Interview with Author K.L. Schwengel

Posted by 4amWriter

Today I am interviewing indie author K. L. Schwengel. She recently released her fantasy novel, First of Her Kind: A Darkness & Light Novel.

Everyone, it seems, wants to dictate what Ciara does with her life: Serve the Goddess, destroy the Goddess, do as you promised your aunt. All Ciara wants is to keep the two magics she possesses from ripping her apart. And that won’t be easy. Not only are they in complete opposition to each other, blood ties pull her in divergent directions as well. And then there’s Bolin, the man sworn to protect her. There’s no denying the growing attraction between them, but is it Ciara he wants? Or her power? None of which will matter if Ciara can’t overcome her fear and learn to use her gifts.No one knows the depths of the ancient power she possesses, or what will happen if it manages to escape her control. Will she lose herself entirely? Or be forever trapped between darkness & light?

• • • • • • • • • •

Tell us a bit about yourself, Kathi.

Ergh…um…let’s see, I’m the youngest of nine children. Everyone thinks that means I was spoiled being the “baby of the family”. Yeah. Not so much. I didn’t get spoiled until I was in college and all my siblings had moved out. My mother was a librarian, and that’s probably the reason I love books. I always wanted to be a writer, it just took me a while to get here. Although I always wrote, other things took my life over. You know, falling in love, getting married, pursuing an art degree (BFA) which led me down a couple different paths, most of them creative, some not. I have what has been termed a dry sense of humor, and have been told I wield sarcasm and non-verbal communication like weapons of warfare. I raise Australian Shepherds and Katahdin sheep, pine for a horse of my own, and would really love to actually learn how to use a sword.

A sword! That would keep competitors on their toes. What ignited your idea for First of Her Kind ~ A Darkness & Light Novel?

This line: “There was nothing for it. In another turn of the glass, Meriol would be dead.” It popped into my head one day and I ran with it. I’m a pantser so I had no idea where it would lead me. That original line didn’t make the final cut, but what an adventure it’s led me on!

Isn’t it interesting how a germ of an idea turns into a full-length novel. In your heroine Ciara’s words, please tell everyone why they should read this book.

In Ciara’s words, “Look, I can’t make you read it — well, I probably could, but I don’t want to. You should read it because then you’ll understand how absolutely frustrating certain individuals can be.” Glares at Bolin. “Oh, and because it’s a tale of coming to grips with who we are, and accepting that. Something I’m still working on.”

I like Ciara already. She’s fiesty. As an aspiring novelist myself, I’m always interested in how other writers balance writing and life. How do you do it, Kathi?

Sometimes not very well at all! Thankfully I have a husband who doesn’t need a lot of constant attention so long as he’s equipped with the couch and a remote. That helps. He knew I was the independent type when he married me. I write on my breaks at work, and ONLY on my breaks. <cough> I try to write every day but, honestly, it just doesn’t pan out that way.

Not only is there the day job, I’m very active with my dogs and competing in herding trials throughout the spring/summer/fall as well as teaching others to do the same. My laptop is pretty much my constant companion. But I have many, many, many stacks of post-its, scrap paper, napkins (seriously), with scenes, notes, etc. written on them.

If I’m deep into something, I tend to get annoyed by distractions. I’ve learned to take a deep breath, put myself in the other person’s shoes (usually my husband’s, and coincidentally, we wear the same size), and hold up a finger. (See, non-verbal communication.) It means, “Give me just another minute to finish this thought, then I’m all yours.”

During the winter months I have all evening to write. During the rest of the year I usually write in the late afternoon. There’s a 2-hour window between when I get home and my husband gets home. That’s the time. Weekends tend to get gobbled by everything else.

Oh boy, you are a busy gal. Maybe you can use that sword to bushwack through your day. What writing projects are you working on currently?

I have a short story that will be published in an anthology due out this spring. And, of course, there’s book two in the Darkness & Light series, tentatively entitled Emergence. I’ve actually got bits of book three written as well. Crazy characters won’t let me be. I also have an urban fantasy/romance on the back burner. I diddle with it when I’m stalled on book 2.

I’m thrilled that you’ll have more books for us to read. Why did you decide to go the indie route?

