Steampunk and the Bible is an unusual combination. What gave you the idea to write Esther's story as steampunk?
Yes, steampunk and the Bible is an unusual combination. Even though I have another Biblical retelling published, this was my first attempt at it. Hayao Miyazaki gave me the inspiration for this blend. I love Castle in the Sky and Howl’s Moving Castle. So, they became the impetus for the background. Since as far back as I can remember I have loved the story of Esther. The court intrigue, absolute irony, and the story of a woman who stands for what’s right has made me return to the story to read it over and over again. With Hayao Miyazaki’s worlds floating through my mind and the inspirational music of Joe Hishaishi ringing in my ears, the story of a young girl forced into circumstances she has no control over came to be.

That’s so cool. I love Howl’s Moving Castle and many other books by Diana Wynne Jones. But it was my grandsons who introduced me to Hayao Miyzaki's animated movies. For my readers who aren't familiar with them here's an interesting interview.

Kandi, how long did it take you to write this book?
That’s a good question. I had to go search an old art account where I had uploaded it to remember when I had started it. According to my comments there, it was started for National Novel Writing Month in November of 2011. The last upload, Chapter 9, lists May, 2012 as the submitted date. The book sat unfinished on the site; in fact, I don’t know if I have any other backup of this story’s origination other than there.

This past summer, I realized my original plan of having my Ancient Egypt Biblical retelling ready by March wasn’t going to happen. The Ancient Egypt story had grown from a stand-alone to a trilogy, but I didn’t have the second and third books written. That left me needing something to publish in March. I wasn’t ready with the fantasy trilogy I have going, so I went looking for something I could do. That led me to the art site where I found Saving a Race—the original title for To Save a Race.
From the middle of July through August, the rest of the story came into being. I sat down and focused on writing. To my amazement, I was able to sink into Nubbikford and the duke’s castle.

Do you have any other Biblical retellings planned?
I have published The One Who Sees Me, a Biblical retelling of Hagar. That was also a National Novel Writing Month story. It’s considered a historical fiction since it’s set in a medieval castle. Besides that, I’ve written book one of an Ancient Egypt Biblical retelling. Unlike The One Who Sees Me and To Save a Race, this story takes place in Biblical Egypt during the plagues. However, instead of being from the point of view of an Israelite family, it’s the story of a young Egyptian scribe and his family as they deal with the upheaval of their lives by the plagues.

I honestly wanted to finish the tale with the last plague, but God had other plans. Our Sunday School class studied Exodus through Deuteronomy. That led me to realize there were too many other lessons to tell. This means that I’ll have to kill off some characters—the exact reason I didn’t want to make this anything more than a stand alone.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or a combination of both?
 I’m definitely a little of both. When I write Biblical retellings, I have a basic outline which really helps, but I find there are some characters that just come in no matter what. I enjoy the free-flow of my fantasy writing that enables me to fly by the seat of my pants, but even there, I find myself writing down notes and planning a bit—things like names, main ideas, etc.
 
When did you first realized you wanted to become a writer?
 I’ve enjoyed writing since I was young. During high school my teachers elected me to go to my first writer’s conference. The better question would be “when did I first realize I wanted to be an author?”. That happened somewhere about five years ago. I had my Dragon Courage series written and wanted to publish it for my kids. While I considered this, I went with my two middle children to a local writer’s conference in 2015. A presenter indicated that her publisher was accepting submissions. I debated, but out of fear, I didn’t tell even my husband when I hit submit that weekend. Three weeks later, I had an acceptance letter! However, even then, I didn’t consider myself an author. It wasn’t until after the fourth book was published and my publisher went out of business, that I made the conscious choice to be an author.

What authors have inspired you?
Michael Phillips was a big inspiration to teach through an engaging story. I love his Secret of the Rose series which had a lasting impact on me, not because he preached at me but because his characters’ lives were such wonderful examples of Christ-likeness.

Where and when do you write?
The majority of my writing is done in my bedroom. I have a recliner that my husband picked up at a yard sale for him. I love sitting in the recliner in the mornings and writing. Since I’m a school teacher, the majority of my writing is done during the summer or on school breaks.

Who encourages you in your writing?
 I think my biggest encouragement comes from the Fellowship of Fantasy group. They’re a group of clean, indie, fantasy authors. As for people around me, my parents and my husband are the ones who keep me going. My kids are always interested in what’s going on. My youngest was the one I wrote for at the beginning.
 
