Pump Up Your Book Chats with Penny Kim, author of ‘Desert Wedding’

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ABOUT PENNY KIM

Penny Kim is a Washington, DC lurker and resident of Alexandria, Virginia. She is active in several area book groups that span several genres, from murder mysteries to chick lit and beyond. Currently working on her second book, her debut novel “Desert Wedding” is a compelling coming of age story for the Millennium generation.

To purchase Desert Wedding, click here.

ABOUT DESERT WEDDING

There is nothing more exciting than when your best friend gets married. And for Elsie McKenna, it seems like she’s got the maid of honor thing figured out. But as the big day date gets closer and wedding planning takes over, Elsie’s friendship with the bride-to-be, Res, begins to go downhill. To make matters worse, Elsie’s boyfriend, the long-suffering Jonah, becomes increasingly distant. It’s not too soon before Elsie begins to wonder if there’s something in the air in Phoenix, or if it’s just a nasty case of wedding fever.

Q: Can you tell us why you wrote your book?

After planning my own wedding I had a very clear sense of why I needed to write this book. There is so much friction that goes on during this process and at the end I realized it was all a necessary rite of passage. The arguments aren’t really over the invitations or the flower arrangements but about your role as a part of a new, emerging family. I wanted to write about that journey. We like to hide the friction and focus on the window dressing, but it’s really that friction that makes a wedding such a life-changing experience for a woman.

Q: Which part of the book was the hardest to write?

Any sort of intimate moment is very hard to write—and let’s just leave it at that!

Q: Does your book have an underlying message that readers should know about?

I think there is an underlying message that’s relevant for anyone who is going through an engagement or wedding planning experience—or for someone who has a friend or family member going through the same thing. In the end, the focus should be on the relationship, not the flowers or the dress. It’s something that might not hit you until after it’s over but it’s an important message and one I hope readers take away from the book.

Q: Do you remember when the writing bug hit?

Writing has been such a constant part of my life that I’m not sure where it officially took over.

Q: Besides books, what else do you write? Do you write for publications?

I have a blog called Murder She Blogged, where a friend and I write about our favorite TV show, “Murder She Wrote.” It’s a whole lot of fun.

Q: Do you have a writing tip you’d like to share?

Don’t stop to edit. Keep going until the end before you start looking back.

Q: Would you like to tell us about your home life? Where you live? Family? Pets?

I like my home life quiet and simple. The more simply I live the easier it is to make time for writing. Dogs help and so do long walks.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your childhood?

I grew up in a family filled with readers and writers, so I was trained from a young age to continue those pursuits.

Q: Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

In my office where it’s well lit, cozy, and quiet.

Q: What do you do to get away from it all?

I love going for walks with my dog, and I usually get the best ideas for my books while listening to music.

Q: What was the first thing you did as far as promoting your book?

Q: Are you familiar with the social networks and do you actively participate?

I’m trying to get better at this and it’s something that I have to work on. I really love Goodreads because it helps connect me directly with readers.

Q: How do you think book promotion has changed over the years?

I think the traditional channels have been overtaken by the power of the Internet, which is by no means a bad thing.

Q: What is the most frustrating part of being an author?

There are so many good books out there, how do you convince a reader to pick up yours?

Q: What is the most rewarding?

A 5 star review on Amazon or Goodreads, or when someone tells you they couldn’t put down your book, that always feels great.

Q: How do you think book publishing has changed over the years?

Like many industries, book publishing has experienced significant growing pains during the transformation from a print-based to web-based capacity—not to mention the boom of self-publishing.

Q: If you had one wish, what would that be?

That people would read this interview and pick up a copy of my book, Desert Wedding!

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world other than where you are right now, where would that place be?

The beach, hands down.

Q: Your book has just been awarded a Pulitzer. Who would you thank?

My editor extraordinaire!

Q: Thank you so much for this interview, Penny. Do you have any final words?

Thank you for the opportunity, and if you have any follow up questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at Penny.Kim@storygirlpress.com.

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How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

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