Get ready to learn more about the book Canceling Cordelia in this discussion with sapphic author Kimberly J.M. Wilson.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Kimberly J.M. Wilson about Canceling Cordelia, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Opposites Attract category in the 2025 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write Canceling Cordelia?
I love Cordelia Wainwright! She emerged from a dream and then kept bugging me for months: “Why won’t you write my bloody story, Kim! This is most unkind!” She was persistent and I finally relented. The result was The Actress: The Curious Case of Cordelia Wainwright.
I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I wrote the first book because I’d only written non-fiction to this point. While I am proud of how that book turned out, people kept asking me what REALLY happened that first night between Cordelia and Aubrey…and, more importantly, they kept saying I should write a sequel to explain not only that but what happened after Cordelia admitted on TV that she loved Aubrey. So, I turned The Actress into a series and set about writing the second book, Canceling Cordelia: Fire, Ice & Water.
Without giving too much away, the first “final” manuscript, lol, veered into the realm of women’s fiction and so far away from a romantic comedy. A very patient friend who read every draft (and there were MANY, lol), read the ending and said, “Nope!” And, so I changed it. Also, there was a lack of direction in the earlier drafts. I needed something to tie it all together. Then, one most unkind, rude, and indelicate person called me an “Ice Queen.” And, it clicked. Basically, I said you think I’m an Ice Queen? Let me write you a bent, hilarious fairytale about the total destruction of an Ice Queen. I think I did just that with this book and I hope readers do, too.
Also, I must add, I still haven’t recovered from the ending of the Killing Eve tv series. I read the book series and that is NOT how it ended. So, after I got over my original/first depressing ending to Canceling Cordelia, I set about writing a story where a less than sympathetic heroine could actually change and embrace love. And, most importantly, have a happily ever after ending.
There is this annoying thing that happens to a lot to lesbian characters in literature and in films/TV: they get killed, left by their lovers, and just really get the proverbial short end of the stick. I won’t speculate as to why this happens, but I’m sure most people have very strong opinions about it. Please don’t get me wrong, or think I’m being critical of other sapphic authors who write unhappily ever endings. There is definitely a realm of readership for that, and, as Lyn Denison said to me, “Life happens.” But, I personally didn’t want to write seventeen humorous chapters and then get to the last one and say, “Oh, but life happens. Sorry.” LOL.
So, I wrote a book/series about what happens when two completely opposite women fall in love, get married, and have children. Yes, there are bumps in the road and so, so, so many arguments, but in the end this book shows that all of these things can happen because, while Aubrey and Cordy are famous actresses, they are also two NORMAL people who deserve to be happy.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
Cordelia is without a doubt my favorite character. She is so, so, so flawed but absolutely hilarious. I love writing for her. Jane Austen had Elizabeth Bennett and I have Cordelia Anne Wainwright.
She speaks to me… which is probably because she and I are so very similar: Smirking, sarcasm, neat-freak, financially frugal, commitment-phobic, workaholic, unmaternal, and a strong proponent of dental hygiene and every shade of black. Plus, while her family drives her absolutely mad, as mine does me, we both would do anything for them.
We are different in that I am not addicted to English toffee pudding and I have yet to find my “Aubrey.” So while Cordy has stepped out of her comfort zone and thrown off the shackles of her various afflictions, I’m still holding onto all of mine. LOL! Ah, but don’t writers live vicariously through their characters? So, there’s that. Also, my mother was nothing like Beatrice…except that she was both my biggest critic and supporter.
What part of Canceling Cordelia was the most fun to write?
Um, all of Chapter Sex… yes, that’s correct, not a typo. LOL! It’s called “Strawberries & Faux Cocks.” This chapter explains what really happened when Aubrey and Cordelia met. If you’ve read the first book, you know Chapter Two was an earlier-than-usual revelation that Cordelia had the hots for Aubrey. Chapter Sex explains just how bad she had the hots for Aubrey.
It also gives background as to how involved Beatrice was in making that “date” happen. I’ve had friends and readers comment about how poor of a mother Beatrice was/is. Yes, she isn’t going to win any Mother-of-the-Year awards, but if you had Cordelia as a daughter you might be rough around the edges, too. LOL.
Anyway, back to Chapter Sex. Someone asked me how could Cordelia and her unhealthy obsession with germs and bacteria do certain things in the bedroom. This chapter explains all. Perhaps more than some want, but it’s bloody hilarious. I’ve had several readers tell me they laughed out loud several times when they read this chapter.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
Well, the book is an eighteen chapter metaphor about what happens when a fiery woman lays siege (Cancels) to every last one of an ice queen’s afflictions/crutches. What remains when fire melts ice is water–which is what sustains their love, marriage, and family. Also, I was rather miffed when people tried to traditionally cancel Dr. Seuss. If you’ve read the book, then you know he is paid homage in it. The chapter titles alone are “Easter eggs.” LOL
How much research did you need to do for Canceling Cordelia?
