Welcome to the five hundred and twenty-second of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with non-fiction devotional author, novelist and spotlightee Kimberley Payne. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.
Morgen: Hello, Kimberley. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.
Kimberley: I live an hour east of Toronto, Ontario Canada with my family and a household of pets. I began writing in 2001 to help me deal with a personal crisis and haven’t looked back.
Morgen: I love that about writing, it happened to me too. You write non-fiction, how do you decide what to write about?
Kimberley: My passion is in health and fitness. This covers a broad range, as I dabble in physical, emotional, and spiritual health concerns.
Morgen: Very popular topics. What have you had published to-date?
Kimberley: Fit for Faith – 7 weeks to improved spiritual & physical health, Where Fitness Meets Faith devotional, Where Family Meets Faith devotional and Where Life Meets Faith devotional.
Morgen: You’re self-published, what lead to you going your own way?
Kimberley: Impatience. I wanted to share my books with my readers right away and found the self-publishing route the fastest and easiest for me. I offered workshops based on the material in Fit for Faith. It made sense to put the work together in a neat package and the easiest and fastest way for me to do this was to self-publish.
Morgen: More authors (myself included) are doing that. Are your books available as eBooks? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?
Kimberley: Yes, all my books are available as eBooks. I read both eBooks and have my own overflowing paper library. Both have their merits.
Morgen: They do and it’s great having the choice. Did you have any say in the titles / covers of your books? How important do you think they are?
Kimberley: Yes, I worked closely with the graphic artists who designed my covers. I believe that a book is judged by its cover; regardless of whether it’s fair or not. I had changed the title a number of times. Other titles included, A Mother’s Innocence and Light in the Storm. I settled on Tooth for Tooth because of the biblical reference to an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Morgen: Ah yes. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Kimberley: A devotional called Women of Strength. It’s a women’s devotional to improve spiritual and physical health is the perfect companion for any health program. Each section includes an inspirational devotional, facts on common health and fitness questions, reflections, prayer, a Bible verse, and journaling suggestions along with an energizing exercise for those seeking to be spiritually and physically fit.
Morgen: Do you have to do much research?
Kimberley: Tons! In the health and fitness field, it’s important to stay on top of the news.
Morgen: That’s very true. You wouldn’t think it would change but even just looking at the magazines, it certainly seems to. Do you manage to write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?
Kimberley: I don’t write every day. I’d like to say that I do, but with two part-time jobs and a family to manage, I’m happy to write once a week. I seldom suffer from writer’s block as I write so sporadically.
Morgen: You have to make every minute count. 🙂 Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?
Kimberley: Edit, edit, edit. I write first, though, and then go back to edit later.
Morgen: Me too. I just want to get the story out before I lose any of it. Do you pitch for submissions and / or are you commissioned to write?
Kimberley: With my article writing, I have been very fortunate to be asked to write on certain health and fitness topics.
Morgen: Do you enter any non-fiction competitions? Are there any you could recommend?
Kimberley: Yes, I frequently enter and have won competitions in the Canadian Christian Writing Awards.
Morgen: Congratulations. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Kimberley: No, I don’t have an agent. But I’d love to have someone hold my hand and direct me along the path to success.
Morgen: I think we all would, whoever it may be. How much of the marketing do you do for your published works or indeed for yourself as a ‘brand’?
Kimberley: I market using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and Goodreads. I also have two blogs and a website.
Morgen: One blog ahead of me but then mine keeps me busy enough. Is there a word, phrase or quote you like?
Kimberley: I can do all this through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
Morgen: You also write fiction, do you have a favourite of your books or characters? If any of your books were made into films, who would you have as the leading actor/s?
Kimberley: I’ve written a novella, Tooth for Tooth, based on a true life story. I would love to have Sandra Bullock as the lead actor.
Morgen: She’s great. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Kimberley: My novel was based on a true story. I stuck to the real life situation as best as I could.
Morgen: Do you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?
Kimberley: Each of my characters is more like a caricature, based on two or three people. I believe that names are very important and named my characters based on their personalities.
