Tell us a little about yourself: your background, random fun facts, how you first started writing, how long you’ve been writing.

Hey, thank you so much for having me. My name’s Crystal North and I’m a British romance author living in the South West of England. I share my home with my aging puppy, my man-child husband, and my son, who has just started school.

I used to be a secondary school English teacher, which I did for about twelve years and loved, teaching everyone from the ages 11-18. I actually completed my first book while I was on maternity leave back in 2019 and haven’t looked back since. I just released my 18th book in September.

In the dreaded 2020 I left teaching and started work in a primary school to spend more time with my little one, but in June this year I left education for good to focus on writing full time because the demand for what I do was there.

So what do I do? 

A little bit of everything, within the romance genre, I guess. I specialise in reverse harem stories with savage cliffhangers that keep my masochist readers coming back for more. If I don’t get messages of tears, screaming and kindle throwing, I consider myself to have failed. My team say my unique selling point is my ability to bring complex, flawed and real characters to life, and to make you feel every emotion on the page right alongside the characters.

Tell us about your upcoming or most recently released book.

I’ve always got several projects on the go at once – most authors do – but I just released the second book in my Santa Catalina University series. It’s part of a shared world with some amazing other authors, and my first book in the series, Silenced, has been really popular. 

The idea behind the shared world is that the university is home to both humans and all kinds of supernatural beings – with the former having no idea that the latter exist. It creates some fun romance, that’s for sure!

My character, Malia-Tarni, is a troubled human with a traumatic past. She’s had every diagnosis thrown at her by her parents (autism & schizophrenia to name but two) and yet no one can explain the voices she hears in her head: the thoughts of others. As you can imagine, this makes her incredibly socially awkward and quite blunt at times – usually with hilarious results.

She follows her best friend to SCU to get away from her parents and finds herself drawn to several guys who bring her inexplicable peace – and sometimes rage and torment! However, all is not as it seems, because of course, she doesn’t know that the men she’s tangled with are anything but human, and they don’t know that she’s anything but normal…or that the fate of not just one world, but two, hangs in the balance of their fragile relationship.

Who is your favorite character in your book/series? Why?

My next release is an omnibus edition of my first series, Vengeance, with lots of bonus content, deleted scenes and extras. My favourite character of all time is from this series: Baxter Branson. He’s also fortunate enough to pop up in some of my other series: All That Remains and Knox Academy.

Why do I love him? He’s a stabby psychopath with a tiny little splinter of gold wedged inside his coal-black heart. He has to be met to be believed, but he’s definitely a fan favourite! Aside from being dark, deadly and deliciously sexy, he’s an incredibly complex character to write. On the one hand, he’s a lone wolf, on the other, he’s steadfastly loyal to the few people in his life he deems worthy. He picks up a bff he can’t seem to shake no matter how much he claims to want to (spoiler alert: he doesn’t, he loves her) and he finds himself caught up in a harem with brother husbands and playing the role of surrogate daddy – albeit a very dark one. What’s not to love?

Despite the series technically being finished, there’s more Baxter to come because his particular story isn’t done being told yet, and I love that about him. Also, he likes to lurk in the shadows of those other series I mentioned so you can expect more cameo roles from him in future too.

What is your writing process? Show us a day (or week) in the life.

I mean, it’s kind of chaos. Up until a couple of months ago writing was a hobby I used to fit in when I could. Now it’s my actual  job that’s an adjustment I’m yet to get used to! 

Being an author is SO much more than just writing, and all the admin is crazy time-consuming. Typically though, a day in my life goes: wake up, check messenger for urgent correspondence & check social media. Get up, get ready, do real life stuff, complete the school run. 

Once I’m home, I check my emails and deal with anything that arises from there. This is also usually the best time to catch my PA because she’s Australian and time zones suck. If we’re close to release, I check in with my amazing team too. If a book is in editing, I’ll message my editor now too before she starts work.

Then it’s about 10am so it’s time to write. I write on my phone. Yes, I have a Mac and a very posh iPad, but I still default to writing on my phone because it’s a habit now. I also love to write in the bath, so the waterproof phone is practical for that. I tend to stay in the bath until I resemble a shrivelled up old raisin, or until I’ve completed whatever mental deadline I’ve set myself (finish a chapter, x amount of words or similar). There’s a lot of being distracted during this time. I’m like a goldfish with an attention deficit problem. My goal is 1000 words a day – which is good for me, 3000 words a day is a great day and anything over 5000 is a unicorn.

