IndieView with Joann Keder, author of The Story of Keilah

I’d struggled to find work and friends and had a few revelations in that process. Keilah has that experience on steroids. Small towns contain so many unearthed secrets, I thought it would be interesting to delve into one woman’s experience with them. It was also a bit of a love letter to my best friend at age twelve.

Joann Keder – 25 February 2022

The Back Flap

Keilah moved to Sandy Salts, Iowa in search of a fresh start. Little did she know, acclimating to the quirky town in the middle of nowhere would be more complicated than she anticipated.

Her elderly landlord, Dee, has a dark secret that has followed her since childhood. Dee’s younger brother was kidnapped decades ago and never found. While the spunky woman tries not to talk about the painful ordeal, the mystery of his disappearance constantly haunts her.

Digging into the cold case residents have all but forgotten, Keilah unwittingly discovers shocking secrets from her own past. The explosive truth she uncovers could change the town of Sandy Salts and Keilah, forever.

About the book

What is the book about?

It’s about a young woman who is forced to leave her family farm in order to collect her inheritance. In the process, she learns her lost family memories lead to a dark family secret.

When did you start writing the book?

I started when my husband was recovering from heart surgery in 2016.. He found he couldn’t return to work, so it was my way of retreating into my own safe world.

How long did it take you to write it?

Because we were adjusting to our new normal and I was new at the mechanics of writing a full-length book, it took me most of a year. Now, I can usually finish a book in four months. Progress!

Where did you get the idea from?

I’m not sure. It’s a big pot of vegetable stew, where everything is thrown in and hopefully it’s good in the end. At the time, I was still coming to terms with our move from the rural part of the country to the Pacific Northwest.

I’d struggled to find work and friends and had a few revelations in that process. Keilah has that experience on steroids.  Small towns contain so many unearthed secrets, I thought it would be interesting to delve into one woman’s experience with them. It was also a bit of a love letter to my best friend at age twelve. She was beautiful and popular and had a really messed up family life. I was so in awe of her and a little jealous. I stood happily in her shadow.

The other part of this book that I don’t think many people have picked up on is a nod to fairy tales. That altered reality is something we all have had to overcome growing up. There are no perfect stories that tie up with a neat bow.

If you find all the fairy tale references, please let me know!

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

The death of Rosabel. She was so kind and such a beacon for good. Even though I knew from the first paragraph that she would die, the actual process of sending her off was extremely difficult.

What came easily?

Deeloriandra’s character. She is a free spirit who doesn’t care about her reputation as a “loose” woman. She’s lived a hard life and wears her scars proudly. Plus, she’s just funny.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

As I discussed above, I based Rosabel on a friend from grade school. Keilah has her roots in a television character, though I won’t disclose which one. I start many characters as a seed of reality and let them grow in other directions and blossom. I would hate to say, “I’ve based this character on so-and-so” because there would be an expectation of reality. Each person is such a great encyclopedic volume of information, it would be wasteful not to use their experiences and emotions to create colorful people and stories.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I love Fannie Flagg. I did try writing in her style for Keilah and Franniebell and Purple Wonder. Her characters are quirky, but earnestly so. They don’t find themselves odd and neither do their families. Jeannette Walls’ books, while non-fiction, were great studies. I love her voice.  The more mystery books I write, I’ve gone my own direction.

Do you have a target reader?

For my mystery books, certainly women over 50. For Pepperville Stories, the age range is wider. I love saying I have fans in their twenties up to 101. I did meet that fan this summer and absolutely adored her. We can only hope to be that energetic at her age.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I spend quite a bit of time getting to know my characters first, so that I don’t have to stall the writing process once I start. I know them and know exactly what they’d say. Then, I create chapters in separate documents. There’s something visually exciting to me about putting them together in one document in the second draft. I’m not speedy like some authors I know. I try to publish 3-4 full length books a year and that’s really pushing it for me.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I try to put an outline together first, but it’s definitely not my strong point. They are just a couple of sentences, some are merely place holders. When I’m finished, my work does not resemble the outline at all.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

No editing the first draft, but after that, anything goes. I complete nine drafts and several changes in between.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I do. It’s important for me because no matter how many drafts I’ve done, I’m down in the trenches. I need someone who is breathing in the fresh air and can look at something and see a problem I missed for nine drafts.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Yes! If I’m working on a period piece, I try to listen to something from that period. Franniebell and Purple Wonder takes place partially in the 50s and 60s. I never tire of that music.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Not anymore. It’s a personal choice, but I felt strongly that I needed to get as much into the world as I could. When you’re going through that process it’s tedious and slow. I don’t want to be held back while working my way through. This is my calling and I put it off for so many decades, I need to go until my fingers and brain won’t work anymore.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It was a gradual process. What I should have done was to learn as much about the publishing process as I could before beginning. Instead, I learned as I went. There is a certain stigma attached to self-publishing that is outdated. I had to get past that idea before I could accept all the freedom it offered me.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

I am NOT a cover artist. I have my gifts and appreciate others for theirs.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Read up on the whole process. That will take you many months. Also consider that success can mean different things to everyone. Getting a million-selling book isn’t a realistic goal, but publishing a book you distribute to your friends and family is. You can shoot bigger and read up on marketing too. Just start small.

The other suggestion I have is to spend time getting to know your characters and your story before you start your book. That blank screen can be daunting, and if you have background information, it’s less of a struggle.

About You

Where did you grow up?

In rural Nebraska.

Where do you live now?

Washington State

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m passionate about writing smart, strong women with flaws. I love humor and if you don’t see that in my books, read them again. I love helping people. I love purple. I’m so lucky to have the friends and family supporting me that I do.

What are you working on now?

Goodness. I’m writing the sequel to The Story of Keilah which will be out some time this summer. The third book in the Charming Mysteries Series is in beginning stages, a short story for the summer anthology, Midsummer Sun and Murders, and I hope to outline a fourth Charming Mysteries book before the end of the month, if only I’ll quit slouching!

End of Interview:

For more from Joann Keder visit her website and follow her Facebook page.

Get your copy of The Story of Keilah from Amazon US or Amazon UK.