Interview with Holly Kammier

Today I'm interviewing my writing besty, Holly Kammier, about her amazing debut novel KINGSTON COURT.

I've been waiting a long time for this interview. I'm SO excited!!

So, Holly...

Did you always intend for Samantha to be "unlikable" in the beginning or did she just come out that way?

My intention for Samantha was that she would be one of those people who always spoke her mind, no filter. That did end up translating into a harsher character. My hope is that as readers come to understand her better, they will like her more.

How do you develop your characters?

First I have to "see" them. The way we look can impact how we behave. For Samantha, I imagined the gorgeous blonde actress Sienna Miller. From there I invented her whole childhood story and how she grew up. I wanted to know if she had Daddy issues or was betrayed by a best friend. Did she enjoy high school? Where did she hang out? Even if some of those details didn't end up in the book, knowing my character's background tells me how she will talk, dress, relate to others, and react in stressful situations. 

Are they based on real people? 

Usually. But just based on the them, because I could take a friend of mine and give her a completely different childhood and life experiences and that will change who she is. Imagine taking your best friend and having her grow up in a different country, with different parents, and she was ugly in high school and got picked on all the time. Plus she had a beloved older brother who was killed by the mafia. That's how I create a lot of my characters. They start off as someone I know, but they end up a whole different person. For me it's a fun process.

What has been the most challenging part of this whole process and how did you overcome it?

That's a hard question! Probably, believing in myself. I admire great writers so much, it's been hard to put my work out there and call myself a real author. I don't always feel worthy. I overcome it by feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

What did you learn along the way? Anything you wish someone had told you? Any advice for aspiring authors?

I learned that writing is not all inspiration and magic. Most of it is just like any other job, you have to sit there and do it, even when you don't feel like it. My advice is the same advice most writers give: write. write. write. The rest will work itself out.

Thanks so much Jess, these were fantastic questions!!!

CONGRATS, MY FRIEND!! Here is a little more about her novel...

What happens when you take middle-aged, stay-at-home moms, and throw them back into the workforce and dating? 

A modern twist between Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives, Kingston Court follows the love, lies, and friendships of two wealthy Southern California women. 

Samantha and Natalie are at a crossroads. Gorgeous, over-the-top Samantha, hangs her status and her happiness on her “perfect” husband. That is until she learns his secret. 

But she’s not the only mother on the block struggling. Natalie, nurturing and careful, is thrust back into the workforce after her husband barely survives a horrifying car crash. However, it isn’t just her new job co-hosting a national morning news show that keeps her busy. Alik, the hot young production assistant, does everything in his power to seduce the woman he loves. 

Death and misfortune in the span of a single year force these two women to rediscover their inner strength and make life-changing choices. Kingston Court is full of scandal, temptation, and all of life’s juicy little secrets.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Holly Kammier splits her time between San Diego, California and Henderson, Nevada. She is the author of the debut novel, Kingston Court(Acorn Publishing 2015), and Could Have Been Hollywood, a memoir. Holly is the co-creator of Acorn Author Services & Publishing.

A UCLA honors graduate, Holly is a former journalist who has worked everywhere from CNN in Washington, D.C. and KCOP-TV in Los Angeles, to the NBC affiliate in small-town Medford, Oregon.  She has recently completed her second book, Kingston Court, scheduled for release this September. A world traveler in her younger years, these days when she isn’t writing or content editing, Holly spends much of her time chasing after her two boys, Josh and Alex.  Holly is an avid reader with a passion for timeless books and beautiful writing. She also enjoys long walks, romantic movies and making her mischievous sons smile wider.