Krysten Lindsay Hager on Breaking Free of Expectations to Find Her Own Path | S5 EP239: Book Banter Podcast
A Conversation with Krysten Lindsay Hager About Growing Up, Finding Your Voice, and Writing Cinnamon Roll Characters.
Menu: Listen to Today's Episode • Episode Soundbite video • Book Banter Magazine
Hello My Happy People,
Today I have another incredible author for you! Every once in a while, I have an interview where I spend almost as much time laughing with my guest as I do asking questions. My conversation with Krysten Lindsay Hager was definitely one of those interviews.
Krysten has written books for young readers to new adult and her most recent publications focus on young adult, contemporary romance. Her books focus heavily on growing up, self-esteem, friendships, relationships, and finding your own place in the world.
One of the things I found most interesting about Krysten was discovering just how much we have in common while also realizing how completely different we were in some very important ways.
Growing up, Krysten wanted to fit in. She talked about spending years trying to be the person she thought the world expected her to be. I was pretty much the exact opposite. I was the kid who wanted to stand out and had very little interest in being like everyone around me. Yet somehow, despite those very different personalities, our paths have had some remarkable similarities. We were both avid readers. We both found our way into journalism. We both wanted to write.
However, Krysten took her education further than I did, earning both her bachelor's degree in English and her master's degree from the University of Michigan-Flint, and she went on to work professionally in journalism before becoming a published author. Her education, early reading experiences, and transition into professional writing were all things we explored during our conversation.
Krysten intentionally writes uplifting, PG-rated coming-of-age stories. Her characters are often trying to figure out who they are, where they belong, and how to recognize relationships that are actually healthy and supportive. During our interview, we talked about why she chose to write for this audience and what she hopes readers will take away from her stories.
That brought us to When Stars Collide in the City, the third book in her Stars in the City series. The story gave us an opportunity to talk about influencer culture, public image, and the pressures young people face today. Those subjects fit naturally into Krysten's larger interest in self-esteem and learning to not bend to outside pressures.
What listeners won't hear is just how much more we talked. Our original conversation lasted around an hour and forty minutes. We got into books, her different series, her characters, the thinking behind those characters, and all kinds of side conversations along the way.
Unfortunately, my podcast hosting plan gives me a limited amount of broadcast time each month, so interviews have to stay within a certain length or I start paying additional charges.
In earlier seasons of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, I occasionally divided especially long and entertaining interviews into two episodes. I haven't had the room to do that for the past couple of seasons because there have been so many authors requesting interviews.
Working with my time allotments, I took our hour-and-forty-minute conversation and pulled out some of the best parts for the episode. I think it gives listeners a wonderful introduction to Krysten, her books, and what matters to her as a writer, but I still wish I could have shared more.
If you enjoy clean, uplifting stories and romances that show readers what a genuine green-flag relationship can look like, I definitely recommend learning more about Krysten's work. Visit her website, follow her on social media, and explore her other books. You can find Krysten and her work through the links below.
Most of all, listen to our conversation. We came at a lot of things from completely opposite directions, but somehow kept finding ourselves on remarkably similar paths.
And we laughed... a lot!
Enjoy,
Dianne
Have you subscribed to our podcast yet? If not, do it today!
Because if you love books like we do,
you do not want to miss a single episode of this podcast!
Listen to the Latest Episode Now
^ Just click the purple microphone ^
Episode Promo
NEW!! Shop our Zazzle Store at
USA www.zazzle.com
Germany www.zazzle.de
Search for Burckhardt_Books
or just click HERE
Writer's Life Cap
You can support Burckhardt Books/Book Banter Productions
and get great swag for yourself.
SUPPORT BURCKHARDT BOOKS
Buy
Book Banter Magazine
2025 Book Buying Guide
Get Yours Now
Only $2.99
View online or download a PDF copy to view on your devices.
Buy your copy now to support our show and help us keep supporting more authors throughout 2026!
All back issues are now available online.
Many are free to read entirely online.
Want to be on our podcast?
We open applications to our mailing list subscribers weeks before we go public.
After going public,
Season 4 Booked in 3.5 Months
Season 5 Booked in 3.5 Weeks
Will Season 6 be booked before we even go public?
