Interview with Author Kathy Kovach

Today, I’m pleased to host Kathy Kovach on Patti’s Porch. I met Kathy at the first Colorado Christian Writer’s Conference I attended in 2003. She talked to me about American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), which was still American Christian Romance Writers back then. It took her a whole year to convince me to become an ACFW member. Guess I’m kind of stubborn sometimes!

About Kathy:

Kathleen, known as Kathy by her friends, believes that if they'd done an ultrasound on her mother while she was with child, they'd have found a writing instrument clutched in her tiny hand. After a lifetime of writing short stories, plays, and poems, God finally released Kathy to write as a career in 2002. This happened at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference where she won first place in the unpublished writers contest for her article "If Anyone Hears My Voice." She also met her editors, Jim and Tracie Peterson from Barbour's Heartsong Presents, who became intrigued with her heroine's profession, a dolphin trainer. By 2006, that novel, Merely Players, became published and went on to place second in the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest (IRCC) 2007. Then in May of this year it was bundled with two other stories by Lynn Coleman and Kristy Dykes under the title, Florida Weddings. In 2007, Kathy teamed up with Mary Davis, Sally Laity, and Jeri Odell for Love Letters, a Barbour novella collection about unique expressions of love, (hers takes place through fortune cookies.) Heartsong holds a readers poll every year, and in 2008, Kathy placed in the upper five of the Favorite New Author category.

After her contest win at CCWC, Kathy became leader of her local critique group, JOY Writers. She joined a local association, Colorado Writers Fellowship, and also a national organization, American Christian Fiction Writers, www.acfw.com. Her affiliation with ACFW eventually led to a position as the Colorado Coordinator, and she just recently moved up as the Rocky Mountain Zone Director.

Kathy lives in northeast Colorado (out where the buffalo roam) with her husband of 33 years. She has two sons, three grandchildren, and two grandpets - all of whom, at one point or another, have taken advantage of the revolving door on her empty nest.

Kathy, welcome to Patti’s Porch. I’m thrilled to have you here! Tell us about the main theme of your book, Merely Players, and how it ties in with the other stories included in the Florida Weddings anthology.

First, here's my one-liner: Merely Players is about a dolphin trainer who masks her feelings while making her ex-boyfriend, now turned A-list actor, jump through hoops to win back her affections.

The main theme of Merely Players, one of the stories in Florida Weddings, stems from Psalms 139:1 "O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me." No matter who you try to be, God knows the real you. My characters wear many masks throughout the story. Bethany pretends not to have feelings for this man who at one time she thought would be in her life forever. Brick's mask cuts deeper as he becomes someone he's not while running from his abusive childhood.

The three stories in Florida Weddings don't tie together by theme at all, other than the heroines escaping/dealing with their past. Barbour Publishing simply puts three stories together based on location. At the time they contracted Florida Weddings, they were okay with three different authors, but now, I believe, they prefer one author for all three stories. This would make it easier to tie a theme in, I would think.

You were working on Merely Players when I met you in 2003. How long did it take from conception of the idea to acceptance of the completed work for publication?

I actually had the idea in 2002 and casually mentioned it to Jim and Tracie Peterson, then the editors for Barbour Publishing's Heartsong Presents line. This was at my first conference, the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, during the early bird class for romance writers. I think I only had three chapters written, but they liked the story because the heroine was a dolphin trainer, an occupation no one had ever attempted before. From that meeting in 2002 until I received my contract at the ACFW conference in 2005, I worked on this book. Okay, at times it was more sporadic than others, but my time away from the project wasn't wasted. I was learning the craft. I bought books, I joined ACRW (as you mentioned above in my intro,) and I became a sponge. Jim Peterson teases me to this day that I felt my story had to be perfect before I could turn it in. Well, it paid off as I had very few edits before it went to print. Merely Players became a reality when I received my first copy hot off the press in December 2006.

Many writers claim that starting their story in the right place is one of the most difficult facets of writing a novel. This is true of me as well. When I read Merely Players, those first paragraphs were nothing like the draft you showed me in 2003. What influenced your decision to craft the introductory lines that made it into print?

