I had the pleasure of meeting Kristi while I was at ACFW last August – she is super fun and such a delightful person! Today she chats about Wal-Mart, Lori Wick, and Lady Adelaide! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a copy of her latest Regency, An Uncommon Courtship.
The Writer
Please describe yourself in three words (ask your best friend or family if you are struggling!)
Can’t. Do. This. 🙂
Ok, according to my husband I should use: Awesome, awesome, totally.
My real answer would be passionate scattered dreamer. That should be nice and vague for you. 😉
What’s your favourite season, and why?
We don’t get much of it, but I love fall. I like it when the air has just a little bit of bite to it and you get to wear jeans and boots and sweaters but it’s not cold enough to haul out jackets and scarfs. The changing leaves are really pretty, too. Unfortunately, fall in Georgia lasts about a week.
What is the best part of your day?
Sadly, it doesn’t happen everyday. But my best days are when I get my momentum going early. If I can manage to accomplish something before 9:00, then it’s going to be a good day. Otherwise it could be 11 before I really get going. Those productive days leave me feeling really accomplished, though.
Kristi & Rel – ACFW, 2016
What do you miss most about your childhood?
That’s hard. Because I really don’t think I’d want to go back to my childhood unless I could do it knowing what I know now. I guess sometimes I miss the ignorance of childhood, but even that was problematic sometimes because it kept you from understanding things. I remember misunderstanding stories my parents told and things I heard on the news all the time. Still, it would be nice sometimes not to know how difficult the world can be.
Which TV talk show host would you like to be interviewed by? Why?
I don’t even know who’s available. I’ve never watched talk shows so I haven’t got a clue who’s still doing one. Is Rachel Ray still on? That would be cool because I bet they have great food in the green room.
You are at a fruit market – what do you reach for first?
A map to figure out how in the world I ended up at a fruit market instead of Wal-Mart. 🙂 I really don’t like dealing with the shopping and food prep stuff. In the produce section, I tend to head for the apples first, though. They’re good for sharing, I like them chopped up in salads, and they don’t go bad very quickly. We also get strawberries, oranges, and occasionally bananas. I’m a big fan of pineapple but I don’t get them often because they’re a lot of work.
What was the first Christian Fiction novel you read?
The Hawk and the Jewel by Lori Wick. At least that’s the first one I remember. I was in college and had a friend that was an avid reader of Christian fiction and introduced me to the genre.
What is one author and/or book you always recommend?
If they like historical, I recommend Karen Witemeyer every time. If contemporary is more their thing, I like to pull out a bit of an oldie but it’s one of my all time favorite books, The Guy I’m Not Dating by Trish Perry.
What book character has stuck in your mind from a book you have read this year?
Well, given that the year is about 2 minutes old at this point and I’ve spent most of that editing, I’m gonna pull from a book that I read last year. There’s two, actually, that really stick out to me. Miss Harriet Peabody from Jen Turano’s After a Fashion and Abigail Stuart from Regina Jennings’ A Most Inconvenient Marriage. What I liked about both of these heroines was how capable they were without being overly brash about it. So often the capable women are almost obnoxiously independent in books, but both of these characters struck a great balance between skilled and capable but also open to having other people in their lives. It made for great romance.
The Book
Life for Lady Adelaide Bell was easier if she hid in her older sister’s shadow–which worked until her sister got married. Even with the pressure of her socially ambitious mother, the last thing she expected was a marriage of convenience to save her previously spotless reputation.
Lord Trent Hawthorne couldn’t be happier that he is not the duke in the family. He’s free to manage his small estate and take his time discovering the life he wants to lead, which includes grand plans of wooing and falling in love with the woman of his choice. When he finds himself honor bound to marry a woman he doesn’t know, his dream of a marriage like his parents’ seems lost forever.
What was the working title?
I think the original proposal called it Courtship by Marriage, but in my house it’s always just been called “Trent’s Book”.
Describe your book in 5 adjectives
Fun. Real. Relatable. Personal. Different.
Which character took you by surprise?
