Q&A for Kimberly Belle Author of The Marriage Lie and soon to be released Three Days Missing @KimberlySBelle

The Bio

Kimberly Belle is the internationally bestselling author of The Marriage Lie, The Last Breath,The Ones We Trust, and the forthcoming Three Days Missing (6.26.18). Her work has been published in a dozen countries and has appeared on the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Globe & Mail bestseller lists.

Visit Kimberly on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

1. We absolutely love your books and can’t wait for your newest one, Three Days Missing, what was your inspiration for this book?
Thank you! I can’t wait to send Three Days Missing out in the world and see how readers respond to it. Those last few months before a release are always a scary but exciting time. As for my story inspiration, Three Days Missing came from a couple of different ideas that hit me at the same time. The first was the story of a boy who goes missing under strange and mysterious circumstances. Any parent can imagine how that would feel, how terrifying and confusing, the pressure of a constantly ticking clock until your child is found. But I also have a dear friend whose #metoo story inspired my main character, Kat. In Three Days Missing, Kat is in the midst of a very messy, very public divorce from an abusive husband when their son goes missing in the middle of the night. Of course the first person she suspects is her soon-to-be ex, who’s suddenly not answering his phone. It’s a fictionalized story crafted around a real-life one, and writing it helped me sort through all the emotions I felt, the sadness and helplessness and anger, while watching my friend go through her divorce.
2. You have worked for many non profits, what is your favorite one to work with and is there one especially close to your heart?
One of the things I learned while raising money for nonprofits is that in order to be successful at my job, I had to stand completely, wholeheartedly behind the mission of the organization I was raising money for. All that goes to say, they were all my favorite. When I lived in the Netherlands, I worked for Habitat for Humanity, which I adored because it kept me connected to America while also allowing me to travel all over the world. If you ever get the chance to go on a Habitat trip, do it – it’s the very best way to experience a country and culture. Once back in the US, I took a job at the YWCA, an organization with a mission that’s close to my heart: empowering women and eliminating racism. Both those organizations are still very near to my heart.
3. What is something everyone seems to love that you just don’t get?
Snapchat. I’m on it for my kids and the filters, which I must admit are adorable. I end up saving the clips to my phone and posting them on Facebook or texting them to friends. Not the way the makers intended, I know, but I just can’t handle being active on another social network.
4. What book do you wish you had written? Why?
So many! I am fascinated by the books that break the mold—Gone Girl, Girl on the Train, Outlander, to name just a few. But one of my favorite books of late is Julia Heaberlin’s Black-Eyed Susans. I loved everything about that book—the hook, the format, the storytelling, the writing. Everything about it was just perfect, and I remember reading it and thinking, I wish I would have come up with this story.
5. How many unfinished/ half written books do you have?
Not all that many, actually—only two. The first is a story about the daughter of a country- music legend, which I put down to write The Marriage Lie, and the other is a story I’ve put down twice now—first to write Three Days Missing, and again for the one I’m working on now. I’ve let go of the first story, but maybe I’ll pick the second one up again, and maybe I won’t. Ultimately, it’s always about writing the story that speaks to me most, and if I’m putting one down because another feels better, maybe that’s a sign to retire it.
6. Favorite book as a child why?
I remember really (really!) loving Charlotte’s Web and later, the Little House on the Prarie series. They’re very different books, and I loved them for very different reasons, but ultimately, it came down to that I just couldn’t put them down. That’s the beauty of a good story—it bleeds into real life because you can’t stop thinking about it.
7. What is something you have always dreamed of doing?
I have no desire to do something crazy like jump out of an airplane or climb Mt. Everest, but there are still many countries on my to-see list. I’d love to go on safari in Kenya, ride an elephant in Thailand, see the Great Wall and Machu Piccu. Travel is my favorite way to spend my time and money.
8. Tell us about something you are really looking forward to right now?
I am celebrating the release of Three Days Missing in my hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee, at an event organized by the Literary Council. It’s a huge honor for me, and I’m super excited about it! It’s funny, I can talk to a room full of strangers without breaking a sweat, but just thinking about an audience of my parents, their friends, my former teachers and classmates, and I’ve got butterflies.
9. What do you have to have with or around you when writing?
I have a lovely office at home where I never, ever sit. I like to move around as I write, and my favorite spots are on the back patio, an especially comfy armchair in the living room, or at the kitchen table. Have laptop, will roam the house. A couple of things, though, are a constant wherever I land: a scented candle, and my two dogs curled around my feet.
10. What’s next for you? What can you tell us about your next book?
I don’t have a title yet, but my next story is about a woman on the run from her abusive husband, and a man who comes home from a business trip to find his wife missing. Coming from Park Row Books summer 2019!
A Huge Thank You to Kimberly Belle for taking the time to answer our questions and being a part of our blog!