Kimberly Sabatini Author Interview ~ JeanBookNerd

Kimberly Sabatini is a former Special Education Teacher who is now a stay-at-home mom and a part-time dance instructor for 3, 4 and 5 year olds. After her dad passed away in 2005, she used writing as a way to make sense of the experience and discovered that she’s full of questions that need to be answered. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with her husband and three boys. Kimberly writes Young Adult fiction and is represented by Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary Agency. She is thrilled to be part of the "Wolf Pack." TOUCHING THE SURFACE is her debut novel. (Simon Pulse - Simon & Schuster, October 30, 2012)

*Author photo by Dawn Sela Photography-
www.dawnsela.com

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Was there a defining moment during your youth when you realized you wanted to be a writer?

I always loved to write and grew up dreaming about being a writer without really believing that it could happen. I wasn’t very confident. It wasn’t until my Dad died, eight years ago, that I realized I had to stop being afraid of failing and start chasing my dreams. Losing him made me aware that not trying was the biggest failure of all. I’ve been writing ever since and the best words I’ve ever put to paper as the dedication to my Dad.

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre?

My favorite book in the world is The Giver by Lois Lowry. I read it for the first time in 10th grade and clearly remember giving an audible sigh of relief--there was another person in the world asking the same types of questions that I was. It was the first taste of being a part of this wonderful tribe of writers. I will always have a soft spot for Lois Lowry and that wonderful book. My favorite book, outside my genre, is A Walk In the Woods by Bill Bryson.

http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464

So random, I know. But seriously—this book makes me laugh every time I read it and I think I’ve re-read it more than any other book. It’s addictive, just like popcorn or M&M’s.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?

I have been given so many wonderful pieces of advice and I pull them out over and over again. I find them invaluable, but K.L. Going, a mentor of mine, always says…Be yourself. Have an opinion. Tell the world. That has always resonated with me and I keep it tacked up on my bulletin board.

In your book; Touching the Surface, can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about it?

BTW—I love book nerds. In fact, I am a book nerd. Woot!!! Thanks for letting me hang out with you.

I always think about TOUCHING THE SURFACE as being a book about how life-altering mistakes are meant to alter lives.

But here is the official, behind-the-scenes scoop…

Experience the afterlife in this lyrical, paranormal debut novel that will send your heart soaring.

When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she knows she must have messed up, big-time. She doesn’t remember how she landed in the afterlife again, but she knows this is her last chance to get things right.

Elliot just wants to move on, but first she will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed.

As she pieces together the secrets and mistakes of her past, Elliot must find a way to earn the forgiveness of the person she’s hurt most, and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever

What part of Elliot did you enjoy writing the most?

I love the fact that Elliot is flawed. I like a character that has moments when they aren’t always likable. The truth is that perfect characters, even if I love them, have a way of making me feel like I’m not living up to my own potential. Writing Elliot is my way of reminding myself it’s okay to make mistakes. It doesn’t make me a bad person—it makes me human. My nickname is Kimmiepoppins for a reason LOL! I’ve always been rather hard on myself, so honestly, I prefer it when my imaginary friends don’t add any more angst to my psyche then necessary. :o)

For those who are unfamiliar with Trevor, how would you introduce him?

Trevor is dark and snarky and his T-shirts have sayings that change with his mood. I absolutely adore him. <3 Oh, and he’s swoon worthy too. A little bonus.

What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?

I’m currently revising my second book, THE OPPOSITE OF GRAVITY and hoping to sell it soon. It’s a contemporary novel involving dance, Broadway and the need to defy what we know to be true, in order to find the truth. I’ve also got a third manuscript, CHASING ADAPTATION in the works.

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?

This is totally weird, but I’d introduce Oliver to Zuzana and Mik from DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT. It’s hard to explain, but they would just hit it off. I can picture them hanging out and trading stories. They would probably start the Supporting Characters Who Rock Club!

When asked, what’s the one question you always answer with a lie?

Ummmm this one. I never lie.

What’s the best advice you can give writers to help them develop their own unique voice and style?

Write the story you’d write if no one was watching. My books always start with a lot of questions and I write to find my answers.

Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?

I try to spread the wealth around so no one is stuck hearing me whine all the time LOL! I’m lucky I have such great family and friends in my life, but I have been known to catch the ear of a stranger too. LOL!

What's the most memorable summer job you've ever had?

I spent many years waitressing at my local Denny’s. I always tell people I went to college on the “Denny’s Scholarship Fund” LOL!

Who was your first boyfriend?

I had a crush on a boy on my soccer team in 5th grade. I wrote him lots of notes. I don’t think he actually gave a hoot—not that it mattered to me at that age LOL!

Tell me about your first kiss

I was like…”THIS? This is what all the hype is about? I must be doing it wrong.” LOL! Fortunately—like most things—it gets better.

When was the last time you cried?

I was listening to Wonder by Natalie Merchant the other day while writing a blog post.

http://yaoutsidethelines.blogspot.com/2013/02/no-explanation-for-me-kimberly-sabatini.html

When I have moments of introspection like this, I tend to wonder if my Dad is watching me—seeing how hard I’m working to be someone he’d be proud of. It makes me all misty.

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a teenager?

I was a teenager in the 80’s and I can’t believe all the weird hairstyles and clothes we had! But the music was fabulous and overall it was a pretty great childhood. But I also think I would have liked being a teen in the 50’s because things were lighter and more innocent. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have been able to stand the inequality. So I’m thinking that being a teen is pretty tough in any decade and perhaps I’ll just relive those years vicariously through fabulous YA books.

Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heart break or have never loved before?

Bring on the heartbreak—I don’t think you’ve lived until you loved.

Where can readers stalk you?

My Website: http://kimberlysabatini.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlysabatiniauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KimSabatini
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4667368.Kimberly_Sabatini
Tumblr: http://kimberlysabatini.tumblr.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kimsabatini/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/102049417428491863936/posts
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=126451256&trk=tab_pro

Thank you so much for having me over to your blog—these were fabulous questions and I had so much fun answering them. <3 You’re the BEST!

Experience the afterlife in this lyrical, paranormal debut novel that will send your heart soaring.

When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she knows she must have messed up, big-time. She doesn’t remember how she landed in the afterlife again, but she knows this is her last chance to get things right.

Elliot just wants to move on, but first she will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed.

As she pieces together the secrets and mistakes of her past, Elliot must find a way to earn the forgiveness of the person she’s hurt most, and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.

Kimberly Sabatini’s Touching the Surface is the intriguing story of Elliot who finds herself dead for the third time. Some would say that third time is the charm but for Elliot, being dead for the third time means she has messed up really bad. She has no recollection as to how she ended up here again and all she wants is to move on. But she knows that the afterlife will force her to relive painful memories of her life. She realizes that she needs to make things right especially with the people that she’s hurt. The journey will expose the truth about herself and her true feelings for the two boys she loves.

Readers will find author Kimberly’s take on the afterlife quite interesting and refreshing. Her writing style truly captured every element of this unfamiliar world without stuffing our heads with any type of beliefs. I find that this approach is important to how the story plays out. There are so many aspects she focused on and the concept of delving into memories of past lives brought depth to this world.

Elliot is the perfect character for this kind of story. She fit the glove perfectly and her heartbreaking issues felt real, making her just as authentic as can be. The issues she deals with in this world are all real – heartbreak, dealing issues with family and friends, and loss. Readers will enjoy how relatable her story can be. The messages Kimberly set to relay in this amazing story are ones that we will come across within our lives. It is this element that makes Touching the Surface an enjoyable experience for anyone, regardless of their genre preference.

You can purchase Touching the Surface at the following Retailers: