An Interview with Kimberly Nixon

Kimberly Nixon writes family stories featuring strong, determined—and sometimes wild—characters. She wrestles these personalities, which are based on real people, into the main characters of her works of fiction. She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writing Association and the Writers’ League of Texas. Nixon lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Paul, and commits to living a great story of her own.

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Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I won a writing contest in first grade during National Library Week (I still have the ribbon). I can honestly say that, intrinsically, I love to read and I love to write. Throughout my life, I’ve kept journals to process my world and express myself. It wasn’t until late in my career that I shared my writing with others in a blog. I started my novels after I retired from my traditional career.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I started out as an English major because I wanted to write, but considered the unlikelihood that I would be able to make a living. I pursued being a high school English teacher but quickly found I didn’t like the classroom. I went back to school at age forty (after having three children) to get a computer science degree and enjoyed technical writing. I opened a business at the end of my career archiving family stories (video, photos, letters, memorabilia).

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Ruby grew up in poverty and worked on her grandfather’s farm as a teen. Her teen years were grueling and contained little joy. In a scene about my main character Ruby’s childhood adventure with a friend, she tried to climb to the top of the mountain to get a different view of her surroundings. Her friend laughed at her, saying, “We don’t get to see the top, Ruby. We’re more like rock bottom people.” I knew then I had my title: Rock Bottom, Tennessee.

What part of publishing your book made it feel real for the first time?

I love watching on social media reels about unboxing new books. For me, after eight years of writing, the day I held my book in my hands gave me complete joy. Another thrill was a trip to the local bookstore with my granddaughter pointing out my book on the shelf.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I have a dream for my book to be made into a limited television series. The theme song would be “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

It’s a big ask, but I’d like my readers to refrain from judging my main character, Ruby. Given her circumstances and the difficult atmosphere in Eastern Tennessee at the time, she did what she had to do to survive. I hope they put themselves in her situation and remind themselves they have more options in life than she did in the 1920s.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

I am passionate about the family story and I have been blessed—or cursed—with a plethora of them. Though it is fiction, Rock Bottom, Tennessee is based on the true story of my grandmother’s felony conviction in 1925 Appalachia. I met her twice and researched her story for years. Writing this book allowed me to explore why she made unconventional choices about her life and to embed myself in the culture of my mother’s childhood in Appalachia.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

I’m releasing a children’s book (based on a family story) this fall. My current novel-in-progress is based on a single woman who starts a pie shop in a small town during the Depression and ends up laundering money for the mob. I’ve also started research for a memoir based on retracing my father’s steps in the European theatre in WWII.

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