Kristi Ann Hunter graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Computer Science but always knew she wanted to write. Kristi is an RWA Golden Heart contest winner, an ACFW Genesis contest winner, and a Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award for Excellence winner. She is a founding member and the coordinator of the Regency Reflections blog and lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.
Find her online at www.kristiannhunter.com.
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Savanna: Welcome to the blog, Kristi. We’re so glad you could join us today. Congratulations on your 2 newest releases this year! I just started A Noble Masquerade last night and could hardly put it down! 🙂
Which character from A Noble Masquerade would you say you’re most excited for the readers to meet? And why?
Kristi: Since a lot of readers met the Hawthorne family in “A Lady of Esteem” I’ll skip all of them. I’m very excited about bringing the hero, Ryland, into the story. I’m a little in love with him myself, so I hope everyone else will be, too. There’s something about that rough and tumble get-it-done kind of guy finding the woman that changes everything for him.
There’s also a couple of side characters that I’m hoping the readers love as much as I do. Particularly Colin McCrae. This guy is fun to write. He’s very witty and always knows the right thing to say since I have days to figure out what that perfect thing would be. I’ve had more than one reader tell me that they hope this isn’t the end of him. I’m happy to say that it isn’t. Colin is going to pop up here and there for the rest of the series.
Savanna: How long did it take you to write the e-novella A Lady of Esteem vs. A Noble Masquerade?
Kristi: There isn’t an easy answer to that question. The short answer is that “A Noble Masquerade” took about two years to get through the writing and editing process. These weren’t contiguous months. “A Lady of Esteem” on the other hand took about four years because it went thought multiple incarnations before becoming the novella it is today.
“A Lady of Esteem” started out as the first book I ever completed. Over the years it got rewritten approximately 9 times as I learned more about writing and tried to lengthen the book to the same length as “A Noble Masquerade”.
By the time the Bethany House editors and I decided to turn the thing into a novella, I had managed to lengthen the book to more than three times its current length. The edit was painful and gut wrenching but I’m very happy with the product we ended up with.
Savanna: Getting a book all the way to publication is always an interesting journey, isn’t it? I’m so glad you’re happy with the finished result. That’s important!
You’ve won multiple writing awards. What has been one of the greatest lessons and fondest memories from participating in these contests?
Kristi: Winning is a rather pleasant memory, I must say. I have fun memories from each of my wins. I was only able to attend two of the four ceremonies, so not all of those wins involved getting dressed up and giving a speech.
The greatest lesson from those contests, and one reason I would encourage every unpublished writer to enter them if you can, is that everyone is not going to like your work. For the first three years of contests I got very polarizing scores from the judges. Some would adore the writing and story while others ripped it to smithereens. I learned to write for those that enjoyed my work while honing my craft enough that even those who didn’t enjoy it could see merit in it. That lesson prepared me to shrug off the reviews that were less than complimentary when my first book came out. There are people who like my writing. I write for them.
Savanna: That’s a great point to remember. Thanks for sharing that.
On your website, you admit you’re a board game junkie. 🙂 Do you have a particular favorite?
Kristi: My favorites are games that make you think or work together as a team. I love Settlers of Catan and games of that ilk that change every time you play them so you can’t settle in to any particular strategy. I used to play a game called Alibi in college that was like Clue on steroids. My kids are young so we’re easing them into strategy games by playing team games like Forbidden Island and Break the Safe. Then, of course, there’s some really awesome card games like Rook and Phase 10. I have a particular fondness for Boggle but I don’t get to play much since most of my friends refuse to play it with me.
Savanna: Ah, I love Settlers of Catan. My hubby introduced me to that game and I was instantly hooked!
Can you share with us a piece of writing advice that has made a difference in your career?
Kristi: If you can imagine yourself doing anything else, do it. If you can’t, don’t quit.
Writing is hard and the reward is not always equivalent to the work. If the work is not its own reward you won’t make it long as a writer. If you have to get the words down or your head will explode and they’ll find you rocking in a corner, then by all means write. Write and don’t give up.
Savanna: Thanks for sharing, Kristi. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Any upcoming projects you can share with us?
