by Crystal Caudill | Nov 12, 2024 | Author Interviews
It is an honor to introduce you to Christy Award winner, Katie Powner. I met Katie for the first time a few years ago at a reader event, and her down-to-earth manner struck me. She is a fantastic author, foster mom, and Christian. I am so blessed to get to have her here today for an interview. Katie is graciously offering a copy of The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass, her latest Christy Award finalist novel, to one lucky person. Check out the details and restrictions at the end of this post. Before we dive in, here is a bit about her.
Katie Powner is a Christy Award-winning author who lives in rural Montana, where cows still outnumber people. She writes contemporary fiction about redemption, relationships, and finding the dirt road home. She’s a mom to the third power (biological, adoptive, and foster) who loves red shoes, Jesus, and candy–not necessarily in that order. Learn more at KatiePowner.com.
You can connect with her through: Website  | Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram | X | BookBub | GoodReads
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Katie with rapid-fire.
CC: Pineapple pizza or candy corn?
KP: The two absolutely worst things I can imagine.
CC: Test the waters or dive in the deep end?
KP: Dive in, baby!
CC: Guacamole or salsa?
KP: I love guac too, but I have to go with salsa because there are so many varieties and it has way fewer calories, haha.
CC: Silly hats or silly socks?
KP: Socks
CC: Passwords or secret handshakes?
KP: What?! Is this something people are doing? I feel like I’m missing out, I want both!
Ha ha! Yeah, I don’t know anyone who actually uses secret handshakes outside of elementary school, if they even do it there now. And I’m so with you on the guac. I love it, but not the calories.
What fiction book has most impacted you?
KP: Summer of Light by Dale Cramer changed the trajectory of my life because it showed me there was room in Christian fiction for a wider variety of stories than what I had been exposed to. When I read Summer of Light, I suddenly had hope there were publishers out there interested in writing voices like mine.
CC: Oh, I’ve never heard of that one. I’ll have to go look it up.
When did you first realize you want to be a writer?
KP: It’s all I ever wanted to do. Aside from briefly entertaining the idea of becoming a naturalist when I was in fifth grade, all I’ve ever wanted to be was a writer. I never imagined myself as a nurse or ballerina or astronaut or whatever. Writing was it for me.
CC: I love how you had that yearning from the very beginning!Â
How have you seen God work through your writing journey?
KP: Here’s a funny thing. I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but I figured it would happen after my kids were grown up. I wanted to give my time and attention to them, and I figured writing could wait. But here’s what God knew that I didn’t: Writing makes me a better parent. Having a creative outlet and a way to set personal goals for myself, as well as a way to have success and identity outside of my children, allows me to find greater joy in being a mom and gives me more energy and life to pour into parenting.
CC: Oh wow! I love that. I’d actually never thought of it in that context, except that writing saves my family’s lives sometimes. LOLÂ
Do you have any advice for those who want to write their own stories?
KP: The one piece of advice I always give to people just starting out or thinking about starting out is WRITE THE SECOND BOOK. I’ve seen too many people write one story and then spend years and years revising it, passing it around for feedback, revising it again, and basically just fiddling around with it forever when they should be working on their next story. Yes, take all the time you need to write your book. Yes, revise it and get feedback and revise it again. But then submit it and move on. Start something new. Don’t get stuck on one story for ten years.
CC: That is very sage advice. It’s easy to get hung up on perfection. We grow and change with each book we write.
I’m so thrilled to get the chance to talk about your book that is currently up for a Christy Award, and even more thrilled I’ll get to cheer you on in person! Before we talk about it, here’s what it’s about:
The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner
Purchase your copy at Amazon | Baker Book House (30% off and free shipping!) | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop |  ChristianbookÂ
CC: Where did you get the idea for the story?
KP: My brother drives the garbage truck for the city of Cut Bank in northern Montana. He would tell me sometimes about things he would observe while driving the truck and things he learned about people based on their garbage. I found that fascinating and that’s where The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass was born.
CC: That is so cool! I never thought about that aspect of his job.
Which character was the most fun to create?
KP: Pearl the pot-bellied pig was really fun to write because pigs are such smart and unique and curious creatures. Also because she was always getting into mischief and revealing people’s true character.Â
CC: Ha! I love it when animals bring more to the story than just being there for the main characters to love on.Â
What was some of your favorite research while preparing for the The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass?
KP: I learned that pot-bellied pigs are good at recognizing danger and have been known to save lives. They’re so much smarter than people realize!
CC: I’ve heard that pigs are extremely intelligent, but I’ve never put a lot of thought into what that might look like.Â
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
KP: That everyone has value and their value is determined by the Creator, not by the world. Not based on human standards.
CC: Amen. That is such a hard thing to learn and hold on to, especially with our world and society’s pressures.
I always like to end with a fun question so . . .Â
You find a genie in a lamp. What three wishes would you make?
KP: I wish ice cream was a low-calorie food. I wish it was easier to go to bed before 10:30pm (It’s not. It’s impossible). And I wish my chickens would stop laying their eggs beneath their roost.
CC: ha ha! I can commiserate with the first two, but I don’t have chickens. However, my brother does, and I’m sure he can agree on that third wish!