I then write from the sofa until I have to pick my little one up for school, most of the time forgetting to eat unless I’m snacking on chocolate, and then I continue writing in the evenings as a way to unwind while hubby watches football or plays PlayStation. Sometimes I even have the evening ‘off’ to watch something with him, or to read for pleasure, but mostly not writing time for me entails doing all the social media and admin part of authoring.

What keeps you motivated to write?

Very little actually, other than how much I enjoy it. It’s like a compulsion; I HAVE to write to be happy. Otherwise I get twitchy and restless, and my husband would tell you, an absolute nightmare to live with.

I guess now I’m full time, there’s a responsibility (read:pressure!) to write/earn, but mostly it’s my PA and deadlines that keep me on track. I need the pressure to make me perform.

I struggle the most after a big release when I’m burnt out and exhausted and clearly need to take a break, but my heart is screaming at me to write and my brain is crying “what???”

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I mean, I pretty much always write! If I’m not doing real life or mum stuff, I love to read. I would love to pick back up some of my old crafting projects but mostly I enjoy binge watching shows. I’m really keen on holistic therapies such as crystal healing and reiki so I like to practise those skills and qualifications that I have, though I’ll admit it’s been a while. I also waste an insane amount of time scrolling social media and growing my tbr pile because of booktok! But tell me an author who doesn’t. 

What subgenres or tropes are your favorites to read?

I love anything dark. I have no triggers. MF or RH. I really love bully books and anything taboo. The darker the better! I guess I’m more into contemporary, real-life stuff, but occasionally I lose myself in the world of paranormal romance. I’m also a sucker for rereading books. Because you know it’s good and sometimes the pressure of choosing what to read just makes me too anxious/overwhelmed so it’s nice to slip back into an old friend like your comfiest pair of pjs, right?

Are you a cat person or a dog person?

Do I have to just pick one? I’ve always been a cat person, but my husband is a dog person. We used to have a cat who thought it was a dog, and now we have a dog who thinks he’s a cat. To be honest, they’re both a pain in the ass, but not as much as a kid and a husband. 

Umm, so on reflection I guess I’m choosing books! They’re far less hassle. Who’s with me?

What’s your reading drink and snack of choice?

Chocolate & a can of coke. Occasionally I might splurge and go wild with a cocktail or alcoholic drink. I love a pornstar martini, a mojito, and either a toffee apple rum and coke or an amaretto and coke when I’m in the mood.

Weirdly, despite being British, I don’t drink tea. And despite being a teacher, I don’t drink coffee. In the winter you can catch me with a fully loaded hot chocolate though, packing all my daily calorie allowance into one hot drink, while giving zero—

Where is your perfect reading spot?

Anywhere my phone is. My favourite is to read in the bath, but my sofa is pretty comfy too. We also recently got this GIANT beanbag which came with its own footstool (sounds crazy, but I don’t know how I lived without one before) and it’s insanely comfortable, especially with a fluffy blanket chucked over me. So that might become my new favourite. I also read in bed every night before I go to sleep as well. 

What’s your favorite book / #1 comfort re-read / the #1 book you recommend to everyone?

The reason why I write within the #whychoose genre is because I’m horrible at picking anything (see my above answer about cats v dogs) gah! 

Okay so my favourites/recommends include (but are not limited to): 

• Harry Potter & Little Women (for comfort)
• The Wrath and The Dawn (for something YA and a bit overlooked)
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz (for something heartbreakingly real)
• Darling Venom (for ugly crying)
• Pen Pal (for something unexpected)
• Glitch (for all the spice)

And anything by these authors: Tate James, Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti, Lilith Vincent, Sheridan Anne and J Bree (for your romance fix). They’re my one click bitches. If I’m allowed to say bitches? Twice. Ooops. They’re my one click bishes? Witches? Let’s go witches. ‘Tis the spooky season and all that.

I guess I should also recommend my books too! My PA said I should. I have a Halloween one, Trick or Treat, which just got this stunning new cover and a reformat, so you should definitely check that out. 

Who or what has had the most influence on you as a writer?

I guess just a love of reading from early childhood. Dreams. My experiences. I didn’t tell anyone I was publishing initially but when they found out, my dad started to read my first book (he soon stopped) but he said he loved seeing references to my childhood in my books. My mum told him to stop telling people that in case they got the wrong idea! But I guess there’s a little bit of the real me in every book, character and event that I write. That won’t ever change. At this point my personality is 99% my fmcs and 1% who even is Crystal anymore?! 

Where can readers find you online?