Chatting With Krysten Lindsay Hager

I love chatting with other authors! Today I have fellow Clean Reads author Krysten Lindsay Hager with me. Let’s get started.

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?

 

When I was five, I used to love to add onto stories my parents read to me or storylines on TV shows. I thought everyone did that and it didn’t occur to me that what I was doing would become a career for me. I just loved creating stories and sharing them with people.

 

Can you tell us about your journey towards publication?

 

I was also working in journalism at the same time I was writing. I went to a lot of conferences and workshops, but I feel that it was the literature classes I took in college that helped me the most in being able to write a book. I was great at starting a story, but going the distance and finishing one? That was so difficult until I started taking lit classes and began to see how stories were put together. When it came to getting publishing, there is no better way than to go to conferences and classes and learn as much as you can.

 

What is your favorite genre to read?

 

I tend to hit all the sections at the bookstore, but YA and middle grade are special to me. They are very character driven, which is something I love.

 

What was the best criticism or advice you ever received?

 

The best advice I ever got was to write the book I wanted to read. That’s how I started writing my first published novel (and the first book in the Landry’s True Colors Series), True Colors. I wrote the book I wished I had back when I was a young teen.

 

Tell us about a unique quirk of yours?

 

I’m always dripping food on myself—particularly salad loaded with oily dressing. My husband says I need to start wearing an apron or bib and my mom says nothing’s changed since I was a kid. When I was little my parents took me to the zoo and bought me a chocolate ice cream cone. I got it all over this nice white sweatshirt and my mom said, “You got it everywhere,” and I said, “I didn’t get it on the rose.” The rose being a teeny-tiny little part of the shirt. Well, last week I was with my mom and I spilled yogurt on my t-shirt and she said, “You’re covered!” I looked down and said, “I didn’t get any on the Polo pony.” She just shook her head.

 

If you could travel to anyplace for a month, where would you go?

 

Tough one! Maybe England because I’d love to visit where Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters lived and visit all the bookshops. And if I’m being honest, I’d be going around trying to spot George Michael, at least one Spice Girl, David Beckham, and Boy George!

I like history, so I think that would be a great trip.

What are you reading write now?

 

I’m reading a book of essays by author Amy Tan who wrote The Joy Luck Club.

 

Any encouragement for aspiring authors?

Take literature classes because it’s like learning from the experts. And never compare yourself to other writers out there because we’re all on our own journey and have something unique to share.

Thanks! Here’s a bit about Krysten’s books…

Best Friends…Forever? (Landry’s True Colors Series) by Krysten Lindsay Hager

I have always loved reading books that use humor and have realistic (and relatable) characters. I decided to write the book I wanted to read when I was reading YA and I’m overjoyed it’s now a series where people can follow along on Landry’s journey through dealing with friendships, the ups and downs of school, crushes, relationships, and insecurities. Sure, going back to that time in my own life was a little crazy, but lucky for me there weren’t camera phones to capture me dancing in the school talent show…while wearing jean shorts. If you’re not cringing yet, let’s just say I also had a moment of “genius” where I thought my super dark brown hair would look amazing with “Sun-In” highlights that actually turned my hair a lovely shade of copper. Sigh.

The Landry’s True Colors Series is a clean reads young adult series about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, middle school and high school, frenemies, modeling, crushes, values, and self-image. Best Friends…Forever? was ranked at #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Teen & Young Adult Values & Virtues Fiction and #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Children’s Books on Values. True Colors is an international bestselling book.

Tag line: Good friends have your back, but some go behind it.

Blurb:  Landry Albright hopes the new year will start off in an amazing way—instead she has to deal with more frenemy issues, boy drama, and having most of her best friends make the cheerleading squad without her. Suddenly, it seems like all anyone can talk about is starting high school next year—something she finds terrifying.

 Landry gets her first boyfriend (her crush, Vladi), but then gets dumped just as things come to a head with her friends. She feels lost and left out, but finds good advice about dealing with frenemies from what she considers an unlikely source. Landry faces having to speak up for what’s right, tell the truth (even when it hurts), and how to get past the fear of failure as she gets another shot at competing in the American Ingénue modeling competition. Will she get a second chance with her friends, fame, and Vladi?

Excerpt:

 “Landry, it’s gotta be so awkward for you to be going to Vladi’s school next year,” Tori said. “I mean, what if you run into him during the tour?”

“It’s a huge place,ʺ Ashanti said. “People break up all the time. It’s not a big deal.ʺ

Tori raised her eyebrows as if to say, “Yeah, right,” and went back to her sandwich. Meanwhile my delicious homemade soup was no longer sitting well. It never occurred to me Vladi might be around during the first pre‑freshman tour. I would be mortified if I ran into him and he was with a girl. Or worse yet, running into him, and he was with Yasmin. Plus, I hadn’t told my mom about the breakup, so if she saw him, she’d probably go over to talk to him. I could already imagine it: “Landry, Vladi’s here! Hon? Why are you hiding behind the garbage can? Your boyfriend, Vladi, is here. Come say, ‘hello.’ Stop trying to run away. Why is everyone laughing and pointing at you and calling you a ‘loser dumpee?’ What does that mean?”

Well, maybe the world would end and I wouldn’t have to deal with high school or Vladi and my mother running into each other.

****

Sadly, the world did not end, and on Thursday, we all had to go to the high school for a freshman information night from 6 to 9 p.m.

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFp2fPFbvTQ&feature=youtu.be

Author bio: Krysten Lindsay Hager is a book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in Portugal, South Dakota, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows. She received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.

What people are saying about True Colors (Landry’s True Colors Series Book One):

From Teenage Book Recommendations in the UK: “This is a fantastically relatable and real book which I feel captures all of the insecurities and troubles which haunt the modern teenage girl. It is about a young model who has to go through tough times when she is torn between a life as a model and managing her friendships. You learn which friends she can most trust and which will create the drama typical of teenage life. Follow the life of Landry and try to see if you can find out which are her true friends before their true colours are revealed. This book is all about relationships, hopes and truth. I loved this book!”

From Books & Authors Spot: “This book is such an inspiration for those who just care about their looks and are tensed about them. This thing is looks aren’t everything. This book is related to every teen’s problem. Hager has written a very inspiring novel.”

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Friends-Forever-Landrys-Colors-ebook/dp/B00UIP1N5S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426663576&sr=8-1&keywords=krysten

Amazon international: http://authl.it/B00UIP1N5S

Barnesandnoble.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/krysten-lindsay-hager

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/krysten-lindsay-hager/id890673226?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/search?query=Krysten%20Lindsay%20Hager&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all

Connect with Krysten:

Website: http://www.krystenlindsay.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/krystenlindsay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay