Another day and another
awesome guest from utopYA. Krystal Wade has been a longtime visitor to my blog
and always had kindness to share. So, I was thrilled to run into her at check
in and give her a big hug.
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| With Krystal at Awards Night |
Thanks for hanging out with
me today, Krystal.
K: I should be thanking
you! Seriously love you. <3
Ah, love you, too. And I loved Shattered Secrets
(check out my review here) and LOVED Charming (which released TODAY, 10/6). Actually, my review of Charming will go live tomorrow, 10/7, on my review site.
Your website states: I love books that are an escape from
reality. We live reality daily. Why read about it? I must
say… Amen, sister! When did you realize writing escapism fiction was part of
your reality?
K: Well, even though
I’m fairly certain my third grade self realized it, unfortunately my
adult self didn’t realize my love of escapism fiction until 2011. And I have to
admit, Charming is based in the real world, with real world problems and
characters. So, whatever. I just like making crap up. I’ll go with that.
Another character's reality is still often an escape from our own, though. Can you share a teaser
from the upcoming Charming?
K: I totally can! I
can actually share two. That doesn’t mean you have to give both of them to your
readers. You can totally hold back whichever is your favorite and then sing
na-na-na-na-boo-boo until they beg you for more!
Exhibit A (because I’m a dork!):
Christine
lit up another joint, then offered it to Haley.
“You ever going
to learn?”
“Are you?”
They fell silent,
staring at the ceiling and occasionally frowning at nothing, both drowning in
their misery. They spent so many nights like this, alone and silent yet
comfortable, both carrying a weight many adults couldn’t possibly
shoulder.
Christine’s house
provided safety, safety that allowed Haley to let her guard down, so she closed
her eyes.
“Either your
phone is buzzing, or you’ve got something in your pants you haven’t told your
best friend about. I know it’s been ages since you and Niles… uh—”
“Shut up.”
Shaking her head, Haley pulled the cell from her back pocket and read the
message from Joce: Dad’s looking 4u. Ur late again?
“Christine! I
swear your pot is going to get me killed. It’s 12:30!”
Haley made it
across the street in record time, palms sweating, and found Dad waiting just
inside the door, open bottle of beer in his death grip.
Exhibit B (occurs immediately after Exhibit A; the dork
thing hasn’t changed):
“Not an ounce of respect in that
body of yours. Not an ounce of it.” Dad paced his favorite spot on the worn
hardwood, stopping only to take a swig, sweat forming a ring around the collar
of his grimy t-shirt and rolling down his temples. “How could they yell at me?
My wife used to run the place, run it! And you”—Dad said, nailing Haley to the
wall with his glare—“You treat me the same way.”
He pitched the
bottle at Haley, but she darted to the side and it hit the front door instead,
glass shattering everywhere. That wouldn’t do. Not tonight. She saw truth in
the ferocious gleam in his eyes, in that all too familiar sneer curling his
upper lip. Tonight, he’d hit her.
“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, young lady.”
“I—”
Dad slapped her
before she could say another word, before she could beg or plead or stand up
and demand he rewind time and look again. She did not roll her eyes. He
grabbed his hips, shoulders squared, then looked smugly down at
her as she cowered by the door, palm cupped over her cheekbone. “Clean it up.
Now.”
Okay, now I'm looking forward to reading it even more!
I wanted to share a great picture of you from UtopYA
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| Krystal, Amy Evans, Tennessee Titan player & Delphina Myers |
So, you have an interesting
way of commuting in DC traffic which involves picking up hitchhikers. Do you ever pick up any interesting characters who make their way
into one of your books?
K: Someone’s been stalking
me! So creepy, Tia. Yes, I commute 50 miles, one way, into DC every day. Commuters
have come up with a system where we park in the commuter lots, stand in lines
(slug lines), and wait for cars to drive by and state their location. If we’re
going to the same place, we’ll get in the car, ride the HOV and laugh at the
suckers in the main lanes, then get dropped off at, say, the Pentagon. Drivers
like me get to work faster. Riders get a free ride and also get to work faster.
I have met SEVERAL weird people. I’ve actually been planning a book called The Adventures of Slugging for a long time,
though I doubt I’ll ever actually write it. That book would include Stinky Guy,
Abortion Lady, Loud Mouth, Mr. Adjusts Himself Constantly, Oh-Shit Handle Dude,
and Mr. Clickity-Clack (I think that was his name). As far as having them in
any of my current books? No, though I’ve used some dialogue from one of my
regular riders. He’s always saying the best one-liners.
A source for great one-liners is a gift! I'm so excited that we'll be working together
at Indie Books Gone Wild (IBGW). I’m so excited! You’ve joined our team as a
proofreader. What advice would you give to Indie authors to help make their
manuscripts as error-free as possible?
K: Well, there’s no better
lesson in editing than the one you receive during your first-ever professional
edit. Pay attention
to it. Don’t just hurry through your MS and accept all the changes. Go through
it. Let it make you angry, embarrassed, flustered, whatever. Just question
everything. Research the problem. Understand why it’s a problem. Once you “get
it”, you never un-get it. Your first drafts will be beautiful and sparkly, and
you’ll cart around more confidence. Then the only thing you have to worry about
is the story. And that’s the fun part.
That's great advice. Grammar is a process of learning, for sure! You chase chickens and
children during your non-hitchhiker commute time. Which are easier to get to do
your bidding, the chickens or the children?
K: Chickens, by far. Hold
out a handful of mealworms, and they’ll follow you wherever you go. Children? I
can’t seem to bribe them with anything.
I know, right? Okay, a little more
seriously, what inspires you?
K: Everything. I know that
sounds ridiculous, but I truly try to soak up life, look at the world around
me, inhale deeply, watch people interact, smile at the clouds as they soar
across the sky, stand in the woods surrounding my house and listen to the
trees, feel the emotion of music and let it fill me. The world is a beautiful
place, full of flaws and atrocious people and things that make me worry, but
also filled with wonders not enough people stop to appreciate. So, if I need a
spark in my imagination, I’ll find a quiet place to just sit outside and let
the world inspire me. (To be sure, that means no talking from the kiddos,
definitely have to be away from the dogs and chickens, the man must cook his
own dinner and do his own laundry, and I have to pretend that the bills will
pay themselves. I mean, REALITY!)
I love that answer, and I think it's so true. Finally, what do you think
makes utopYA so unique and powerful (loved your UtopYA14 post here)?
K: I’ve been to several
writing events over the years, but UtopYA is the only one I’ve attended that
celebrates authors, bloggers, and every day readers all at once. UtopYA doesn’t
put preference out there for Big 5 authors, or Indie Authors. Everyone is
equal. Everyone is happy. Everyone is celebrated!
Quick Questions…
Favorite Punctuation Mark: COMMMMMMMAAAAAAA! Because everyone misuses it!
Ocean or Mountains? Depends
on the time of the year.
Favorite Alcoholic
Beverage: Moscato Wine
Favorite Dessert: Anything
that begins or ends with chocolate.
Shower or bath? Shower
Sweet or Sour? Sour
I LOVE Moscato. It's dessert in a glass. I can't wait to see you again in Nashville next June!
Krystal is pretty darned interesting. Check out her full bio here. While you are on her website, check out her other novels. Then, connect with her at the following:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
IBGW
Please come back for more #UtopYA2014 Lovelies (Unofficial), and check out the announcement post to see the schedule.
