Interview with Kristin Pulioff

My Books:

     

 

Hello Kristin, so pleased to interview you and hear about your first novel...

Title:   The Escape of Princess Madeline

  Author:  Kirstin Pulioff

Page Count:  109

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Cost: $4.99

Link Amazon USA:  available in October 2012

Link Amazon UK: available in October 2012

Can you tell me something about yourself?

Let’s see…  I was born and raised in Southern CA, went to Oregon State University and got my degree in Forest Management.  Shortly after graduating, I married the man of my dreams and have been living up here in the Northwest ever since.  We have two wonderful kids, and my primary job is as a stay at home mom.  To add to the chaos, in the evenings after bedtimes, I write, work at my church and do the books for the family business.  I like to describe my life by saying if I am not living an adventure, I am writing one.  J

What inspired you to write?

                Writing has always been an escape for me, a fabulous retreat bringing peace to my life.                When things were rough in school, I would write stories between classes- when I had a job               that I didn’t like, I would write during my lunch breaks.  It is my way of reconnecting to     myself. 

“The Escape of Princess Madeline” began as an escape for me.  I actually wrote this book several years ago, while working at an office.  That position didn’t fulfill my creative needs, so on my lunch breaks, I began writing.  One day, over my tomato and cucumber salad, as I was doodling in my notebook, a light bulb went off in my head.  Suddenly, this story began unfolding in my mind … every day during lunch, I picked up where I had left off, and a month and a half later, the first draft was finished.

 

I have always gravitated towards the fantasy genre.  Growing up, as an elementary youth, I wanted to be whisked away to a far off land with princesses and castles and knights, but what I found was that most fantasy novels were a struggle to read due to them being above my reading level.  So when I began writing and as ideas began to flow through my mind, I really wanted to capture something that a younger reader, a teen, and even an adult would enjoy.

Who are you favourite authors?

                My top three are Dr. Suess, Ken Follett, and Piers Anthony.

Can you tell me something about your latest book?

“The Escape of Princess Madeline,” is a young adult, fantasy book- a story with aspects of magic, fantasy, and romance, with a positive tone and a quick pace.

 

Faced with an impending marriage, a knight champion, and a future that she did not choose or want, Princess Madeline finds herself in the middle of an impossible decision.  Using her charm, strength and stubbornness, she defies her father, the King at every turn, determined to keep her freedom on her terms.  Follow Princess Madeline in this adventure full of twists and turns as she finds freedom and love.

Sounds exciting! How long did it take you to write it?

I wrote the first draft of this story in a month and a half, about 7 years ago.  After having kids, I put my writing on the backburner, and focused on being a stay at home mom.  Now that the kids are older, I have been able to refocus on myself and my dreams, and the last two years have been spent editing, revising and submitting this book.

Can you tell us something about the writing process, do you have a set time for writing, did you do any research or anything else of interest that was involved?

I am pretty funny when it comes to writing.  I don’t have a lot of time, so when I do sit down, I need to make sure I am in my “writing zone.”  That means, no distractions, no noises-except for the voices in my head.  J 

I write in my bedroom closet (where my computer is) a couple of nights a week, and on Sunday afternoons my husband will watch the kids so I can leave the house and write for a bit. 

When it comes to writing though, I open my mind and let the words flow out.  In the first draft, I want to capture everything that comes to mind-each and every piece of inspiration, plot twist, character description.   When I am done with the first draft, then I can go back in and polish it up, make the transitions smoother, add in those special details.

What do you think readers will come away with when they have finished your book.

I hope my readers leave with a sense of being true themselves.  The story really is a testament to standing up for who you are and not being afraid to follow your path.

Will you share a paragraph or two from your book with us?

“Father, this is beautiful,” Madeline said with a little squeal. She could hardly believe her eyes, the dress was beautiful. She held it in front of her and rubbed her hands over the gold embroidery, feeling a thrill as her fingers ran over the soft bumps of the pearls. “I have to try this on!” she said, running from the room to put it on. “Wait here, I’ll be right out,” she yelled back at her father, hurrying into an adjoining room.

