Today Kimberly Rose Johnson is sharing about her latest release and answering some tough questions.

This was such a fun project! It is the first time I have co-written a book and what a treat to do so with my publisher and friend. When I was first approached by Miralee, I was given carte blanche to come up with a storyline for Sandra, a strong secondary character in the larger story.

Thankfully, her plotline came easily to me. That is not always the case when I write. In fact, that is basically the opposite of how most of my plots happen lol. Usually, I sit and ponder them for months.

The most unique part of writing this story was blending my novella into the main story. The process went amazingly well! I had actually done this once before with one of my own books, so I had a little experience. I had written a novella and then decided to include it in another book. So, I blended the two stories into one. That’s exactly what Miralee and I did.

One of the themes of this story is family. I don’t think either of us set out for that to happen, but as I was editing before we sent it off to our professional editor and then later proofreading the final copy, it struck me how family was a theme in both of our stories.

The main character is a TV celebrity chef and widow who is trying to navigate her career along with being a single parent to a teen girl who only wants her mom’s attention. When she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime to do a show in Europe for the summer, she wants to jump at it, but her daughter isn’t onboard. Now she must decide what is most important.

My character is also career driven but she is younger and unattached. She lives with her grandmother who thinks it’s her duty for find a husband for Sandra and to do so, she keeps setting Sandra up on disastrous blind dates. Sandra must find a way to make both her grandmother happy as well as herself while continuing to pursue her dream of managing her aunts Mexican diner.

If you enjoy Hallmark-like stories then this book is for you.

Here is the opening page of the book.

Adela paced the floor of her TV kitchen a few minutes prior to filming...why did her daughter’s soccer game have to be so close in time to her final episode of her award-winning cooking show, Adela Romero’s Alta Cocina? Or maybe if she was fair, she’d wonder why the filming always seemed to overlap Fabiola’s games. Fabi had been patient, if not disappointed, the first one or two times Adela had arrived late in the stands, but the last couple of times, she had missed the game entirely. That could not happen again tonight. 

Her director, and a man she’d grown to appreciate like a father, stepped up next to the camera and nodded her way. “Almost time, Adela. Put on that million-dollar smile now for your fans and wow them one more time.”

Adela tried to push Fabi out of her mind. Mr. O’Shaughnessy was right. It was time to wow her fans, and she couldn’t do that if she was worrying about her daughter. If she got out of here the second they wrapped, she’d be able to make it across Los Angeles and to the game before the halfway point of the match. Surely, Fabi would understand, especially since she didn’t have any more shows to film for a few months.

“Three, two, one...” Mr. O whirled his finger in the air, the camera came to life, and Adela mustered her brightest smile, determined to live up to her reputation.

“Today, we’re making a scrumptious lamb tamale. It sounds harder than it is, I promise. Once your lamb has hung out in the perforated holder for ten hours, you want to remove the meat from the bone. Keep that broth, though! We’re gonna use it, I swear on my daughter’s reputation as a soccer player, mi amigos.” Now where had that come from? She gave a nervous chuckle and tried to corral her runaway thoughts.

A laugh from a cameraman was quickly stifled, and Adela glanced his way. Was he laughing at her or with her? It didn’t matter. She must keep her mind on her job. “In a stock pot, combine the lamb, the roasted trumpet mushrooms, guajillo puree, and yes, just like I promised, that beautiful, beautiful broth!” She kissed her fingers and waved her hand in the air. “Bring that to a simmer and then season with sea salt and chile de arbol. Let the mixture cool so it solidifies a bit. Then pour it into these tamales that have waited ever so patiently.”

She scooped her filling into uncooked tamales and then started wrapping them up. “We wrap up our little Navidad presents one by one and put them in the oven for about forty-five minutes. And they come out like this...” She reached beneath the counter and pulled out a bunch of ready-made tamales. Then she picked up a bottle of oregano and garnished them. “I recommend a little grated Oaxaca cheese and some fresh Mexican oregano. Delicioso!” She sprinkled the cheese on top of the warm tamales and then picked up the tamale and took a big bite.

       A little juice seeped out the side of her mouth, and she smiled. “And that is how you get my lamb tamale...all over your face.” She winked at the camera and grins broke out all over the set. Adela waved at the camera. “Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Adela Romero’s Alta Cocina. Until next time—adios!”

Getting to know Kimberly:

Where is your favorite vacation spot? Sunriver, Oregon. I love to ride bikes on the 30 plus miles of paved paths.

What can your readers expect from you next? My hope is to release a Christmas novella as part of the Puppies for Christmas series that the Sweet Romance Reads blog authors are writing.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful? I love this question! There are so many things readers can do. Here are several ideas: leave a review, tell friends about the book, request it at their library, subscribe to the author’s newsletter and follow on social media because the number of followers and subscribers we have has a direct impact on our ability to obtain future contracts.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Donna!  You are most welcome. Come back anytime.

Question for readers. Since we are entering travel season and this book takes place in a popular travel destination, if you could travel anywhere this summer, where would you go?

About Kimberly

Award winning author Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in Montana. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing. She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance and romantic mystery and suspense with a heart.

Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

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