Looking Out the Window: Two -Time IAN Award Winner Kim Williams Introduces Her Letters to Layton Series and Book One, Among the Crepe Myrtles. Gives Away a Copy.

 

A Warm Welcome to Kim Williams

Kim will give away a paper (U.S. Residents) OR eBook copy of Among the Crepe Myrtles (book one in her Letters to Layton series). Winner chooses the format. To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below.

Hi Kim, Lots of writers were avid readers as children. How about you? If so, what did you read.

Yes! I enjoyed reading the classics. I realize now that most were versions for children until I got older. I used my allowance to buy the Companion Library or Illustrated Classic versions at Kmart. One of my favorites was Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates. I had a crush on Hans. I also enjoyed Heidi. I was born in Germany, so I imagined myself being her. Those books became a part of my classroom library when I began teaching sixth grade. I read to my students and found new favorites such as Across Five Aprils, A Wrinkle in Time, Old Yeller, and more. When I moved to teaching high school literature, I returned to the classics. 

Why do you write? 

I was compelled by stories that rested inside me. One day those stories became restless and I sat down started writing. I enjoy seeing the pieces of a story come together and getting to know my characters as they reveal themselves bit by bit. My Letters to Layton series was inspired by letters my great grandfather wrote to our great grandmother. The story of their romance and tragedy stayed locked in their generation, but emotions in the letters laid the foundation for a fiction series inspired by truth. 

In three words describe your style of writing.  

Gentle. Intimate. Smooth.

How do you get to know your characters? 

My initial approach is to interview my characters. I’ve also had characters write me a letter to share their thoughts and opinions about themselves or how they want to be written. From time to time they write to tell me things about other characters in the books. I may even chuckle at their input, wondering if it will prove true as they live out the story. One of my favorite joys is watching a character evolve. It’s interesting to discover some things we initially thought about them is incorrect. 

What themes do you write about? 

My stories are faith and family driven. My characters face decisions or circumstances that evoke the need for grace and forgiveness. Characters question their contentment or willingness to trust God. Family and its impact on lives play an important role in my plots.  

What is your writing schedule and where do you write? 

With a full-time ministry job and the joy of having children and grandchildren nearby, I strive to stay balanced. My work week is Sunday-Thursday.  Tuesday evenings are set aside for the “business” tasks of writing (that huge to-do list that sneaks up on the unsuspecting writer).  Friday is my writing day.  I use Saturday for catchup.  Of course, this doesn’t include the times I write in my head while driving or while trying to fall asleep. Sometimes I talk text my thoughts before I lose them. I’ve become quite skilled in deciphering those garbled texts. I have a writing nook in my office. I use 3X5 cards to keep important information such as dates, timelines, traits, etc. in front of me as I type.  When I set out as a writer, I had those cards taped all over the window in my office. I now have a handy-dandy bulletin board that is organized chaos.

Are you a plotter or a pantzer?  

When I first heard those terms, I had no idea what they meant, being new to writer jargon.  I’m a pantzer. Before I begin a WIP I have a general concept of the plot and some key scenes in mind. I’ll jot a short scene description on a 3X5 card.  As I write and rewrite, some of those original scenes never make the story. Scenes that I didn’t anticipate come to life.  Some “original” characters never make the story and others introduce themselves as the plot thickens. I’ll feel confined if I have too much planning done ahead of time. I respect plotters and am intrigued by their process. No matter the approach, watching a story unfold is satisfying and rewarding. 

Does your faith affect your writing?

Absolutely. I want the love and forgiveness God offers to speak between the lines and often directly in the lines of the piece. Writing with this intent does not mean that my stories aren’t human. Not all my characters are wholesome, but my stories are. 

Do you put yourself in your books? 

Yes. A piece here. A piece there. Glimpses of life as I know it show up in things such as jobs, habits, food choices, expressions, and more. I am intentional to insert things into my stories that friends and family will recognize, but were not expecting.  My husband and I went to school together, and one of his favorite memories from seventh grade is my announcing from my desk, “Somethin’ smells like potatoes.” He knew I was smelling his jeans that hadn’t dried all the way, but I didn’t know it.  I had one of my characters say those words and didn’t tell him.  He enjoyed the discovery. These hidden treasures allow me to pay tribute to special people in my life.  Although I don’t deliberately write so they fit in, it’s fun when they fall into place in a story. 

What are you working on right now?

I jumped forward in time from my published series.  My work in progress is set in 1960 in a small town outside Dallas, Texas. The female protagonist works in the beauty shop at an assisted living facility. The male protagonist teaches junior high. This is a story of longing for family and the desire to be loved by someone.  Characters come to understand that sustained love is a choice nourished by action.  The setting stems from my own experience. My Mom was a beautician and my children and I are experienced educators. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Begin! Get words onto paper whether that’s a blog, a devotion, or the seeds of story. You’ll never be a writer if you are not writing. At the same time, learn the craft through books, writer’s groups, or on-line resources.  Let others read what you’ve written. Finally, read in and out of your preferred genre. Becoming a writer is like becoming a driver. You learn along the way rather than waiting until you’ve perfected the craft to begin. 

About the Letters to Layton Series

Kim had a desire to write for a long time. One day her story met her head on, and she got busy making words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into chapters. The result is her Letters to Layton Christian Romance Series. The series is based on discovered love letters from her great grandfather to his wife. He is begging for forgiveness and restoration with her. Their true romance  remains sealed in their generation, leaving room for a fictional account. 

The first book in the series, Among the Crepe Myrtles, won the IAN 2019 Award in the Christian Fiction Category. Two books in her Letters to Layton series were finalists in the American Fiction Awards. While the Rain Whispered won the IAN 2020 award for Inspirational Fiction.

More About Among the Crepe Myrtles

Robbed more than once of what he desires from life, Ben Williams is disillusioned with his concept of fairness. The only person still alive who matters to him is his son, but his work takes him from home, leaving someone else to parent the boy. The railman hides his resentment behind a facade of good-naturedness and an illusion of self-reliance. He has every intention of his mind outwitting his emotions.

Eighteen-year-old Katherine McGinn is unaware that she views herself as an emotional victim, despite her strong faith. Her longing for acceptance and a desire for more than her common life offers her are both held prisoner by her practicality. The only world she knows exists inside a rural early 1900's community where she shares a house with her siblings, and where mundane work is a necessity for survival. She guards her emotions for fear of disappointment.

When their lives cross paths, Ben and Katherine attempt to help one another move beyond their inner conflicts, but their bond is threatened by new circumstances that demand the need for forgiveness.

Buy on Amazon

Bio: 

A former school teacher, Kim Williams has spent the past thirty years on staff at her local church, First Baptist Woodstock. She oversees ministry to young children. Kim has traveled in both the US and abroad conducting training in leadership, discipleship to women, parenting, and ministry to children. 

She had a desire to write for a long time. One day her story met her head on, and she got busy making words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into chapters. The result is her Letters to Layton Christian Romance Series. The series is based on discovered love letters from her great grandfather to his wife. He is begging for forgiveness and restoration with her. Their true romance and remains sealed in their generation, leaving room for a fictional account. 

Kim resides in the North Metro Atlanta area with her husband, whom she met the summer after fifth grade. They have two grown children who are educators and who have the best spouses a parent could hope for. Kim and her husband are also grandparents two adorable little boys. Grand Twins are due late Spring. Kim is a member of ACFW and AWSA. She has been featured in Southern Writers Magazine. In addition to her social media, she can be found on Goodreads, Bookbub, and All Authors. 

To learn more about Kim and her books, visit her  Website 

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and Goodreads