November 10, 2011 by Fifi Flowers
Kristin graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications (Go Gators!) She has lived in Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Boston and Miami and now resides primarily in Orlando, Fla.
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Soooo... tell us MORE about you...
Where are you from?
I was born just outside Boston and
lived in Peabody, a suburb of Boston, when I was little. Then I moved to Worthington, Ohio (right
outside Columbus) before landing in St. Petersburg,
Fla., in time for my teen years.
Tell us your latest news?
I have a new novel, my seventh,
coming out next August from Simon & Schuster’s Gallery imprint. I LOVE my
editor there (Abby Zidle) and am thrilled with how the book is turning out.
It’s a departure for me; it’s much deeper than my other novels. It’s about a
36-year-old women who owns a bakery in Cape Cod; she
discovers a long-held family secret from her grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s.
This sends her to Paris, on a journey that includes the Holocaust, a synagogue and
a mosque, and some revelations she never expected. In the process, the main
character learns some important lessons about her own life – and about opening
her heart.
When and why did you begin
writing?
I’ve been writing as long as I can
remember. My mom recently found a stapled-together “chapter book” I’d written
when I was 6, in fact. I’ve always loved to write, and I’ve always loved to
make up stories.
When did you first consider
yourself a writer?
I think by 8th grade,
when I attempted my first novel, I considered myself a writer. I began writing
professionally (for magazines and newspapers) at 16, so I suppose that’s the
first time I ever verbalized the fact that I felt I was a writer.
What inspired you to write your
first book?
My first novel, How to Sleep with a Movie Star, is about
a magazine reporter who winds up in a situation where the whole world thinks
she’s carrying on a romance with America’s most eligible movie star. In reality, her love life is a
disaster. I assure you, this wasn’t based on personal experience (i.e. I wasn’t
in the midst of a misunderstanding with any hunky movie stars at the time!),
but I was writing for a celebrity magazine when I wrote the book, and I think
it sprang from the thought of “What if?” In other words, “What if someone
erroneously thought that I’d crossed the line with someone I’d interviewed? How
would life spin out of control?” That’s exactly what happens to Claire, the
main character in the novel.
Do you have a specific writing
style?
I think it’s conversational, and I
tend to use a lot of dialogue, which is probably because I began my career as a
magazine writer, which means I spent a lot of time quoting people.
How did you come up with the
title?
Which one? I have six novels. I
think all of the titles spring from something that takes place in the book
itself, and I try to think of titles that will appeal to readers and make them
want to pick the book up.
Is there a message in your novel
that you want readers to grasp?
I think that if my six novels have
a common theme, it’s the theme of being yourself and following your heart,
although all six books go about that in different ways.
How much of the book is realistic?
All of my books are realistic, I
think. That doesn’t mean they’re based on real people – they’re not – but I try
to keep them as true to life as possible.
Are experiences based on someone
you know, or events in your own life?
Not usually. But I always do a lot
of research, so some of the book often comes from my own research experience, I
suppose. And as I mentioned with How to
Sleep With a Movie Star, sometimes my novels are based very loosely on
“what if” type questions from my own life. I lived in Paris for a
time, so The Art of French Kissing,
which takes place in Paris, draws a lot of its locations from places I lived or
restaurants I frequented. The plots, however, are not drawn from real life, nor
are the characters.
What books have most influenced
your life most?
The Diary of Anne Frank, which I think I first read when I was about 12, moved and
changed me. It was probably the first time I realized the full power of the
written word. I re-read that book many times as a teen. Growing up, I also
loved all the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins books – the old ones
(which my grandparents had saved in their attic from my mom’s childhood). Those
are probably the books that turned me into a voracious reader; I always looked
forward to the next trip to my grandparents’ house to get my hands on more
books!
If you had to choose, which writer
would you consider a mentor?
There are so many, it would be
impossible to choose one. One thing about the writing community is that writers
tend to be very supportive of each other. Sarah Mlynowski was one of the first
writers who took me under her wing, so if I could choose only one, it would
probably be her. She’s still someone I greatly admire (both as a writer and as
a person). But there are so many lovely writers who helped me at the beginning
of my career.
What book are you reading now?
I just finished the young adult
novel The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. It was phenomenal; it
blew me away. I literally couldn’t sleep after reading it; I just lay in bed
thinking about different pieces of the plot. I’d highly recommend it. I also
just finished Darrell Hammond’s memoir, God, If You’re Not Up There, I’m
F*cked. Wow. Darrell used to be on Saturday Night Live (he was their longest-running
castmember, from 1995-2009), so the book has lots of great behind-the-scenes
stuff. But it’s also really powerful in that he talks, in surprising depth,
about being abused as a child, psychiatric hospitalizations, drug and alcohol
abuse, etc. It’s really deep and amazing. I laughed and cried in perfect
measure. It was an incredible book.