Requests for season 6 are already coming in!
Join our mailing list if you would like early access to apply to be a podcast guest in Season 6, broadcasting in 2027!
Season 5 Lovefest
Highlight
NOW STREAMING
April 1st - S5 EP 216: S5 Lovefest Finale PODCAST TAKEOVER!
Sebastian Dureaux-Russell, Award -Winning Author of Burning with a Blue Flame with Special Guest Romance Author, D.S. Stephens
Season 5 Episodes
Fall Finds
Every Wednesday
August 5th- September 30th
Aug.
5th - S5 EP 234 NOW STREAMING
Amy Pence, Award-Winning Poet and Author of Yellow
12th - S5 EP 235 NOW STREAMING
Nathan Jorgenson, Best-Selling Author of Otto's Portal
19th - S5 EP 236 NOW STREAMING
Leslie Hachtel, Best-Selling Romance Author of Come Back to Me
26th - S5 EP 237 NOW STREAMING
Cyndi Brec, Author of The Therans' Secrets Beneath Scars
Sept.
2nd - S5 EP 238 NOW STREAMING
Stacy Hawks, Award-Winning Author of Dividing Ridge
9th - S5 EP 239 NOW STREAMING
Krysten Lindsay Hager, Award-Winning Author of When Stars Collide in the City
16th - S5 EP 240
Lucy Ashe, Dancer, Teacher, and Author of The Model Patient
23rd - S5 EP 241
Julie Gerstenblatt, Author of The Stargazer of Nantucket
30th - S5 EP 242
Robert Gwaltney, Southern Gothic Author of Sing Down the Moon
Season 5 Episodes
Hauntingly Good Reads
Every Wednesday
October 7th - 28th
Oct.
7th - S5 EP 243
Aaron Starmer, Author of You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This
14th - S5 EP 244
Daniel Grace, Author of In the Wake of Golgotha
21st - S5 EP 245
Rhonda Bulmer, Author of The Widow & The Will
28th - S5 EP 246
John Parenteau, Filmmaker, Emmy Winner, and Author of Archaic
Season 5 Episodes
Season Enders
Every Wednesday
November 4th- December 9th
Nov.
4th - S5 EP 247
Liisa Kovala, Podcaster and Author of Like Water for Weary Souls
11th - S5 EP 248
Anne Mollova, Author of The Maeblec's Apprentice
18th - S5 EP 249
Tricia Gardella, Award-Winning Author of the Mouse Travelers Series
25th - S5 EP 250
Ann Mracek, Award-Winning Author of Symphony of Self
Dec.
2nd - S5 EP 251
Jeanette Hurt, Cookbook Author of The Unofficial Aldi Cookbook
9th - Season 5 Finale, Episode 252
Sarah Goodman Confino, Best-Selling Author of Off the
Thank You Book Banter Productions Sponsors
Pedro R. Burckhardt, Platinum Sponsor 
Bronze Sponsor Valerie Sherrard, 
Bronze Sponsor Lynne Hugo
Become A Book Banter Productions Sponsor
Do you enjoy Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt - Book Talk Podcast and Book Banter Magazine? You can make sure we can stay in business. All you have to do buy a copy of Book Banter Magazine or just buy us a coffee below. I do not make any profits from Book Banter Productions. I do not charge authors for exposure. Up to this point, this has just been a very expensive hobby, but that will have to change if we are to continue.
If you want to help keep us going , you can just click the link below and buy us a coffee or click the Book Banter Magazine ad below that to buy yourself a digital copy of Book Banter Magazine. Every magazine and coffee helps us to keep going!
Thank you!
Podcast Links
Listen to our podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt - Book Talk Podcast, every Wednesday. Check your favorite podcast provider for listings.
Listen to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt on These Featured Podcast Providers:
> You can even just ask Siri or Alexa to play Book
Banter with Dianne Burckhardt - Book Talk
Podcast and hear the latest episode!
> You can also search on Amazon in any country for Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt -
Book Talk Podcast and it will find it for you.
Burckhardt Books Pages:
Members Only Page (Join FREE and get access to exclusive content, lots of freebies, and more are coming)
Comments