Interview
1) First, tell us about yourself – where you live, your family, and those sorts of details.
I currently live in southern Utah with my husband and kids. I have about a million (not really, but seems that way) nephews and nieces that I adore and love to spend my free time with. I’m a military brat who also joined the military and am married to a Marine (once a Marine, always a Marine). When I got out of the service I went to school full time and now own an editing service catering to Indie authors. I love to learn and would be a career student if I could.
2) How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing all my life, but I’ve only just been writing literature for the past few years. I used to win countless poetry contests as a kid and then, even after college (because I’m a dork), I like research and give myself topics to study and write about.
3) Do you have a favorite place to write?
Not really. I just typically write at my desk. Sometimes I write on my couch for a change of scenery.
4) Why did you decide to write Lunangelique?
I have no idea. Lol! I just sat down one day and wrote and wrote. Nine days later, I had a book. A couple months later, I did the same thing and then I had two books, followed immediately by a third. It’s an addiction.
5) Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
I love Lexi because she’s not your typical heroine. Most books today have naïve, dependent, self-conscious females with the guy that swoops in and saves them. I wanted the opposite of that for my character. Lexi is a good friend, she’s confident, independent, and isn’t afraid of anything. She knows what she wants and takes charge.
6) How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?
Patryck. He comes across as a hero. Picking up the pieces, giving a lending ear, trying to sooth Lexi’s pain. However, he’s a manipulative, lying scumbag. He’s a status climber that just wants to be in the leader’s good graces.
7) Do you proofread/edit your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
I try both, but I just can’t read my own work. Every time I go to proofread, I start changing the story or adding to it. I finally have to give it to my editor and never look at it again. They were so much fun to write and I don’t want to change that experience by regretting how I wrote something.
8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing, I’m reading. Lol! Books are my life. I write, I edit, I read. I don’t watch TV; I just can’t sit still enough and turn my brain off to enjoy television. Books are so much more enjoyable. On the weekends, when the weather is right, I go on long hikes with my family. During the summer, we are always outside at the pool.
9) Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?
Oh, I read. I think I’ve read close to 350 books this year alone, and that’s not counting the books I’ve reread. Lol! I love Steven Saylor, Abbi Glines, H.M. Ward (God, her books are addicting!), and this year I’ve discovered Sylvain Reynard, S.C. Stephens, A. Meredith Walters, C.J. Roberts…I can’t name all my favorites. There are just too many.
10) What question do you wish that someone would ask about your book, but nobody has? Write it out here, then answer it.
Why mix mythology and religion?
Mythology has been a passion of mine since I was a little girl. I love the stories, I love how so much of the mythologies are the same (except for Roman, which was a rip-off from Greek), I love how a lot of the characters were actual historical figures, which makes you wonder how much more truth there is.
I really believe that, though maybe not the supernatural aspects, there are a lot of truths to the mythologies. Was Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Poseidon, Hades, etc. real people? Possibly. Why not? Maybe they were illustrious figures that left such an impression doing outrageous deeds that their stories were spun into these fantastical tales we have today.
Take Cadmus, for example. He was known as the creditor to the Phoenician Alphabet, which later was adapted to the Greek Alphabet. Why not, right? Someone had to do it. Or how about these Greek mythology personas: Libya, Memphis, Aegyptus, Europa, Sparta, and the list could go on and on. These are all names of places. According to myth, these places were named after the people. So the question is what came first; the place or the name?
Mythology was used as a history lesson no less than 2000 years ago, until the birth of Christianity. Even with the growth of the Catholic Church, Saints appeared with the same supernatural aspects and similar stories of the ancient mythological gods. Again, I’ll take Cadmus for example. He supposedly fought off a dragon; Saint George fought a dragon. Just one example. We still use these tales today, not as a history lesson, but as a morals lesson. There is still something about mythology today that seems important to teach in our schools.
In Lunangelique, I merge mythology and religion as it’s merged throughout the years. If it’s possible to believe any one deity existence (God), then who is to say they can’t all exists? This is what I’m trying to impart in my writings.
Oh, and this is coming from a Catholic, so those who may be offended by assuming I’m trying to dissent Religion would be wrong. I’m just open to possibilities.
YA Paranormal Romance
Date Published: 2012
Lunangelique:
Blurb:
For Alexis and Alex life has been great. They have loving parents, great friends and live a life every teenager dreams. However, they are adopted and Alexis struggles with wanting to know who their real parents are and not wanting to hurt her adopted parents. Then, a stunning guy moves across the street from them. One who has a secret past and seems to know things about Alexis. One who does mysterious things and leads her to other mysterious persons. One who pushes her to discover her extraordinary birth family and the truth between mythology and religion.
Excerpt
He laughs at me like I have said the funniest joke in the world. I keep my face neutral, not wanting to show any emotions while he finally collects himself. “You are amusing. Aren’t you afraid? Why do you not fear me? Do you know what I have done to Kakabel? What I intend to do to you?”
I shrug my shoulders, wanting to appear as calm as possible. “I won’t be scared if I tell myself there is nothing to fear. You cannot hurt me because I will tell myself not to feel pain. I don’t know what you did to my art professor so I won’t know what you will do to me.” I play him with words because I know he won’t understand.
