Interviews With Anne Kimberly
I had the privilege of interviewing Anne Kimberly, author of DARK WELL OF DECISION
Here's how our chat went:
What incident, (if any), happened in your personal life to evoke the writing of this story.
Well now, I cant give everything away, now can I? What I will tell you is that all the places described in Dark Well are part of this old farm, the well and its scary, dark depths, the woods and Zoe's secret place with the large rocks, Gus and Molly the geese and Grandma and Grandpa, the garden...everything.
There are so many intriguing symbols in the story. Can you tell us about the symbolism of the various characters? (Pick two or three)
One of the main characters is Areli the canine, a very large, beautiful animal who is Zoe's extremely loyal companion and guardian. His name means "Lion of God" and his job is to protect her from the roaring lion of the enemy. Another character that Zoe meets on her journey is Sansannah is an exceptionally beautiful, ethereal character with flowing red hair reaching her feet and liquid green eyes that have the power to pull you into their swirling, iridescent depths. Her name means "Bramble of the enemy." Lastly are the horrible Ophis, black as night so as to blend with the darkness they inhabit, except for their red eyes that dart nervously back and forth. They belong to the enemy and are his servants. Ophis means "serpent."
Who do you see as your primary audience with this story, adults or children?
I wrote the book for my granddaughter and I see the primary age from around 8-15 but many adults have read and loved the book. I honestly feel that it touches on subjects that anyone can connect with, young or old, male or female so it isn't bound by an age limit. Many adults have read it and readily identified with the characters and lessons, telling me that it made a difference in their lives. My fifteen year old nephew loved the book and couldn't put it down, reading it all in one day!
What did you do to reach out to this age group?
My current goal is to get Dark Well of Decison into Christian School and home school libraries, just as you mentioned in your review. Kids love books that hold their attention and take them into another world that they can see in their mind. Those type of books are powerful and have the ability to make an impression on the reader. That was my goal in writing this book, to make a difference. The salvation message is described in a way that's easy for kids to identify with and understand.
How long did it take you to write the book?
It took six years to finish, edit, find an agent and then a publisher. Whew! That seems like a long time but it went by fast.
What advice would you give aspiring writers about the process of writing?
I would tell aspiring writers to believe in themselves and in their calling. It takes a great deal of hard work but persevere because if God is behind it, He has a way of opening doors that no man can shut.
Tell us a little about the "real" Zoe.
The real Zoe is an extremely bright, beautiful, energetic girl who hasn't quite hit her teenage years yet but her grandma lovingly wrote a book called Dark Well of Decision to help guide her along the way. More than anything I want her to find out early just how real God truly is and how much He wants to be her closest friend.
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- Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. My characters all reflect someone I have known or a part of myself. The main character,
- What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? Ask the governor of
- When did you first discover that you were a writer? I have enjoyed writing since I was young. One of my schoolteachers loved one of the stories I submitted to her so much that she sent me around to read it to other classes. I forgot all about that as I grew older, married and had children. One day a friend of mine made a comment in one of our emails that I should consider writing a book, explaining that my way of describing things and events made her feel as if she were there, that it allowed her to clearly picture in her mind what she was reading. The Lord used her that day. She saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself.
- Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. Some of my favorites are fantasy books such as the
- What other books have you written, whether published or not? Dark Well of Decision is my first and only book, so far. I do have several sequels in the works.
- How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? The only way to keep my sanity and my priorities in line is to make God the center of my life. Everything else branches off Him. Nothing is more important than spending time with Him each day.
- How do you choose your characters’ names? The names I chose for my characters are actual Biblical names with appropriate meaning for each one. One example is Areli,
- What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? If others can see
- If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? I would be one of my cats. Man they have the life! No worries or responsibilities, their food appears on time, they can sleep and play all day!
- What is your favorite food? I would have to say pizza.
- What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? One of my greatest roadblocks was believing that my work was good enough for an agent to pick up or a publisher to publish. I still struggle with a fear that I shouldn’t be titled an author at all. I’m just an ordinary person trying to follow God closely and use whatever talent I have been given to the best of my ability. I have faith to know that God will use Dark Well for His kingdom and purposes. I do my best to follow His lead and leave the rest up to Him.
- What advice would you give to an author just starting out? Commit your way to the Lord and He will bring it to pass. This whole writing process requires hard work and a great deal of time. If you get discouraged, remember you’re not in it alone and God has a way of opening doors for us.
- What would you like to tell us about the featured book? Thirteen-year-old
- How can readers find you on the Internet? Readers can go to my website at www.annekimberly.com or find me at http://www.myspace.com/myannekimberly or my publisher’s website www.highlandpress.org. They may also contact me personally at myannekimberly@yahoo.com.