                She could hardly believe it, looking down at the dress with surprise, her father was always attentive, but never so generous with his gifts.  There had been a pony for her fifth birthday, but “Princess” only lasted a few months.  After Madeline was thrown and broke her arm, Princess was also tossed.  After that, her birthday seemed to turn into an event of contention between her and her twin brother, Braden, a comparison of gifts as he opened the adventurous ones and hers were more predictable.  It may have been because she was the only daughter, without a mother to raise her, but some days she felt more like a damsel in distress than a princess. 

                This year was different.  This dress was different.  Up and over her head, Madeline slipped the dress on. It was a perfect fit.  Looking at herself in the full-length mirror she smiled, she had never looked so pretty. It was her sixteenth birthday, and she had just begun filling out and looking like a woman and couldn’t keep her eyes away from her reflection, the dress fit just right in all the right places. Her long, dark brown hair had a glossy shine against the pale green silk. The shade of her dress was just slightly lighter than the deep shade of her eyes, bringing out their beauty and depth. The pearls and gold embroidery in the bodice seemed to direct attention to her new developments, and the dress fell gracefully down her long, slim legs. She didn’t know what to think. All she could do was spin and smile, marveling at the woman staring back at her.

                Remembering her father in the other room, she pried her eyes away from her reflection and peeked around the corner. He was sitting in her oversized pink chair, looking a little out of place, his dark crimson robe clashing against the soft pastels and golden hues spread throughout the room.  Her room looked like a spring hillside in full bloom with a full range of pastels and roses everywhere. King Theodore sat in the far corner, looking down at his feet, rubbing his hands over each other, trying to appear calm.  Tears welled up in her eyes and she smiled, seeing a sweet nervousness in him that was rarely seen.

 

Any other links of interest:

www.facebook.com/KirstinPulioffAuthor

www.twitter.com/KirstinPulioff

www.KirstinPulioff.com

 

Interview with R Grey Hoover

Title:  Kicker

Author:  R Grey Hoover

Page Count: 409

ISBN: 978-1-4771-4295-0

Genre: Historical Novel               

Cost: Kindle $3.99

 

Link Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/KICKER-ebook/dp/B008U6YYGC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347564423&sr=1-1&keywords=kicker

Link Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/KICKER-ebook/dp/B008U6YYGC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347564493&sr=1-1

Can you tell me something about yourself?  

I am a retired data processing professional living in the same community where much of my novel takes place. I am a U.S. Air Force veteran and hold commercial pilots licenses for fixed wing and helicopter aircraft. My hobbies are traveling the world, wood carving and fishing.

What inspired you to write?  

My writing was inspired by my desire to document my father’s military service during World War II.

I see, so your book is based on what really happened during the war, now that’s really interesting.

Who are you favourite authors?

Clive Custler,  H.G. Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Dan Brown and Michael Crichton.  I can easily see some of the authors in the ASMSG group becoming some of my favorites also.

Can you tell me something about your latest book?

I started writing Kicker to document my father’s experienced during WWII. However, as I was researching for the book, I met so many wonderful WWII veterans that I decided to write their stories also. I consider Kicker to be a tribute to all the men and women who served their country during WWII.

I think that’s really moving. How long did it take you to write it?

I spend a little over 8 years researching and writing the book.

Sounds like you did a lot of background work!

Can you tell us something about the writing process, do you have a set time for writing, did you do any research or anything else of interest that was involved?

I did not have a set time for writing and researching. As with many aspiring authors, I tried to fit the writing process in with the other day to day activities of life. The fact that I was retired allowed for a very flexible schedule.

What do you think readers will come away with when they have finished your book? 

I hope the readers of Kicker will gain a deep appreciation of the sacrifices our parents and grandparents made to secure our freedoms, and an understanding of what those freedoms cost.

Oh I couldn’t agree with you more!!

Portions of Kicker can be read at my blogsite: http://rgreyhoover.com/

Any other links of interest:    http://www.kicker-cbi.com/

Thank you so much for this enlightening interview.  Having read your book I can recommend it, a very good read based on the facts.