Q&A with Kati Felix

 Welcome Kati! Thanks for taking some time to talk about writing. First, a few quick-fire questions: What would your dream weekend getaway look like? Are there any weird foods you absolutely love? And if you could go for coffee/beer/mead with any Viking from history who would it be? 
 
 Thanks for having me, Joshua! Ohhh, dream weekend? Scotland, 100%. I visited Edinburgh in 2016 and fell in love with the city and its history, but I’ve been in love with the country itself since I was about 13. 
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 Weird foods? I love greek yogurt on tortellini with hot sauce. And as far as a drink with a Viking... I might be bending the rules a bit, but I’d take a glass of single-malt or a horn of mead with Beowulf of the Geats. 

"I might be bending the rules a bit, but I’d take a glass of single-malt or a horn of mead with
​Beowulf of the Geats."
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 What does your writing schedule look like? Is it highly structured or very flexible? Is there a particular location or type of space you like to write in?
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 I write primarily in the mornings when my son is in kindergarten. But I often end up writing at night if the words are flowing. I’m not at my best in the evenings, but anything to get the words on the page! I used to love writing in cafes or bookstores, but the last few years I’ve tried really hard to make my desk at home as personal and comfortable as I can. I have a stuffed purple dragon on the upper shelf, and I always light a candle from Folklore Candle Co (their scents are literary- and mythology-inspired.) I also listen to lots of folk metal when I write. 
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"I used to love writing in cafes or bookstores, but the last few years
​I’ve tried really hard to make my desk at home as personal and comfortable as I can."
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 You are a published author of fiction and an avid poet. Do you see yourself as an author of fiction first then a poet or the other way around? Do you distinguish between the two in your mind? 

​ Good question! I started writing fiction when I was around 8, but discovered poetry when I was 13. They’ve gone hand-in-hand for me over the years, with one or the other falling by the wayside sometimes. I once wrote a Shakespearean sonnet for a theatre class in college. I was so proud of it that I considered writing an entire novel based around this poem. I don’t think I have the monumental skill it would take, but I still adore that poem. 
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"I started writing fiction when I was around 8,
but discovered poetry when I was 13.
They’ve gone hand-in-hand for me over the years,
​with one or the other falling by the wayside sometimes."

​ When I first started writing I was discouraged from writing fantasy if I wanted to get published. However, both you and I have succeeded in getting our works of fantasy published traditionally. Do you have any advice for fantasy authors who are still trying to land that first publishing contract?
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 Oh goodness, this question is right in my wheelhouse! I struggled early on with finding my niche, and even today I have certain well-meaning family members tell me what I should and shouldn’t write. I cannot stand that type of pretentiousness in literature. Genre fiction authors must fight against it all the time. My advice to any genre fiction author, whether fantasy, sci-fi, fairy-tales, or any type of speculative fiction - write what you love, and never listen to “shouldn’t.” I promise that others - even the big publishers - also love what you love. 
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"My advice to any genre fiction author, whether fantasy, sci-fi, fairy-tales,
​or any type of speculative fiction - write what you love, and never listen to 'shouldn’t.' "    
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 Your current project, an Urban Fantasy novel called Draugr, is the prequel to a series following the exploits of Leif Halfdan. This sharp-tongued immortal character spends his time working as a historical consultant and local detective. In your novel, he’s called to consult at an archaeological dig in Scotland. What were your sources of inspiration for this quirky, cunning character and the world he inhabits? 

​ Oh, Leif Halfdan is such a special character to me. He carries so much on his shoulders and I feel bad for terrorizing him. But then he goes and pulls a numbskull move, and then I don’t feel as bad. He’s someone who desperately wants to do the right thing, and holds himself - and sometimes everyone else - to an impossible standard. He actually arose as a secondary character in the first novel I ever wrote, which will never ever see the light of day. I ended up falling in love with his rough manners and guilt complex, and thus Draugr took its first breaths. I wrote the first version of the story in six weeks, and knew for certain that this was a story and a character that needed to be shared.
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 "I wrote the first version of the story in six weeks,
​and knew for certain that this was
​a story and a character that needed to be shared."
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 Both you and I share a love of Viking history and your work is deeply infused with Scandinavian culture. Is the inclusion of Viking material mainly for entertainment purposes or do you aim to make Draugr educational for those interested in Viking history? 
 
 I have always loved history and mythology, and frequently jump from one era to another. The Viking Age has always been of particular interest to me, and so that love just bled out naturally. I wouldn’t call my work educational, because I know for sure I’ve gotten things wrong, and I’ve taken liberties. I tried to go more for a feeling of the mythology and the history, rather than a true retelling. I hope that readers fall in love with the epics, the sagas, the adventures, and the heroes just as I did. Leif’s story is just beginning, and with the sometimes-murky backdrop of Viking culture, I want to continue exploring that mythology and learn as much as I can.

"I tried to go more for a feeling of the mythology and the history, rather than a true retelling.
I hope that readers fall in love with the epics, the sagas, the adventures, and the heroes just as I did." 
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 When I wrote my first full novel, The Gatewatch, it was originally only meant to be an extended backstory for the book concept which I’m now working on. It seems you had a similar experience with your first book Wergild and your current project, Draugr. What led you to make the decision to let Wergild lie idle for a time while you write Draugr?  

 Funny how side projects can slip past us and become main projects! Wergild was the first novel I ever truly finished. It taught me how to complete a long project. I wrote and rewrote for six straight years, and shed lots of blood and tears over it. But in the end, I knew it just wasn’t the right story to be telling. It broke my heart, but ultimately, setting it aside freed my creativity up to rewrite Draugr. There are elements of Wergild that I will take with me along Leif’s journey, happily. I’ll always be grateful for the lessons it taught me. 
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"It broke my heart, but ultimately, setting it aside freed my creativity up to rewrite Draugr."

I really enjoyed the excerpt of Draugr that you posted to your blog! Where can we track the release of Draugr and stay up to date on your future writing projects? 
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 Thank you! There are actually a couple of excerpts on my blog, so readers can get a good taste there. I am currently in the revision process, but I hope to be finished and querying agents by autumn. I am very active on Twitter, and I frequently post progress reports there. I also hope to be announcing a new mystery project in the next two months. Stay tuned!

Find out more about Kati's writing on her website and don't forget to follow her on Twitter!
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