Interview with K.M Weiland+ Book Giveaway

I'm so excited today! I have the great privilege of having author K.M. Weiland here with us to share about her new novel Behold The Dawn. Plus she's generously giving away a free copy! All you you have to do to win is leave a comment! Winner to be announced on Wednesday December 2nd.

Behold The Dawn

First I have to share with you the amazing power of beautiful prose K.M. possesses. The novel is intriguing and full of adventure but the language is what will draw you in and captivate you. Here are two of my favorite passages to give you a flavor of her work. 

"With the dawn of every new day there is a bend in the path, a new chance to turn aside from  the past, if only we will take it. Are we not promised that by the blood of the Christ?"

 

and ...

"But she had to cry. What else besides her tears did she have left to bring before Heaven's throne?"

Is that not powerful and beautiful? 

Here's the official synopsis;

Marcus Annan, a tourneyer famed for his prowess on the battlefield, thought he could keep the secrets of his past buried forev

er. But when a mysterious crippled monk demands Annan help him find justice for the transgressions of sixteen years ago, Annan is forced to leave the tourneys and join th

e Third Crusade.

Wounded in battle and hunted by enemies on every side, he rescues an English noblewoman from an infidel prison camp and flees to Const

antinople. But, try as he might, he cannot elude the past. Amidst the pain and grief of a war he doesn’t even believe in, he is forced at last to face long-hidden secrets and 

sins and to bare his soul to the mercy of a God he thought he had abandoned years ago.

The sins of a bishop.

The vengeance of a monk.

The secrets of a knight.

 

About the Author: K.M. Weiland (http://www.kmweiland.com) writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She is the author of the historical western A Man Called Outlaw  and the recently released medieval epic Behold the Dawn. She blogs at Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors and AuthorCulture .

Let's ask some questions. Hi K.M. Welcome to WHite Platonic Dreams, it's such a pleasure to have you!

 What motivated you to write in this time period? (It must be a passion, it shows)

 I’m passionate about history, period. I find long past eras absolutely fascinating. But I definitely have a special place in my heart for the Middle Ages. Romance and war, elegance and ignorance, faith and superstition—it’s all there. The medieval period provides so much fodder for the creative mind, so much opportunity for conflict. Plus, I’m firmly convinced of the superiority of any story that has swords and horses in it!

 

What is your writing schedule like? First daily, then as a whole as far as how do you edit?

 I write for two hours every day, usually from four to six in the afternoon. The first half hour of that time I spend “warming up”: scribbling in my writing journal, reading an article on the craft, and proofreading what I wrote the day before. Then I choose a soundtrack and start writing (which translates to “staring at the blinking cursor for at least ten minutes”).

 My perfectionist nature forces me to edit as I go. If I know I have a plot problem in the previous chapter, I have to go back and fix it. Otherwise, it niggles in the back of my mind and drives me crazy. So I edit a page at a time, a chapter at a time, and fifty pages at a time. Once I’ve finished my first draft, I go over it thoroughly two or three times and then send it off to my first round of beta readers. I may go over the manuscript again after receiving their corrections, but then I’ll just let the book sit in the closet for a few years while I start the process all over again with a new project. I’ll pull the manuscript out every couple months and tweak it (or majorly overhaul it, as the case may be), but not until I’ve finished my next project will I have gained enough distance from Project #1 to really see its faults.

 

 You novel is epic, how extensive was the outlining process for this work. (I won't buy it if you say you're a pantser ;) 

 You caught me. I’m a maniacal outliner. I fill two or three notebooks with my longhand outline notes before I ever start writing. In fact, I sometimes joke that my outlines are in-depth enough to actually count as my first draft. Although I know outlining kills the spark for some people, I’m a huge advocate of it. I need a roadmap; otherwise, I waste time writing scenes and chapters and characters while I’m still trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

 My outlining process involves sitting down with a notebook and a pen. For some reason, the general sloppiness of my handwriting seems to free my creative brain from the restraints of “perfect,” and I can let the ideas roll, no matter how off the wall. I start by writing down the general premise and then asking myself lots of questions. “Why is this happening?” “What happens next?” “What if one of the characters did this instead?” Once I think I’ve got a handle on any potential plot holes, I jump into character interviews (using this questionnaire). Then I start outlining my story, plot point by plot point. I spend anywhere from 2-8 months on the outline.

 

 How long did this novel take to write initially and how many edits were involved. 

 If you count the outline, then Behold took me about a year and a half. Without the outline, it took just under a year. And I have no idea how many edits it underwent. Twenty? Thirty? A lot—although not all of them included major changes.

 

 What are you working on now? (Would you like to share that information?)

 I have several projects in the works. I have a completed fantasy, Dreamers Come (about a man who discovers that his dreams are really memories of another world) waiting for another round of edits. I also just started outlining my next project, a historical novel called The Deepest Breath about the passion, betrayal, and vengeance that dog two men and the woman they both love through the trenches of World War I, corruption in colonial Kenya, and the criminal underbelly of London. And I’m also working on a fun co-writing project that asks, “What if Robin Hood met Sleeping Beauty?”