Kristi: I’m currently editing the next book in the series. I think a lot of people aren’t particularly fond of Georgina, but she’s got a pretty big secret that’s going to explain why she does things the way she does. Exploring that secret and how it twists her reasoning has been a very eye-opening experience for me and I hope the readers are affected by her journey as well. That book should be coming out Summer 2016.
Savanna: I can’t wait! I appreciate you joining us today, Kristi. May God bless you and your writing!
GIVEAWAY!!
Kristi has graciously offered to give away a signed copy of A Noble Masquerade to one lucky winner. Enter below and it could be YOU! 😉
Thanks for entering! Contest is open only in the U.S. and ends September 22, 2015. The winner will be notified by email. Happy Reading, everybody!
Looking forward to reading this book! And I love to play Clue with my daughter 🙂
Have you played the new version? It’s got a double sided board.
Wow! I have not read the first one, is this a stand alone?
I believe it is, Heidie. The full-sized novel felt complete to me, anyway, and I have not read the novella yet. Hope you’ll check it out! 😉
Hi Heidi! I always loved playing Clue as a kid. One of my favorites. 😉
I love her first one and I’m dying to read this one! We are also big board game junkies!
I’m dying for you to read it! 🙂 What’s your favorite game?
I hope you get to read it soon, Micah! 😉 I just finished it last night and loved it!
I’ve already read (and adored) A Noble Masquerade. I can’t wait to read more of this series. And I’m a diehard Settlers of Catan player. We prefer the Cities & Knights version. Also, if anyone wants a great cooperative game, Pandemic is very fun and challenging. All the players work together to save the world.
Glad you enjoyed A Noble Masquerade! I have heard about Pandemic but not gotten a chance to play it yet. I really like cooperative games.
Thanks for joining us, Michelle! I’ve not played the Cities and Knights version. I’ll have to look that up now! 😉 I’m intrigued!
I really enjoyed “A Lady of Esteem,” so I’m eager to find out what happens next. 🙂 As for board games, we’re still in the Candyland and Chutes & Ladders phase around here. When we’re around family and other adults, I like Apples to Apples and Telestrations.
I’ve never heard of Telestrations. I’ll have to look that one up. Apples to Apples is one of our favorites as well.
Hi Kishona! I hope you’ll get to read Kristi’s newest book soon. I know you’ll enjoy it! 😉
Hello Savanna, I enjoyed the interview with Kristi. I am so excited to read about the Hawthorne family. I’ve downloaded the prequel, A Lady of Esteem. I haven’t played a good board game in years.
psalm103and138[at]gmail[dot]com
Glad to see you again, Caryl! Thanks for stopping by.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Caryl! We haven’t played many board games lately either. We usually bring them out more during the winter months. 😉
I am always so excited to find new authors. These look like some interesting books.
Thank you for the interview and giveaway.
And as far as a board game goes… Monopoly and Scrabble are probably my favorite. No one seems to enjoy playing Scrabble with me, but my daughter and I do play monopoly some.
Have you seen the Scrabble app for phones? It’s an easy way to keep a game going when you don’t have a lot of time or people to play with.
Hi Amy! Thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy both of those games too. My hubby also plays the app version that Kristi mentioned. He enjoys it. 😉 Good luck in the giveaway!
I am going to answer the question of “what is your favorite board game?” I got Settlers of Katan for my husband for his birthday in April and it has become quite the favorite for us to play. 🙂 Pretty much every Sunday afternoon (and sometimes during the week) we play.
What a fun interview too. Thanks for the giveaway!! 🙂
Ooops… Settlers of Catan. 🙂
Woohoo! Love Settlers. 😉
Awww, fun! It’s by far our favorite game in our house as well, Sydney. 😉 Glad you could stop by. Have a great week!
I loved Kristi’s Novella, can’t wait to read A noble Masquerade!!!
She’s a new favorite author of mine! 😉 Thanks for visiting, Vanessa!
My kids and I like to play Clue and Sorry. We also like card games like Uno and Phase Ten. We also like Farkle, which doesn’t fall into either of those categories but is a lot of fun.
