Interview with Kimberley Woodhouse
SUMMARY: Christian Book Clubs chats with Kimberley Woodhouse about her success as an author of more than 50 books, her latest release, and the one thing she hopes all readers take away from her books.
Do You Know What I Know is an Alaska-set romantic suspense that pivots to Louisiana. How did the two-state structure come together, and what do you want readers to feel in the moment the story shifts?
I grew up in Louisiana and lived in Alaska for several years. They’re my two favorite states. I loved the chance to showcase some of the wonderful cuisine in Louisiana and the incredible scenery of Alaska. I hope sharing what I love about these two states encourages readers to visit both of them!
Your protagonist, Faith, is a chef reckoning with a very public Food Channel disaster. What drew you to a food-world character, and what does a working kitchen let you do dramatically that another setting wouldn't?
Cooking is one of the things I love to do. Also, my husband and I enjoy watching fast-paced cooking shows, seeing what chefs can create under pressure. I enjoyed the opportunity to share some amazing recipes with readers and showcase the high-energy environment of a kitchen competition. It was a fun challenge to write.
The gumbo cook-off is a set piece, but it also carries faith content, character revelation, and suspense all at once. How did you keep the pacing tight while running so many threads through one competition?
After over 50 books written, I know where my strengths lie. My incredible editor, Karen Ball, helped me to realize two decades ago, that I’m really great at conflict, suspense and lots of threads. In fact, she had to teach me how to allow the reader to breathe, because I often had too much happening in one scene. As a reader myself, I enjoy a good paced book – and seeing the threads come together in a satisfying pay-off.
This is a second-chance romance, but "second chance" carries theological weight in Christian fiction that it doesn't carry in the general market. What did you want to say about grace and starting over that only Faith and Gabe's story could say?
I think one of the most amazing things about Jesus and the Christian faith is that grace is so overwhelming in the face of knowing you’re truly forgiven. That’s a wrestle for us as humans. But the fact that we experience the grace, love, and forgiveness of God is a story worth telling over and over again.
You’ve published more than fifty books. How was this project, co-writing with two other novelists, different from your other writing experiences?
I’ve had the opportunity to write other novella collections in the past. This one, however, was particularly special. I loved the opportunity work with my dear friend Jayna. And to get to know Sarah, who is lovely.
If a reader has never read a Kimberley Woodhouse book before and picks up The Last Noel because of your novella, what do you hope they discover about your work? And what should they read from your backlist next?
The biggest takeaway I always want is for readers to be filled with hope. Hope in the Lord and His great love. As for recommendations: if a reader enjoys historical suspense, A SONG IN THE DARK, a World War II novel released last September, is a story that is near and dear to my heart. It’s about a blind pianist touring Europe in the shadow of Hitler’s Third Reich. If they enjoy contemporary suspense, I would recommend my Alaskan Cyber Hunters series, starting with 26 BELOW. It focuses on how technology pervades our lives and how, in the wrong hands, can create chaos and destruction.
