Q & A with Kim Golden

Maybe Baby (Maybe... #1)
by Kim Golden

Imagine finding out you could never have a baby with the man you love...

Expat American Laney Halliwell finds out the hard way when Niklas tells her he had a vasectomy before they met and isn't interested in reversing it. Why should he? They've got his kids from his first marriage and an enviable life in Stockholm.

What if you fell in love in the most unexpected way...?

But Laney wants more. So when a friend suggests she look into an alternative sperm bank in Copenhagen to find a potential father for her baby, things don't go exactly as planned. Especially when Laney meets Mads and finds herself falling in love.

Paperback, 310 pages
Published March 22nd 2014 by Echo Books

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Read It & Reap:  July 2, 2015  

I grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and spent most of my summers in Smithfield, Virginia.

I first realized I wanted to be a writer while attending the George Washington Carver Highschool for Engineering & Science--yes, there was a time when I wanted to be an architect, at least I thought I did. Then one day I just couldn't take the boredom of another chemistry class and decided to write a novel. It was passed around to all of my classmates, who loved it. I did this a few more times and realized I had absolutely zero talent for math, science or architecture. I was much better at writing so I focused on that when I went to university.

In 1995, I chucked living in the US for the good life in Sweden with my Swedish husband.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeeKimWrite
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821481.Kim_Golden
Author Site: http://kim-golden.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kimigm/
Tumblr: http://maybebabythenovel.tumblr.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimigm

 

Q & A with Kim Golden

Q:  Tell us a little bit about your main characters.

Laney and Mads have a lot in common, which they discover in Maybe Baby and Maybe Tonight. Both of them are orphans of sorts—they were abandoned by their fathers and their mothers died when both were teenagers. Laney ended up being put in foster care before her aunt found out and took her in. Mads moved in with his grandparents after his mother's death. Both of them have felt rootless, adrift until they find one another. And this longing to connect, to find someone who feels like home for them—plus the spark of sexual attraction—is what brings them together.

Q:  In your opinion, what makes a good, strong female lead?

I really like female leads who think for themselves, who aren’t perfect and who own up to their mistakes and flaws. I don’t think a character necessarily needs to be a warrior or an alpha to be strong. Sometimes characters have quiet strength and it’s their determination that pushes them to do whatever it takes to reach their goal. She might screw up along the way, but she’s all the stronger for making those mistakes.

Q:  Who designs the covers for your books and what is that process like for you as an author?

All the covers for the books in the Maybe… series were designed by Arijana Karmic of Cover It! Designs. I think she’s taken a break from designing for a while though. I hope she’ll be back soon, because she always seemed to figure out the best look for my covers.

Whenever I briefed Ari about a book I was working on, I’d give her a plot description and a link to my Pinterest inspiration board. I also provided her with images I liked, which I purchased myself from Getty Images, Shutterstock or iStockphoto. Then she’d come back with suggestions for the tonality of the cover and mock-ups of possible covers. We usually didn’t need to do too many revisions, since she’d always have a mock-up that really captured the mood and feel of my novel.

I really loved working on cover ideas with her. It was almost as much fun as writing the book.

Q:  Describe your ideal writing spot.

Most of the time I write in cafés or in my kitchen. If I could have my ideal writing spot, it would be in a house by the sea or with a view of rolling hills, and my desk would be facing the window so I could get inspired by that wonderful view.

I was recently in Matera, Italy for a writer’s retreat/brainstorming weekend, and I spent at least an hour a day sitting on my balcony, writing and sipping a glass of wine with breaks to enjoy the view of the Sassi district. It was so beautiful and awe-inspiring—it even gave me ideas for new stories.

Q:  What is the best advice you have been given?

Back when I was still in grad school and working on my MFA in creative writing, my thesis advisor (author Tom DeHaven) told me to write what I enjoyed reading and ignore people who tried to force me to write in a way that didn’t come naturally to me. He was right. It just took me a while to actually follow his advice. Now that I do, I am much happier as a writer.

He also said don’t write something just because everyone is writing that sort of story. He said too many people fell into that trap and their stories suffered for it. So that is definitely advice I follow. I write what I like to read and I don’t care if it’s popular.

Q:  Which do you prefer: hard/paperbacks or ebooks?

I actually like both. I still buy paperbacks and the occasional hardback, especially if it’s a book by an author I admire. I often buy the paperback edition of a book I already own as an ebook. I like having both editions.

Q:  If you could have any superpower, what would you choose and why?

I wish I could magically write books faster. I am not a fast writer by nature. I only manage to write quick and dirty first drafts by doing my own version of NaNoWriMo and even then I only manage to write a first draft in a month when it actually is the month of November.

Q:  What book are you reading now?

Right now I am reading The Right Kind of Trouble by Christina C. Jones and loving it.