Welcome to
my Reading
Comfortable?
Wonderful. Now let’s get started.
Tell us about
your favorite character from your books.
It would have to be David from Remember Our Promise…sweet, sexy, and even though Lily, the heroine doesn’t realize it, he would do anything for her.
It would have to be David from Remember Our Promise…sweet, sexy, and even though Lily, the heroine doesn’t realize it, he would do anything for her.
Tell us about
your current/upcoming release. What inspired this story?
Remember Our Promise will be released by Rebel Ink Press August 3rd. This story just came to me one day in the middle of writing one of my series books. I’ve often said it wrote itself and I was only along for the ride. I used it for my NaNoWriMo story, write 50K in 30 days. I began on November 1 and it was finished on November 17. My editor even loved it and there were hardly any changes suggested in edits.
Remember Our Promise will be released by Rebel Ink Press August 3rd. This story just came to me one day in the middle of writing one of my series books. I’ve often said it wrote itself and I was only along for the ride. I used it for my NaNoWriMo story, write 50K in 30 days. I began on November 1 and it was finished on November 17. My editor even loved it and there were hardly any changes suggested in edits.
When in the
day/night do you write? How long per day?
I work an 8-5
M-F day job, so my writing is done either in the evenings or on the weekends.
Depending on what else is going on, I’ve been known to write for 16 hours on
Saturday and again on Sunday, but I don’t always keep that kind of schedule. I
write when I can, as often as I can.
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
I am always
afraid of running out of ideas…so far that hasn’t happened. The hardest thing
for me right now is the fact that I’ve ventured out into the unknown…I am
writing an erotic romance under a different pen name for LazyDay. It will be
released in November and right now I’m polishing it before it goes to edits. If
you’ve read my Anna books, you’ll know they are mainstream. The series with
LazyDay Publishing is a continuing dramatic romance which centers around the
lives of five women and their families and friends. My books with Rebel Ink
Press which aren’t part of the series and have been dubbed as sweet and sexy
love stories. So a DD/spanking erotic romance is new ground for me. I was
encouraged to do this by some writer friends of mine and LazyDay was all for
it, so the reason for a different pen is to distinguish between the mainstream
and the erotic for my readers. Some of them will read both but some prefer the
sweet. I’ll release more information later on this. Originally it was going to
be a secret that the other pen name and Anna are the same, but the readers I
shared it with were so supportive I decided to come out of the closet and make
it known. If you prefer the sweet and sexy, read Anna’s books and if you prefer
something a little spicier, read the other ones…
What does
your family think of your writing career?
My family
thinks it is awesome as they know this has been a long time dream of mine.
Although my two granddaughters, when told I was going to meet some of my
readers, said “That’s so overrated. You’re just Nana.”
What do you
think makes a good story?
You have to
create your characters, the attraction, the conflict, and the result…with a lot
of things happening in between.
Plotter or Pantser? Why?
Plotter
usually, I come up with the general plot, then add things along the way as they
come to me.
How do you
develop your plots and your characters? Do you use any set formula?
Normally the
ideas just come to me, from something someone has said, from a song I’ve heard,
or a couple I’ve seen.
What book are you reading now? Any favorite authors/books you want to do a shout out for?
Right now I’m
involved in getting caught up with Sable Hunter’s books. She and I have
recently become friends, she’s helped me a lot and I love her work. She has
read some of mine as well.
What do you
do to unwind and relax?
Is there such
a thing? I love to sleep in on Saturday mornings. I like to go out to dinner,
or a movie, I read, occasionally like to play the penny slots. I love to travel
when time allows, road trips are the best.
Morning
Person or Night Person?
Night person
for sure, always have been.
Coffee, tea
or other drink to get you moving in the morning?
Coffee, ask
anyone who knows me…
What is
coming up from you in 2013? Anything you want to tease us with?
There are
more series books coming out, as well as some novellas with Rebel Ink Press. If
You Love Me, and a sequel to that one, A Woman Like Her. I also have a
Christmas novella coming called A Holiday Hideaway. And then there’s that one
under the new pen name which I’ll talk about another time…
Next on the
agenda will be finishing my Fab Five series, and possibly a few other things in
between…
I had my
first book signing recently and more are in the works. I have a new street
team, Anna’s Fab Friends, who are working on promoting for me. So lots of
exciting things on the horizon for Anna.
Anything else
you want to add?
Remember Our Promise by Anna Kristell
Lily Wells has been in love with David Black since she was
fifteen years old. When she was eighteen, he broke her heart, leaving her with
a promise that the year they turned thirty, if neither was married, they would
find a way to reconnect. As fate would have it, twelve years later, while she
is in her hometown for her grandmother’s funeral, she runs into David.
Still as breathtakingly handsome as ever, now a prominent
Texas attorney, he makes it clear he’s a confirmed bachelor. After one perfect,
romantic weekend together, Lily returns to her job as the acquisitions editor
for a New York City publishing house, knowing that a life with David is still
her heart’s desire.
Believing that to him she’s only one
of his many female companions and that he has no recollection of the promise
she’s clung to for the past twelve years, she goes on with her life in the Big
Apple. She and David remain in contact with each other, however, seemingly
growing closer. Will he break her heart a second time or is it possible that
she’s misreading the signs?
Teaser Excerpt:
“We’re young
and we have our whole lives ahead of us. We should take a break from each
other, at least for a while.”
She looked at him in disbelief. “What exactly are
you trying to tell me, David?”
“We have four years of college ahead of us in
different states. How are we going to see each other? We’ll be thousands of miles away from each
other. Neither of us needs to be tied down right now.”
“Are you breaking up with me?” she asked, not
believing the words she was hearing.
“Don’t you think it makes sense?” He looked at her
with a serious look on his face and gently removed her hand from his thigh. He
lifted her hand to his lips and planted a tender kiss on her palm.
“No, I don’t. I will always find a way to be
with you. We can email and call and get together on holidays,” she argued
vehemently.
“Lily Beth, think about it. You’ll be in Chicago Dallas
As tears welled up in her amethyst-gray eyes, she
replied, “If that’s the way you want it, then fine. Don’t feel obligated to
stay in touch.”
“Babe, don’t talk like that.” He leaned over to
kiss her.
She tried to pull away but he pulled her to him.
She gave in to the kiss, losing herself in it as she always did. When he
released her she said, “I love you, David, and I always will.”
“You think that now but you don’t know that once
you get to Illinois
“I won’t ever love anyone as much as I love you,”
she answered softly.
“Then let’s make a promise.”
“What kind of promise?” she asked, looking at him
warily.
“In twelve years, when we both turn thirty, we’ll
find a way to reconnect.” He caressed her cheek and went on. “If we’re both
unattached then we’ll find out if this is the real thing or not. And if it is,
I’ll buy you the prettiest diamond engagement ring I can find and we’ll get
married, just like you want.”
“Twelve years?” She looked at him as if she thought
he had lost his mind.
“Yes, Lily Beth, that gives us plenty of time to
finish school, establish our careers, and experiment with dating other people,
maybe even see the world a little,” he stated seriously.
“Shall we shake on it?” she proposed sarcastically.
“How
about we kiss on it?” he asked as he took her in his strong arms again.
1 comment:
Great Interview!!!
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