Ask the Author: Nikki Kitchen
Answered Questions (14)
Nikki Kitchen
Jessica jolted awake at the sound coming from the side of her bed but she was too late. Kimmy, her daughter, threw up all over her.
The End (at least for that night's sleep)
If you're a parent, you know the joys of children. You also know that horrifying sound of your child standing beside your bed, about to throw up. Because as parents we all know, the kids don't run to the bathroom, they run to mom, and if mom is lucky, she'll get her child to the toilet in time.
The End (at least for that night's sleep)
If you're a parent, you know the joys of children. You also know that horrifying sound of your child standing beside your bed, about to throw up. Because as parents we all know, the kids don't run to the bathroom, they run to mom, and if mom is lucky, she'll get her child to the toilet in time.
Nikki Kitchen
To be honest I don't think I would travel to any fictional world. Reality is not always what we wish it to be but I would rather be in real life than in a fantasy. In real life I am able to have an imagination of my own and not be stuck in someone else's. I love to read, don't get me wrong, but I love picturing the stories in my mind as I read and then move on to the next book. I love being able to write and be influenced by all the different sources around me, not just one. I also suppose that I am able to separate fantasy from reality. For example: I really like Thor. He's one of my favorite superheroes. However, Chris Hemsworth is not Thor, he plays Thor. In my mind I differentiate between the two. Thor is fictional, Chris Hemsworth is not. I also suppose I would rather meet historical figures than live in a fantasy world with fictional characters.
Did I over think that question? I sure did, but that's honestly how I feel.
Did I over think that question? I sure did, but that's honestly how I feel.
Nikki Kitchen
I can't really answer this question properly. I love to read but I'm working on a book right now so reading isn't a priority. If I get a chance to read something I don't know what it will be since I have a stack of books on my piano waiting, but I'm sure it will be light and fluffy since I don't want to get into something too deep while I'm writing.
Nikki Kitchen
To be honest I don't have a lot of mystery in my life. The mysteries I deal with are, Which kid is running around when they should be in bed, and, Why is the autocorrect on my phone so stupid. It fixes the wrong words and adds words that aren't anything close to the letters I swipe. Those are my mysteries in life, though to be honest, 9 times out of 10 I know which kid is running around without going to check.
Nikki Kitchen
Obviously I love Nora and Tony (The Mafia Series), and there's another couple, Jason and Beth (from one of my unpublished series), but if I set my characters aside and choose from another author... Jess and Alexa Byrnehouse-Davies. They are from The Gable Faces East, by Anita Stansfield. They both have secrets and flaws. They make mistakes and have regrets, but come through their struggles to each other. This is my favorite book and I love to read about these characters over and over again.
Nikki Kitchen
Yes, book 5 is the end of the series.
Nikki Kitchen
I wanted the books to read as one, that's why each picks up where the last left off. That's also why my covers are uniform. My husband questioned me when I chose to have the books flow together. He asked why I didn't have each as a standalone. While I feel that each book can hold it's own, story wise, I don't think the stories can be complete without the others. I don't feel that Nora and Tony's affair can completely be understood without the reader knowing about their relationship in Mafia Princess. When you find out how many times Nora breaks Tony's heart you understand more why his family hates her and wants her dead. In Mafia Queen (which you haven't read yet so I'll try to not give anything away) it's hard to feel the pain and isolation Nora feels, and how hard it was for Nathan to do what she ordered him to do (Chapter 79), when you don't know their full history together.
I feel that a standalone within a series has the same characters but you don't necessarily need to know what happened in the previous, and future, books. Mafia Series isn't like that. The story, the emotions, the characters, aren't complete if you only read one book.
I feel that a standalone within a series has the same characters but you don't necessarily need to know what happened in the previous, and future, books. Mafia Series isn't like that. The story, the emotions, the characters, aren't complete if you only read one book.
Nikki Kitchen
Researching my books is one of my favorite parts of the writing process. One of my professors taught me that you can't look at history through today's eyes. You have to take yourself out of the present mindset and try to understand what you're studying, not judge it. That helped me not only in school but it helps a lot when studying subjects, such as the Mafia. The Mob has a bloody past and I am not one for blood and wars.
To research the Mafia Series I went online and started searching. Some information was hard to find but I did find some informative documentaries. Ex-members of the Mafia were interviewed and gave detailed information. A cop who infiltrated a Family was also interviewed. I watched another documentary on the history of the Mafia. I was going to watch a few Mob films, such as the Godfather, but I couldn't get very far into any of them. What I did watch helped me get into the mindset a bit.
