Where has the time gone?

Sometimes, time passes by much faster than anyone anticipates. You are caught living in the moment, and the next thing you know, it is almost a year later and you don’t remember where the time went. Everyone gets caught up in life. And I suppose that is my excuse for taking so long to update this freaking website. I apologize, but remember, I’m only human (not Dorian).

Speaking of getting caught up in life, Krissi’s life has been quite a whirlwind over the past couple of months. As most of you know, she recently signed a book deal to publish Wind and Water with Tate Publishing. Which I think is freaking amazing! Of course, you don’t really care what I think. You want to know what Krissi thinks about this entire ordeal. Well I can let you know that she is VERY excited. However, this means that it might take even longer for you loyal fans to finally get to read Water. But do not fret, it is well worth the wait! In fact, I asked Krissi some questions about Water to satisfy you until more sneak peeks are released:

Q: What differences can readers expect over all between Wind and Water?

A: I think the love triangle (Caleb-Whit-Gabriel) tilts in different directions. My test audience all ended up swinging the opposite direction of the guy they were originally rooting for after Wind, which I found an EXTREMELY interesting reaction. I think that just means that these characters are becoming more full, rounded... readers will see different sides to them. Water is also a lot more fast-paced than Wind - something that an epic sequel can afford. As soon as you catch your breath and feel comfortable again, something else will happen. There are some other pretty big differences that I refuse to reveal, so...

Q: Most all of the readers can relate to one tribe. However, many also

relate to some of the characters. Are there any new characters

introduced that you think readers will be able to relate to?

A: I hope so! There are some new characters in Water - ones that were mentioned in Wind, but maybe didn't play a big part yet. (Is it too much of a giveaway that my cousins Hannah and Lilley LOVED the characters named after them in Water?) A LOT has been happening on the Island since Whit and Company left, so there are some minor characters who have become major players. Fans of Thomas the Waterboy might get a little more of a close-up on his character and those blue, blue eyes... just sayin'...

Q: Let’s face it, everybody is either on Team Gabriel or Team Caleb. Is that rivalry still as pronounced in Water as it was in Wind?

A: HECK. YES. Enough said.

Q: As an author, how was writing Water a different experience?

A: Totally different... it took me longer to finish - TWO WHOLE YEARS! I think I bared a lot of my own soul in this book - differently than I did in Wind. The conflicts center around some very personal issues for me (fish phobia included) so writing this book was WAY more emotional. I was dissolved into tears on more than one occasion (as my Facebook readers might recall on late summer nights when I was writing. Ha.) I had to kill off characters for the first time and that was really hard... but it was always the plan since the inception of the series. No backing out... (I keep telling myself this as I look ahead to the next half of the series... some things MUST be done, no matter how difficult they are for the author. The story must maintain its integrity.)

Q: Character growth- Do you think your characters have matured in some

ways between novels? If so, can you give us examples without giving

anything away?

A: Yes... maturity must happen to the best of us. Haha. As my mom was reading Water, she said she REALLY liked Whitnee in this book - her words: "She knows what she wants and she goes after it... no crying, no wasting time... She drives the whole story." I also think readers will understand more about Morgan and Caleb and what it is like to be the other two-thirds of the trio. They are each unique and have their own set of issues, which was fun to expose more about...

Q: What did you find the most difficult thing about writing Water?

A: I don't think I can answer this without giving away a major plot spoiler. Ask me this again after Water is out because the answer is interesting...

Q: Are there any loose ends in the plot from Wind that are tied up in

Water? Or do most story lines keep on going through the sequel?

A: Water wraps up a lot of things nicely - at least I think so. I walk away from Water feeling a bit more settled than I did with Wind. But I always intended the series to be that way. Wind and Water together... and then those two other elements together (which I won't say in case somebody thinks I'm giving away which one comes next... haha.) But even though Water has a nice ending, there are still some major things to resolve and answer before the series can officially end. It's like the temporary calm before the storm, maybe??

Q: Whitnee v. Abrianna: Is that battle still intense?!

A: Of course... but it displays itself differently in Water. And I daresay readers might see a bit more in Abrianna that makes sense... if that even makes sense.

Q: A crazed fan has you at water gun point and demands that you say ONE

WORD that is significant to Water but doesn’t give anything away. What

word is that?

A: "REBELLION!!"

Q: Is there anything different you want your readers to take away

from Water that they maybe didn’t get from Wind?

