Hi Kristine, Thank you for letting me interview you today. I love finding new to me authors and sharing them with others. Let’s get started.

1) What Genre do you write? 

Kristine: Romance, both historical western and contemporary, for now…..

2) When did you start Writing?

Kristine: Labor Day weekend 2013. A momentous step into this journey I find myself on.

Red: I love that you call it a journey. 

3) Do you have a favorite book that you have written?

Kristine: Whichever I’m writing at the time because it’s all shiny and new …lol. Seriously, though, I don’t think I can pick a favorite. I love all of my books for different reasons – some due to the stories themselves and others for the emotions I felt while writing them. 

4) How about a favorite character from your books? Do you have a specific way you choose the characters names?

Kristine: This question I can answer with a ‘yes’. Jack Tanner from Hearts on Fire (and the rest of the Hidden Springs series) is my favorite. There’s just something about his personality that I fell in love with the moment I created it, and I haven’t written one to match his since.

As far as coming up with names for my characters, that happens in a variety of ways. Some are family names, some I choose by looking in the phone book (yes, I still have one of those lying around), some randomly pop into my head, and sometimes I refer to the lists and lists of baby names I have saved on my computer.”

Red: I never thought to look at baby names for suggestions. 

5) What is your favorite part of being a published author?

Kristine: Sharing my stories with the world and when readers love the same parts of my stories that I do.

6) Where is the strangest place you had a book or character idea come to you?

Kristine: Strangest? I don’t know. A lot of scenes are written in my head while I’m mowing my lawn. Spending an hour on a riding mower has a way of clarifying things for me – though I’m out of luck in the winter. I’ve had scenes and characters come to me in dreams. That’s always neat – to wake up and know what happens next.

Red: I can picture you on a riding mower with a pad of paper on the steering wheel taking notes lol.

7)  I am sure you don’t sit with a timer but if you had to guess how long does it take for you to write a book? 

Kristine: It depends on the story. Tempted took me four years to write, though I wasn’t working on it the entire time. Snowflakes in Winter, from the Seasons of Love collection, took me five days. I guess I’d say, on average, two months. That’s without writing every day. When my characters decide to stop speaking to me (which happens all of the time. I don’t know why. I’m a delight to be around), it can take a week or more for them to cozy up to me again.

8) Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Kristine: Not so much any more. I used to obsess over them before realizing that regardless if they’re good or bad, I can’t do anything about them. A review is one person’s opinion based on their personal viewpoints and experiences and while I always hope they enjoy my story, that they ‘get’ what I’m trying to say, not everyone is going to like the plot or the characters or my style of writing.

9) What do you do what you suffer from writer’s block?

Kristine: Cry. No, not really, but when my imaginary friends stop speaking to me my feelings do get hurt a little bit. Being unable to fashion together words in a meaningful way when I have a story to tell is frustrating, but I’ve found that trying to force them out doesn’t work for me. So, I take a step back, work on a project that isn’t book related, and wait for the words and my brain to sync up.

Red: I’ve had a lot of authors agree that stepping away can reset your brain. Makes sense.

10) Which of your books do you wish more readers were aware of?

Kristine: All of them. I know that sounds like a pat answer, but it’s true. I’ve written over a dozen books encompassing four different genres. That’s a lot of variety for a reader to choose from. Any and all are a good pick!

Red: Let’s hope this chit chat will bring some new readers your way!

11) Did you have a mentor when you started?

Kristine: Several. Laramie Briscoe showed me the ropes – what I needed in order to self-publish (cover designer, formatter, etc.) and she answered my endless questions. LL Collins came to my rescue when I was uploading Here to Stay to Amazon. It’s amazing how scary that is the first time you do it. And there have been numerous others who’ve helped me along the way and continue to help me. That’s what I love about this journey. Though writing is a solitary endeavor, there is an awesome community – authors, bloggers, readers, designers, formatters, editors, betas – just outside the door, so to speak, offering help and encouragement. I don’t think there’s a single one of us who does this alone.

Red: Thank you for the shout out to all of the people it takes to raise a book baby. 

12) What advice would you give an aspiring author?

Kristine: Write what’s in your heart. Learn as much as you can about every aspect of the process, but make sure your words are authentically yours. Write your book. It’s okay to be scared but do it anyway. Write what comes from your soul, not what you think people want. Soak up every bit of advice you can, and then do it your way. It’s okay to not follow the crowd; to go off in a different direction. It’s okay to try new things. If it doesn’t work, try something else. Never stop learning. And never stop writing.

Red: Truth! 

13) Tell us something fun. Anything that can make us smile or giggle. Life is too short, lets spread some smiles around.

Kristine: I want to be Betty White when I grow up.

Red: BEST ANSWER EVER!!

14) Anything Else

Kristine: Just, thank you. Thanks for helping out authors like me, for taking time out of your life to share about our books. I appreciate it more than you know. Thanks for the interview, Red. It’s been lots of fun being here.

Thank you so much Kristine. Having you here with us has been great!

~Red xoxo

CHECK THIS OUT !!

Enduring Traditions: A Hidden Springs Novella by Kristine Raymond

Amazon https://amzn.to/2FjamJs

It’s the turn of the century and progress has made its way to Hidden Springs.

Leaving his hometown two decades earlier to become a physician, Micah Tanner has returned, eager to educate folks in the ways of modern medicine. However, what sounds like an easy task is anything but when he discovers his neighbors prefer seeking help from the local medicine woman instead of sending for the doctor when they’re ill. Determined to put an end to her ancient customs, he’s unprepared for the effect she has on his heart.

**This is the final book in the Hidden Springs series

Tel-e-ka, or Ellie as she’s known to the townsfolk, is a young Yavapai medicine woman struggling to find a balance between the old ways of her ancestors and the new advances in the field of healing. It doesn’t help that the new doctor thinks herbal remedies are a thing of the past and has no problem telling her so, or that she finds herself attracted to him. A medical emergency outside the scope of her experience changes how she views her own beliefs – and his.

When age-old traditions meet modern-day practices, the sparks that fly rival those of the town’s New Year’s celebration. Can a couple from two different backgrounds share a love as enduring as their traditions?

About Kristine Raymond