Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
T.S. Krupa was born in New Haven, Connecticut. Krupa and her younger sister were raised in a Polish household with a blended American culture by her parents Stan and Krys; she is fluent in Polish and frequently travels to visit family abroad.
Growing up in Clinton, Connecticut Krupa attended The Morgan High School. She started playing field hockey in the seventh grade after being cut from the soccer team. She was accepted to Franklin Pierce University (College then), where she continued playing field hockey for four years. She made it almost all ten years of her field hockey career without any injuries only to break her nose playing during her senior year. After college, Krupa traveled cross-country for a job at Texas Tech University. While there, she earned her Master’s and became a Red Raider (Guns Up!) and a huge college football fan. It was there that she started coaching club lacrosse and found an instant connection with coaching.
The next chapter in her life took Krupa from Texas to be with her then fiancé in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She continued coaching club lacrosse and then began coaching club field hockey. She is now in her seventh year of coaching club field hockey.
In 2009, she finally started work on her childhood goal and began working on her Doctorate of Education from North Carolina State University. Her dissertation topic focuses on ethical decision-making. Krupa graduated with her Ed.D. in May 2014.
Krupa now lives in North Carolina with her daughter, husband, and dog, Chase. Chase came into her and her husband’s life in 2009 after a neighbor found him tied up at a gas station. Krupa’s husband brought him home and told her that he had a surprise and if she wanted to keep it she needed to buy dog food. It was love at first sight and Chase is now spoiled rotten.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Big City Dreams is my latest full length novel. It initially, started out as novella back in 2016. After a three year break, I finally released it as a full length novel. It started as an idea in my journal as ‘girl walks dog – dog very spoiled’. I knew that I wanted it set in New York City because of the feel and attitude the city has. Logan being from Texas was a bit of a surprise and I wasn’t sure if it would work but her dialogue is so fun and comical.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a toddler and work full time so I write where ever I am able. Most recently it’s in bed at night with my sleeping toddler draped over me in some form or fashion.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love reading so I have always felt that any author who has been able to create and put their work out to the public successfully is someone to look to. Authors I like reading – Sarah Dessen, Nicholas Sparks, Deborah Harkness and Emily Giffin. Throw back books would be Babysitters Club, Goosebumps and Wayside stories. Books I can reread forever – Harry Potter and Discovery of Witches.
What are you working on now?
When I thought about writing, I always thought I would write this story first. However, I kinda chickened out and put it on the back burner. It’s just this one is more personal. It’s still fiction but I really wanted to base the role of the older women on my babcia (Polish for grandmother). It just carries an extra weight of getting that character just right.
Here is a small teaser from Chapter 1 of my WIP 36 Pearl Street:
“Joey come here,” I heard mom calling. I looked up and saw her standing in the entry way to the building. She was standing with an older woman. She was heavier set and from what I could tell she had shoulder length gray hair that was swept back in a bandanna. She had a round face with a set of large glasses pushed up on the bridge of her nose, paired with a flowing frock as she rested on a cane.
“What’s up?” I said coming closer after giving up the search for my book.
“This is Pani Mazurek,” she said stepping aside as I came up the stairs.
“Pani? Is that Spanish?” I asked in confusion.
“No, it’s Polish, honey,” she said suddenly fidgeting. “You should know that.”
“Why should I know that?”
“You always talk to your mother like this?” the women said in a heavy accent.
“Why is it your business?” I shot back.
“Joey, manners,” mom got a little edge to her voice. I took a deep breath and forced a smile.
“I’m Joey,” I finally said extending my hand. Pani Mazurek made no move to shake my hand but instead studied me closely. I could see her eyes moving up and down before she narrowed her eyes.
“Joey is a boy’s name,” she said when she finally spoke.
“That’s a rude thing to say,” I replied without thinking.
“That’s not her real name, it’s a nickname,” my mom interjected with a nervous laugh.
“What’s your full name?” Pani Mazurek asked looking directly at me.
“Josephine Kaminski,” Mom answered as if the question was directed at her.
“Josephine good girls name, strong.” I repressed the sudden urge to stick my tongue out, like I was six. I just crossed my arms across my chest. After several long seconds, Pani Mazurek finally spoke.
“Ella, welcome to Pearl Street.”
“Don’t you mean welcome to New Haven or Connecticut?” I questioned unable to bite my tongue any longer.
“No, I said what I mean,” Pani Mazurek replied before turning and slowly walking back down the hallway to her apartment.
“Ella?” I questioned. “Mom no one calls you that, everyone calls you El.”
“Well, I’m trying something new,” she huffed and turned to walk up the stairs.
“Mom what gives? First you expect me to know some obscure Polish prefix and then out of the blue you’re suddenly going by your full name?”
“Do you remember Mrs. Brodjeck?” She asked. I mulled the name over for a minute.
“Was she the lady that you worked with at the dinner?” Mom shook her head no.
“Was she the lady you worked with at the bank?” Again, she shook her head no.
“Was she the elderly lady you watched in the evening?”
“Nope.”
“Oh, she was the lady that you cleaned houses with.”
“Yes, that’s her. She knew a lady who knows Pani Mazurek. When we were looking to leave North Carolina, I mentioned I was thinking of trying Connecticut and Mrs. Brodjeck called in a favor. She said she knew a place, furnished in a good neighborhood, reasonable rent but only rents to Polish people.”
“So, you lied?”
“I didn’t lie, we are Polish. Well, your dad was. He grew up in Connecticut not too far from here, remember?”
“I didn’t know that about dad,” I said trying to rack my memories for any stories about Connecticut, but I came up empty.
“Mom, we are Polish in name only. We know nothing about being Polish. Say one thing in Polish,” I said undeterred from my original point. We were back in the apartment and I stood with hand on hip waiting for her response.
“I now know that Pani is Mrs.,” she replied sheepishly.
“Mom you lied.”
“Joey, we needed a clean start, and this was promising. It is not a lie…it’s just a bit of a stretch. Mrs. Brodjeck also got me a job interview with the Catholic School around the corner. It is an administrative position and will have benefits. It will be good for us.”
“Sure, thing Pani Kaminski,” I snickered as I headed into my room and shut the door.
“Come on Joey don’t be like that,” she called after me.
“New life, new me…for now,” I mumbled to myself as I pulled open a box looking for my missing book.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I took a three year hiatus so I’m trying to figure this out again. The bloggers, reviewers and sites I used when I started in 2014 aren’t all around anymore so I’m starting anew. I have always been a fan of Goodreads and am working at getting better navigating it!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today. I mean it – there will ALWAYS be excuses for why you can’t write today, or you need more time, more money, etc. Just start writing – don’t worry about the other stuff until you have a completed book or project.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Remember even if you wrote just a page a day, that means in one year’s time you would have 365 pages! It was actually from a book I read, “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy. Great read, that talks about building on the little things to make big things rather than trying to build the mountain in a day – build it pebble by pebble.
What are you reading now?
I just finished Anxious People by Fredrik Backman it was so unique and refreshing.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on my fifth novel, 36 Pearl Street. One of the main characters is based on my feisty Polish grandmother.
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?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the longer the better!)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Where she Went by Gayle Forman
Author Websites and Profiles
TS Krupa Website
TS Krupa Amazon Profile
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