Welcome to the last day of the blog tour for Isoldesse, by Kimberly Grymes, hosted by TBR and Beyond. While I might be posting on the last day, you can find the full schedule here to make sure you don’t miss a single post. I’m lucky that I’ve been able to interview Kimberly about her young adult sci-fi novel as part of my spot today so while I will be reviewing, my review will be at a later date to make sure that my post here isn’t as long as the book!
Synopsis:
Friendships are tested, new alliances are made, and the truth of one woman’s actions from over a millennia ago are revealed.
Kenna and Meegan are college students dealing with upcoming finals, needy parents, boy drama, and what to do with their lives after they graduate in a few weeks. What they weren’t expecting was for Kenna to receive a powerful stone necklace that ultimately changes their plans for a relaxing summer.
Strange things begin to happen to Kenna, like being the only one who can see and talk to the mysterious old woman with a golden aura. Or how in her dreams, a man with vibrant orange eyes keeps appearing who may or may not be real. Though, not all of Kenna’s mysterious encounters are pleasant as she’s haunted by massive beings carrying long swords and wearing armor covered in black scales.
Besides solving the mystery of where the stone necklace came from, Kenna, Meegan, and their friends are taken to another world for a routine evolutionary assessment. The assessment gets sabotaged and causes more chaos for Kenna and her friends, especially for Meegan who is forced to open up and reveal her true identity and the magic she hides.
There’s one name that Kenna, Meegan, the Sendarians, and the monsters who’ve been hunting Meegan and her family for over a century all have in common…
ISOLDESSE
Here’s my interview with author Kimberly Grymes:
Hello Kimberly and thank you for joining me for the interview today. It must be a strange time to be releasing a book! How are you feeling about it?
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to ask me a few questions. This book has been five years in the making and I’m quite excited to be finally getting it out into the hands of readers!
I’m curious to know, and I’m sure readers are too – where did the name ‘Isoldesse’ come from?
I put a twist on the name Isolde. The ‘e’ is silent in Isoldesse and is pronounced: Is•ol•dess
How did you come about writing the book? Was it a sudden idea or a slowly growing one?
The idea to write a book sparked back in 2014 while listening to Jennifer Armentrout’s “Lux” series via audiobook. I was drawn to the idea that a story could be both magical and have aliens. The idea simmered in my head for a long time before I began drafting. The first draft of Isoldesse was nothing like the finished version of today. It was more of a sci-fi, romance adventure story following Kenna (still a multi-POV story, but Meegan was more of a supporting character). Then, after listening to a podcast (Writing Excuses) and hearing how the podcasters were saying they wanted more stories about friendship, I shifted gears and reworked Isoldesse to be more about friendship.
What are your writing essentials? Do you need a cup of tea or a certain pen?
My ear plugs. It’s rarely quite in our home. Even when my husband is in his office working from home with the door shut and the kids are off at school, our two dogs are like toddlers. They’re often playing with their squeaky toys or chasing each other or begging for my attention. My ear plugs are a wonderful escape, allowing me to focus on whatever project I’m working on.
Coffee too 😉 I love my Coffeemate Peppermint Mocha creamer!
When you’re not writing, what do you like to spend your time on?
I have a small book blog, Plum Report, that I devote much time to. I enjoy taking bookstagram pictures (when I have time) and interacting with others on IG. I also recently started a podcast that combines my book blog and author platform. Both are fun and keep me involved with people in the bookish community.
When I’m not blogging, bookstagramming, or writing, I enjoy crafting, baking, playing Stardew Valley on our Xbox, and hanging out with family and friends. My favorite part of the day is TV time with my husband. We love watching sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, dystopia shows and movies every night with our two miniature pinschers cuddled up between us.
What do you take your inspiration from when it comes to your writing?
Soooo many things I’ve seen on TV, movies, and books. I’m a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, and part of my climax scene in Isoldesse was inspired by a scene from one of the later episodes of Buffy. Quaid’s name came from one of my favorite movies: Total Recall (and just an FYI: I do prefer the original Total Recall, but also enjoyed the remake).
When I decided to shift the story to be more about friendship, I looked to strong female friends for inspiration. The girls of Vampire Diaries was my go-to group. I absolutely love Caroline the most, and wanted to bring that strong friendship those girls had in that show to Isoldesse.
I’ve learned a lot about storytelling by watching TV and film, and reading books, and though my writing style might be a bit heavy on the dialogue I think that’s because I do revert back to TV shows and film as a reference. But I’m a growing author and plan to continue writing more stories for years to come!
Congratulations, you’ve won the lottery! What is the first non-essential purchase you make?
A vacation home. Somewhere to go when I need an escape, or where my family can go to take a break and just enjoy each other’s company. Now that we’ve moved closer to family, I believe we’ll start having more of these opportunities.
Finally, how would you describe ‘Isoldesse’ in three words?
Multilayered, Science-fiction, Friendships
Book Links
Amazon UK
Book Depository
Barnes and Noble
About The Author
When Kimberly Grymes is not writing, reading, or blogging, she’s usually hanging out with her husband and kids, baking treats, or keeping busy with crafts. As much as she enjoys reading books, she loves watching movies and TV, and is always on the lookout for the next great sci-fi or fantasy show to watch. Her favorite part of the day is TV time in the evening with her husband and two min-pins, Jubilee and Cori. She currently lives in Kansas, where her allergies are much better than they were in Connecticut.
Kimberly has a small book blog called the Plum Report in which she reads and reviews science-fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and or dystopian books. She also enjoys taking bookstagram pictures and sharing them with the book community on Instagram.
Author Links
Website
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
GoodReads
And On She Reads 