Two Ends of the Pen: Interview with K.K. Weil, SHATTERPROOF

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Interview with K.K. Weil, SHATTERPROOF

Thanks so much for having me today! I’m excited to be here.

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

Shatterproof is a complementary novel to my first book, At This Stage, but it is a stand-alone, so you don’t have to read the first one to read the second. While Shatterproof is a romance, it is also an emotional story of a young man trying to deal with complex family dynamics, compensating for his inability to save his mother by helping other abused women, and figuring out whether he is destined to become his father in the process. Here’s a blurb so you can get an idea of what it’s about.

Griffin Stone knows the stats. Sons of abusers become abusers. This is his single fear.

After witnessing firsthand his parents’ tumultuous marriage, Griffin worries that he, too, harbors an explosive dark side. Can he escape from his father’s rage-fueled ways or is he destined to become part of the cycle?

Unable to persuade his mother to leave and wrestling with his resentment towards her for staying, Griffin volunteers at Holly’s House, a safe haven for abused women. Through sculpture, Griffin gives these women pieces of themselves they’ve long forgotten. Holly’s House is the only place where Griffin finds peace and purpose.

Until he meets Frankie Moore.

Frankie is an aspiring photographer, finding beauty in things most people miss, including Griffin. Griffin is attracted to her free-spirited, sassy attitude but fears Frankie will trigger the most intense part of him, the one he must keep buried.

Frankie’s got to get her act together. Her anything-goes behavior is leading nowhere fast. She’s hopeful that her latest hobby will be a building block for the future. But when a stranger appears on the other end of her camera, looking as complex as he is handsome, Frankie thinks this might be just the change she needs.

Do you have a favorite character?

Griffin is my favorite character in Shatterproof. I love how introspective he is and how deeply he cares for those closest to him. His relationship with his mother is complex. He will always be there to take care of her, but battles with his conflicted feelings toward her.

Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?

When I was writing my first book, At This Stage, Griffin wasn’t even initially in the book. As I started to write about him, he took on a life of his own. I did toy with the idea of changing the direction of the book for him, but decided that I wanted to continue with my original plan. But I knew I couldn’t let go of him. I would give him his own book, with a backstory completely different than the book I was writing. That’s how I came up with Shatterproof.

If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?

My publisher provides a questionnaire to the authors about cover ideas. In mine, I described the tone I wanted for Shatterproof. I knew I wanted it to be on the darker side, to reflect the book. My cover artist, Debbie Taylor, captured exactly the tone I was looking for. I’m very grateful for the job she did.

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I work at home and whenever the weather is warm enough, I write outside. Even though I’m always cold, I’ll happily bundle up if it means getting another day outdoors before the winter blows in. I’ve always got coffee sitting next to me and it’s generally quiet while I work. I know a lot of people are more productive with background noise, like a TV or the radio. I tend to talk to myself when I write, though, so too many background voices distract me. Sometimes, I do listen to music without lyrics, like classical or jazz.

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

I’m definitely a pantser. In fact, at first, I don’t even start at the beginning of the story. I write down (yes, write - old school - with a pen and notebook) random scenes, out of order, as they pop into my head. Then, after I’ve compiled a bunch of them, and my head starts to spin, I sit at the computer and start from the beginning. A lot of the notes get thrown away, but they give me an idea of where I want to go and who my characters will be.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Yes, here are a few:

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shatterproof-k-…/1122695550…
Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/shatterproof
The Wild Rose Press http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v1…/index.php…

What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?

I regularly post on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/KKWeilAuthor) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/KK_WEIL). I also have a website where I post my upcoming events and quirky facts about me (http://kkweil.com). I participate in blog tours and do as many guest stops as possible. You can find my schedule on the Find Me page of my website.

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?

I do find it challenging. There are only so many hours in the day and when I’m trying to market a new book, it takes a lot of time away from writing. I try to take care of the marketing things early in the day so I have the rest of the day to write.

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?

I love reading, traveling and experimenting with new foods. When I can do all three on vacation, that’s pretty great!

What’s next for you?

My current work-in-progress is about a young woman who owns a small crepe shop with her grandmother on the NJ shore. She uses her shop to help the homeless, and has a special interest in doing charitable work for them. When a gorgeous, mysterious guy comes into her shop and starts leaving her songs on napkins, she’s not sure what to make of him. Family issues cause her to be cautious in relationships, but she’s different with this guy. The more she learns about him, though, the more she realizes she knows nothing about who he really might be.