A: I think I want people to have hope... to see that life often cycles in directions for a purpose... that even the really horrible things people go through can serve a greater purpose if they let it. I know my faith in God plays a big part in these themes... Though it's never expressly said in the story, the worldview is there. God has a plan and we have a free will - so what do we do with that?

Okay guys, if you want the FULL STORY of Krissi’s publishing deal, there is a nice little post on her blog about it. Check it out!

Until next time,

Sarah Aerodorian

Well, now that you kind of know what's going on....

Let's talk about what you think will happen!!!

Right now, Krissi Dallas is busy writing away on her second novel: WATER. At the end of WIND, there were some questions left unanswered and some new discoveries made. 

So I've decided, I want to know what everyone predicts will happen, or what they hope will happen in the sequel. I'm thinking that Whitnee will once again come face to face with Abrianna and have a total showdown! Or maybe, they will have a heart to heart? I'm sorry, but I can't give up on Abrianna yet, I'm still not convinced that she is completely evil. Also, I have the feeling that maybe Whitnee will actually see her dad in this novel; but I don't think that she will be able to save him. And here is what I want to happen: Gabriel and Caleb meet and get into a major fight over Whitnee. There is tons of yelling and a full-out brawl, with Caleb throwing the first punch. And then Gabriel would totally school him by using his amazing Pyra-powers and send Caleb home realizing that he isn't cool. At all. 

So those are my predictions and wants, what are YOURS? Let me know what you think! Will Whitnee find a new island boy to fall in love with? Maybe, since the book is titled WATER, Whitnee will get lost in Hydrodora and can't escape. Or, maybe Eli will have a freak-out moment, cross over to the Mainland, and start throwing fire all around Camp Fusion! 

Remember, anything is possible on the White Island.

-Sarah

Quotes!!

Phantom Island: Wind is written so that the reader sees the story line from the main characters point of view. The readers feel the emotions and storyline through Whitnee's thoughts, actions, but most definitely words. Rereading through my book, I found alot of quotes said by a few characters that really caught my eye.

"Baby Doll, I need you to listen to me! You're in danger. Whatever you do dont cross the river. Stay with your friends and they can't get you! You don't even know how special you are. I wish I could make you understand." I personally like this quote, said in Whitnee's fathers voice, because it is mysterious and intriguing. I am a sucker for mystery and if i heard my supposed dead father warn me not to do something through a dream, I would honestly be freaked out just like Whitnee. I like it because reading between the lines it holds a secret that has yet to be revealed and kept my mind guessing. This quote to me helped set up Whitnee's adventure overall.

So now its YOUR turn to scan through your book, and find what quotes YOU like. Why do you like it? Who said it? Do you think it holds any significance overall? Feel free to share your ideas and thoughts!!

LOVE ALWAYS!
Sara :)

PHOBIAS!!!

In Phantom Island, Whitnee suffers from a severe case of Ickthyophobia, better known as the fear of fish. Although it may seem like a strange, pathetic fear, it does affect her life and decisions that she makes. This fear is based on Krissi's fear of fish (you can read her reasons on her personal blog!)

I can totally sympathize with Whitnee! I too suffer from this irrational fear of fish. It's kind of a long story(not that long) involving a pet fish , but maybe sometime I'll tell you!

What I want NOW is for YOU to share your phobias! Maybe some of you have common phobias: Achluophobia(darkness), Arachnophobia(spiders), or Hypsiphobia(heights). Or maybe, you suffer from "strange" phobias: Didaskaleinophobia(going to school), Consectotaleophobia(chopsticks), or something else. 

If you have a story behind your fear, feel free to tell it! Also, we know what Whitnee's fear is, what do you think the other characters are afraid of? Maybe Gabriel lives on the island so he isn't around clowns....

For a list of phobia names go to: www.phobialist.com

Love always,

Sarah

Caleb vs. Gabriel

It's been a little more than a month since the release of Phantom Island:Wind and I just want to say congrats to Krissi. In this short amount of time she has already done eight author appearances in seven cities and she has four more events coming this summer. Phantom Island also reached #1 bestseller on Authorhouse.com. This is a major accomplishment in such a small amount of time and I'm sure we will continue to see many more as the word spreads about Phantom Island.


We have recently started a challenge to sell 10,000 copies of Phantom Island: Wind. Make sure to spread the word so we can reach our goal! Every person you tell is one more book sale! If we are all doing this together, we can get there.



