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.