Interview with Kim Alexander
Would you tell us about yourself?
Hi Kate! I’m originally from New York, grew up in South Florida, spent some time in Key West, and now I live in Washington DC, right across the street from the National Zoo—I can hear lions, tigers and monkeys from my apartment. I started out in broadcasting as a DJ playing RECORDS (I hear they’re back!) and eventually worked my way up to co-produced Sirius XM Book Radio. My whole job was interviewing authors and going to cons. When my channel went off the air (sad!) I decided to try and write full time, and I’ve been doing that ever since. It’s been ten years and nine books.
When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?
We have a gorgeous rooftop garden, which is a ton of work (no elevator—everything gets carried up) but it so worth it. We have peaches, apricots, figs, vegetables, herbs, and of course loads of flowers. It’s not exactly getting back to the land but it’s pretty fulfilling. I am the dedicated butler/chef/servant of our two cats: Frida the Destroyer, and my giant baby Onion. I also have been going to yoga like it’s my job for a couple of years. Keeps the urge to kill at a simmer.
What book are you currently reading?
I came late to Murderbot, and I’m in the middle of book two. I don’t like to read in my own genre (fantasy) while I’m writing, so this is perfect. Her ability to sketch characters so artfully in the midst of non-stop action is inspiring! We’re in a golden age of women writing SF, and I love to see it.
When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?
Characters. Every time. And not just the characters, but their voices. I hear their conversations and just do my best to transcribe. Once I hear the voice, I know who they are. Once I know who they are, then we can figure out what they’re doing, who they’re doing it with, and why, and what happens next. It took me a long time to understand how to use pacing and plot—my editor is a saint. On the other hand, I love writing dialogue. My first drafts look like screenplays—just folks standing around talking.
What do you like about writing series books?
Oh, I love a series! I have written two, and it gives you so much time and freedom to live in the characters’ skins, watch them make mistakes and (hopefully) learn and change, and fall in and out of love and trouble. Worldbuilding is the fun part, isn’t it? I get to indulge my love of writing about fashion and manners and food and politics—the stuff that makes up our lives. I also really love leaving a trail of clues. Something on page one will almost certainly come back into play in the fifth book.
Would you tell us about your latest release?
It’s called The Glass Sword, and it’s the 5th book in my New World Magic series. The premise is that fairy tale creatures are real, and they live next door to you—good news bad news, right? My main character is Ruby, a bartender with a dark past. In book one (Pure) she rescues a unicorn shifter named March, who is an absolute ray of sunshine, and they go on the run from EVIL. At some point the fae get involved (as they so often do) and sort of hijacked the series! I thought the next book would wrap it but my editor and I came up with something so juicy I can’t wait to start working on it.
Do you have a favorite character or characters you feel especially close to?
Rhuun, the main character from my first series (The Demon Door) is a half human demon prince with social anxiety and a drinking problem. I wrote him from childhood to maturity, and even though I created him, he feels intensely real to me. I remain so proud of everything he accomplished. I just love him.
Is there anything else you would like readers to know about you or your work?
You’ll find more snappy banter and fewer battles! There’ll be loads of elaborate world building! I will definitely mention clothing and food! Doors will remain open! And I hope you’ll meet characters you’ll fall in love with even when they misbehave/make bad choices/run off with the fae.
Thank you for stopping by!
Book Title: Pure: New World Magic Book One
Author: Kim Alexander
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Blurb:
‘A unicorn walks into a bar….’
That is not a joke.
Look, I’m a bartender, I have nothing to do with the xenos. I don’t care if it’s an elf or a vampire–as long as they don’t bother me, I steer clear. I have my reasons–you can see them in the scars on my neck.
I never wanted to get involved.
But my life changed for the second time when I saved the life of a unicorn. I made an enemy of something old–old and evil, and whatever it was, it’ll be back for another try. I also made a friend when I decided to help March. He’s only been a human man for a day. I’m responsible for him now. He’s my friend…and maybe something more.
Maybe a lot more.
It doesn’t matter to me that he isn’t magical anymore. I don’t care if he’s not PURE.
But he does.
From best-selling author Kim Alexander, a modern fairy tale of magic, love, and redemption.
Excerpt
The unicorn walked right past me.
Maybe it didn’t notice me because I was standing behind my car. I know, a Mini Cooper isn’t that big, and I was just standing there with my key in my hand and my mouth hanging open. But it didn’t look my way; it just kept walking up the middle of Kenyon Street like it was an enchanted grove or something. It was getting close to 4:30 in the morning, so there wasn’t any traffic, just some late-night drinkers looking for Ubers, and me, getting off my bartending shift at the Hare. I had to park two blocks away as usual, and I just stood there, watching as it went by. At the moment I was alone on the street, so no one else saw it. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t even think to take a picture.
When it was about a half a block ahead of me, I quietly stashed my purse under my car, hunched over and followed it, hiding myself on the other side of the line of parked cars. I didn’t want to startle it, I guess. I looked up the street, and saw where it was going. Another block up, lit up by a streetlight, a girl stood in the middle of the road. She was slight, wearing skinny jeans and a gauzy blouse, and she looked young. She had a lot of blonde hair, and she had her hand held out, and the unicorn went straight to her. It stood in front of her and lowered its gorgeous head, and she laid her hand on its nose. Neither one of them noticed me, and I felt like I was looking at something private, something I ought not to be seeing. The unicorn, in case you’ve never seen one (which is actually pretty likely) wasn’t anything like a white horse. I mean, it was horse shaped, in that Jon Hamm is monkey shaped, but you’d never mistake one for the other. It wasn’t even white. It was silver, or mother of pearl. Its nose and feet were darker silver, and it was surrounded by rainbows shimmering off its body like they do over water sometimes. It did have a horn, though, and that was made of light. It was too bright to look at.
After a minute of the girl and the unicorn looking at each other, and me looking at them, three men in black clothes came out from the shadows between the cars. One had a rope. One had some sort of industrial looking oven mitts; elbow length ones, like glassblowers use. When I saw what else he had, I thought I was going to throw up. He had a hacksaw. The unicorn saw them, too, and it began to shiver.
So I made a decision that honestly, I knew was pretty stupid, but wouldn’t you have done the same? Wouldn’t anyone?
Catch up on New World Magic with Book One: Pure, before the release of Book Five: The Glass Sword on June 25th, 2024!
Purchase Links: Click to purchase Pure
About Kim:
Kim Alexander grew up in the wilds of Long Island, NY and slowly drifted south until she reached Key West. After spending ten rum-soaked years as a DJ in the Keys, she moved to Washington DC, where she lives with two cats, an angry fish, and her extremely patient husband who tells her she needs to write at least ten more books if she intends to retire in Thailand, so thank you for your patronage.
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