All That We See or Seem with Kristina Mahr

Thanks for stopping by Jilligan’s Island! Today, I’ve got author Kristina Mahr with me so we can talk about her amazing book All That We See or Seem. Here’s the back cover blurb:

Every night, seventeen-year-old Reeve Lennox finds herself under a noose.
By day she is a lady of Acarsaid’s royal house, daydreaming of adventure and love. But every night in sleep she wanders through a nightmarish city, an invisible witness to the screeches of monsters and the screams of their victims. Her only consolation is Bran, a battle-torn young man with a selfless heart and eyes that reflect the stars. Yet while Reeve falls deeper into her dreams, in truth she is engaged to Arden, a mercurial nobleman who has long been cured of his belief in love and breathes fire and flattery like other people breathe air.
Torn between two lives, Reeve struggles to remember what’s real. Until night and day collide, with a revelation that threatens all of Acarsaid.

People, I’ve read it, and I cannot wait until the sequel comes out! Eeep — so good! Anyway, Kristina agreed to stop by and answer some questions about herself and the book. So let’s delve right into it!

JM: Hi, Kristina! I have to say, I loved All That We See or Seem. Where did you get the idea for this book?

KM: My sister has very vivid dreams, and I remember one day in February 2014, standing in her kitchen with her while she told me about a dream she had about a girl who falls in love with a boy she meets in her dreams. Super meta. Something about it really embedded itself in my brain, and I spent a lot of time thinking about it. Wondering who the girl was, who the boy was. Why she dreamt this place. What her real life was like. What hope there was for the two of them. Eventually, the pieces all came together to form a story. This story!

JM: That’s fantastic! My dreams are always so boring (like shopping at Walmart!) What do you feel is the theme for this book?

KM: I believe the theme for this book is hope. Reeve is so filled to the brim with it, this unrelenting feeling that things will work out. Somehow. Some way. She is determined to have the life she envisions for herself.

JM: What made you choose the theme of hope?

KM: Honestly, I chose it because it’s how I operate, too. That’s the way in which I’d say Reeve and I are most similar. I love the idea of changing my stars. Of not being trapped. Of having some say in my own future. No matter how things may be at any given moment, I think having hope is the key.

JM: Speaking of Reeve, give us some insight into her. Is she your favorite character? Why or why not?

KM: I love Reeve. Reeve’s my girl. She’s so kind-hearted and emotion-driven, and she rarely has anything but the best intentions. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t make mistakes, but she truly does mean well. She is so optimistic and hopeful, even when the circumstances should not lend her to feeling that way. Sometimes she’s a little dramatic and a little too idealistic, but it’s hard to blame her, given her age, her life, and her circumstances.

JM: Yes, she does lead a very privileged life. So, what made you choose this setting?

KM: When my sister first told me about her dream, we turned over story ideas that involved a contemporary setting, but it didn’t quite click. When I envisioned Reeve in her nightmare world, I always saw her in a nightgown. And when I thought about what it would be like for her to be abruptly visible there, the impropriety of wearing a nightgown out and about instantly popped into my mind. So those two facts told me this story needed to be set in the past a ways, in a time where this really would be pretty scandalous. I built Acarsaid as a fictional island nation because I wanted it to be isolated, small and independent, to reflect Reeve’s isolation, how small her world really is. Her nightmare world is the only other place she gets to go, so even though it’s awful there, there’s a certain freedom to it.

JM: You did a fantastic job building the nightmare world, even though I was often holding my breath while reading those scenes. 🙂 What was your favorite scene (either to write or for another reason)?

KM: Chapter 32 is my favorite chapter of the book, hands down. I don’t want to spoil anything, but… it’s a big one! I heard a song called “Kaleidoscope” by A Great Big World, and the scene just came to me, fully formed. It spilled from my fingertips in that convenient way that I wish would happen more often! I hope readers feel the magic in it, because to me, it is a purely magical scene.

JM: Kaleidoscope is perfect for that scene (and it’s a great song, too!) What about the title? Did you ever consider any other titles for this manuscript or was this your first choice?

KM: This was my working title while I wrote the book and far and away my first choice. I am so glad the publisher agreed to it! The poem “A Dream Within a Dream” by Edgar Allan Poe was a big inspiration for this story, and having that iconic line for my title is a dream come true. (Pun intended.)

JM: Let’s shift gears and find out a little bit about you. Are you a full-time author or do you balance writing with another job?

KM: I am a full-time accountant, so my day job is pretty much all numbers, all the time. Which is why it’s really nice to get to come home and focus on words, instead. I love numbers for their certainty and rigidity, and I love writing for the very opposite reason: the fluidity, the freedom. It’s nice to get to balance the two sides of my brain.

JM: Most people are either left or right-brained. It sounds like you have a healthy balance of both! You mentioned coming home to write. What does your writing space look like?

KM: I have a lovely loft in my house with great lighting, a massive bookcase, and my desk, but… I don’t write there. Well, I’ve written there once or twice. But for the most part, I write camped out on my couch, surrounded by my pets. I have a lap desk for my laptop, and I just kind of lounge on my couch and type away. In my happiest place, I have a soccer game muted on the TV while I work. Something I can glance up at that won’t pull me out of the story.

JM: That sounds relaxing? Does writing energize you or exhaust you?

KM: Honestly, both! It depends on the scene. Writing banter and lighthearted scenes is typically energizing, while writing heavier stuff really weighs on me. Still, the simple act of having written, of looking upon progress made, is so energizing. I’m obsessed with word count and hitting word count goals, and doing so fires me up.

JM: I totally agree with setting word count goals! What’s your favorite part of writing?

KM: I love words. Excessively. I love finding the precise phrasing or metaphor or lyrical tone to a sentence. I write short-form prose (I’m so reluctant to call it poetry, because I so don’t consider myself a poet!) as writing exercises to explore words and metaphors to my heart’s content. I just love how words can be arranged and rearranged in so many different ways, to pull so many different meanings and emotions. The very best moment is when I write a sentence that evokes the exact right feeling.

JM: What about your reading list? What are you reading now?

KM: I am currently beta reading my writing partner Jenna’s manuscript! I met Jenna two years ago at a writing retreat, and I’ve been dying to read this book ever since. Jenna was one of my beta readers for All That We See or Seem, so it’s an honor to get to beta read for her, as well.

JM: Before you leave, one last question. Aside from “keep writing,” what’s your best advice for aspiring writers?

KM: I cannot recommend writing workshops enough. I went to the Aspiring Writers Workshop hosted by Madcap Retreats in 2016, and it had a massive impact on me as a writer and my determination to someday be published. I learned so much from so many inspiring authors (including Maggie Stiefvater, Victoria Schwab, Dhonielle Clayton, Tessa Gratton, and so many more.) I also met so many fellow writers, who have formed a wonderful writing support system.

JM: That’s great advice! Thanks so much, Kristina!

Don’t forget to connect with Kristina on her social media links (listed below).

Biography:

Kristina Mahr devotes her days to numbers and her nights to words. She works full-time as an accountant in the suburbs of Chicago, where she lives with her two dogs and two cats, but her true passion is writing. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and waking up at the crack of dawn every weekend to watch the Premier League.

Website: https://kristinamahr.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17847708.Kristina_Mahr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristinaMahr

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kristina_Mahr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristina.mahr/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kristinamahr07/