Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing best-selling author Kristin Billerbeck. As an award-winning, bestselling author of over forty novels and novellas, including the beloved What a Girl Wants, she has appeared on The Today Show and in The New York Times and World Magazine. She’s also won the Carol Award, been nominated for a Christy as well as The Reader’s Choice Award. When she’s not writing, she's busy watching reality TV and trolling her kids on social media.
Best known for witty dialogues and relatable characters, Kristin's work can best summed-up as "faithful, froth-filled fiction" of the chick-lit variety. When we talked, she was on the go, but nevertheless happy to indulge me with a glimpse into her life.
N: Tell us about your latest book, The Theory of Happily Ever After. What made you decide to write it?
KB: My girlfriends and I were having a discussion about how smarter people were less happy. We live in Silicon Valley and though everyone has everything money can buy, no one seems happy. I had run into a happiness researcher at a funeral and that seemed like a sign. So I set out to find the answer to that question for myself and "The Theory of Happily Ever After" was born.N: How long did it take to write?
KB: This book actually took a long time for me to write. Over a year, which is very slow for me. However, I had two boys going to college, one going in the Marines and my daughter home with me. So it was a time of transition. Normally, it takes me six month at the most. This one also had a lot of neuroscience and research in it.N: It definitely was a fun book to read! What projects are you working on next?
KB: I'm working on two projects right now. One is a series about five sisters who inherit billions. That one is called "The Wentworth Heiresses." The other is a romantic women's fiction about two sisters, one who is beautiful, charismatic and mentally ill. The other is a caretaker and enjoys being behind the scenes. That one is called, "Love and Other Unlikely Events."N: Do you have a favorite charity?
KB: I do. I love World Vision because you get to watch your sponsored child grow up and flourish before your eyes. Also, if there is ever a world emergency, World Vision is there and you can easily send money when led.N: What do you enjoy most about connecting with readers?
KB: I just love readers. I mean, they are READERS and there just aren't enough of them left. My kids would rather watch a YouTube show than read a book. So I love just hearing from like-minded people who share a love of the written word.N: How did you get your start as a writer?
KB: I was on prednisone for multiple sclerosis and I couldn't sleep at night. I had two young boys (two and one) and I had to find something to do at night that was quiet. And my eyes were moving, so I couldn't read. So I started writing because I could type without seeing.N: What's your writing kryptonite?
KB: Anyone to talk to. If I'm not alone, I get caught up in conversation and don't get to what I'm supposed to be doing. Also, maybe Bravo TV.N: Are there any characters from your books who are most like you in real life?
KB: I would deny it, but anyone who knows me would probably say Ashley Stockingdale.N: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
KB: When I invested in Scrivener. It's a writing program and I still use it in the most basic way (it has all the bells and whistles) but I've never lost a word on it. The first time I lost something, I actually talked to the program creator (that's how long I've been using it) and sure enough, he got it back for me and it was my fault. LOLN: Have you ever read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
KB: I love a novel that is so real it feels like it's non-fiction. "The Thorn Birds" is one of those books for me. I wish I'd written it. Also, "Crime and Punishment" truly changed me by showing me that we are all the prodigal son. We are all capable of anything given the right circumstances and that's why we need Christ.N: If you had to pick a super power, what would be yours?
KB: Oh easy. I'd be invisible because I am nosey as all get out. If you're in Starbucks talking about your new start-up, be warned. I love to lift ideas for my books.N: Do you Google yourself?
KB: NEVER. What other people say about me is none of my business. I focus on the work. If I read what people think, it will affect my truth.N: Are you a glass half-empty or half-full kind of person?
KB: Depends on the day. Both, I'd say.N: What has been the biggest challenge for you as a writer?
KB: My MS - which is ironic since it's also what started my path to writing. But it can be difficult when I'm having a bad brain day. I forget words some days, so now I write and put in "XXX" if I've forgotten a word and come back to it. Also, some days, my brain will write "hair" when it means "hare" and that is frustrating. And some days I can't see well and the words jump on the page (nystagmus) so that can make deadlines tough.N: Are there any surprises you learned along the way in your career?
KB: I don't know if this was a surprise, but one thing I've learned is never to focus on what another writer is doing. You're on your own journey and you have to worry about your calling. If it's someone else's turn to be on the NYT bestseller list for two years running that has nothing do with you. When you hear from your readers, you will know why you were supposed to write your book.N: What do you like to do in your spare time?
KB: I watch a lot of bad reality television, walk my dog, read and make sure I keep up all the important relationships in my life.N: If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?
KB: Orvieto, Italy or Charleston, South Carolina. I love history and I love the feel of both of these towns. I felt at home immediately in both places.N: Do you have a favorite quote?
KB: The first line of "Pride and Prejudice." It's perfection. The irony. The humor. Yet still we long for that romance...“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