The heroine, Lady Adelaide. My initial book outline had her as almost the complete opposite of what she turned out to be. When I started writing it, though, and really thinking about her backstory and what had happened in her life, she became an entirely different character. It changed a lot of the book because I realized I had planned out her actions and reactions all wrong.
What was the latest you stayed up working on this story?
I was behind in writing this novel, so I took a weekend and closed myself in my room and wrote in a rocking chair. I got 35,000 words written that weekend (it was a four day weekend) and I’m pretty sure that one night I actually fell asleep in the rocking chair a little after 3AM.
Which character’s name was the hardest to choose? Why?
Most of the characters were in previous books in the series, so their names were of course very simple. For the entire first draft, my villain character didn’t have a name, though. He was referenced throughout the book as Slimy Guy. Hooray for find and replace!
What’s something that didn’t make it into the final copy?
So, originally Adelaide’s mother was going to play a much more integral part in trapping Trent and Adelaide in a compromising position and forcing them to marry. It was fantastic. The scene was funny, it immediately made you sympathetic to Adelaide, worried for Trent, and ready to send the mother careening down a hill in a horseless carriage. Adelaide’s mother had noticed the ducal coach in the village and on the way home, kicked Adelaide out of the carriage so that the duke – who wasn’t actually the duke but was his brother Trent – would be forced to offer Adelaide a ride. Then she had her grooms and footmen drag a large tree across the lane in the middle of a wooded area so that the duke’s carriage wouldn’t be able to turn around. In trying to get out of the predicament they wreck the carriage and Trent and Adelaide were stuck in it overnight. The problem was that as a plot point, it had too many holes in it. There were too many ways out. No matter how I wrote it, no matter what I did, it didn’t work. So I had to scrap it and find an entirely new way to trap them together.
Thanks Kristi!
Kristi Ann Hunter graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in computer science but always knew she wanted to write. Kristi is the author of the Hawthorne House series and a 2016 RITA Award winner and Christy Award finalist. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia. Find her online at www.kristiannhunter.com.
Relz Reviewz Extras
Kristi’s Reading Habits
Character spotlight on Georgina & Colin
Download the FREE ebook prequel, A Lady of Esteem
Visit Kristi’s website and blog
Buy at Amazon: An Uncommon Courtship or Koorong
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Character Spotlight: Kristi Ann Hunter’s Lady Georgina & Colin with a giveaway
January 14, 2017 at 10:59 am
Great interview Rel! Now, I must read this book to find out how they get trapped together!
January 14, 2017 at 3:52 pm
Kim » Weren’t Kristi’s answers great, Kim? Thanks for dropping by!
January 15, 2017 at 5:28 am
Glad you’re intrigued. 🙂 enjoy the book
January 14, 2017 at 11:29 am
This books sounds so good. I must get it and read it.
January 14, 2017 at 11:46 am
I have been looking forward to reading this book! “An Elegant Facade” was one of my favorite books from 2016!
January 14, 2017 at 11:53 am
What are my longtime favorite Christian fiction novels? This is a tough question! I read so much, have favorites while I’m reading them, and then move on to the next book. I took a look at my bookshelf to answer this question. I’m going to go with A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin and The O’Malley series by Dee Henderson. They are ones I’d go back and re-read if I had time. I could add so many more but will stop with those.
I really enjoyed A Lady of Esteem and A Noble Masquerade. I’m falling behind with this series! Thanks for the interview with Kristi and the chance to win “Trent’s story.”
January 14, 2017 at 12:46 pm
Some of my favorites are: Letter Perfect by Cathy Marie Hake and A Fragile Design by Tracie Peterson. I really enjoyed this blog post and getting to know Kristi better! I really enjoyed reading Miranda’s story and am looking forward to reading the others in the series!
January 14, 2017 at 2:12 pm
The first Christian fiction book that I read was by Julie Klassen so she is my go-to favorite author.
January 14, 2017 at 2:37 pm
I remember devouring all things Lori Wick “back in the day.” Thanks for this giveaway! This series has been awesome.
January 14, 2017 at 2:40 pm
I loved Kristi’s first two books and I have been looking forward to this one. Can’t wait!
