Kirsten Pursell Interview Published on: 30, May 2022

I grew up in Oceanside, California. I spent summers in Germany, though, as my mom is from there. I feel lucky to have grown up with an international perspective. But ironically, I would come back to Oceanside after college and beginning my career. My three kids graduated from the same high school I did!

The most important lesson I learned in school is to be true to yourself. That is not an easy thing to do.

Writing was always something I just did for fun so I don’t think anyone really thought I would publish books. No one doubted me though. And my dad, by far, has been my greatest supporter. At 90 years old, he beams about the things I write (rose-colored glass, perhaps!).

It has always been something I have gravitated towards. I love to tell stories. I do remember, though, a friend’s mom in second grade reading a story I had written about an elephant and her reaction to my words struck me. She couldn’t believe a seven-year-old could write like that.

I was so excited to hold my first copy in my hand. You go through the process of writing and editing, but actually holding the physical copy is the coolest feeling of accomplishment.

Harvard was inspired by a drive down Big Bear Mountain. After a family trip, this idea popped into my head about a woman who reluctantly heads back to her childhood home on a mountain. By the time we got to the bottom of the mountain, I knew how it began and ended, and that it would be a love story with a main character being a woman nick-named Harvard. In a strange twist of fate, my daughter would attend Harvard ten years after I wrote the book. She just graduated.

I love to write in my office. I have a great view out my window. I am easily distracted, though!

I am an avid athlete. I love to run and have recently returned to my roots of swimming. Clears my head and rejuvenates me.

In my corporate days, I worked for a major fast-food chain. One of the actors on a commercial shoot was telling a story about being a hand model. That there are such things as hand models was pretty funny, but I thought it would make for an interesting character. I actually had wanted to write a screenplay of Company Clown but had so much fun writing this as a book instead.

Writing my memoir was truly a labor of love. It was the easiest book to write because it was literally lifting my words from my diaries, journals, and poetry while incorporating the letters as well. Editing it for flow while integrating my present-day narrative were sometimes challenging. I think, though, the biggest challenge is feeling you have this inspiring story to tell and second-guessing yourself as to why your story is the one people should read!

I think I suffer from the opposite! My brain never stops thinking and then I become overwhelmed with all the things I want to say. I am constantly sending myself emails with things I want to write. If I do get stuck, I walk away. Inevitably, something will trigger how I want to write about something. That has been happening a lot with the book I am writing now.

I love a good book cover. I think you need a catchy title. But that’s so subjective. As the author, you obviously believe you came up with a catchy title and compelling cover. And to be honest, I have designed all three of my covers.

I would be lying if I didn’t say my friends! But, with On Becoming Me, I had someone reach out to me on social media telling me they were browsing for books on the 80’s and stumbled across my book. She bought it and said she couldn’t put it down because the story resonated with her on many levels. I think for a lot of us from that time period the book serves as a time to reflect on our own experiences growing up. The fact that it can be cathartic for so many people has been the nicest compliment.

I am hard at work on my next book, Long Enough to Love You. I have had the concept for this book for a long time. In a nutshell, I would describe it as a middle-age coming of age story that begs the question are we ever too old for love and second chances in life? I think of it as a fictious sequel to my memoir.

I joined AllAuthor at the start of this year when a book reviewer reached out to me and mentioned the site. All the different author resources can be so overwhelming, but I have loved being on AllAuthor. I enjoy the weekly mockups and book tweets. It’s a great platform to feature my books as well as provide information about me as an author.