Bookwild - Kimberly Belle: My Darling Husband

Episode Date: February 2, 2022

On this episode, I talk to Kimberly Belle about her newest thriller My Darling Husband.You can also watch the episode on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUPtR0hYEv8Author Linkshttps://www.kimberlybellebooks.com/https://www.instagram.com/kimberlysbelle/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/KimberlyBelleBookshttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7778742.Kimberly_BelleCheck out the book herehttps://www.amazon.com/My-Darling-Husband-Kimberly-Belle-ebook/My Darling Husband SummaryEveryone is about to know what her husband isn’t telling her…Jade and Cam Lasky are by all accounts a happily married couple with two adorable kids, a spacious home and a rapidly growing restaurant business. But their world is tipped upside down when Jade is confronted by a masked home invader. As Cam scrambles to gather the ransom money, Jade starts to wonder if they’re as financially secure as their lifestyle suggests, and what other secrets her husband is keeping from her.Cam may be a good father, a celebrity chef and a darling husband, but there’s another side he’s kept hidden from Jade that has put their family in danger. Unbeknownst to Cam and Jade, the home invader has been watching them and is about to turn their family secrets into a public scandal. Get Bookwild MerchCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian 

Hi, my name is Kate and I love to read. Like, I was carrying books around with me before Kindles were a thing. So I decided to start a podcast where I interview the authors of some of my favorite books, ask them all of my questions so that I can read between the lines of the books. Welcome back to another episode of Between the Lines. I'm here with Kimberly Bell, who I've been a fan of for a really long time. I've read multiple of her books. So thank you for coming on the podcast. Of course. Thank you for having me.

Yeah. Your most recent book that came out was My Darling Husband. So that's what we're going to be talking about for this episode. And I just finished it last week in like maybe two days. It was that good. I love that. It'll be happier to write. But you can read it in two days.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So let's talk about you for a little bit. When did you know you wanted? to write a book or when did you know you wanted to be an author? So I'm not one of those authors who, you know, like wrote their first book in crayon. I have lots of author friends who were like, I never wanted to be anything else.

But for me, this is kind of my second career. I worked in fundraising for a really long time. But I always, and I really enjoyed it. But I always felt like, I don't know, I just felt like that wasn't quite it for me. And I always had this secret dream. I've always been a big reader. But I wasn't always, I didn't always think I wanted to write a book. And I think part of it was, you know, the phase of life that I was in for all those years.

And another, it's a really scary thing to write a whole book and send it out into the world. You know, so it took me a bunch of years to get to a place where I thought, okay, well, maybe I can do this. And at first I just did it for myself. But I was, like I said, I was working in fundraising in 2008 when the crash hit and I lost my job. Like overnight. Like, nothing. I woke up. And I thought, you know, okay, well, maybe this is the universe giving me a sign.

Like, do this thing that, you know, you've thought that maybe you wanted to do. So, you know, I could have gone out and gotten another job, but I decided to go for it. And like I said, that was 2008. and my first book didn't come out until 2014. So that tells you a little bit about how long it took me to figure out what I was doing and how to actually write a book. Because there's a lot of science behind it. And you have to know about structure and, you know, building conflict and character

and all those millions of things. So it took me a while to figure out what I was doing. But, yeah, now I can't imagine doing anything else. That's so cool. I love hearing stories where like something happens, like you lose your job and you decide to just like go after something you actually want. That actually happened to me too. So it's really cool hearing other people. Yeah, hearing other people have that experience.

