Welcome Kim O'Brien to the 2014 MCBF Author List

Kim O'Brien joins the lineup of 2014 MCBF

At Emory University in Atlanta, Kim earned a B.A. in psychology, but then decided to pursue the dream of writing by attaining a master's degree in fine arts from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. She worked many years as a writer, editor, and speechwriter for IBM before becoming a full time mom and fiction writer. She’s been happily married for 24 years and has two beautiful daughters. A more recent addition to the family is an eight-pound Maltese/Schnauzer mix named Daisy.

Kim is the author of eight inspirational romance novels and seven non-fiction, children’s books. Her first YA thriller, Bone Deep, will be published in March 2015. She loves to hear from her readers and can be found at www:kimobrienbooks.com, facebook, and Twitter (kimobri).

Read Kim's interview here:

At what age did you start writing?

I was about ten years old. My best friend and I started a neighborhood newsletter called “The Outlaw.” (The cover was a drawing of a rearing horse. I was very into horses.). Our publication featured short stories, news, and a lot of drawings. We didn’t have computers back then, so we manually typed each issue and used carbon paper. Each copy cost ten cents. I think I still have some for sale…

Do you outline before you write or just dive in? 

A little of both. I like to know the basics of the story before I start – like who my characters are and what they want. I also jot down one-sentence ideas for scenes. The more I know about my story before I start to write, the easier it is (and there’s less rewriting too). But a lot of times I like to let the story unfold as I write it. It’s much more fun to find out what happens as I go along.

Do you have a pet? Tell us about her and how she helps/hinders your writing.

I have an eight-pound Maltese/schnauzer mix named Daisy. Every morning we walk three miles together and then come home and go to work. Her job is to sleep or look out the window while I write. Sometimes I bounce ideas off her and she never has anything critical to say. On the downside, she is always up for a break and if you lie on the couch and she gets in your lap, she puts you right to sleep.   

What books or authors have most influenced your writing most?

One of my favorite authors is Jodi Piccoult. Each of her books is written in many different points of view, so the reader truly experiences the story from many perspectives. Her stories have heart and depth and this has encouraged me to dig deeper into the minds of the characters I create. I really love complex stories – the ones that require characters to make tough choices – and I love twists that come naturally in a story, ones that aren’t an effort to manipulate the reader, but happen because of all the elements in a book come together.

On the dawn of the zombie apocalypse, what three things are a must to take with you when you flee your home for refuge from the undead hordes?

A coat as I get cold very easily and will probably be hiding in the great outdoors in some national park. I would also bring a pen and spiral notebook to record the details of my survival in hopes of someday publishing this journal and having Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt star in my story. And third, I would take my dog. Not only would she alert me to the presence of any zombie heading my way, but also she has a good nose for finding food. I think this would come in handy.  NOTE: I did not take my family into consideration when deciding what to bring. Surviving a zombie apocalypse without them wouldn’t be much fun, even if I got a movie deal out of it.

Meet Kim at the

2014 Montgomery County Book Festival

on Saturday, February 15th

at Lone Star College - Montgomery