URL: www.annekrist.com

Contact: anne@annekrist.com

ABOUT ANNE

     As Anne Krist, I have an advantage in that my alter-ego, Dee S. Knight, has had lots of adventures. So, though I’m super nice and tremendously sweet, I’m gonna steal all her info.
     I’ve lived a wild and crazy life, but I blame it all on my husband, Jack. We met when I was thirteen, students in an Algebra I class. I didn’t think much about him except that he was nice. The next year he went away to school, but the year after that we happened to meet again, over Christmas vacation. He took me home for dinner, and when he went back to school a couple of weeks later we agreed that we’d get married “someday.” That was over thirty-five years ago, and we haven’t looked back.
     Jack and I didn’t settle down into a boring married life. In fact, settled doesn’t describe us at all. I’ve worked as a clerk, gift wrapper, computer consultant, librarian, housemother for a cottage of teenage boys, teacher, technical writer, adult educator, truck driver, and some six years ago (ta-da!), author. It’s all been a blast, but I like to think the best is yet to come.
     Writing is such fun—a great outlet for creativity but also for aggression. If I run across a woman who gives me a hard time, I just make her a character and kill her off. If a guy ticks me off, I make him a secondary character, set him up with a really sexy partner and then make him impotent. Heeheehee.
     Of course, it works the other way, too. I can base heroes and heroines on friends. But somehow, it’s not quite as much fun as flipping a virtual (literary) bird at people who irritate. Not that I inspire much irritation. *batting eyes*
     Whether it’s writing a quick short story, a novella or full-length novel, erotic romance or non-erotica, creating stories for people to enjoy has been the biggest thrill of my various professions. Jack is my biggest fan (and even writes with me now and then), making authoring a family affair. I can’t think of anything better!

INTERVIEW

Q: What made you start writing?

A: A while back, Jack suggested I write the book I’d mentioned to him several times over the years. I thought, “Why not?” and sat down to work. A month later I had a 95,000 word book. That’s when I found out he was just trying to find a way to keep me out of the mall.

Q: What do you read?

A: I love thrillers and courtroom drama as well as romance. Love Nelson DeMille, Susanne Brockmann, Tami Hoag. I also read everything Jasmine Haynes writes. But I don’t always buy based on author—I’ll pick up anything with a good cover and buy most anything with a good blurb. I’m so darn easy, lol. If you went through my house, you’d find more cookbooks than anything else.

Q: Do you plan your books or just write?

A: Usually I just write, but I’m trying to be more organized in my writing, so I use bits and pieces of various planning techniques now. I use some of The Plot Doctor’s process, some of the grid from Story Magic, and a couple of things I designed myself. I used to be a pantser. Things went a lot faster back then, lol.

Q: Do your characters dictate how you write them? Do they lead you through the story?

A: No. Characters are made to be ruled. I crack the whip and they fall into line or else I write them out.

Q: Who inspired you to write?

A: Jack first, by suggesting I do it and then by supporting me for years while I got started in the career. But I’ve always had great supporters in life, starting with my mom. My in-laws were wonderful to me and encouraged me to fly. I’ve been blessed by being surrounded with caring people.

Q: Which do you like writing better, heroes or heroines?

A: Heroes. For some reason, I enjoy writing men. Maybe because I’ve always enjoyed being around men more than women. Boys always talked about more interesting things than girls. Barber shops are sooo much more fun than beauty salons!

Q: Do you have children?

A: No, which turns out to be a good thing since neither Jack nor I ever grew up ourselves.

Q: What’s your favorite: book, TV show and song?

A: Dr. Zhivago. I saw the movie my sophomore year of high school and fell in love with the emotion and angst and breadth of the story. I immediately read the book and fell in love with it all over again. Pasternak was a genius! I don’t normally read books more than once. Among the few I have read over, are the first three Diana Galbadon Outlander books, Silken Threads (Patricia Ryan) and The Demon’s Daughter (Emma Holly) more than once—that’s my criteria for a great book.
     I’m relatively easy to please when it comes to fluff entertainment. I really like “The Closer.” But my very favorite show is “Law and Order.” I like that the show focuses on the crime and how to get the bad guy behind bars. There’s not any falling in lust with every woman the detectives meet or any other distracting stuff. It’s just great writing. 
     Hands down, Moon River is my favorite song. Ever since I first heard it I’ve loved it, and as it worked out, it fits Jack and me and our life together perfectly.