I believe in the story I’ve written. That’s what it boils down to. That, and I’m a control freak. The idea of being in charge of the entire process from start to finish is too much for me to pass up. I just read an excellent article about self-publishing. The author likened it to being an artisan. I like that. The fact is, I created First of Her Kind from scratch, just like a painting. And now I’m sharing it.

Your reasons make sense, and I’m excited that you took the plunge. Thanks so much for hanging out at 4am, Kathi. I wish you all the best with your novels. And sword.

First of Her Kind is currently available in print at Amazon & Barnes & Noble, and in e-book formats at Amazon & Smashwords. Kathi is also offering autographed copies.

Blog of the Year Award

Posted by 4amWriter

Thanks Vikki from The View Outside

What a neat award. Thank you, Vikki, for thinking of me.

Update as of 1/11/13…I was given another one from Cayman Thorn.

Now I have two! Thanks, Cayman

When I think about blog awards, I always find myself reevaluating the purpose of why I’m here. The other day I was talking to a friend, and she told me she was quitting her blog. She was tired of constantly juggling her blog with her 3 children, a full-time job, and house/husband. She said she had no time for herself anymore.

I asked her why she started a blog in the first place. She said she needed that outlet. She lives in a remote town and doesn’t get out much. She thought her blog would be a great way to network and find a community of people with similar interests, common ground.

I tried to show her that the blog was her treat to herself. That without the blog her time would be sucked up by Things. Children. Housework. Life. That there would be no other way she could engage in adult conversation or air her frustrations, tension, joy.

Why is it that we put ourselves last? Not all of us, certainly, but damn enough. When I started my blog it was initially because I was informed that ‘Writers have blogs.’ It was the smart thing to do if you wanted your name out there. I did it out of necessity.

Funny thing is I started enjoying myself. I don’t usually talk about ‘Me’ with people. Even in family gatherings, I’m the one listening to everyone one else talking. So, the fact I am out in blogosphere, chatting, is strange. I feel like Sleeping Beauty waking up in Never Land.

I’m not a numbers person. I mean, I could rattle off my stats (once I actually hunt them down) and give you an overview of the impact of my blog. But I don’t think that info tells me or anyone else how much my blog really means.

The point is, for me, no matter what my stats might be, blogging has helped me grow as a writer as well as a person. Even if my numbers don’t go anywhere fast, I am getting a lot more out of blogging than simply introducing people to my writing. This is my playground, my workspace, my barstool, my comfy couch. This is where I take care of myself.

Thanks for blogging with me.

* * * * * * *

Now on to sharing the award. Check out The Blog Of The Year Award Page for rules and info on how it all works. I always have a hard time picking and choosing award recipients because I follow blogs equally and for various reasons. Some I follow for the poetry and prose; some I follow for the savvy advice; some I follow for the camaraderie. So, I did what I usually do and made my choices based on a theme.

The theme for this award is:

4 blogs that make me laugh

I Have Been Writernapped

Posted by 4amWriter

Writer at Work

My apologies to all of my blogging pals out there. I have been writernapped by an accidental pirate, an evil spirit, and a defective fortuneteller.

This means that I am likely missing your blog posts. I expect to be back in full blogging mode come December 1. At that point I will try my best to catch up to what everyone else has been doing.

My writernappers have demanded that I turn off the commenting feature for this post. However, feel free to ‘like’ it. That way I know that you know that I’m sailing the high seas on a ghost ship.

One Year Blogiversary

Posted by 4amWriter

One year ago today I published the first post on my blog. For many moons before that day I had been a homeless blogger. I visited sites, read posts, commented on a few—but I had no blog or site of my own.

My writing life had long been a private, secretive endeavor. I never felt comfortable sharing my writing experiences with other people, even other writers. I never felt up to par or worthy of the title “Writer.”

courtesy of inkpunks.com

When I decided I wanted to be a published author, I knew I was setting myself up for trouble. It meant sharing my work with others. This did not bode well for me, and I resisted making those connections for a long time.

But writing is my calling, and it is something I have tried to ignore but failed. Failed miserably. When I started lurking through writing blogs and reading what other writers were doing, I was envious. I felt like a kid who got chicken pox on Halloween and couldn’t go out to trick-or-treat.

google images YourKidsEd.com

Becoming part of a blogging community was one of the best decisions I ever made. I suddenly felt like I belonged, and that’s not easy for an introvert with low self-confidence. Even though writing is mostly a solitary act, the end result is anything but. Blogging turned out to be great practice for the time when I was ready to go back to querying my novel.

