Kristy Cambron
Author Interview - Kristy Cambron
Author of The British Booksellers
Inspired by real accounts of the Forgotten Blitz bombings, The British Booksellers highlights the courage of those whose lives were forever changed by war—and the stories that bind us in the fight for what matters most.
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'In this delightful historical romance, with nods to the movie You've Got Mail, readers will be put through the emotional spectrum, all the while rooting for the mismatched couple: now middle-aged and battle scarred, but not without hope for true love.' -- Library Journal starred review
'In this memorable blend of romance and WWII history, Cambron (THE PARIS DRESSMAKER) chronicles the devastation of the Coventry blitz and its impact on two budding couples . . . Cambron brings a great deal of authenticity to her rendering of Coventry's 'Forgotten Blitz' (which took place almost 100 miles from London), as the tumult and trauma of wartime make class disparity and past misunderstandings wash away, leaving only authentic emotion. Readers won't be able to turn the pages fast enough.' -- Publishers Weekly starred review
Author Interview - Kristy Cambron
Author I draw inspiration from:
Poet Mary Oliver once wrote,
“I want to think again of dangerous and noble things.
I want to be light and frolicsome.
I want to be improbable, beautiful and afraid of nothing,
as though I had wings.”
Isn't that a beautiful thought? That we'd find inspiration in the memories we've lived and in the stories we've shared? There are far too many authors whose words have made me feel a free "winged thing," but a few rise: NIGHT by Elie Wiesel, THE GREAT DIVORCE by C.S. Lewis, JANE EYRE by Charlotte Brontë, THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY by Natalie Jenner, THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, and of course, DEVOTIONS by Mary Oliver.
Author Interview - Kristy Cambron | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
Oh, the glories of lines that form, benches that are empty, and beaches that beckon spring-breakers! My family loves to tease me because they know I always carry an "emergency book" for that *just right moment* when I can sneak in a few more chapters. I'll read in the TSA line at the airport. At coffee shops. In the stands at Hoosier high school basketball games. (I got some looks there!) Once at the zoo. In every doctor's office waiting room I can remember.
The short answer here? Everywhere and anywhere. And I carry my emergency books, just in case the situation calls for it. ;)
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
The elevator slams to a stop. I catch my breath (I've never been good in elevators!) and think, "Was it worth it to get stuck in this elevator?" For EMMA by Jane Austen -- yes. Yes it was.
I'm going to be super predictable and imagine a 'Lost in Austen' scenario where this time, I get to step into my favorite Austen novel and meet Emma Woodhouse. (You know, she was "handsome, clever, and rich. . .") She's just opened up a witty match-making service for downtrodden village gals, and I'm headed to her corner office to interview her about how to write my next novel with "a heroine no one but myself will much like."
Oh, the stories she'd tell and the Box Hill picnic basket we'd share in that elevator. If I loved this novel less, I might be able to talk about it more. ;)
Author Interview - Kristy Cambron | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
In the library aisle as a kid, sitting criss-cross-applesauce on the floor, thumbing through art history books. . . that was me. And that was the moment. I didn't know it then, but this book-loving, wanna-be artist kid (who unfortunately had hands that couldn't draw, paint, or sculpt) would instead, learn to paint with words.
I spent 15 years in corporate America working on interesting projects with people I adored, and I could have been happy as a jet-setting corporate trainer for my entire career. Until I wasn't. That memory from childhood was still burning in my heart. So after taking a BIG, big leap, I quit. Our family walked away and so I could run towards my dream.
It's been over a decade now that I've been an author (and now a literary agent, helping other authors with those same dreams), and it's been the absolute dream of my life. I'll never forget the warmth of those library aisles and the magic of those first books that won over my heart.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
YES, please. ;)
Hardback: I buy to have a pristine copy of a book I've loved for my "keeper shelf"
Paperback: Perfect for travel, the beach, and for this ultra-traditional reader who loves the feel of a genuine book in her hands
eBook: My least preferred version. (I know, I know!) I just get too distracted with technology, and lose the magical moments of falling completely into a book. I'll read this way, but it's not my first choice.
Audio: YES!!! I listen to books during strength days at the gym, running outdoors, and even going around the house to complete my daily tasks. Audio may be my new favorite of all because I can read so many books that my schedule doesn't get to dictate.
The last book I read:
THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah (5 stars, friends)
(Click here for my list of Best Kristin Hannah Books)
This book took me to the EDGE. I shared this with my bookish friends on Instagram, and it still holds: The Women is a masterful portrait of grit and grace, and of women who have iron in their core. I was so moved by the intimate portrait of love and loss, grief and brokenness, of youth and living past it, motherhood, sisterhood, forgiveness, of politics (which I usually run from) and the way policies affect real people with Vietnam as the brilliant backdrop, and of the choices we make as we navigate them all.
Author Interview - Kristy Cambron | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
It's called "the literary sandwich." (Really! LOL)
I always know two things when I begin a novel: the opening scene and the ending scene. And I typically write them in that order.
I start with the beginning (slice of bread), then the end (slice of bread), and then the rest of the non-linear narrative comes together as the story and depth of the character journeys come alive (allllllll the fixings in the middle of the sandwich).
Having been trained in technical writing and curriculum design in my old corporate life, novel-writing became the complete opposite -- a perfect creative outlet that didn't have to have such regimented structure. I stared writing chapters on my cell phone during lunch breaks, airport layovers, in the elevator on a long ride to the top of our office skyscraper. . . (I even wrote my debut novel on my phone while on maternity leave. That's a story for another day!)
