Please help me welcome Kristen Beairsto to my blog today. Kristen will be giving away a ecopy of her book Going After the Heart to one lucky commentor, so be sure and leave a comment.

What is your favorite part of writing?

My favorite part is creating that first rough draft of the story. It’s amazing to see a story pulled out of my mind and take shape on the page. No matter how horrible the rough draft is (hey that’s what editing is for, right? 😉 ) crafting a story and getting it all down on paper is incredible.

What is your typical day like?

In a word: crazy! LOL! During the week, I spend 9 hours each day at a day job. I’m married and have two kids, so there’s usually a softball practice, Girl Scout meeting, homework, or any other of the million things that happen with kids after I get home. I also try to fit in some gym time. Then somewhere between all of that, I try to fit in as much writing, editing, and marketing as I can. So it’s not glamorous but I love it. 

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

In May, I’ll hit my one year mark of being self-published and it’s been a roller coaster so far. Incredibly fun, but crazy. I’ve learned a tremendous amount about the industry and myself, so even if I don’t sell another book, I’ll still consider this adventure a success.
What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?
Cultivate patience and don’t give up! It takes time, tenacity, and tolerance to be successful in this business. And success isn’t always measured in monetary values. This industry isn’t about overnight success, so keep writing, editing, and publishing and you’ll eventually get to where you want to be.
What is your favorite dessert/food?
At the moment, my favorite food is hummus. (I’m trying to focus on being healthier and I’m silently telling myself as I write this answer that my favorite food is no longer mint chocolate chip ice cream LOL!)

What is most difficult for you to write? Characters, conflict or emotions? Why?

I find the most difficult thing to write is realistic character reactions. I know how I’d like them to react in certain situations, but what I want and what’s realistic for that character based on their personality could be two different things. This is especially true in really tense, emotional situations. I always obsess over whether or not a character is acting appropriately for their personality.

Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.

Gavin is my hero in Going After the Heart. He’s a guy who’s biggest strength is that he knows what is important in life and tries to do what he thinks is right. Gavin’s biggest weakness is not handling emotional situations very well.
Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.
Lizzy, Gavin’s wife, is my heroine in Going After the Heart. Her biggest strength is being able to accept that she’s made mistakes. And one of her weaknesses is how easily she seems to get wrapped in her work.

Going After the Heart Blurb

Lizzy Bergstrum thought she finally reached a point in her life when she could honestly say she had it all. A thriving writing career. A wonderful daughter. And a marriage to the love of her life. But looks can apparently be deceiving because her husband just walked out on her and their eight year old daughter hates her.

Gavin Bergstrum can’t handle the direction his life has taken. Not only did he get laid off from his job, but his wife seems to barely remember he exists. Convinced he’s tried his best to change things, he begins to wrestle with the possibility of divorce. But he can’t think straight in the same house as Lizzy. Hating to leave his daughter, but needing time to think and come to terms with what he feels he needs to do, Gavin decides to return to his small home town in Oregon and stay at his family ranch with his father and brothers.

In shock, Lizzy gives Gavin his space. But as time passes and he doesn’t say a word about their marriage, Lizzy decides it’s past time she takes matters into her own hands. Without a word, she follows Gavin to Oregon.

Now facing a daughter who blames her for everything, an irritated husband, and a small town that feeds on the drama, Lizzy finds herself trying to figure out how to convince Gavin to give her another chance, teach her daughter it takes two to make a successful marriage, and overcome her own insecurities – all without compromising who she is.

Going After the Heart Excerpt

“Here’s the keys to the cabin. The round one is to the front and back doors and the square one is for the shed.” Ray’s voice sounded clear and even behind him.
Turning, Gavin watched his father hand Lizzy a small set of keys.
“I had Clare clean it up for you. Like I said on the phone, it’s not the newest place in the world, but it’s still in pretty good shape considering its age.”
Lizzy gave his father a small smile as she took the keys from him. “I’m sure it’s great.”
Her gaze moved to him and resentment swelled watching her smile fade. Although, what did he expect, she hadn’t smiled at him for months prior to him leaving. Why would she start now?
But the indiscernible look settling on Lizzy’s features startled him. After ten years of marriage and five years together before getting married, Gavin would have bet big money he knew every single one of his wife’s expressions. But this one, he realized dumbfounded, he didn’t recognize.
Her gaze dropped down to Sky. “Come on, Sky, we’ve got to go up to the cabin to settle in.”
Beside him, Gavin felt Sky’s shoulders tense.
“No!” She shouted the word venomously. “I don’t want to go with you,” she spat before turning pleading blue eyes up at him. “Dad, can’t I stay here with you and Papa? I don’t want to go with her.”
Apparently he missed the memo about today being Surprise Day, Gavin realized, as he could only stare at his daughter for a moment, never having seen this side of her before.
“I tell you what, little missy, no little girl is welcome in my house that sasses her mama the way you just did. No matter what injustice you think she’s handed you, a child never speaks to their parent that way.” Ray delivered his little speech with an even look and matching tone.
Sky’s cheeks turned bright red. Gavin frowned down at her. “Your grandfather’s right, you know better than to talk to your mom that way.”
Looking up to his wife, he arched a brow. Apparently the statute of limitations for surprises for the day hadn’t been reached yet, he thought silently in disbelief when Lizzy didn’t scold, or even comment on, Sky’s behavior.
Rather than say anything, Lizzy looked away and her back stiffened so much he thought her spine would snap.
What the hell is going on? His bewilderment bothered him.
Seeing Lizzy wouldn’t say anything, Gavin looked back down at Sky. “Honey, since I didn’t know you were coming, I don’t have anywhere set up for you to sleep. I’m sleeping on a cot in one of the extra rooms. I’ll try to look at setting something up tomorrow so you can stay a few nights with me. How does that sound?”
A stubborn look Gavin recognized all too easily surfaced on Sky’s face, but she remained silent, temporarily mollified and nodded. Turning away from him, Sky made her way back to the car and climbed in without so much as a single glance in her mother’s direction.
Gavin returned his gaze back to Lizzy, but she completely ignored him as she turned to climb back in the car.
That, at least, he’d grown used to.

Kristen Beairsto

In between her to-be-read pile and trying to bring the characters in her head alive, Kristen spends as much time as she can with family and friends. Much to her husband’s dismay, she enjoys collecting purses, shoes, and jewelry. During those rare times she’s not working at her day job, rushing her daughters somewhere, watching movies with her husband, and trying to meet a deadline, she can usually be found energetically cheering for one of her favorite New York sports teams.

As with just about every other writer on the planet, Kristen grew up an avid reader. She started with young adult before she technically hit the age range and moved on to sci-fi classics by Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury. At fifteen, her best friend gave her a book she just had to read! The book was Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts. Always a sucker for a happy ending, she was a goner and fell in love with the romance genre. Having started writing novel length stories at the age of eleven, Kristen’s stories all took a romantic turn from that point on.

You can connect with Kristen through her website www.KristenBeairsto.com, Facebook www.facebook.com/AuthorKristenBeairsto, or Twitter www.twitter.com/AuthorKBeairsto.