The Debutante Ball welcomes Kristan Higgins (+ win a copy of her new release!)

The Debutante Ball is squealing with delight over having renowned romantic comedy author Kristan Higgins here to take a stylish twirl around the dance floor.

Kristan Higgins is a USA Today bestselling author and two-time winner of the RITA Award from Romance Writers of America. Her romantic comedies have been published in many languages and on four continents, which is quite thrilling to the author, who lives in her small hometown in Connecticut. Kristan is married to a heroic firefighter who cooks dinner almost every night and is the mother of two extremely attractive and entertaining children. She loves dogs, the New York Yankees and dessert and excels and very loud whistling and extremely neat bed-making.

Kristan’s books are big love stories about regular people, with lots of laughs and a generous sprinkling of tears as well. Her current release, MY ONE AND ONLY, was called “perfect” by Romance Reviews Today.

We’re excited that Kristan agreed to do the Deb Interview with us. Let’s hear what she had to say about everything from writing to her irrational fear of hummingbirds! Also, don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of her new release, My One and Only.

Talk about one book that made an impact on you.

Oh, I hate to be a cliché, but Gone With the Wind has had more impact on me than any other book. First of all, Rhett Butler was the first man I loved other than my dad. I was 13 when I read the book for the first time, and Rhett kept me chaste through high school (didn’t even get kissed till I was 18½). I reread the book recently and saw it so differently…setting as character, emotional blindspots, a relentlessly realistic character who doesn’t magically change just because we want her to kiss Rhett on the mouth and end our torment. Scarlett O’Hara has to be the greatest heroine of the 20th century. In Too Good to Be True, my protagonist is a history teacher; the Civil War is her specialty, and I got to indulge in GWTW that way.

Which talent do you wish you had?

I wish I could dance really well. I look somewhat like a valiant yet half-tranquilized rhino on the dance floor…stumbling, crashing, but she just won’t go down for good. Bet you can’t wait to see that, huh? I also wish I could cut my own hair and do a cartwheel without straining something important.

What time of day do you love best?

In the spring, summer and fall, I love sunset the best. We have a great front porch, and I love to sit out there with my family, watching the birds, listening to the Yankees on the radio.

Share something that’s always guaranteed to make you laugh.

My mother falling down. Isn’t that awful? I’m a terrible daughter. Let the record reflect, however, that I am also quite clumsy (see above rhino reference), and my mom tends to laugh when she falls down, too. Happy times!

Do you have any phobias?

Yes. I’m afraid of hummingbirds. It’s a phobia, and therefore I don’t have to explain it J. Logically, I know they’re cute and lovely and all that…in reality, I’m shrieking and ordering them away from me.

One of your trademarks is including a lovable pet (usually a dog) in your novels. Why is that, and how does it impact your stories?

I love animals (except hummingbirds). I’ve always had a pet, and including them in books is just natural for me. The pet —type, size, age—usually says something about the character, too…for example, in Too Good To Be True, Grace Emerson’s dog walks all over her, but loves her fiercely, too. So do a lot of humans in that book. And in Catch of the Day, Maggie has a wonderful, noble, dignified dog—a nice contrast to her disasters on the dating front.

Deb Tawna writes romantic comedy and is in awe of your ability to masterfully blend humor, romance, and a poignant love story. How do you find that balance?

In awe? How thrilling! I like the sound of that! I don’t know exactly how I find it; hopefully, it’s a natural instinct. Books that are merely funny don’t have the emotional impact that you find with stories with both laughter and tears…then again, books that are just sad can be a little depressing. So the balance comes from the desire to give both laughter and emotional depth. After all, humor and sorrow are just different sides of the same coin, after all. I think someone important and famous said that.

You’ve won the RITA award twice (basically the Oscar of the romance writing world). How has that changed things for you?

Well, I have a butler now, a wine cellar and daily massages…oh, wait, I was hallucinating for a second. Sorry! Winning the RITA has given me two absolutely fantastic, wonderful, exhilarating moments to pull out from time to time when I’m struggling with a scene from a book. My publishers put “two time winner of the RITA Award” on my book covers. Otherwise, I’m not sure life is any different because of those wonderful awards. The statues look very pretty on my bookcase, where they sit with my husband’s Firefighter of the Year award—he pulled an unconscious man from a burning building, saving his life—and my grandfather’s American flag. His unit liberated Dachau in World War II. Keeps things in perspective, you know?

