Award-winning, Amazon bestselling author of 20 books, Kimberly Rae loves to write stories full of romance, suspense, and making a difference. She has been published over 200 times and has work in 5 languages. Rae lived in Bangladesh, Uganda, Kosovo and Indonesia. She rafted the Nile River, hiked in the hills around Mount Everest, and tried cow brains just to say she'd done it! She now lives in North Carolina at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband and two young children. Rae's 3 books in her STOLEN SERIES on human trafficking (Stolen Woman, Stolen Child, Stolen Future) all are Amazon Bestsellers. Since the release of her trilogy on human trafficking, Rae has become a sought-after speaker and trainer on the topic. Recognizing the lack of books about slavery and trafficking that focus on those who are making a difference rather than glorifying the evil or being overly graphic or despairing, she has also since created a series on modern day slavery for teens and pre-teens (Capturing Jasmina, Buying Samir, and Seeking Mother), and recently completed a resource for adults to help train children to recognize and avoid childhood sexual abuse (I AM SAFE), a major risk factor in childhood and adult exploitation. Printable handouts and other resources, as well as autographed books, are available on her website, www.kimberlyrae.com. "People out there care and want to make a difference," Rae says. "I love getting to help them do that." Interview with Author Kimberly Rae For you personally, what is the best thing about being a writer? I love writing because you never know who you are going to touch with your work. You write, then offer up what you have (like the little boy with the five loaves and two fish) and then watch what God does with it! When did you start writing? When I was 10, my parents gave me a kid's typewriter for Christmas. I used to pluck away writing my own little Nancy Drew stories. Then I'd tape them all together. I've been writing ever since! How have real-life struggles contributed to your writing or a particular book you've written? I'd have to say the biggest struggle that's affected my writing would be living with a disease. There are a lot of books on chronic illness out there that are written by healthy people, but I don't find those encouraging. =) Those of us who live with chronic illness sometimes just want something funny, someone to say it stinks, I understand, and you can make it through this day. With Addison's disease, hypoglycemia, asthma, scoliosis and a cyst on my brain, I can certainly say I understand! What's up next for you? The India Street Kid Series on trafficking for teen girls. Since the average age for a teen girl in America to be trafficked is 12-14, we need to be teaching them about this long before most of us realize. The series will be adventurous and exciting, and give info in small, age-appropriate doses without scaring parents. I'm excited about the possibilities! What advice would you give aspiring writers? Don't give up! You have a unique voice and a message to give the world. Don't take rejection personally-in the beginning I told myself to expect to be rejected 9 times out of 10. It gets easier over time. Keep learning. Join a writer's group if you can and learn to enjoy constructive criticism-it really will help you become a better writer. I've got a bunch of blog posts on writing under the 4WRITERS tab, so hop on over there and maybe you'll find something that will help you along the way. Happy writing!
