Author Interview with K. M. Weiland

I can't begin to tell you how excited and thrilled I am to bring you a very special interview from a very amazing Christian author: K. M. Weiland. A couple weeks ago, I wrote a nervous, fangirly email to one of my new favorite authors on her website, asking if she would be willing to do an interview with me on my blog.
To my surprise (ok, I may have had a small heart attack...one of those good heart attacks that fangirls get every once-in-awhile) SHE SAID YES!!!!! And I...like the proper fangirl I am...totally freaked out on the inside.



Since being led to her website by my older sister, I have read three of her fiction novels and one of her nonfiction works. After the first book I read by her: Dreamlander, I was hooked. The fascinating characters, unique plot lines, sweet and humorous romances, faith building lessons, and page-turning action all sucked me in, making it hard to put any of her books down.
I'm a fan.
And, if you have read any of her works, you probably are too. ;) If you haven't read any of her works...I'll tell you now, Dreamlander is a free e-book right now on Amazon, so go read it and join the fan club. :) For those of you who judge books by their covers...these are the covers of the fiction stories I've read. Judge away...if you can.

 

Ok, ok. I'll try to tone down the fangirling at this point. It probably won't last long...but note that I made a valiant effort.

About this fabulous author:

K.M. Weiland lives in make-believe worlds, talks to imaginary friends, and survives primarily on chocolate truffles and espresso. She is the IPPY, NIEA, and Lyra Award-winning and internationally published author of Outlining Your Novel, Structuring Your Novel, and Creating Character Arcs. She writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in western Nebraska and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

Let's go onto the interview, shall we? After all, that's kinda why I wrote this post. :P She gave me the limit of five questions... *cough* I may have stretched that line a bit. But I only numbered four of them, so we're even. ;)

1: Which authors inspired/impacted your writing style the most?

As a novelist, I am inspired by countless excellent authors and filmmakers. Specifically, Brent Weeks’s epicness, Margaret Atwood’s prose, and Patrick O’Brian’s sheer genius speak to me and urge me on. As a blogger, I’m inspired by the professionalism and creativity of people such as Joanna Penn, Porter Anderson, and Jody Hedlund.

 

I love reading authors who are masters of characterization, adept with subtext, and players with their prose. Authors who can put all the puzzle pieces of a story together seamlessly always have something to teach me.

2: What part of writing (brainstorming, typing, outlines, editing, publishing etc.) has been the hardest for you? And on the flip side, which parts are the easiest/most fun?

Sometimes starting is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. But it only takes five seconds of courage, and it only gets easier from there.

The conception stage, before I’ve put the idea down on paper, is always my favorite. The story is free and full of possibilities and uncaged by my words. But I also love the outlining period, when I’m really digging into the story and discovering the path it’s going to take.

3: I know this is like choosing a favorite child for you, but if you had to narrow all your fiction stories down to one favorite, which one would you choose and why?

Yes, to paraphrase Dickens, authors aren’t supposed to have their favorite children. But my medieval epic Behold the Dawn still manages to maintain a special place in my heart. Aside from the fact that it was a comparatively uncomplicated book to write, I’m still just as much in love with those characters as I was when I first created them. Marcus Annan—surly, broken, and good-hearted—and crazy, funny, irreverent Peregrine Marek were such a blast write.

 

4: Finally, since you probably noticed the extra questions I slipped in there...would you mind giving some writing advice to all of us aspiring authors?

Don’t scrimp on the small stuff. Understanding the details of your craft—and the publishing industry—is what sets the pros apart from the amateurs. If you’re really serious about selling stories, perfectionism needs to be a constant goal. In a cutthroat market such as we have today, nailing the small details will make all the difference.

 

Special thanks to Katie for being willing to take the time and answer some questions that I hope you all will find as helpful as I did. Again, if you haven't checked out her website, I put a link in the intro paragraph. Her blog has been incredibly helpful to me, and I know it will be to all you fellow aspiring authors who I know read my blog. :)

Should I do more of these interviews with authors we constantly fangirl/boy about? If so, who should I have next? Give your vote in a comment below and I'll see if I can round up another awesome author to question. ;)



~Let everything you do be done for the glory of God~

Belated Post: Dandelion Dust Blog Tour

Yes, this is terribly late. I was supposed to do this post on Thursday. -_- I have already apologized to poor Faith, and now I'm apologizing to all of you. Profusely. I beg you to forgive me. PLEASE. This beautiful, touching story deserved better, as did it's equally beautiful author. I'm just going to say it again, because it makes me feel better about myself: I AM SO SORRY.
Now, enough of the apologies. On to a much more delightful part of my post today.

