Pay It Forward Author Interviews - Kim Harrington

If you haven't heard this already, you are either living in a paper bag, or you've unplugged this week, and I envy your willpower. This week is an Official Week of Awesomeness, because I'm participating in Pay It Forward Week! This little baby is the brainchild of Elana Johnson, she of the awesomesauce e-book, and LiLa Roecker, my future partners in the Midwest Writing and Armwrestling Awesomeness Tour. The concept is simple: all this week, 15 of us pre-pubbed author types are interviewing fellow debuts about Issues of Importance. I'm talking things like "Do you ever feel like giving up?" and "Do you like M&Ms?" That's right, baby, these are things that will help YOU in your writing.

Today's interview is with my fellow Elevensie and all around kewl cat, Kim Harrington. I met Kim at SCBWI NY, and she was so nice and funny that it took all my willpower not to stalk her around the conference. (Okay, maybe there was a little stalking going on. Don't tell her, kay?) Kim's debut, CLARITY, will be coming out from Scholastic in February 2011. Mark your calendars. I predict there may be riots.

No, really. She's that good.

1. Tell us about your book. (You know, I'm starting to worry that maybe I'm NOT royalty. Maybe I have an alternate personality named Richard Simmons. ZOMG. That would explain a lot.)
CLARITY is a paranormal mystery set in a tourist town on Cape Cod. There’s murder, psychics and romance, and I really can’t wait for people to read it! It’s coming out in February 2011 from Scholastic.

Dude, we can't wait either. Riots, I tell you. RIOTS!

2. Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publication (finding an agent)?
I’m what you’d call an overnight success.*

I always loved writing, as a hobby. Many years ago, I decided to start writing short fiction for publication. I got many stories published (in online and print mags, anthologies, etc.). Then, I decided to try my hand at a novel. Just to see if I could finish one. I did finish it. It was crap and about 100 agents agreed. But I was kind of hooked at that point, so I wrote another one. And another one. And then I wrote CLARITY.

*Okay so I lied about the overnight success part.

3. Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you?
Hell yeah. In between every book and probably somewhere along the way during each book. What hit me especially hard was book three. I thought it was “the one”. I loved it. I snagged my fantabulous agent with it. But it didn’t sell. I started to think I was wasting my time. I didn’t have what it takes. It would never happen for me. Blah, blah. Wah, wah.

Then, one day, a line came to me out of nowhere. And from that one line grew a new main character and her family. I knew I had to write them. And now that one line is the last sentence in chapter two of CLARITY.

I think it’s only natural to feel all the ups and downs. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a little pity party for yourself now and then. But, sooner or later, inspiration will strike and you’ll end the pity party and park your butt back in the chair. It happened to me.

*****

Thanks so much for the interview, sunshine. Although when the riots hit, we'll all know it's your fault. I did mention the riots, didn't I?

Visit Kim on the web at:
Website: www.kimharringtonbooks.com
Blog: kimharrington.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kim_harrington
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kimharringtonbooks

And you should totally check out the other interviewers this week. MORE questions! MORE awesomeness! MORE royal 'we'! How can you resist? Well, you can't.

Elana Johnson
LiLa Roecker
Beth Revis
Leah Clifford
Victoria Schwab
Kirsten Hubbard
Kim Harrington
Suzette Saxton/Bethany Wiggins
Amy Holder
Tiffany Schmidt
Susan Adrian
Dawn Metcalf
Kathy McCullough
Gretchen McNeil