Kristina McBride is the debut author of The Tension Of Opposites which was released on May 25 from Egmont USA!

KBB:  Why did you decide to write a novel for young adults?

KM:  I was a high school English teacher for eight years before I had my first child and decided to stay home to be a mom (and write!). The first manuscript I wrote was for adults, but it had two teen characters. The scenes with those two teens came most naturally to me, and when I began my second manuscript (because no agents were interested in that first one), I flipped to YA without much thought.

KBB:  What do you consider the hardest part of writing?

KM:  Revision. I do an awful lot of it.

KBB:  Do you have any must-haves while you are writing?

KM:  Quiet. A comfortable seat. And my netbook.

KBB:  I noticed a change in the cover for The Tension of Opposites. Are you pleased with how it turned out?

KM:  I am so in love with my cover! Egmont has done a wonderful job portraying the eerie vibe of Noelle’s kidnapping, and the sense of being trapped. And I love the picture of the girl at the top. I also think it’s so cool that the pictures are two frames in a filmstrip, as my main character, Tessa is an avid photographer.

KBB:  Are any of your characters based on people you know?

KM:  While no characters are completely based on anyone I know, there are several details that I pulled from my own life. The most prominent is certainly that my Grandpa Lou owned an old-school Nikon and loved taking pictures. Another that comes directly to mind is that, like Tessa, my best friend in high school dreamed of owning a yellow Jeep.

KBB:  Do you have anything in common with your main character, Tessa?

KM:  Like Tessa, I was pretty shy and quiet in high school, and didn’t get super involved in things. But, unlike her, I had a base of strong girl friends, who I am still super close with today . . . many years later.

KBB:  Do you have a favorite young adult book that you would recommend?

KM:  I don’t think there is any possible way for me to answer this question by giving you the name of one book! I love Laurie Halse Anderson, Jay Asher, Sarah Dessen, and John Green. I’m a member of the Class of 2k10, and through class ARC tours, I’ve read some amazing books from this group of 23 debut authors.

KBB:  Just for fun, what is your most embarrassing moment? It doesn’t have to be related to writing but it can be.

KM:  I cringe when I think back to the days when I was first trying to land an agent. My first query letter (the letter you send to hook an agent) was so incredibly terrible. And I was persistent. I think I sent that baby out to every agent who represented suspense/thriller. Thankfully, I learned from my mistakes and wrote a stronger query for my next manuscript, and then a stronger one yet for manuscript number three, the one that finally landed me my totally awesome agent, Alyssa Eisner Henkin. Through the process, the one thing I learned is that you have to be persistent if you want to make things happen in life.

KBB:   Thanks so much for the interview Kristina.  I can’t wait to read The Tension Of Opposites.  I have heard nothing but great things about it.  =]

Readers if you want to know more about The Tension Of Opposites or Kristina you can check her out around the web.

Website:  http://kristinamcbride.com

Twitter:  McBrideKristina