Have You Seen Him by Kimberly Lee
About Have You Seen Him
Suspense Thriller
Setting - California
Publisher : Butterfly Effect Press
Publication date : July 1, 2025
Print length : 268 pages
Paperback ISBN-13 : 979-8991867214
Digital ISBN-13 : 979-8991867207
ASIN : B0F9TJYN8V
What if everything you believed about yourself was totally wrong? For David Byrdsong, life is a series of daily obligations. An attorney, he lacks both ambition and the ability to commit to a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Gayle. Abandoned by his family at an airport when he was eleven, he learned to blunt his feelings, despite his subsequent adoption by a loving couple. Until one day, when David discovers his own face in a missing child ad. Suddenly driven to uncover the truth about his past, he is forced to tap into his inner strength as he encounters corporate conspiracies, murdered bystanders, and distressing suspicions about the only family he’s ever really trusted. David enlists Gayle's help—and the help of an unlikely stranger with secrets of his own—as he attempts to find his true family, whoever they are. Thrilling, exploratory, and propulsive, Have You Seen Him is a story of lost identity, dangerous secrets, and a deeply personal pursuit of the truth.
About Kimberly Lee
Kimberly Lee, JD, is the author of the riveting thriller Have You Seen Him. A versatile writer, editor, and creativity coach, she has a passion for nurturing the imaginative spirit and helping others reveal their own inner wisdom. Kimberly holds degrees from Stanford University and UC Davis School of Law, along with certifications from the Center for Journal Therapy, Amherst Writers & Artists, SoulCollage®, Guided Autobiography, the Center for Intentional Creativity, and The Path Meditation. Recent collaborations include Esalen Institute, Hollyhock Retreat Center, Omega Institute, The Huntington, the Expressive Therapies Summit, Arts and Healing Initiative, and West LA Veterans Administration. Kimberly’s stories and essays have appeared in numerous publications and anthologies, and she has served on the staffs of Literary Mama, F(r)iction, and Carve magazines. She lives in Southern California with her husband and three children.
INTERVIEW
1.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
Probably
when I first learned to read, or maybe when my parents would read books to me.
It seemed magical, that words on paper could whisk me to another world, another
time. I wanted to be able to do that.
2.
How long does it take
you to write a book?
Have
You Seen Him took roughly 10 years! I worked on it off and on, sometimes giving
up on it, but always returning to it. The story wouldn’t let me go and it kept
pulling me back in, despite self-doubt and uncertainty. I’m glad I saw it
through. I’m currently working on the next one and don’t plan to take nearly
that long!
3.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing?
I
tend to write best in the company of others. Since the pandemic, I’ve found
co-working zooms where everyone is on camera yet working individually on their
own projects. Or I’ll go to a café, where others are also writing.It feels like
a community and offers a level of accountability if I make an appointment with
myself to show up.
4.
What would you say is
your interesting writing quirk?
Even
though the topics my book deals with can be serious, I try to add some levity
and humor to it as a balance. I often add in little interesting obsessions and
pet peeves that I feel give the characters additional flavor.
5.
How do books get
published?
I
chose to self-publish Have You Seen Him, and worked with a wonderful
company, AuthorImprints, to produce a professional level book. Before it was
published, my manuscript was a semi-finalist in two first novel contests, one given
by a traditional publisher and one given by a hybrid publisher, and that gave
me the validation to go forward with it. I’m thrilled with the choice to
self-publish—it gave me complete creative control and I love how my book looks
and feels.
6.
Where do you get your
information or ideas for your books?
A
huge part of my creative process involves writing with images. I’ll see a work
of art, a photograph, something striking, and imagine a backstory or future for
the subjects in the piece. I’m also constantly listening for interesting
conversations and tidbits when I’m in public places.
7.
What do you like to do
when you're not writing?
Reading,
exercising, traveling. Spending time with my family. Watching a good, layered
film. I love going to cultural events and new venues, and meeting interesting people.
Julia Cameron suggests “artist dates,” and I agree that it’s important for
writers to fill the well and find new avenues for creative input.
8.
What does your family
think of your writing?
They
are extremely supportive. I have three children and this book was raised, so to
speak, along with them. I worked on it off and on while sitting behind the
wheel waiting for them at extracurricular activities. My husband never let me
give up on finishing it and working to get it into the hands of readers. I’m
eternally grateful for their encouragement.
9.
What was one of the most
surprising things you learned in creating your books?
I
started with an idea and an inspiration, but as I wrote, the story took on a
life of its own. As I got into the flow, the characters would almost tell me
what they wanted to do! When I took breaks from working on it, they’d stand
around in my imagination, swaying back and forth, waiting for their next move.
Sometimes we feel we have to know the entire story, and not knowing it
paralyzes us. Just start! Have fun with it, release your expectations, and let
the story that wants to be told come through.
10.
How many books have you
written? Which is your favorite?
This
is my only book so far! It’s the first installment in a trilogy, so I’m heading
back to the page to flesh out the next story with these characters.
11.
Do you have any
suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
I have exactly 100 words
of advice:Try to recapture that childlike state, when you wrote just for the
sake of it, without concern for whether anyone outside of yourself will like
it, publish it, or favorably review it. Write down every little idea that comes
to you, no matter how silly it may seem, even if you don’t know what you will
do with it. Release the sense that an essay or story must hit the page in a
fully-formed, ready-to-go condition. Focus on the simple joy of creating.
Remember writer and educator Pat Schneider’s simple words: “A writer is someone
who writes.
12.
Do you hear from your
readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Readers
love how fast-paced this book is, calling it a page-turner. The suspense keeps
them engaged. They also love Gayle, the main character’s girlfriend.
13.
Do you like to create
books for adults?
Have You Seen Him is geared more towards adults, but I have a few ideas for
children’s books as well!
14.
What do you think makes
a good story?
An opening line that catches the
attention and draws us in; relatability and universal themes we can identify
with or learn from; some humor or levity; a satisfying ending, even if it doesn’t
completely resolve everything; and if possible, something surprising or
unexpected! And I believe the most integral element is a journey of growth or
self-discovery undertaken by the main character.
15.
As a child, what did you
want to do when you grew up?
A
writer and a teacher. Although my first career was as an attorney, I can
thankfully say that I’m working in both of the fields that I dreamed about as a
child. In addition to writing, I lead workshops and retreats for others who wish
to feed their creative spirit and explore that side of themselves.
16.
What Would you like my
readers to know?
The first draft of Have You Seen Himwas twice as long, and
it was edited and revised quite a bit to present the best version of itself. I
hope they enjoy it and find the meaning and message!
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