10 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT T.S. KRUPA:
- English is my second language.
- I have visited 29 states and 13 countries – My first passport has a photo of me sitting on my mom’s lap! That doesn’t happen anymore. 🙂
- My first, second and third cars were all Honda Civics.
- Dream Car: Jeep Wrangler.
- I come from a house divided… Football: I am a New England Patriots Fan and my husband is a Dallas Cowboys Fan.
- I am a huge Texas Tech University College Football Fan – Guns Up!!
- My favorite book series is Harry Potter.
- My favorite movie: A Walk to Remember. Least Favorite: Anything Scary
- I had two wedding receptions – one in CT and one in Texas!!
- Every year for Christmas my husband gives me a Disney Movie and it’s my favorite gift.
FAQs
Where are you from? Where do you live now?
I was born in New Haven, Connecticut and lived in Clinton. I now live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
How long have you been writing? How did you start writing?
I have been writing my whole life but professionally writing since 2013. The idea of writing is a very daunting process for me. I tend to over think everything I do. Always thinking about how people will respond to the characters, the setting, the idea, etc. It’s almost impossible to write with those limitations. Yet sometimes the ideas keep me up at night and I finally just have to sit down and put my thoughts on paper and block out the ‘other’ thoughts. When I started writing I didn’t know if the words would ever get published or anyone would ever read them besides me and that was freeing.
What is your writing process?
I need time and seclusion to write. I will often lock myself in our home office put my ear buds in and tune out everything around me. Music helps me a lot with writing. If I am writing a sad event I will listen to songs that mimic the feeling I am going for but once I get into the scene I’m writing I tend to zone everything out including the music.
What do you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process? The easiest?
The most difficult part of writing is blocking out the opinions. Now having written a book people liked and related to, they are freer with their own opinions about what I should write next or what they don’t like about my upcoming projects.
The easiest is getting lost in my imagination during the writing process. For that time, I’m living in someone else’s world telling their story.
Where are your books set? Why?
My first book was set in North Carolina and on Oak Island—both places I am very familiar with. My next book starts out in New Hampshire and the characters travel around a bit more. It’s more natural for me to start somewhere I am familiar with and go from there. There are times where characters end up in places I have never been before. For those scenarios I have relied on Google Maps or Chamber of Commerce sites, trying to make it as real as possible. BUT the best part of being an author is the creative freedom it allows to make up places and destinations as well.
Are your characters based on real people?
No. I could never write about a specific person in my life. I feel that I would censor myself too much in that process and not be able to create an honest character. The characters are fiction and exist only in my imagination.
Where do the ideas for your books come from?
From the most random places… Sometimes it’s an idea I get as I’m falling asleep or brushing my teeth. For the most part I do a lot of thinking while running and I can really work out a plot during that time. The plot for my first book came from a conversation I had with my husband and for the second book it came from watching the Olympics. Anything can turn into inspiration.
Who is your favorite author?
I have so many that I enjoy reading from all different genres: Nicholas Sparks, Deborah Harkness, J.K. Rowling, Kathy Reich, Jodi Picoult and Emily Griffin.
When you aren’t writing, what do you like to do for fun?
My husband and I like to go hiking with our dog, Chase. I stay pretty active playing field hockey, softball or running.
Do you do school visits?
Yes! I love the interaction and conversation that develops from those visits. Contact me for more info!
Lightning Round!!!
- Favorite Dessert: Chocolate Ice Cream
- Favorite Color: Red
- Cats or Dogs? Dogs
- If you couldn’t be an author, you’d be… A Professor.
- Favorite Food: Mac and Cheese.
- Coffee or Tea? Tea