Wow, Pat! What a memory! You're right. I had started it differently back then. I launched right into Bethany arriving at work. I decided to add the one-page prologue giving their back story from ten years before to get the hero in there sooner. As simple as that. I heard that Heartsong required both hero and heroine to be together at least by the second chapter. This didn't happen for Brick and Bethany until the fourth. Now, I don't know if that was a true requirement, or if I allowed "people in the know" to influence me. However, it did make sense. Heartsongs are so short, you really must start the romance early on. Hence, I decided to introduce them when they were in high school together at their graduation. Normally, I don't encourage new writers to start with a prologue of back story, but in this case, it was short and accomplished what it needed to. I believe it worked because it allowed me to not only set up their history, but I was able to insert a little mystery as well.

Your book contains a scene with a ten- year old autistic boy. Have you had personal experience with autistic children, or was this an area you had to research?

My only personal experience was through a friend who had two autistic children. One was so severe that I never met him personally. They couldn't bring him to church because he would be too disruptive. The other had a milder form of autism than the character in my book. It was because of these two boys, however, that I became interested in the therapy program at the Gulfarium in Florida. My friend knew about the program, but to my knowledge never used it. So, to answer your second question: Yes I had to research it thoroughly.

Do you use a character chart?

I'm one of those rebel authors who refuses to fill out a character chart before I start the story. However, I do keep track of hair color, eye color, and essentials like that as I write. I did attempt a chart with Merely Players, but the characters had other ideas. I wanted Bethany to be a brunette so bad, but she insisted on being blonde. After I get to know my characters, I can tell you exactly what they have their purse/pockets, what they feel about religion, and their favorite foods without writing it down. These people become family to me. Now, an interesting thing I did do was fill out charts for the non-human characters in Merely Players -- the dolphins. This helped me keep track of certain markings and dispositions. I can still tell you that Kahlua, the young male, had a freckle on his chin.

Do you have a consistent writing routine?

Sigh. I used to. But then my son moved in with his three children and two pets. As Granny Day Care, it's nearly impossible for me to adhere to a routine. But, back in the days when my empty nest was my sanctuary, I wrote every day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., clocking in and out just like a "regular" job. I have a spreadsheet that I've created just for this purpose.

You have played an active part in the ACFW structure here in Colorado almost since its origin. What are the advantages of ACFW membership over other national writers’ organizations?

American Christian Fiction Writers, is, to my knowledge, the only national group dedicated to Christian Fiction. There is RWA, but that is largely a secular organization. And other groups are either all non-fiction or a mix of both. Most fiction writers know the feeling of talking about their work to a non-fiction writer and being met with a perplexed look as if they were speaking in an unknown tongue. The two styles are totally different entities. But when I'm around my ACFW buddies, either at the yearly conference, online on their excellent loop, or in the forums, I'm among my own kind. I learn point of view, scene and structure, goal/motivation/conflict, and a host of other things that only the fiction writer needs to know.

Besides the instruction, ACFW is also a great place to network. Among our membership are fiction editors, publishers, and agents who monitor the loop and forums, as well as attend the conference.

What is your parting advice to pre-published writers?

Write the story of your heart, then pursue publication. Don't worry about rules and guidelines your first time out. This book will be your SIT (Story In Training.) Okay, I just made that up, but it makes sense. I have a manuscript sitting in my computer that took me 23 years to write. I played with it, experimented, and had fun. Someday, I'll rework it to fit a publisher. You may be lucky enough to sell your first story -- it does happen. But I guess my greatest advice is DON'T STRESS. Writing should be fun, and the so-called rules will become natural as you practice.

Thank you, Kathy, for spending time with us today. Best of luck with your writing career.

Thank you, Pat, for this opportunity to talk to your readers and introduce them to my book. If they would like to get to know me better, my Website is www.kathleenekovach.com.

Interview with Author Kassy Paris

It was another hot day here in SE Colorado. Glad I worked last night and was able to sleep through it! It’s cooled down some now and we’ve even turned off the A/C. I’m sure there are plenty more hot days ahead, great for porch sitting and sharing a glass of iced tea, so stop by sometime!

I’m pleased to introduce Kassy Paris and her book, First I’m Nobody.

Good evening, Kassy. Welcome to Patti’s Porch. I’m excited to have you here. Please tell us about your book, First I’m Nobody.