Take no note of the dates...*looks into sky and whistles a few random bars of Amazing Grace*

Let me introduce you to the fabulous novella Dandelion Dust. A touching story of family strength, steadfast love, and abundant faith in times of testing. Sacrifice. Hope. And a LOT of tears and feels. Make sure you have a Kleenex box nearby. Trust me on that one.

Here is the beautiful cover:


And, the summery:
Like a speck of dandelion dust riding the tides of a prairie wind, life is fleeting. Though I never realized just how fragile it was until that day . . .
Charity always had a dream. It was simple, really. Find a guy, fall in love, and get married.
The day she met Ryder, Charity knew he was the man God had chosen for her. But she never expected their relationship to be tested and tried through the fires of a freak accident. Suddenly, her world is thrown into chaos, and the bleak, white walls and sterile smells of a city hospital fill every spare minute. And then there comes the dreaded news. It was likely Ryder would never make it out of the hospital bed.
As her carefully laid plans for the future come crashing down around her and the sun seems to set on her dreams, can Charity still find hope in the dark of night?
Like a dandelion, life is beautiful. But treasure every moment. . . . for one day, the flower will be gone.

And, here is my Goodreads review:

Faith, Faith, Faith! This was amazing. I'm so sorry my hectic schedule kept me from enjoying this heartwarming tale sooner. I think I've fallen in love with each and every one of your characters and you had better be plotting the sequels or so help me... I rarely cry while reading, but I choked up not once, but at least FIVE times while reading this. I'm glad I had a Kleenex box nearby. It was a beautiful, inspiring, and uplifting read that I want to have on my bookshelf as soon as possible! So h Faith, Faith, Faith! This was amazing. I'm so sorry my hectic schedule kept me from enjoying this heartwarming tale sooner. I think I've fallen in love with each and every one of your characters and you had better be plotting the sequels or so help me... I rarely cry while reading, but I choked up not once, but at least FIVE times while reading this. I'm glad I had a Kleenex box nearby. It was a beautiful, inspiring, and uplifting read that I want to have on my bookshelf as soon as possible.

Last, but not least, I give you an exclusive, just-for-Rebekah's-Remarks-followers-and-nobody-else, interview with the one and only FAITH POTTS from STORIES BY FIREFLY!!!!!! *cue confetti and fanfare* *also cheering and clapping* *and anything else happy and excited that I missed*
I threw some pretty crazy questions at her...this should be entertaining...*insert evil laugh* FOR ME.

1: What inspired your book's plot/characters?

The inspiration for the basis of the plot actually came from a dream I had. (I know. Weird, right?) Nope. That sounds completely normal to me. XD I started with what the dream gave me, and just went with it. Of the characters, some of them are based off of friends and family members, and others are just figments of my overactive imagination. That sounds familiar. ;P

2: Do you have a favorite chapter/scene?

My favorite scene would be the 'haircut scene' from chapter thirteen. It was just so much fun to write, and I feel like the characters' personalities showed through well. For the record, that was one of my favorite scenes too. Gave my poor heart a chance to heal a little. Chapter thirteen could be counted as *one of* my favorite chapters from the book, as well as chapter six. 

3: This is a cruel one, but too much fun to pass up: in five words or less, sum up your book. (Without spoilers. *evil laugh*)

*makes a face and growls* Okay, I'll try. My five or less words: emotional. heartbreak. relationships. trusting. Ooo...good answer. So much for my devious plan. :P

4: Favorite fangirl/boy response from a reader?

Oh goodness, that's a hard one! I don't know that this is my 'top favorite', but I can definitely say I was grinning pretty big when one of my beta-readers told me Ryder was "the most adorable thing ever." Well, he IS. I second that reader's opinion! :D

 

5: Tell us something you learned in the making of this story. :)

Through the making of this story, God taught me many life lessons. One of them being to cherish those close to me and not take them for granted. Another was to be open to God's will for my life, and to be willing to wait for His perfect timing. And that's just two of them. ;) Thanks so much for doing this Faith! Once more, I apologize for my lateness...I really loved beta-reading your book, and I look forward to holding a copy in my hands! (Along with a bountiful amount of tissues. ;)

 

 

Have any of you read Faith's book? If not, go pick up a copy HERE. No excuses. Shoo.