January 14, 2017 at 3:05 pm
A friend of mine first introduced me to Christian fiction when she was reading a Janette Oke book back in middle school. Thus, my love for Christian fiction novels began. Tracie Peterson has long been one of my favorite authors, so I would have to go with one of her books. I really enjoyed the Broadmoor Legacy series by her and have read it twice. For a non-romance genre, I have also read The Oath by Frank Peretti twice. I was just discovered Kristi Ann Hunter a few months ago, and she has quickly become a favorite of mine!
January 14, 2017 at 7:08 pm
I have not read any christian fiction, so I don’t have a favorite, it’s a new genre for me to read.
January 14, 2017 at 9:48 pm
Long time favorites…I would have to say anything Janette Oke wrote, I read and loved.
I have too many newer favorites to mention.
January 14, 2017 at 11:34 pm
Loved the interview 🙂 Hm…I think some of my longtime favorite Christian novels would be Janette Oke books and the Grandma Attic series by Arleta Richardson.
January 15, 2017 at 12:56 am
Janette Oke’s early series were always some of my favorites. Like others I had haven’t had time to go back and reread stuff, can’t keep up with all the new stuff I would like to read as it is! Another series that is a little more recent that I love is Jan Karon’s Mitford novels. I haven’t read the very last one but they are definitely on my keeper shelf.
January 15, 2017 at 3:19 am
This looks like a very enjoyable book. Sure hope to read it soon.
January 15, 2017 at 7:56 am
My favorite christian novels are Edenbrooke and Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson, though Krisit Ann Hunter’s writing style reminds me a lot of these. These are the kinds of books I can read over and over because they are so sweet and fun. P.S. I love that you asked this, because from reading the other comments I can get ideas for other great books to read!
January 15, 2017 at 8:16 am
Some of my favorite authors are Tracie Petterson, Jannette Oke and Beverly Lewis. Great interview and synopsis of Kristi’s book. Looking forward to reading.
January 15, 2017 at 2:26 pm
Love the interview–such fun answers! I can’t wait to read this book, so thanks for the giveaway, too. My favorites include Christy by Catherine Marshall (my first Christian fiction), The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson, and well-written Regencies, my favorite era to read thanks to my Jane Austen obsession.
January 15, 2017 at 3:51 pm
The Left Behind series was one of the first Christian novel series I’ve read. They’re still among my favorites.
January 15, 2017 at 3:51 pm
Long time favorite Christian read. Good question. The one series that I have read five times and plan to read again is The Mark of the Lion series: A voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, As sure as the Dawn by Francine Rivers. I love Kristi Hunter’s books as well. Can’t wait to read Trent’s story.
January 16, 2017 at 1:20 am
I love Regency books! I would love to win as I’ll have to find out how they get trapped together!!!
January 16, 2017 at 7:33 am
Oh my goodness, what a fun interview! I laughed out loud at some of Kristi’s answers. I completely relate to her Walmart answer. 🙂
Some longtime Christian favorites that come to mind for me are the O’Malley series by Dee Henderson and The English Garden series by Lori Wick. Those are on my keeper shelves.
Thanks so much for the interview and the giveaway!
January 16, 2017 at 11:19 am
Awesome! Love the carriage scene too, but yea, I get it! Thanks for a great interview!! Love Kristi and her books!
January 17, 2017 at 4:34 am
I also love The Hawk and the Jewel as well as the rest of the books in that series! Some of my other long time Christian fiction favorites are The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers, The Cheyney Duvall series by Gilbert Morris, as well as This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti. I’ve read them all multiple times.
January 17, 2017 at 11:51 am
I’ve already read (and just reviewed) this book. But I’ll share the giveaway via FB & Twitter 🙂
January 17, 2017 at 12:19 pm
I started with Janette Oke and then Tracie Peterson and Lauraine Snelling.
January 18, 2017 at 10:21 am
Long time favorites would be Janette Oke. One of my first and still favorite author.
January 18, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Fabulous interview, Rel! I LOVE This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti.
January 21, 2017 at 7:56 am
I have so many Christian authors I like. But one author I always save her books is Jane Kirkpatrick. Her novel Where Lilacs Still Bloom is one of my all time favorites.