Pen Friends~ Indie author Kim Vandel is here to share about her first book. She has a giveaway too! The first one to email us at thespinningpen@gmail.com receives her book for free!

Welcome Kim!

SP: Who are you? 
My name is Kim Vandel. I’m a wife, mom, writer, and science nerd. I wrote short stories for fun when I was in junior high, but I didn’t pursue writing as a career until years later. I earned a degree in biology and worked in the field of environmental testing before staying home to be a full-time mom. When my boys were little, I felt the call to return to my love of fiction, so I honed my writing skills in the spare time I had. It was a long process, but all the hard work paid off last year with the launch of my debut novel Into the Fire.

SP: Can you tell us about your book? Blurb? Part two?
Into the Fire is a young adult urban fantasy set in the Seattle area. It’s sort of a mash-up between the X-Men and the book of Judges.

SP: How long did it take to write?
Including rewrites and editing, it took over two years to complete Into the Fire. But you have to keep in mind that ITF was my first novel, so it was a learning process all the way. Also, I could only write part-time because being a mom required the majority of my time and energy. The sequel is coming together much faster because I have a better idea of what I’m doing, and my boys are more independent now, so I have more time to write.

SP: Where did you get the idea?
I grew up watching Saturday morning Justice League cartoons and listening to Sunday school Bible stories. I’d always had the thought that some of the people in the Bible did very superhero-ish things (Samson’s super strength, for example), so it seemed natural to put the two of them together.

SP: You self published, can you tell us something about this path?
Self-publishing is a lot of work. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not, and don’t let anyone convince you it’s the “easy way out.” Self-publishing takes just as much work as traditional publishing—maybe even more—because the author is responsible for every step of the process. If you’re thinking about self-publishing, the best thing you can do is get connected with other indie authors. Most love to share their information and experiences, and you can save yourself a lot of time and frustration by learning from them.

SP: What are you working on now? 
I’m currently working on Among the Flames (sequel to Into the Fire), but I’ve also been working on a series of science fiction novellas that I hope to release later this year.

SP: Where can we learn more about you? Buy your book?
You can learn more about me on my website: Kim Vandel
You can find Into the Fire on Amazon: Into the Fire
You can also find me on social media:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/KimVandelAuthorPage
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KimVandel
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/KimVandel
Instagram: http://instagram.com/kim_vandel
Tumblr: http://kimvandel.tumblr.com/

SP: What is your writing tip for us?
Read, read, read. That’s how you figure out what works and what doesn’t. You learn good fiction techniques from the books you love, and when a book doesn’t connect with you as a reader, you’ll avoid making those mistakes in your own writing.

 

 

Nova, signing off.