First I’m Nobody is the story of a young man trapped in a job he doesn’t love and gets injured as he tries to escape an impossible situation. His rescuer, a Good Samaritan type, brings him to her North Texas horse ranch to help him recover. The trauma of his accident and his life lead the two of them on a search for his identity and the truth. This book was written with my best friend and writing partner, Elaine Bonner Powell. Together, we write as Kasandra Elaine. Elaine writes and has been published solo as Elaine Bonner.

Is there any particular reason you chose amnesia as a subject for your story?

The amnesia component came about as a result of a conversation Elaine and I had as we drove along an Interstate highway. Why do people discard things such as shoes and other items of clothing along the roadsides? That led to a “What if?” conversation about a man walking along a deserted highway and getting hit by a couple of teenagers driving home after a weekend of partying. The teens assume he is dead and drive away. The resulting amnesia is partly due to the physical trauma of the hit and run, but Duke’s personal life has contributed in a major way to his amnesia.

You wrote this book with a collaborating author. Tell us a little bit about that process.

Oh, that’s the fun part. Elaine and I met as sophomores in high school when her father moved to my community as the Methodist minister. We became close friends our senior year after I accepted Jesus as my savior. That year we started our collaboration as writers when we wrote a Christmas play our youth group put on for the church.

To write as partners, each person has to be able to compromise. We were among the first writers that we know of to partner up who were both creators as opposed to a researcher and a creator. We work extremely well together because we think so much alike, have the same principles and beliefs, and are both seat of the pants writers. I’m sure two plotters would work as well together, but I’m convinced that a plotter and SOTPser would be doomed to failure. Since we’ve been friends for forty-two years now we can finish sentences for one another, literally. At the beginning of our career, one of us would be writing and get tired, sometimes in the middle of a sentence, and the other would take over and complete the sentence and continue the story without hesitation. Now we usually write a section and then email it to the other one who reads it, tweaks it and adds the next section. We live 150 miles apart and don’t get together in the same location often due to work and family.

Do you find it easier to write with a co-author or alone?

Both. LOL Writing together is easier because I only have to come up with half the books! I have someone to fall back on when I hit a snag with the plot line. When we’re rejected I’m only half at fault. Writing alone is easier because I don’t have to worry about what Elaine will think about what I’ve written.

Your book was released in E-book format this month. Congratulations! Do you feel this format has a bright future in the publishing industry?

Yes, I think E-books will become stronger in the future as the E-readers come down in price and more people possess them, but I hope print books will never become extinct. I love the feel of a book in my hands. Going on vacation would become so much easier because I wouldn’t have to pack and carry so many books or have to purchase more books during the trip when I run out of reading material. My two trips to Israel to visit my sister would have been much more pleasant because books in English that I wanted to read were so hard to find. I was there six weeks each time.

Is there an extra advance beyond the print format advance when a book is also published in E-format?

Not with the company that is publishing First I’m Nobody and the next book in
the series Redigo’s Choice. In fact there wasn’t any advance for these two books. We do receive royalties – 7% for print and 30% for E-Books. Some E-book/print companies may have advances.

When did writing become an important part of your life?

Basically, writing has been important to me all my life. As a child, I began writing my own episodes of my favorite TV series – Bonanza, Wagon Train, and Dr. Kildare to name a few. I’d make up stories as I rode my bicycle alone, at night before I went to sleep, and when my parents took us to and from my grandparents’ homes in the Dallas, Texas area. As I grew older the stories became more and more elaborate and deeper from my own imagination. In college, I began writing some of my creations down. The process of writing by hand was frustrating. Typewriters made the process easier because I could type faster than I could write by hand. But that still frustrated my creativity. I don’t like to backtrack even when I’m driving, and if I changed a scene with typewritten stories I had to retype the whole story. When word processors, with their cut and paste features, were invented and I got my hands on one, well, I finally could finish something without giving up. About 11 years ago is when I became dedicated to writing as a profession and my dreams of being published became goals.

Do you follow a writing schedule?

