Kerry Anne King talks Improbably Yours on the Desideratum Podcast
Desideratum is one of my favorite podcasts for several reasons! First off, host Theresa Bakken is such a thoughtful and insightful reader and interviewer — during our conversation she made me understand things about Improbably Yours that hadn’t been clear to me before even though I’m the one who wrote the book!
For example, I realized how so many things in the book aren’t what they seem — the characters, the quest, Improbable House, and even Vinland Island! It’s not just that they are all keeping secrets, it’s that appearances are deceiving and we are, all of us, often mistaken about what we believe to be reality.
Another reason I love Desideratum is because Theresa also includes a clip from the audio book in her podcast episodes. I’m super excited about the audio book for Improbably Yours, because it has dual narrators! Teri Clark Linden, who has voiced most of my books, is back to read the part of Blythe, and Flynn’s POV chapters are read by Aaron Shedlock.
Listen on Desideratum (and follow it!) or listen right here!
Here’s a quick little Behind the Scenes clip!
Talking Improbably Yours with Maddie Dawson - treasure hunts, Vikings, ravens, grandmothers & more
It’s no secret that I adore Maddie Dawson’s books — and if you haven’t read them, I suggest you rectify that immediately. We met through each other’s books, actually — we’d read each other’s work, and we knew before we ever met that we were going to be friends. Then we finally met once in person and the deal was sealed. Even though we live on opposite sides of the country, we talk regularly and read early drafts for each other.
So it’s not at all surprising that we had a ton of fun with this interview. We talked about the possibility that Flynn, the Viking in the story might possibly have been inspired by my very own Viking. We discussed ravens, grandmothers, and the idea that spawned Improbably Yours (an old, falling apart, grieving house rather than a character!)
Both audio and video are posted here so you can choose your favourite format! I hope you enjoy!
Improbably Yours and friends -- a (very partial) list of atmospheric novels set on fictional Islands
Confession: Vinland Island isn’t real.
Yep. The island where most of Improbably Yours takes place only exists in my imagination — and in the pages of the book, of course! Mind you, the Viking and I took a very serious research trip to explore the San Juan Islands, (where I just sort of plunked Vinland down into an available space) so we could get the atmospheric details right.
And by “very serious research trip” I mean we rented a VRBO on Lummi Island, took ferry rides, ate amazing seafood, walked by the water, and drank wine while watching a small island ferry come and go. It was a grueling and exhausting experience, as I’m sure you can tell, but one of the sacrifices I am willing to make to write a book!
You can read about some other atmospheric novels set on fictional islands here. And you totally should, because I suspect that you, too, might want to read some of them.
I also recommend that you check out The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley, a wonderful book about a community all pretending to interact with a man who has died, for the sake of the grieving widow who carries on as if he is still with her.
Colleen Oakley also very kindly read Improbably Yours and had this to say:
“This book has it all—a quirky island, a hot Viking, even ghosts!—but most of all, it has soul. I was charmed and moved by this lovely story that reminds us sometimes we have to dig up the past to remember who we are in the present. A real gem. ”
The Cover for Improbably Yours is Here!!!
Catch the brand new cover for Improbably Yours, releasing October 18.
Cover Reveal
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Cover Reveal 〰️
I am super excited about this cover — and my launch plans for Improbably Yours! We are going to have so much fun (think treasure hunt!) plus, I really hope you’ll love the book!
“Get ready for your treasure hunting vacation on whimsical Vinland, brimming with quirky characters, mysterious letters, and a treasure map. Kerry Anne King’s charming novel will warm your heart as you follow the clues to where X marks the spot. I flew through Improbably Yours faster than a talking raven!”
Blythe Harmon is on the fast track to a life she never wanted. On her thirtieth birthday, just as she’s about to lock herself into a high-powered job and accept a marriage proposal to match, an unusual bequest from her beloved late grandmother, Nomi, offers an escape and an invitation to adventure.
Equipped with a funereal urn and a treasure map, Blythe sets off for a small island in the San Juans where she rents the mysterious and unsettling Improbable House. Clue by cryptic clue, secret by secret, she pursues a quest which is complicated by her powerful attraction to an enigmatic islander and his recently orphaned niece, both of whom are inexorably tied to the old house.
Just when Blythe thinks she’s on the verge of unraveling the mystery her quest takes an unexpected turn and she discovers that the treasure she’s really seeking is something that could never be buried in the ground.
“This book has it all—a quirky island, a hot Viking, even ghosts!—but most of all, it’s got soul. I was charmed and moved by this lovely story that reminds us sometimes we have to dig up the past to remember who we are in the present. A real gem. ”
Stay tuned for all the launch fun (and maybe make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter to make sure you don’t miss anything!)