Interview Post: Krysten Hager and "Best Friends...Forever?"

Hello my fellow writers and readers,

Today I'm doing an interview post with Krysten Hager to celebrate the release of her latest book "Best Friends...Forever?". In addition to the questions, Miss. Hager provided me with a blurb and excerpt of her book. 

On your book
1. What is a one-line synopsis for your book? And is this a stand-alone or part of a series?

--->Good friends have your back, but Landry soon finds some friends will go behind it. Best Friends…Forever? is the second book in the Landry’s True Colors Series.

2. How did you decide when and where to set Best Friends…Forever? What inspired the story itself?

--->It’s based in current times in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I’m from Michigan, but I’m from the other side of the state (an hour north of Detroit—a suburb of Flint). I set the story in Grand Rapids because I have family there and my parents both grew up there. I wanted to use that setting instead of my hometown because I think Grand Rapids is more relatable than my hometown of Grand Blanc would have been.

 The story was inspired by the way the media used to (and still does) portray groups of teen friends as having these unbreakable bonds where everything was sunny and no one ever had a bad day and me feeling like I couldn’t relate to that. I thought everyone had it all together BUT me and so I wanted to create a character who shares the other side of things (the awkward, anxious moments of growing up and trying to fit in) in a funny way so readers know they’re not alone in having those thoughts.

3. What are your current projects? What are you planning for future projects? What are you working on next?

--->I’m working on the third book in the Landry’s True Colors series and on another younger YA story and rewriting an adult novel as well.

4. Can you tell us a little about your world-building process, and how you designed the setting for Best Friends…Forever?

--->I actually use my grandmother’s house (in Grand Rapids, MI) as the house Landry and her mom live in, but I have the house set on my aunt’s street. I used to walk around there a lot and so in my mind I can picture Landry’s school (Hillcrest Academy), where she goes for ice cream with her friends, and where all her friends live. I even have Landry’s bus route written down and her school schedule.

5. Did you outline it ahead of time, or wing it?

---> The first book I had no outline for, but now that it’s a series and I have to make sure to stay consistent, I did do a bit of plotting.

6. How is writing a book now different from writing your first book?

--->The main thing is that now that it is a series, I had to put together what some people have called a “series bible.” So now I have down Landry’s class schedule, which teacher is for which subject, her friends’ siblings’’ names, etc. so that I don’t make a mistake. I also have to make sure I keep the characters all consistent.

7. What do you know now about being a writer that you wish you had known before you published your first book?

---> Right after I signed the contract, I saw another author post on Facebook that she loved being a writer, but hated being an author because it’s hard and scary and I thought, “What am I in for?” And she was right—it can be hard and scary, but this is what I chose to do. I wish I had known more about the business side of things though.

8. What is the most common rookie mistake you see new authors make?

--->Trying to do things to promote that are out of their comfort zone and they don’t come off well. If a person isn’t great in live (or print) interviews, it shows and they come off awkward and uncomfortable. One author who is an amazing writer did an interview where she got nervous and ended up making her character and book come off as a different genre all together. She was terrified going in and she did herself a disservice doing the interview. Meanwhile, her blog posts are great and that’s where she shines. So don’t force yourself to be something you’re not.

9. What sort of author marketing have you found to be most effective?

-->Basically making sure you start before the book is out so people know what to expect from your work. If they’ve read a few things from you then they are more apt to take a look at your book.

On Writing
10. Do you use beta readers, and, if so, what qualities do you look for in a beta?

--->I have. I like to pick people who will be honest and give feedback and not just say, “Yeah, I liked it,” or say they weren’t crazy about it, but not able to tell you why. I just had a conversation with one where they said they loved one part and I asked why and they said, “I was riveted in the parts about Landry dealing with the friendship misunderstandings. If more dads read this sort of thing they’d understand why their daughters act that way instead of chalking it all up to hormones. This was eye opening.” That was great feedback to get.

Personal
11. Where can we find your work?

--->Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Friends-Forever-Landrys-Colors-ebook/dp/B00UIP1N5S/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/krysten-lindsay-hager

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/true-colors/id890673002

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/true-colors-17

 
12. What book or books are you reading now?

---> I just finished The Paris Wife with my book club and a friend sent me The Rainbow Club. I have been so busy editing that I haven’t started it yet, but that’s on the list.

