Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Packard.
Kimberly, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
People ask me when I knew I wanted to be a writer. For me, it was a lot like learning to walk. I don’t remember doing it, but obviously I did. I don’t remember having that conscious decision, it’s just always been there. I wrote a letter to children’s author Beverly Cleary when I was in second grade asking for career advice. She wrote back and said to read everything and write every day.
I always dabbled in writing short stories, and of course, had my nose in every book I could find. When I’d go to the bookstore or library, I’d visit my “spot” on the shelves imagining my name on a spine of a book.
I majored in journalism in college and went to work in public relations and marketing, using my need for story-telling as a day job. I finally ventured out and wrote my first novel in 2005 based off a nugget of an idea. That novel, Phoenix, went on to win the General Fiction of the Year award in 2013 from the Texas Association of Authors. Its sequel came out in early 2018 and the final book in the trilogy will be out this summer, and I have a stand-alone novel called Vortex, that will hopefully be out by the end of 2018 or early 2019. I also have a Christmas novella called The Crazy Yates available.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I write what can best be defined as women’s fiction, but the stories have elements of mystery, thriller, romance and literary fiction elements. I love strong, yet flawed, female characters. I also love to explore the idea of identity. Whether it’s Amanda from my Phoenix trilogy who is initially trying to hide her past, but then evolves into trying to grow into her skin; or Elaina, my main character in Vortex. She’s a storm chaser who gets too close to a tornado and has a flashback of a repressed memory, which makes her question everything she thinks she knows about herself.
When readers spend time with my books, I hope they not only enjoy stepping out of their everyday world into the one of my characters, but I hope that by living in someone else’s lives they learn something about themselves. And, I hope they laugh. My characters have a witty sense of humor and there’s been times they’ve made me laugh as I’m writing.
What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
I joke that writing can be a really lonely creative pursuit. It’s just me and the voices in my head. But, luckily there is a really strong community of writers’ groups in the North Texas area. I’m a member of the Greater Fort Worth Writers, where our members write in pretty much any genre. There’s also genre-specific writing groups as well. I tell anyone who’s aspiring to be a writer to find their group. A good writing group will encourage you but also challenge you.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My books are available in print and eBook form from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Kobo and Google Play. And, I do hold book signings from time to time. Those you can find on my website at kimberlypackard.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kimberlypackard.com
- Email: kimberly@kimberlypackard.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlypackard/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlypackardauthor
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KimberlyPackard
Image Credit:
My covers for the Phoenix trilogy were designed by Okay Creations, and The Crazy Yates by Jay Aheer.
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