Enter the giveaway and then read on down the page for my interview with Krystalyn~
Winner will be drawn November 21, 2014
· Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Tracy Tam: Santa Command by Krystalyn Drown
~Author Interview~
Hi Krystalyn! Thanks for joining us. Would you tell us a little about your writing journey?
I've always loved writing. During high school, I began tons of novels. Began is the key word there. Apart from a book of poetry I self published on our dot matrix printer, I never finished anything until my son was born. When I became a stay at home mom with a small thing that slept a few hours a day, I'd hold him in one arm and type with the other. Somewhere along the line, a publisher said they wanted one of my books. And that day was magic.
What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
I love being able to sit by myself and just set my mind free. I'm very much an introvert, which just means that there's tons going on beneath the surface that I keep hidden. Writing allows me to set those things free.
What is the hardest aspect of being a writer?
The days when I'm stuck. When that happens, I'll usually send a panicked email to my critique partner going, “HELP!” She's great at giving me options or talking through various plot points.
How much research goes into your story?
For some stories very little. With Tracy Tam, the only research I really did was on the different Santa myths. There's a computer password in the novel “Nicholas343” which is actually the year Saint Nicholas is born.
I'm working on a YA circus novel now that has involved a lot more research. I've read a lot, watched documentaries, and even taken trapeze classes.
Writers are sometimes influenced by things that happen in their own lives. Are you?
Sometimes. For example, Tracy ends up in a swamp she once took a field trip too. I took that straight from a field trip I took my fifth graders on a few years ago. I also used my experience at Sea World when writing about selkies in Legasea.
Tell us about your publications?
I have two YA novels out right now. Legasea is a murder mystery involving selkies. Spirit
World is upper YA. It's about a girl who hears voices and thinks she's going crazy. The voices turn out to be beings from a parallel world that are trying to use her powers to break into our world. Tracy Tam is my first middle grade novel.
What is the most surprising thing about writing/publishing you have learnt?
How bad I am at marketing. Then again, I'm an introvert. That shouldn't be so surprising.
Top tip/s for writers.
Read. Lots and lots. If you like a book, take note of what you like and why it works. If you don't like a book, figure out why.
Other than writing what else do you love?
Reading, dancing, and vegging in front of the TV.
Who is your favorite author and why?
Judy Blume. She was the narrator of my childhood.
If you had a premonition you would be stranded on a desert island what 5 books would you take?
Blubber. The Secret Garden. Jane Eyre. The Harry Potter series (Can that count as one?) The Raven Boys.
Five words that sum you up?
Quiet. Anxious. Creative. Loving. (I've sat here for a very long time trying to think of a fifth word, so I'm just going to say...) Indecisive.
How can we learn more?
Twitter – @KrysteyBelle
Facebook – www.facebook.com/krystalyndrown
~About the book~
Title: TRACY TAM: SANTA COMMAND
Publication date: October 22, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Krystalyn Drown
Tracy doesn’t believe that Santa can deliver all of those presents in one night with out a little help from science. A flying sleigh can only be powered by jet engines, and Santa’s magical abilities can only be the result of altered DNA. In order to test her theories, she sneaks onto Santa’s sleigh and ends up at Santa Command, the place where a team of humans monitors Santa’s big night. When Tracy attempts to hack into their computers, she accidentally introduces a virus to their system. As a result, three states get knocked out of sync with the rest of the world. Before the night is over, Tracy has to fix time and help Santa finish his deliveries. And she has to do it all with Santa’s magic, which she doesn’t believe exists.
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~About the author~
Krystalyn spent thirteen years working at Walt Disney World in a variety of roles: entertainer, talent coordinator, and character captain. Her degree in theatre as well as many, many hours spent in a dance studio, helped with her job there. Her various other day jobs have included working in zoology at Sea World, as an elementary teacher, and currently as a support technician for a website. In the evenings, she does mad writing challenges with her sister, who is also an author. Krystalyn lives near Orlando, Florida with her husband, son, a were cat, and a Yorkie with a Napoleon complex.
~Connect with the Author~
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