 

 Other than writing, what occupies your time? Tell us about you Katie! 

 You mean there’s life outside of writing? If I had my way, all my time would be occupied with storytelling, in one form or another. But real life likes to interrupt. I work part-time as a church secretary, spend a good amount of time conquering this monster called “marketing,” walking my crazy black Lab, enjoying time outside, and burying my nose in a book. I could live on mac and cheese, I’m just the teeniest bit OCD (okay, maybe more than a teeny bit), I could deal very nicely with twelve months of summer, I think contact sports are awesome, and I hate talking on the phone. And all the other stuff is really pretty boring. Trust me.

Wow for writing just two hours a day literal miracles have happened. You and I have a lot in common, I especially would love to have a year round summer! Thank you so much for stopping by and God bless you in all your endeavors!  

Please leave a comment to be entered to win BEHOLD THE DAWN. WInner to be announced on Wednesday, December 2nd.  AND.... please join me tomorrow (before I officially unplug for the week) as I post my first *public query* ;)

All together now

Collaboration anyone?

Have you ever thought of collaborating on a novel with someone? I'm curious about this process. I suppose there are many ways it can go. Either someone could act as an idea bank, perhaps they can help break down chapters and the other can do all the writing. Or, the work can be split fifty-fifty. The entire 'Left Behind' seriesC was composed that way. That amazes me.

How bout you? Would you collaborate on a book with someone else? Are you? Have you? What role would you want to assume in the process?

~* Next Monday... Behold the Dawn blog tour and interview with author K.M. Weiland. She'll be giving away a free copy! Please join us*~ 

Book Giveaway

~Blog Tour~ 

If  you would like to win a copy of Touched by a Vampire please leave a comment. 

Touched by a Vampire by Beth Felker Jones

People around the world are asking the same question, enraptured with Edward and Bella’s forbidden romance in the Twilight Saga, a four-book serial phenomenon written by Stephenie Meyer. The bestsellers tell the story of a regular girl’s relationship with a vampire who has chosen to follow his “good” side. But the Saga isn’t just another fantasy–it’s teaching girls about love, sex, and purpose. With 48 million copies in print and a succession of upcoming blockbuster films, now is the time to ask the important question: Can vampires teach us about God’s plan for love? Touched by a Vampire is the first book to investigate the themes of the Twilight Saga from a Biblical perspective. Some Christian readers have praised moral principles illustrated in the story, such as premarital sexual abstinence. But ultimately, Beth Felker Jones examines whether the story’s redemptive qualities outshine its darkness. Cautionary, thoughtful, and challenging, Touched by a Vampire is written for Twilight fans, parents, teachers, and pop culture enthusiasts. It includes an overview of the series for those unfamiliar with the storyline and a discussion guide for small groups.

Thirsty By Tracey Bateman

There's no place like home, they say. "Hello, I'm Nina Parker…and I'm an alcoholic."  For Nina, it's not the weighty admission but the first steps toward recovery that prove most difficult. She must face her ex-husband, Hunt, with little hope of making amends, and try to rebuild a relationship with her angry teenage daughter, Meagan. Hardest of all, she is forced to return to Abbey Hills, Missouri, the hometown she abruptly abandoned nearly two decades earlier–and her unexpected arrival in the sleepy Ozark town catches the attention of someone–or something–igniting a two-hundred-fifty-year-old desire that rages like a wildfire. Unaware of the darkness stalking her, Nina is confronted with a series of events that threaten to unhinge her sobriety. Her daughter wants to spend time with the parents Nina left behind. A terrifying event that has haunted Nina for almost twenty years begins to surface. And an alluring neighbor initiates an unusual friendship with Nina, but is Markus truly a 

kindred spirit or a man guarding dangerous secrets? As everything she loves hangs in the balance, will Nina's feeble grasp on her demons be broken, leaving her powerless against the thirst? The battle between redemption and obsession unfold to its startling, unforgettable end.

To purchase visit these sites.

Touched by a Vampire: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601422781

Thirsty: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307457158

Successful habits for writers

The December issue of the Writer magazine has a great article on 10 habits of a successful writer. I thought I'd break them down for you.

The habit of...

1.Awareness. Observe the world. Use a piece of a conversation and turn it into a scene in your WIP, record observances that ignite your sense's for use later.

2. Reacting. Allow your feelings to awaken new ideas. Value the reactions you have to your world.

3. Connecting. Learn to treasure the metaphor. Find meaning, story, parables in ordinary anecdotes.

4. Rehearsal. Mull the scene your about to write in your WIP while doing chores, waiting for appointments, at the grocery store. 

5. Disloyalty. Open yourself to the idea of disagreeing with what you have written. Don't be afraid to delve out of your comfort zone for the sake of the story.

