If you don’t know me, and you’ve never read my books, you’ll get a sense of who I am from my bio. However, there’s more to an author than a mere one-paragraph summary.

If you’ve read my thrillers but never met me in real life, you might believe I’m an introvert. You’d also probably think something dark lurks inside of me. Then, you’d meet me in person, and your head would spin around.

We’d talk, and you’d see that I’m bubbly, outgoing, positive, and intently engaged in our conversation. I’d look like any other extrovert you’d ever seen. As we chatted, you’d hear me talk about dreaming big, never giving up, and likely glean some inspirational message or positive affirmation from our conversation.

Darkness within? Not so much.

I’m two different people that are one and the same. I assure you, the motivational- speaker-personality you meet in real life IS the real me. So is the introverted, dark girl. We go hand in hand. Not surprising for a Gemini. When you add writing to the mix, my didactic personality gives way to exciting stories.

Confusing? Sure. That’s because introversion isn’t what it seems on the surface. It’s not about being quiet vs. loud. Social vs. antisocial. Friendly vs. shy. It’s about where introverts get their energy from, and the answer is ourselves. Extroverts, on the other hand, get their energy from other people.

It’s probably why most writers are introverts at heart, even if they feel extroverted in social situations. Introverts feed off being alone. We’re energized when the door is closed, and only our thoughts and our story (plus some coffee!) remain in the room. It feeds our souls so much that after we write as many words as our fingers can speedily type, we still have the wherewithal to rally with friends. That is until we inevitably collapse from social interaction.

As introverts, our energy dwindles in social situations until it’s depleted entirely. That’s why after a conference or a book signing, you’ll find me on the couch binging Netflix, wine in hand. Zombified.

Then there’s that pesky darkness that has always intrigued me. It inspired my advanced psychology degree, and then my coaching certification. I wanted to learn why people did the things they did, and what motivated them to change, or not.

I use what I’ve learned to create dark stories that hopefully inspire others to face their fears and embrace the unknown so they can live their best life—happier, stronger, and more in tune with who they are and what they want. When my characters overcome obstacles, I want my readers to feel empowered to do the same.

Because, as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.”

I’m grateful for all the readers who trust me to pull them through the darkness and into the light. They’re why this introvert writes at all.

If you haven’t read my books, I hope my words intrigued you to come over to my introverted, dark side!

Check out Kristina’s debut audiobook, AMONG US. This new-adult sci-fi thriller was chosen as an April 2019 Audible Editors Select Pick and featured on Audible’s ACX University 2018 webcast series.

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Danger lurks in the unknown…

Marci Simon lives a double life: conservative professor of English by day, and controversial blogger of aliens by night. But when a classified document lands in her lap, her two worlds collide in an explosive revelation of shocking and deadly secrets.

Despite imminent danger at every twist, Marci embarks on an unstoppable quest to expose the terrifying truth. Only she never anticipated the entangled nebula of dark lies, nor the never- ending wormhole the government would spiral through to silence her forever.
Knowledge can kill.

And Marci knows too much. With global security at risk, no one can be trusted. To debunk the stratosphere of deceit, Marci races at the speed of light to escape the grips of the clandestine Extraterrestrial Security Agency (ESA) hunting her before she vanishes like all the others. But Marci is unique. Despite being the ESA’s prime target, she’s also the skeleton key to the deadliest truth in the history of the universe.

The nightmare is real, and it’s only just begun. Marci must take a nefarious leap of faith before her options, and her breaths, evaporate into a black hole for all eternity.