Kim Baccellia, author of the young adult multicultural fantasy novel, EARRINGS OF IXTUMEA, is here with us today at AUTHOR TALKS!Ms. Baccellia's writing credits include numerous poems published in a variety of magazines, ranging from Beginnings magazine and Latino Stuff Review to Coil magazine. Her poem, My Father , appears in the Mind Mutations Anthology published by The Sun Rising Poetry Press. Her essay on the adoption of her son, Finally, Our Turn , appeared in both Adoptive Families magazine and the Adoptive Families 2003-2004 Adoption Guide . She is also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators ( SCBWI).
Earrings of Ixtumea is a finalist in the 2006 Dream Realm Awards and was a finalist in the Smartwriters 2006 WIN contest.
You can visit her website at http://www.kim-baccellia.com/ and her blog at http://www.kbaccellia.livejournal.com/.
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AUTHOR TALKS: Welcome to Author Talks, Kim! Can you tell us a little about yourself?
KIM: I’m the YA author of the multicultural fantasy, Earrings of Ixtumea.
AUTHOR TALKS: How long have you been writing?
KIM: Since I can remember. I wrote a horoscope column for my middle school paper. I wrote for my high school newspaper. I even put together my own newsletter while attending junior college. My poetry section was in demand.
AUTHOR TALKS: Has it been a bumpy ride to becoming a published author or has it been pretty well smooth sailing? Would you like to tell us how you became published for the first time?
KIM: I always wanted to be a writer but one experience made me put my dream on hold. In my junior college creative writing class, the teacher told me I’d never succeed as a writer until I experienced more of life. Too funny but in the 80’s they didn’t like younger writers and now the publishing world can’t get enough of them!
Well, I put aside my writing dreams until 2000 after I’d taught for a number of years. Then I decided to write, again. My first poem was published in a magazine not much later.
I started writing Earrings in 2003 and I was offered a contact in 2006. So it took about 4 years for my novel to come out in print.
AUTHOR TALKS: Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/is is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it’s necessary to have one?
KIM: Right now I’m looking for an agent. I’d like to have one to help me get my foot in the traditional publishing world. But I don’t think all writers need agents. I know writers who swear by agents and others who like to work alone. It depends on the writer. I’ve also heard it’s better to have no agent than a bad one.
AUTHOR TALKS: Can you please tell us about your book and why you wrote it?
KIM: Earrings of Ixtumea is a fast-paced fantasy featuring a young Latina who discovers ancient traditions in her family history that propel her to a magical civilization, where she struggles against evil forces that threaten her family, her heart, and her life.
I wrote Earrings because I wanted to create a fantasy that had a Latina heroine and showed a world of her Mexican ancestors.
AUTHOR TALKS: Do you plan subsequent books?
KIM: I have some ideas about a sequel to Earrings. I’d have Lupe a few years older, learning more about Ixtumea and her role as orucula. Of course she’ll have to go back. I plan to have a bigger role for Tonantzin and of course, Teancum will be there.
AUTHOR TALKS: Are you a morning writer or a night writer?
KIM: Morning. I’m not a night person.
AUTHOR TALKS: Any final words of wisdom for those of us who would like to be published?
KIM: Be persistent. If an opportunity presents itself, go for it.
AUTHOR TALKS: Thank you for coming, Kim! Would you like to tell my readers where they can find you on the web?
KIM: Check out my website at http://www.kim-baccellia.com/. Also go to http://www.virtualtales.com/ to check out the other stories.
Kim Baccellia is represented by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours. If you would like to see where else Kim will be this month, click here!
KIM: I’m the YA author of the multicultural fantasy, Earrings of Ixtumea.
AUTHOR TALKS: How long have you been writing?
KIM: Since I can remember. I wrote a horoscope column for my middle school paper. I wrote for my high school newspaper. I even put together my own newsletter while attending junior college. My poetry section was in demand.
AUTHOR TALKS: Has it been a bumpy ride to becoming a published author or has it been pretty well smooth sailing? Would you like to tell us how you became published for the first time?
KIM: I always wanted to be a writer but one experience made me put my dream on hold. In my junior college creative writing class, the teacher told me I’d never succeed as a writer until I experienced more of life. Too funny but in the 80’s they didn’t like younger writers and now the publishing world can’t get enough of them!
Well, I put aside my writing dreams until 2000 after I’d taught for a number of years. Then I decided to write, again. My first poem was published in a magazine not much later.
I started writing Earrings in 2003 and I was offered a contact in 2006. So it took about 4 years for my novel to come out in print.
AUTHOR TALKS: Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/is is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it’s necessary to have one?
KIM: Right now I’m looking for an agent. I’d like to have one to help me get my foot in the traditional publishing world. But I don’t think all writers need agents. I know writers who swear by agents and others who like to work alone. It depends on the writer. I’ve also heard it’s better to have no agent than a bad one.
AUTHOR TALKS: Can you please tell us about your book and why you wrote it?
KIM: Earrings of Ixtumea is a fast-paced fantasy featuring a young Latina who discovers ancient traditions in her family history that propel her to a magical civilization, where she struggles against evil forces that threaten her family, her heart, and her life.
I wrote Earrings because I wanted to create a fantasy that had a Latina heroine and showed a world of her Mexican ancestors.
AUTHOR TALKS: Do you plan subsequent books?
KIM: I have some ideas about a sequel to Earrings. I’d have Lupe a few years older, learning more about Ixtumea and her role as orucula. Of course she’ll have to go back. I plan to have a bigger role for Tonantzin and of course, Teancum will be there.
AUTHOR TALKS: Are you a morning writer or a night writer?
KIM: Morning. I’m not a night person.
AUTHOR TALKS: Any final words of wisdom for those of us who would like to be published?
KIM: Be persistent. If an opportunity presents itself, go for it.
AUTHOR TALKS: Thank you for coming, Kim! Would you like to tell my readers where they can find you on the web?
KIM: Check out my website at http://www.kim-baccellia.com/. Also go to http://www.virtualtales.com/ to check out the other stories.
Kim Baccellia is represented by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours. If you would like to see where else Kim will be this month, click here!
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