Author Spotlight: Crystal Perkins

February 15, 2021 • News

CJC: How did you get started as an author and what made you want to pursue that field?

CP: I started writing because I read a book I just couldn’t relate to and I wanted to clear my mind. I wrote 16,000 words that first day and wrote every day after. When I got to about 70%, I was good and planned to just stop since I just wrote it for me. My good friend, author Tera Lyn Childs told me she would not allow me to stop and insisted I self-publish it. She helped me find an editor, Lauren Blakely helped me find a cover designer, and here I am now. Seven years and almost 50 books later!

CJC: What do you find to be the most rewarding and challenging part of being an author and what hurdles have you overcome while striving towards your goals?

CP: The most rewarding is having readers reach out to me to tell me they love my books! I’ve made some great friends all over the world!

Most challenging would be marketing. I’m a huge reader, and I have a day job, so I struggle with taking time away from reading and writing to market myself. I’ll talk about other people’s books all day, though!

CJC: Which novel has been your favorite to write and why?

CP: My favorite was Loving My Secret. I introduced this couple briefly in my fourth book, and didn’t write their story until my 17th. I basically tortured myself and my readers who fell in love with them in that brief glimpse and glimpses in other books. Their book included emails, flashbacks, and current day from both POV so it challenged me as a writer.

CJC: For first time readers of your work, which book would you recommend?

CP: Hmm, that’s a hard one because I write a little bit of everything…for billionaire brothers, Gaming for Love; a secret society of female spies, Fielding Her Secret; modern day witches, Afton. Plus my standalones are fun stories too.  I can’t decide lol.

CJC: If one of your books were made into a movie, which would you select and who would you like to star in it?

CP: Fielding Her Secret, because I love spy movies. I’ve never thought about who would play them. Based on appearance, maybe Henry Cavill and Blake Lively.

CJC: For those looking to become an author, what advice would you give them?

CP: Finish your book. There is no right or wrong way to write a book, but you need to finish that first draft. Don’t stop to edit until the end. You can always fix things, but you have to finish first. Also, only write if you love it and not because you think you’ll become a millionaire within a month.

CJC: If you could co-write a book with any author, who would it be and why? .

CP: Oh wow, that’s hard. Probably Harlan Coben, who is my favorite author, or Naima Simone who is just a goddess of words and real life.

CJC: Favorite motto?

CP: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Martin Luther King, Jr.

CJC: What do you do to overcome writer’s block?

CP: I write a different section of the book. I used to write straight through, but now I go forward if I’m stuck and then come back.

CJC: In one word, how would you describe your writing style?

CP: Varied. I do things differently with almost every book lol.

CJC: Which do you find harder to do… writing the blurb for your story or selecting the cover?

CP: Blurb. I usually end of writing them in about five minutes, but I hate them lol. I often tailor books to a photo.

CJC: Which author inspires you the most and why?

CP: Nana Malone. She’s real, and says what everyone needs to hear (plus she writes awesome books).

CJC: What is your writing process like?

CP: I had some health issues so I stopped writing for over a year. When I got ready to write last year, I felt a little lost until I found a process that works for me. I write a specific word count (1000-1500 words), and then I read, eat, or just relax for 30-60 min. I do it on my days off from my day job.

CJC: What new projects are you currently working on and what are your goals for the remainder of the year?

CP: I have another book with a cover by you revealing next month. Three more books are scheduled, and I might add another.

CJC: Any final thoughts you would like to share with the CJC Photography readers?

CP: It’s great working with you, and thanks for having me here for a chat!

CJC: Kicking About featuring Akshay is now LIVE and available for purchase here!

Thank you so much Crystal for featuring us on this project.

To stay up to date on all of Crystal’s latest projects click here.

Add a comment