Welcome to my tour stop for Lindsey: Love and Intrigue by Kimberly Kolb. This is a young adult mystery and the tour runs Nov. 16-27th with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for the full schedule. Below you’ll find a guest post from author Kimberly Kolb – thanks so much, Kimberly, for taking part!

So you want to look behind the curtain? (That makes me think of looking behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz!) That’s what The Write Stuff is intended to be, a look at an author’s perspective from the behinds the scenes at the development of a book. In this case I will give a behind the scenes look at the writing of my novel, Lindsey: Love & Intrigue. On my website you will find more information about my book including summaries such as “Lindsey is a riveting literary experience, Lindsey takes readers on a journey of love and intrigue. Captivating, this work brings to life the true meaning of friendship and what it is like growing up in high school.” Here I want to share some insight about my book that you might not realize while you (hopefully!) read my book. I have decided to write this as a top ten list, I hope you enjoy it.

Top 10 behind the scenes facts about Lindsey: Love & Intrigue by Kimberly Kolb

10.  Some of the main characters in ‘Lindsey,’ are cast in their high school’s play, Dracula. When I was 10 years old I saw Dracula on Broadway, it was 1977 and I was with my brother and cousin, Joe. It was the first drama I had ever seen on Broadway.

9.  Many of the female character’s names are taken from the female cousins on one side of the family and an aunt. Although their characters are completely fictitious, my cousin Elizabeth is a sweetheart! She is nothing like ‘hurricane’ Elizabeth in my book.

8.  The protagonist’s name, Lindsey Morgan, would have been the name of my third child had he been a girl.

7.  Throughout the novel Lindsey’s father is listening to or references a few operas including, Rigoletto by Verdi, Mozart’s opera Le nozze di Figaro, and La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini. I listened to opera music many times while writing this book. I also listen to opera a lot during the year I wrote this book – I find the music inspiring but as I can’t understand the words it is not distracting to me as a think through scenes. If you have never listened to an opera take 1 minute to listen to Luciano Pavarotti sing Ladonna e mobile from the third Act of Rigoletto, regardless of your age you will know the melody. This aria was so catchy that Italians were heard singing it in the streets of Venice the day after the opera premiered in 1851.  Give it 1 minute, I guarantee you will enjoy it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCFEk6Y8TmM

6.  The necklace the Lindsey receives from her grandmother for her sixteenth birthday, is actually a description of the necklace I received from my grandmother after she passed (she lived 94 wonderful years.) Here is a picture of the necklace:

5.  The breed and name of Lindsay’s dog, an Airedale terrier named Baron, was a nod to my beloved Baron. Not the smartest dog, but completely adorable and lovable.

4.  Yes, I was a gymnast (like our protagonist, Lindsey) but as much as I loved the sport, I wasn’t very good. It was fun to ‘play’ a really good gymnast in my mind while writing this!

3.  I kept a very rough sketch of the town my novel takes place in just to be sure all my references to locations were consistent and accurate. Here is that map:

2.  I decided to write this book after reading the Twilight series. I loved those characters and missed them when I had finished the books. Writing was a way to create characters I loved as much and could carry with me for the rest of my life.  I could answer just about any question about my central characters, that’s how well I feel that I have them flushed out in my mind.

1.  I have written about ½ of the sequel to Lindsey: Love & Intrigue. It picks up the day after this first book ends and so the mystery side of this romantic thriller is in full stride on page 1!

I hope you enjoyed this back stage pass to Lindsey: Love & Intrigue. If you haven’t read my novel yet, why not download or order it today! If you do please contact me via my FB page and let me know what you think: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKimberlyKolb

About the Book:
Fifteen-year-old Lindsey Morgan Brooks is still considered the new kid in the small town of Emit, Michigan. Both of her parents are lawyers, but her father has built his reputation prosecuting some of the worst criminals in New York and Chicago. Now, as a high school junior, she is trying to choose her own path.

Lindsey feels the demands and pressure from school, gymnastics, and her parents as she battles insecurities to build friendships while steering clear of the many land mines in high school-such as the group of popular girls she has dubbed the “Fab Five” Busy with activities and consumed with thoughts of her secret crush, Chris, she takes little notice of what’s happening around her.

She gets a flat tire, gets caught with the lights-out and starts receiving strange text messages-things she assumes are just high school pranks gone too far. Her father wants her to be able to handle herself, so she should be able to handle this.

But while she steals a glimpse at Chris, who is watching her?

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About the Author:

Kimberly Kolb earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial organizational psychology from the University of Illinois. She began writing while waiting for her daughter to finish ballet and tap classes. Kolb lives with her husband and three children north of Chicago. This is her debut novel.

Kimberly Kolb received the Editor’s Choice and Rising Star Award from iUniverse.