Interview with Kristie Booker, author of Blooming In To Life

Now available from Cricket Press is the novel Blooming In To Life by Kristie Booker!

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When did you become interested in storytelling?

My interest in storytelling has always been with me. My earliest memory was around the age of three. I spent the summer taking my dolls (in the basket of my tricycle) over to my neighbor’s house. I would ask him to babysit my dolls while I went to work and when I picked my kids (dolls) up, I would tell long stories about my hard day working at the factory. As my interest continued to grow, my stories became more elaborate. In third grade, was called to the principle’s office after spending several recesses telling kids scary stories about an abandoned house across the street. 

What was your first book/story published?

My new book Blooming Into Life is my first book published. I may have started storytelling early but it took me half of my life to find the courage and stamina to form my stories into the written word.

What inspired you to write Blooming Into Life?

As a wellness coach working with women for the past several years, I began to notice how many women were measuring their self-worth by the number on the scales, the price tag of their clothes and the status of the social groups they belonged to. After taking a look at my own behavior, I realized I was doing it also and it was all in the name of acceptance. So, I decided to write a story about a woman searching for acceptance.

What character in Blooming Into Life is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I identify a lot with the main character Colleen. I grew up in a rural area like Colleen and moved to a city where I had to figure out how and where I belonged. I spent many years of my life measuring my self-worth by my exterior and had to do a lot of internal work to look at my self differently much in the same way that Colleen does in the book.

What is your favorite part in Blooming Into Life?

There are several parts that stand out so I’ll say “one” of my favorite parts is the scene where Colleen is listening to Johnny Cash sing “The Man in Black” – “The words struck her. She was the woman in black. She had worn black or charcoal grey since Lyla put her in the ‘until my weight is gone’ outfit. Her appearance did have a somber tone but, unlike Johnny Cash, she wasn’t wearing the dark colors for all the darkness in the world. She wasn’t bringing attention to other people’s misfortune. She was highlighting her own misfortune – as her dad would say, ‘wallowing’ in her own darkness. Suddenly Colleen felt suffocated by the clothes on her body. She wanted to peel them off and throw them out the window as she drove.

What was the hardest part to write?

I struggled writing the part about being on bedrest and the fears of losing her baby since that I pulled that from my own life experience. 

What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?

I’m a wellness coach in addition to being a new author. I love coaching and inspiring women in person and through my writing. So my ideal career would involve inspiring others to believe in themselves and to get out of their own way when it comes to reaching for their dreams. To give this a title, I’ll go with a coach, therapist/counselor, or teacher.

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

Since this is my first book, I don’t have a ton of reviews yet but the ones I have received so far have been positive. I’ve enjoyed reading them and they have motivated me to get to work on my second book. I’m sure my heart will be broken when the inevitable less than ideal reviews appear, but I know it’s part of putting yourself out there. I’m open to constructive criticism as I always want to work to be better. Regardless of the review, I plan to stay true to who I am as a writer and the stories I want to tell.

What well-known writers do you admire most?

I love Elizabeth Berg, Elizabeth Gilbert, Ann Patchett, Barbara Kingsolver, Sue Monk Kidd, Anne Lemott, Barbara Delinsky, John Irving, and Wally Lamb just to name a few.

Do you have any other books/stories in the works?

I’m currently working on a story about a newly widowed young mother that moves with her talented young hockey-playing son from St. Paul Minnesota to Chicago. She wants to be closer to her parents and her late husband’s best friend. She may or may not fall in love with a fellow hockey parent and create unwanted controversy.

Giveaway

Kristie will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

About the Author

Kristie Booker is the author of Blooming Into Life, a blogger and a Wellness Coach. She enjoys coaching and inspiring women through her writing as well as in person. Kristie is a wife and mother of two sons. She grew up in rural Illinois, but now lives in Chicago.

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