Author Interview: Meet Kim Gottlieb-Walker

Feisty Deeds Anthology Author of 'The Summer of Love"

To say Kim Gottlieb-Walker has led an exciting life is probably an understatement. Starting with her college years, Kim immersed herself in the Free Speech Movement where she attended peace rallies, concerts, and even launched a write-in presidential campaign on campus. After college, Kim used a love of photography she got from her mother, and photographed stills on famous movie sets such as Halloween, The Fog, and Escape from New York.

While working for Music World Magazine, Kim photographed many famous artists, such as Bob Marley. She went on to work more in the motion picture industry, photographing stills for television shows such as Cheers and Family Ties among others. All this history is poured into her story, “The Summer of Love.” A young camerawoman witnessed the story of her life and Kim’s tale will place you right in the middle of the action.

Kim has two other novels to be published soon. LENSWOMAN, a women’s fiction with romance set in the 1960’s and 1970’s and Caterina by Moonlight, a 15th century women’s fiction novel. She’s also has two coffee table books of photographs, On Set with John Carpenter and Bob Marley and the Golden Age of Reggae: 1975-1976. Check these out where books are sold. Her websites are: https://www.caterinabymoonlight.com/ and http://www.lenswoman.com/

Kim’s Interview: “The Summer of Love”

1.    How did this story come to you and how did you get the idea for your Feisty Female Character?

“The Summer of Love” is based on a chapter in my 1960s/'70s romance novel LENSWOMAN. It is rewritten as a third person short story, and springs from my own experience as a camerawoman for my film school teacher at UCLA. He was shooting his master's thesis film about the summer of 1967 (now known as the Summer of Love.) We covered the Monterey Pop Festival, the celebration of the summer solstice in San Francisco (as guests of the Grateful Dead) and the peace march at Century City. The peace march turned into a police riot, in which our crew was battered. It was my political awakening, as it is for Robin, my character in the short story.

2.    What’s your writing process/routine?

I write whenever I get the chance! I seem to be busier in retirement than I was when working on movie and TV sets! Once I get started, I lose track of time, and my husband has to remind me to eat and to stand up and stretch.

3.    What was the hardest part of writing this story?

Taking what was originally a chapter in a full-length first-person novel and making it a complete short story, and writing it all in third person.

4.    How do you select your character’s names?

My parents almost named me Robin...so I thought that would be a good name for my alter-ego in the story. For my renaissance novel, I looked online for the popular names of the place and period and the "right" ones jumped out at me.

5.    Describe your writing space.

I write ideas on pads of paper in every room in the house. When I actually sit down to compile it all and write, it's in my chaotic little office, filled with forty years of notes, printers (I was a photographer for 50 years), folders full of 35mm negatives, photo printing paper, etc. My entire house is chaotic.

6.    Do you only write only Historical Fiction or do you write other genres?

My short story was based on my actual life experience - so I guess I am technically "historical." After visiting Florence in Oct 2019 (just before the plague hit the world) I wrote "Caterina by Moonlight," which takes place in the late 15th century. The writing and the research were a joy, with the characters dictating the manuscript to me. I also took weekly zoom classes on renaissance art, and much of the book was inspired by Botticelli and the Medici family. 

7.    What question do you wish someone would ask you about yourself and/or your story and no one has?

My story is based on my actual experience. After fifty years as a professional photographer, I have reinvented myself as a novelist - and I'm enjoying it immensely! I'm also learning how to adapt my novels into screenplays and radio dramas! I wish a publisher would ask me "May I please publish your novels?" LOL.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Kim’s interview and her story, especially if you’ve read Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women on NetGalley. Please sign up for our giveaway open June 8-July 8, 2024. It’s available by adding your name to our mailing list at Contact - DW Hogan (She’s collecting the entries.)