If you’ve read my bio, you’ll get a pretty-good sense of who I am even if you don’t know me and you’ve never read my books. However, there’s more to an author than her writing life summed up in one paragraph. I’m here to let you in on the details I left out.
If you’ve read my thrillers, but never met me in real life, you’d likely believe that I’m an introvert. You’d also probably believe that something dark lurks inside of me. Then, you’d meet me in person and your head might just spin around.
We’d talk and you’d see that I’m bubbly, outgoing, positive, and intently engaged in our conversation. I’d look like any other extrovert you’d ever seen. As we chatted, you’d hear me talk about dreaming big, never giving up, and likely glean some inspirational message or positive affirmation from our conversation.
Darkness? Not so much.
Two different people, yes. Nevertheless, we’re one in the same. I assure you, the motivational-speaker-personality you meet in real life IS the real me. So is the introverted, dark girl. We go hand in hand. Not surprising for a Gemini. When you add writing to the mix, it makes for interesting stories.
Confusing? Sure. That’s because introversion isn’t what it seems on the surface. It’s not about being quiet vs. loud. Social vs. antisocial. Friendly vs. shy. It’s about where introverts get their energy from, and the answer is, ourselves. Extroverts, on the other hand, get their energy from other people.
It’s probably why most writers are introverts at heart, even if they feel extroverted in social situations. However, introverts feed off being alone. We’re energized when the door is closed, and only our thoughts and our story (plus some coffee!) remain in the room. It feeds our souls so much that after we write as many words as our fingers can speedily type, we still have the wherewithal to rally with friends. That is, until we inevitably collapse from social interaction.
Because as introverts, we lose our energy around people. We give every ounce of what we have to others until we’re depleted entirely. Therefore, after a conference or a book signing, you’ll find me in my usual restorative place---on the couch binging Netflix, wine in hand,…zombified.
For my darkness obsession, it’s real. Sadly, no matter how hard I try to be a kind person and bring those around me up, darkness lives in our world. Instead of confronting it head on and trying to change the unchangeable, I write dark stories where, as the author, I’m in control. Through my stories, I can face my fears and grow. Powerful stuff.
Truth be told, darkness has always intrigued me. It inspired my advanced psychology degree, and then my coaching certification. I wanted to learn why people did the things they did, and what motivated them to change, or not.
I hope my dark stories inspire others to face their fears and embrace the unknown so they can live their best life---happier, stronger, and more in tune with who they are and what they want. When my characters overcome obstacles, I want my readers to feel empowered to do the same.
Because, as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.”
I’m grateful for all the readers who trust me to pull them through the darkness and into the light. They’re why this introvert writes at all. If you haven’t read my books, I hope my words intrigued you to come over to the introverted, dark side!
~Kristina
Check out Kristina’s debut audiobook, AMONG US. This new-adult sci-fi thriller was chosen as an April 2019 Audible Editors Select Pick and featured on Audible’s ACX University 2018 webcast series.
Danger lurks in the unknown…
Marci Simon lives a double life: conservative professor of English by day, and controversial blogger of aliens by night. But when a classified document lands in her lap, her two worlds collide in an explosive revelation of shocking and deadly secrets.
Despite imminent danger at every twist, Marci embarks on an unstoppable quest to expose the terrifying truth. Only she never anticipated the entangled nebula of dark lies, nor the never-ending wormhole the government would spiral through to silence her forever.
Knowledge can kill.
And Marci knows too much. With global security at risk, no one can be trusted. To debunk the stratosphere of deceit, Marci races at the speed of light to escape the grips of the clandestine Extraterrestrial Security Agency (ESA) hunting her before she vanishes like all the others. But Marci is unique. Despite being the ESA’s prime target, she’s also the skeleton key to the deadliest truth in the history of the universe.
The nightmare is real, and it’s only just begun. Marci must take a nefarious leap of faith before her options, and her breaths, evaporate into a black hole for all eternity.
“It pulled me in and kept me on the edge of my seat until the final word.”
~Chad, Audible Listener
About Kristina:
Kristina Rienzi is a Jersey Shore-based new adult thriller author, certified professional coach, and the former president of Sisters in Crime-Central Jersey. An INFJ who dreams beyond big, Kristina encourages others (and herself) to embrace the unknown through her stories. When she's not writing or drinking wine, Kristina is spoiling her baby girl (and two fur-babies), dissecting true crime stories, singing (and dancing) to Yacht Rock Radio or rooting for the WVU Mountaineers. She believes in all things paranormal, a closet full of designer bags, weekly manicures, the Law of Attraction, aliens, angels, and the value of a graduate degree in psychology. Connect with Kristina at KristinaRienzi.com, on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.