Kristen Blanton Interview Published on: 15, May 2019
Which is your favorite childhood memory from a small town in East Texas?
I would honestly have to say it was being so close to my family and being outdoors playing in the woods by our house.
Do you remember the first story that your granddad read to you? How did it develop your love for books?I can’t remember the title but it was a Bernstein Bears book, he read it to me so many times that I had it memorized and one night I told him I wanted to read it to him I had the words right but the book was upside down. It was something that we did together every time I spent the weekend with my grandparents and I cherish it.
What motivated you to write your first book at 16? How did you come up with the title, "Shattered Dreams"?I wanted to be like my favorite authors and write a momentous book, it started from a dream I had one night that woke me up. I spent the entire night writing the first five chapters of that book. The main character Michelle has pretty big dreams for her life and as the book progresses those dreams are shattered. Each book in the series has a name associated with sleep, though I have given up on that series.
Are you planning to publish any of your unfinished books? Why or why not?Yes I do plan on publishing some of them. I actually just picked up and unfinished work recently and am in the process of somewhat rewriting it. The others I’m not sure about yet, I’ve lost interest in them or some just fell apart on the first page.
As a mother of four, how do you manage finishing a book?It is not easy, especially with my youngest being 6 months. Most of the time it is during her naps and I’ve had some pretty late nights staying up during the editing process as well as the book cover design process.
How much do you love jewelry making? Have you ever thought of opening up your own store for bath and body products?I love it, it both helps with my creative juices as well as honoring my beliefs, I sell a few here and there and make custom pieces for others. I did open a store for my bath and body products a few years ago but had to put a halt to it due because I was just spreading myself too thin.
What inspired you to write "Ailuran (A Legacy Novel Book 2)"? What is the significance of the title?Well, I started the Legacy series a few years ago and just now got around to finishing it. Ailuran is more about Legacy’s relationship with her werecat side and mate, where as Lycan is about her werewolf side. Originally because they are about shifters my working title was Cats Meow but after a little more research I discovered the technical name for werecats and went with that instead.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?This is actually a very funny question, up until recently I was very reclusive about my books and the fact that I’m an author, but I’ve opened up more on Instagram and have a pretty good network on there. But even more recently my neighbor/friend confessed that he’s always wanted to write a book but he just didn’t know how to go about it, I gave him a few pointers from my point of view and he’s actually about to release his first book, so I’m very excited and proud for him.
How did you begin writing the "The Tormented Soul Of Michelle Star Kiore" series? What inspired the plot of the first book, "Shattered Dreams"?As I said before I had a dream, it was about a giant battle and the loss of a great love, but at that point, I really didn’t know what it was going to be about or who my characters were. I got up in the middle of the night and just started typing. I fed off of some of the books I liked to read as well as some anime shows that I had watched, and did my best not to steal any ideas.
What was your hardest scene to write in "Lycan (A Legacy Novel Book 1)"?As embarrassing as it sounds, the sex scenes were the hardest. Knowing that my mother was going to buy a copy and read it was a little unnerving but I pushed through it.
Who inspired the character of Michelle Star Kiore? Can you give us some insight into what makes her character tick?In my dream of her she was this battle-hardened hero, but once I started writing the book she became this young girl who was thrown into her role. She fights hardest for what she loves and what’s best for the world.
How does reading Bible makes you feel better every morning?It helps me center myself, and to know that I’m part of something much bigger than anyone can understand.
What was your favourite part, and your least favourite part, of the publishing journey?Favorite part is just getting the books finished and the journey of the story. Worst part is the nerves and worry that it will succeed.
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?I think I would work harder on overcoming my shyness and having more self-esteem.
What’s the best way to market your books? How has AllAuthor helped you so far and would you recommend this platform to other authors?This is a hard one to answer because I’m not sure about the marketing process since I’m an indie author and self-published I’m doing it all on my own. AllAuthor has been a great help in promoting and it has opened my book up to so many people. I have actually already told others about this platform and have shared it with others on my Instagram and Facebook.
