Seven Story Publishing

Written Author Interview

1. A day in my life…well, I am a stay-at-home mom to two children. Amos will be 4 in October, and Tabitha will be 2 in August. I am the main caregiver and also the homemaker so my days are filled with play, chores, and alllllllll the coffee I can handle. Other than writing, I dabble in resin crafts, and I also hold workshops to teach others the ins and outs of resin. I am still a big reader (when I have the time!), and I enjoy cooking for my family. I am an artist by trade, so as much as I am able, I like to get a pencil, pen, or paintbrush in hand. Right now, I am working on illustrating black out poetry pieces for some of the characters from my book series. Plus, did I mention coffee?

2. My first novel was inspired by a dream I had at the end of January 2018. The dream was full sensory, more vivid than waking life, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I prayed and felt God tell me the dream was a book. He had already spoken “Author” over me quite a few times in the last quarter of 2017, so this tracked. I sat down, wrote out the dream, and quickly realized I had not ONE but FIVE books to write from this dream. So, I set about doing so. Before this, I had no aspirations to become an author. I had journaled a lot and dabbled in poetry and short stories, but nothing aspirational. Now, I am hooked

3. My main character, Aoire, and the main male character, Retter, are very much designed after the two persons I saw in the dream. Most of the other characters were birthed from my imagination, however for all of them I did a deep dive into their appearances, their backgrounds, their desires, their faults, and their families. I wanted them to be as real as any other human being. Two of the characters are based off of God and the Devil.

4. My favorite genre to read is the one I write infantasy, but I do like to read almost anything, save books with a high spice content. Historical fiction is also a favorite and I have read the occasional biography or two. I would recommend the Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker for anyone looking for Christian fantasy, and the Dragonlance Trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman for those looking to get into fantasy. Percy Jackson is a great YA series, as is The Series of Unfortunate Events. For historiacal fiction, I am greatly enjoying the Cry for Jerusalem series by Ward Sandford.

5. The loneliness is the hardest part. Most people don’t realize how isolating writing can be unless they have tried. I am blessed to have a husband who understands because he is a part time pastor and when he has to write his sermons, he has to do so sequestered from the rest of us. There is also a lot of imposter syndrome which can creep in and really mess with your head.

6. Outline? What outline? I am what they affectionately refer to as a “Pantser,” meaning I don’t outline. I do have a general outline for how the series will unfold and I try to put down key points at the start of every chapter to hit, but the story writes itself. Often, I throw out much of what I have planned because its’ not where the story wants to go. But yes, I guess if I have any sort of outline, it’s the big events which will happen in each book and how the story will progress to the end.

7. In the first book, I have a character who eats people’s souls and keeps them trapped within her for all eternity. In the second book, I have a scene where the still decomposing corpses of a mother and child are found locked in a metal refrigerator. The mother euthanized her child and herself to keep them from being eaten alive. They come back to life then die again.

8. My biggest pet peeve at the moment revolves around marketing, mainly the bookstagrammers. Since getting published, I get a message almost weekly of someone wanting to review my book for me. They reach out to me personally or offer their services online by saying “I want to find 50 new books to read this year!” then when you respond, they will only read my book or someone else’s if we pay them to do so. I did network marketing for a few years and so I am very wary of these types of messages. Don’t get me wrong, I love marketing! I find it a blast to find new ways to promote my books, but I get frustrated when folks offer to help then expect to be paid.

9. For me, right now, it’s knowing my books are making an impact. I have heard so many incredible stories of how folks have responded to it and that’s very humbling. I do want this to be my career and I would love for the books to be made into movies one day so I can leave a legacy behind for my family. The type of life I want to live is writing and traveling and spreading the gospel through my books so lives can be impacted for the kingdom. I would also love to be able to fully support my family so my husband can do the kind of work he would love to do, not have to do.

10. Ooooooh great question! I think I could. This has been the wildest journey from being scammed by a glamour press, to working with a writing coach, to going to a writers’ conference (where we came home with a 3^rd male cat), to finding a legitimate publisher, to being published! And the ride is only beginning. During this journey I had two kids, became a SAHM, got even more addicted to caffeine, and learned just how many times my husband could pick me up off the floor. It’s not been the easiest road, but I have grown so much. I have learned so much, and I have fallen completely in love with being an author.

Get to know Katelyn Pfeiffer

About

Born in California, Katelyn moved to Virginia with her parents and older brother at the young age of 1 and a half years old. The youngest child of a reading specialist and a pastor, books were readily available to Katelyn while growing up. At a young age, Katelyn found her love of reading and the arts, spending her summers at the community pool and in and out of local libraries. By High School she had begun writing as well as painting, drawing, and acting.

Beginning with poems and short stories, Katelyn also kept journals a discipline she continues today. Her first published work was a poem she wrote in high school, released through poetry.com. Since, she published a book in 2018 titled City of End a predecessor to her first published work through Elk Lake Publishing Inc.

Following in her mothers’ footsteps, Katelyn married a pastor in 2019. Shortly after, they adopted three cats and have given birth to two beautiful children. Blessed with a growing immediate and extended family, Katelyn and Jordan are Aunt and Uncle to multiple nieces and nephews. Their church is located in Manassas, Virginia.

Still attempting to read as much as she can, Katelyn enjoys the classics written by authors like Alexander Dumas, Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, Tolkein, Oscar Wilde, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. She also enjoys escaping into the fantasy worlds penned by J.K Rowling, Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, Robert Jordan, Ted Dekker, and Rick Riordan. Her love of escape into another world and the adventures the characters are taken on is a discipline she strives to bring to her own writing.