Kimberly Lemming: On Writing a Science Fiction Romance
In this interview, author Kimberly Lemming discusses the process of writing her new science fiction romance novel, I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com.
Kimberly Lemming is a USA Today bestselling author who is on an eternal quest to avoid her calling as a main character. She can be found giving the slip to that new werewolf that just blew into town and refusing to make eye contact with a prince of a far-off land. Dodging aliens looking for Earth booty can really take up a girl’s time. But when she’s not running from fate, she can be found writing diverse fantasy romance. Or just shoveling chocolate in her maw until she passes out on the couch. Follow her on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
In this interview, Kimberly discusses the process of writing her new science fiction romance novel, I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com, the research spirals that went on in the process, and more.
Name: Kimberly Lemming
Literary agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan
Book title: I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: February 18, 2025
Genre/category: sci-fi romance, comedy
Previous titles: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf, That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human, Mistlefoe
Elevator pitch: A wildlife biologist was studying meerkats when she got abducted by aliens. Now she finds herself on the other side of the camera in an intergalactic conservation effort to help a nearly extinct alien race with her species saving coochie.
What prompted you to write this book?
I got the idea while I was watching “Meerkat Manor.” I’d also been rereading Ruby Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarians series at the time, and it gave me an idea. What if the animal researcher filming these meerkats got abducted by aliens and became the animal subject herself? It would be so funny if those aliens had NO idea how to properly take care of a human and just did the galactic equivalent to a Google Search before snatching these girls up. Worse still, what if they cut corners on how to build a human suitable environment and just stole a bunch of DNA from various museums to save money? No, not just museums, DINOSAUR museums! Then it just spiraled from there.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I mulled over the idea for nearly a year before I put pen to paper. Then it took around seven months to finish writing it. Thankfully both my agent and editor were fully on board with any wacky idea for the book I sent their way, so the process was pretty smooth from start to finish. The original idea had her wandering around the woods for a few days while she and the Biwban that abducted her fussed over the proper care for humans, but in the end it was more fun to just dive right into the action.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Steamboat Willie entered the public domain, and it was shocking how fast my publisher got back to me with full approval for the Church Of Cheese scene.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I wanted fire-breathing aliens in this story, and this prompted my friend to demand answers as to how they breathe fire. This sent me on a research spiral until I decided that their bodies naturally produce ethanol as a metabolic byproduct. When their bellies are full of yeast, they can ferment the ethanol into methane and store it in the gas chambers stored in their tail. Which is a fancy way of saying I made them powered by garlic bread. Another spiral involved whether a male Parasaurolophus could safely carry a small rescue party. I ended up doing a lot more dinosaur research than I intended for this book. One of the downsides to making a character so smart is that you have to back it up.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Some laughs, hopefully.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
There is no secret ingredient. Sit your butt down and write.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
