Meet new author ~ Kim Banet

Kim Banet is a fellow Scrivenings Press author, and her debut novel releases May 2024! I love talking to authors and want to share her background and what she writes about with you!

Kim’s bio:

Kim Banet stepped out of the corporate world and into the world of writing in 2020 and has never looked back. Her passion is to write faith-based and hope-filled stories that deal with worldly issues through the lens of God’s grace and mercy. 

Her favorite things to do when not writing are spending time with her family, friends, and dogs, reading, crafting, drinking coffee, and watching Hallmark movies.  

Kimberly resides in beautiful southern Indiana with her husband of nearly 36 years, Jeff. Together they raised two children Nicole and Brandon, and they have two spoiled dogs, Daisy and Winnie. 

Interview with Kim Banet

Jen – I’m excited to share your story with my readers! Let’s start with your background. Where did you grow up? Did you attend college, and what did you study? What happened in your life that increased your faith in God? 

Kim – I grew up in the small community of Floyd’s Knob’s, Indiana, which is about ten miles north of Louisville, KY. My husband Jeff and I got married in 1988, and the following year we bought his grandparents’ house in Starlight, Indiana, only a few minutes from where I grew up, and we live there still.  

Starlight is a beautiful farming community featuring “retail farms” and a winery. Thousands (literally) of people come from the city to pick strawberries, apples, pumpkins, etc. Even though it’s a rural area, we can’t even pull out of our driveway in the month of October because of the traffic from people coming for the month-long fall festival. But we love it; it’s such a fun and beautiful place to live. 

I went to college for two years at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, IN, and finished my bachelor’s degree at Indiana University Southeast after I got married and had kids. I didn’t graduate until I was 32 years old, but I was proud that my kids got to watch me walk across the stage and accept my diploma. I graduated with a degree in Business Administration and Psychology, positioning myself for my 20-year career in Human Resources.  

I’m a life-long Christian, but truly accepted Christ in 2011, and in 2012 my husband and I were baptized together. We put our lives in God’s hands then and we’ve never looked back. 

Kim Banet has her first book coming out soon!

Jen – Where you live sounds beautiful! It is HARD to go to college when you have a family. I’m proud of you! And I love your story about your faith. More questions! What you have written?  What are you currently writing?

Kim – I write contemporary fiction and women’s fiction that deal with some tough situations, but always rooted in God’s grace and mercy. My debut novel, Just Another Home, will release in May of this year and I couldn’t be more excited. It deals with a sixteen-year-old boy named Sam who’s been in and out of foster care most of his life. He doesn’t believe in God, and he is placed with a devout Christian foster family. It’s a roller coaster of emotions and the entire story is rooted in Romans 8:28.  

Currently I’m writing book two of the series that continues Sam’s saga and plan to finish that in the next couple of months. 

Jen – I’m so excited for you, Kim! Tell me about your writing habits.  Do you have a certain time of day to write? Do you follow an outline? Where do you get your ideas? What do you like most about writing? 

Kim – I work as an office manager during the day (part-time), so I do most of my writing in the late afternoon and evening. I’m probably somewhere between a plotter and a pantser in the sense that I start with an outline of just a few major plot points, and once I start writing it seems my characters always take over and the story goes in places I never planned on.  

I love writing because it taps into a creative side I never knew I had until I lost my job in March of 2020 and decided not to go back to the corporate world of human resources and accounting. I kept praying for God to show me what was next, and the next thing I knew I found myself writing. I’ve learned so much over the last four years.  

More questions for Kim!

Jen – Why do you write? Whom do you wish to reach? What do you want to tell people? What are your goals for your readers? 

Kim – I write for one reason – to share God with readers and to (hopefully) give glory to God. If my book can reach just one person who develops a deeper relationship with Jesus because of it, then I’ve reached my goal for myself and my readers. 

Writing also gives me an outlet to pursue my interest in psychology and sociology through characters who deal with some tough life issues. I’d love at some point to write a novel dealing with deeper mental health issues.  

Jen – What do you like to read? What is some fiction you’ve enjoyed? Do you read nonfiction books?

Kim – Well, I’ve read every book Karen Kingsbury has ever written. She was really my inspiration to write Christian Fiction, because I didn’t even know CF was a thing until I began reading her books. I mostly read fiction, but I read non-fiction books that help me with my Christian walk. My all-time favorite is Not a Fan, by Kyle Idleman. And I’m currently reading and studying Core 52 with my church.  

Jen – Are you on social media?

Kim – I’m currently on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, where I plan to reveal my book cover in March! My newsletter debuts in late February or early March, and I will start a blog soon. There is so much to do and learn as a newly published author, and I’m loving every minute of it. 

Jen – Thank you for allowing me to ask you all these questions! I cannot wait for your book to come out!

Kim – Thank you, Jen, for inviting me for this interview on your blog. I’m excited for your new release of Birds Alive! And I’m so happy we are both with Scrivenings Press!

Read A Guide to Setting SMART Goals for Writers, then follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, and subscribe to my newsletter to keep up with news about my book and any special offers! Be sure you grab your FREE 10-step checklist to plan your novel when you subscribe!

Hi, I’m Jen! I’ve been married for over 37 years, have 5 amazing kids and 3 adorable grandkids. I homeschooled our three youngest children, and I used to blog about homeschooling. I also taught Oral Communication as an adjunct instructor for over 5 years.

Jen Dodrill Writes is born of a passion of mine – to write a novel! My first cozy mystery – Birds Alive! – releases Feb. 27, 2024/available for preorder NOW!

When I’m not working, you’ll find me writing, spending time with my family, or curled up on the couch reading and drinking a mug of dark roast coffee. (Don’t forget to check out my mug shop – JDMugs!)