My Books
“In the Sleep of Death”
A Supernatural Victorian Fantasy
Eloping with the Necromancer was her first mistake. Running from the posse was her second.
How can Lorena break free of her husband’s dark magic when he is able to enter her mind and read her thoughts?
Top-rated Posts
Erwin Schrödinger, Cat Killer
Schrodinger was a sick puppy. If you really look at his experiment, it’s very disturbing. In fact, if you stop to look at it…
Learn More …Defending Leia
Growing up in the women’s lib 70s, my female teachers would constantly ask us kids whether we thought there were any girls in TV…
Learn More …Steely-Eyed Missile Man
My favorite guy in all of NASA history is someone you’ve likely never heard of – John Aaron, the engineer they called the “Steely-Eyed…
Learn More …My Query Letter Breakthrough
I think every unpublished author is seeking the magic formula to a winning query letter. I discovered mine by accident …
Learn More …The World’s Smartest Tree?
What’s the smartest tree on Earth? I think I have the answer …
Learn More …
Make sure to check out the
“Books I Can’t Stop Talking About“ page for reviews and recommendations of great books from other writers!
Indie authors, please message me if you would like me to review and link to your books.
I love sharing fun bits of research and embarrassing personal stories.
Read my latest blog posts below.
The Pyromania of Writer’s Block
Watching this one writer struggle with his great idea taught me about overcoming writer’s block.
The Bunny and the Over-Imaginative Child
There’s a reason I stopped taking my kids to see the Easter Bunny.
Responding as a nation
I’ve never written before about the shooting at my child’s school, but I need to say this …
That Pioneer Spirit
The number of skills you had to master to be a pioneer in the American West staggers me.
Thanks for Giving Me Thanksgiving
It wasn’t until my great-grandmother died that I finally understood my mother’s love for Thanksgiving.
The Inexperienced Tourist
The summer I turned 16, I hopped a plane to NYC. I’d not only never traveled alone before, I’d never even been in an airport …
Hillbilly Surprise
Let me tell you all a story about a man named Jed. … But I’ll tell you, the ending isn’t what I expected.
The Uncle, the Bomb, and the Beer Hall
My uncle nearly died in a bomb explosion during WWII. What’s odd about that is that he was in Iowa at the time.
A girl named Jane
Kindergarten wouldn’t have been so scary if I’d gotten the answer right to this one simple question …
When Your Characters Don’t Speak Your Language
I assumed I could get away with writing my villain’s speech based on what I THOUGHT German people sounded like in the movies.
I was wrong.
Grieving My Mom, Plus a Boat Race
I lost my mother very suddenly this summer to cancer. I’ve been reeling from that all year and I thought I’d run the gamut of emotions already …
What’s on YouTube tonight?
Ready to binge on fun, free television? Try these YouTube channels.
Football’s Next Golden Idea
I found the next golden idea for football … in the pages of a 1979 Sports Illustrated.
Surviving Panic Attacks in IT
It was a nightmare. Sheer panic. So I made myself a promise …
Coldplay vs Bill and Ted
Coldplay makes me sick. Literally. Instant, uncontrollable nausea. I have a theory …
Grandma’s Cookie Factory
My grandma baked holiday cookies by the GROSS, but still made each one special.
The Old Alma Mater
Ready to choose your college? Read below for pros & cons of Private College.
But I’m a Big Fish!
Ready to choose your college? Read below for pros & cons of Universities
Community College as a First Choice
Ready to choose your college? Read below for pros & cons of Community College
Two Sermons
In all of my years of attending church, there are two sermons that always stayed with me, and both were given by my father. Dad wasn’t your usual minister. Though he was well-versed in the Bible, he rarely quoted scripture and never used it to win an argument. He never…
The Two-by-Four Argument
I’m guessing my nephew is the only child who ever intentionally gave himself a speech impediment to win an argument.
Grandpa’s Navigation
When I was little, I thought my grandpa had installed an advanced navigational system in his car. This was crazy, as it was the 70’s. Not only did we not have computers, we didn’t even have LED screens. Heck, even the radio was a twist-dial that only got AM! Nevertheless,…
Walk of Fame
I took a deep breath, thinking “I hope no one noticed.” Yeah, right.My entire office witnessed …
Battle for Birdland
Trivia question: Name the town on American soil that the Japanese occupied for almost a year during World War II.
Trying to Stay Asleep
I’ve never shared this with anyone, but when I was very young I had some strange, intense, and oddly complicated dreams. I still remember most of them, but one from when I was 4 stands out as by far the most trippy. It started with me “waking up” in a…
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My advice to aspiring writers:
You will never find time to write. You have to make time.
Kimberly Van Ginkel is a published novelist living in the Midwest.
Her debut novel, “In the Sleep of Death,” has been described as “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell” meets “The Ten Thousand Doors of January.”
Kimberly Van Ginkel 