What’s one tip you’d share with other writers?
Keep writing. Don’t let the reviews get you down. Realize the right reader is out there. You just have to find him or her, but when you do, you’ll have a fan.
 
A brief summary of Kandi’s book To Save a Race
 When Duke Callon divorces his wife and decides on an uncanny way of choosing his next duchess, Arianna's left with little choice. Faced with the intricacies of politics, Arianna struggles to find her place. Just as she thinks she has her footing, a decree, issued with the blessing of her husband, calls for the extermination of her entire race.
 
A young innocent girl, a capricious duke, and a decree that will change everything. What will it take to save a race?
 
Follow along in this one of a kind Steampunk Biblical retelling of an Old Testament classic by Kandi J Wyatt.
 
The book comes out March 6th. However, it’s up for pre-order. Check it out here:  https://www.books2read.com/u/49PG5k
 
Thanks for sharing with me, Kandi. This was very interesting.

Kandi's Bio
Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt, had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that's her own five or the hundreds of students she's been lucky to teach. When Kandi's not spinning words to create stories, she's using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.
Website: www.kandijwyatt.com

Why did you decide to become a writer?  I have always loved stories and some of my earliest memories are of my parents reading to me. I grew up in a house filled with books, always reading, and soon I wanted to create my own stories. My first “published” story was a children’s book I wrote in sixth grade for a class project, which I also had to illustrate. We were required to read our books to the younger students. The kids loved my book and after that I was hooked. I have been writing ever since.
 
Do you have authors who inspired you to write? If so, whom? I loved Madeleine L’Engle’s books as a child and she was a big inspiration to me. Still is. Of course I read every horse book that was published, especially Margaret Henry’s books and The Black Stallion series. I wanted to write books like that when I was young. In the world of non-fiction, as an adult I admire Patsy Clairmont and her humor-filled inspirational books. I read so many different genres that it’s hard for me to list all of the authors who inspire me!
 
What genre(s) do you write and what made you choose it(them)? My first two books were inspirational Christian non-fiction. The first one is about a difficult period in my life and how my faith got me through. I had a story and felt that God was leading me to share it. It was hard to write because I had to remember some difficult times I had gone through, but I have heard from so many people about how it has touched their lives that I know God is using it. I have a book out about writing, called Six Steps to Successful Publication. I wrote that because I teach a lot of writing workshops and wanted to give people something to refer back to. I also write inspirational fiction/romance and chick lit. My latest book, which came out on Nov. 14th, is called Mrs. Chartwell and the Cat Burglar. It’s a romantic mystery and I hope readers have as much fun reading it as I had writing it!
 
What kinds of classes, workshops, organizations, groups helped you learn the craft of writing? I can’t stress enough how important it is to find a group of writers to hang out with. I have learned so much over the years from my local writer’s group. We meet once a month and share ideas, and admittedly sometimes we just visit, but I always come away inspired. I also have a critique group that I am in, where I share my work.  Formally, I have a dual degree in Creative Writing and English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan. I also worked as a journalist for The Ann Arbor News for many years. As a journalist, you are edited daily, have some pretty intense deadlines, and have no time for writer’s block. I think this practice helped to hone my skills and taught me to focus in a busy newsroom. Now I can write anywhere!
 
Do you belong to a critique group? If so, how often do you meet? Yes I do, as I mentioned above. It’s wonderful! There are only three of us, and we meet once a month. Before we meet we send out our latest work for critique and are ready to discuss each other’s projects when we get together. It’s a blast and I get to hear what others think of my work in progress. I take notes and use them when I go back to rewrite/edit. We all write different genres, but we are avid readers in all genres so that helps with our critiquing.
 
Tell us about your first break into publication experience. That was a God moment! I went to a women’s business dinner with a friend, just for fun, not as a writer. There, I met a publisher who just happened to publish Christian non-fiction, and I had a manuscript sitting in my drawer waiting for me to have the time to send it out. I had a new baby at the time so was pretty busy with him. She asked to see it and after reading it, accepted it. It was really fun to work with her publishing company and the book sold pretty well. It’s called Why Is There a Lemon in My Fruit Salad? How to Stay Sweet When Life Turns Sour.
 
