Author Interview: Kristal Baird

What is your name (or pen name) and where do you live now?

• Kristal Baird
• I currently reside in the UK.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

• Long before I started to write an elderly Romany Travelling woman who was selling “lucky” white heather stopped me. She took my hand and told me I would be a writer one day, but not for a very long time. Strange but true. I’ve done quite a few different jobs but when I was very young I wanted to be a veterinarian.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it what would you say?

• My latest published book is actually my debut novel:  PA Exposé

It is a pretty hot erotic romance. Two people set out to dupe each other. They both get much more than they bargained for!!

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

• I take a long time thinking about it, almost delaying writing it, but once I commit, I can write the first draft rather quickly. Then comes the editing stage… a lengthy process.

Do you have plans for a new book?

• I have one with my publisher now and I’m currently writing my third in this genre.

What genre would you place your books into?

• This is a series of erotic romance full-length novels.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?

• As a new writer, I had the freedom and wrote in several different genre. This published book came about as a result of entering a competition with an erotic publisher. I didn’t win but they contacted me to say I made the final cut and they liked my work a lot. They asked to see the entire manuscript and then bought it.

Do you have a favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite?

• My fave is always the one I’m currently writing. I fall in love with my romantic heroes, you see, even though they can be very naughty boys! I suspect most romantic authors do too.

Do you have a favourite character from your books? Why are they your favourite?

• All my Alpha Heroes – because they are alpha heroes. There is Jake Stone (in PA Exposé)

and Reuben (in PI Honeytrap) and now Jack Ryan (aaahhh) – my latest. They are like my designer men!

Where do you get your book plot ideas from? What/Who is your inspiration?

• I have no trouble having plot ideas. They come from real life, conversations, scientific breakthroughs, current events….

Do you have a certain routine for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?

• I write on my laptop so I can do that anywhere. I even write in bed or in the car! No routine. But I still work full-time so all writing has to be fitted in around that. Mostly I write at weekends and during holidays. It’s a 24/7 kind of life.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?

• The title, for me, seems to come early on. Generally it arrives along with the original idea.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?

• For this series I’ve avoided place names, going for a general feeling of being city or country based. I want to give a sense of “it could happen anywhere”. I let the reader decide. The characters all have contemporary names (to suit my sub-genre) – feminine ones like Cally in PA Exposé or Hayley in PI Honeytrap or Uber-Male ones, like ex-Special Forces, Jake Stone or Gym Owner, Reuben respectively.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?

• A bit of both. I sketch out a few core details based on the overall plot ideas but the characters truly breathe as I write. They fully realise as we go along.

Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?

• I never feel I have writer’s block. Sometimes I’m not sure how to resolve a situation or get from A to B, but I just leave it alone, do other stuff and somehow my subconscious sorts it all out for me. Thanks Sub-C! I think the worst thing a writer can do is freak out about it. If it’s not working out, there’s usually a pretty good reason why.

Is there a certain author that influenced you in writing?

• All writers influence me. Either because I love their prose, or their characterisation or pace, or simply their ability to “tell a story”. Mostly because they have had the guts to go for it and kept on going.

What is your favourite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once?

• Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities – He is a master of plotting and characterisation. His prose is spectacular. I love all his novels and this was the first I ever read so it has a special place in my heart. I re-read it every now and again. Set in the French Revolution, it has an amazingly romantic line, when the hero sacrifices his life, going to the guillotine in place of another man, for the love of a woman. “It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.” A real weepie.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is your favourite/worst book to movie transfer?

• They always lose something in the transfer, I think. Obviously it is hard to get every little thing from a detailed novel into a 2 hour movie. Also, as a reader I enjoy imagining some of what I read but as a movie goer, I have to accept a director’s own vision. I think the Lord of the Rings Trilogy did a pretty fabulous job however. CGI enables fantasy and Sci-fi to be done particularly well.

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it? (ebook, hardback or paperback)

• I often have more than one book on the go. I’ve had up to 5 on the go at any one time!! Is that crazy? I manage to keep track of them all. Usually it is just one on my ereader and a paperback beside my bed. I always read a bit before I turn off the light. I’m currently reviewing an erotic anthology and reading a Bernard Cornwell historical. I read many different genres.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?

• Not for a while. I think there are still enough people who, like me, want to keep books as physical objects, but eventually it will probably come. It is like photographs. Everything is digital and no-one worries any more. We all just adapt. I’ve been reading about Print on Demand Books being the future. I think that may be the start of the end actually, because less and less people will bother – but it will take a long, long time. Print books are still objects of beauty.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?

• Read lots. Write lots. Learn the craft properly from other writers – you have a duty to uphold standards. Believe in yourself and write what you truly love. Never give up.

Please provide a link to where we can purchase your books and short biography.

• Links to Amazon (US & UK)  

http://www.amazon.com/PA-Expose-submission-Romance-ebook/dp/B008LWR7AU/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342527976&sr=1-10&keywords=PA+Expose

http://www.amazon.co.uk/PA-Expose-submission-Romance-ebook/dp/B008LWR7AU/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

Biography

• Kristal has lived in several different countries as far apart as Australia and Scotland. She loves books and started writing her own a few years ago. She has a big dog who wants to walk far more often than she does (but he keeps her healthy) and a sleepy cat, who she is very jealous of (especially first thing in the morning when the cat wakes Kristal up an hour or two before the alarm goes off and then goes back to sleep again, leaving a sleepy Kristal to get up alone!!).
• She’s had some pretty interesting jobs including driving a four ton truck for a touring theatre company (which she crashed – it wasn’t her fault and she’s sticking to that!) and working as an au pair for an alpine ski-ing instructor…
• Kristal is quite laid-back about life and one of her fave things is to laugh. A lot! She reckons she could have made Genghis Khan not quite such an old meanie…
• Kristal is a vegetarian.
• One of her (many) ambitions is to walk the entire El Camino de Santiago in one go. She loves meeting lots of different people and is quite friendly really. You can find her on Facebook, @kristalbaird and  http://kristalbaird.blogspot.co.uk/

I’m giving away a copy of my debut novel PA Exposé to one lucky person. Just leave your email details in the comments box below. Be lucky!

Giveaway closes 12th November 2012
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