Interview with Karina Fabian, Roman Catholic Fiction author

What is your name?

Karina Fabian
Where were you born?

Glenwood Springs, CO.
Where are you from?

I lived in Colorado until I graduated from College; since then, I've lived in Italy, Japan, Wyoming, Rhode Island, Virginia and North Dakota. We're moving to California soon. So I'm from Colorado, but wherever I am is home.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I don’t think there was any one moment. I've always thought of myself as a writer, even as a child. I first considered myself a professional writer sometime around 1996, when I was working for pay with assignments and steady work.
What books have most influenced your life most?

The Bible, obviously. It's the foundation of my faith. The Wrinkle in Time Trilogy by Madeleine L'Engle will always be closest to my heart. Her concepts of interdependence, of faith working in our lives, of the power of love--all themes I still believe in, both in life and in my fiction. Indirectly, Heinlein has also influenced my thinking, not because I've read so many of his works, but because my husband has, and it's molded his way of looking at the world and by association, mine, too. It's a nice combination of soul, heart, and mind.
In my writing: Hitchkiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Discworld novels, and the MythInc novels, as well as the Dresden Files, and the Valdemar series.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Terry Pratchett. If I can be half the writer--half the thinker--he was, I'd be content. It's tragic that his incredible, quirky mind is succumbing to Alzheimer's.

What book are you reading now?

I Loved Thy Creation, a collection of short fiction by Maya Bohnhoff. Maya wrote a story for Rob's and my anthology, Infinite Space, Infinite God, and I've been a fan ever since.
Do you see writing as a career?

Not a well-paying one, but yes. I put in eight- to twelve-hour days between marketing and writing. I love what I'm doing. I hope someday I can make a reasonable amount of spending cash from writing fiction, but if we need money, I can jump into non-fiction. Right now, we do fairly well in the budget, and I can be a "kept woman." I'm very aware of how blessed that makes me.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Actually, no. I'm floored at the response Magic, Mensa and Mayhem has gotten. I'm just hoping I can live up to the standard it set!

What is the most challenging aspect of your vocation?

Making myself sit down and concentrate on writing, especially when the characters won't talk to me. I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer, so when things stall, it's so easy to go do e-mail, or marketing, or Guild work or....

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Terry Pratchett and Jim Butcher. I love how they can put such a twist in the ordinary. Terry varies from dry wit to laugh-out-loud funny, while Jim Butcher's Dresden novels fascinate.

Did you learn anything from your career path?

--Learn to take Rejection. It's seldom personal.
--Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard. (BICHOK)
--If you want folks to read your books, you must market.
--Use your head. There are plenty of people out there willing to take advantage of a star-struck author hoping to get published. Do your research.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to our readers?

I want to thank you, Carole, for hosting me on your blog. I'm not talking too much about my book because I'm on a 30-day tour, and everyone else has asked me about it. So please check out the tour stops at www.dragoneyepi.net for more.
If you register on www.dragoneyepi.net, you get a free story, "Amateurs," which received Honorable Mention in the Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2008, and a subscription to "A Dragon's Eye View."

How long does it take you to write a book?

A month when I'm motivated. Right now, I have one that isn't wanting to come together, and it's taking a lot longer. I need more BICHOK

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Play Munchkin with the kids (card games which are hilarious and require some tactical and strategic thinking); watch sci-fi; keep a clean house. (Sadly, I don't do that one often enough. )

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I've written four, only one of which is published so far--Magic, Mensa and Mayhem. Live and Let Fly comes out later this year. Both are DragonEye, PI, novels. The other two are more standard fantasies and are under consideration by a publisher.
In addition, Rob and I edited two anthologies--Infinite Space, Infinite God and Leaps of Faith We just got the contract of ISIG II.
I love the DragonEye, PI novels. I think Live and Let Fly would just eek out the other as my favorite, because the adventure is more complex, and there are some truly stellar scenes in it. It also has a serious side that Magic, Mensa and Mayhem doesn't (and doesn’t need.)

What is your favorite aspect of your job?

That funny scene or line that keeps me laughing for hours. Today, it was the thought of a Faerie general trying to wrap his mind around a UN peacekeeping operation. Think Medieval warfare meets UN diplomacy. I'm hoping to write the story as a flash fiction for Memorial Day or the 4th of July as a tribute to our troops.

How do you think of yourself in connection to your community? How does community affect your writing?

My community is online--the Catholic Writers Guild , the Lost Genre Guild , several wonderful Yahoo groups and The Writers Chat Room . I've learned from many people in them, taught a few, gotten leads and advice, critique and support, and made some fast friends.

Are you very political?

Yes and no. I have some strong opinions, but I also do not do a lot of political campaigning or discussion, except where some key issues are concerned. I am of the belief that the Founding Fathers build our system to withstand the pressures of tyrants and idiot as well as make the best of the good leaders we get.

How does your spirituality affect your work?

It informs everything I do. Oftentimes, it comes through without my conscious thought.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I do on occasion. In my sci-fi, which has Christian or Catholic themes, I get appreciation for the way the writers wove the two together so well, and requests for more. In the DragonEye, I usually get folks gushing about Vern or telling me how hard they laughed.

What’s your motto?

Fiction, Faith and Fun!