Comfort Foods is a emotional and riveting contemporary romance novel that finds a couple wrapped up in the whirlwind of their lives and trying to make it work. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

The inspiration for this story leapt from the blue screen of Instagram. I have a twenty-six year old who followed several “influencers” and I became a bit riveted by the trajectory some of these women had taken in such a short time. I figured what goes up, must come down… and then imagined what a spectacular recovery might look like. Lacy was a character invented many years ago as part of the novella that kicked off the Comfort set of stories, and it was time to give her a full book. Characters in the Comfort set of stories flit in and out of the plots like our friends do, and Lacy was no exception. Romance, drama, humor, and second chances are major ingredients in every story.

The relationship between Lacy and Rudy was enthralling. What were some driving ideals behind the development of their relationship?

The connection between Lacy and Rudy helped me cover new territory in plotting—having characters that were both struggling in life, the distance between their communities and Rudy being a single dad, were areas I wanted to investigate and better understand since that feels so intrinsic in today’s world. Putting them into ever increasing awkward circumstances forced them both to grow and discover their grit. I like writing about people discovering what they’re capable of doing and these two characters had some big decisions to make.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

It was important to me to reveal that what we think we know about someone based on social media is often the polar opposite of truth. I’d hoped to remind readers to treat the media a little lighter and in doing so, get back to the basics of human interactions. Plus, I’d hoped to show that we’re our best selves after we’ve overcome obstacles, and that the hard stuff is worth working through.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

In Comfort Foods, readers are briefly introduced to Anna Weber, a single mom to twin girls. She’s on the fringe of the Comfort friends group because her schedule is consumed with her daughters and her work life, plus she’s hiding in plain sight and that’s exhausting. Anna is pitched some highs and lows in the plot and discovers grace that comes with second chances. Anna made some definitive choices in a time of crisis when her girls were infants, and the release from those bindings transforms her. A rare find of music brings her into unexpected proximity to a retired NFL Quarterback and they tangle at every turn. Comfort Zone is due out later this year, and will be promoted through my newsletter—subscription available at my website kimberlyfish.com —and announced through Kimberly Fish,author on Facebook.

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