Um, that seems like a rather personal question after I told you Chapter Sex was the most fun to write. LOL. No comment on that.
However, I read every Dr. Seuss book ever printed. The librarians at my local branch kept asking me what I was doing. I smirked and said wouldn’t you like to know! LOL.
I have no children or medical training and relied heavily on my friend Toni, who works in the medical field and could battle The Old Woman in the Shoe for the title of who has more kids. She was my Google machine on so many things.
If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
The third book, which is yet to be started but is churning in my brain, is going to be called Cordy Does COVID. How does an already out-of-control germaphobe and hypochondriac endure the perils of an airborne virus? And, most importantly, how does her wife, children, and mother deal with it? LOL
What is your favorite line from your book?
“Cordy understood that this was THE pivotal moment of her life. Her decision was a bright, incandescent smile that spread completely across her face; tears welled up in her icy-blue eyes, and then, the last molecule of ice clinging to the glacier that once was Cordelia Anne Wainwright finally melted away.”
It took me so many bloody edits to get this exactly how I wanted. I think it ended up being bloody brilliant. It’s at the end of Chapter 12, which is a very dark, difficult chapter, but a necessary one. This line encapsulates who Cordelia was and who Cordy will now become.
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
Dead: Jane Austen. She is the type of writer I aspire to be. She wrote strong but flawed female characters that still resonate with readers today. Are there two stronger, flawed female characters than Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Woodhouse in English literature?
Alive: Right now, probably Lyn Denison. By a strange twist of fate, one of her friends (GW) recommended The Curious Case of Cordelia Wainwright. She read it, we connected, and now we correspond with one another–probably more than is good for her writing or sleep. She lives in Australia and I am in Ohio, so I expect we shall never meet face-to-face. I am a relatively new fiction writer, and Lyn has been very supportive and instructive in this brave new world for me. So, it would be great to hear her wonderful stories in person.
Do you have any odd writing quirks?
I write final drafts, then send them to my first reader/editor and swear that’s the final, and then less than a day later say, “I know I said…” This happens several times.
What are three words that describe your personality?
Sarcastic: Read my books! I have a very dark and dry sense of humor.
Introverted: Anyone who knows me, knows the best place to have a conversation with me is over text or in a letter. LOL. I won’t call it social anxiety, but I am not a chatterbox and speak little but listen a lot.
Dependable: When I say I will do something, I do it. Plus, I’m boring, and don’t like to change much about myself, so my family/friends know they can dependent on me to be as I always am.
What do you do to get inside your character’s heads?
I’m pretty sure Cordelia got inside of my head. By God, first she interrupted my dreams. And, then when I tried to ignore her, she kept tapping me on the shoulder, and repeatedly said, “I am going to speak and you are going to listen. Got it? Nod your head if you understand.” Hence, two books and, hopefully, another one by the end of 2025.
If you could be mentored by a famous author (living or not), who would it be?
Jane Austen: she was an introvert, too. And, I like to think, Lyn Denison is a bit of a mentor now.
Have you ever cried when writing an emotional scene?
Chapter Twelve “The Bitter Seed” from Canceling Cordelia. As stated earlier, this is a dark chapter. I put off writing it for close to a month. I edited this book and another one repeatedly and did everything to avoid writing the chapter. My reader friend kept asking me when I was going to get back to writing Cordy’s story. Finally, I told myself, you have to write this chapter: it is pivotal to the point of this book! It is a raw, stripped-away, explanation of where the Ice Queen was created… and, then, well, canceled. In a way, I felt like I violated the trust Cordelia as a character had in me to write her story. I hope it conveys the emotion I felt (as well as what Cordelia experienced) when I wrote it.
What type of books do you enjoy reading the most?
Again, if you read the first book, you know I love Shakespeare. His plays have so much in them: love, betrayal, nuance, violence, and humor. I’m a romantic at heart, so Jane Austen (of course), and I have an unhealthy affinity for the Bridgerton series. I have always been this way. I used to smuggle my mother’s Danielle Steele books and then sneak them back before she noticed.
What books have you read more than once in your life?
I read Pride and Prejudice once a year. How Jane Austen tells this story, her character development, and wit amazes me each time I read it. It’s a timeless classic.