Phase Ten and Farkle are great. All of my family enjoys those. They’re easy enough for kids to play but still fun for grown ups. No offense meant, Candyland. 😉
I’m the only one in my family who likes Sorry. Don’t know why. I think it’s fun! 😉 Haven’t heard of a few of the others you mentioned, Pam. I’ll have to look them up. Good luck in the drawing!
I’ve been waiting to read the novella closer to when I will read A Noble Masquerade. After reading the synopsis and having this book on my wishlist since it first was available for pre-buy, I am looking forward to finally reading it.
We are a family of 4 and my son and I are the gamers in the family. Him and I are always on the hunt for the best games to play with two people. Although more than two can play this game, we really enjoy Farkle.
I hope you enjoy both of them!
Hi Terrill! That’s great. Hope you get to read them both soon. Good luck!
Hi Savanna and Kristi, New author for me; I really enjoyed your interview together. I have watched A Noble Masquerade being introduced and would like to win this copy!
Board games ~ we currently play Ticket to Ride ~ have the U.S. and Europe games. We also like Phase 10, SkipBo, and Hand and Foot cards. I will have to look up Settlers of Catan ~ a play on words, we have a CatLand here as our two like to be right in the middle of what we are playing. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
I played Skipbo for the first time last night. It was so much fun! Definitely going to have to add it to our game cabinet.
Hi Kathleen! Great to have you stop by! I’ve played Phase 10, but none of the others. So many fun new games to check out… I love it! 😉
Thank you for sharing your story with us! It’s always interesting to here how long it actually takes for a book to be published. We also love board games at our house. My favorite right now is Sorry because my grandson is old enough to play with us!
Isn’t it fun to play with the kiddos? I love playing those games with all my little nieces and nephews! 😉 Thanks for joining us, Cindy!
I am looking forward to reading Kristi’s book. I don’t play board games very often but I have one that is a favorite of mine because I have lots of fond memories playing it with my mom when I was a kid. That game is “Whodunit”. Thanks for the interview and giveaway!
I’ve never heard of Whodunit. Is it anything like Clue?
I’ve heard of that one, Loraine, but I’ve never played it. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day!
Our family loves to play games when we get together for the holidays! We like Phase 10 and Quiddler. Every once in a while we play Dutch Blitz. We also like Scrabble!
Board games are so much fun in groups, isn’t it? We appreciate you visiting, Patty. Good luck in the drawing!
I think you can call “Idiot” a board game, it’s kind of a combination of aggravation except instead of using dice each person has their own deck of cards to move around the board.
Thank you for the chance to win a copy of “Noble Masquerade”.
wfnren at aol dot com
Oh, fun! Haven’t heard of this one, either. 😉 Card games are a lot of fun too. Thanks for stopping by, Wendy!
Another author to add to my must read list. I have a bucket list and add all new authors to it to read. Excited about all the new books I am reading. Glad you are one of them.
Happy to be one of them. 😉
She’s definitely an author you’ll want to read, Kim! 🙂 I’m so glad you could join us for the interview and giveaway.
I hope Colin McCrae is in A Noble Masquerade because I just love him.
I have a little crush on Colin myself. I think he might show up again someday… 🙂
I’m anxious for more of his story too, Laurie! 😉 Thanks for stopping by. Happy Reading!
Would love to win. Thanks.
Good luck to you, Kim! 🙂
The books sound great! I like to play board games and also like Phase 10.
Hi Joan! I just learned how to play Phase 10 this summer and really enjoyed it! I’m glad you could stop by. Good luck in the giveaway!
I’d love to win this for my wife.
Good luck to you and your wife, Edward! 😉 I think she’ll like this one.
Nice. Colin McCrae….really? He is an interesting character so far. Can’t wait to see what else! I, myself is a boardgame fanatic as well. I like traditional ones like Taboo and Monopoly (crazy Monopoly fan). There’s also Apples to Apples. Then for a more strategic group, I like to pull out the strategy board games like Bang! or Three Kingdoms! O, Bonanza is a fun simple game too! I can go on and on and on.
Not sure what’s better about this… chatting with readers or learning about all these new games to look at.