Now I'm going to start our first blog discussion. That means that I'm going to post a subject that is relevant to Phantom Island and I want YOU to comment on the post and tell me what you think about it. Let me remind you that the comments are just opinions; no one is right or wrong and do NOT put down anyone's comment. You can say you agree or disagree, but either way, DON'T let it get out of hand. With that said, our first blog discussion IS....(drumroll ;) )

CALEB VS GABRIEL

Which guy do you think is right for Whitnee and why? Make sure to comment and let us know!

This first month for Phantom Island has been great. Thank you to everyone for your support and please keep spreading the word. Don't forget to check out http://www.krissidallas.com/ for more details and extras on the book. I hope everyone has an awesome summer!

-Billy(Pyradorian)

THROUGH THE PORTAL with Krissi: Part II - The Personal Questions

What’s your favorite color?

Pink, duh.

Do you speak another language other than english?

Spanish - a little.

If you could have any super power in the world, what would it be?

To control the Wind into making me fly!

Who’s your favorite actor/actress?

I so cannot answer this - I have too many favorites. I have always loved Christian Bale, (ever seen Newsies?) but I was not a fan of his recent emotional outburst on the set of Terminator. (Must be a Pyra.) I do love that Zac Efron kid. He acts, sings, dances ... so much fun to watch!! And I think Reese Witherspoon is a doll. I would want her to play me in movie about me. :) She'd make me much cuter.

Favorite band?

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE ONE? I have to plug Project H - my friend's band and the band that allowed me to use their music for my book trailer. They're amazing! Check them out at myspace.com/ProjectHBand - they'll be big someday soon. As for what's pop right now - any rock alternative band with good melodies I can sing and jam along with. Nickelback, Red, Skillet, Paramore, Lesley Roy, Daughtry ... the list keeps going.

Favorite book? (Besides Phantom Island, of course!)

I love Harry Potter books and can reread them all the time and they never get old. And of course, thanks to Sarah, I was a part of the original Twilight bandwagon... recently I've been reading the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan (FUN STUFF!) and the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter - I so want to be a spy girl genius!! Those are my top picks right now.

What’s your hometown?

San Antonio, Texas - home of the Alamo, baby. (And the delicious Alamo Cafe.)

If you received $10,000,000 what would you do with it?

Spend it on people who NEED it. Right now, my needs are taken care of. There are a lot of people in slavery in other countries right now who need rescuing. (Check out the International Justice Mission, who is taking some amazing strides in this area - www.ijm.org) Sam and I also feel very burdened about people who do not have good drinking water across the world - this is a huge problem and something we care about. There are so many worthy causes that need the support - I cannot possibly dream of spending that much money on myself. Although, I do wish to someday take complete care of my mom and her expenses for all the sacrifices she has made for me in my life...

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

At the grocery story? Vanilla bean ... with rainbow sprinkles.

At Marble Slab? Cheesecake ... with rainbow sprinkles. (Rainbow sprinkles make the whole world better.)

Do you sing in the shower?

Actually, no. I sing everywhere else. But I cannot adequately support my vocals when washing my hair. And my acoustics aren't that great in the shower - can't control pitch very well in there.

If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only take one thing, what would it be?

Lotion - I have really dry skin that would drive me nuts.

Favorite Starbucks drink?

Vanilla Bean Frappuccino

Where did you get the names for your dogs, Elphie and Luna?

Elphaba is named after the heroine in the Broadway show, Wicked - she is strong and pure-hearted, and it seemed like the right name for our firstborn Yorkie. Luna is named after quirky, endearing Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter series - one of my favorite characters! (And Sarah is her godmother.)

Favorite clothing store?

Ann Taylor. And, of course, the endless supply of t-shirts that we make for our ministry, school, and now Phantom.

Do you like cats?

Nope. Allergic.

Where did you go to college?

Oklahoma Baptist University - GO WITH KA-RIP!

Favorite Broadway musical?

Wicked!! But I also love the classics, too, like Phantom of the Opera.

Do you have any siblings?

Yes- I have a younger brother named Kevin. He's a Geo who towers over me at 6'4'' with blond hair and blue eyes. I'm very proud of my lil bro.

Did you enjoy the new Star Trek movie, or have you not seen it?

Yes!! I think I am now a J.J. Abrams version of a Trekkie.

What’s your favorite movie? Does the story line look lame next to Phantom Island: Wind?