I try to, but life intervenes much too often. I work on writing in some form, creating, revising or editing, pretty nearly five out of seven days a week for at least a couple of hours a day. It’s usually after 10:00 p.m. when I head to my bedroom. I live with my mother, her sister, and one of my sisters. My mother and my aunt start going to bed between 10 and 11 and I’ve spent the evening with them eating and watching TV. I’m a night person, so I do my best creating around that time. Some nights I go to bed when the sun starts to lighten the sky. I try to go through email during the early afternoon when my brain is not at its peak of creativity.

Any other works in progress or under contract?

Elaine and I have a couple of proposals out – one for a romance and one for a cozy mystery. We’re waiting to hear about both. Also, we are in the midst of completing the writing on the cozy out for proposal and a second book in that series. On top of that, we have about 5 other books in various stages. I’ve got three novels I’m working on as solo projects that are also in different stages from a completed rough draft that needs elaboration and extension to two books about a third to a half of the way finished.

What is your parting advice to unpublished writers?
I think the best thing I could tell unpublished writers is to fin
d or put together a critique group to become a part of as well as joining a writer’s group that has programs that teach techniques. Attend writing conferences, as many as you have the time and money for until you become confident. I learn so much when I go to conferences and the contacts you make are invaluable. Beware of the trap of learning vs. actual writing. Put the things you learn into practice. I think the most vital piece of advice I could give unpublished writers is to believe in yourself. If God has a plan for you to be a writer, it will happen in His time not necessarily in your time. Don’t give up.

Thank you so much for spending some time with us today, Kassy. Best of luck with your writing career.

Thanks so much for letting me visit with you and your readers. Best of luck to each of you.

Catching Up

Hi. It’s a warm day here in SE Colorado and the smell of spent fireworks still lingers in the air. We had a nice display in town, preceded by a great barbecue at our daughter’s home. Later, there was an array of any number of bottle rockets, roman candles, poppers, and other assorted noise and light makers that brightened the night sky. Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July!

Sorry I have not posted for a while. I have a wonderful interview with Kassy Paris, who’s book, First I’m Nobody, is now available in E-book format. Unfortunately, when I attempted to post the interview, I got some kind of HTML error. I have no idea what in the world that means and have referred the problem to my web master. You should see the interview soon. Check back to learn about Kassy’s book and her thoughts on E-book publishing as well as the advantages and disadvantages of writing with a collaborator.

I’m pleased to have recently joined an online critique group. It is through ACFW and we are all writing stories set in the 19th Century. My crit partners are astute at picking up my errors and I’m looking forward to learning a lot from them. A couple of them are published, which I consider an advantage. I feel like I’m getting advice from “experts”, or at least from writers who know a whole lot more about the profession than I do.

Profession? You bet, and I have to keep reminding myself of that. I’ve rewritten Chapter One of my WIP more than I would have liked to and still don’t have it right. Yet, it reinforces the fact that I am in the process of learning. It took me three years full-time to acquire the skills I needed for my basic nursing degree. Add to that another six years part-time to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Another thirty plus years in the work force and I still learn something new all the time. So, it stands to reason that the five years I’ve invested in seriously learning about writing are just the beginning. I only get time to read a writing craft book maybe once every two months, I’ve attended only one writing conference a year for the past two years, and my time to actually write is limited. So, I feel like I’m crawling along at a snail’s pace, but even a snail reaches it’s destination eventually!

Membership in the online critique group gives me a sense of responsibility. I have to meet a deadline, and for me, that’s a good thing. If I’m told that I need to have something done by a certain time, I manage to do it, even if I’m completing it at the last minute. We have each chosen a week during the month to submit our work. Mine is week three, so I want to have a revision of my Chapter One and the subsequent Chapter Two ready by Monday the fourteenth. Gives me a little over a week to get my work in top shape.

Oh, in case you’re wondering, I’m way past “Chapter One”. I’ve written twenty chapters, well over 200 pages, and the rest is in outline form, but I keep going back to that first chapter because I still don’t like the way the story starts. Many writers say that is the hardest part, figuring out where and how to begin the book.

Now that I’ve found the time to write a few lines for the readers of my blog, I’m all keyed up to keep on writing. But, unfortunately, it is time to quit and get ready to go to work at my paying job. Maybe it will be a quiet shift and I can add a few lines to my story during my dinner break or late in the evening when my work is done. Now, if I can just take Rosalynn Carter's advice, who says, "you have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through."