REVIEWS for Burning Bridges

Recommended Read: 5 Pixies "Anne Krist delivers a strong and poignant love story with Burning Bridges. Young lovers separated by family and war makes for a deeply touching tale. The history and scenes into the lover’s past helps create a vivid and relatable relationship. Burning Bridges unfolds nicely and allows readers to be entranced in the story. I enjoyed the author's ability to let things happen naturally without anything feeling forced. Every character has their own battles and they all fumble through life realistically. Each character brings a little to the table and keeps the cast feeling vibrant and full. Word choice rounded out the book. The writer has a flow to her writing that kept me interested until the end. Displaying unwavering talent when dealing with delicate situations, Anne Krist's Burning Bridges stayed with me long after I finished." —Twila King, Dark Angel Reviews

5 Stars: "Rarely does a story come along which touches one in countless ways from every affecting scene, yet this writer does so with her first release. The name of Anne Krist will become recognized as an author who conveys genuine and heightened feelings between her memorable characters.
     The exceptional storytelling ability of Anne Krist shines throughout this compelling story from start to finish. Beautifully written and particularly heartwarming, this is romance at its finest. With a marvelous cast of characters and an original plot, Burning Bridges will grab readers and pull them into the imaginative and noteworthy storyline. A connection is formed almost immediately as each dynamic character is introduced, and all aspects of their lives become more important as each new detail is revealed. There are joyous times intermingled with the more poignant moments, and every single situation is shown with heartfelt realism. Although the book is packed with circumstances where emotions are at the forefront, there is never a time when a set of events did not add immensely to the story. With the myriad of sentiments between the convincingly portrayed characters, I found these spirited individuals quickly working their way into my own heart as their happiness or anguish also affected me. With having grown up during the time of the Vietnam War, this story was especially moving to me as I remember this being a stressful time in U.S. history. Whether this gifted author is writing a tender romance as Anne Krist or a more sensuously steamy tale as Dee S. Knight, the story will be totally rewarding. I look forward to many more books from “both” of these authors. With surprising twists and believable interplay between characters, Burning Bridges is an unforgettable love story filled with passionate desires and potent emotions." —Amelia Richard, Ecataromance

5 Hearts: "Anne Krist has certainly made a name for herself with this phenomenal first novel. While her counterpart is well known for her amazing erotic stories, Ms. Krist will quickly become a favorite author for the reader who prefers a lighter storyline. Although I used the term lighter, I did not mean to infer this would be a less significant work. To the contrary, I foresee this book quickly becoming a number one blockbuster.
     This author has created fabulous main characters as well as the supporting cast members. This poignant story has a unique plot which is unequaled. When Sara found out how her parents had fabricated a lie to keep her from Paul, she faced, seemingly insurmountable difficulties dealing with her mother. The myriad of emotions and baggage faced by these two—and later Paul also—showed depth and dimensions rarely explored in characters.
     As I continued to read, I shed some tears, laughed some, and definitely did not want the story to end. It is a magnificent study in the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love. I cannot possibly recommend this book highly enough. It’s extraordinary." —Brenda Talley, The Romance Studio

5 Stars: "Burning Bridges is a yummy romance. Anne Krist has a talent for conveying great emotion. Keep a box of tissues close at hand when you read Burning Bridges. I was wiping tears throughout the book. The plot quickly captured my interest, and I felt I was part of the drama. The tension between Paul and Sara (both are stubborn and hardheaded) left me tingling. The love they shared was obvious. I did not want this story to end. Fans of romance should place Burning Bridges at the top of this summer’s reading list." —Anne Boling, Review Your Book

5 Cups: "Ms. Krist has a heart-warming, emotional story on her hands. I fell in love with Sara and Paul’s story from the beginning. There is so much heartbreak in the story I had to find out if things could be resolved in the end. Love does transcend time no matter how long it may be dormant. There are a lot of obstacles for these characters to overcome and my heart took the ride with them. Just the simple fact that there is more than just Sara and Paul affected in this story made me keep turning pages. This is one I highly recommend!" —Krista, Coffee Time Romance

"Burning Bridges is a story that I feel many people would enjoy. I laughed and cried throughout this entertaining novel. The message in this novel is universal and could be any parent trying to ensure that their children receive the best in life. It was very easy to relate to the characters in this wonderfully written story. I was very taken with the characters; I felt the sorrow and anger of each one. This story flowed relatively well and it could be the life of anyone walking past you on the street. The dialogue was realistic and the storyline was well developed, consistent, and resolved at the end." —Breia Brickey, Paranormal Romance

5 Heart: "I absolutely adored this story by Ms. Krist. She grabbed me from the very first page and had me riding a roller coaster of emotions throughout the entire story. This story was packed with real emotion and circumstances that made you walk away wondering if the tables were turned and this happened to you, how would you respond to finding out your parents lied to you after all these years had passed? There was a powerful “WOW” factor involved with this story. I loved the unique and extremely creative storyline Ms. Krist came up with. I feel that any reader who picks this story up will enjoy it just as much as I did. I can’t wait to read more stories from this author." --Diana Coyle, Night Owl Romance