Emme is a sophomore in high school who starts dating, Brendon Agretti, the popular senior who happens to be a senator's son and well-known for his good looks. Emme feels out of her comfort zone in Brendon's world and it doesn't help that his picture perfect ex, Lauren seems determined to get back into his life along with every other girl who wants to be the future Mrs. Agretti. Emme is already conflicted due to the fact her last boyfriend cheated on her and her whole world is off kilter with her family issues. Life suddenly seems easier keeping Brendon away and relying on her crystals and horoscopes to guide her. Emme soon starts to realize she needs to focus less on the stars and more on her senses. Can Emme get over her insecurities and make her relationship work? Life sure is complicated when you're dating the it guy.
Krysten has written four other books and you can learn more about her at her website. Now let's hear from Krysten about her writing.
1. How did you get
interested in writing?
I’ve been making up
stories since I was a kid and I knew I wanted to be a writer in the fourth
grade. I think all of my friends were obsessed with books at the time and we
all wanted to be writers, but for me….well, I just never outgrew that love of
it.
2. What inspired you
to come up with this story?
I was watching a
biography on TV about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and I
thought, what would it have been like if they met in high school? So I created
a character named Emme who starts dating the son of a well-known senator and
all the drama and insecurity it creates for her.
3. Tell me about the
main character, Emme, and what inspired you to create her.
Emme is a complex
character in that she truly cares for Brendon, but her insecurity about being
cheated on in the past colors her ability to completely trust him—or anyone. I
created someone who is different than the girls Brendon is used to—he comes
from a wealthy, preppy world, and Emme is a bit of a boho chick. She’s a
vegetarian and into crystals and horoscopes and has a small group of friends
who all have their own personalities while he’s friends with everyone and
honestly, his crew all seems so similar. I loved writing about her family
relationships as well as her emotions as she watched her grandparents dealing
with illness and loss. She’s a sweet character, but with a bit of a sarcastic
wit.
4. What characters,
other than Emme, did you find enjoyable to write as you progressed with the
book?
I liked writing the
Brendon character and seeing what made him tick and how living as the son of a
politician would impact his life. Another JFK Jr. bio came out right as I was
finishing the book and as I watched it, I could see more of the pressures on
him, so I decided to have Brendon want to go to school for journalism, but his
family expected him to follow their path (his grandfather had also been a
senator and several other family members were in politics, too). I liked seeing
the progression of the character as he felt more comfortable in sharing this
with Emme.
5. What are some of
the themes you explored in writing the novel?
There’s family
relationships, love, trust, loss, and friendship. The subplot deals with Emme’s
grandparents and I’ve been hearing from readers how it moved them.
6. What were some of
the things you learned along the way as you wrote and edited the book?
I learned to trust
the process and let the story lead me and not what I thought people would want
to read. I had been told by two editors to take the subplot with the
grandmother to where the reader experienced what Emme did firsthand. I resisted
thinking readers wouldn’t want to read that, but so far all the feedback has
been positive, so I’m glad I listened and that I wrote from the heart and not
just what I thought people would want to read. By letting myself go and writing
from the heart it meant the scene came organically and was not contrived.
7. Tell me more about
the Landry’s True Colors Series you have written – what were your experiences
like with that series?
The Landry’s True Colors Series is about an 8th
grader named Landry Albright who is dealing with friendships and frenemies.
She’s torn between wanting to stand out, but she also wants to fit in with the
crowd. You see Landry trying to figure out which group of friends she’s most
comfortable with and learning to appreciate the things about herself that make
her unique. Middle school is a difficult time for most of us and Landry is just
figuring it out as well. It’s a funny series and I love hearing from readers
who identify with the characters.
8. And what can you
tell me about the Star series and your experiences writing those books?
The Star Series is a
YA series about a girl named Hadley Daniels who moves to a beautiful beach town
and winds up living next door to a former TV star, Simone, who is in Hadley’s
class. In the series we see Hadley feel insecure next to Simone, but in reality
the reader sees Simone has more issues with self-esteem than Hadley and the
other girls. There’s romance, humor, and family relationships, too. I wanted to
write the kind of beach novel that I always loved reading.
9. What do you find
is the right environment for you to write?
I need complete
silence. I hate being interrupted, so I tend to write at night or very early in
the morning. I write either in my office or in my living room. I can scribble a
bit in a notebook here and there when I’m out, but for serious work, I need to
be in a quiet area.
10. Are there
specific programs or tools you find useful to help you with the writing
process?
I have one on my
laptop, but I’ve never used it. I think I write better when I write in a
notebook first, but usually because of time restraints, I go to my laptop
first.
11. What have you
found to be useful methods for promoting your writing?
I think it’s
important to let people know what to expect from your writing, so it helps to
have a platform well before your book ever comes out. When my first book came
out, the people around me were already familiar with my humor essays and
articles and other short stories I had written. And you have to let people get
to know you.
12. What are some of
the famous books or authors you have enjoyed or inspired you?
I like to read May
Sarton, Cathy Hopkins, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and I am reading Agnes Nixon’s
autobiography right now which is very inspiring.
13. Any aspiring or
independent authors whose books you’ve read that you liked and want to mention
to others to check out?
Christina Lorenzen is
great for romance and Heather Gray writes inspirational romance. Both work
checking out. For middle grade, S.J. Henderson’s Daniel the Draw-er books.
14. What advice would
you give to those who want to write a novel before they actually get started?
Publish articles and
short stories to get your work out there and to get used to having your work
being read. The most important advice is to read, read, read and take classes
and workshops.
15. What was it like
taking ballet lessons? Did you learn anything useful from them?
I find ballet very
calming and I think it helps with poise and discipline.
16. What was it about
Breakfast at Tiffany’s that compelled you to watch it all the time when you
were in high school?
Watching it as an
adult I can see how lost Holly was and how she was shying away from what could
be a real love relationship. I think as a teen I picked up on some of that, but
not to the extent I see it now. And the clothes—you gotta love the clothes.
17. You’re a Detroit
Lions fan… do you have any favorite players in particular (past or present)?
My dad and I used to
go to the Lions’ training camps and draft parties. I was a fan of Barry
Sanders, Johnnie Morton, Luther Ellis, and more recently, Calvin Johnson. I had
high hopes for Reggie, but that didn’t go the way I had hoped.
18. Tell me more
about the Pacifica soy candles you like so much.
I love the lotus
flower candle and I like to light candles for a calming sense to the room
before I begin to work on a novel.
19. Can you give me a
couple of your favorite quotes from American Dad?
One thing I always
say when something crazy happens on the news is, “This country….” In my best
Stan Smith voice. I also use random Roger the alien quotes like saying I’m
“friendsly” with someone, which means you don’t know them at all.
20. Who would win a
battle of superhero skills: Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman?
Wonder Woman of
course. Anyone who can run in high heeled boots has an added set of skills the
other two couldn’t dream of.
Thanks for having me on!
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