Kimberly Fish's Blog - Posts Tagged "fiction"

One of my favorite stories I’ve ever concocted is now let loose in the marketplace. I’m not sure an author should say they have favorites–that’s a bit like a mother saying she prefers one child over another–but Comfort Plans has been in my heart, imagination, and computer for many years. It’s evolution is one that I hold dear. My agent and I shopped this story (in an earlier version) because it was a fun story with memorable characters, but it wasn’t until I told the story that the old German farmhouse wanted to tell that the novel really took on some grit. As a fan of “house stories” –because who hasn’t thought that walls could talk??–I was able to tap into limestone of this Comfort location and mine it for new layers. The dust from that story added a new level of tension to the one going on with the house’s remodel and before long the architect and the contractor were getting remodeled too. The book’s cover is so dreamy that I’ve had strangers comment on the colorful design and wonder about the handwriting in the background. You’ll just have to read to find out why the cover is so perfect–thank you, Holly Forbes at Forbes and Butler Graphic Design. The book is on Amazon and local Longview stores–Barron’s and Louis Morgan. It will be formatted for Kindle soon, so if e-readers are your format, hang on, it shouldn’t be much longer until it’s up at Kindle. I’d value your kind reviews on Amazon or Goodreads, so enjoy the story and tell all your friends.Comfort Plans

I'm in between professional critiques and a final edit for the new novel, Harmon General, and find myself with lots of time available that I can't devote to my WIP, Harmon General. So, what's a writer to do??
Call me crazy, but I've started playing around with the next book idea, taking the characters who walked onto the page in The Big Inch, reveled in the limelight with Harmon General, and now are wanting to know what fun they can get up to next. So, I'm letting them explore another plot. I'm not sure this will turn into a Book 3, or if it's just me working off nervous energy, but one thing is definite, Zeke and Lane are not done yet, and it may be time to tell Zeke's story for readers. I may not get back to these pages after next month once the last leg of production goes forward for Harmon General, but this has been fun, and I'll let you know what comes of it.

How exciting to share the big news about Comfort Plans' big win! Thanks to the group Texas Authors, Comfort Plans was awarded 2018 Best Historical Romance award. This is my second novel, and quite the departure from the WWII fiction of The Big Inch. Because I love historical context, Comfort Plans has a rich backstory of early immigration to the Texas Hill Country, and the imprint left by those needing to reinvent themselves among the limestone and prickly pear cactus around Comfort, Texas. Twenty-five years ago I used to drive those hilly roads peeking into a landscape that was foreign to this Georgia girl, and fascinated by the grit of the German settlers who chose to get off the wagon trails in a land filled with cougars, bears, and Mexican soldiers. The testament to that era was still seen in the architecture of the farms and small towns, and I would run my fingers along those limestone walls and listen for the echoes from the past. I'm weird that way.

The idea of turning one of those farmsteads into a modern family retreat is not unique--it's done countless times a year in the Hill Country, and I chose to set a mulish builder and a historical preservation architect (one who had been derailed from knots coming undone) among one of those old houses needing restoration--just to see what would happen. What happened was a fun ride through the ins/outs of historical preservation, home construction, and power struggles, but also the reinvention of a woman who needed to prove herself. Comfort Plans is as much about a woman finding her own identity, as it is about a house shedding it's secrets. Family dramas, charming characters, and treasure also keep the story hopping and I hope that you as a reader, enjoy it as much as I did in writing it. This is the first time in my life I can say I've written an award-winning book, and I'm honored and thrilled that Comfort Plans opened that door.

As crazy busy as we all are, and it's okay to admit there's not enough hours in the week to sit on the couch and read, sometime the best way to get a mental vacation, is to listen to an audio book.

The Big Inch was narrated by a fantastic Texas actress who carefully investigated the characters (and there are a lot of them!) in The Big Inch to make sure she got their voices correct for narrating the story. She got it right.

Maybe you're new to @Audible and want to sign up for a free 30-day trial when you download The Big Inch or maybe you have credits to burn--either way, load the WWII spy thriller onto your book list and let the mundane tasks of folding clothes, driving the highways, or whatever you do while listening, and enjoy a story that will tell you the crazy big things that were done in the name of WWII and the spirit of strong women, nearly broken by the espionage business, who solve the spy dramas on the American homefront.

Audio books were always my go to for road trip travel--from the days of cassettes and CDs. Now, they couldn't be easier to download and bluetooth to your car stereos. No more near accidents for reaching for that clumsy CD case and trying to find the next chapter.
Thanks to a beautifully narrated production--my first novel, The Big Inch, has gained a toe-hold with @Audible listeners and I'm hoping it becomes an entire hand grip before too much longer.
The WWII historical thriller is like ear-candy to those who need to hear their stories. If you know someone that spends a lot of time in commutes, or hands-on work where they can listen to music, please suggest they try out @Audible--they're offering a 30-day trial for free! And if you think your friends like to be entertained while they're being informed about America's contribution to the WWII effort--then please, suggest they download #TheBigInch.

For readers registered to receive my e-newsletter at kimberlyfish.com ... I have a gift to give. Don't worry if you've haven't signed up yet, you can scoot over there right now and take care of business.

The December 15th newsletter goes out with a ribbon-wrapped bonus epilogue to the 2019 novel, Comfort Songs. This book received so many 5 star reviews and great feedback that it felt good to write an exclusive and dazzling second epilogue; tying a few remaining knots and offering a couple of surprises for readers who followed AJ Worthington and Luke English through the obstacles of their second chance romance.

I love to give gifts, and bookish ones are my sweet spot. Please allow me the opportunity to show you what can be done with a story when a little mistletoe and magic are sprinkled over the final pages.

Merry Christmas, friends.