Quick Qs and As with Kimberly Derting

Kimberly Derting is the fab author of an amazing book titled The Body Finder which I hope everyone has a chance to read this year. Though, without a futehr ado, here's my interview with the her!

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First off, I’m going to give you a couple of categories and I would like you to list your favorite.

Food? Thai food.
Drink? Hot tea. Or pretty much anything with caffeine.
Book? To Kill A Mockingbird. (I feel like a cliché just saying that, but it’s true)
Author? Stephen King.
Movie? Last of the Mohicans.
Season? Summer, definitely.

Can you describe The Body Finder in three words?

Love. And Corpses.

Are you similar to Violet in any ways?

Not so much. Violet handles her creepy ability much better than I would. One thing I love about her is that she doesn’t shy away from it…or on the flip side, she’s not so kick-butt that she comes across as unrealistic. She’s just a girl who doesn’t want to sit around and wait to be rescued.

I’m more the terrified-of-finding-dead-things kind of girl. I only like writing about it.

The Body Finder is told from two different perspectives (the killer and Violet) which leaves me to wonder how you went about doing this. Did you write both at the same time or separately?

I have to write everything in order. (I’m always amazed at writers who write scenes all over the place and then piece them together…that would drive me crazy!) In my first draft, I had fewer scenes from the killer’s perspective but my editor asked for more. For me, that was awesome! I loved trying to get inside a serial killer’s head (just for a little while, of course!).

Violet possesses an ability to sense where the dead are buried in the book which leaves me to wonder if you would ever be willing take on this ability she has.

No way. It’s one thing to write about it, it would be another thing to actually be drawn to dead bodies on a regular basis. Um…yeah, that would totally Freak. Me. Out.

One of the first things that initially drew me to The Body Finder (besides the intriguing premise!) is the stunning cover it has. So, what was your reaction to it when you saw it for the first time?

Oh my gosh, I loved it! It was nothing like I’d ever imagined, or even discussed with my editor. Originally, there was going to be a photographic cover with a model. But the mock-ups never made it past Sales and Marketing. Eventually, the cover designer came across this beautiful three-foot fabric “flower” and decided to use it for the cover. I’ve seen a few of the final dustjackets, and they really are breathtaking!

Do you have a favorite scene or line in The Body Finder? If so, would you mind telling us about it?

Without giving too much away, Violet goes to a cemetery to try to find the “echo” (energy remnants left in the wake of murder) of one of the girls who’s been killed. There, she comes across a hauntingly beautiful echo left by the dead girl.

What made you choose YA?

It wasn’t so much that I made a choice, it was just the story I ended up telling. I read a lot of YA, so it was a pretty easy leap that I would write in that same genre. Plus, I’m surrounded by teens; my kids and their friends are always around, so I can “research” at home (even when they don’t think I’m listening).

What’s your favorite thing about being an author so far? Least?

I love knowing that people will actually be buying (and reading!) my book. It still kind of freaks me out that it’s really happening!

I think the hardest part of this whole author thing is all of the waiting, especially for someone as impatient as me. Publishing moves at a snail’s pace, and the time between the sale of a book and its release is FOREVER. Let’s just say I’m extremely happy my release date is almost here….and, of course, I’m a little freaked out too. Okay, maybe I’m a lot freaked out!

As many people know, The Body Finder has a sequel called Desires of Dead coming out in 2011 which leaves me to wonder if you can possible share with us a bit of what’s to come? Also, do you have any further plans to write about Violet after that?

Hmm…what can I tell you about Desires of the Dead? I’ll say this, there may or may not be a dead body. Wait…I think I may have said too much!

As far as the future, I would love to spend more time with Violet, and have some great ideas where I want the story to go. Recently, I’ve found myself daydreaming of how I can best exploit…I mean, explore her unusual ability. I could easily see myself falling back into her world.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Just thanks so much for having me, Lauren. This was a lot of fun!

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No thank you, Kimberly! :)

Further Links:

Kimberly's website
Kimberly's twitter
Kimberly's Facebook
Kimberly's Myspace
Kimerly's book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble