Tell me about yourself, and your writing. – I pretty much always had a book in my hand as a kid. I read all the time, and lived in my imagination. I was a theatre major at Florida State University. I always loved pretending to be someone else. Now I write about other people (even if they are imaginary). I’ve worked as an advertising copywriter for 14 years. I’ve worked on accounts that have included The Miami Marlins, Discovery Networks, Sea World, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises and The Peabody Hotel.
How long have you been writing? How many published books do you have, and what genres?
In high school I had a dream. When I woke up I remembered it clearly and wrote it down. The little scene became a chapter and then a long, unwieldy mess. I should have realized sooner that I was supposed to be a writer, but that didn’t happen until my mid-20s. It took me 10 years of fits and starts before I got smart about it and joined Romance Writers of America and my local Florida Romance Writers chapter. That was in 2005. MARRY ME is my first published novel. I write contemporary inspirational romance and general market women’s fiction filled with “love, laughter and a leap a faith”.
Do you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, do you ever consider straying outside your genre? I tend to stay in the contemporary realm. My women’s fiction books are not inspirational, per se, but they do have some faith elements. I do have this really odd, funny idea that seems to be a paranormal. I never thought I would write paranormal. I generally don’t read it. Never been into the whole vampire and werewolf thing. But this idea won’t leave. It’s about a spoiled heiress who dies and then gets recruited into the Soul Mate Council where it’s her job to help soul mates get together. I have no idea if it will ever get written, but it’s sitting there in my mind waiting.
Are you a plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants? – I do plot, but not usually right away. I like to write a chapter or two just to get to know the characters and who they are, what they’re like. I find that if get too bogged down in the details of plotting in the very beginning I get frustrated and lose my enthusiasm for the idea. I don’t have the patience for it sometimes. But I will do a detailed outline with highlights for key turning points. I also do index cards with scene descriptions. But then I still tend to move things around and change stuff up.
What is a typical writing day like for you? – Not a disciplined as it should be. When I see all those writers on Facebook crowing about how many words they’ve written that day I almost feel violent. (I know it’s not worthy, but I am so super jealous.) My day job is very demanding mentally. I sit at a computer all day writing so when I go home, it’s VERY hard to make myself sit down at a computer and write more. Plus, I’m not a nighttime writer. My brain just shuts down at a certain time at night. Never really been a morning person either. My best writing time is right in the middle of the day (you know, when I’m at the day job), which is so annoying, lol Someday I will figure out the magic formula for the best time to write.
Who do you love to read? Favorite authors, favorite books? – I like contemporaries and historicals. Love the Regency-era books. My writing goddess is Susan Elizabeth Phillips. She is a master of writing humor and I love her spunky heroines. I also adore Kristan Higgins for the same reason. She is someone who can make you laugh and cry in the same page. Big fan of Kristin Billerbeck who writes inspirational. For historical, I love Julia Quinn. Again, she’s funny and I love her heroines.
What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year? – I have 2 more books written in the Covington Falls series that I want to sell. Then there are 2 more plotted that I hope I can write. I have a submission out with a women’s fiction series and I would love to find a home for it. It would mean having to write the next 2 books in that series so not sure how I would get it all done, lol
If you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be? – Hmmm…Does the ability to fly count as paranormal? Not sure if that’s more of a super power.
If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have? – A baby dragon would be super fun. Or maybe just big enough that I could fly on it.
Tell us a little about your latest release. – MARRY ME is the story of Julia Richardson, a very cynical career woman who hates weddings. She grew up with parents who married and divorced multiple times so she doesn’t believe in love at all. Then she ends up having to run a wedding planning business. It’s a lot of fun and also a great story of finding faith and learning to rise above the painful memories of the past.
Seth Graham is a widowed minister. He’s just learning to really live again after losing his wife, and Julia scares the life out of him. She’s the polar opposite of his sweet, gentle wife. Seth is sort of the inspiration for the book. When I first came up with the concept, I thought it would be funny. Then I had to figure out what the story was going to be. I was thinking about who the love interest would be and then I stumbled onto the idea on a minister. Seth Graham was born. Once I had him the rest of the story just seemed to come together in a flash. So I often say I blame this whole idea on him.
What is something that you absolutely can't live without? (Other than family members) – Chocolate and books.
Could you ever co-author a book with someone? If so, who would you choose, and what would you write? – Yeah sure if it was the right project. I would die to co-author with Susan Elizabeth Phillips or Kristan Higgins.
If you could spend a day with anyone from history, dead or alive, who would it be, and what would you do? What would you ask them?
What are some of your other hobbies outside of writing? – I love music. I have sung all my life. Sing in the church choir and worship team. I also play the flute in a community orchestra.
What is something you've always wanted to do, but haven't done yet. Why not?
If you were on the staff to have a book adapted to movie, what would you pick? – Mine of course. Why not?
What is a talent you wish you had, but don't? – I wish I could draw. I am terrible. I also wish I had better handwriting. Mine is atrocious. I mean, really bad. Thank goodness for computers now. When I first started writing I didn’t know how to type so everything was handwritten. Oh boy was that stuff a mess.
Favorite color? - Blue
Weather: Hot or cold? – I live in Miami so I like warm. If it gets below 70 we start shivering. However, I do like being able to wear a sweater for a few days.
Favorite place to read? – I usually end up reading before bed. And there is nothing like reading on the beach.
Favorite meal -
Favorite non-alcoholic drink. – Coke.
If you could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding you back, where would you go? I’d love to go to Scotland and look up the Wallace clan. I really want to travel through England, too. I’ve only been to London once. Love to go to France and Italy, too. If I ever have time, Australia.
Marry
Me
By:
Kristin Wallace
Blurb
She'd
vowed never to fall in love...
