Author Interview with Crystal Lynn Miles Gauthier

Crystal Lynn Miles Gauthier
Lansing, Michigan

Good morning, Crystal.  Welcome to Vision and Verse.  It is a pleasure to have you with us this morning.  Tell us a little about yourself.

I live in Lansing, Michigan with my husband Joe, two cats Diesel and Mamakitty. I am a former Paralegal who is now a housewife with an invisible disability that has me plaqued with migraines so bad that I have bad seizures. I do not drive anymore and therefore am stuck at home most of the time writing and reading. I have three daughters all grown and two grown stepsons all whom I love dearly. I am the proud grandma of 11 grandchildren. I was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1963 and still consider myself a country girl.  I am currently writing my first Historical Romance Novel called: TROIANNE.  Its the first book of 5 in the Time Travel Society Series I will be writing. I am currently writing it on Wattpad.com you can see it there under Historical Romance. wattpad.com/crysmisty9133/Troianne

What is your favorite genre to write?
My favorite Genres to write in are Historical Romance and Paranormal Romance.

The first adult book I can remember ever reading (age 7 years old) was written by Dale Evans called: Angel Unaware It is a story about how Roy Rogers and Dale Evans lost their daughter to a grave illness and how they coped with that loss.

Oh, my, Crystal!  I remember being curled up in a chair in my room reading Angel Unaware and crying my eyes out!  I think that was the first book that ever brought me to tears.  I never met anyone else who read it. Wow!  
So.  What is your favorite food?

My favorite food is Good Old Southern Cooking: Cabbage, Ham Hocks, Turnip Greens, Fried Potatoes, Black Eyed Peas and Macaroni & Cheese.

Tea or Coffee? 
Both, Coffee in the morning, Tea in the afternoon. Sugar and Milk of course! 

Pizza or Ice Cream? 
Definitely Ice Cream, I don’t like Pizza all that much.

Where would you like to visit?
I would like to visit Europe. I want to go to England, France, Ireland and Scotland.

Venice, Italy is also fabulous.  Favorite Musical Artist.

My favorite musical artist is Coldplay, Daughtry, Robbie Williams and anything that is Adult Alternative rock. I do love the oldies from 60’s and 70’s country, rock and roll, etc. I don’t listen to music while I write it distracts me.

What makes Crystal laugh?

Jokes of any kind make me laugh. My oldest daughter should be a comedian she can make me laugh any day with her pretend to be ghetto accent and body language. I also laugh really hard at some of the Facebook friends I have and their posts.

When did you start writing?

I started writing in a Journal at 10 years old, my first writing experience was at age 11 when I submitted a short story to the Caldecott Awards through my elementary school, it was titled:  “The Willow Tree”

Describe your perfect evening.

My perfect evening would be driving an hour and a half to our local casino, having dinner with my husband, gambling a little, staying out late and driving home in the dark listening to music and talking with him.

Where do you get your inspiration?

My inspiration comes from my love of reading and exploring different genres. I also gain a lot of inspiration from other authors, they help me see things I had never thought about before. God gave me a gift and I intend to use it.

What do you do when you get writer's block?

When I get writers block I read more. So that I can see things through another author's perspective. I also like to crochet it helps me think.

Favorite author?

My favorite author right now is Melanie Corona, she gave me back the inspiration to write after 15 years of not even wanting to write. I have to say that Hemingway is my all time favorite due to his being such a drunk all his life and being able to write inspite of it. LOL

Best book you ever read.

Best book I ever read that is a tough one because I think they are all the best. But if I have to pick one I would say Camberleigh by Evelyn Grey, it is an older Historical Romance published in 1985. I fell in love with it and my daughter Camberleigh (aptly named after the book) has it in her possession to this day.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?

The one person who has influenced my life the most is probably my Mother. Automobile Factory worker she worked hard during the day and at night she read, reading thousands and thousands of books as I was growing up. We had books everywhere. I never was alone or bored as long as there was a book sitting somewhere in our house. As she get older and is not so in tune with the world around her anymore, but still reading, I wanted to write a book series in her honor.

That is so sweet!  Name one person, living or dead, real or fictitious, that you would like to sit down and have a conversation.

One person living or dead would have to be my late grandfather William Gobel Shelden who was born in England and moved to the United States as a young man. He died when I was just three years old and I was there standing on a old metal trash can at his bedside right before he passed away in Louisville, Kentucky. I want to ask him so many questions and thank him for being my guardian angel at times when I needed to be told to stop the bad habits I had picked up throughout my life.

Have any advice for an aspiring writer? 

The advice I would give an aspiring writer is: Never give up! No matter how long it takes you to write your first sentence or how long it takes you when you get a writers block. Keep going! Many authors will say they do not feel like they are good or worthy. There is not a book, poem, memoir or guide out there that is not useful to someone or needed by everyone. Keep writing please.

Do you have any links for us?

You can find me on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/crysmisty9133 Twitter: @crysmisty9133 or @cubbymom0403

Email: authormom4033@gmail.com Pinterest: crysmisty9133