K.M. Weiland: One Word/One Line Interview

I’ve been stalking K.M. Weiland for some time. Hanging out at her website. Dogging her around the blogs. Soaking in life advice and writing wisdom. Admiring her gifts of detail and discipline. Immersing myself in the middle ages in her new book, Behold the Dawn. And she has such a sweet spirit. I want to be like her when I grow up.

So since I wanted to get to know her even better, I asked if she could stop by my blog and answer a few brief questions.  And she agreed!

Since Katie's novel is set in the set in the 12th century, I decided to ask her 12 questions in 2 categories.

K.M. Weiland in One Word

1.  Where would you go on the ideal vacation? 

     Hawaii.

2.  What was your first paid job?

     Secretary.

3.  Would you prefer to swim or ice skate?

     Swim.

4.  What is your greatest weakness? 

     Impatience.

5.  When it comes to "stuff," are you a keeper or a tosser?

     Tosser.

6.  What musical instrument are you?

     Drum.

7.  What would Marcus Annan say is your greatest strength?

     Battles!

8.  At a theme park, do you head for the roller coasters or the shows?

     Coaster.

9.  Who was your childhood hero/heroine?

     Cowboy.

10. Where do you behold God?

      Details.

11. Would you prefer to eat (peasant) bread or (elderflower) cheesecake?

      Cheesecake!

12. What one-word message did you take away for yourself from Behold the Dawn?

      Perseverance. 

K.M. Weiland in One Line

1.  What is one of your favorite quotes from Behold the Dawn?

     "In the corner, flint struck against steel, sparks danced airborne for a moment, and then the expected flame burnt a golden hole in the darkness."

2.  Would you prefer to travel by car or plane and why?

     I much prefer car travel; airports are exhausting.

3.  What do you battle?

     Myself; impatience and tactlessness are two of my banes.

4.  When you are feeling down, what lifts you up?

     A bouncy song, a good movie, sunshine, chocolate, and above all, the knowledge that God is in control of the little things and the big things alike.

5.  When you've been away, what do you like best about coming home?

     My own bed!

6.  If you were to die today, what song would you like sung at your funeral and why?

     Nicole Nordeman's "Legacy" comes to mind: "I want to leave a legacy / How will they remember me? / Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough / To make a mark on things?"

7.  If you could live in any period of history, when would it be and why?

     Probably the 1940s, though I may be a bit prejudiced right now, since I'm working with a new story idea set in that period.

8.  What was a good word of advice someone gave to you?

     What people think of you isn't as important as what God thinks of you.

9.  How would Lady Mairead complete this sentence for you? I wish . . .

     . . . she wasn't so mean to her characters!

10. When did you know you were a writer?

     It was a gradual awakening, I guess, since I've always told stories; probably the "official" realization was when I was about twelve.

11. What has your past taught you?

     To look outside the box, keep an open mind, and never settle for an easy answer.

12. What is your favorite writing outfit and why?

     Jeans, sweatshirt, and fuzzy blue slippers--because I gotta be warm to write! 

K.M. WEILAND ON ONE THING

What one thing would you like to say to your readers or future readers?

Thanks for being there! In the cutthroat world of publishing and marketing it can sometimes be easy to lose sight of why I'm doing this. But whenever someone tells me they loved one of my books or that they were encouraged by a blog post--that makes my day. That's what it's all about. Being able to touch the life of someone else, even if for only a moment, means I've accomplished something worthwhile.

What one thing would you like to say to your fellow writers or aspiring writers?

Don't give up, and don't sell yourself short. Writing, first and foremost, is a mode of self-expression, of reaching out and connecting with the world around us. Being published, being read, making the NYT best-seller list, that stuff is just icing on the cake. You're a writer even if you never accomplish that. But, at the same time, don't allow yourself to settle for less than the best. Discipline yourself, drive yourself to become a little bit better every time you sit down at the keyboard. Success only visits the dedicated.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Synopsis: Marcus Annan, a tourneyer famed for his prowess on the battlefield, thought he could keep the secrets of his past buried forever. 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 the 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 Constantinople. 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 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.




Copyright © 2009 by Sandra Heska King