Monday, December 5, 2011

The Same Six Questions - Kimberly A. Bettes

Good Monday morning to you all! Today's gues on The Same Six Questions is Kimberly A. Bettes. Welcome Kimberly!

Thanks, Andy! I was born in southeast Missouri and have lived there nearly all of my life. I spent a year in Tacoma, WA, and though it was beautiful, it didn’t have the same small-town atmosphere of home. That Dorothy was really onto something when she kept going on and on about there being no place like home. So I moved back and met and married the most awesome man alive. I live with him and our son in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. When not writing, I crochet, knit, quilt, and of course study serial killers and write thriller/suspense stories. I’m also a freelance photographer, and for fun (and budget-friendliness), I design all my own book covers. Yeah, I have that kind of time.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes. This summer, I published 2 novels and 5 short stories using Smashwords. The first one I published is The Good Neighbor, a novel I wrote last summer.

What’s it about, you ask? Well, let me tell you:


The normally quiet neighborhood of Hewitt Street is being upset by the sudden amount of suspicious deaths. In less than two years, three of the residents have died suddenly. Another left, never to be seen again. In a city with only 12,000 souls, that’s a high rate. On a street with only a handful of residents, it’s even higher. The residents have been so caught up in the happenings of their own lives they fail to notice the abnormality of the high death rate of their neighbors. It isn’t until the niece of one of the murder victims moves to Hewitt Street and points it out to them that everyone takes notice. Suspicion falls to each of the 8 residents living on Hewitt Street. It could very well be any one of them. Neighbors become aware of the actions of the other neighbors as love blooms, relationships grow, hatred blossoms, doubts arise, safety is threatened, fear takes hold, and fights ensue. So which of the neighbors is the killer? That’s what the residents of Hewitt Street are dying to find out…

My books are available at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Sony, and soon, Amazon.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

When I was 14, I read Watchers by Dean Koontz. When I finished it, I smiled foolishly, knowing that this was my calling. This was what I was supposed to do. I wanted to make people feel the way he’d made me feel. I was in awe of the way he’d made me laugh, cry, and even get angry with no more than words. It was the first time I realized that simple words on a page could evoke emotions. And I’m always looking for new ways to make people cry.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction ? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

The first lengthy thing I wrote was my first novel, Adaptations. I was an elderly 14 years old when I started it. It took me 2 years to finish. No one has ever read it, and I don’t see myself letting anyone read it anytime soon, though I still have it. In fact, I keep it chained to a rusty pipe in my basement where all abominations are kept. It’s about a woman who returns with her husband to the house in which she grew up. Soon, her life begins mimicking that of her abusive mother. There are affairs, illegitimate children, witchcraft, and other things 14 year-old girls write about.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

When I was in Junior High, my English teacher made us write poetry. I was amazed at how easy it was for me. I wrote a ton of poems and essays just for fun. The words seemed to simply fall from my pen. It was a way to escape, to release all the feelings I had bottled inside. Kind of like popping a pimple releases the goo. Does that bring about a horrible image? Sorry.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I love all of my characters so it’s hard to choose. I would have to say Brian Boozer from my novel Rage. He was so real to me, I feel as though I already know him. I can totally relate to him, and I empathize with him. He’s such a good kid in such a bad position. I just want to hug him and tell him it’s okay, even though we both know it’s not. (If I couldn’t meet him, I’d want to meet Ace Haven, the main character in Shock Rock. Who wouldn’t want to meet a good-looking, cocky rock star with an original Shelby Mustang?)

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

One of the most vile, evil creatures nature has ever known. With beady eyes and hairy legs, it stares me down, longing to consume my soul. I stare back, trying to hide the fear that courses through my veins, hoping my lady-like screams didn’t give me away. If I’m lucky, I can slip back into the safety of my house unnoticed.

What is it, you ask?

Why, it’s a Jehovah’s witness.

Just kidding! It’s a spider. Lord, how I hate me some spiders.

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LOL...thanks, Kimberly! For more of Kimberly and her writing, be sure to check out her blog, Twitter and Facebook sites.

Stop back on Thursday, when my guest will be Brett Irvine. See you soon!

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