Please welcome author Beckie Weinheimer!
First, congratulations on having Converting Kate being chosen as one of
I was busy writing something else and noticed a congratulations email from a friend in
Then my editor emailed to congratulate me and I guess then I started to believe it really had happened.
That is such a good question. Since finishing Kate, and working on three other novels right now, I have realized that setting to me is almost as important as my main character. It is very important for me to be in love with the setting.
In truth it was very hard. She was my hardest character to work with. I was very angry at the way I had been raised and the way I saw children in strict religious homes being raised and I wanted to make the Mom very mean. But I worked on Converting Kate while I was getting my MFA at
I was in my home in
I have learned so much from writing this book, but probably most important is to write from your heart and not worry about whether or not a book has sale potential. When I wrote the first draft of Converting Kate I was warned by published authors I trusted that books about religion probably would not sell to the teen market. But I felt so strongly about writing this, that I went ahead.
What do you hope teens take away from your book?
If my readers could take away a feeling of hope, a sense that life has options and the courage to follow their own spiritual path, regardless of whether their parents approve or not—I would be very happy.
I love the fishing trips that Kate takes. Did you do any research for those parts?
Yes. I went on lobster boats, interviewed lobster workers (trying to be PC here even though they are all called lobstermen in
I would tell writers who dare to consider tackling controversial topics to do it. Go forth with heart and passion and trust that there will be readers out there who want to read what they have to say. I have received the most rewarding emails from teens and adults who say they know exactly how Kate felt because that was like their own journey.
Do you have any upcoming projects?
So Many! I have three novels duking it out in my head right now, all trying to take center stage. I wrote Converting Kate and the other novel I have not sold at the same time and it seems to work well for me, to work on more than one project at a time. Two of the three I am working on now are also tackling somewhat controversial topics and the other, is a lark, so fun, it makes me laugh as I write it or even think about it. It is about a 14 year old girl who time travels back to the year 1850 in
About Beckie Weinheimer
Hi, my name is Beckie Weinheimer. My first YA novel, CONVERTING KATE, Viking Books, 2007 is about a sophomore girl named Kate Anderson who is trying to figure out the difference between faith and religion, find peace with the death of her non-believing father, figure out guys, learn how to deal with public school, (she's been home-schooled) and a lot of other things.
I was raised in a really conservative religious background and this inspired my story. But Kate is fiction, the church she grew up in The Church of the Holy Divine is fiction.
I have lived in
I have two adult daughters who are really cool and pretty and smart (because they take after their dad--ha ha!). Seriously I do love my husband, who wouldn't love a guy who left his church over you and got up at five a.m. every morning so he could edit CONVERTING KATE. He's my hero!
I also had a daughter that died when she was twelve. She was the love of my life. She had cerebral palsy and was deaf and I learned so much from her and I will always miss her. I learned from her that people are different. We just come wired that way and that made me really think the whole gay issue with my church. I couldn't believe someone would really choose to be gay, any more than my daughter chose to be born with her disabilities. So I finally left my church and speak out against homophobia any time I can. You get to do that more when you write a book! :)
I love to do email and love to hear from my readers good or bad reviews. It means a lot to me. I also love to encourage other writers no matter their age. My favorite word is inclusion. The word I hate the most is exclusion!
I want us to be all one big happy earth family. Okay, I'll admit, I'm a total optimist and idealist. But I have fun in my little bubble of hope!
Website:
http://www.beckieweinheimer.org
On Amazon:
16 comments:
Great interview! I really want to read this book; it looks so intriguing and I enjoy books about teens questioning and finding faith. :D
Ooh, great interview. And the book sounds really good!
that was a really great interview, and the books sounds really interesting. beckie sounds like an awesome person. it is great that she has a postive outlook even though she's been through losing a child, i can't even imagine. i would love to win a copy of her book.
Wow, what a powerful interview! It was quite in depth and I love when Beckie says she wants your people to take "hope" from the book! They can sure use it! The book sounds fascinating. Please enter me in your drawing. I hope I win a copy! Congratulation to the author on her ALA award. Thanks,Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
I have been wanting to read this book, it looks great!
Enjoyed the interview and would loke to be in the drawing!
Great interview, this book sounds great, I would love to read it. =D
Sounds like a great book!
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Wonderful interview, it sounds like a great book!
Converting Kate sounds so good! i hope i get a copy :)
Loved the interview. The book sounds absolutley amazing so count me in for a chance to win one of the copies!!
Wow! Looks like a great read! Please enter me in the contest.
Great interview. It sounds like an awesome book!
This book sounds great!
awesome!
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