Are there any new authors that
have grasped your interest?
Sure, there are lots. Rae Carson
comes to mind immediately since I just finished her first novel. I have the
feeling we’ll be seeing lots more of her.
What are your current projects?
I’m finishing up my novel due out
in August; I’m ghostwriting Chubby Checker’s autobiography; I’m writing a young
adult proposal; I’m doing some magazine work on the side.
Name one entity that you feel
supported you outside of family members.
At the beginning of my career? I
have several: My friends. My professors at the University
of Florida. My friend Lauren Elkin, whose first novel is due out
soon; she was my roommate in Paris when I was writing my first novel. And finally, the guy I
was dating at the time, Michael. He was one of my first readers of the first
draft of How to Sleep With a Movie Star back
in 2004. He believed in me before I really believed in myself. He’s still a
close friend.
Do you see writing as a career?
Absolutely. It is my career. It has been my career for
my whole adult life.
If you had to do it all over
again, would you change anything in your latest book?
I think that writers never feel
their job is done; even when my books are out, I’m always thinking of things I
could have or should have changed. It’s not generally major plot stuff, though;
it’s usually more like, “Gosh, I don’t like the way I phrased that sentence,”
or “Geez, that scene was too long,” or, “Hmm, I think I could have done better
creating that character.” Because I always feel this way about my books, I have
a hard time reading them once they come out, because it’s impossible to feel
like they’re ever finished.
Do you recall how your interest in
writing originated?
I’ve always loved reading, and
I’ve always loved writing. It’s been that way as long as I can remember.
Becoming a writer just felt like a no-brainer.
Can you share a little of your
current work with us?
Sure. As I mentioned, the novel
(currently untitled) is about a 36-year-old women who owns a bakery in Cape Cod; she
discovers a long-held family secret from her grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s.
This sends her to Paris, on a journey that includes the Holocaust, a synagogue and
a mosque, and some revelations she never expected. In the process, the main
character learns some important lessons about her own life – and about opening
her heart. It’s basically a story of love, family, forgiveness, memories,
religion and BAKING. There are lots of yummy treats between the pages. :-) I
made me hungry every day I was writing it; it’s a wonder I didn’t put on 50
pounds during the process.
Is there anything you find
particularly challenging in your writing?
Some days, it’s hard to stay
focused. I work better on deadline, when I have no choice but to sit down and
write.
Who is your favorite author and
what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Oh my goodness, I have WAY too
many favorite authors to even begin to answer that question. I mean, literally,
I have dozens. But right now, I’ll mention Lauren Myracle, a young adult
novelist who’s been in the news a lot lately because of an idiotic snafu by the
people who run the National Book Awards.
In short, Lauren was told that her YA novel, Shine had been chosen as a National Book Award finalist. She was
absolutely thrilled; it’s a very prestigious award. Then, she was told that it
was actually a mistake; the judges had meant to select another book called Chime. The resulting mishandling of it
by the National Book Award people created a gigantic and embarrassing mess,
which Lauren handled gracefully and admirably. Shine is an incredible book, and Lauren is both a fantastic writer
and a really amazing human being. Read her Huffington Post article about the
situation here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lauren-myracle/lauren-myracle-national-book-awards_b_1019972.html.
Do you have to travel much
concerning your book(s)?
Yep. I travel to research the
books, then I go on book tours to promote them.
Who designed the covers?
They’re all designed in-house (by
someone who works for the publisher).
What was the hardest part of
writing your book?
The hardest part, I think, is
writing that last page and knowing that you have to let your characters go.
When you’re writing, your characters sort of become like friends who live in
your head. When you’re done, it’s like you have to give these dear friends an
eviction notice. It always makes me sad, and I miss them.
Did you learn anything from
writing your book and what was it?
I learn new things with each
novel, I think. Writing is, for me, almost a therapeutic exercise; I often find
myself working through my own issues through my characters, without even
meaning to. So I think that with each book, I grow both as a person and as a
writer.
Do you have any advice for other
writers?
Just keep writing. Force yourself
to write every day, even when you don’t feel like it. And personally, I never
write without outlining first; I think an outline is like a roadmap and a
security blanket all in one. If you’re having trouble finishing a book (i.e.
you get 100 pages in and then just kind of put it down), try outlining next
time. I think it works wonders.
Do you have anything specific that
you want to say to your readers?
For more information, visit my web
site, www.KristinHarmel.com. And
thank you so much for reading my books!
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Thank you Kristin for giving us an interview!!!
