Meet Kristina Atkins | Fantasy and Scifi Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristina Atkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristina, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“Dreams don’t work unless you do.” I saw this on a sticker my nine-year-old had on his water bottle and I instantly fell in love. Normally platitudes aren’t my thing, but I feel like this is one that seems simple on first glance, but then you look closer and realize how rich it is. I dreamt for so many years of being a published author. But I had to do the work. Not just writing, but when I decided to traditionally publish, I had to do literally everything else. I had to learn formatting software. I had to figure out the best strategy for printing and distributing. I had to find and vet my editors, my audiobook narrator, my cover artist, and my graphic designer. I had to figure out what I want my cover art to even look like! It was so much to manage, but I wouldn’t be a published author today if I hadn’t put in the toil, time, and tears (literally!) into all of that work—and that was after over 14 years of writing toward publication. In some ways, writing was the easiest work because it’s an integral part of who I am. But all of the work was worth it. I have no regrets.
We all have dreams, but we won’t achieve them if we’re not willing to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I like to describe myself as an introvert who is deeply interested in people, and that shows in my writing. People love my characters because they’re multi-dimensional. One of my favorite comments about my book is when readers aren’t sure they want the antagonist to lose an election because he’s not actually a bad political leader. The first time someone told m, that, I cheered inside. That was exactly my intent! I love writing nuanced characters that are so real you feel like you could meet them on the street. My worlds are also rich, which is something else I love. I see the settings for my stories clearly and vividly in my mind, and I get so excited to help my readers experience those places. I want to make worlds people wish they could visit.
Most of all, I want to write stories that touch people’s souls. I have bipolar II disorder and ADHD, so I’m passionate about mental health representation in my stories. In my debut, Feathers Sharp as Knives, I have a character who deals with PTSD (which I was diagnosed with for over a decade). The same character also has a seizure disorder, which my sister lives with. Giving this character these experiences was an easy decision. I want someone who has PTSD or a seizure disorder to read that character and feel seen, to feel less alone. I love a happy ending, but light is meaningless without darkness. When we use a candle to peer into that darkness, we find beauty and humanity. That’s what I want for all of my stories.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs might be my favorite places in all of Colorado. (Well, of all the places I’ve been to so far.) If they were feeling up for it and the weather were right, we’d hit the incline then head down to stroll Manitou’s cute shops. After Garden of the Gods, we’d go to Rudy’s barbecue. Closer to home, in the Denver metro area, we’d hit up Tacos and Tequila at the Streets of Southglenn, Il Postino in Highlands Ranch, Toast in Littleton, and Sassafras American Eatery in the Highlands. We’d visit Red Rocks, of course. If it were winter, we’d hit the slopes at Copper and in the summer white water rafting, preferably through Royal Gorge. And no visit to Highlands Ranch is complete without hiking to Highlands Point on the East-West trail.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The first person I want to dedicate my shoutout to is my husband, Kurt. He’s not only my rock, but my investor. He believes in me enough to help pay for this crazy adventure I’m on. He’s always genuinely excited for each step in my writing career. He urges me to go on writing retreats and attend out-of-town writing conferences. He gave all of his coworkers a copy of my book when it came out. He’s a staunchly left-brained man who somehow finds my artsy fartsy right-brained ways magical. I couldn’t do any of this without his support.
My parents taught me to love stories, people, and words. I am forever grateful to them.
And lastly, my writing community. There is no better feeling than finding your people, and I’ve been lucky enough to find dozens! They’ve picked me up when I’m down, cheered me on when I’m up, and given me the feedback that has single-handedly made me the writer I am today.

Website: https://kristinaatkins.com

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Image Credits
Justin Ahlmann