Krystal Lawrence lives in the Pacific Northwest. She is the author of three novels—— two vampire stories, Risen and Risen II: The Progeny, and a trilogy entitled, Be Careful What You Wish For which is currently under consideration to be turned into a television series. Cat O’Nine Tales is Krystal’s first and much anticipated collection of short stories. Her books are available through Amazon and all major book retailers.
Thanks for this interview, Krystal, and congratulations on your new book, Cat O’ Nine Tales! Why did you decide to put together a short story collection?
Krystal: Thanks for having me! I’m not sure that putting together the book was actually a conscious decision on my part. I call this particular endeavor my accidental book because I had written several short stories over the last year or so with no idea in mind of what to do with them. It wasn’t until I realized I had enough to fill a book that I decided to put out an anthology.
Interesting title! How did you come up with it?
Krystal: Initially I had only nine stories, but I decided to add a bonus tale because I had written a follow-up story to my second book, the trilogy, Be Careful What You Wish For. Once I included the tenth story I just didn’t have the heart to change the title. I sort of fell in love with the cat the designer found for the cover of the book jacket and couldn’t part with him. So it became Cat O’Nine Tales and one bonus story.
Of all the stories, which are you particularly fond of?
Krystal: My two personal favorites are As the Crow Flies and The Eternal Sheriff. It’s been a lot of fun reading the reviews and seeing which ones the readers favored. It seems they are all different.
Can you tell us about your covers and how they came about?
Krystal: This particular cover was probably the most challenging of any of my books. When I think about cover design, I am looking more to capture a mood then I am any real design idea. Cat O’Nine Tales was a long process and collaborative effort on the part of the publisher, the designer, and myself to get just the right feel. Once we found the cat that was half the battle, but there was quite a bit of extra work involved to get the lighting, the cat’s eyes and the background exactly the way we wanted it. My publisher came up with the idea for the back of the jacket to have the stack of books with the titles of all the stories. In the end I couldn’t have been happier.
Do you think the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
Krystal: It’s funny you should ask that. I just wrote a blog about that for someone on just this subject. I think the cover plays a huge part in the buying process of any book. It has to draw you in, regardless of the genre. A cover needs to reveal the magic underneath. It’s the reader’s first glimpse of the journey they will embark on once they step inside. It absolutely must sell the book.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
Krystal: That’s a hard question. I have never written with any real end game, or motive in mind. I write because when a story wants to be told and it picks me to be the vessel, I can’t ignore it. I have to tell the tale or I can’t get any rest. My real ambition is for the readers to be transported from reality for a little while and enjoy the ride. If they close the book and wish it hadn’t ended then I think: Mission accomplished!
What’s next for you?
Krystal: I am working on my fifth book. A novel entitled Phone Calls from Hell. I hope to have it completed by the end of 2017.