Kim Baldwin is an Emmy-award-winning former network news executive who escaped to the north woods of Michigan after 20 years in journalism and began writing fiction in 2001. She is the author of three books: Hunter’s Pursuit, a 2005 Golden Crown Literary Award finalist in the Intrigue/Mystery category, and the romances Force of Nature, and Whitewater Rendezvous. She is also a contributing author to the 2006 Lambda Literary Award Winner Stolen Moments: Erotic Interludes 2, Lessons in Love: Erotic Interludes 3, and the upcoming Erotic Interludes 4: Extreme Passions. Nature, romance and adventure are passions that make frequent appearances in her stories.

How did you find the transition moving from a 20 year career in journalism to that of fiction writer?

Journalism certainly provided a good foundation for my fiction writing. There are a lot of similarities between the two crafts, really. In both, you need to pull in your audience/reader with a compelling first paragraph, make them care about what is happening, let them experience the story with as many senses as possible. Writing network news also provided me with good discipline for working under deadline, and gave me lots of fodder for future stories.
That said, the transition should still probably have been more difficult that it was in some respects. I started writing fiction as kind of a lark, really, never intending to share my stuff with anyone but my partner and a few friends. I’d never tried making up my own stories before and wasn’t sure I could do it--I remembered very little of the English classes I took in college, and knew next to nothing about how to structure a novel. I just sat down at the computer one day and started typing, working mostly by instinct, and the result was Hunter’s Pursuit. My friends were very enthusiastic about it and urged me to submit it to a publisher.

Is writing something you've done from an early age?

I wrote some really bad poetry as a teenager, and a few forgettable folk songs (it was the 70’s, after all) but that was about it in the way of writing while I was growing up. I didn’t really consider it something I might do as a career until I was about to start my third year of college and had to declare a major. I was always stronger in English and grammar courses than in math and science, so after looking at the alternatives, decided that I had the best chance of making a living at journalism. I started at a local TV station and ended up in network news as a writer, copy editor, and later, in management.

Who are some of your favorite authors, and what do you admire/like about their work?

I had no idea there was such a wealth of lesbian literature out there until about 1999 or so, when I stumbled onto some during an Internet search, so prior to that I read mostly nonfiction adventure stories and mainstream mysteries. I’ve always liked books that used nature as a backdrop, so my favorite authors at that time included Nevada Barr, Sue Henry, Dana Stabenow and Steve Hamilton. I also read a lot of Stephen King and Patricia Cornwell. Now I read lesbian literature pretty exclusively, except for stuff I am reading for research for my own books. My favorite author for the last several years has been Radclyffe. I love the strong, memorable characters she creates and the way she weaves a story. And she’s the master at creating sexual tension.

You've just finished your third novel, Whitewater Rendezvous. How has the process of writing it differed from your first two books?

I am much more methodical now when I sit down to start a book than I was with my first novel. I write extensive character descriptions now, for one thing, and outline more of the plot before I begin. That’s primarily due to Jennifer Knight, the substantive editor of my last two books, and the woman who has really become my mentor in so many ways. I’ve also learned a great deal from others at BSB: Radclyffe of course, and editors Stacia Seaman and Shelley Thrasher. I also read quite a lot now about the process of writing, and I learned a lot from the panels and seminars I attended at last year’s Golden Crown Literary Society conference.

What are you working on at the moment?

My fourth novel, Flight Risk, which will come out early next year. It’s an intrigue/thriller with a romantic subplot, much like Hunter’s Pursuit was.

Do you set yourself a strict routine when you're writing? What's your atmosphere like?

I try to write every day, and I aim for 1,000 words a day whenever possible. I work a part-time job that leaves me with a solid three hours or so of writing time most afternoons, and if I am on a roll, or haven’t fulfilled my quota for the day, I will also write in the evenings quite often. And most of my weekends are usually devoted to writing. I would love to do this full time, and am working toward that goal. In terms of atmosphere, I try to have as few distractions as possible, although I occasionally will have music playing—classical or instrumental jazz or something in another language (French, Italian or Greek) so the lyrics don’t pull me away from what I’m doing. This time of year, I often work on my laptop on my screened-in porch.

