Interview with Kimberley Griffiths Little - Part I

            As an unpublished author I have often wondered what it would be like to win a prestigious award for one of my novels. That’s the topic for this week’s interview and to help me with it is Kimberley Little who won a Whitney for her novel The Healing Spell.

            She has also written The Circle of Secrets, The Last Snake Runner, and several more books that you can find information about on her website.

http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com/

Randy: What went through your mind when you were nominated for your Whitney?

Kimberley: I learned about the Whitney award at the first LDStorymakers conference I attended two years ago and thought, “What a wonderful idea to have an award especially for LDS writers!”

There are awards for just about every type of book and/or group of people, and with LDS writers dominating bestseller lists and getting major book deals in unprecedented numbers, it’s about time!

1. Anybody can *nominate* a book, (as long as it’s not the writer or publisher!) Here is the form: http://whitneyawards.com/wordpress/nominate/

2. A panel of judges reads ALL the books nominated in each of the 7 categories and they choose the top 5 books as the Finalists. The Finalists are announced on February 1 and I was over the moon when I learned that The Healing Spell was named as a Finalist! I was in excellent company, too, with some writers I have long admired as well as some fabulous debut authors. (It was actually my local Deseret Bookstore manager who contacted me to tell me the great news!)

Randy: And what about when you actually won the Whitney?

Kimberley: The Awards Banquet was absolutely lovely, but I could hardly eat my filet mignon because my heart was pounding so hard! It was just like the Academy Awards giving away the Oscars with presenters for each category and “opening the envelope” with the Winner’s name. I was THRILLED but then quite nervous because each of the winners gives an acceptance speech, too, just like the Oscars!

Randy: Is there any specific significance for you to win a Whitney?

Kimberley: The field of writing is packed with truly fantastic LDS authors and publishers and I’m so happy that a group of dedicated people to literature and the LDS community created this award back in 2007 to honor great books. I think it’s so fabulous.

Randy: How would you compare winning an award, like the Whitney, to any other achievements in your writing career? Would this be the top of your list, or is the next step to an even bigger goal?

Kimberley: It’s pretty close to the top, and I still get tingles every time I look at the gorgeous award! Receiving the Whitney has absolutely been the sweetest moment of my career so far. And because the Finalists are voted on by your peers, other writers, bookstore owners, editors and agents in the LDS world, it is truly an honor.