“Where are your wings?” he demands, angry now because I’m not giving anything away.
“What this?” I nod my chin to the necklace around my neck. He comes forward and yanks it off my neck. “Hey, I like that,” I whine like a spoiled child.
“Malachi,” he calls towards the other room. In a few seconds, Malachi is by his side. He takes Cole’s wings that Cerviel hands him and studies it before laughing. “I thought you would like that.” Malachi throws it on the floor and stomps on it. “Go back to Samson,” Cerviel orders him. Malachi is gone in the blink of an eye, leaving me alone with Cerviel again.
“That’s my necklace.” I pout. “There’s no reason to treat it that way.”
“It will hurt your lover,” he informs me with a malicious smile. “If you will not cooperate, then we will torture him.”
“How?” I challenge him.
“His wings,” he indicates to the necklace lying on the floor, “contains a link to him. They’re still connected even though they’re not attached. If you hurt one, then you hurt the other.”
“You’re insane.” I act like his notions are ridiculous.
“Want to test it out?” he picks it up and places his hands on either end like he’s about to twist it or break it in two.
“No!” I scream, terrified that what he says is true.
Games up. I lost this match. Sugar snaps!
“What are you?” he asks again patiently. He takes a chair and places it in front of me. Then, he sits down, folding his legs and hands as they rest on his leg. He’s acting like this is a normal conversation over tea with a friend.
“Can I have some water, please?” I’m trying to buy some time to get away.
“After you answer my questions,” he answers.
“Are you going to let me go after I do?”
“It depends on if I like your answers.” He smiles sweetly at me. “What are you?”
“A girl who is starting to get pissed off that you keep asking me that, like I’m a freaking alien or something!” I scream it at him. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm down when I feel a slap across my face. My eyes dart open and I glare at him angrily. I taste blood on the side of my mouth. He stares at the wound and I see a light bulb go off in his eyes. He grins wickedly at me and then produces a switch blade from his pocket.
“Let’s see how much of a pissed off girl you really can be,” he mocks me and then plunges the knife into my hand, impaling it into the arm of the chair I was gripping. My eyes bulge open in shock and horror and I want to scream, but I tell my nerves not to feel anything and my hand goes dead of feeling. I’m so glad right now that I’m a freak.
He watches my expression change with amusement and then looks lethal again when I don’t scream out. I drum the fingers of my other hand on the arm of the chair. Acting like I’m bored with this act.
“Where are your wings?” Cerviel demands of me.
“I don’t have any wings you freakin’ lunatic. I’m just a girl.” I start laughing because my hand not responding to being impaled is a pretty sure sign that I am not human. I feel psychotic in the moment. I think shock is setting in and I cannot control it. I just continue to laugh at him.
His face breaks out in uncontrolled angry grimace and then he pulls the knife out of my hand and plunges it into my chest. I feel it tear through the arteries of my heart. I’m so shocked he did it that I stop breathing, which ends my laughter.
“Go and find her brother,” I hear him bark at someone before I black out again.
Sleeping Gods:
Blurb:
Alexis must pick up the broken pieces of her heart and pull herself together because she has a mission: To awaken the sleeping gods. When she is at the point of giving up, wearing her pretend smiles and feels like there is nothing left of herself, her friend becomes her savior. Patryck helps put Alexis back together again and in return Alexis sees him as something more than a friend…
Together with her brother, Alex, her father, Edmund, and a team of angels they make their way to Mount Latmos, to awaken the gods. But obstacles are in their way, one of them being Cole, the traitor, the one who shattered Alexis’ heart.
New friends and family she never thought she would meet will come to aid Alexis.
…And a love will blossom that will redefine the saying, “Love you forever.”
Awakened Gods:
Blurb:
Lexi has fulfilled her destiny and now the gods have awakened, but is that a good thing?
Now, Lexi lives in a world that is on a global collapse. The gods are angry that they have been forsaken and are seeking revenge on humanity. The oceans are in turmoil, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcano eruptions and famine are causing global chaos, and the sun is being held hostage in an astrological phenomenal, never-ending solar eclipse by the avenging Helios.
Then, there is the problem of Zeus’ threat. Lexi must choose between giving herself to him or watching the “abominable” angels die by his hand. Not to mention, Hera, Zeus’ wife, is proposing her own jealous-driven proposition to Lexi: stay away from her husband or the angels and everyone dear to her will die. Lexi sees no way out of either predicaments and it puts a strain on her relationship with Cole. Will she lose him either way?
Kristin R. Campbell
Kristin R. Campbell currently lives in Utah with her husband and two children. She is prior military and has pursued Religion, History and Legal Studies before finally settling with a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice. She is a self-proclaimed workaholic, who also loves hiking, traveling, spoiling her babies and, of course, reading and writing.
BUY LINKS
Lunangelique on Amazon
Lunangelique on B&N
Sleeping Gods on Amazon
Sleeping Gods on B&N
Awakened Gods on Amazon
Awakened Gods on B&N
GIVEAWAY:
($15 Gift Card + Autographed Copies)
This is so awesome! <3
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