Interview with Christian fiction author D.A. Williams

Author D.A. Williams is here chatting with me about her Christian dystopian novel December’s Child. It's an upcoming release from The Crossover Alliance.

Bio:

D.A. Williams is a farmer’s wife and mother above all else. She currently lives in the Texas Panhandle with her husband and two sons, who share their home with two dogs and two cats. It’s a veritable Noah’s Ark. She loves rare steak, homemade sweet tea, and the arts in all forms, with a particular affinity for writing gritty Christian fiction.

Welcome, D.A. Please tell us about your current release.

December’s Child is a dystopian Christian novel revolving around an 18-year-old miner named Jett, who has spent her entire young life as a ward of the December Mining Corporation working and selling her body to gain enough money to buy her freedom. Her plans get derailed when she elects to train a citizen bartered by her own mother, and instead finds herself the keeper of a secret that thrusts her into a fight for survival and for answers. It's a hard look at what freedom and safety mean and to what lengths we as a society are willing to go to have them.

What inspired you to write this book?

One morning I was watching the news, it was a day or two after a mass shooting, and they were discussing stripping Americans of their right to bear arms. That was the light bulb moment, for me. It made me question just how far we will take things for safety, or the illusion of it. What freedoms we would willingly give up, and how that would effect life as a result. It also takes a look at what it looks like to go from believing in nothing to finding the edges of faith, which is unusual in Christian pieces--it's typically an all or nothing genre, so I think even secular readers will appreciate it. It's an evolutionary piece, and the end result is what we have here.

What exciting story are you working on next?

At the moment I’m elbow deep in the first draft of what I like to call a dark “Bruce Almighty”, a novel exploring an addict’s chance to be God for a day under the working title “The God Wager”. It gets deeper into the Christian concepts than “December’s Child” does.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I've really always considered myself a writer—I can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't writing. Being able to call myself an author, though, that's something spectacular, and it made it all seem a bit more real.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I’m a full time mom, a full time farmer’s wife, and a ‘sometimes’ writer. When I'm on a roll writing, I can spend a full 8 hours doing it for days at a time, and I'm lucky to be able to do that with 2 extremely forgiving and independent boys who can occupy themselves and don't judge my multitasking too harshly. But most times, if I don't feel like writing or I'm busy, I just don't. I'm not in the “write every day” camp, I don't have the chops for that. Forcing myself to write is like throwing ingredients into a pan with no recipe and cleaning up the ensuing disaster—I prefer to take my time and wait until I have all the correct measurements and ingredients first, and only having to wipe down the counter and wash a few dishes afterwards.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

My outlines and first drafts are always written longhand in spiral bound notebooks, and I can only use a Zebra brand fine point pen. If I misplace my pen or it runs out of ink, I won’t write until it's back in my hand and ready to go!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Just about everything. When I was in kindergarten I wanted to be a garbage man and a ballerina. Girl’s got to dream!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I think they're beautiful people. I appreciate their support, I appreciate them just being here on this little planet doing whatever it is their doing and I want them to know they’re fantastic. I love them, I really do.

Look for December's Child on November 22!

Links:

Website | Facebook | Crossover Alliance

Thanks for being here today, D.A.

Interview with dark historical fiction novelist Mark Carver

Welcome, readers.

I’m wrapping up the week – and July – with author Mark Carver. He’s chatting with me about his historical fiction novel, Nikolai the Penitent: A Novel of the Brotherhood of the Cross.

  

Bio:

Mark Carver writes dark, edgy books that tackle tough spiritual issues. He is currently working on his eighth novel. Besides writing, he is passionate about art, tattoos, heavy metal, and medieval architecture.

Mark graduated from Toccoa Falls College in 2005 with a B.A. in English. After living in China for more than eight years, he now lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife and three children.

Welcome, Mark. Please tell us about your current release.

Nikolai the Penitent is a dark and brutal historical fiction novel that takes place in Germany during the Black Death plague of the mid-14th century. It was a time of ruin and despair and many believed that the unstoppable plague was God's judgment for the sins. Superstition and desperation was rampant, and one group that emerged was the Brotherhood of the Cross, a group of flagellants that would travel from town to town, whipping and beating themselves as atonement for God's wrath. What started out as a pious movement soon became mired in corruption and hedonism, even to the point of being explicitly banned by the Pope. The book follows Nikolai, a young man who loses everything to the plague and joins the Brotherhood, on his journey of seeking redemption for his own guilt and trying to make sense of the horrors around him. It is a very grim and bloody story but there is also hope and forgiveness.

