Kristine Raymond
It wasn’t until later in life that Kristine Raymond figured out what she wanted to be when she grew up, an epiphany that occurred in 2013 when she sat down and began writing her first novel. Over a dozen books in multiple genres later, there are a multitude of ideas floating around in her head thus assuring she’ll never be idle. When a spare moment does present itself, she fills it by navigating the publishing and promotional side of the business. When not doing that, she spends time with her husband and furbabies (not necessarily in that order) at their home in south-central Kentucky, gardens, reads, or binge-watches Netflix.Kristine is represented by Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity.
Marina Raydun: Your bibliography is rather varied. You are comfortable writing historic western romance novels as well as erotica. Where do you find your inspiration?
Kristine Raymond: It’s more like inspiration finds me. Ideas pop into my head (usually at the most inopportune times), and stories form that I have no choice but to write. Anything can trigger the process. A song lyric, a scene from a TV show or movie, real-life interactions with a bank teller or car mechanic, or observing people as they go about their daily lives (it’s not stalking; it’s research…)
MR: How did publishing your first book change your writing process?
KR: I didn’t have a writing process. Aside from some angsty teenage poetry and a half-hearted attempt at journaling, I hadn’t authored anything before writing and publishing my first book, Here to Stay, in 2013. It was all new to me, which, in some ways, was good because I had zero expectations about everything, and in others, it was bad because I had no clue what I was doing.
MR: What do you owe real life people upon whom you base your characters?
KR: None of my characters are based entirely on real-life people. There may be a personality quirk or habit of someone I know, and I’ve used family names in some of my stories, but my characters are purely fictional. I will say I think it’s impossible for an author to write and not imprint a portion of their experiences/feelings/beliefs, however minuscule, into their plotlines.
MR: How do you select names of your characters?
KR: Most often, my characters tell me their names without me actively thinking about it, although I did dream the name Landry (my heroine in Hearts on Fire). If I’m writing a character of a particular nationality, I’ll do an internet search for baby names that are popular to that culture. Worst comes to worst, I’ve been known to thumb through the telephone book for ideas. Yes, they still make those.
MR: Talk to me about your Seasons of Love series. What a fun, creative idea!
KR: Seasons of Love is one of my favorite books, and not just because I wrote it. What began as a title for a limited-release anthology – Dogwoods in Springtime – turned into a collection of four seasonally themed, interconnected stories that can be read individually or as a whole. Based in four different locations that I’ve either visited or lived, the themes in each story vary. Dogwoods in Springtime is about a widow who gets an unexpected second chance at love. Seashells in Summer depicts a single mother’s challenge to open her heart to a stranger, knowing she may lose everything in the process. Aspens in Autumn find our hero and heroine running for their lives – and into each other’s arms, and Snowflakes in Winter is a ‘love at first sight’ tale with a stalkerish twist. Each story ends in a happily-ever-after, and there is some character carry-over that gives the reader a glimpse into the future.
MR: If you had to do something differently as a child or a teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
KR: I’d have told myself to be confident and not worry what others think. Naysayers are always going to exist. The key is to listen to what my heart and soul tell me, rather than strangers who have no stake in my life. So what that some people tell me I won’t succeed? It’s not up to them. It’s up to me.
MR: What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
KR: At this point in my life, I have more author friends than non-author friends. Laramie Briscoe deserves the credit for me being where I am today. Hearing her talk about writing and the process of self-publishing gave me the courage to write a book – the first of sixteen, as it turned out. Grace Augustine, Rebecca Thein, and P.J. Tracy are dear friends, and we chat on an (almost) daily basis. We bounce ideas off of each other, make suggestions about covers and blurbs and plotlines, and it’s nice to talk with people who understand both the elation and frustration I deal with on a daily basis, as most authors do. (I could go on and on with names because the writing community is so welcoming and helpful.)
MR: Who is your literary crush?
KR: I don’t have a crush, per se, but Will Lyman from Karen Robards’ Hunter’s Moon is a favorite. And, Jack Tanner from the Hidden Springs series…well, even though I created him, let’s just say if he were a real-life person, my hubs might have some competition. Just kidding, honey. 😉
MR: Is there a thing you’ve written that makes you cringe now?
KR: Every book I’ve published. Seriously, though, there are passages in every book I’ve written that I would reword in hindsight, but when I released them, they were the best they could be.
MR: Is there an illicit book you had to sneak growing up?
KR: Mmmm…I probably read Mom’s bodice rippers a few years earlier than I should have, but I never read anything illicit. Still haven’t. Why, do you have any suggestions?
To find out more, please visit Kristine Raymond’s website at www.kristineraymond.com and follow
her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and BookBub.