2/28/2011

Kristina McMorris

Today, I'm excited to be welcoming the lovely Kristina McMorris to the blog, whose debut novel, LETTERS FROM HOME, recently hit the shelves in the US and is due in the UK in a couple of months. I was lucky enough to meet Kristina when we were finalists for the 2007 Golden Heart®, her with this very book! I'm so excited that it's now on the shelves.

ABOUT KRISTINA

Kristina McMorris lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Her foray into fiction began as a result of interviewing her grandmother for the biographical section of a self-published cookbook intended as a holiday gift for the family. Inspired by her grandparents' wartime courtship, Kristina penned her first novel, a WWII love story titled Letters from Home. This award-winning debut is scheduled for release in trade paperback from Kensington Books (2-22-11; U.S.) and Avon/HarperCollins (5-5-11; U.K.). In addition to other global rights, various book club rights have been sold to Reader's Digest and Doubleday, and the film rights are represented by the prestigious Creative Artists Agency of Los Angeles.

A weekly host of television programs since age nine, including an Emmy Award-winning program, Kristina is formerly the owner of a wedding/event planning company, contributing writer for a regional magazine, and PR director of an international conglomerate. A portion of her sales proceeds from Letters from Home will benefit United Through Reading®, a nonprofit organization that video records deployed U.S. military personnel reading bedtime stories for their children. For more, visit: www.KristinaMcMorris.com

LETTERS FROM HOME

In the midst of World War II, a Midwestern infantryman falls deeply in love through a yearlong letter exchange, unaware that the girl he's writing to isn't the one replying. Woven around this tenuous thread are three female friends whose journeys toward independence take unexpected turns as a result of romance, tragedy, and deception, their repercussions heightened by an era of the unknown. Inspired by a true account, Letters from Home is a story of hope and connection, of sacrifices made in love and war—and the chance encounters that change us forever.

"Ambitious and compelling…[a] sweeping debut." –Publishers Weekly

"A beautifully told story…a tough book to put down!" –RT Book Reviews, 4-star review

Read an excerpt here:


GET TO KNOW THE AUTHOR

MAUREEN: How often to you get lost in a story? Do you have a particular place or time when you love to read?
KRISTINA: I love reading in the evening, once the kids are in bed and the house is quiet. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do any "fun reading" in months, since research texts typically take priority.

MAUREEN: Hiking boots or high heels?
KRISTINA: If Pumas aren't an option, then high heels.

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
KRISTINA: "Skipper," the lead penguin from Madagascar.

MAUREEN: What turns you off like nothing else?
KRISTINA: Rudeness.

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite kind of cheese?
KRISTINA: Warm brie smothered with any kind of sweet chutney.

MAUREEN: What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children?
KRISTINA: On Christmas Eve, we continue to open only one gift from under the tree, then we leave out cookies, carrots, milk, and a note for Santa and his crew. Not the most original tradition, but one that always warms my heart.

MAUREEN: What soundtrack or playlist do you recommend for your current release?
KRISTINA: Stormy Weather, Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, As Time Goes By, I'll Be Home for Christmas, and the list goes on…

MAUREEN: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?
KRISTINA: Coffee: a half-caff, non-fat vanilla latte with an extra shot of caramel. (What can I say? I'm from the Northwest!)

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite kid joke?
KRISTINA: "Ten copycats were standing on a cliff. One jumped off. How many were left?
None. They were copycats, so they all jumped off."

MAUREEN’S GOTTA ASK – KRISTINA’S GOTTA ANSWER ☺

MAUREEN: Which era would you most like to have lived in, fashion-wise, and why?
KRISTINA: I'd have to say the 1950s for the poodle skirts, pedal pushers, bobby socks, and saddle shoes (all of which I actually owned in junior high….yeah, don't ask). Just think: "Pink Ladies." Was there ever a cooler group?

KRISTINA ASKS HER FANS

Now that the questions have got me thinking about my favorite cartoon character, I'm curious…who is your favorite? Is there an animated character you especially relate to, or in whom you can see yourself? Jessica Rabbit, perhaps? Elmer Fudd?

BOOK GIVEAWAY

Kristina is generously offering a signed copy of LETTERS FROM HOME to one lucky commenter!