6. Drafting. Write. Don't wait to jot an idea down until it is perfectly formed in your mind. Just do it. Write beginnings, ends, and any other part of the story that drifts through your mind.

7. Ease. Get into a comfortable work space. Comfy chair, good lighting, getting connecting with other writers, muse music all contribute to a healthy writing habitat and frame of mind.

8. Velocity. First draft speed can be a thrill. Embrace it and harness it's creative powers.

9. Revision. Focus on making the draft stronger before correcting errors.

10. Completion. Revise and resubmit until your work is published. Always submit to the best market first.

 What habit contributes to your success? Downfall? Do tell.

The road to nowhere

          

DD decided to write a book of her own.  On Post It's. 

Isn't that where all good novels begin? I thought I'd perseverate a little longer on a topic from last week. Beginnings, remember? I've discovered something about the process of starting a novel. It helps to really understand where you're going. You don't need to know all the words that will get you there, but definitely know the lay of the land. A few years back, fresh after reading 'On Writing' by Stephen King (a masterful work for any writers toolbox) I decided to do what the wise one suggested and place my plot "under house arrest". 

Um yeah. 

I wrote myself into a 50 thousand word corner. No plot, just words. Lots of them. I still have that work languishing around on my hard drive. I'm hoping to dress it up and make it pretty one day. Meanwhile I've sworn off placing plot's under house arrest. For me it hasn't been such a good idea, so outlining it is. Not a neurotic word by word play of what's going to happen (I call that finished) more like a loose scene by scene idea to get me from chapter to chapter. I can't call it all from the beginning so I loosely make suggestions like home, work, out, for the feeder band chapters where it's still too far off to tell what might happen. Then as events unfold, I can outline more precisely. 

It's guidance. 

Nothing arresting that might get me into trouble, just a few arrows pointing me in the right direction.

Tell me what helps you get to where you're going. Outline or house arrest? 

***And a HUGE shout out to Katie Ganshert who landed super agent Rachelle Gardner!

Whoo Hoo Katie!!!!! I'm thrilled for you! AND to Stephanie Faris who recently signed with ~awesome~ Natalie Fischer!!!!!! I'm so thrilled for you too!!***

*The winner of White Picket Fences is... Tabitha Bird!* 

Caution, Watch downhill speed.

I'm surviving my NaNo word count goals. It's sort of a miracle actually. So it got me thinking, what's my deal the other eleven months? Obviously I thrive under pressure. Usually I just kick a thousand words around and go to bed. I'm pushing much more than that these days. So I thought I'd share what I think has happened.

1. I like the idea of do or die. Even slightly suggesting a deadline makes my heart race. There I said it.

2. Once I tied up my internal editor and bound her with duct tape, life was much simpler in terms of the flow of words springing forth from my fingertips. It's a breath of fresh air without her around, really.

3. I let my MC take total control. I give her loose guidelines like time and place but she totally dominates the scene. I suppose I really have her to thank for the sparks emitting from my keyboard.

4. It helps to know I can relax in December. Cuddle up with a nice cup of coco and edits. 

Maybe writing a novel in a month isn't such a bad idea after all? OK, I hear you. 50K hardly a novel makes. But it's a start. So maybe my edits start in mid December, I'm OK with that.

What about you? Has NaNo taught you anything? If you're not NaNoing what has the first draft taught you? Ever race though a novel at breakneck speed? 

Blog Review White Picket Fences

White Picket Fences 

By; Susan Meissner

Amanda Janvier’s idyllic home seems the perfect place for her niece Tally to stay while her vagabond brother is in Europe, but the white picket fence life Amanda wants to provide is a mere illusion. Amanda’s husband Neil refuses to admit their teenage son Chase, is haunted by the horrific fire he survived when he was four, and their marriage is crumbling while each looks the other way.

 

Tally and Chase bond as they interview two Holocaust survivors for a sociology project, and become startlingly aware that the whole family is grappling with hidden secrets, with the echoes of the past, and with the realization that ignoring tragic situations won’t make them go away.

 

MY THOUGHTS; This is a great moving novel that taps into dormant secrets that slowly begin to erode this not so average family. Part young adult, part woman's fiction. It reads smooth and has a nice satisfying ending that manages to weave all story lines into one climactic ending. Overall I give this book four out of five stars.

****

Susan Meissner cannot remember a time when she wasn’t driven to put her thoughts down on paper. Her novel The Shape of Mercy was a Publishers Weekly pick for best religious fiction of 2008 and a Christian Book Award finalist. Susan and her husband live in Southern California , where he is a pastor and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves. They are the parents of four grown children.

To purchase this book please visit:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074570&ref=externallink_wbp_whitepicketfences_sec_0916_01

If you would like a free copy of this book, please leave a comment below. Winner to be announced Friday =)

The publisher has furnished me with a complimentary copy for my review.