So you were saying that it took some time to kind of figure out the science of it. So what is your writing process like? So I, you know, because the stories I write, they have a lot of moving pieces. to them. And so I really like to work from an outline. I spend a lot of time before I even write the first word, thinking about my story and planning it pretty much chapter to chapter. And that's not to say that it always stays that way as I'm actually writing it, but, you know, it really does, it really does give me a structure and a roadmap of where I'm going with the book and how to get from, you know, A to B, and the nice part about it is, every day when I sit down to write,

I know exactly what I'm supposed to be writing. So, um, that's definitely nice. So like I said, you know, I really work from an outline and I spend a good, you know, a bunch of weeks, sometimes a couple months thinking through my story before I write the very first word. And then, so do you figure out the characters at that point or do you kind of figure out the story and then flesh out the characters? Kind of the second. So when my, My outline is really plot heavy. And as I'm thinking through my plot, I'm thinking about what kind of character would fit that story, but really like down dirty, gritty character stuff I'm not really doing until

I sit down to write it. I mean, I have a general idea, but really, my characters always end up surprising me as I'm writing. My plot, not so much, but my characters do. So, yeah. That's really cool. So is it kind of like you kind of get to know them as you're writing them? That's where they kind of surprise you.

Kind of, yeah. And I'm thinking about, you know, what are their backstories? Why are they the way that they are? I mean, I know what kind of person I need to fit my plot, but when I'm actually writing them and, you know, giving them a personality and kind of giving them a voice, you know, your thinking much broader than just plot. You're thinking about what happened in their life to make them this way, especially when you're thinking about the characters who are maybe not so good always. You know, my heroine, of course, you know, I mean, nobody's ever 100% good, but

she's more good than bad typically. And then, you know, you have the villains and sometimes the husband could be a little villainous. You know, so you're thinking about like what, what happened in their life to make them the way that they are. And why do they want what they want, how they want it. So speaking of husbands who are a little bit, not good, how would you describe my darling husband just for someone who hasn't read it yet? The book or the husband? The book.

Okay, so my darling husband, the book, is about a woman named Jade. She's married with two kids and is coming home. one day to, and she, you know, she's got two small kids. They're seven and nine. They're kind of arguing on the back seat. And she's pulling into the garage and all the chaos of getting them out of the car doesn't notice the man in the corner. And he has a mask and a gun. And he forces his way into her home and holds her and her kids for ransom. And then, you know, he demands that she calls her husband, who Cam, my darling husband, who runs around town trying to pull together this crazy high number of, you know, dollars and bring it home before a deadline.

So, yeah. Yeah, it gets right to it from the beginning. Like, getting into the garage and, like, someone's there. I was like, well, that's terrifying. And then like I feel like the pacing then kind of like it reminded me a little bit of uncut gyms. I don't know if you've seen that movie, but a lot of people talk about how it's like so stressful because it's so like in the moment. I felt the same way about the book, but I don't want to give anything away yet. I love it.

What prompted you to write my darling husband? So, you know, I am under contract for, you know, a couple of books at a time. and this was one of those books that I was under contract for that was undefined. And so when it's time for me to actually write the book, I sit down with my editor and I'll picture a bunch of stories and nothing was sticking. She kept like kind of shooting everything down and for a bunch of different reasons. And at one point I said, okay, well, why don't we flip this around? So why don't you tell me what you would like to see from me?

And, you know, every editor I've ever known has a wish list of things that they would like to, you know, books that they would like to receive. So I flipped it around on her. And she sent me a list of maybe five things. And one of them was a mother protecting her home and her family from danger. And as soon as she said that, I just kind of knew what this story was going to be. Like kind of fell into my head. because I live, you know, for a good part of the year in Atlanta. And that is a city, unfortunately, that has its fair share of stories like this.

And I actually know a couple of people that it's happened to. So it was very front of mind and very, you know, current in my head. So when it was time for me to actually write this story, it was just right there for me to grab on to. Yeah, that's kind of, it's kind of cool. that like, I mean, it's sad that it's happening to other people, but it's kind of like, since you could draw from that to create a story that they were interested in, that is pretty interesting. So who would you cast for the main characters if it was a TV show or movie?

I always flip this question back around because I'm so bad. I'm like that person who looks through People magazine and it's like, who are these people? I don't know any of this. That's a good point. Maybe it's my age. That's okay. Not everyone has answers for this one. It's hard.

