A few weeks ago, I had the chance to attend Love Y’all Fest in Atlanta. It was three days filled to the brim with romance authors. An actual dream! My list of folks I wanted to meet was long, but at the absolute top of that list was Kimberly Lemming, an author whose Mead Mishaps series is a sexy, campy, romantasy. It was also February’s Between the Covers pick. If I were a bard, I would sing loudly (and probably off-key) to all who would listen about just how much I adore her books. But since I am not a bard I will just have to settle for interviewing her for Musing and hand-selling them like crazy to any romance lover who wants a light-hearted and joyful adventure romance with badass WOC leads and devilishly handsome monsters.
I was so excited to catch up with Kimberly this week, because the final (for now) in the series, That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human, just dropped on Tuesday! So grab your copy at the store and find the nearest patch of sunshine to devour this gem. Happy Sexy Questing!
—Katie Garaby, Parnassus bookseller and host of the Between the Covers romance book club
Katie Garaby: The fantasy romance genre has a long history of being dark and angsty. But your books are a freaking delight. They are campy and sexy and so much fun. How did you make the decision to write a series that goes in such a different direction?
Kimberly Lemming: I was just desperate for a bit of fun. The world is dark and terrible enough as it is. When I wrote the first book, I just wanted to take myself on a fun little adventure where I knew everything was going to be ok in the end.
KG: Could we talk a little about the leap from indie publishing to trad-publishing? I imagine it’s a wild ride to have generated so much buzz online and to be offered a traditional publishing deal. I’m grateful that your books are available for an even wider audience. How has the transition been?
KL: It’s definitely been an adjustment. I’m so used to telling my readers everything, because I’m so used to taking them along in the process with me. Now with trad, I need to wait for whatever scheduled release that they have planned. On the bright side, having a publisher has taken a few hats off my head, so I have a lot more time to relax and write.
KG: These covers. THESE. COVERS. THESE ABSOLUTELY STUNNING COVERS. When I saw them I nearly passed out. To see gorgeous Black women with these stunning demons on covers that harken back to the classic bodice ripper is just incredible (inserts little happy dance). Could you talk a little bit about your vision with new covers and what it was like working with the artist, Mike Pape?
KL: I must have poured through hundreds of artist portfolios before I came across Mike. He was the only one I found where you could feel the emotions of the characters coming off every piece. His work is incredible and I nearly fell over myself as soon as I saw that he had commissions open. He didn’t even need much direction. Just took a look at the original covers I drew and took off from there. I’m not sure if he or his partner has ever read any of my books, but I was so blown away at how well he was able to capture the vibe of each story.
KG: Let’s imagine it’s the Hero’s Call Festival and you and your friends are pulling up to the local tavern. You lock eyes with one of the characters from your book. Who is it and why?
KL: Dante. I just adore that big weirdo with my whole heart. We’ll chill in his library with some drinks and he can regale me on whatever music he’s currently obsessed with.
KG: I recently saw that your next series was picked up by Berkley, and you are blessing us with an alien romance (I Got Abducted by Aliens So I’m Gonna Make it Everyone’s Problem). Congrats! We are already obsessed. Can you tell us anything at all about this upcoming project?
KL: Imagine you’re minding your business as an animal researcher and then out of nowhere you get attacked by a lion. Rude right? Now imagine you and that lion get abducted by aliens and brought onto a ship with a bunch of freaky looking birds trying to poke and prod at you. You manage to fight your way to freedom, steal an escape pod and crash land onto a planet populated by taller, hotter aliens and dinosaurs. Also, the lion talks now. So, there’s that.
KG: The fantasy romance realm is woefully underrepresented and the need for more queer, Black and BIPOC authors/characters is paramount. Who are you reading right now that you want folks to know about?
KL: I just finished Binti by Nnedi Okorafor and I loved every second of it!
KG: And our favorite question to ask: What is your favorite thing about indie bookstores?
KL: The vibes are always friendly and immaculate. I want to drink coffee next to the shop cat and find my next read.
Get your copy of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human, or any of the other titles in the Mead Mishaps series, in-store or online at parnassusbooks.net!
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