A warm welcome to author Kim Fielding joining us here today to talk about new release “The Spy’s Love Song”.

Hi! Kim Fielding here, and I have a new book out. Yay! The Spy’s Love Song is the tale of a jaded rock star and a State Department operative who end up in deep trouble in a country with a repressive totalitarian government. And there’s romance.

 

Have you ever visited a new place, somewhere you’ve never been before, and it somehow felt like home?

 

This happened to me ten years ago, when I made my first visit to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Prior to that trip, which happened due to my day job and at almost the last minute, I’d never given Zagreb any thought. I’m not sure I could have found it on a map, and I knew very little about its history or culture. But within a day or two after arriving, I was thinking, I could live here. And in fact, now I have—once for a month and once for five months—and I’ve managed several more short visits as well. I feel homesick for Zagreb when I’m away for too long.

 

Why am I so comfortable there? I don’t speak Croatian (although I’ve managed to pick up a few basic things by now). I was born near Chicago and have spent all my life living in either the Midwest or the West Coast of the US. There’s nothing that really ties me to that distant land.

 

Except one of my grandfathers was born in Trieste, Italy, which is just a few miles from the Croatian border (and in fact, at the time he was born, both Trieste and Zagreb were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). Trieste is about 140 miles (230 km) from Zagreb, and it’s where many of the citizens of the former Yugoslavia did their shopping during the communist years. When Croatians find out my grandfather was from there, many of them wave a hand and say, “Pfft. You’re Croatian.” Close enough, I guess.

 

Some of my other relatives came from Hungary, another of Croatia’s neighbors, and the rest originated not too much farther away in Poland and Romania. Many Croatian foods taste similar to things my grandparents cooked when I was little. But it’s more than that—the lifestyle itself resonates with me. People in Zagreb spend a lot of their social time (and even some business time) sipping coffee and people-watching at cafés. It’s a central part of the culture. And it’s one of my favorite things to do as well.

 

I’ve had a couple of Croatians suggest that I’m so comfortable there because it’s in my DNA. I don’t know about that, but it certainly feels like home to me. I recently visited Bosnia, which is next to Croatia and was also part of Yugoslavia. Sarajevo feels familiar to me too. During a day trip, my guide asked where my family was from. When I told her, she smiled warmly and said, “Well, welcome home.”

 

Have you discovered a home away from home?

 

The Spy’s Love Song by Kim Fielding

 

For a singer and a spy, love might be mission impossible.

 

Jaxon Powers has what most only dream of. Fame. Fortune. Gold records and Grammy awards. Lavish hotel suites and an endless parade of eager bedmates. He’s adored all over the world—even in the remote, repressive country of Vasnytsia, where the tyrannical dictator is a big fan. The State Department hopes a performance might improve US relations with a dangerous enemy. But it means Jaxon’s going in alone… with one exception.

 

Secret agent Reid Stanfill has a covert agenda with global ramifications. Duty means everything to him, even when it involves protecting a jaded rock star. Jaxon and Reid’s mutual attraction is dangerous under Vasnytsia’s harsh laws—and matters get even worse when they’re trapped inside the borders. Romance will have to wait… assuming they make it out alive.

 

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

 

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.

Follow Kim:

Website: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/KFieldingWrites

Twitter: @KFieldingWrites

Email: Kim@KFieldingWrites.com