What’s your genre?
Women’s Fiction
Are you published?
Traditional publisher
What inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve always loved to read. I inherited this respectable addiction from my mother, a stay-at-home mom in the 1950s who read me all the wonderful books I craved. And I grew up loving the scent of ink and newsprint. My father—a newspaperman who operated the old Guttenberg Linotype and Letterpress equipment—couldn’t drive into a small town on family vacation without stopping to tour the local print shop and chat with its owner. With ink in my veins and a pen in hand, I transitioned organically into a love of writing.
For years as an adult, I wrote feature stories and designed ads to promote small, independent women’s businesses. The work was satisfying, combining words and pictures to help entrepreneurs share their encouraging stories. Then, at age fifty, after domestic upheaval that led me to a series of women’s shelters, I determined to finish the college education I’d begun almost thirty years prior. This time around, I took courses in the field I wanted to study, rather than settle on what seemed pragmatic. In creative writing, I immediately felt at home and soon admitted I wanted to write realistic fiction with heart and hope.
My first novel began while I inhabited a quaint cottage with a screen porch that overlooked the bank of Bear Creek where otters, blue herons, and eagles fished and cavorted. The breathtaking natural beauty in my back yard called me to write as an outpouring of gratitude to God for giving me a second chance in life. I write to stir the hearts of seekers and fortify the souls of believers.
What author do you admire and how have they inspired you?
I love the honest, raw beauty found in the stand-alone novels of Midwestern author William Kent Krueger. His characters and settings are detailed and vivid but not overdone. He captures the quirky, understated mannerisms of people and the magnificence of the natural settings.
Krueger’s novel, “Ordinary Grace,” is a great example of realistic writing that invites the reader into the story, raising questions that don’t have pat answers, challenging the reader to think and grow. The ambiguity of the characters resonates with readers who want to experience much more than just an interesting story.
Stories like “Ordinary Grace” bring tears and laughter, as well as a satisfying sense of hope in the midst of despair.
Name three of your favorite books and their authors.
Wilderness Wife, a novel by Delores Topliff
The Lemonade Year, a novel by Amy Willoughby-Burle
Maranatha Road, a novel by Heather Bell Adams
What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I don’t have it all together, and neither do the characters in my books. Most are broken in some way, whether by their own mistakes, or somebody else’s. But they’re strong, too, and somehow, these broken yet lovable people find ways to rise above their situations and learn from their struggles. They want more out of life. More purpose. More meaning. Laughter, loss, heartache, and redemption are part of their journey, and their healing. I write to stir hearts with a gleam of hope.
What one piece of advice would you give to a budding writer?
Write with spirit and emotion. Readers want to laugh, cry, and feel a sense of marvel. A plot line is a skeleton which you, the writer, can flesh out with your creativity, your own unique contribution to the world. Have fun with words, allow your subjects and your sentences to explore new places you’ve never been. Read what you’ve written out loud to yourself. You’ll be surprised how meaning seems different to the ears than to the eyes. Reading aloud will give you the insight to edit and revise.
Author Bio
After living all over the USA, Lois Kennis loves the unpredictable seasons of Central Iowa, where she lives close to her four children and seven grandchildren. Born and raised in small town Minnesota, her higher education spans forty-plus years, including Concordia College and Rochester Community and Technical College. Finally, at age sixty, she earned a BA in Multi-Disciplinary Studies from University of Minnesota, which included an inspiring array of creative writing classes. Lois enjoys passing along what she’s learned about writing by offering journaling workshops in which she encourages others to record their thoughts, find their voice, and perhaps even share their stories. Her author website is: https://loiskennis.net/
