Ask the Author: Kristina McMorris
Answered Questions (14)
Kristina McMorris
Hi there! Sorry for my slow reply, as I've been deep in a writing cave while on deadline. EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE was the UK version of my second novel, BRIDGE OF SCARLET LEAVES. To my knowledge, it was published strictly as a full-length novel. This is the first I've ever heard of it being split into two parts. How odd. Perhaps you've received a pirated version? I hope you're able to finish reading the whole story!
Kristina McMorris
Aw, thanks so much, Gail! I'm thrilled the story touched you. That's so wonderful to hear. I hope you enjoy my other books just as much!
Kristina McMorris
Hi, Christopher! Oh, my goodness, thank YOU for the kind note. I absolutely love knowing the personal connections the story has to your family. Wow. Sounds like your father was a fascinating man! Thanks so much again for sharing. That truly means a lot.
Kristina McMorris
Hi, Cathy! Yep, there are actually discussion questions at the back of the book. Plus, on my website you can find a really fun Book Club Guide that features loads of themed recipes, a YouTube link to a music playlist, a group activity, and even info about setting up a Skype chat with me if your club is interested. Hope that helps! :)
Kristina McMorris
Hi there! The story was actually inspired by a real newspaper photograph published in 1948 in Indiana. It featured four children seated on an apartment stoop with their mother in the background, shielding her face from the camera, next to a sign that read "4 Children for Sale: Inquire Within." The image was so heartbreaking that it haunted me for months. When I finally researched the picture, I discovered a claim by relatives of the photographed family that truly stunned me and, in turn, inspired me to write SOLD ON A MONDAY. I hope you get a chance to enjoy the story soon!
Kristina McMorris
Hi, Mich! How nice of you to ask. Believe me, I can't wait to share the next story with you too. After writing The Edge of Lost, I decided to take some time off. The constant kid/life/deadline juggle was taking its toll, and I really needed to step away and take a breath. And I'm so glad I did! I'm finally back to working hard on a new historical novel (this one again set in the 1930s) and am thoroughly enjoying writing again. I'll be SO excited to share more soon! :)
Kristina McMorris
Thank you, Lee! I'm so happy you loved Letters from Home! Regarding the two titles, that's a great question. Bridge of Scarlet Leaves is the original title for US publication, whereas my publisher in the UK, Avon/HarperCollins, chose to retitle the book as Every Time We Say Goodbye to best fit their readership. This often happens with foreign publishers, and I know it can get a little confusing. I really hope you enjoy the read!!
Kristina McMorris
I would say that when you're ready, lower your defenses and welcome input from other readers and writers -- yet treat those suggestions like a cafeteria line menu: pick and choose what works for you. Don't let anyone edit out the uniqueness of your voice.
Kristina McMorris
You mean aside from being able to work in my pajamas? (I'm joking; I wear yoga pants. Even though I don't do yoga.) Seriously, though, I've always loved the art of storytelling. After all, I'm half Irish. So being able to share a tale with others that not only passes along nuggets of history but also touches their emotions is such a great reward. And whenever I hear that a WWII story of mine has revived memories of a reader's own parents or grandparents -- well, it's hard to imagine having a better job.
Kristina McMorris
I was originally inspired to write my first novel, Letters from Home, when my grandmother shared her collection of WWII letters from my late grandfather. Since then, I continue to happen across amazing, lesser-known facts from history -- such as non-Japanese spouses who lived in the internment camps voluntarily, or Nazi saboteurs who were dropped off by U-Boat on the east coast of America -- and I become so eager to share the accounts with others that I simply have to write about them!
Kristina McMorris
Ever since watching the movie "Escape from Alcatraz" as a young girl, I've been intrigued by the prison. But I'd never planned to use the setting for a novel until I stumbled upon a documentary titled "Children of Alcatraz," featuring people who had grown up on The Rock as kids of the prison staff. One boy even claimed to have secretly played checkers with Robert Stroud, most commonly known as "The Birdman of Alcatraz." The thought of such interactions fascinated me, and I immediately knew I had a story to tell!
Kristina McMorris
I agree about the beauty of letters. Somehow an email/tweet/text/post just isn't the same. As for my inspiration behind the book.... I was interviewing my grandmother for the biographical section of a family cookbook I was creating as a Christmas gift when she shared that she and my late grandfather had only dated twice during WWII, yet fell in love through letters, leading to a marriage that lasted until he passed away fifty years later. She then pulled the collection of letters out of her closet, and we spent the afternoon savoring heartfelt messages sent from an 18-year-old sailor who didn't know if he'd ever be coming home. It made me wonder: how well can you really know someone through letters alone? What if those letters had been less than truthful? Ultimately these questions led me to write Letters from Home!
Kristina McMorris
Thanks, Tony! Since this book was inspired by my grandparents' WWII courtship letters, it was truly a labor of love. It was also my very first attempt at writing a novel. Fortunately, blissful ignorance carried me through the initial draft; if I'd realized how little I knew or how terrible it truly was, I would have thrown in the towel early on. Instead, by the time I typed "The End," it was too late to turn back. So, although it took me only four months to write the first draft (it's easy to write fast when you think every sentence is awesome), I then spent the next year-and-a-half or so, revising it over and over. That's why I often refer to LETTERS FROM HOME as my first -- and twelfth -- novel!
Kristina McMorris
That's wonderful news! Thanks so much for reading and recommending Letters from Home! Please email me at Kristina (at) kristinamcmorris (dot) com, and I'd be happy to provide more information for your book club and blog. Thanks again!
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