Introducing L.L. Kirchner
Florida Girls, Author's First Novel
This month the Debutante Ball welcomes L.L. Kirchner, author of Florida Girls, (and Book 1 of the Queenpin Chronicles). This is Kirchner’s first novel though she’s been writing non fiction and sharing her amazing life story for some time.
Grab some sunscreen, pour your favorite tropical drink, and settle under an umbrella for this page-turning read.
Will Write for Anything
My first paid writing gig was for the local alt newsweekly— Columbus, Ohio’s The Other Paper—a review of the movie I’ll Do Anything. A title that presaged a career?
Though I worked in PR & marketing by day, by night I wrote. Everything from food to art to fashion. For a time, I was simultaneously the religion editor for an LGBTQIA+ newspaper, the bridal editor for a society rag, and the dating columnist for an alternative newsweekly.
I fantasized about writing a novel some day, but life events conspired to throw me a memoir when my husband ended our marriage just after I discovered I’d gone through hideously early menopause. The memoir part came in because at the time I was living in Qatar, where the gyms held “ladies hours” (while this lady was at work). Re-defining myself as a woman in that environment became the topic of my first book, American Lady Creature: (My) Change in the Middle East. A Qatar Memoir.
What came next was a decade of soul-searching that resulted in my second memoir,
Blissful Thinking: A Memoir of Overcoming the Wellness Revolution.
Each of those books represents about a decade—beyond the lived experiences—of agents and book deals and canceled deals, etc. So while, yes, I’ve snuck in here as a “deb”, Florida Girls is my first novel, and I came into it knowing a little more.
The Publishing Industry is a Sandcastle in a Windstorm
My top takeaway from years in and around publishing? Publishing is always changing. Paths to success are unique. There is no use in trying to follow trends unless you’re in the write-a-book-a-month club. In which case, nothing to see here. Swipe on!
Still here? Good!
This ephemeral beast is a thing I both love and hate. I bore easily, but also, this ever-changing business makes it super easy to fall into the never-enoughness trap. The only way I’m able to fend off that ick? Writing something new. That’s how Florida Girls came about.
After years of trying to place my second memoir, I’d given up on ever finding a home for it. I despaired of what would become of the stories I’d so long felt compelled to share (a desire that sprang from wanting to help others escape the shame spiral of, HOW CAN I FIX MYSELF NOW?). Rather than sulk (which happened during the years I spent trying to place my first memoir), I decided to write some short films loosely based on the material. Those films ended up in dozens of film festivals and won multiple awards. That gave me the confidence try writing an entirely fictional story.
Also it was the pandemic, and the film industry essentially shut down. If I was ever going to try my hand at a 90,000-word narrative arc, this was the time.
The concept had taken root years earlier, when I came across a 1940s-era photo of swimsuit models from Florida at an event in California during World War II. That struck me as off.
Ordinary citizens were limited to two pairs of shoes per year. If you needed to replace your car’s tires but didn’t have the rations, you put the car up on blocks. Exactly who were the hustlers that had organized a team of swimsuit models to go on tour during the second World War?
When I began researching, I discovered the tour had originated in St. Petersburg, the town where I so happen to live, a town famous for publicity stunts that drive tourism. When I started writing, it was from the men’s perspective. But as the story unfolded, the female characters took over.
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Real talk? I was surprised that I pulled it off. And loved doing it besides. Better yet, after finishing that story I discovered that the characters weren’t done with me. So I started writing a second book. (Vegas Girls, look for it by the end of 2024!)
Plot Twist
Like magic, in came an offer for Blissful Thinking. Obviously. But it’s worth noting here because that book has gone on to not only see the light of day, but find acclaim. It was nominated for a Pushcart, is currently a finalist for a Foreword Reviews Indies Award, and has achieved my original goal, set with my writing coach, of helping at least one person not feel like they have to tear themself apart in order to be okay. (I know this last bit because some readers have reached out and told me so.)
This is where my Substack comes in. How to transition between fiction and non? Especially historical fiction. And what about my work as a story coach? The thread that tied them all together? Ill-Behaved Women. Why?
Because history is already littered with the untold stories of women. It’s a space to be inspired, learn a little about women of yesteryear, and talk a bit about the issues of the day. I also write about guerilla marketing for indie books.
Now here I am with my debut novel, Florida Girls about to launch. So far, I’m absolutely thrilled with the feedback I’m getting from readers.
Having been here before, however, I know there are tough times ahead. But if there’s anything I have to share, it’s the one essential truth I believe all writers must carry in their hearts. There is no finish line. The writing is the work and the reward.
So write already
We write because we love writing. If you need permission, here it is: Do the things that allow your inner creative sprite to flourish and avoid the things that crush her soul.
Learn more about Florida Girls
Connect with L.L. Kirchner
https://bio.site/LLKirchner
Instagram: llkirchner_