BookEnds Talks to Kimberly Dean
- By: Jessica Faust | Date: Jan 19 2007
Kimberly Dean
Book: Taming Him (an anthology including her story “Fever”)
Publisher: Pocket, in conjunction with Ellora’s Cave
Pub date: January 2007
Agent: Jessica Faust
Kimberly Dean is an author of erotica and erotic romance. She’s written for Avon Red, Ellora’s Cave, Red Sage, and Black Lace. Taming Him is her first release with Pocket.
Author Web site: www.kimberlydean.com
BookEnds: Describe your book in 50 words or less.
Kimberly: A raging fever has Delia in its grip. Delirium has set in, reducing her to her most basic wants and needs. When a man comes to care for her, there’s only one way to douse the flames. Imagine Delia’s surprise when the fever breaks and things are hotter than ever.
BookEnds: What is your favorite thing about this book?
Kimberly: I call this the little story that could. When I first wrote it, I thought I had something special. It was a very steamy romance, but the connection between the characters was touching (no pun intended). Ellora’s Cave loved it when I submitted it to them, and they published it as an e-book. This e-book went on to gain the attention of an editor at Avon Red. She asked me to write something for them, and that led to my story “Unrequited” in the If This Bed Could Talk anthology. As if that weren’t a dream come true, Pocket then proceeded to pick up the print rights to “Fever.” I’m now working on something new for them. So my favorite thing about “Fever” is how many doors it has opened for me. I love this story!
BookEnds: What’s your next book? When and where should we look for it?
Kimberly: I just turned in the first draft of an erotic romance about an unknowing witch and her sandman. I’m calling it Dream Wreaker, but I’ll have to wait and see if Pocket decides to stick with that title. I don’t have a publishing date yet, but I’ll post it on my web site once I know.
BookEnds: Besides making your first sale, what has been the most fun thing to happen to your writing career?
Kimberly: It was my first signing at the Romance Writers of America’s national conference. Things were pretty slow for me, but the authors sitting next to me were getting a steady stream of people. I sat there wishing longingly that I had fans. Well, honey, did I get a visit from a FAN. She was loud, she was effusive, and she loved my books. Apparently so did a shipload of Navy sailors! She’d sent one of my books of erotica to them, and it turned out to be quite popular. LOL. That wasn’t quite my target audience, but hey, I’ll help out any way I can. I laughed so hard with her, I nearly cried. Suddenly, other people became intrigued and started dropping by. Now that was fun!
BookEnds: What do you see as some of the biggest mistakes beginning writers make?
Kimberly: It sounds counterintuitive, but too many new erotic romance writers concentrate too much on the sex scenes. There’s got to be a plot. There has to be character development. Remember the romance in “erotic romance.” There needs to be a connection between the characters. Build that tension until the reader just can’t stand it anymore. Then get on with the hot stuff. I guarantee if you follow that premise, you’ll have a better story overall.
BookEnds: What are you reading now?
Kimberly: Through a Crimson Veil by Patti O’Shea and Bad Boys Ahoy! by Sylvia Day.
To learn more about Kimberly Dean, see Our Books at www.BookEnds-Inc.com.
I tried to post the other day, but Blogger wouldn’t let me.
I recently read Kimberly’s UNREQUITED in the Avon Red anthology, and I thought it was a fantastic example of a very emotional yet very erotic story. Neither element was sacrificed for the other.
Cindy