You know, you definitely want someone who's, you know, going to be a little bit Southern. They have the accent or be able to do the accent. Right. Someone suggested Reese Witherspoon for Jade. I don't know. She might be a little. That's who came to mind.

Yeah. Really? Yeah. When you said Southern, it was making, she has. And she has done like dark hair before it too. Right. Yeah. for cam i don't know i call him a big tall mediterranean man but i don't know who that would be i guess i can't

really think of it right now either that's okay it's just a fun question i'm like i but speaking that that do you think it would translate better into a tv show or a movie you know i i if i had my choice any of my books i would say tv just because i feel like the things that they're doing now on TV, the limited series, are so much more interesting and kind of push the envelope in new and interesting ways than the movies. The movies, I've just been really disappointed with movies lately. I think everybody's kind of more focused on TV, don't you? Yes. I've been loving how many limited series there are. Like, even if it's not a book inspired, but a lot of them are, it's so cool being able to like really dive into characters in like eight to 12 episodes yeah yeah i love

it so my my choice for any of my books would be tv for sure i totally get that we barely like we barely go to the movies anymore and we haven't like really seen one to rent even that we've really wanted to we just watch tv and read i know same here and my husband is a big movie guy i mean i like tv he's he he likes the movies because it's short shorter um you know he's not a binger so um but yeah when we look for a movie i can't find one that's what we run into because my husband's the same way like he does like the idea of watching a slow burn drama is like not going to work for him so he like shorter stuff too so we're always trying to find stuff but i feel like there's i agree we just they're on as many good movies right now, at least. Yeah. Well, the next section here, we are going to start

talking about the book. So there will be spoilers. So if you haven't read it yet, pause and go read it and then come back. But if you're here because you already read it and you're excited to hear about it, you can just keep listening. Awesome. I love spoilers. I love talking spoilers. Yeah. It is really fun getting to kind of like dive into what actually happened. So it is a super intense thriller, kind of like I mentioned, the pacing reminded me so much of uncut gyms actually, which there we go. There's one good movie that I've seen in the last two years. There you go. There is one. But in Jade's case, there's also kind of like examining motherhood. And even in Sebastian's case, there's very much like examining motherhood. fatherhood. So did you set out to really examine that in the context of a thriller? You know, it wasn't so much Jade's parenting role that I was aiming for when I first sat down to write this story, but it was definitely Sebastian's and also Cams. And what I wanted to do was kind of give them parallel motivations,

because they're both really, ultimately, they're both trying to protect the people that they love most, right? Yeah. Different ways. They also have, you know, this past that conflicts with, you know, they've worked together. There's some money issues there. And so, but ultimately I wanted them to want the same thing.

There are methods of going about getting it or maybe very different, although they're both willing to push the envelope and do some things that are maybe not legal in order to reach their goals. Yeah. That was, it was kind of cool because there were parts where Jade was thinking, like, I will kill this man because of like how he's threatening my family. And it was almost the flip side of it for him, for Sebastian. where he was like, I will hurt someone for my daughter. Like he, I feel like it's debatable whether he would have actually killed anyone.

Gone through with it, especially the kids. I don't think he would have killed a kid. That was the vibe I was getting. So it's like he was willing to hurt a little bit. But they both had. And threatened a lot. It didn't threaten a lot. Yeah.

But they both had such similar, both of them were feeling, Jady and Sebastian were both feeling so strongly about. their children. Right. Right. And the main theme of the whole story, if you look at all three parents, it's like, how far will you go to save your child, basically? Yeah. Or children. Yes. Yeah, that was a, one of the other questions I had was like about how both men, so Cam and Sebastian, they both feel a lot of pressure to provide for their families. And so Sebastian, it felt like life or death for his daughter and so he went to a violent extreme to help her but then for cam his ego kind of had him convinced that his financial situation was basically life or death and he did