I agree with Kristi…. I love hearing about all these games. Never knew there was still so many to try. 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Sounds really good! Would love to win.
Thanks for stopping by, Diana. Good luck!
My fav is probably Scrabble. And Apples to Apples. We’ve played Catan and own Catan Jr. and Trails to Rails! Love those, too!
Hi Danielle! Those are some good games. 🙂 I’m glad you could join us for the giveaway. Have a great day!
Love to play Trouble…it is fast and based mostly on the roll of the dice. I can’t wait to read this new Regency novel.
Trouble, huh? I’m intrigued! 😉 Thanks for visiting, Sheri. Good luck in the drawing!
Monopoly
A classic and a favorite of mine too! 😉
I love historical history books. Love playing Head Of The Class
Thank You for the giveaway
Marion
That’s another new one to me, Marion. 🙂 We appreciate you stopping by. Good luck and happy reading!
Hi Kristi, it’s so nice to meet you here 🙂 I loved your advice about writing “if you can imagine yourself doing anything else, do it. If you can’t, don’t quit”. Although I am not a writer, I think that this can apply to just about anything in life. For me, I love baking sweet things for my loved ones. I couldn’t imagine myself NOT doing it, that would go so against my grain 🙂 I think it’s a great life lesson for anyone.
As far as board games, we haven’t played too many board games over the years. We have two kids, one is on her own and the other one will graduate from High School this year…so they’re all grown up and have gotten away from game time. But when they were little, they loved to play Sorry, Chinese Checkers, Life…..more often than not, it was card games we played more of…War, UNO, Skip-Bo, etc. I think a lot of people have gotten away from sitting down and playing games together as a family, a sad reality! I remember growing up playing all sorts of games as a family or getting together with friends to play. Now everything is on the computer or cell phone….I miss the connection you had with friends & family! I’d love to see us get back to the basics, don’t you? Nothing like little fun competition to get the laughter going 🙂
I love the sound of your book “A Noble Masquerade”! Historical is my favorite genre & this would certainly fill my reading appetite 🙂 I also happily discovered I have “A Lady of Esteem” on my Kindle, yay! Guess I’ll be moving it up on my TBR pile.
Savanna, thanks for introducing me to a new author! Such a fun lady Kristi is….I’d love to get together with her and play some of those board games….well, except for Boggle…haha!! Kristi, you may have to teach me quite a few of those though, I’ve only heard of Rook but not the others. What fun that would be huh? Thank you ladies for the wonderful post today. I always enjoy each and every one….blessings to you both!!
Trixi, I’d love to sit down and play a game sometimes! If we ever end up at an event together, we’ll at least pull out the cards and play a game of Go Fish or something. 🙂 Enjoy A Lady of Esteem (and hopefully A Noble Masquerade as well.)
Thanks for your sweet note, Trixi! I know what you mean… it does seem harder and harder these days to make time for this sort of thing. But it’s always so worth it when you do. I forgot about Chinese Checkers and Life. I always enjoyed those games as a kid. 🙂 Our family played lots of card games too.
As always, I appreciate you taking the time to swing by and say hi. Hope you get to read Kristi’s books real soon. 🙂 Have a great week!
I am new to this blog, and to Kristi Ann Hunter and her work. I will do my homework and try and catch up with the regulars. Thanks for having me.
Welcome to the blog, Faye! We’re so glad you could join us. I hope you’ll get the chance to read Kristi’s stories soon. And I hope to see you back here again for a future interview and giveaway. 🙂 Happy Reading!
I grew up playing Rook and just learned Forbidden Island. My husband and I went through a season early in our marriage where we played tons of Scrabble and Sequence. Now, games consist of things a five year old and eight year old can play!
I love your thoughts on contests. I’ve won one and done well in others, and what is amazing to me is the polarizing scores. It’s definitely a lesson to learn to shrug off the negative tone while embracing the critique aspect. And sometimes, you just need to let a score go and focus on the many positive things others have said!
Thanks for stopping by, Sondra! You’re exactly right. It’s always better to focus on the positive things – in contests as well as life in general. 😉
Good luck in the giveaway! (I love the game Sequence, by the way.) 🙂