Meet the Author: Kristina Jackson

This may alarm the stodgy crowd at the writer’s workshop, but poet and author Kristina Jackson is about to shake things up. Her soulful poetry and her avante-garde writing offer readers something fresh and different. “I try and tell the story rather than write the words,” says Kristina.

Kristina believes a book should sing, not merely speak, and that it is a mistake to pursue technical perfection at the expense of good story-craft.  “Too many writers are getting caught up in believing a well edited book is the same as a well written book. Sometimes editing takes over the storyline. As such we need to be aware of both,” she says.

“I want people to be transported to where the story is, see, smell, touch, experience,” she says. Her writing achieves that effect in an unusual way. Speaking from my own experience in reading her work, I felt very much as if I were sitting around a campfire and hearing her tell the stories. This is an effect I think many writers would find difficult to pull off, but Kristina does it well.

Kristina says she finds her inspiration everywhere. The lyrics of a song or a random phrase spoken may put her agile mind to work, sending her “plot bunnies” into action.

Her latest title is “The Fools Journey.”  The adventure begins when, on the heels of a spur-of-the-moment decision to have a tarot card reading at a psychic fair, Moira she decides to quit her job, sell her house, and move away from the area. Her friends think she’s lost it.  Each chapter of the book is named after one of the Major Arcana in a tarot deck. The qualities of each card influence how the story runs.

The book is currently in the beta- read stage, though Kristina hopes to have it published in late December. Kristina is a strong proponent of beta readers, saying, “I used beta readers for the first time with my short story collection, Tales from the Beyond. The difference was amazing. I am using them this time for The Fools Journey and will do again. I think they’re worth their weight in gold.”

She enjoys reading other indie authors, and is currently reading indies exclusively. “So far I have read Gary Hoover, Mel Comley, Sarah Barnard, K M Lennon and spent a fair bit of time in Ed MacNally’s Musket and Magic realm. I don’t get to read as often as I would like. I am currently enjoying one of Sean Sweeny’s short stories,” she says. (Ahem,— I assume the list to be incomplete.)

Kristina advises aspiring writers to “. . . take advice, listen, talk to people who’ve done it already and always be willing to learn!”

Writing is a passion for Kristina, and she looks forward to the possibilities of experimenting with different genres. “Just give me coffee, chocolate, wine, inspiration and my lovely supportive friends and family and I believe world domination (albeit on a minor scale) is possible.” Don’t doubt her.

You can learn more about Kristina Jackson writing and poetry from her website, blog, and Facebook author page.

Author: Administrators

All Indies Unlimited staff members, including the admins, are volunteers who work for free. If you enjoy what you read here - all for free - please share with your friends, like us on Facebook and Twitter, and if you don't know how to thank us for all this great, free content - feel free to make a donation! Thanks for being here. View all posts by Administrators