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an electronic copy is available, that may be substituted for winners outside of North America. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH KRISTINA HERE:

13 comments:

  1. I have 2 favorite cartoon characters: Tweety Bird (something about tweety just makes me happy) and Eeyore (like him when things are just not quite going right)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Welcome Kristina! Your book sounds SO amazing. Luckily (or unluckily, for my pocket book), I spend about half of my writing time at Barnes and Noble while the Boy is in preschool, so whenever I hear about another book I know I'm going to love, I can just run and get it! I will certainly be looking for yours.

    I LOVE the music of the 30's and 40's...they are regularly on my playlist.

    And my favorite character? I'm a Scooby girl...maybe not exactly as a character, but I loved the kooky spooky mystery elements as a kid :)

    Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Welcome to GLIAS, Kristina. Your book sounds awesome and right up my TBR pile. Your writing soundtrack is some of my favorite "dancing around the house" music. Awesome interview. Thanks for including the book trailer today, Maureen.

    My favorite is Scooby Doo (LOL Heather--he really is). I can't get enough of the big scaredey cat and got all four grandkids hooked on not only the song but the cartoon. (Yes, it's my ringtone, my mousepad, collectibles, themepark pics...just love the big snack-eating dog.)

    ~~Angi

    ReplyDelete
  4. The book sounds amazing.

    I'd like to be Sleeping Beauty - for a few reasons

    1. I love my sleep
    2. I need a bit of beauty
    3. I need 7 helpers
    4. I get to kiss a Prince
    5. and live HEA

    ReplyDelete
  5. OMG I would SO be a Pink Lady!

    This book sounds wonderful. I am going to get my hands on it asap!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Winnie the Pooh. Don't ask why. Just accept. :-) I was breathing in the 50's and actually had a poodle skirt--in a toddler size. Wore saddle shoes well into High School and loved them.
    Since I remember vividly ironing stacks of little boy shirts (4 brothers) and baby dresses (baby sis--have you any idea how many baby clothes fit in a single laundry basket?) I'm not going anywhere before permanent press since, with my luck, I'd end up a peasant instead of a princess!

    As for your book, can't wait to read it. Already sold a couple of copies for you. Large family. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Kristina-
    Congrats on the release! You already know I'm a sucker for all things WWII. Just made my daughter sit through Mrs. Miniver with Greer Garson. One of my favorite movies of all time, although my daughter was definitely upset when SPOILER ALERT! a major character died in the end.

    As for cartoon characters, I was a Scooby-Doo addict as a kid, but now I'm all Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb. That man makes me laugh out loud!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kristina, I've read your wonderful writing before, so I cannot wait to read Letters from Home. Sounds like an exceptional plot. Congratulations on the rave reviews. As for cartoon characters, I loved Mighty Mouse, but when my kids were little fell in love with Thundercats! Okay, that's weird.

    Thanks for stopping by and best wishes!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks so much for having me here, Maureen!

    June - Aww, I love Eeyore. Two great choices!

    Heather - Thanks for the kind words. My sons are 5 and 7 and have been successfully brainwashed into loving the classic big band tunes, lol. Like you, I live right down the street from a B&N. Dangerous!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Angi - My book LOVES being on your TBR pile; just so you know. Thanks so much for that! Btw, my youngest son got the biggest kick out of ordering "Scooby Snacks" (aka - mini-corndogs) at a restaurant the other night.

    Bron - Okay, you sold me. I want to be Sleeping Beauty too. Can we take turns? Or can there be two of us? Ha.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Simone - Pink Ladies unite! Shall we sing "Beauty School Dropout" together sometime?? Thanks for the sweet words!

    Gwyn - Yes....but did you own a pair of PINK & WHITE saddle shoes?! Huh? Yeah, that' what I thought. LOL. Thanks sooo much for forcing...er, encouraging your family to buy my book. You're a doll. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  12. Alix - Wow, Scooby is definitely winning here! Thanks for the warm wishes, sweetie. And congrats right back at ya.

    Donnell - Oooh, I love Mighty Mouse. Pepe Le Pew is right up there, too, though. Thanks for the nice note! I hope you enjoy the read.

    ReplyDelete
  13. My favorite has always been Scooby Doo! Can't say I can relate.... though, I have been known to put some food away ;-)

    ReplyDelete