Blog Tour Stop: Amateur Angel by Karri Thompson - Author Interview

Me: How did you come up with the idea of Amateur Angel?

KT: When I was in high school, I had a huge crush on John Taylor from the British
pop group, Duran Duran (Google him; he’s still good looking). I met him and got
his autograph, but I didn’t get to know him personally, which was what I wanted
to do at the time, so when I started throwing story ideas around in my head, I
decided I wanted to write a book about a girl who actually comes in close contact
– the ultimate contact – with her rock-star crush, and as a fan, to do that, she
needed to be invisible. But I didn’t want to just give her the power of invisibility –
that wasn’t interesting or original enough – so I decided to make her a guardian
angel.

Me: What character do you feel closer to?

KT: I am closest to the main character, Ashley – not just because she’s female – but
because she is a lot like how I was when I was 18. Ashley is also very vulnerable
and naïve, besides being newly dead and fearful of her knew existence, so I
became very close to that character during the initial writing of the book when I
imagined what she must have been going through.

Me: If you could be best friends with any character from your book, who would it be and why?

KT: I’d definitely want to be friends with Cannon Michaels. Yes, he is cocky and
selfish, but there is a softer side to him as well. I’d just laugh at his arrogance,
knowing he can be just as selfless as well, and since he’s drop-dead gorgeous,
I’d enjoy looking at him, too.

Me: What makes Amateur Angel unique in your eyes?

Amateur Angel is different because it is a light, inspiring romance story rather

KT: than being dark and brooding although it does have its own share of suspense. It
also contains its own rules and regulations when it comes to guardian angelship
(G.A.s), leaving readers wondering about their own G.A.s when they are reading
the book.

Me: What is your favorite thing to do, besides writing?

KT: Writing is definitely my favorite thing to do, but I also love jogging. I jog 3 to 4
miles at least 5 days a week. I listen to my ipod, and once I’m in the zone, I think
about what I’m currently writing, reworking and developing scenes in my head.
Before I know it, my miles are up, and even though I’m a sweaty mess, I feel like
I’ve accomplished a lot.

Me: When you were a kid, did you thing that you'd become and author?

KT: When I was in high school, I actually announced to my friends that someday
I’d be a writer. For my first career, I became a high-school English teacher, but
I finally did it! I was actually in third grade when I wrote my first story. I don’t
remember if it was an assignment or if I just did it on my own, but it was about a
ladybug that slept in a hammock strung between two twigs. I even drew pictures
to go with it. I’ve been writing fiction on my own ever since, and now it is a
career.

Me: Are you working on any thing else?

KT: I finished the sequel to Amateur Angel, and the ideas for book three are in my head. Right now I’m currently editing a sci-fi I wrote after Amateur Angel, and all of the ideas for a second and third book for that sci-fi series are in my head, too.

Me: Were can we find you online?

KT: You can find me at www.karrithompson.com.  People can also connect with me
through Facebook and Twitter. There are links on my website.

Author's Links:
Website
Purchase on Amazon
Purchase on Barnes and Noble
Facebook
Twitter

About the Author:

As a first-time author, I cannot express- not even in words- how excited I am about the release of my debut novel, Amateur Angel.  It took a lot of hard work and sleepless nights.  There were many disappointments and rejections along the way, but in the end, my persistence and determination eventually paid off.  In many ways, I think writing a novel is easier than finding an agent to represent it and then a publisher to buy it.  Two years ago, I almost gave up on my dream to become an author, but then my son, Kyle, wrote a special poem for me, and it inspired me to write a new book and try again.  The new book was Amateur Angel.

Here is his poem:
        You fail and you fail,
        You fix and you fix,
        You wait and you wait,
        Until you succeed.

I hung this poem in my closet and read it every day when I was getting ready to go to work and each night before I went to bed. It is still there and always will be. I know what I’m about to say will sound like a cliché, but based on my own personal experience, the best advice I can give anyone is to always believe in your abilities, hold your head high, swallow your pride, accept criticism and then learn from it, and most importantly, never give up.

I grew up in San Diego County and attended San Diego State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in education, and my teaching credential. I am a high-school English teacher in the East County of San Diego where I also live with my husband, our son, and two dogs.

Being a lover of Victorian literature, my favorite author is Charles Dickens although I haven’t quite finished reading all of his books. Someday I’ll finally finish David Copperfield- I promise. If you are one of my students, you are either laughing or shaking your head at this.
I lead a very busy life, but when I’m not teaching, grading papers, or attending my son’s soccer games, I find time to write novels, my greatest passion.


So, what did you guys think of the interview? Did it make you want to read the book more or less? Well, what are waiting for?? Go tell me in the comments! I just LOVE comments! :3