NAME: Kim Louise

BIRTHDAY: August 3

OCCUPATION: I have two. Performance Consultant and Writer.

CITY OF RESIDENCE: Omaha

BEST BOOK(S) YOU READ IN 2003: Delaney's Dessert Sheikh, A Little Dare, Sugar.

I do a lot more writing now. Being a BET author has turned my "hobby" into something I enjoy more and commit to on a more regular basis. I receive e-mail and letters from people all over the country and countries outside of the US. It's wonderful corresponding with such a great group of readers who are dedicated to romance. And it's fun to discuss, not just my books, but those of our favorite romance authors. Romance readers are the best readers--in my humble opinion.

Just last month, a novella was featured in BET/Arabesque's annual Valentine anthology, A THOUSAND KISSES. Tell us a bit about the story.

In A THOUSAND KISSES, my novella "The Price of Kissing" continues the Allgood Series with Ashley Allgood's story. Ashley is a neo classic earth woman type and her best friend, Gordon, is a self-defined playa (with a big heart of course). These two buddies make friendly wagers on everything, including who the best kisser is. When they finally find out, they both win.

Tell us a bit about your current release, A LOVE OF THEIR OWN (February 2004).

A LOVE OF THEIR OWN, is also part of the Allgood Series. Amara, Ashley's niece, makes a promise to her mentor. On her death bed, her mentor askes Amara to take care of her young triplets and the husband she's leaving behind. In fulfilling her promise, Amara steps in as mother and wife. In the process of raising the triplets, Amara and her new husband Ross fall in love, but find it difficult to put their love above the feelings of guilt and sorrow over losing a loved one.

3. Some readers may not know this, but you've dabble a bit in the erotic genre. Give us the details?

Well, "a bit" are the operative words here. LOL! Under the pen name of Montana Blue, I wrote a novella for the INDIGO AFTER DARK III series published by Genesis Press. I know in that kind of erotica, romance is optional, but I couldn't write the story without putting just "a bit" of romance in it. I like the story and have gotten great comments from readers about it, but I think I should leave erotic writing to those who do it best.

5. Which of your books would you consider your favorite? Why?

I love all of my books and I'm partial to Destiny's Song because it was my first. Right now, though I really have a good feeling about A LOVE OF THEIR OWN. I like the characters, I like the challenges they had to face, and it was the first time any of my main characters have had children. That was refreshing to write about. Most of all, I like the overwhelming hope that Amara and Ross had at the end. It's definitely a message for me, and I hope it's a message for others as well.

6. In 2000, when we first chatted with you, you worked for an insurance? Has that changed? If not, how do you balance your writing with and your with your day job?

I still work for the same company. Since DESTINY'S SONG was published, the vision of my company has changed from insurance to financial services. To balance the priorities of my day job and my writing, I know (and my friends and family know) that I devote a substantial portion of my evenings to my writing, because that's MY vision. I also reserve a potion of my vacation days for my writing. I'll take a day off sometimes just to devote an entire day to writing. Once, I took a week of vacation and participated in a "Book in a Week" project with another writer. That was great!

Describe a typical day for Kim Louise, the writer?

I'm not sure there is a "typical" day for me. My favorite day is to come home from work, change clothes, grab my writer bag--which has reference books, a note book, pens, and my Alphasmart word processor--and walk to a restaurant. Once at the restaurant, I'll order a glass of wine (I used to order coffee, but had to give up caffeine), maybe an appetizer and write for an hour and a half to two hours. My goal is to write five pages. I average about seven and on a good night, I'll get ten.

Do you plan to continue writing romance or are there any plans to branch into mainstream?

Recently, I've begun work on a mainstream novel. I'll finish that novel and then write some more romance.

Give us a sneak peek of your next book.

I'm in the process of plotting the next book in the Allgood series. Morgan Allgood has tried to make it big as a model for years and has never quite realized her dreams. Just when she's about the get the break she's worked so hard for for so long, she meets a man that makes her want to forget about modeling, stay at home, and have babies.

How can readers contact you?

I can be reached:

e-mail:    MsKimLouise@aol.com

website: www.kimouise.com

snail mail:

Kim Louise

P.O. Box 31554

Omaha, NE 68131

Thanks for the interview, Wayne! And best of luck with your new romance writing career.