worlds, and two timelines (NOTE: DO NOT DO THIS.) My follow up was Pure, a first person, contemporary, fast paced paranormal romance, which felt like a cool drink of 35,000 word water. Of course, the follow ups to Pure keep getting longer–I can’t help myself!

Who is the author you most admire in your genre?

Too many to name, and I’ve gotten to meet and interview so many of them. But I have to mention Peter Beagle (see question 7!) I was working at Wonder Con in San Francisco waaaay back in 2011, doing my author interviews. To my amazement and delight I managed to score a few minutes with Peter. Five minutes before our meeting, I got a call that my mom, who had been quite ill, was going into hospice. I was on the opposite coast and there was no way to get a flight, so I stayed. I told him what happened (because I was obviously distraught) and he put his hand over mine and told me she knew I would be there soon. I have so much love for him, not only for his immense talent, but his kindness.

Favorite book when you were a kid.

Funnily enough, it was The Last Unicorn. I’ve said elsewhere I have the copy I got when I was a kid, from like 1968. It’s utterly in tatters but I pretty much have it memorized. This book (along with the tapestry of The Unicorn in Captivity) became the inspiration for Pure.

What is the one thing you want people to know about you and your books?

That they are all reasonably priced and available now! Also I did the narration for Pure and The March Effect, and I’m very proud of them. And when I say I would love to hear from you (YOU!) about my books, other books, cats, food, gardening, etc, etc, I am not kidding. Let’s chat!

Thank you Kim Alexander for chatting with me! I will include her information down below. Check out her books today!

~Synopsis~

‘A unicorn walks into a bar….’
That is not a joke.
Look, I’m a bartender, I have nothing to do with the xenos. I don’t care if it’s an elf or a vampire–as long as they don’t bother me, I steer clear. I have my reasons–you can see them in the scars on my neck.
I never wanted to get involved. But my life changed for the second time when I saved the life of a unicorn. I made an enemy of something old–old and evil, and whatever it was, it’ll be back for another try. I also made a friend when I decided to help March. He’s only been a human man for a day. I’m responsible for him now. He’s my friend…and maybe something more. Maybe a lot more.
It doesn’t matter to me that he isn’t magical anymore. I don’t care if he’s not PURE.
But he does.
From best-selling author Kim Alexander, a modern fairy tale of magic, love, and redemption.

Kim Alexander grew up in the wilds of Long Island, NY and slowly drifted south until she reached Key West. After spending ten rum-soaked years as a DJ in the Keys, she moved to Washington DC, where she lives with two cats, an angry fish, and her extremely patient husband who tells her she needs to write at least ten more books if she intends to retire in Thailand, so thank you for your patronage.