Jen: What inspired you to start writing DOCTORS AND FRIENDS in early 2019? Kimmery: You know what they say about fiction: write what you know. I’m a former ER doctor so it was natural for me to write medical fiction. In 2018 I wrote a column about my desire to base a novel around an infectious disease doctor who would embody some of the characteristics of my late father: somebody innovative and scientific and data-driven and quirky. Initially, I envisioned the novel as a cautionary tale. We hadn’t experienced a major pandemic in a long time and since it was inevitable that one was going to occur at some point, I thought it would be interesting to explore how that might play out in the era of modern medicine. In 1918, when a highly virulent form of superflu decimated large chunks of the population, things were very different than they are now. (Or so I thought! It turns out we repeated many of our same mistakes … but that will undoubtedly be the subject of much nonfiction analysis.) The main protagonist of DOCTORS AND FRIENDS is an ID doctor at the CDC, and when a new viral outbreak occurs, she…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Natalie Walters! Writes: I write what I love to read. Intriguing suspense centered around intricate plots; memorable characters who make me laugh with them, love them, and root for them; and a storyline that speaks internal truths that stick with me long after the last page. Oh, and I unapologetically exploit my dear friends whose careers in the military, three-letter agencies, and law enforcement help me bring a level of authenticity to my stories! Proof of that exploitation is evident in my newest novel, LIGHTS OUT. When an Egyptian spy goes missing in America, CIA officer Elinor Mitchell is the only one to blame. In a race against an impending terror threat, Elinor must work with the last person she expected, Jack Hudson. Not only is he her ex-boyfriend, the man she betrayed, but also the team leader for the Strategic Neutralization and Protection Agency—a private contract agency that keeps Americans obliviously unaware of the continuous threats against them and their country. Without Jack…

I wanted to believe I had changed. I was a better person with more empathy for others, but if Billy hadn’t pulled away, I wasn’t so sure I would have passed his test. It was time for another moment of reckoning. I walked over to my front stoop, climbed the three steps, grabbed the handle of the rust-colored, never-locked security door, and froze. I couldn’t quite bring myself to take the inside staircase to the top floor apartment to face the discordant soundtrack that was my family, but what choice did I have? I turned back to the street—maybe I could leave—but my ride was gone. Besides, my mother didn’t send a return ticket and the change at the bottom of my backpack wasn’t enough to buy a subway token. My backpack! I left it and my suitcase in the back of the van. I plopped down onto the stoop. The sun was setting, and in the second-story windows of the nearby buildings, with their red-brick exteriors, mirror images to mine, with their two legal apartments and one illegal basement apartment, I could see silhouettes of the infamous Beach Chair Ladies, BCs for short. From Memorial Day until the first…

1–What is the title of your latest release? DEADLY TARGET 2–What is it about? Criminal psychologist Erin Larson is running a podcast and caring for her mother when her ex—Detective Nathan Campbell needs her help. Someone shoots his father who was investigating a cold case. Erin’s podcast focuses on cold cases, so they join forces to learn the truth. But someone is trying to stop them. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love the spectacular and stunning setting of the Rocky Mountains in Montana. Thick green forests and beautiful pristine rivers. 4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  Erin’s secret past was unexpected, and I loved the twists and turns that arose as I wrote the story. 5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  My hope is always that my characters will be relatable. Erin’s character is complex and she’s relatable on many different levels. She has career dreams and goals but gives those up to help her mother. We can all relate to the fact that life is filled with hard choices, and we must choose our hard. She also wants to make sense of her past, but has no one she can truly…