Interview With Author Kriss King
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Writer/Mother/Animal Lover/Total Softie based in the Vail, CO area. A former corporate executive, small business owner, and IT consultant, Kriss really enjoys faith-based activities amid Colorado’s breathtaking scenery, outdoor sports, and wildlife. Although she has lifelong hearing loss, she Just Keeps Zippin’ by reading lips and using technology amid her likely future need for a cochlear implant. She loves to smile and her joyous hobby is winning smiles or slobbers from humans and fur babies alike.
Illustrator/Daughter/Dinosaur Lover – Angel is the youthful illustrator with talent that eclipses the author’s throughout the Just Keep Zippin’ books. Her illustrations are only a small glimpse of the imaginative art she cranks out every day for the sheer joy of it. Gifted with natural talent, Angel enjoys creating graphics for the dinosaur museum where she volunteers, and provides whimsical illustrations for numerous sites, games and freelance efforts.
Three books out of a planned 12 series about our real-life therapy horse, Zippy, are now complete. His legacy lives on as we crank out books about anxiety, fitting in, getting glasses, braces, and so much more. The real talent here is Angel, the illustrator.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Just Keep Zippin’ (Just Keep Zipping) book series was born from the inspiration of our real-life horse Zippy whose last year and a half of his 23 years was spent serving clients as a therapy horse. We called him a Paint/Labrador cross because of his endless need to be close to humans and cuddle and nuzzle with everyone.
We Just Kept Zipping after a fire devastated our home/ranch in August of 2020. In rebuilding our lives and relocating, we decided to write the books. It was Angel’s idea to make Doc Zippy the horse treat animal patients with kids’ challenges. These patients are a lot like Zootopia characters: they go to school, work, and face the same challenges and emotional anxiety as regular kids. The first books are Hair We Go, about Harry, the Hairless Cat who is bummed about not having fur. The second is Ears to Hear, about Boom Boom the Elephant who is tested at school and is scared to learn he needs hearing aids.
The latest release is Back on Track. It features Trax the T Rex dinosaur train conductor who realizes he needs glasses. That book features real-life characters from Angel’s beloved dinosaur museum, DinosaurJunction.org, where she volunteers. Our website JustKeepZippin.com and the recent issues also feature Angel’s spokestherapy kitty, Shimmer Chérie, who is featured in another upcoming title!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The Just Keep Zippin’ books are so much fun to create, we call them our new “Life’s Energy” vs. work. We are blessed to have a simplified life after the fire to allow us to crank these kids’ books out. Angel does artwork for the sheer joy of it, and often these titles start to finish are developed in an afternoon. Crazy, right?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a total softie, and I have a background in veterinary medicine. Animal and horse books were my voracious reading habits growing up. Walter Farley’s Little Black (about a resilient pony with heart) formed many of my early childhood opinions, along with the Black Stallion book series. Debbie Macomber’s engaging and sweet books are a hands-down leisure reading favorite, and I even won her personally-knitted scarf at her readers’ retreat. Unfortunately, it was lost in our fire in 2020. I’ll have to reach out to her team one day.
Angel adores all fantastical stories, dragons (real-life dinosaurs in her mind) and other worldly topics. She even wrote a comic book at 13 about a fantastical underworld and built a matching video game. She creates gaming characters, and she even created a Marvel YouTube channel for fun under Cossie where she splices together her favorite Marvel characters video clips to encourage others. Her magnets and stickers designs created for her beloved dinosaur museum are here: CossieCreations.redbubble.com where you can order all kinds of merchandise.
What are you working on now?
We have at least 9 more titles in the Just Keep Zippin’ series that we’d like to finish to address a wide range of topics. It is important to gently introduce these concepts to kids that are trying to navigate an increasingly anxious world. Next titles on the list:
Sonic Overload (Doc Zippy sees Sonia, a dolphin struggling with being overwhelmed with relationships, expectations, noise, and crowds in light of her autism.)
Nuts are Notzo Fun (Doc Zippy sees Notzo, a squirrel that has nut allergies and is tired of being singled out, sitting at the “special allergy table” , carrying his EPI Pen, and being teased for being so careful.)
Smiles All the While (Doc Zippy sees Chomper, a beaver that needs to wear braces.)
Color Crazy – What Am I So Afraid Of? (Doc Zippy sees Random, a chameleon who keeps changing colors in order to blend in and struggles with anxiety/panic attacks.)
When Will I Get Picked? (Doc Zippy sees Diggity, a low to the ground dachshund struggling with food, fitness, and being picked last at gym class.)
I Feel So Small (Doc Zippy sees Roary, the smallest cub of a lion pride who is struggling with being bullied.)
Too Slow-Mo (Doc Zippy sees Stuckey the sloth who is struggling with depression and lack of energy.)
Bouncy House Blues (Doc Zippy sees Boingo, a Jack Russell Terrier who struggles with focus and distractions due to high energy and ADHD.)
Cast All Your Cares (Doc Zippy sees Shimmer Chérie a plush Scottish Fold cat who gets a cast right before her summer break. Based on the real-life story of Shimmer Chérie, our cat who had 7 casts in 6 weeks and her real life owner’s childhood story!)
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Our Website, JustKeepZippin.com has links to purchase books on Amazon but also to Angel’s other sites and Doc Zippy’s full story. We are getting the social media geared up, and starting to promote now that we have 3 of the 12 finished. We really hope you enjoy our “work” as much as we enjoy creating them. We’d also love to hear your own stories of how you Just Keep Zipping!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you are inspired to write or create, it is NEVER a stranded investment! Keep your chin up and know that you are making a contribution that matters!
Look into tools available to do things yourself (we did) but stay open to coaching, feedback, and professionals that will take you to success doing what you love!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
We must simply Have Courage & Be Kind (Cinderella, 2015)
One I’m still trying to adopt! “Ruthlessly eradicate hurry from your life!” (Lance Witt)
What are you reading now?
Imagine Heaven (John Burke)
Kindlepreneur guides of all kinds (Dave Chesson)
Ruff and Tumble (Lucy Gilmore) she’s hilarious!
What’s next for you as a writer?
The next 9 books in the series, gaining a literary agent team, and maybe some fun celebrity endorsements/animation. (A girl can dream, thinking Kevin Costner & Bobby, his labrador, Keanu Reeves (Keep Calm/Kindness) and the Wilson brothers, Luke, Owen, and Andrew (picturing Doc Zippy voiced by Owen!)
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Left Behind series first 3 books
Lucy Gilmore’s Puppy books
Author Websites and Profiles
Kriss King’s Social Media Links
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