13. What do you do when you’re not writing?
--->I read a lot and I really relax with the TV. I have moved a lot so keeping in touch with friends is a big thing for me. I like emailing and even sending little cards and things in the mail to connect with friends who live far away so we keep in touch.

 14. Name three of your favorite television shows.
--->American Dad is my ultimate favorite. I re-watch episodes of it all the time. I also like Switched at Birth and Hart of Dixie

 

 

Best Friends…Forever? (Landry’s True Colors Series) by Krysten Lindsay Hager

Tag line: Good friends have your back, but some go behind it.

Blurb:    Landry Albright hopes the new year will start off in an amazing way—instead she has to deal with more frenemy issues, boy drama, and having most of her best friends make the cheerleading squad without her. Suddenly, it seems like all anyone can talk about is starting high school next year—something she finds terrifying.

                Landry gets her first boyfriend, but then gets dumped just as things come to a head with her friends. She feels lost and left out, but finds good advice about dealing with frenemies from what she considers an unlikely source. Landry faces having to speak up for what’s right, tell the truth (even when it hurts), and how to get past the fear of failure as she gets another shot at competing in the American Ingénue modeling competition.

Excerpt:

 “Landry, it’s gotta be so awkward for you to be going to Vladi’s school next year,” Tori said. “I mean, what if you run into him during the tour?"

"It’s a huge place,ʺ Ashanti said. “People break up all the time. It’s not a big deal.ʺ

Tori raised her eyebrows as if to say, “Yeah, right,” and went back to her sandwich. Meanwhile my delicious homemade soup was no longer sitting well. It never occurred to me Vladi might be around during the first pre‑freshman tour. I would be mortified if I ran into him and he was with a girl. Or worse yet, running into him, and he was with Yasmin. Plus, I hadn’t told my mom about the breakup, so if she saw him, she’d probably go over to talk to him. I could already imagine it: “Landry, Vladi’s here! Hon? Why are you hiding behind the garbage can? Your boyfriend, Vladi, is here. Come say, ‘hello.’ Stop trying to run away. Why is everyone laughing and pointing at you and calling you a ‘loser dumpee?’ What does that mean?”

Well, maybe the world would end and I wouldn’t have to deal with high school or Vladi and my mother running into each other.

****

Sadly, the world did not end, and on Thursday, we all had to go to the high school for a freshman information night from 6 to 9 p.m.

Author bio: Krysten Lindsay Hager is the author of the Landry’s True Colors Series, a clean reads young adult series. Krysten writes about  friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, middle school and high school, frenemies, modeling, crushes, values, and self-image in both True Colors and Best Friends…Forever?

Krysten is an Amazon international bestselling author and book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in Portugal, South Dakota, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows. She received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.

What people are saying about True Colors (Landry’s True Colors Series Book One):

From Teenage Book Recommendations in the UK: "This is a fantastically relatable and real book which I feel captures all of the insecurities and troubles which haunt the modern teenage girl. It is about a young model who has to go through tough times when she is torn between a life as a model and managing her friendships. You learn which friends she can most trust and which will create the drama typical of teenage life. Follow the life of Landry and try to see if you can find out which are her true friends before their true colours are revealed. This book is all about relationships, hopes and truth. I loved this book!"

From Books & Authors Spot: “This book is such an inspiration for those who just care about their looks and are tensed about them. This thing is looks aren't everything. This book is related to every teen's problem. Hager has written a very inspiring novel.”

 

Connect with Krysten:

Website: http://www.krystenlindsay.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/krystenlindsay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay

 

Interview with Andy Straka

Today I have an interview to share with you all. Andy Straka is a veteran crime fiction writer; his seventh novel (Dragonflies: The Shadow of Drones) was published last month. He's come to Trickster Eric Novels to tell us about his book and his writing process.

 

1. Why Crime Fiction? 

Of all the novels I read as an English major in college the book that most
resonated with me was Raymond Chandler’s The  Big Sleep.  I suppose there might be any number of reasons for this resonance. Latent psychotic tendencies, perhaps?

But in all seriousness, I write crime fiction because I am passionate about it, and
I am passionate about it because crime fiction deals with issues of good vs
evil, justice and redemption. These subjects all seem vital and existential to
me and drive my stories.

