Monday 14 January 2013

Author Interview: Kris Kreisman


Kris Kreisman has written Advantage Erin.

1. What is your name and where do you call home?
Kris Kreisman
USA, near Chicago

2. Do you have a pen name?
Kris Kreisman is my pen name.

3. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?
My most recent book is ADVANTAGE ERIN, a novel about a girl, her mom, and a tennis match for the ages.

4. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
I've completed two other young adult novels which are ready to go, but are in a holding pattern while I devote my time and energy to getting the word out on ADVANTAGE ERIN. My two other novels are part of an anticipated trilogy, so when I free up I'll be starting the third novel in the series. Unfortunately, at this point I have only the vaguest notion for the story. But I'm open to ideas!

5. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?
I've enjoyed writing since my school days, but became more serious about it at a time when I was reading a lot of mystery novels. I'd go into a local bookstore which specialized in mysteries and saw how many titles were available, and I figured I'd like to give the writing thing a try. I mean, I could write as well as at least some of these published authors, right? I connected with a writers group which included published mystery authors, and learned so much from them about the craft of writing and the publishing process. I actually had a mystery novel published in 2001 (under my real name). But shortly after that I discovered the young adult genre, and found that I had some fresh story ideas and really enjoyed the writing.

6. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?
Yes.

7. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
I designed the cover. I prefer a minimalist approach to book covers, as I find covers that are too busy a turn off. I had some other ideas, such a picturing Erin in an old tennis dress, but I couldn't quite pull that together. So I went with the tennis racket, ball and court.

8. How did you come up with the title for your book?
I really like titles that can take on multiple meanings. "Advantage Erin" is a line in the novel, when Erin has an advantage point in her tennis match. But it also means that Erin had the advantage of playing the match and gaining insights from it.

9. Is there anything you would change about your book? And why?
I don't think any writer is ever totally satisfied with their work; it's part of our make-up. I'm sure there are ways I could have made the book more interesting or wittier.

10. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?
I don't have a book trailer. I think they're awesome, if you have the expertise to put a good one together, or you know someone who does. Sadly, I have neither.

11. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
Even though Advantage Erin is an e-book, I admit that I'm somewhat old school at this point and prefer physical books. But technology changes, and with it so do attitudes, and I now have an e-reader and find it pretty neat.

12. Are you a self-published / Indie author?
I am indeed a self-published author.

13. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?
I read The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird in school, then again in adulthood. There are a few others on my To Be Re-read list as well, including Crime and Punishment. But there are so many great books out there that I've yet to read that I'm not sure the re-reads will happen.

14. What is your favourite film based on a book?
Repeating an answer from above, To Kill a Mockingbird. More recently, I thought The Hunger Games was very well done and quite true to the book.

15. What is your favourite book genre at the moment?
Young adult, of course! Mostly contemporary. Although I've been known to stray to literary fiction, and occasionally mysteries.

16. What books have made it onto your wishlist recently? And why?
Now that I have an e-reader I'll be browsing for y.a. indie/self-published books that look inviting. Nothing specific at this point, but I think there are many talented authors e-pubbing their works, and I want to support them.

17. If you could invite any four celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you invite and why?
What an intriguing question, and there are so many ways to go with this! I'm going to go the political/historical route and say Barack Obama, Winston Churchill, Peter the Great and Napolean. Then I'd sit back and watch the sparks fly.

18. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?
My best advice is something that was told to me. Namely, there's no such thing as good writing, only good re-writing. So don't take shortcuts in the editing process, and don't rush out your work until you're truly satisfied that it's as good as it's going to be.

19. Do you have any hobbies that aren’t related to reading & writing?
Sports generally. And I've taken up playing tennis, my interest having been renewed while writing Advantage Erin.

20. Where can your readers follow you?






Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

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