Opinions Are Just That: Interview with the Author Kandi J Wyatt

After reviewing The One Who Sees Me, I had the opportunity to interview Kandi J Wyatt and ask her a few questions about her writing.

Click here to read my book review of The One Who Sees Me.

How long have you been writing?

Officially, I started writing short stories or snippets of stories when I was in high school. I remember attending my very first writer’s conference during my junior year. In college, I wrote a mystery that revolved around my closest friends and the mall where I worked. However, by the time I got married and started to have kids, I pursued other hobbies. In the early spring of 2006, I began writing again.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Not really. I’ve been a teacher at heart, and maybe that’s why my stories tend to teach without preaching.

How do you come up with your ideas for stories?

The voices usually talk to me. Yes, that’s true. The characters themselves tend to start screaming at me. I have one right now that wants his story told, but I’m not sure how that’s going to turn out. If it’s not voices, it’s images, or sometimes it comes from my Bible study. The One Who Sees Me came from my own study but also our Sunday School class.

Do you have/Have you had any other careers besides writing?

My day job is a teacher. I teach sixth through twelfth grade students for Spanish, Leadership, and Language Arts. My unpaid side job is photographer’s assistant for my husband’s portrait photography business that he’s just beginning to run. Besides all that, I’m mom to five children.

Let’s talk more about The One Who Sees Me. Give us a Synopsis for the book:

Teenage slave girl Faru’s life has been turned upside down when she discovers she’s been traded to a new master, forcing her to leave all she‘s ever known. Upon her arrival, Faru meets a friend, Cailean, who helps her adjust to life in the strange location. Life settles into a new pattern, and romance blossoms between the young friends. But as soon as they plan to get married, another proposal comes about – one that cannot be ignored. Being a slave means not always marrying who you love.

On a daring journey to heal her heart, Faru encounters the Existing One. Will she trust Him and do His bidding even if what He requests is so hard?

Follow Faru’s tale in author Kandi J Wyatt’s retelling of a Biblical story found in the Old Testament book of Genesis, showing that when things don’t make sense, God will guide the way.

What was the inspiration behind this story?

Twenty years ago I went through a very rough time. Suppressed memories of childhood sexual abuse came alive as I dealt with my own children’s abuse. In the process, a friend recommended Kay Arthur’s book Lord, I Want to Know You. She goes through the various names for God. The name that struck home was The One Who Sees Me. As I dug deeper, I decided to tell the story of the girl who met God by that name.

Tell us about your main characters:

Faru tells her own story of life in the household of Lord Cegrol. She experiences love, hatred, blessings, and friendships and even a child. She’s a normal girl who wants to be left alone to do her job, but when she is befriended by the mistress of the household, she can’t imagine life any better.

Cailean watches out for Faru. He was a surprise character for me and soon became one of my favorites.

Lord Cegrol has a lot on his plate—from taking care of the household, to defending his nephew from marauders. Adding his wife’s nagging causes stress to mount and poor Faru finds herself in the middle of the whole mess.

From close friend and confidant to despised enemy Lady Cwen has her ups and downs. As a step-mom though I think I can relate to some of her feelings.

Which is your favorite minor character and why?

Cailean’s fun loving attitude and his love for Faru make him my favorite.

Please share a few favorite lines or one paragraph:

“Faru smiled remembering the peace and the light. “He lit up the darkness. His voice was like a small brook, and He gave peace. He told me about . . . ” she paused and looked down, the heat running to her cheeks.”

“Early the next morning, Lady Cwen arrived home, escorted by four stiff-looking guards. Faru imagined they were appropriately impressed by someone who would have the audacity to defy the king and then get away with it.”

“It seemed as if in this household anything was possible. She had gone from rejected servant, to having a friend, to servant of the lady of the house, to confidant, to lady?”

“As the words of the tapestry floated through her head, she wondered if there truly was an Existing One who actually cared about people. She could envision One who made the world and cared for lords and ladies, but she doubted He would care about servants.”

Of all the books out there, why should readers choose this one?

Not many books delve into the story of Abraham and Sarah from this point of view. Even if you know the story, having it thrown into the medieval times with different names and places brings it to light in a different way. It’s like looking at a jewel. Every time you turn it around you see different angles.

Let’s shift gears and talk more about your writing. Have you ever named a character in honor of someone you know?

I have several variations of Marilyn in the Dragon Courage series. The real Marilyn’s a person who loves to give hugs and has opened her home to numerous people over the years. I have a fantasy trilogy that I’m working on that the characters are inspired by people I know. My Christian Historical Fiction names come from names that would be relevant at the time period of the story or that are within a specific cultural context.

At what moment did you feel like you could say, “NOW, I'm an author?”

That would have had to been in early 2016 after I had three books published. It was a slow process to accept the fact that I was more than a writer. I think it took realizing I had a steady blog, multiple social media outlets, and multiple books published along with the thought process that I was planning to continue writing books for publication.

What is one of your favorite/go-to writing resources?

I use the online thesaurus repeatedly but mostly during the editing and proofreading stages when I realize I’ve used a word umpteen times in one paragraph.

What other project are you working on now?

I have multiple projects in the works right now. In September Journey from Skioria will be published. It’s a Lord of the Rings meets Narnia tale of a nine-year-old girl who is shipwrecked far from human civilization and needs to find her way back home. I have the story all the way finished and am eagerly waiting on my cover artist who’s drawing and coloring each of the characters right now. I’m writing a Christian steampunk story that’s a retelling of a Bible story. I’m hoping to have it ready in January or February. Then there’s the fantasy trilogy—Mythical Creatures of Myrtle Beach. The first book, Myrtle Beach Adventure, is finished, but I need to work on the other two books. This is a modern rural America meets fantasy series. In book one, four junior high students find what they believe to be a thunderegg. When their science teacher helps them realize it’s not that, they vow to protect what they’ve found, but soon realize they’ll have to protect their community from what they’ve found! I also have an Ancient Egypt trilogy I’m working on. I had planned to just have it as a stand-alone, but the characters would not be quiet. So, it’ll be the telling of the story of the plagues of Exodus from the viewpoint of an Egyptian family. The second and third books will follow the family as they journey with the Israelites through the desert.

What book are you currently reading?

I just finished reading The Tethered World, and I’d recommend it to everyone. The characters grabbed my attention like the ones in Cornelia Funke’s The Dragon Rider. The Tethered World is a Christian Fantasy story about a homeschooled family whose parents are kidnapped. When they discover Yetis may have something to do with the kidnapping and the way to rescue them involves a dragon ride, I knew it was going to hold my attention the whole way.

Do you write/read every single day?

I wish! I try to do author work for at least a half hour each morning, but that may not be writing. I had two months here when I didn’t read at all because I was too busy editing and proofreading.

Kandi J Wyatt, thank you for joining us today and for sharing your stories and your writing experience! -Julie L. Spencer

Author 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.

Follow Kandi J Wyatt on social media:

Twitter account: http://twitter.com/kandijwyatt

Website and/or Blog: http://kandijwyatt.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00ZTC4T10

Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13817774.Kandi_J_Wyatt

Google+ Profile: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KandiWyatt

Facebook Author Page: http://facebook.com/kandijwyatt

Instagram Profile: http://instagram.com/kandijwyatt

Pintrest Page: http://pinterest.com/kandijwyatt

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3yt6ngHntY-LcWHFszfxYA

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kandijwyatt/

Other Social Media accounts: http://cleanindiereads.com/dragon-courage/