Which authors do you consider to have had the biggest influence on your own work?

Hands down, Radclyffe has been the biggest influence, with Jennifer Knight/Fulton alias Rose Beecham alias Grace Lennox coming in second. Reading Rad’s work really was what inspired me to try my hand at fiction in the first place, and since I’ve been fortunate enough to have her as my publisher for the last 20 months or so, she’s had a tremendous impact on everything I write. She inspires me every day.
Jennifer has a wonderful talent for writing of course, and having her as my editor for the last two books has taught me more about my own strengths and weaknesses, and about the fundamentals of crafting a novel, than I could have imagined.

Are there any other genres you'd like to experiment with at some point?

I may try a mystery one day, but my interests lie primarily in writing intrigue/action/thrillers and romance novels. It’s what I like to read, and the genres that most suit my strengths as a writer.

If you could sit down with any writer for a chat, living or dead, who would you pick?

Hmm. Tough question. Probably Henry David Thoreau. Walden had a big impact on me. Or perhaps Oscar Wilde. I love his sense of humor.

Tell us something about Kim Baldwin no-one else knows…

I’m very shy.

What are some of your favorite books from 2006 so far?

Turn Back Time, Radclyffe’s latest, is at the top of the list. Then Lessons in Love: Erotic Interludes 3 (which I have a story in). Other books I’ve read recently and also enjoyed (though not necessarily published this year, I’m way behind on my reading list) are Rad’s Distant Shores, Silent Thunder, The Devil Inside by Ali Vali, In Too Deep by Ronica Black, Artist’s Dream by Gerri Hill, Passion Bay by Jennifer Fulton, and Sugar by Karin Kallmaker.

When you're not writing, how do you like to pass the time?

I play alto sax in a small community band, take the occasional motorcycle ride, go kayaking, spend time with friends, sit on my screened-in porch watching the wildlife and birds, and of course, I’m always reading something, either the latest lesbian romance or nonfiction related to whatever novel I’m working on. For Flight Risk, I have on my nightstand now a couple of books about WITSEC (The government’s Witness Protection Program) and several on real life airplane disasters.

What has been your feedback from readers?

I have been extremely fortunate in that regard. I’ve gotten only tremendous support and encouragement from readers since the first day I started writing. No negative feedback or bad experiences whatsoever. Well, aside from a couple of rather creepy emails from a guy who was too specific about the effect my erotica had on him.  

What's the biggest challenge for you personally about being a writer?

Probably the biggest challenge has been to overcome my own insecurities about my writing. I tend to be hyper critical of myself, and I’m not always entirely satisfied with what I’ve written until I get some feedback from people who’s opinion I respect and trust. That’s getting much better. The other big challenge I sometimes have to overcome is getting into a real disciplined routine of writing every day, which is a necessity if you plan to write a couple of books a year, as I hope to.

What's the biggest misconception about being a writer?

I think until you actually become a serious writer, you don’t really appreciate how much hard work and time a novel takes. The amount of research, plotting, character development and all the preliminary stuff before you even begin Chapter One. Then the struggle to keep yourself motivated, to keep the ideas fresh, to sit down religiously at the keyboard day in and day out, even when you’re not feeling particularly inspired. Most people don’t understand when a writer gets on a roll and can’t leave what they are doing because they fear losing the ideas and the momentum. It’s a very lonely thing, most of the time, days and weeks and months of solitary typing.

Why do you write?

I find it to be the most personally satisfying thing I have ever done. Creating something from my imagination and finding the words to express that in a way that touches people or makes them think. After three books, I have come to believe it is my calling…one of the reasons I am here.

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