Kim Fielding here. I’m not sure why, but I’m in the mood for a confessional. Maybe it has something to do with exhaustion; November is a particularly crazy month for me. So here we go—some of my deepest, darkest secrets.

1. I like having written more than I like actually writing. Writing is hard work, and I often face a lot of resistance from myself, even when a story is dying to get out.
2. Relatedly, I procrastinate. I’m supposed to sit down and write, but there’s that list of tasks that must be done first. Then I need to check email and Facebook really quick, and then…. On the other hand, once I finally start writing I often continue until well after I should go to bed, quitting only when my eyes get too blurry to see well.
3. I love researching stuff, and not just because it’s an excuse to procrastinate. I’ve learned so many interesting things! And I’ve had new experiences, too. Not all of that stuff gets into my stories, of course, although it’s often tempting to shoehorn it in somehow.
4. Nothing—seriously, nothing—makes me happier than getting emails from readers. It means so much when someone takes the time to write.
5. I read reviews of my books. And somehow one bad one can outweigh twenty good ones in my head, even though I warn myself against this. The reviews that frustrate me the most are those that criticize the accuracy of my research. While I’m sure I’ve had occasional slip-ups, I’m very careful about getting details right.
6. I fall in love with all of my characters, but some are especially beloved. I tend to go for the underdogs.
7. I think it’s funny when people ask where I get my ideas. Where don’t I get ideas? My idea file currently has enough plot bunnies to last me for the rest of my life. And I’m constantly stealing bits of action and dialogue for my stories. For example, a colleague recently told me a very funny Halloween mishap tale, and I can’t wait to immortalize it in one of my books. Talking to authors is dangerous!
8. I was initially hesitant to tell people that I write m/m romance. Now I don’t hesitate at all. I’m a professor, and people at my day job know; not one person has given me shit over it. One male colleague insists on saying that I write gay porn, but he hasn’t read it and I think he’s just jealous—he’s been working on his Great Novel for well over a decade.
9. I love it when people fangirl/fanboy over me, whether in writing or at cons.
10. I can’t get over how lucky I am to have become friends with so many amazing authors.
11. My initial drafts are not nearly as pretty as what readers eventually get. My stories get polished by several talented editors before they go into print.
12. I want my stories to sell well, in part because it helps my ego and in part so I can retire early from my day job and write full time.
13. I really enjoy doing book readings and participating in panels. I’m not only comfortable with public speaking—I like it. Unless I’m being filmed.
14. I like to reread my own books. Even better, I love listening to the audio versions.
15. I get very excited about the things that come with my books: cover art, translations, and audiobooks. I had two of my favorite covers made into posters, which I framed and hung on my wall.
16. I’m a terrible typist.
17. I have threatened my family when they interrupted my writing too many times. It didn’t stop them from interrupting again.
18. I’m fairly socially awkward—the kind of person who analyzes past encounters to see if I was too weird.
19. I own thousands of print and ebooks and audiobooks and acquire them much faster than I read them.
20. I do most of my writing on my laptop while sitting at the kitchen table.
21. The people and places in my stories are very real to me, even if they only exist in my head. On a trip to Angels Camp, the California town on which Rattlesnake is loosely modeled, I suggested to my family that we have breakfast at Mae’s. Then I remembered Mae’s exists only in Rattlesnake, not in reality. It was disappointing. My family members just shook their heads.

Okay, that’s enough confessions for now! Do you want to confess anything as a reader? Please do!

***

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

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bau3S9

A complete list of Kim’s books: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/kim-fieldings-books/