Author Kristen Darling Shares Their Story

About the Author
At my core, I am a writer and author, but I am also a crazy girl, a proud mama, a gourmet cupcake maker, a vixen, a website developer and a lost little girl.

Writing has always been a passion of mine, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2015 that I finally took pen to paper and finished my first novel, The Ghost of You. It is a dark and heartbreaking romance with a very provocative edge. I wanted a romance which would allow the heroine to be a bit flawed and real.

Currently, I am in the process of completing my second novel, called Losing My Way. Like The Ghost of You, this novel will paint the heroine in a very real and provocative way, but the tone of the story is a bit darker and more edgy.

When I am not writing, I enjoy spending time with my three children, reading, creating websites, or hanging out with friends.

Some of the things I love most in the world: my children, the ocean, summer storms, winter snow, a good book, anything chocolate, laughing, Madonna, and foot massages.

Some of the things I like least are: grocery shopping, when my house is messy, injustice, cleaning, vlogging (a necessary evil) and migraines.

What inspires you to write romance books?
Oh, most definitely it is the fact that I can give my characters a happily ever after. If a book makes you cry tears of joy, or makes you very sad that you’ve reached the end, or makes you think about and miss the characters you’ve come to know so well, than I consider my job as an author a success.

Tell us about how you write:
I start with a basic concept, an idea I have that swirls in my head and nags me constantly until I allow myself to begin thinking about how the plot will evolve.

I do list my character names, ages, birthdays, places of employment, relationships, etc. so that I have it as my reference, but as far as the story itself goes, once I begin writing, the stories seem to take on a life of their own.

Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
My characters usually dictate to me as I write. For example, in my novel, The Ghost of You, I had a very clear concept of my heroine, Kaitlyn Vandere. I saw her story play out in my head, and I knew how I wanted her to end the story.

Kaitlyn, however, had other ideas, and by the time I was finished with the story, her future was the one she guided me to, not the one I originally intended.

Chris Anderson was another character with very strong ideas of his journey. I tried to fight his destiny, but in the end, I had to follow his wishes, even though it actually hurt me to do so.

What advice would you give other writers?
Follow the story. You may have an idea of what you want to write about before you begin, but keep an open mind as you write. If something feels right, it usually is, even if it doesn’t follow your original plan.

Don’t stop writing to go back and edit or over-critique your work before you’re done with at least the first draft. If you stop and start to analyze what you’ve written so far, you may run into an infinite loop and your story will never get finished.

On the other hand, if you are writing a chapter and it simply isn’t flowing, don’t be afraid to delete it and start over again. I’ve done this several times and have enriched my story by getting rid of something that just isn’t working.

It’s your story. You have complete control (except when your bossy characters decide to step in and lead you in another direction. *smirk* )

How did you decide how to publish your books?
By nature, I am very impatient. I knew my book was good, especially after my beta-readers came back with such positive feedback. The problem for me was the query letter. I just didn’t know how I would be able to summarize this book into a few short paragraphs.

I gave it a go, and submitted to three literary agencies. I received two requests for my full manuscript, and I sent the manuscripts to the agents that requested it.

And I waited (impatiently) for about two weeks. One agent finally responded and stated that she loved the book but it didn’t fit in with her current schedule but that she would check back with me in about six months if something opened up.

The other agency got back to me a week after that with a general “thank you but it’s not what I am looking for” letter.

At that point, though I had only submitted to three agents, I felt the agony of rejection. I did not want to prolong the agony – at least with this book, I wanted to get it out there, so I would at least have something published when I began submitting queries for my second novel.

The response was not instant, but slowly, the interest and word of mouth spread, and my novel is gaining momentum and interest. While self-publishing is hard work (it is constant marketing and sometimes exhausting), I am so happy that I went this route, as it gave me a much better understanding of what actually goes into publishing and launching a new book.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think that traditional publishing will always be around, but I do see an increase in new authors going the self-published route. I think this trend will continue, as many literary agencies are overwhelmed and simply don’t have time to review everything they receive, even though they are passing on some phenomenal reads. (A literary agent passed on Shades of Grey, and E.L. James ended up self-publishing before being picked up by an agency after her book gained mass interest by fans.)

As far as print books, I don’t see this going away anytime soon. Even though more people have ways to read on their smart phones and tablets, nothing beats a solid, tangible book in your hands. I personally prefer the feeling of a book in my hands, rather than an electronic device. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned like that.

What genres do you write:: Romance

What formats are your books in: Both eBook and Print

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Author Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site

Your Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14205854.Kristen_Darling
http://www.facebook.com/kristendarlingauthor
http://twitter.com/kdarling_author
https://www.pinterest.com/darlingdita/