Interview with Author KM Walton!

About Cracked:

Sometimes there's no easy way out.

Victor hates his life. He has no friends, gets beaten up at school, and his parents are always criticizing him. Tired of feeling miserable, Victor takes a bottle of his mother's sleeping pills—only to wake up in the hospital.

Bull is angry, and takes all of his rage out on Victor. That makes him feel better, at least a little. But it doesn't stop Bull's grandfather from getting drunk and hitting him. So Bull tries to defend himself with a loaded gun.

When Victor and Bull end up as roommates in the same psych ward, there's no way to escape each other or their problems. Which means things are going to get worse—much worse—before they get better…

About KM Walton:

K. M. had a gazillion dreams when she was a little girl. Her biggest dream was to be a teacher. Teaching became a reality for K. M. and she taught for twelve glorious years – some of it in Osteen, Florida and most of it in Springfield, Pennsylvania. But, it turns out writing is her favorite thing to do. Even the hard parts – and there are a lot of hard parts. 

My Interview with KM Walton: 

Welcome to Rex Robot Reviews! We're happy to have you here. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind Victor's story? 

I am definitely happy to be here, Julia. The inspiration for Victor’s story came from a T-chart. One side was for the bully and one side was for the victim. I filled each side with stream of conscious ideas and after a while Victor emerged. I knew he had to be the opposite of Bull in order for the alternating point of view to work. Victor is a gentle soul and has been floating through life un-tethered by love. He is alone, un-loved, and his story breaks my heart. 

What are five songs that can be found on Victor's favorite playlist? 

Definitely EVERYTHING’S NOT LOST by Coldplay. Actually, I’m pretty sure he’d have that one on a constant loop and listen to it over and over and over again. 

If you could choose a character from another story to hang out with Victor, who would you choose and why? 

Victor could seriously benefit from a Ron Weasley. Ron would stick up for him and be there in Victor’s darkest hours. He has a lot of dark hours. 

Can you tell us three fun facts about yourself? 

I detest putting on eye makeup—especially mascara—but, I do love how I look when I actually put it on. I am an empathetic reader and constantly put myself in the main characters’ shoes. For instance, I cried like a raving lunatic after reading The Bridges of Madison County. I truly couldn’t get a hold of myself for hours. Sitting on the beach at sunset is my idea of perfection. 

Thanks for stopping by! Any other releases or books in progress that you're excited about? 

Yes! My editor, Annette Pollert, at Simon Pulse, has bought a second contemporary YA. 

Here’s the Publisher’s Marketplace announcement: 

CRACKED author K.M. Walton's untitled next novel, in which an overweight teen's life starts spiraling out of control when she is bullied and abused, to Annette Pollert at Simon Pulse, by Sarah LaPolla at Curtis Brown. 

Thank you very much for hosting me today, Julia. Your questions were fun to answer!

Check out CRACKED on Amazon!