Author Bio:

Stephen Kristof is a Writer/Author who has built a strong foundation of diverse insights during his extensive career. He has held various capacities related to media, management, education, professional consulting and creative arts. Along the way, he has had the privilege to guide, assist and educate people of all ages and from every walk of life.

Stephen bounces across genres of fiction and non-fiction with ease and facility. As an author of fiction, his vivid imagination comes to life with fascinating stories, richly-developed characters and captivating scenarios. Whether writing romance, adventure, fantasy, mystery, crime, passion, paranormal or feel-good nostalgia, Stephen is equally comfortable and prolific. He's also adept writing serious and relevant non-fiction works that are provocative, inspirational, hopeful and personally profound.
 
His interesting career history spans several widely-varied roles, including teaching journalism and media studies, owning and operating a local advertising and public relations firm, managing a bustling career consulting company, serving as a supervisory consultant with a Fortune 500 company, voicing a weekly column on local radio, working for a national broadcaster, operating a popular photography skills website, and more.
His academic background includes university degrees in Media/Communications and Education, along with graduate level studies and various certifications. For leisure, he loves to wear his photographer hat to create artistic images. When he puts down his camera, he’s often up to his elbows in soil as he tends to his landscaping and many gardens. He also has an unquenchable affinity for sandy beaches and warm, salty breezes!
 
Beyond all of that busy and creative stuff, Stephen’s most important priorities in life are his family and his spirituality. He loves nothing more than being a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, nephew and brother-in-law, while celebrating the gift of life and love with his family and friends.

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Interview with Stephen

Find out more about Stephen's thoughts on his new book and on writing in general.

(Interview recently featured on PrettyHot.com)

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Who is Stephen Kristof? Still trying to figure-out that one. What do you want to be when you grow up? Ditto. Seriously, I’ve been blessed to have experienced so many interesting things in my career and to have the opportunity to be the quintessential “family man” at the same time. I recently retired from the ‘formal’ part of my career, but it’s looking more like I’ve merely pivoted to the next phase of it; being an author. Previous career stops include management, advertising, education, consulting, public relations, broadcasting, photography and more. Phew! I have just published my first mass-market book, although I have written professionally throughout my career. I look forward to continuing to touch readers through many more books down the road.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Feeling Normal Again; A Post-Pandemic Guide to Emotional Health. Having lived through nearly two years of this dreadful scourge that we’ve come to know as “Covid-19”, and talked with people in different situations, it became clear to me that so many people are struggling to simply feel normal again. Upon doing further research, I learned that this is a world-wide phenomenon, with multiple millions of people from all walks of life sharing the same feelings and suffering from similar emotional difficulties. I was inspired to write this book by the desire to help others understand how Covid has impacted them, and to help them heal and restore hope.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to be easily distracted by errant sounds while I’m writing. While it’s probably not that unusual for authors in general, it must be annoying for my family members who may be at home while I’m writing!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Deepak Chopra, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Nicholas Kristof, Mitch Albom, Ebam Alexander, Thomas Merton

What are you working on now?
I published a series of humorous columns on a previous blog, called Go Figure with Steve Kristof. Most of the columns were basically short stories that most people could relate to, with a funny and often unexpected twist. I’m presently updating some of the older gems and writing mostly brand new material to include in a compilation book of the same name. Looking toward an Autumn 2022 publication date. Our world really needs some humor!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As a new book author, I honestly would not recommend that anyone follow my strategy for book promotion! I am at the trial and error stage, and I have a lot more to learn. Having said this, I firmly believe that the more tentacles you put out, the greater the chance that you’ll reach prospective readers in your market.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It’s exhilarating to see your first book in print! However, be prepared for a post-writing promotion stage that is probably more involved and more challenging than you realize. Your new job is that of a full-time marketer. Get to work if you want to sell any books. Do a ton of research on successful authors’ marketing techniques and emulate what they do.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Be the best self you can be and then believe in yourself.”
“Many people search for the meaning of life. Never lose sight of why we are here. We are here to make a positive impact on other people. Period.”
“Wake up every day and thank God for the opportunity to live another day. Make the most of that day.”
There you go. Not one, but three pieces of advice I think are pretty profound. I can’t choose; can you?

What are you reading now?
I started reading Eric Clapton’s autobiography 7 months ago and it’s been staring at me ever since! It was at about the same time that I got my inspiration to write Feeling Normal Now and I haven’t looked back. My uncle used to say, “Time is the great enemy.” I thought I understood what he meant, but only now am I beginning to fully appreciate his sentiment.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I loved writing Feeling Normal Again and, although the book is all about healing and hope, I had to trudge through a lot of research and news about the pandemic and mental health, which was quite intense since we were all still living in the pandemic. The result is tremendously positive in terms of how much it offers the reader and restores a sense of normality. However, I’m really enjoying writing my next book, which is a much less serious and way more humorous work.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Thomas Merton – Spiritual Direction and Meditation

​(content credited to PrettyHot.com book recommendation site)