What’s one tip you’d share with other writers? It can be a practical how to tip or an inspirational/encouragement tip. Write! It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many people talk about writing, attend writing workshops, read about writing and never write! I call it the BIS rule: Butt in Seat. You must make writing a priority or it will never get done. Write every day if you can. Even if you only write one page a day, in a year you will have 360 pages and that is a book! Set a goal – 10 minutes a day, 300 words a day, whatever – and stick to it. The only way you get better at something is to practice and writing is no exception. Each book will be better. Each day you will grow more confident. Write!
 
Please share your most recent book title and the opening line. (Please include a buy link.)
Mrs. Chartwell and the Cat Burglar: a Romantic Mystery
Mrs. Abigail Chartwell filed away the last document in her stack and prepared to go home for the evening, but the gentleman at the counter kept talking.
 Buy link
 
Bio:
Pamela Gossiaux is a humorist, inspirational speaker, and the author of the books Good Enough, Why Is There a Lemon in My Fruit Salad? How to Stay Sweet When Life Turns Sour, and A Kid at Heart: Becoming a Child of Our Heavenly Father, as well as the highly anticipated inspirational romance, Mrs. Chartwell and the Cat Burglar.  
 
Pamela has been writing and working with writers for several decades. She has a dual BA degree from the University of Michigan in Creative Writing and English Language and Literature, and over 20 years of journalism writing experience. She teaches writing workshops and has been the editor for published books in a wide variety of genres, both fiction and non-fiction, including best sellers. She has self-published a book on writing called Six Steps to Successful Publication.
 
An avid horse enthusiast, she enjoys being outdoors and working in her garden. She also loves chocolate, and prefers to curl up with a good book in her downtime. Pamela lives in Michigan with her husband, two sons, and three cats. Visit her website at PamelaGossiaux.com.
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pamelagossiaux
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamelaGossiauxAuthor/

My pen-name is Carol Roberts, and writing is the outcome of a long journey. When I left school I was interested in psychology, and I would have studied that, had I not decided to travel first. As was, I left my birth place of Vienna at the age of 18 and never returned to live there.
 
I travelled through South America and Asia, indulging my interest in culture and tradition, whenI met my husband-to-be in India. He was a photographer from New Zealand who was working for an agency, and his idea of travelling was a lot more intrepid than mine. We ended up in places that were so distant and remote, that I can still remember the feeling of eternal timelessness that took ahold of me in such locations. I was completely fascinated; what were those people’s stories, what did they preserve in terms of their mythology? I took a lot of notes about places and people, and by the time I settled in New Zealand, I had a firm plan of compiling a non-fiction book about stories and myths from all around the world.
 
What kinds of classes helped you learn the craft of writing? And tell us about your first break into print experience.
 
I took classes in Basic writing and Composition, Article writing and Creative writing, and started to experiment with freelance articles about our travels. Some of my work was picked up by a couple of magazines, but since my husband had allowed me to use some of his excellent photography, it’s shared credit. Writing articles satisfied my interest in non-fiction, the book about mythology was never written, and I was ready to move on to fiction.
 
What genre(s) do you write and what made you choose it(them)?
 
I dabbled with poetry, then with short stories, and when I finally decided to write my first full length novel, I was drawn to write a mystery. I chose Atlantis as a setting, because it perfectly fitted the type of speculative story I wanted to tell. Myth is often based on a real event that is important enough to have survived the ages, yet it transcends the event itself as symbolic and meaningful. Translated into genre, it’s fantasy/mystery.
 
What’s one tip you’d share with other writers?
 
Being a new author, I am still getting my head around the concept of self-promotion. It’s one thing to compile non-fiction articles, but it’s an entirely different thing to share and stimulate interest in one’s own creativity. So my tip (to myself as well) is that if you have written that first story, don’t be shy to connect with it.
 
Please share your most recent book title and the opening lines.
 
ATLANTIS by Carol Roberts
 
“And that is all I can tell you.”
The big, leather-bound book closed with an air of finality, as if to never again disturb the dust particles that resettled on the ancient, worn cover.
 
You can find the book on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0777J2MC8/.
 
Bio
 
Carol Roberts is a freelance writer with particular interest in cultural myth. Originally from Vienna, she has spent all of her adult life in the Far North of New Zealand. Her passion for stories that tell of origins took her to several different countries, where she researched oral traditions of the oldest creation myths. Atlantis is her first full length novel, and her second novel Tower of Babel is also complete.
 
Newsletter: https://www.smore.com/app/pages/preview/jb2ug
 
Twitter link: https://twitter.com/authorRobertsC