As I started writing I knew I didn't want to follow the structure of the Mafia because they have a scam going, take their cut, and kick the rest up the food chain. I wanted a more organized business like setting. There also isn't a Matriarch, I created this position. At the beginning of Mafia Princess Nora is in the car talking with Conner and she snaps at him, telling him he can't talk to her the way he is because she's the Matriarch. Just before I wrote that I decided I had to give her some kind of role in the Family, a high ranking one. If she was just Brendon's daughter she would be nothing. She had to have some kind of power or the men would walk all over her. However, when I gave the history of the Mafia, that is true. The jobs such as enforcer, insurance, prostitution, fixing sporting events, ect... are all true.
To research the Mafia Series I went online and started searching. Some information was hard to find but I did find some informative documentaries. Ex-members of the Mafia were interviewed and gave detailed information. A cop who infiltrated a Family was also interviewed. I watched another documentary on the history of the Mafia. I was going to watch a few Mob films, such as the Godfather, but I couldn't get very far into any of them. What I did watch helped me get into the mindset a bit.
As I started writing I knew I didn't want to follow the structure of the Mafia because they have a scam going, take their cut, and kick the rest up the food chain. I wanted a more organized business like setting. There also isn't a Matriarch, I created this position. At the beginning of Mafia Princess Nora is in the car talking with Conner and she snaps at him, telling him he can't talk to her the way he is because she's the Matriarch. Just before I wrote that I decided I had to give her some kind of role in the Family, a high ranking one. If she was just Brendon's daughter she would be nothing. She had to have some kind of power or the men would walk all over her. However, when I gave the history of the Mafia, that is true. The jobs such as enforcer, insurance, prostitution, fixing sporting events, ect... are all true.
Nikki Kitchen
This is a hard question for me to answer because it's hard for me to explain. The world around me brings different characters and their story to the forefront of my mind. For example, I love Louis L'Amour. I grew up listening to his books on tape. I have a western that I've started (but not very far into) and when I listen to his books on cd it brings those characters to my mind. When I watch Burn Notice it reminds me a bit of my Mafia Series. Different things remind me of my Medieval book (which is about half finished). It's almost like my mentality changes with each book I'm working on.
Nikki Kitchen
So many things. I love hearing from people after they read my books. I like to know which characters they love and which characters they love to hate. I like knowing people think certain parts are funny or made them angry, or made them want to cry. (Don't worry, I cry when writing parts of my books and when I go back and read.)
I like getting to know the characters as they develop on the page. The men and women in my books mean something to me. They are important to me, whether they are a character I love or one that makes me mad. They live in my head while I'm writing, just waiting for their story to be told. Once their story ends I like knowing I can read about them any time I want.
I like getting to know the characters as they develop on the page. The men and women in my books mean something to me. They are important to me, whether they are a character I love or one that makes me mad. They live in my head while I'm writing, just waiting for their story to be told. Once their story ends I like knowing I can read about them any time I want.
Nikki Kitchen
I walk away. When my writing isn't flowing and it feels forced I put away my notebook and do something else. Sometimes that something else is working on a different book, playing with my kids, reading a book, watching a movie, anything except force a crappy book onto the page. If I force a chapter or even a small paragraph I end up going back and rewriting it so there's no point. I'll eventually go back to the book and it will flow together. Sometimes I'm back at it in ten minutes, sometimes it's a few months.
Nikki Kitchen
This is going to be a crazy answer but most of my book ideas came to me when I was pregnant with my second child So... my books are crazy pregnant woman dreams.
Nikki Kitchen
Put words on paper. Get your ideas out and write them down. Take a blank piece of paper and write down words, details, that are sticking out in your mind. I start every book by writing down details about my characters, height, hair color, skin tone, personality... as well as the town/area where they live. I research my topics, though I add my own details to fit into the story, and I brainstorm. I write down situations I want my characters to have and if dialog pops into my head I write it down with a brief explanation so I can remember it's context. The hardest part about writing a book is putting your pen to paper and writing your first word.
I recently had a friend ask about the self publishing process. She's never written anything before and she told me she's nervous. That's normal, and I think it's okay to feel that way. If you like writing then don't give up, and don't feel that you have to share your work right away. Wait until you're comfortable. Also, don't expect everyone to like your books. People have different tastes in books. I've gotten poor reviews. I don't take them personally. They simply didn't like my story.
I recently had a friend ask about the self publishing process. She's never written anything before and she told me she's nervous. That's normal, and I think it's okay to feel that way. If you like writing then don't give up, and don't feel that you have to share your work right away. Wait until you're comfortable. Also, don't expect everyone to like your books. People have different tastes in books. I've gotten poor reviews. I don't take them personally. They simply didn't like my story.
Nikki Kitchen
Since I finished the Mafia Series I've had a hard time getting into any of my other books. Luckily, I've recently been able to work on a new book about a CIA agent. She goes deep cover into an assignment and then has to deal with the blow back that heads her way when the assignment ends. It will be a love story of sorts (let's face it, that's what I write) but I hope it reads as a suspense as well. I'm not sure when I'll be finished. It took so long for the story to flow and now the holidays are here.
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