Reintroducing Ms. Kaye Barley

I have, indeed! 
Can you believe it?  I’m still
pinching myself.  WHIMSEY: A NOVEL is a bit of southern fiction with a splash of magic and a
touch of fantasy, topped with a sprinkling of humor. It’s about connections.  And you can read more about it at The Whimsey
Webpage – http://www.kayewilkinsonbarley.com/ 
 

Just between us – yes, there is a real life event
and it concerns a bit of painting done in the dining room of one of the homes
on The Island of Whimsey.  That was
lifted, in part, from an experience my parents had in having their dining room
painted when I was a little girl.  I
remember it well.  It’s been a source of
laughter for us for a number of years. 
My mom loved that it made its way into the book. 

We really do live in a gorgeous part of North
Carolina.  These mountains are heavenly
and filled, I think, with creative and healing energy.  I can’t believe you’re asking about Eustace!  I think I’m the last person on God’s green
earth to have heard of him!  I just heard
about him for the first time a week or so ago and now find out he’s a local
celebrity.  Which shows not only how much
I watch TV (hardly ever), but how much I get out and about (apparently, not
enough). 

Anyhooo – – 
getting back to your question (sorry, I do tend to get off on tangents,
don’t I?).  Setting plays a huge role in
WHIMSEY, but not our North Carolina mountains. 
The setting is an island off the coast of Georgia.  One of the things that draws me in while I’m
reading and will keep me coming back for more is a book’s setting.  My favorite authors are those who have such a
great sense of setting and those which are so well drawn they become a
character all on their own.  I tried to
do that with Whimsey.  I hope I
succeeded. 

Thanks for the “official author” thing!  Wow. 
I’m having a hard time with that one. 
And you know, to many people I’m not and will never be as long as I’m a
self-published author.  But, oh
well.   

Do I view the book world differently?  That would have to be a yes – I do.  Recent experiences have caused a bit of a
shift in how I view the book world. 

Can I still get lost in someone else’s novel
?  Oh, Wow.  You bet. 
I am completely and totally a reader. 
One who wants to just crawl inside the story.  A well-written book transports me and I live
in that world until the story is over – and often well after the story is
over.  I rarely get distracted by
anything that has to do with someone else’s writing.  There are as many different writing styles as
there are writers, and I leave the analyzing and deconstruction to those who
actually know about those things – and that’s not me.   I just wanted to write a story that had all
the elements that I enjoy reading about. 
I figured if it’s a story I loved, there would probably (hopefully)  be others who would love it as well. I’m well
aware that it’s not a book for everyone – but what book is?  I’m also well aware that I’m not, never will
be, a great writer.  But I tell a decent
story, decently written, in a fairly distinct “voice.”  Hopefully, as I continue writing I’ll get
better. 

That Harley. 
What a ham, huh?  Harley thinks
WHIMSEY is all about him, of course.  And
Fred the Corgi does look an awful lot like Harley, I have to admit.  Harley, however, does not read the Wall
Street Journal, and if he did, he would not need glasses to do that. 

Signing tours! 
Wow.  So far, Evelyn, no one’s
been begging me to come do much in the way of a signing tour.  I am, however, going to be one of the
exhibiting writers – as opposed to the big name presenting authors – at the
High Country Festival of the Book  here in Boone
in June.  I’m not sure, though, that it’s
a dog-friendly venue.  He would love it
though ‘cause a couple of his favorite authors are on the roster.  I’m pretty excited about it too.   

Next on the writing agenda is Whimsey Book
#2.  There are five very close
girlfriends in WHIMSEY:  A NOVEL.  We learned Emmaline Foley Hamilton’s story in
Book #1.  I hope to tell each woman’s
story over time.  I’ve written the first
scene in Book #2, but have put it aside for a bit while I concentrate on
promotion right now. 

I am a huge fan of mysteries, you’re right.  I have not considered writing one, but just a
few years ago I had not considered writing a novel at all. So, maybe.  We’ll see. 

I would say “Do It!”   I would say this to anyone who wants to do
anything they have an itch and an urge to do. 
Writing, painting, photography, whatever.  Just do it. 
It doesn’t need to be for anyone other than yourself.  If it brings you a bit of joy, do it.  And don’t wait until you think the time is
right otherwise the years are going to just keep on going by and you’ll still
be waiting.  Just do it!  
 

A favorite paragraph.  Okay – here’s one. 

“The painting showed not just five little girls
playing dress-up, but the depths of their joy in one another.  Each making sure they were all equally
visible, unable to be separated without a hand holding another’s hand, a finger
touching another’s nose, one giving another’s big picture hat a minor
adjustment.  The joy was infectious.  The love was palpable.  The quiet shades of white and sepia tones
tinged with the palest pink, recognized widely as Olivia’s signature palette,
giving it an aura of timelessness.” 

Print versions of WHIMSEY are available through
any bookstore.  Because it’s
self-published some people think it’s only available at Amazon.  I purchased an ISBN through Bowker so that
the book could be distributed through other distributors, such as Ingram, so
your favorite bookseller can order it for you. 
The only eVersion, right now, is Kindle.