Name Kristal McKerrington
Age 26 years old
Where are you from
Shetland but consider Glasgow more of my home.
A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc
I have a common law husband called Ian. I am a full time writer and he has heard every single idea that I have ever come up with for a book. He is the person that I turn to the most. We have been together for seven years it will be eight in April.
I was born in Shetland and spent almost half my life in Aberdeen. I grew up a lot there and found the dance scene they had. I preformed for the Shetland Youth Theater for years while dancing. I retired when I was 20 years old. I’m a certificated horse rider right up to the Dressage certificate.
I found writing in 2008 and became a professional in 2010. I’m signed with Gilbert Literary Agency. I’m published worldwide and an experienced romance wrestling author. A genre that I helped to create with the help of L. Anne Carrington.
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
I’m moving and finishing my first very deep, never mind long Fantasy novel. This will be the second one this year I finished. I’m working on a Thriller series which I will do under my husbands name. I have got another book in the Marie’s World series in the world. Sometime next year we will see the end of Jason’s story with May. A possible spin off.
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I was eight years old and my Aunt was visiting me in the hospital. I had nothing to give her so I stayed up really late to write her a story. I gave it to her the next day. I was writing every since and it was always an outlet for me. Only 5 years ago did it become my life.
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
The moment when “A Different Life: Three Lane Highway” came out with XoXo Publishing. I saw that I might have a chance at being a good writer some day.
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
The death of my best friend, dance partner Derek. Several other dancers who were very ill but still choose to perform. I wanted their dance characters to be remembered forever and to also have the ending they deserved.
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
Some people say that I do. That I liked to divide my POV’s into chapters or books. I would say that is true. Some people believe that my writing style is complicated and detailed. Something else I would agree. I could never tell you what my style is because I just write what is inside my head.
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
My titles come to me when I’m writing or sometimes I start with the title. A line that ends up being the title will just pop into my head while I’m doing something or watching something. The next thing I know I’m in full writers mode breaking down the book so I can write it later.
Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I think there is always something that you can take away from my work and I hope that your left thinking or feeling an emotion. Those are the two things to which I believe are what motivate the readers and allows them to escape to another world. To want to buy more books and read what the author’s writing. For them another world is being built by our imaginations.
Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
I try to make my books as realistic as possible but that is hard sometimes. I just allow my characters to react the way that they do. I don’t try to force them to think the way other people would.
Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Yeah I suppose you could say yes to both of those. I have said in other interviews that I continued on the story of my dancing friends in Marie’s World. I have written down stories that I plan to do in the future based on me wanting to play out events to their end rather have them cut off in the middle.
Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?
I think we all mentor each other. For me at the beginning of my career I was learning a lot from Catherine Cookson, Celia Rees before moving onto Rachel Caine and Richelle Maid. Both amazing authors. I would say I look up to Rachel Caine for she took her idea that wasn’t an in the box idea and she made it into something big.
Fiona: What book are you reading now?
2 Books Richelle Maid’s Vampire Academy and Rachel Caine’s Morganville Series.
Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Of course there is Megan Duncan who became a good friend. Margaret Daley who’s a wonderful Christian author. Paula Mowery. Can’t go wrong with any of those names.
Fiona: What are your current projects?
I will be having to keep my lips tight on that one as we don’t know what is going to happen. This is the publishing industry and everything chances at a drop of a hat.
Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Gilbert Literary Agency and of course Solstice Publishing
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
I do and I hope to be doing it until I’m well into my nineties and someone is having to type the books up for me.
Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Of no, not at all. I do what I feel is right with the characters, the storylines and the moves I make.
Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
The War: Dragon is going to be a lot like Harry Potter meets the Vampire Academy. There’s love, action, tension, death, a constant need to do what is right for friends, family. How no matter what sometimes your friends are your family.
Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Ending a series to know that the characters I have been with for so long are done its hard. Its like grieving a friend. I even dress in black for the day and wear a pair of cowboy boots. Its something I don’t think will ever be easy for me.
Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Rachel Caine I would have to say. Her details, her ability to write a story that just grabs you by the guts and holds you to the last page. When you get to the last page you just can’t help wanting more. She is a true series author that I can see a lot of people falling in love with. She will be a author that goes down in the history books for her work in Fantasy and also for being a down to earth person who has offered the publishing world so much. She still has so much more to give.
Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I did last year. I did a book tour around England and Scotland which was fun. I would love to do one in the US. Start maybe in New York then head across to LA. That would certainly be my dream. I would say more so as I made sure that Dragon from the book “The War” goes to LA. Also in “Marie’s World” she goes to LA where she has a dance studio that she runs with her sister Amber.
Fiona: Who designed the covers?
Amanda Struz. Check out her at http://www.coversbystruza.com/
Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Gosh I have 9 books out so its so hard for me to say. Most of the time its high emotional situations that I need to do or wrestling scenes. I really am not good at those but I’m learning. I would say those are the two off the top of my head that I’m bad at. But in writing we are learning every day and all the time. I’m not to proud to admit that I don’t everything and I want to learn.
Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
From Dragon in The War I learned about trusting and how important true friendship is.
Calling You Home taught me about love being the hardest yet the most amazing thing in the world.
Marie taught me that in her book no matter how bad you are beaten down that you have to get up and fight. That is a message that is in most of my books.
Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Keep learning, go to editors and learn from them. Work with people in the industry not college or Uni as they don’t have any idea how different publishing is. What they say is right is most of the time wrong in the book world.
Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I want fellow Arthritic sufferers to be able to see that one of us made something amazing out of their lives. I want them to relate to me not just because of what I overcome or what I fight against. But to know that there is a author who writes books and will listen to every single one of them. Will talk to every single one of them and always has time for them.
Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
Catherine Cookson’s House of Women.
Fiona: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why?
I have a world out there of people that I want to meet. I want to meet every single one of my readers. Shake their hands and give them hug. Those are the superstars to me. Those are the ones that I have the biggest desire to meet.
Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why ?
Kristal was a wife, (hopefully) a mother, author and a friend to all.
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?
I’m a gamer so I do that a lot, play board games with my husband and read. I’m hardly ever away from the writing world for to long. I am passionate about wrestling though, I have to say its my hobbies.
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
Gosh I’m into a bit of everything from Castle, NCIS, Originals, Vampire Diaries, Good Wife, Total Diva’s, Monday Night Raw those are just to name a few.
Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
I would have been a dancer, actress or nurse. Those were the only fields I studied or maybe on the British Paralympics team.
Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?
Kristalmckerrington.com
https://www.facebook.com/TheWarDragon
https://www.facebook.com/kristalsmckerringtonsfanpage
www.twitter.com/K_mcKerrington
Amazon Authors Page UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kristal-McKerrington/e/B004KRVFTO/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1446323379&sr=1-2-ent
USA http://www.amazon.com/Kristal-McKerrington/e/B004KRVFTO/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1446323506&sr=1-2-ent
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