4amWriter wouldn’t have lasted this long if it weren’t for the people who read my posts once—and then came back to read again. Even though I have a short story published in The Greensilk Journal (definitely a proud moment), I get just as much pride and thrill when I publish my blog posts. Knowing that the words I wrote will be out there for anyone to read, should they choose. It’s really a fascinating feeling.

courtesy of Nan Rinella

There are a few bloggers that need to be mentioned in this post. While I adore and appreciate all of my readers, there are some that have stood the test of time, and for that I am eternally grateful.

MY FIRST 5 FOLLOWERS

These bloggers all found me before I even turned a month old. And they are still devoted followers and commenters:

MY TOP 5 COMMENTERS

These bloggers have commented on every post I wrote since the first day they started following my blog. I know I can always depend on them to swing by, read my stuff, engage in the conversation. Of course, now that I have announced their names, there is the pressure on them to continue that trend.

So, it’s been a great opening year for 4amWriter. I have enjoyed what I have learned, the people I have met, the ideas that have sparked. Thanks again to everyone who has helped make this possible. Virtual hugs and Black Forest Pudding Cake all around.

A side note: As most of you are aware, I’ll be participating in NaNoWriMo in a few days. This blog will likely be on the quiet side for the month of November. But I’ll be posting NaNo-related articles at Limebird Writers. So, if you need a 4am fix, look up Limebirdkate.

Writers, Start Your Engines

Posted by 4amWriter

Who’s in?

Starting November 1st writers across the globe will be hunkering down at their laptops, desktops, paper, what-have-you, and crafting a brand-new story for National Novel Writing Month. We get 30 days to write 50,000 words. It will be a writing frenzy that will require loads of caffeine, creativity, and perseverence.

I participated two years ago for the first time. I actually stumbled upon NaNoWriMo five days into November. I had never heard of it before until I was messing around in the blogging world and reading posts by writers already deeply immersed in their NaNoWriMo novels. I was immediately intrigued. That very day I began writing off of two words that had been bouncing around my head for a while.

NaNoWriMo has no constraints, no structure, no rules (other than writing 50,000 words from scratch). In my experience, the writing emerges organically and sails off in an unchartered direction. Stories like this become their own masquerade party. Characters come out of the woodwork. They behave unexpectedly. Setting changes abruptly. Secrets that weren’t part of the plot on page 11 are suddenly unveiled by page 64. The plot veers into a different direction without warning. The author likely has no idea how things will turn out once the clock strikes twelve.

Of course, organic writing is only one way to get through NaNoWriMo. There are some writers who actually prepare for this event, where they know how things are going to end first. They follow a structured path. It can still be a twisty path with bumps and storm damage and predators along the way, but where the finish line is clear and definite. Where they know how to proceed from one moment to the next.

Because I didn’t know about NaNoWriMo until 5 days into the event, I had to write on the fly. “Pantsing” is the term many people use for this writing style. And for me it’s great fun because writing freely meant that I wrote from the gut. Anything could happen, and it would be okay. Imagine that. Writing without structure and under a deadline also meant I couldn’t revise as I went along. At one point I was feeling that the story was hurtling into orbit and if I had a prayer of getting it back in my rational, organized world then I had better do some editing. Then I remembered the objective was to get down words. Any words. 50,000 words. In under 30 days.

I stopped editing. And I just wrote.

It is a freeing experience, to write without censoring yourself. Without worrying if your scenes transition well. Without worrying if the dialogue is snappy or witty. And, gasp! without fussing over punctuation or grammar. In fact, such organic writing helped me overcome one of my biggest storytelling flaws–I protect my characters too much. I let them dance dirty for a while, but I tend to pull them off the stage when they start behaving dangerously. I practically had to shut my eyes to their erratic, shameful behavior because, well, I needed 50,000 words. By the end of the month I wrote a daring story that any other time I never would have imagined writing.

So. Are you in?

My NaNoWriMo username is madrye. Feel free to buddy me, and we can brave the whirlwind together.