Friends, we have a special guest on the blog this month…Katie Powner is here to talk about her newest release, The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass!

If you’ve been around my blog, you’ve heard me rave about Katie’s writing. It’s such an honor to have her here today to discuss writing, faith, and of course, her newest book. Keep reading for our interview!

1. Give a little background about yourself, your family, and your writing.

I was raised on a dairy farm in Western Washington where I spent many hours in the barn. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, even when I was little, but I didn’t start taking my writing seriously until about ten years ago. The first four novels I completed were rejected, and the fifth, The Sowing Season, was published by Bethany House in 2020.

2. You’ve focused primarily on contemporary fiction with a literary style (as I do). Why did you choose this genre, and what do you love about it?

I like to say I didn’t choose the genre, the genre chose me. For years, I primarily write poetry and song lyrics. When I started writing novels, I tried writing Women’s Fiction, Speculative, and Young Adult, but they always turned into general contemporary fiction with a literary style, so I decided to go with it. That’s also one of my favorite genres to read.

3. Readers are consistently delighted with the unique voices of your characters and the insightful metaphors and phrasing you use. What does this part of the writing process look like for you?

I think it would be fair to say this part of the process looks a lot like herding cats. There’s never any real plan and I never have any real control, I just say, “No, don’t do that” over and over while trying not to get scratched and in the end, the words do what they want anyway.

4. One trait that your writing seems to be known for is the fact that you include so many animals—which thrills me, and obviously many other readers, to no end! Where do you find the inspiration for your nonhuman characters, and do you find that the interactions between your characters and their pets or livestock lead for more meaningful connections throughout the story?

I grew up on a farm and now I live in rural Montana, so I’m used to always having animals around, both wild and domestic. I love cows and goats and pigs and elk. Even though we live in town now, we have a dozen chickens and two bunnies. So animals have always been a part of my life and making them a part of my stories came very naturally. I think people never show their true colors more than when they interact with animals and small children, so including animals in my books creates lots of opportunities for character exploration. And humor. Animals are so darn funny.

5. And speaking of animals…let’s talk about your current work, The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass. The starring nonhuman character is a potbellied pig named Pearl, and you and I have already talked about how deeply I adore her (and how desperately I now want a potbellied pig of my own!). How did you choose this animal for this book and why?

Basically, I’ve wanted a pet pig for years but it’s not logistically possible for me right now, so I figured this was the next best thing.

6. Sleeping Grass is set in an interesting area of Montana called the Hi-Line, and while I’d never heard of this region before reading the book, I fell in love with how the rugged wildness of the Hi-Line shaped the story and the people who inhabited it. Can you share more about the Hi-Line as well as why you chose that setting?

The Hi-Line stretches east to west along the northern plains of Montana. It roughly encompasses the area along Highway 2 and the railroad, and it’s a pretty remote place marked by persistent wind and a string of small towns. I chose this setting partly because my brother lives on the Hi-Line so I’ve visited several times and love the area, and partly because in the story Pete needed to live in an isolated location where you have to be tough to survive.

7. Who was your favorite character to write in Sleeping Grass?

I’m not sure I can pick a favorite, but I will say each character has something about them that I can relate to. Pete’s love of poetry, Wilma’s penchant for meddling, Windy Ray’s passion for God’s creation, Dani’s difficulty in trusting others. I think these things will resonate with readers.

8. I know that faith is important to your writing, as it is to mine as well. But just as I try to do in my own writing, you avoid preachy or overdone depictions of faith and instead show real wrestling with deep issues of the soul—which is beautiful and so needed in today’s fiction world! How does your faith inform your writing, and how does your writing impact or contribute to your faith?

My faith informs my writing in that it gives my writing a purpose. If a story of mine isn’t going to offer at least a glimpse of truth, of hope, then what is the point of writing it? Conversely, my writing has a huge impact on my faith because it provides clarity for me. If I’m not creating, not writing, for long periods of time, my mind gets muddled and my outlook starts to gray around the edges, and I don’t see the Lord as clearly. Writing brings the world into focus for me so that I can see the truth of God’s Word and hear His voice and reconnect with Him.

9. What’s one piece of advice you would give to aspiring writers?

This is going to sound weird, but the advice I always like to give is: Move on. Many aspiring writers get stuck on one story that they’ve worked on for a long time, and they keep tweaking and tweaking, hoping to “get it right.” But none of us ever gets it right. We just do our best and then move on to the next project, taking what we learned from the last one.

10. Anything else you’d like readers to know?

I don’t think readers realize how important they are and how much it makes a difference when they buy books and leave reviews. I want every reader to know they matter, and they are appreciated.

I’m so excited to have featured Katie and her incredible book today! Trust me…RUN, don’t walk, to grab your preorder of this amazing story here (it’s 40% off now too)!