Again, HOW DO YOU PICK??? I'll tell you the ones I never get tired of ... Harry Potter movies, Lord of the Rings movies, Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Shrek movies... all entertaining and fun. And no, those are not lame story lines!

Live long and prosper!

--Sarah

The Portal Has Opened! (FINALLY)

May 11, 2009 marked the official release of Phantom Island: Wind. YAY! I've been at both book signing events so far and let me just say, the amount of support for the book has been amazing. At school people are already coming up to me, gushing about the book and the characters. It has been thrilling watching all of the events we have been waiting for since November start to play out! I am in the process of re-reading the book and I am spotting things I didn't quite catch the first time. Now that everyone else is reading it, I can finally spill about my crush on Gabriel and how I think Caleb should get a clue and shut up. (That's my personal opinion. Caleb fans, please don't hurt me!) Anyways, I am about to give you the interview of the year. In fact, it's so intense that I am splitting it into two posts. (I don't want you to be overwhelmed by the awe-inspiring answers to the questions!) So leave your thoughts and comments and check back in a few days for the rest of the interview! As always, remember to check out www.krissidallas.com for pictures from book signings, new event information, and everything else!


Through The Portal With Krissi Dallas, part one. (Book questions)

What was the major inspiration for writing Phantom Island: Wind?
My work with teenagers first made me want to write a YA series - the show Lost comes into play on initial subject matter ideas - and the final inspiration for my main characters was definitely out of the very awesome, loyal, and close-knit relationship I have with my own two best friends, Melody and Sam.

What was the writing process like?
Soooo much fun! Every day was an adventure when I was writing Phantom. I would sometimes write in the dark well into the wee hours of the night. Then go to sleep, dream about it, wake up super early just to get back into it. Most of the morning was spent editing what I had written late. Then I had my personal quiet time, reading my Bible and praying. Then it was nap time until I got up again and wrote some more. When I was out and about during the day, I would just mull over where I was heading next, and I'd play my music loud until I felt empowered and inspired again!!

So most of the characters in the book are based on real-life people. Are there any characters that aren’t?
Oh, yes! I have yet to meet someone EXACTLY like Mr. Hottie-With-A-Naughty-Body Gabriel. (haha) He is a figment of my imagination even though I have known some people with his kind of intensity. Abrianna is also not based on anyone in particular I know ... in fact, most of the Island characters are not based on real life people, and I think that's because the Island is not like our world ... they have their own way of communicating and relating to each other. They even speak differently - more formally. (You'll notice that all I did was remove any contractions in their dialogue and it naturally formalized their voices.)

How did you come up with the idea to have the tribes correspond to the four elements?
The four elements have been a pop-culture interest for years and years. I started liking the idea of each element having to do with personality and I just kind of went from there. (My friends made fun of me at first, wondering if there would be any Captain Planet rings to go with the book..."When your powers combine... I am CAPTAIN PLANET!) LOL.

In the book, what movie was showing the night the kids transported?
Haven't thought this one through - something young and fun and family-friendly. If it were up to me, I'd pick a High School Musical movie. LOVE THEM!! :) Life should always be like that - where we bust out into song and dance whenever the moment strikes.

What store did Whitnee and Morgan shop at for their camp clothes?
Whitnee would definitely have shopped at AERO, for sure. LOL.

What starbucks drinks would each character have been drinking?
Great question - this actually comes out in the sequel... so I don't want to say exactly. But I will say in early manuscripts of Wind, Whitnee mentioned how she hates coffee (she's me, after all!), but loves tea. Morgan would like any kind of flavored coffee. And Caleb likes whatever he gets - as long as it's loaded up with sugar.

What position did Caleb play in football?
Wide receiver - I picture Caleb as a lean, fast runner.

What actor would you have play Gabriel?
AHHH! I haven't found him yet. I'm open to suggestions, though. I've had people mention anyone from Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) to Channing Tatum (Step Up) to some other random guy I can't think of. He should be somewhat Italian-looking, I think... I don't know. We'll leave that to casting directors if Phantom ever makes the big screen!

This whole experience of writing the book must be exciting, what is the best part so far?
The best part is finding out how much people love the book!! Seriously, I am so overwhelmed by the reponses I've been getting from teens to adults to grandparents. It's crazy nuts (to quote my friend, Jaclyn.) But I have to say - I love knowing that other people are falling in love with my characters, too. It's not just me who loves them and is rooting for them.



The deep, personal questions will be up in a few days. Until then, live long and prosper(:
-Sarah