The point is, writers have to find what works for them. And if it's creating a sandwich and writing on a phone app (and then a novel comes to life) -- embrace it! The uniqueness in your style may be exactly what your readers like. ;)
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Anne Shirley (with an 'e')
I'm clumsy at times. I always manage to say the wrong things. I may have insulted the boy I'd grow up to marry when we first met. (I didn't hit him over the head with a slate, thank goodness.) But to feel all the feels, the pen all the drama into romantic novels, and to love books and stories so much that it takes over our waking life. . . Anne gets readers. She gets writers too. And for that -- and the gorgeousness that would be summers spent strolling through the orchards at Green Gables -- I've love to call this ahead-of-her-time character my literary BFF.
Author Interview - Kristy Cambron | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
OH WOW. I'm going to say this: a Disney animator.
Remember that art-loving kid from the library aisles? That was her original dream. But for an 80s kid who couldn't draw, it wasn't going to happen. Fast forward to computers and CGI and advancements in animation that I couldn't have imagined back then. . . it could actually be possible. So I'd still be a storyteller -- just a different kind. (And I'd get to feed my Disney World obsession on the regular. Everybody's happy!) ;)
Favorite decade in fashion history:
Hellooooooooo, 1940s! Stocking-clad gams and cherry-red lips and Hedy Lamarr sculpted victory rolls. . .there's no more classic era for fashion that this. (Case in point, my novel The Paris Dressmaker -- I gushed to write about Chanel and fashion houses during the occupation in WWII.) It's a huge motivator for me to write WWII-era novels to get to learn more about the iconic style of that era. And anything set in Paris? Le bonus, mes amis!
Place I’d most like to travel:
England is strong on my list, mostly because I want to visit the sites from The British Booksellers! I want to pop into the quaint hamlet shops. I was to walk those storied Coventry streets. I wouldn't even mind getting lost in the English countryside for a while!
Bonus: I have a husband and three sons who have always gone on trips with me, to help research for my books. We've agreed England and Scotland are next up. And SOON.
My signature drink:
A Peppermint mocha latte -- All. Year. Long!
Favorite artist:
Um. . . I cannot answer this! I went to school for Art History/Research Writing and to choose my favorite artist of the incredible, inspiring, masterful, timeless and earth-shattering beauty of art that's been created in this world would literally take down your website with the length. LOL!
Let's just say, my color-coded home library shelves carry more art books than any other genre. And right now? I'm fascinated my the women artists whose voices haven't always been heard by history. Let's champion Mary Cassatt, Georgia O'Keeffe, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Frida Kahlo, and so many others!
Number one on my bucket list:
Mom moment here: I want to see our sons grow. I want to watch them experience the beauty of adult life -- to see them step out in their careers, to have a family, to chase hard after their dreams, to put good in front of others, and to find out who they are and why they're in this world.
It's such an enormous gift to be a part of humanity. We see this in books, how those experiences we live in, write of, and read about will change and challenge us. How they entertain and encourage. How they bring hope and help heal. And at the heart of it all, the stories we live (and write about, and read about) knit who we are and who we'll become.
That's a bucket list goal I sure don't want to miss.
Anything else you'd like to add:
I love to chat with readers about what helps authors:
-- If you read a book and love a book, please leave reviews! It helps readers find the right books for them and helps authors continue to do the work we love.
-- Support your local libraries! The access to books and literacy programs through our public libraries are critical to the formation of young minds. (I know. They changed my life!) And librarians are champions at recommending books, supporting authors, and encouraging readers.
-- Buy indie, buy local! If you choose to buy a book, support our indie bookshops though in-person shopping, Libro.fm, and sites such as bookshop.org. It really does matter to support the booksellers and the bookshops who do so much to share incredible stories with out communities.
THANK YOU, Ashley! (And Thank You to all the Hasty Book List readers!) I don't think I've ever been a part of an interview that was this much fun. I hope I get to come back and visit soon. And I hope you enjoy THE BRITISH BOOKSELLERS -- it's the love-letter to books and bookshops I've always wanted to write. Thanks to all the enthusiastic readers for making it a reality!
Find more from the author:
About Kristy Cambron:
KRISTY CAMBRON is a vintage-inspired storyteller writing from the space where beauty, art, and history intersect. She's a Christy Award-winning author of historical fiction, including her bestselling novels, THE BUTTERFLY AND THE VIOLIN and THE PARIS DRESSMAKER, as well as nonfiction titles. She also serves as Vice President and literary agent with Gardner Literary.
Her work has been named to Cosmopolitan Best Historical Fiction Novels, Publishers Weekly Religion & Spirituality TOP 10, Library Journal’s Best Books, and she received a Christy Award for her novel THE PAINTED CASTLE. Her work has been featured at Once Upon a Book Club Box, Frolic, Book Club Girl, BookBub, Country Woman magazine, and (in)Courage.
A self-proclaimed history nerd, Kristy loves to chase all things research, going behind the scenes at a Ringling Bros. Sarasota mansion, touring a former TB sanitarium, making bee friends at a working honey farm, or embarking on a back-roads jaunt across Ireland being a few. She holds a degree in art history/research writing and spent fifteen years in education and leadership development for a Fortune 100 corporation, partnering with such companies as the Disney Institute, IBM/Kenexa, and Gallup before stepping away to pursue her passion for storytelling.
Kristy lives in Indiana with her husband and three basketball-loving sons, where she can probably be bribed with a peppermint mocha latte and a good read.
