Hi everyone! It’s officially the holidays and I thought this was the perfect time to share this post with y’all.
I’ve been a big book nerd for as long as I can remember now and reading works of authors that do not necessarily get the attention they deserve is something I love because I’ve found out that mostly these are the ones with real talent. Such is Judith Keim. I had the absolute privilege of talking to her.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Your work, Your childhood.
Hello, Everyone! I’m Judith Keim. I write romantic women’s fiction and my twenty-first book will be out next spring, available on all sites – ebook, print, audio. I grew up in Elmira, a small city in upstate New York and had a nice childhood with a brother, a sister and my parents.
This is how my short bio reads:
Judith Keim enjoyed her childhood and young-adult years in Elmira, New York, and now makes her home in Boise, Idaho, with her husband and their two dachshunds, Winston and Wally, and other members of her family. While growing up, she was drawn to the idea of writing stories from a young age. Books were always present, being read, ready to go back to the library, or about to be discovered. All in her family shared information from the books in general conversation, giving them a wealth of knowledge and vivid imaginations. A hybrid author who both has a publisher and self-publishes, Ms. Keim writes heart-warming novels about women who face unexpected challenges, meet them with strength, and find love and happiness along the way. Her best-selling books are based, in part, on many of the places she’s lived or visited and on the interesting people she’s met, creating believable characters and realistic settings her many loyal readers love. Ms. Keim loves to hear from her readers and appreciates their enthusiasm for her stories.
Who is the most influential person in your life?
Right now, the most influential person in my life is my husband. We’ve been married for many years and not only live together but work together. Among many other things, he does some of the editing of my work. But if you mean who has had a major impact on my life, I would have to say my mother. She loved to read and read many books per week. She was always open to discussing them. When I did any writing in school, she encouraged me. She was a warm, loving woman who taught us to include everyone in our good wishes for them.
What made you start your writing?
I think writers are born with a need to tell stories, to observe other people, to savor words. I started writing stories in school, of course, and loved books and the words in them. As I grew older, my stories grew longer and more complex. However, I also have written children’s stories. The first story to be accepted was sold to the magazine Highlights for Children, in the 1990s. Since then I’ve devoted time to writing for adults.
What is one thing you wish more people knew about you?
I wish more people knew I genuinely like to hear from my readers, that I value their input and friendship, that it isn’t just something I say.
Tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve faced, and how you dealt with it.
Trying to have your book published is one challenge after another. It’s difficult to go through all the work of writing a book and presenting it to your editors so they can tell you everything they see wrong with it. I’ve learned to take their advice, look at it, and use it to make my work better. It works, but you have to keep a good attitude about it. Writing novels is a wonderful, difficult job.
How do you deal with stress? What would be your advice to someone dealing with stress?
We all have stress in our lives. When I’m stressed out about something personal or in my books, perhaps trying to come up with something in the plotting of it, I leave my office, take a walk, a hot shower, or soak in the tub to relax my body and let my mind wander.
What’s your biggest achievement till date?
My biggest achievement professionally is the publication and release of all my books. Readers continue to love them, which I think is a really big achievement for me. My biggest achievement personally is my family. I have two children and five grandchildren whom I love deeply.
What would your piece of advice be to someone struggling with their career as an author?
If you’re struggling as an author, never give up! Keep writing, keep learning. Most of all, have other people look at your work with a kind, but critical eye, whether it is by entering a contest, or having a critique partner. And then, when someone mentions something that isn’t working with your writing or story, LISTEN! If even one person mentions something, take a second look at it and try to understand what they are saying about it not working for them. And if necessary, be willing to make changes. A book is rewritten several times before it ever goes out to the public.
Tell us something about your latest project.
Home at Last, Book #3 in the Chandler Hill Inn series will be coming out April 2020. Many of my books take place along the Gulf Coast of Florida. This one is different because these stories take place in the Willamette Valley of Oregon in the wine country. All of my books are fun, easy reads about women facing challenges and finding love and happiness along the way.
A piece of advice for your younger self.
Have more faith in succeeding by being yourself.
A piece of advice for everyone reading this.
Life is short. Enjoy what you do. And if it’s writing that brings you happiness, don’t ever stop learning what you can do to become better.
Thank you for reading! Check out Judith’s work on Goodreads.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday season and I’ll be having two more blog posts going up this year so please keep an eye out for that. Do not forget to comment which author or any personality you’d want me to talk to next and I’ll try my best to get in touch with them.
Thank you. I love you.
Until next time,
Milly.
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