Khristin Wierman

Khristin Wierman was born and raised in a small East Texas town–which means she came into the world a Dallas Cowboys fan and ardently believes “y’all” is a legitimate pronoun. She spent twenty years rising through the marketing ranks of Fortune 500 companies, building a career that was lucrative, ego-boosting, and a little bit soul-crushing. So she quit. And had no idea what to do with her life. Writing ensued. Some things she really enjoys are playing golf with her husband and stepson, poker, yoga, chocolate, the Golden State Warriors, and the daily adventure of life with an adorably imperfect cat named Rocco. She lives in Oakland, California.

What was your inspiration for This Time Could Be Different?

I’d recently left the corporate world and, for the first time in my life, had the opportunity to choose what I’d like to do next—instead of what other people needed or expected from me. As I considered a new career, I found myself staring at a blank wall. Which was unsettling for so many reasons: Why couldn’t I imagine myself without a job like my old one, which I never consciously chose or enjoyed? Then the bigger blow: How was it that I’d solely defined myself by that career?

I began writing as a creative way to use my mind differently and figure out my next career move. From the first scene, I realized that maybe writing the novel was where I was headed all along.

Is This Time Could Be Different a memoir?

No. Although I’m frequently asked that question. I certainly leveraged much of my own direct experience, but I absolutely adore writing fiction because of the agency it provides—to unwind from what happened in the past; for people to be better than, perhaps, they were; and for everyone to create happier endings for themselves.

What was your favorite scene to write?

Madeline’s meltdowns were a lot of fun, especially the one she has in the florist shop where she ultimately confronts her worst fears—in front of a room full of strangers—and finds that what she was most terrified of isn’t true at all.

Was This Time Could Be Different a significant departure from your first novel, Buck’s Pantry?

In some ways, yes, in some ways, no. The stories are unrelated, yet they both deal with how we free ourselves from the knots of our past, which is what I’m most interested in writing about—especially when our traumas occurred underneath the surfaces of what appear to be a very nice lives. I like stories where characters succeed and become who and how they really choose to be in the world.

In This Time Could Be Different, I drew from my own corporate experience and the process of figuring out how to find a vocation that I actually enjoyed. In Buck’s Pantry, I drew from my experience growing up in Texas with a mother who suffered from mental illness. So, both are quite close to my heart.

What’s next for you?

I am currently writing my third novel—new characters, a new story but certainly playing with the themes of recovering from our past, taking agency over our own life, and creating positive change.

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Visit Khristin on her website: 
https://khristinwierman.com
Follow Khristin on Instagram: 
www.instagram.com/khristin.wierman
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Connect with Khristin on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/khristin-wierman-39a09a11

LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/This-Time-Could-Be-Different/dp/1684632161