SPFBOX Interview with Melissa Widmaier

Our SPFBOX interviews continue with Melissa Widmaier, author of The Wind at Oak Hollow.

SPFBO (the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off) is a free online contest run by author Mark Lawrence. 300 authors compete across ten judging teams to see who will be the winner! You can read more about the contest here.

INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA WIDMAIER

Tell us a little about yourself and let our readers know which blog you’ve been assigned to for SPFBOX!

Hello. My name is Melissa Widmaier. By day, I’m an editor and a mom; by night… I’m also an editor and a mom. The work never stops, but I love it. I’m autistic raising autistic children, so I sometimes see the world a little differently. Perhaps that’s why my hobbies include photography and hiking; those activities just speak to me the most. I can hyperfocus on things that strike my fancy. I’m excited to be a part of SPFBOX and in Philip Chase’s group.

What inspired you to write this book?

The main thread for this book came to me in a dark time when our family was dealing with and adjusting to one family member’s health struggles. I wondered, at the time, what it would be like to grow up with mental health conditions in an age where they were not understood (or at least understood less than they are now). The magic elements and prophecy plot sort of took shape from there. It sprang from something dark to help me cope with the situation, but, while writing it, I discovered that I and my characters still had strength and could hold on to hope, no matter what. Family, chosen and by blood, was the greatest strength.

Can you tell us a little bit about your writing or editing process? What’s most exciting to you about writing or editing?

I’m an editor by trade; so, I love going in and seeing possibilities for improvement. Writing is like magic; you are creating something from nothing. As I write, I feel like I’m weaving spells. I like to read my work aloud because that is like speaking my intentions into the world and it also helps me to hear if something is just not quite right in the tale.

The main thread for this book came to me in a dark time when our family was dealing with and adjusting to one family member’s health struggles.

Who or what have been your major literary influences?

Wow! That would be a long list. If I had to narrow it down, I would say Patricia A. McKillip, Tad Williams, Diana Wynne Jones, Anne McCaffrey, Louisa May Alcott, Frances Hodgson Burnett, J.R.R. Tolkien, Johanna Spyri, Astrid Lindgren, Jane Austen, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, William Blake, Shakespeare, and Richard Adams.

What makes your SPFBOX book unique?

No one character in my book is more important than the other, although, for the sake of narrative, we only get a glimpse of a few characters’ points of view. Kinship and friendship are the foundation of the Ganwin family and the little village of Na-ir. Those ties are at the heart of the narrative.

Do you have a favourite character from your SPFBOX entry? Tell us about them!

My favorite character might surprise you. I have a soft spot for Pilgrim the black cat. He’s a side character, but he’s far from minor (plus, I know a little more about his back story–for a later novel). He’s a comforting presence and a wise soul. Like with all cats, it is an honor just to be near him.

Writing is like magic; you are creating something from nothing. As I write, I feel like I’m weaving spells.

How does your work fit into (or challenge) its genre?

My heroes are not perfect, sometimes not even likeable. They must endure a lot of character growth individually and together in order to meet their destinies. My fantasy novels are more character-driven than plot-driven. I do have magic and adventure along the way, but it is the character that starts the journey.

What do you hope readers take away from your SPFBOX entry?

I hope they come to the same conclusion as I did after writing it: nothing is impossible to overcome and you can be and are the greatest hero in your own story. There is light in every shadow.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on the first draft of a YA Scottish myth retelling, but I will be starting on edits for Book 3 of the Realm of Light series shortly.

The Wind at Oak Hollow

Families can be complicated, especially when the fate of the kingdom rests on yours.

Marl Ganwin is more than just a mischief-maker. He’s a pain in the ass–the Wind spirit’s favorite youth. The Village of Na-ir tolerates his antics, giving him free rein to ramble and rumble. But things take an unexpected turn when Wind forces him to accept an unfathomable fate.

Can Marl’s family and the entire village survive the implosion of his gifts? Or will his choices send their peaceful world order into a whirlwind?

What will he lose when he accepts his power?

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About Melissa Widmaier

Melissa is an editor with a heart for wide, open spaces. When not manipulating words, she can be found camping with a camera in hand, getting lost among things green and growing. She lives in Arizona with her husband, three boys, a barrelful of cats, and a corgi.