Julia Richardson is no fan of weddings. A lifetime of watching her parents treat relationships like the flavor of the month has taught her that love is for fools. Then she learns her former stepsister is having a crisis with her pregnancy. The crisis has Julia returning to the small Southern town – and the family – she’s been avoiding for years. Before she knows it, Julia’s been pressed into service running her former stepsister’s wedding planning business, Marry Me.
Julia doesn’t know a garter from a garden hose, but now she must navigate couples along the bumpy path down the aisle - despite wardrobe malfunctions, killer bees, and plenty of near disasters. In the midst of it all, Julia makes the most unexpected discovery of all…Love, with Seth Graham, the widowed local minister! Julia’s been running from love and everything spiritual for most of her life. It’s not until she finds the courage to stop running that she finds her own “I Do” moment.
(Excerpt #2 Julia sees Seth for the first time after 15 years.)
“Come on, Seth is around here somewhere,” Eric said. “Let me introduce you. Oh, wait… I forgot. You two know each other, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but we weren’t exactly friends.”
Julia followed Eric, and in the distance she spotted a group of men helping to set up the field. She searched for a geeky-looking beanpole, but her eyes stopped on a beautifully built, dark-haired man. All she could see was the back of him. He was tall, with shoulders a mile wide, and long, powerful legs.
Who knew they grew such delicious specimens down here in Covington Falls?
“Hey, Seth!” Eric called out. “Look who I found.”
All the men turned, including the delicious one. Oh, yeah. Mr. Tall Guy was wonderful from the front, too. Nicely crafted masculine features. Julia couldn’t quite make out the eye color, but she had a feeling they were spectacular as well. Their eyes met, and she felt a little jolt. “This one,” a voice reflected in her head. His eyes widened, and Julia knew he felt it, too. If they were in a movie this would be the moment when violins swept into a chorus and drums started pounding.
Then he frowned, and his expression became shuttered. He broke away from the group and started over in her direction. That’s when it dawned on her exactly who she’d been drooling over.
The drums turned to clanging bells.
Oh… my…
The breath lodged in her throat. There was no way the geeky boy she’d known had grown into… him! But somehow he had. She stiffened even more when she recalled this gorgeous man was also a minister.
Can you get struck by lightning for thinking impure thoughts about a minister? Isn’t lust one of the seven deadly sins?
Oh, this was not good. Not good at all.
Julia Richardson is no fan of weddings. A lifetime of watching her parents treat relationships like the flavor of the month has taught her that love is for fools. Then she learns her former stepsister is having a crisis with her pregnancy. The crisis has Julia returning to the small Southern town – and the family – she’s been avoiding for years. Before she knows it, Julia’s been pressed into service running her former stepsister’s wedding planning business, Marry Me.
Julia doesn’t know a garter from a garden hose, but now she must navigate couples along the bumpy path down the aisle - despite wardrobe malfunctions, killer bees, and plenty of near disasters. In the midst of it all, Julia makes the most unexpected discovery of all…Love, with Seth Graham, the widowed local minister! Julia’s been running from love and everything spiritual for most of her life. It’s not until she finds the courage to stop running that she finds her own “I Do” moment.
(Excerpt #2 Julia sees Seth for the first time after 15 years.)
“Come on, Seth is around here somewhere,” Eric said. “Let me introduce you. Oh, wait… I forgot. You two know each other, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but we weren’t exactly friends.”
Julia followed Eric, and in the distance she spotted a group of men helping to set up the field. She searched for a geeky-looking beanpole, but her eyes stopped on a beautifully built, dark-haired man. All she could see was the back of him. He was tall, with shoulders a mile wide, and long, powerful legs.
Who knew they grew such delicious specimens down here in Covington Falls?
“Hey, Seth!” Eric called out. “Look who I found.”
All the men turned, including the delicious one. Oh, yeah. Mr. Tall Guy was wonderful from the front, too. Nicely crafted masculine features. Julia couldn’t quite make out the eye color, but she had a feeling they were spectacular as well. Their eyes met, and she felt a little jolt. “This one,” a voice reflected in her head. His eyes widened, and Julia knew he felt it, too. If they were in a movie this would be the moment when violins swept into a chorus and drums started pounding.
Then he frowned, and his expression became shuttered. He broke away from the group and started over in her direction. That’s when it dawned on her exactly who she’d been drooling over.
The drums turned to clanging bells.
Oh… my…
The breath lodged in her throat. There was no way the geeky boy she’d known had grown into… him! But somehow he had. She stiffened even more when she recalled this gorgeous man was also a minister.
Can you get struck by lightning for thinking impure thoughts about a minister? Isn’t lust one of the seven deadly sins?
Oh, this was not good. Not good at all.
Buy Links:
Amazon:
Barnes & Noble:
Astraea Press:
Link
to Follow Tour:
http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/09/now-booking-tasty-virtual-book-tour-for_5.html
Author
Info
Growing
up Kristin devoured books like bags of Dove Dark Chocolate.
Everything from Nancy Drew & Encyclopedia Brown to C.S.
Lewis and the Sweet Valley High series. Later she
discovered romance novels. It’s no surprise then that Kristin
would one day try her hand at writing them. She writes
inspirational romance and women’s fiction filled with love,
laughter and a leap of faith. In May 2013, Kristin sold her first
novel, MARRY ME, to Astraea Press. Publication date to come!
When
she’s not writing her next novel, Kristin works as an
advertising copywriter. She also enjoys singing in her church
choir and playing flute in a community orchestra.
Author
Links
Hi Nikki! Thanks for hosting me! Looking forward to a fun day.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Prudence. Hope you fall in the love with the great characters I dreamed up.
DeleteGreat to meet you Kristin. MARRY ME sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like such a fun storyline. Maybe a plot for a TV movie??
ReplyDelete