Morgen: What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?
Kimberley: Absolutely first person. I can’t imagine writing any other way.
Morgen: Do you write any poetry or short stories?
Kimberley: I wrote poetry as a teenager but not since then. Short stories are too hard!
Morgen: I went the other way. Although I read novels as a teenager, when I started writing I started with, and have stayed with, alongside the novels) short stories. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Kimberley: I wonder about my memoir. I get the itch to write it every once in a while, but then it goes away.
Morgen: Maybe it’s just not ready. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Kimberley: Because I’ve self-published, I’ve dodged that bullet. But I have had to deal with editors’ red pens.
Morgen: I love critiquing and do prefer a red pen. Apart from it showing up better, it does wield some kind of power. 🙂 Are you involved in anything else writing-related other than actual writing or marketing of your writing?
Kimberley: I am part of the team organizing the annual writer’s conference near Toronto, Ontario called Write! Canada.
Morgen: How exciting. I was involved in the recent booQfest Literature Festival in Northampton which was great fun. What do you do when you’re not writing?
Kimberley: I play “taxi” to my two teenagers. I love to read and walk.
Morgen: Are there any writing-related websites and / or books that you find useful?
Kimberley: The Word Guild is an excellent organization for Canadian writers and editors who are Christian.
Morgen: How about forums or networking sites?
Kimberley: The Word Guild has a great discussion forum. I’m also a member of John 3:16 Marketing Network.
Morgen: What do you think the future holds for a writer?
Kimberley: Exciting times for writers! The Internet has opened us to a world of possibilities.
Morgen: Isn’t it great, and certainly made research much easier. Where can we find out about you and your writing?
Kimberley: Where to find me on the net:
- Website: http://www.kimberleypayne.com
- Fitness Blog: http://www.fitforfaith.blogspot.com
- Devotional Blog: http://www.returnhomeandtell.wordpress.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/FitForFaith
- Facebook: Kimberley Payne, author & speaker http://www.facebook.com/KimberleyPayne.Author
Where to buy the book Fit for Faith
- Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Fit-Faith-improved-spiritual-ebook/dp/B0044KM3HA
- Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fit-Faith-improved-spiritual-ebook/dp/B0044KM3HA
- Smashwords.com: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/49552
- Lulu.com: http://www.lulu.com/shop/kimberley-payne/fit-for-faith/paperback/product-5573631.html
Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Kimberley: Check out my YouTube channel: Fit4Faith.
Morgen: I did. It’s great seeing your book ‘in the flesh’. Is there anything you’d like to ask me?
Kimberley: Who’s your favourite non-fiction interview? What’s the most interesting or peculiar answer you’ve come across?
Morgen: That’s a toughie as, by comparison, I haven’t had anywhere near as many as fiction. Mmm, Abbie Lipschutz springs to mind because he’s my oldest (90-something) and his book cover (autobiography) is particularly sweet. I think perhaps the most inspiring answer was from crime novelist Sheila Quigley who told me it had taken her 30 years to get publishes… and she’s made up for it since then, I’m delighted to say. Is there anything else you’d like to mention.
Kimberley: Just a thanks for the interview!
Morgen: You’re very welcome, thank you for joining me.
I then invited Kimberley to include an extract of her writing…
Fit for Faith is a unique workbook program. In addition to learning about the three components of fitness – cardiovascular exercise, strength training and stretching – your relationship with God will be strengthened through daily prayer, Scripture reading and daily journal writing.
The reader will learn that God truly cares. He is personal and He is intimate. God does listen to prayers. When you rely on God totally, for everything – including such things as losing a few pounds – He will bless you. God loves you and He wants you to love yourself. He did not create you to look at your body in disgust, but rather God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)
Kimberley Payne is a former personal trainer and lover of Jesus and squats. She writes to share with others all that she’s learned about fitness and faith. Kimberley works out with other “LifterSisters” – friends who share her interest in lifting weights, love her like a sister, and provide an emotional lift when she’s feeling low. Visit her website http://www.kimberleypayne.com.
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