less violent things but they're also pretty nasty things so right would you not legal things you not legal things what who would you say is the better man if that's possible or are they the same with different methods? You know, I kind of tend towards Sebastian just because, you know, he's like, they're both doing things to provide for their children, right? But I think ultimately Sebastian's doing it to keep his daughter alive. And Cam is doing it to keep his daughter alive. And Cam is doing it to keep his. status and his, you know, whatever in the community and to look like the man and to give his family this big house with all these, you know, luxuries where Sebastian really it's all

about for him, it's about, you know, keeping his daughter alive. Yeah. Which is a very different, different thing. Yeah. And it, depending on whose perspective, like who the chapter is, you almost like feel differently just because you're like in one of their heads so you can kind of feel with cam you feel the pressure you can kind of understand why he has acted the way he's acted and with Sebastian it's the same thing where knowing their intent makes you feel a certain way about the character and were you trying to kind of like show how important the intent behind actions are and how we kind of judge people. Yeah, and, you know, I think, I think that was the, the interesting part about a story like this one is, you know, at first, you, especially with Sebastian, you know, you know, he's doing this horrible, awful thing from the very beginning.

He's threatening his family, he's, you know, throwing their lives into, like, this craziness. but the more the story progresses, the more you understand why he's doing what he's doing. And that makes him, you know, it gives him a degree of sympathy, which you don't expect going in to get for the villain. Yeah, but you definitely do feel it for him because it's like I'm not a parent, but imagine any parent thinking of there not being any options for their kid can kind of. understand, like, being willing to do anything. Yeah, his back is, like, literally up against the proverbial wall. Yeah. And, you know, what he really, at that point, he didn't have any other options. He didn't know what else to do. And so, you know, I think, I think at one point, the reader, like, feels and understands that. And then you, even if you don't agree with what he's,

how he's going about getting, you know, ultimately it's about money, right? Money in order to save his daughter, pay for her treatments. Even if you don't agree with how he's going about getting that money, you understand why he needs it and you feel for him. Yeah, you really do. I can't even imagine, like, just watching someone that sick and feeling like you can't do anything about it. Did you know from the beginning that he was going to kind of do the suicide by cop thing

to basically really propel the story even more to try to help her? I didn't. The suicide by cop thing was that was like a little thing that I added in as I was writing. I knew he wasn't going to make it out alive. I knew he was going to, you know, do some, like he was going to end up dying for his daughter. I did know that. But the suicide by cop thing was something I came up with as I was writing it. Yeah. Yeah. Did you debate having Beatrix be the one to do it instead of, the cops, like when she is holding the gun? Holding the gun? I don't remember. I would have to go back and actually look at my outline. I also debated, I don't remember how I had it because I do remember at one point in my outline.

It was that the gun was not going to even be loaded. Oh, yeah. That he was, you know, I mean, this whole thing was, because I wanted the reader to to have sympathy for him. And at that point, it would be obvious that he never intended to actually hurt them. He just wanted to push the envelope as far as he could in order to get the money. But in further versions, I ended up having it, you know, be a loaded gun. But I honestly don't, I don't think I would have ever had Beatrix actually shoot him.

Certainly not a death shot. because like what nine-year-old kid could ever get over that? I know. It was, I was so torn because the pacing of the chapters is like, you kind of know she has it, but then we switched to another perspective. And so the whole time I was thinking about what I wanted to have happen. And it was like, part of me was like, it would be so empowering that like she like has the power. But I still felt that even though she didn't end up killing him.

it was like the most exciting part of the book for me was like beatrix and like holding you again yeah yeah i loved that kid she was she was actually surprised as i was writing of it she was as um and i knew that i i knew i wanted her to be you know smart enough to do some things that would i don't know about save herself 100 but do some things that would freak her mother out because it's too brave. You know, I mean, in that position, what do you do? Like, if your kid is that smart and that brave, I mean, you almost want her to save herself,

but you also don't want her to take the risks, right? It's a very weird, fine line you walk then in that case. And so I knew I wanted her to be smart and maybe saucy, maybe too saucy. But, yeah, she kind of freaked me out. I was riding her too. She was so fun. I loved the character the whole time.

