A warm welcome to author Kim Fielding joining us today to talk about the release of new book “Love is Heartless”.
Kim talks about research and brought a giveaway to participate in.
Welcome Kim 🙂
I’ve blogged before about how much I love doing research for my books. Seriously. I am a huge nerd, and I get really excited when I have the excuse to delve into minutiae. I once spent the better part of a day happily trying to figure out the cost of a male slave in 15th century Bosnia (and I think I came up with a pretty good approximation; you can read The Pillar to learn that yourself).
Book research is fun, and of course the Internet is invaluable for Finding Stuff Out. Best of all, though, is when I get to do hands-on research. One frequent way I do this is through travel, which teaches me the details of daily life in places like Ljubljana or Iowa City. You really have to go to a place to find out how Venice smells in the springtime or what the air is like on your skin in New Orleans in November. Did you know that in Paris sidewalk cafés, the chairs are usually positioned to face out so you can watch the passersby? That residents of Zagreb hate to stand in line? That some of the crosswalks in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood are painted like rainbows? That during the wintertime, people in Warsaw crank up the heat inside buildings so you’re tempted to strip the moment you step inside? That, unexpectedly, Edinburgh is one of the friendliest cities in Europe? Neither did I, until I visited.
As I was getting ready to write Love Is Heartless, I had the chance to do another kind of research. Nevin Ng is a police detective. My day job is criminal justice professor, so I already know a lot about those kinds of topics, but last summer I got to experience something quite specific—a tour of the local coroner’s office plus viewing an autopsy. The deputy coroner who played tour guide was full of really interesting, specific information. Most of which isn’t in this particular book, but might make it into another someday. For instance, you know how people on TV smear Vicks VapoRub under their noses during autopsies? Some real-life police do that, but the coroner’s deputies make fun of them. Ours said the result is just the smell of mentholated death. If the reek is too bad, he wears a face mask with a tea bag inside. Who knew?
The deputy also had some fascinating stories to tell. One of them involves a mystery surrounding a human jawbone—and I stole that one for Love Is Heartless. When you read the book, that bit may seem farfetched, but it’s based on fact. (Don’t worry—the book is a romance and spends a lot more time on love than on human remains.)
Blurb:
Small but mighty—that could be Detective Nevin Ng’s motto. Now a dedicated member of the Portland Police Bureau, he didn’t let a tough start in life stop him from protecting those in need. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, and he doesn’t do relationships. Until he responds to the severe beating of a senior citizen and meets the victim’s wealthy, bow-tied landlord.
Property manager and developer Colin Westwood grew up with all the things Nevin never had, like plenty of money and a supportive, loving family. Too supportive, perhaps, since his childhood illness has left his parents unwilling to admit he’s a strong, grown man. Colin does do relationships, but they never work out. Now he’s thinking maybe he won’t just go with the flow. Maybe it’s time to try something more exciting. But being a witness to a terrible crime—or two—was more than he bargained for.
Despite their differences, Colin and Nevin discover that the sparks fly when they’re together. But sparks are short-lived, dampened by the advent of brutal crimes, and Colin and Nevin have seemingly little in common. The question is whether they have the heart to build something lasting.
Buy links:
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.
Find Kim!
Website: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KFieldingWrites/
Twitter: @KFieldingWrites
Good luck on the new book! Interesting premise, sounds like a great story.
Thanks so much!
congrats on your new release!
Thank you!
When I was in the AF, we put wintergreen oil in our aircraft accident investigation kits. I imagine vapor rub is much easier to find though.
Thanks for an intriguing post, Kim. And congratulations on your new book; I look forward to reading it.
Your book deserves to be in my TBR