Name: Kristi Jo Shields

Hometown: Beaver Falls, PA

Book Title: The Masks We Wear

Genre: Poetry

Dorrance Publishing (DP): Describe your book in 10 words or less.

Kristi Jo Shields (KJS): Inspirational through tough times and relatable to everyone.

DP: What made you want to write your book?

KJS: I’ve always wanted to write one, but never had the time. I was laid off during the pandemic which gave me the opportunity to write my book.

DP: How long did it take you to write your book?

KJS: It took three weeks to write.

DP: How do you choose the names of your characters?

KJS: Usually I use names that I like. For this book I only named one character, JoJo. JoJo is my daughter’s nickname.

DP: What do you do when you have writer’s block?

KJS: I take a break from it. I take a tablet with me everywhere I go so that when ideas come to my head, I can write them down.

DP: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

KJS: My favorite poem is Good Morning, River. I wrote this poem at our family camp, sitting by the river enjoying my family sitting by the fire.

DP: If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why:

a. One character from your book:

KJS: The character that I would choose would be the father in my book. I envisioned this man to be strong, loving, supportive, funny, and smart. He would be perfect to be stuck on an island with.

b. One fictional character:

KJS: Chuck from the movie Castaway.

c. One famous person (living or dead):

KJS: Dwayne Johnson (of course).

DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests?

KJS: Raising my three children, spending time with friends and family, and going camping with my kids. I also love to play sports with my kids, especially volleyball.

DP: Do you keep a journal?

KJS: No, I don’t keep a journal.

DP: How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

KJS: I celebrated with friends and family.

DP: If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?

KJS: Mom would be played by Reese Witherspoon, Dad would be played by Chris Pine, and Grandma would be played by Jamie Lee Curtis.

DP: What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing?

KJS: The cover illustrator was above my expectations.

DP: Five favorite books of all time?

KJS: E.T., The Velveteen Rabbit, Dr. Seuss’s books, Twilight, and The Notebook.

DP: One sentence of advice for other writers:

KJS: Believe in yourself and follow your dreams.

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