***

What a wonderful interview! Looking forward to reading Kristan’s new release, My One and Only? Leave a comment for a chance to win your very own copy! We’ll draw one lucky winner on Friday, April 1 and will announce it in our news flash on Sunday, April 3. Good luck!

34 Replies to “The Debutante Ball welcomes Kristan Higgins (+ win a copy of her new release!)”

  1. I’ve been dying to read your new book for months, and pre-ordered it the second it was up on Amazon. Thanks so much for stopping by!

    Tawna

  2. Okay, you had me laughing at your dancing stories and your mom — Hello, my name is Gale and I am a klutz — as I can so relate. I have to say, though, I prefer the klutz reference instead of the rhino one. And I am patiently waiting for my pre-order… Thanks for the great reads!

  3. I love all of Kristan’s books and keep them to reread. Even on the third time when I know how it ends I can’t stop reading!

  4. I read the interview, went to Amazon to order a couple of books (and made sure Too Good To Be True was one of them, cause that one line had me giggling already!) and now I’m ready to comment :). I mean, what else is there to do until the books arrive?

    I laugh at other people’s little mishaps all the time. And that includes my mom. Or dad. And when something funny happens to me (like falling off the couch, or the office chair in the middle of the office with other people present or, you know, there was this bra incident once… ) I’m usually laughing the loudest and then I write it down to share with my family so they can laugh too.

  5. Your scene with the scorpion bowl drink in Just One Of The Guys is the funniest thing I’ve ever read! That scene was pure comedic genius and I look forward to reading your new book!

  6. Kristan, I have found I can’t read your books in bed because it wakes my husband up when I start laughing. Thanks for the great reads. Can’t wait for the next one!!

  7. Kristan,

    You already know how much I love you and your books. I pre-ordered, ‘My One And Only’ last month and can NOT WAIT until I FINALLY get it and can start reading it!….What I would LOVE to be able to win is the Road trip with the EX Survival kit, or a ‘My One And Only T-shirt.’

    P.S. I still think a future heroine (in a future book) should own a ‘SHORKIE’. And I will happily give you any and ALL information I have on this paticular ‘designer’ dog. And you can even use Oliver as your cover model 😉

  8. I loved reading about how she sits on her front porch and listens to the Yankees game on radio…reminds me of fresh lemonade and fireflies at dusk.

    Great interview!!!

  9. Kristan,
    I am so with you on wanting to dance!! My husband and I bought a DVD to learn how to dance – it is a disaster!! We twirl around the island in the kitchen until we run into the cabinets!! I get to laughing so hard that I can’t concentrate!! Oh well, it is really good exercise! Keep dancing!!

  10. I love books that make me laugh and cry. Isn’t life really like that? Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. Great interview. BTW I teach Matter of Balance classes to seniors who have a fear of falling. The classes help them keep from falling.

  11. I am a big fan of your books. I really enjoy books with a little comedy along with a great plot. Please keep them coming!

  12. I can’t wait to read this story. I love the way Kristan mixes heartfelt emotions with laugh out loud moments. I’ve read all of Kristan books and they never disappoint.

  13. I love it here! I never want to leave this blog, you guys are so nice! Except for mocking me about the hummingbird thing, that is…Thank you so much for all the lovely compliments, and I hope so much that you all like MY ONE AND ONLY!

  14. I’m excited about the new book. Only 3 days left, Hopefully I win a signed copy! I’ve read everything else twice that she’s written and I know this new book will be as awesome as the others.

  15. Well, based on all of these comments from devoted fans, I am definitely behind the times on my romance reading! Thanks for the interview and introducing me to an adored author!

  16. I loved your interview! The way you described yourself dancing made me giggle. I look the same lol. I can’t wait to read this book!

  17. Kristan, you know you should put a note of warning on your books, Cautioning fans that reading your novels can be addictive, LOL! Ever since I started reading your books, I can’t seem to find other books as interesting as yours, and I never tire of reading them over and over again, I see most your fans agree and experience the same thing. Your stories are “pick me up’s” and always cheer my days.
    Smiles, BFF

Comments are closed.