K.B.
Jensen is an author and journalist. “Painting With Fire” is her debut novel. As
a reporter, she has written extensively about crime in the Chicago suburbs.
Jensen grew up in Minneapolis and currently lives in Chicago, with her husband,
daughter and rescued border collie/lab mix. In her spare time, she enjoys
teaching downhill skiing and traveling the world.
Your name?
My pen name is K.B. Jensen.
About your education What career did you plan during your education days?
After years of scribbling away, I told my dad I wanted to be a writer when I was in third grade. “You’ll starve,” he said. “I guess I could be a lawyer,” I said. That answer seemed to make people happy, since my grandfather was a judge and my grandmother was a lawyer. I toyed with the idea through college, but of course, it didn’t last. I’m a writer.
What languages you can speak and write?
English is my native tongue. I also learned Danish in college, since my father hails from Copenhagen. My parents used Danish as their secret language when I was a kid so I wanted to understand. Even now, they argue in Danish in front of me and I’m like, “I understand you!”
What is your biggest source of inspiration in life?
My daughter.
What hurts you most in this world?
I really hate injustice. I like it when things are fair.
If you had to live a day of your life as one of the living or dead personality, who would it be and why?
I’d be Bob Dylan. He’s a great storyteller. I love the poetry in his song lyrics and the fact that he can’t really sing, but he’s so talented no one really cares. I can’t really sing either, and it would be interesting to be a man, for a change.
What is your favorite genre and why?
I know this is weird, but I don’t have a favorite genre. I love them all. I’ve hopped from science fiction to murder mysteries and more recently, love stories.
When did you start writing?What is the purpose of your writing?
I started writing when I was 7. It’s an escape. It’s like dreaming on paper.
Which of your work has been published so far? Would you like to share a synopsis of your work?
I’ve recently published “Painting With Fire,” an Artistic Murder Mystery.
Murder in the windy city. Love without trust. Reckless justice. These are the themes in “Painting With Fire,” the story of Claudia Wilson, a woman down on her luck living with a stranger, an artist named Tom.
After the two of them discover a body on the street corner, buried in a snow bank, Claudia becomes obsessed with the murder and the fact that her roommate is not telling her everything about his past. While police search for the killer in her building, she wonders if she should be searching for a new roommate.
Claudia learns everything she can about the neighbors, as well as Tom. In the end, she makes a startling discovery. When art and violence collide, the results can be explosive.
What are your forthcoming writings?
I’m working on my second book, but it’s top secret. It could quite possibly take me years to finish it. I have a terrible perfectionistic streak, so I take a while to publish books.
What are your future plans?
To continue writing every day for the rest of my life. It’s a habit I can’t shake.
What four top most things you take care of while writing a book?
Laundry, dishes, vacuuming and walking the dog. I’m just kidding but seriously, there is a lot of procrastination in the everyday writing. Virginia Wolf wrote about how you have to kill the angel in the house. You have to let things you are supposed to be doing slide in order to work on your book.
Creatively, I’d say the most important thing to do is to give yourself time to daydream the story. That’s number one followed by editing, rewriting again and again, and sharing with a good group of constructive readers and editors.
Your origin of birth and other countries you have visited/stayed. What are the best things you liked in these countries around the globe?
I was born in the United States, in Minnesota.
I’ve been to Denmark, Spain, India, Canada, Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Mexico, Singapore, England, Australia and New Zealand.
I especially love Denmark and India. I love the long hours of sunlight in a Danish summer, eating old-fashioned ice cream cones as big as my head. I love the way I blend into a crowd there. I feel like I am home.
India has the best food in the world and some of the nicest people. I could eat Indian food every day for the rest of my life with no complaints. My husband hails from Chennai, so it’s a place full of family. I may not blend in in a crowd, but I feel at home there, too.
Your favorite time of the day?
Nighttime. There is something about darkness that inspires the flames of imagination.
Your zodiac/ sunsign?
Leo
Your favorite color and why?
Red. I like the vibrancy of it, the fact that it stands out. It’s also a passionate color, the color of love.
Your favorite book and why?
I can’t possibly choose just one. I’m a big Paulo Coehlo fan. I love the idea that the universe is conspiring to help you achieve your dreams. It’s such a fairy tale notion, but it’s nice to believe.
I also love the “Lord of the Rings,” the idea that one small person can make a difference.
Your favorite food?
Sambar and dosa tied with pizza.
State your signature line/ tagline/ best quote:
“When art and violence collide, the results can be explosive.”
The last line of your biography would be…
She always saw the beauty in the world.
Twitter handle: KB_Jensen Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KB-Jensen/256864857812019 Website: www.paintingwithfirenovel.com Goodreads author page: www.https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7857792.K_B_Jensen Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Painting-With-Fire-Artistic-Mystery/dp/0615967582