2. Are there any authors who inspire you?

I’ve  been inspired by Raymond Chandler, Robert B Parker, Donald Westlake, J.R.R.
Tolkein, Michael Chabon, Dave Barry, Sharyn McCrumb, Brian Jaques, William
Gibson, Dennis Lehane, SJ Rozan, Dashiell Hammett, Andrew Klavan, Harlan Coben,
Jeffery Deaver, Sarah Strohmeyer, Steve Hamilton, Rick Riordan, George
Pelecanos, Robert Crais, Joyce Carol Oates, Megan Abbott, Kinky Friedman, C.J.
Box...The list goes on and on....

3. Did you always want to write fiction or did you have some other passion growing
up?

Growing up I mostly enjoyed sports, eventually focusing on basketball, devoting an
inordinate number of hours to the jump shot and crossover dribble. Reading and
writing were at best a secondary passion until I entered college, where I
continued to play basketball and also determined that, not being able to do much
else, I would major in English literature. I went on to make the
earth-shattering discovery that I, too, could try my hand at a little prose. But
it would be another fifteen in the business world before I would finally get
serious about writing.

I guess you can say I’m a slow learner.  

4. You have a long resume and writers often say one should one writer what one
knows. Does your experience at your other jobs inform your plots or characters?

Life and work experience influences everyone. For example, after more than a dozen years as a medical sales rep, my wife of many years, a practicing physician,
told me one day that I’d “learned enough about medicine to be dangerous.”

Writers are supposed to be dangerous, I think, dreaming up new things and cooking up stories to see how they all fit together. I’ve said on many occasions that I  don’t think writing what you know is as important as writing what you love. Writing requires passion first and knowledge second. You don’t need to have worked at a particular profession or have experienced a particular thing yourself in order to write about it or create believable characters. (If you have indeed worked at in a field you want to write about that may be all well and good, up to a point, in trying to sell what you write, but in my experience it can also prove a hindrance to creating good fiction.)

Regardless, the one essential requirement is that the writer must either already have or be able to develop a passionate interest in his or her subject matter. It’s passion that allows a writer to empathize with their characters, to “get inside their heads” to accurately portray their thoughts and emotions.

5.  Your most recent book, Dragonflies:  Shadow of Drones, involves tiny surveillance drones sneaking into private places. Is there social commentary here or is it simply the framework for a thrilling story?

Both.

Number  one, I believe in the power of storytelling.

 

I  became fascinated a few years back with drone technology and its potential
impact on our world, and I soon came to believe it could form a compelling, and
in many ways new, framework for storytelling. This especially applies to crime
and detective fiction.

What happens, for example, when investigators (perhaps in the very near future) have
micro drones at their disposal? This was the concept that fascinated me and out
of that grew the characters of Raina Sanchez and Tye Palmer.

At the same time, it’s impossible to ignore the potential societal and cultural
implications. For example, what if, instead of “Big Brother,” what we’re now
seeing begin to develop is the beginning of “Big Brothers?” What if everyone has
drones available to them and the entire concept of privacy begins to be lost?
(Any celebrity can tell us how that feels.)

We’ve become a culture that worships and aspires to celebrity. What if drones, just
like the Internet and Youtube, etc. become just one more tool, one more pathway
to potential instant celebrity as the world becomes flooded with more and more
images and more and more information from places and settings heretofore unseen?
When it comes to right vs wrong, truth vs lies, will drones bring us any closer
to redemption or in some perverse irony, push us farther away?

I don’t have any hard answers to these questions, but I know I want to continue to
try to tell stories within such a framework.

6. Dragonflies: Shadow of Drones is your seventh book. Do believe the writing process is easier
after so much experience?

It does get a little easier each time, at least as far as organizing the plot and
visualizing the entire book once I’m deeply into the story. But I’m always
striving to improve and I know I still have a long way to go. These days I’m
actually frustrated by an inability to tell all of the stories I want to tell. I
have far  more ideas than I have time to write. It’s making me more curious
about human cloning.....kidding :)

7. If you could only give one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would you
say?

Read  all the time, write every chance you get, but make sure you get out there and
experience some real life, too. Take up falconry, climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, go to a
NASCAR race, or visit the Tower of London. Somewhere within the wealth of your
accumulated experience you’ll find a host of stories. 

 

--------------------------

Learn more about Mr.Straka and his work at http://andystraka.com/

"Dragonfiles: the Shadow of Drones" is available for sale at:

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Dragonflies-Shadow-Drones-Series-ebook/dp/B00CRNSBJU/ref=sr_1_9?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1368497102&sr=1-9&keywords=andy+straka

Barnes and Nobles

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragonflies-andy-straka/1115297171?ean=2940016468068