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Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Kim has been a passionate reader since she was four years old. As a little girl, she kept diaries, wrote short stories and poetry. She was the editor of the school paper in junior high, attending conferences in Sun Valley, Idaho and winning awards for her journalism. At fourteen, she had her first paying gig writing a couple of articles for the local newspaper.

Writing professionally has always been a secret dream that’s now being realized. In November, 2008, Kim won both the silver and bronze prize for an essay she wrote about her son, Andy, who has Down syndrome. That same month, she began her memoir sharing her personal story of addiction and recovery. Kim is currently represented by Jenny Bent, of the Bent Agency. Read the first chapter of THE NEXT 24 here.

Why did you start writing?
I’ve always been a writer, ever since I was a little girl. Writing is my way of working through what’s in my head. It’s how I unburden my soul.

What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?
If I couldn’t write, or if I weren’t writing professionally?

Weren’t.
Well, it’s only been in the past year that I’ve been seriously working toward my goal of becoming a published author. In the past ten months or so, I’ve really dedicated myself to achieving my goals. So I know what I’ve been doing when I haven’t been completely focused on writing. I’ve done everything from working in fast food, to being a bail bondsman. If I couldn’t write…if I were somehow forbidden from it, I’d probably go insane with my own thoughts.

THE NEXT 24 is such a personal memoir. Why expose yourself so publicly?
(Laughs) All memoirs are personal. I’ve taken some heat from people about exposing myself and my addiction to meth so publicly, but it’s something I’m passionate about. There’s so much press about people who are on the streets, strung out, barely living from one hit to the next. But there’s been nothing written from the point of view of a female meth addict, let alone a functioning meth addict. We’re the ones who are overlooked because we’re so well hidden. We’re the ones who rarely seek help, and according to treatment professionals I've talked to, we're the most difficult to treat. I felt it was time to give people like me a voice.

What do you mean by ‘functioning addict’?
A functioning addict, or alcoholic for that matter, is someone who seems to be holding everything together. They hold down jobs and raise families. They’re soccer moms and little league baseball coaches. They’re professors and attorneys and doctors. From the outside, they seem to have the world by the tail, but on the inside, they’re living their own private hell. The guilt and shame in addition to their addiction make it almost impossible to ask for help. It’s for these people and their families that I’ve written this book.

So what’s next for you after getting THE NEXT 24 published?
I’m currently working on another memoir about raising my son, Andy, as a single mother. He has Down syndrome, and went through fifteen surgeries before he was three years old. The story is about how I fought for him in those years, and struggled to make sure he had the same opportunities as every other child while he was growing up. The story is about a child with Down’s, but I think it’s also universal for any parent who loves their child and wants the best for them. I'm also working on my first novel, which is a lot of fun.

Anything else people might want to know about you?
I don’t know if they’d want to know anything else. (Laughs) Let’s see. I’m a vegetarian. I started out in December of 2008 as a vegan, but began having overwhelming cravings for eggs. Oh. And I can wriggle just the second toe of my right foot if I really concentrate.

Amazing.
Yeah, I know.