I do a lot of revising and editing. It’s my favorite part of the process and each book is a little different. Usually, I’ll do a minimum of about 10 drafts. Some of them have probably been through closer to 20 drafts. And of course, I never feel like a book is ever “done”. If I didn’t have deadlines, I’d probably continue revising.
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That’s a great idea!!!
What’s it like going on a book tour? Are you on the road (in the air?) non-stop for months at a time or do you get breaks? What’s your favorite part about touring, and what’s your least favorite part? Can you work on your next book while touring or does that put it on hold?
(…And now I’m monopolizing the Q&A so I’ll let some of our other readers jump in…)
THANK YOU!! I KNOW it will bring back many memories. 
I can’t speak for other authors but being on a book tour is every bit as exhilarating as it is exhausting. Lots of early morning flights, lots of late nights hanging out with friends who stopped in to support you. My Book Sherpa and I have done a lot of driving, too. I think we easily put about 6,500 miles on our car with this book.
It’s hard to write while on the road, but you still have to do it. Sometimes, I’ll get to an airport early just so I can sit at the gate and write. (I really go into a zone and block out just about everything–even a busy airport).
The best part of touring for me is meeting readers and visiting with the booksellers and librarians. Book people are just the best!!! 
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I know you’re a full-time writer now, but I’m sure that wasn’t always the case - you didn’t wake up one morning and say, “I’m going to be an author starting today” and immediately quit your job or abandon your children or what-have-you. It looks like your first book, The Crooked Pot, came out in 2007. What enabled you to take the time to write the novel in the first place? And then it was another six years or so before Dollface was published, so I’m assuming you were still struggling to carve out time to write. Is that fair to say?
Has becoming a writer changed the way you read others’ books, and if so, how? Is there another author whose works inspire you?
How has your writing itself changed over the years, if at all?
Kim, my road to becoming a full-time writer was long and winding. I always knew I wanted to be writer and ended up in advertising as a copywriter. I would get up at 4am to write before going into the office, devoted my weekends and saved up vacation days to write. I spend 17 years writing and re-writing my first novel which was rejected by over 300 agents before Every Crooked Pot found a home. The book did not perform especially well and my publisher didn’t want my second novel. On top of that, my editor left the business and my agent and I parted ways. I was back to square one. It took about 5 years and several failed manuscripts before I found my agent and my team at Berkley. We have all been together ever since. Still, it took time to be able to support myself as a writer. I left my advertising joy and freelanced, worked for an interior designer. All I wanted to do was be able to spend my days surrounded by words, books, and writing. (Sounds really boring, but that was what I wanted.) So I got fired from the interior design job (thank goodness) and slowly stopped looking for new freelance work. To survive financially, I cut my overhead, deciding that it was more important to write than get my nails done or have a cleaning service. I stopped my monthly hair appointments, never bought new clothes and rarely went out to restaurants. I was so happy though, that I didn’t miss any of it. It was a gamble but eventually it paid off. I feel very lucky and grateful that I get to do this every day.
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That’s a great question. It absolutely has, which is both good and bad. I pay close attention to a book structure, POV, tense, etc. It’s inspiring to see what some authors can do on the page. At other times, I swear I can hear the editor in my head saying, “Just give us a few sentences here about _____.” I’m a much more critical reader now than I was because I know all the things my editor thankfully flags. She’s tough but I’m so grateful for her.
I’ve tried not write the same book twice, meaning that I often play with POV, with voice, with the overall structure. For example, I’ve done some books that are first person present tense, others are third person past tense. I’ve also written books that are two and three different POV. Let’s Call Her Barbie was the biggest leap for me because that was written using the third-person omniscient narrator which means I could be every character’s head at any time. It’s tricky but I loved working in that POV. The one thing I’ve never been able to breakout of is my linear storyline. My brain doesn’t work any other way. 
Wow! I greatly admire your determination. Congratulations on persisting until you made it - you’re quite the inspiration.
What about your family and Book Sherpa John? Or your friends? Did you have any support system in place to help keep you motivated? I’m sure there must have been times when you were contemplating giving up your pursuit.
What are you doing when you’re not writing, reading or attending book events? Have you been able to enjoy any other hobbies now that there’s less pressure on your writing?
One of the questions that came up in our discussion of Let’s Call Her Barbie concerned our experiences with the doll. I see she’s had over 200 careers in her “lifetime,” and you’ve also mentioned that writing the book was a trip down memory lane for you. Do you have a specific recollection about playing with Barbie as a kid, or any specific Barbie model, profession, outfit or accessory you particularly enjoyed?
Honestly, I didn’t have a Plan B. I had pretty much let my freelance business dwindle to nothing and I had no other marketable skills. I had no choice but to persist. My family has always been supportive, though I’m sure there were times along they way when they were worried I’d starve to death. 
I do remember one time when I thought about throwing in the towel. I had been very close to signing with a powerful agent and at the last minute (due to some personal issues with her family) she withdrew her offer. That was a crushing blow and I remember shedding copious amounts of tears. But, as I mentioned, I had no Plan B. I couldn’t handle going back to advertising and frankly, I had been out of the buisness for so long, I doubted I would have been able to get back in. So yes, there were some dark times, scary times, discouraging times.
John, my Book Sherpa, didn’t come along until a little later but now I can’t imagine working on a book without his support. He helps with research, with travel, he reads early drafts and NEVER sugarcoats it. He’s my secret weapon!
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I’m really terribly boring on paper! I workout and have started doing yoga. I love music and like to see bands perform whenever possible. I’ve recently started on what I can only describe as a “spiritual journey” so when I do have downtime, I like to meditate, go quiet and give my mind a break from thinking!
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Oh, I was a very serious Barbie player. I still have my Barbies and brought them out of storage when I started working on this book. Growing up, Barbie was my constant companion. I never went to Ellie or Steffi’s house without my Barbie case in hand.
In many ways, I think I became a writer because of Barbie. I made up very elaborate story lines. For example, Barbie and Ken couldn’t go to Paris because Ken had a gambling problem and they were broke. Also, each doll had to have a narrative arc. They had to have learned something, grown in some way by the end of that day’s play. I’m sure my friends were frustrated with me and just wanted me to put on the pretty outfits and have mad make-out sessions with Barbie and Ken.
I’ve often wondered if that’s why I lack creativity. I never could figure out how to play with Barbie dolls like my younger sister did. I know people kept buying them for me but I think they mostly just sat in their case.
When we were having the discussion earlier this year about your book, I was surprised at how important the doll was to so many people growing up, but few knew about Ruth or the doll’s history. Your book really filled a niche!
That’s not boring at all! And it seems like your love of live music has sparked the idea for your next book, so there you go!
Are there any stories from the road you’d care to share? Anything that was particularly funny/touching/scary/etc.?