"It's basically armchair travel, but with bad guys and bombs."

Bestselling author Kimberly Belle on slipping into the dark world of blood antiquities, letting stories "cook", and her globe-trotting new thriller, THE PARIS WIDOW

Check out the collection of past Words With (Author) Friends, wherein I g-chat with an author and you get to read over my shoulder, and order Kimberly’s adrenaline-pumping new thriller, out now!

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Me: Huge congrats on THE PARIS WIDOW, Kimberly! How are you feeling post-launch?

Kimberly: Thank you! I'm better now that I've had a weekend to rest up. You know how chaotic launch week is. The flurry of social media, the travel for book tour. Fun, but it is always such craziness!

It definitely is! A total blur. Was there a highlight from launch week—a truly great moment you're hanging onto?

Hmmm, the events always stand out in my head, but pre-launch night here in Atlanta was a special one. It sometimes feels a little self-indulgent -- yet another book, yet another moment I basically beg my family and friends to buy mine lol -- but it's so important to mark the big milestones. This was my 11th book, so certainly something to celebrate!

11 books—cheers to you! I definitely want to talk more about what you've learned over the years, but let's start by talking about THE PARIS WIDOW. Can you share what it's about?

The Paris Widow is the story of Stella and Adam, a married couple on the trip of a lifetime--a 3-week tour of some of the most fabulous hotspots in Europe. But their dream vacation ends in tragedy when Adam goes missing after an explosion in a Parisian square. In the chaotic days after, the French police tell Stella that Adam wasn't just the victim of the bombing, but the target.

Goosebumps! You know I stan a globe-trotting thriller. Where'd the idea come from?