Author Name: Kim Fielding
Book Name: Rattlesnake
Release Date: August 31, 2015
Blurb:
A drifter since his teens, Jimmy Dorsett has no home and no hope. What he does have is a duffel bag, a lot of stories, and a junker car. Then one cold desert night he picks up a hitchhiker and ends up with something more: a letter from a dying man to the son he hasn’t seen in years.
On a quest to deliver the letter, Jimmy travels to Rattlesnake, a small town nestled in the foothills of the California Sierras. The centerpiece of the town is the Rattlesnake Inn, where the bartender is handsome former cowboy Shane Little. Sparks fly, and when Jimmy’s car gives up the ghost, Shane gets him a job as handyman at the inn.
Both within the community of Rattlesnake and in Shane’s arms, Jimmy finds an unaccustomed peace. But it can’t be a lasting thing. The open road continues to call, and surely Shane—a strong, proud man with a painful past and a difficult present—deserves better than a lying vagabond who can’t stay put for long.
Pages or Words: Approximately 80,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Romance, Western/Cowboy
Excerpt:
Their waitress appeared beside the table. “Anything else?” she asked Jimmy.
He didn’t want to go just yet. But his belly was full, and any further conversation with Shane was probably going to frustrate him. Already Jimmy wanted to reach across the table and touch Shane’s hair, maybe run a finger across his scars. “Just the check. Thanks.”
“Mine too,” Shane said, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. As soon as she took their plates away, he leaned forward. “You don’t have to go, do you? I mean, you’re not, um, on the run from the law, are you?”
That made Jimmy laugh. “I’ve done some stupid shit, but never bad enough to make me a fugitive.”
“If I Google you, I won’t find you on the Ten Most Wanted list?”
“Afraid not.”
“So.” Shane traced his finger through a bit of spilled sugar on the tabletop, worrying at his lip and not meeting Jimmy’s gaze. He finally looked up again. “So you could stick around here for a while. If you had a place to stay and a job.”
God damn it! You don’t hope. You don’t want. That only leads to destruction. But Jimmy felt himself nod. “I could. For a short time.”
Sales Links:
About the author:
Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.
After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Kim Fielding, author of Rattlesnake.
Hi Kim, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
Q: Do you buy a book because of the cover, the blurb, or something else?
A: This is one of those it depends questions. Sometimes I’ll buy a book because of the author. I love some authors so much that I don’t care what they write—I’ll buy it because I know I’ll enjoy it. Sometimes a cover attracts me, but I read the blurb before making a decision. Sometimes I buy a book because I’m in the mood for something in particular. Angst, maybe, or vampires, or maybe something that will make me laugh. Sometimes a friend gives me a good recommendation.
Mostly, I just buy books. I have shelves in almost every room of my house, and they’re overflowing. I have hundreds on my Kindle and dozens on audio. It’s a terrible addiction. Not that I intend to attempt a cure.
Q: What does ‘romance’ mean to you?
A: I define the term pretty loosely—and fortunately, so do my publishers! In its broadest sense, it’s a story where the loving relationship between two (or more!) people is important.
I’m going to divulge a deep secret here. I write romance books, but in real life, I’m not all that romantic. I’m a little too type A, I think. And yeah, flowers and chocolates and long walks on the beach are fine, but what really makes me weak in the knees is when my husband makes me feel appreciated and a little pampered. You want to know the real way to my heart? Do my chores and tell me I’m wonderful.
Q: What are your current projects?
A: Many! In October, the fourth book in the Gothika series will come out. It’s called Spirit and it has ghost novellas by me, Eli Easton, Jamie Fessenden, and B.G. Thomas. My story, “Dei ex Machina,” takes place in Split, Croatia. I had to drag out my Latin textbook for this one. I’m planning a couple of holiday stories this year, including at least one self-published book, the royalties from which will go to Doctors Without Borders. Venona Keyes and I are co-writing a book about a blind runner. I have a couple more projects in various planning stages. And next year, Dreamspinner Press Publications will release the second editions of my Ennek trilogy.
Q: What is the most difficult part of writing for you?
A: Picture a roller coaster where you start off at the top of a curve and zoom down. A much bigger curve—a loop, maybe—lies ahead, and it’s going to be awesome. But first you have that long, slow chug upward, when you face some anxiety and trepidation, wondering what the hell you’ve gotten yourself into. And finally you reach the top and do the loop, and the ride is so totally worth it that you’re ready to get back in line again (maybe you even have a Fastpass!).
That’s the writing process for me. The toughest part is that climb. In some books it happens almost right away, while in others it’s somewhere near the middle. What gets me through is reminding myself that I can’t bail in the middle. I am stuck on that ride until it finishes, dammit.
Also, to set aside that rather extended metaphor, it’s often hard for me to find time. I have a demanding day job, two kids, a husband who occasionally likes to converse with me… the whole shebang.
Q: Tell us something about yourself that would surprise people.
A: A couple years ago, when I first met a certain one of my fellow authors, he walked into the room and the first thing he said was, “I thought you were taller.” So there you go. I am much taller in print than in person.
Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/KFieldingWrites
Twitter: @KFieldingWrites
Blog: www.kfieldingwrites.com
Goodreads book link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
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Congratulations on your new book, it sounds great!
Thanks so much!