Today I have the privilege of welcoming C.R. Fulton to my blog for an author interview! 

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LB: Your Campground Kids series was how I first heard of you. My family loves outdoor adventure stories! Why did you decide to write a series that takes place in America’s National Parks?

CRF: Liz, thank you so much for having me on! There is actually a funny story about how the Campground Kids started. I had met a publisher who was looking at nine of my other books. He said he was really looking for something new, and that he had a specific idea in mind. He said he was looking for someone to write a camping series. My hand was in the air like ‘It’s me, it’s me!’

My husband and I had lived off grid for 12 years making our own electricity, pumping our own water and growing our own food. People would ask me if I wanted to go camping. I would always tell them, “No, my entire life is camping!” Anyway, all of those experiences added up to a perfect fit for the Campground Kids!

LB: That’s so cool that you knew you could write a camping series after your full-time camping lifestyle! How has your family’s time spent traveling in an RV shaped your writing? How has the experience shaped you?

CRF: We spent a lot of time in an RV! For over four years, my husband was traveling for work. We would move the RV every two weeks or so. I am a homeschool mom of two wonderful kids and it was an excellent experience for them as well. We got to see the entire East Coast! The kids and I would go out and do all the zoos and museums and then move on to a new city and do it all again! We had a blast. 

But four people and three dogs in one camper is a lot sometimes! But, you have to learn to just roll with things, let the kids’ stuff take up the couch or your bed during the day while they’re playing. You just have to be okay with things the way they are! Now we are fixing up the house with acreage so we can expand a little!

LB: Four people and three dogs in an RV sounds very character-building, and those experiences sound fantastic! What role do you believe fiction plays in the lives of young readers?

CRF: Well, I do know what role fiction played in my life. When I was young, my mom could not keep enough books in front of me. I was an avid reader. And I was always searching for that book. You know, the one I really, really wanted to read. But I never found it. At some point I decided I would write it! 

So, for my life, reading sparked the desire to write. You know how God says He will give us the desires of our heart? Well, writing was never a desire in my head. But God knew what was in my heart even when I didn’t. He knew writing was what He made me to do. It just took me a little while to catch up!

LB: I’m glad you followed God’s nudge to write! Can readers find any nuggets of your real life tucked into your fiction books?

CRF: Yes! There are so many experiences of mine in every book! I have a medieval adventure series coming out soon and one of the key scenes in there actually happened to me. The main character needs to escape a dungeon and they give her a small cup of gruel to eat. There is a huge beetle inside that she ends up using to escape.

That one actually happened to me. I was drinking hot tea one day, and gulped the last swig. There was something that was definitely NOT tea in my mouth! I spewed it all over the counter! There was this giant centipede, and it had been in my mouth! Thankfully, it was dead! 

I think your writing is enhanced by every experience you have!

LB: Haha, that is an experience worth writing about! Is there an overarching takeaway or theme that you hope readers gain from your books? 

CRF: I always want readers to finish my books with a soaring happiness and a deep sense of satisfaction. Even though I write cross genre, (with kids’ outdoor adventure, cozy mystery with an essential oil twist, medieval adventure, and military sci-fi,) each book takes readers on a journey to find things that are truly important in life!

LB: Very cool! What writing project(s) are you currently working on?

CRF: There are 11 Campground Kid’s books written, and the new ones should be available by this July! Right now, I am working on a supersecret new series! I can’t wait until my contract allows me to tell you what it is! I am also looking forward to adding to my medieval adventure series soon!

LB: Sounds like we should stay tuned! Where can readers find you? 

CRF: My website is under construction, but here is the address, crfultonbooks.com

I am not on social media very often, and though I do have pages there, I almost never check them! The best way to stay in touch is through my newsletter, (you can sign up on my website)! And don’t forget to follow me on Bookbub, Amazon, and Goodreads to stay up to date on new releases and deals!

LB: Thank you for the fun interview!

CRF: Thank you so much for the opportunity!

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Join best selling, award winning author, C.R. Fulton for exciting reads! For the past four years. C.R. Fulton has traveled the East Coast in an RV with her husband, two kids and three pups. It has been a wild ride and has provided loads of inspiration for books! She is the author of twenty four novels and loves some serious bass in her earbuds while writing. She is an inspirational speaker to youth and adults alike. You can connect with her at www.crfultonbooks.com

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Readers, comment below with your favorite book by C.R. Fulton 🙂