Readers, I hope you’ll check out The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass and then leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or BookBub. You wouldn’t believe how important that is to an author. Â
Giveaway
Katie is graciously giving away a print copy of The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass to one lucky U.S. resident, 18 or older. Entries are collected until 11:59 p.m. EST on 11/18/2024. The winner will be contacted by email.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Contiguous U.S. residents only, 18 and older. Void where prohibited or restricted.
Reader, what is something the garbage man might learn about you when they see your trash?
by Crystal Caudill | Nov 22, 2022 | Author Interviews
I had the pleasure of meeting Katie Powner and Moolene at the Fiction Readers Summit in May, and now it is my pleasure to introduce Katie to you. She is a woman with a big heart and impactful stories about redemption, relationships, and finding the dirt road home.
Katie Powner lives in rural Montana, where cows still outnumber people. She is a mom to the third power (biological, adoptive, and foster) and writes contemporary fiction about redemption, relationships, and finding the dirt road home.
You can connect with her through:
Website | Facebook | Instagram  | Twitter |  BookBub Â
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Katie with rapid-fire.
CC: Milk or Dark Chocolate?
KP: Dark
CC: Print or E-book?
KP: Print
CC: Cat or Dog Person?
KP: Cat
Morning Person or Night Owl?
KP: Night Owl
CC: Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter?
KP: This question isn’t fair, because in Montana winter lasts from October to May. And July and August are really hot and dry and filled with forest fires. So my favorite season in Montana is June.
CC: That is too funny! Well, not the forest fires, but the lack of seasons. Now for a couple of fun personal questions:
What do you like to do when you aren’t reading or writing?
KP: When I’m not reading or writing, I love taking walks, fostering babies, going to high school sporting events, and hanging out with my husband and kids.
CC: I love your fostering heart, and I’m so thankful for the handful of posts that have shared the struggles of that journey. (Reader, you can find those on her blog through her website.)
When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?
KP: I’ve known I wanted to be a writer from the beginning…from when I first learned how to write. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.
CC: It is so neat to see God use the desires of our hearts for His glory. It’s not an easy road, but I love that you have always wanted to do it.
What has been the biggest challenge for you on your writing journey?
KP: The biggest challenge on my writing journey has been trying to find that all-important balance between writing life and family life, as well as the balance between being committed to what I feel is my calling (and working hard to succeed) and still trusting that God is the one in control and will bring about the results He wants to bring about. It takes a lot of recurring prayer and meditation!
CC: I’m beginning to wonder if that balance between family and writing exists! And success in this writing world and struggling to not have control is a hard one for sure. I love that you actively pray and meditate on what He wants to bring about.
Let’s talk about your newest release, Where the Blue Sky Begins.
Sometimes the hardest road of all is the road home.
When confident and handsome Eric Larson is sent to a rural Montana town to work in the local branch of his uncle’s financial company, he’s determined to exceed everyone’s expectations, earn a promotion, and be back in Seattle by the end of summer. Yet nothing could prepare him for the lessons this small town has in store.
At forty-six years old, eccentric and outspoken Eunice Parker has come to accept her terminal illness and has given herself one final goal: seek forgiveness from everyone on her bucket list before her time runs out. But it will take more courage than she can muster on her own.
After an accident pushes Eric and Eunice together, the unlikely pair is forced to spend more time with each other than either would like, which challenges their deepest prejudices and beliefs. As summer draws to a close, neither Eric nor Eunice is where they thought they would be, but they both wrestle with the same important question: What matters most when the end is near?
Purchase your copy at Amazon | Baker Book House |  Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Christianbook | Indiebound
CC: What was some of your favorite research for Where the Blue Sky Begins?
KP: While preparing for Where the Blue Sky Begins, I did a lot of research about stomas, particularly urostomies, because Eunice in the story has a urostomy. I already knew what they were, but it was so fascinating to learn more about this absolute marvel of modern medicine. I mean, to think that doctors can re-route a bladder or a colon to a newly formed opening to save a person’s life…it’s amazing. Not many years ago, a person with a diseased colon would’ve died a slow and painful death. But now, thanks to advancements in stomas and stoma supplies, they can live a long, basically normal life. I loved learning more about that.
CC: We recently had the son of an acquaintance whose life was saved through a stoma. I never really thought about the fact that before they existed, people had such a miserable death. I am definitely glad for that bit of modern medicine.
How do you select the name of your characters?
KP: Names are so interesting. They tell us a lot about a person, even if we don’t realize it on a conscious level. So I take character name-choosing very seriously. I consider their age, their location, their family heritage. I consider their temperament and their character arc. I also consider how their name sounds out loud and how it sounds paired with other prominent names in the story. For example, if you have a William, you wouldn’t want to name his wife Wilma because that would be a tongue twister!
CC: I love how much thought you put into names. They really are such an important part of the story, and once it’s in print, you can’t change it.
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
KP: I hope readers will think about their own mortality and consider not only what will happen after they die but what they should be doing now with the life they still have. I also hope they will be encouraged to not judge others so quickly but to give people a chance to show who they really are.
CC: That is so beautiful and so needed. Thank you so much for joining me today and providing such thought-provoking answers. As my final question, I have my usual “Fun Question”.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot?
KP: Actually, I already have a writerly mascot! It’s my stuffed Holstein cow named Moolene. She and I wear matching red Converse shoes and matching retro red bead necklaces. If you follow me online at all, you will see Moolene make appearances fairly often.
CC: Thank you again for joining us. For fun, I’ve included a picture of Moolene. 🙂
Reader, what would be YOUR mascot?