Just like the idea of someone that young who was like, I'm not taking this. Like even from a guy who's being scary, I'm not, this isn't going to be how I go down. Right. I loved it. She was very cool.

So in the ending, Cam does have to pay for his actions, which I did like, I couldn't tell if it was going to still kind of end on a happy note, but I did love that he still did have to face what he'd been doing. But you leave it kind of on a cliffhanger of whether he and Jade had, or if Jade's okay with everything, if they've kind of resolved stuff or are still together. Did you know you wanted to end it on an open ending? I don't know if I, I, I, so it's funny. Like, in my head,

head, it's not really that much of an open ending. I see why readers think that because of the last couple of lines in the book. But if you read Jade's last chapter, I don't feel like it's as much of an open ending as people are saying. I think I point readers in the direction what Jade is thinking. And I think, you know, an experience like she had been through that puts things into perspective, so your husband maybe, you know, had some, had some, you know, bad deals or, you know, he was, he had a loan shark money and maybe he, you know, burned down a club or two. But, you know, he saved his kids ultimately. Like, you know, I mean, they survived.

And I think that that puts all that other stuff into perspective. And, you know, I think never in any of. the story did I suggest at any point that they didn't love each other very much. So, you know, I feel like, I feel like the, in my mind at least, you know, it's not so much of an open ending as to whether or not they'll be together. Right. That was how I felt about it, but I didn't want to like ask you to explain it since you wrote it the way you wanted to write it. But I, Jade's last chapter, there's a lot that I loved about it because it was she, a lot of what you just said, she was so sure that she would do anything to get her family back together.

Like she mentions that. And even with Beatrix when she's kind of realizing like, maybe I don't need to push stuff on her so much. Like maybe I am the one kind of like really making her like perfectionistic and all that stuff. So it was really cool seeing her in that last chapter reflecting on her family as a whole and then even just like what actually matters and how do I actually want to handle it. So it felt to me like she really would have done anything to stick together. So I felt like they would still be together. Yeah, me too, me too.

And you know, I don't like a story like this, it's almost, it would almost be unrealistic to end it in a way. where everything is, you know, happily ever after and everybody's good. And, you know, I mean, Cam did some awful stuff and he might need to pay for some of that. And, you know, it's going to be, they're going to have a couple of tough years. But, you know, I just, I like stories that feel grounded in reality also with the ending. Yep. And I think, you know, if you've read any of my other books, I think my stories tend to end on a hopeful ending, but not necessarily. necessarily happily ever after ending. It's, you know, I kind of point the reader in

in the right direction and I leave some things maybe not so neatly tied up. Yeah. Yeah. I've read, I think I've read all of your books. Oh, I love that. Well, thank you. Your wife just blew my mind. Like it's in my top of all time. Oh, I love that. Thanks. That one was great. So if anyone, at this point you would have read My Darling Husband if you're still listening. So if you liked that, you'll also really love your wife because it was just that one, that one I probably read

in one day. I was probably staying up a link to the night to finish it. I love it. Well, thank you. Yeah. Thank you. So where can people find you? Just kind of plug whatever you want to plug. Yeah, so I'm everywhere. I'm on

Instagram. I'm on Facebook and Twitter. Goodreads, all of the above. All my links are at Kimberlybellbooks.com. You can click on all my socials and find me anywhere. I'm spending way too much time probably on those social media platforms, but they're fun. And I love talking books and chatting with readers,

so definitely find me there. Yeah, I think we're all on those apps too much, probably. Probably. Unfortunately. Well, thank you for coming on the podcast and talking about your book. Of course. Well, thank you for having me. This was fun. I love it when I get to talk spoilers and actually talk about what really happened in the book. You have to be so careful. But this was fun. I'm glad. Well, thank you. And thank you everybody for listening.