Kim Kinrade interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

I was born in the Canadian Rockies and now live in Nova Scotia. I was a musician for decades and finally gave it up in 2019 as forty years was enough. In between work and family I wrote first for newspapers and then web content, until the companies began hiring guys from India who could do keywords at a fraction of the cost. No regrets.

When did your love of books begin?

It was easier to love books in the 1960's because there was one bad radio station and one TV channel. Comic books were the big draw for me and I think my love of story telling began there. Then came Farley Mowatt and anything with natives in it.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I always wanted to write but forgot to take typing at school. My essays at university were dreadful because I couldn't afford a typist. My first Tandy 386 laptop was a game-changer.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

I started in 1991 and wrote straight through to 1999 then domestic responsibilities began to overwhelm me. As well being tied to to two failed publishers put my off even though I had a Canadian bestseller in 1997 with a book called Ice Break. I started writing again in 2022 and have just finished my ninth novel.

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

I went around in circles. I started then quit. Rinse and repeat. Because it takes so much time away from friends and family I would suggest scheduling some time for oneself, maybe an hours a day of writing time. because writing a book begins in a person's head I daydream a lot and find plots and characters when I was working or traveling. I know Stephen King never writes anything down but I suggest a carrying a notebook for jotting down things like interesting characters one might meet or hearing a unique story.

Tell us about your book/books:

I am on my tenth novel and with the exception of a murder mystery and a fantasy (experimentation) they tend to feature the Canadian military and what-if's. My bestseller, "Ice Break" was about enviro-terrorists hijacking a huge icebreaker and smashing into fishing boats on the Grand Banks. My second was a Canadian civil war when Quebec attempted to separate from Canada.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

When I first started out I used to attend every gathering of writers I could and I think new writers should do this. It's great talking to other writers and pick their brains about any successes they have achieved. Later I became a loner because my subject matter was not what others were writing about at the time.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Don't give up. I did and I regret it. As Stephen King would say, "When the nail on the wall holding up my rejection slips became so heavy it fell out I got a bigger nail." It's a process. Write as if the only one who will read your work is you. That means write what you love. (And take a typing course)

Where can people connect with you?

Any time through my webpage at https://www.kinrade.ca/about-author or kimsingerAToutlook.com.