What inspired you to write this book?

A few years ago, I downloaded a free e-book from Project Gutenberg called The Black Death and the Dancing Mania. It is a historical account of the terrible things that happened during those times. I came to the part about the Flagellants, and as Smee said the movie Hook, "Lightning has just struck my brain." I knew I had to write a story about these people, though at the time I was writing another book and had another one planned after that, so the story had plenty of time to simmer in my imagination.

Click here to access the first six chapters of Nikolai the Penitent.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Right now I am working on a contemporary fiction story called Balor that blends the worlds of mixed martial arts and Mississippi hoodoo. It is shaping up to be a very dark and aggressive story that deals with the occult, inner demons, racism, and narcissism. Look for it to release late winter/early spring next year.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I wrote my first story when I was six but I didn't decide to make a serious push into the writing industry until 2012. An idea had been brewing in my mind for a while and one day, I thought, "I'm going to write a book." That was more than half a million words ago.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I would love to be a full-time writer but until I get that Hollywood blockbuster movie deal, I teach ESL classes for international students at a local university. I write for about an hour each night after the kids have gone to sleep. Consistency is far better than waiting for creative spurts.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I don't really do happy endings. That's not to say that I only write unhappy endings, but things never wrap up nice and neat in my stories. You know with a Mark Carver book that you're not going to get a pat on the back and reassurances that everything will be okay. I put my characters through the ringer and I know they hate me for it.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A paleontologist. I can still draw an anatomically correct T-Rex from memory.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Any time you read a book, please leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, social media, etc. Whether you loved it or hated it, authors need all the help we can get from our readers.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Thanks for being here today, Mark! All the best with your continued writing!

Interview with sci-fi/fantasy Christian novelist David N. Alderman

Welcome to a brand new week, readers. My special guest today is novelist David N. Alderman. Among other things, we’re chatting about Black Earth: The Broken Daisy.

Welcome, David. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am an author who writes science fiction and fantasy with Christian themes and real-world content. I am founder and operator of The Crossover Alliance, a publishing company dedicated to this special out-of-the-box Christian fiction. I am also an avid lover of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), in which I have participated and won for the last eleven years.

When I’m not writing or spending time with my family, I can be found reading a book or video gaming.

Please tell us about your current release.

Black Earth: The Broken Daisy is my latest release through The Crossover Alliance. It is the second book in my Black Earth series and it continues the story of Nathan Pierce as he searches for his sister who is being tried for treason by the President of the United States. The series is about an alien entity known as Legion that invades Earth and – with the help of a satanic army – attempts to destroy all of humankind.

What inspired you to write this book?

My Black Earth series in general was inspired by a short story I wrote back in 2007 for National Novel Writing Month. The short story told what would happen if Earth was actually destroyed by evil. It was also my first steps into writing Christian fiction with real-world content – something that was (and still is, aside from The Crossover Alliance) unheard of in Christian publishing.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I am currently working on a short story called Red Crane. It is about a detective who is investigating a string of murders by an individual who leaves blood-soaked paper cranes at the scenes of their crimes. I hope to have it finished and published by the end of this month.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I was 11, I wrote my very first short story for a class assignment. From there, things took off. I ended up writing short stories through until I was 16, then I compiled them into my first full-length young adult novel. It wasn’t until many years later that I decided to resurrect my love for writing and pursue it as a serious career.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I am at home with my son every day while my wife works. I get about three hours of work in during his nap, and then I work most nights, usually running the clock from 6:30 until close to midnight. I do most of my writing on Thursday nights at the local coffee shop where I do writing meetings with my good friend. I also do huge bursts of writing during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org). I am trying to get into the habit of writing every day, but it’s been hard as I’ve been devoting most of my time and energy into building up The Crossover Alliance publishing company.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I tend to know the ending of all my stories before I even begin them.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A teacher. Then a writer. Then an interior designer. I even wanted to get into game design at one point, but I eventually returned to my original passion of writing.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

If you’re looking for out-of-the-box Christian fiction, please check out my publishing company, The Crossover Alliance. Most of my writing can be found through them, and I have another series I will be bringing over to the Crossover in the coming months.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Crossover Alliance

Thanks for being here today, David!