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:

LETTERS FROM HOME EXCERPT

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:

Web: http://www.kristinamcmorris.com/

Video: www.tinyurl.com/McMorris

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kristina.McMorris

Twitter: www.twitter.com/KrisMcMorris