Team SRP member author D. Marie Prokop sat down with award-winning historical fiction writer Kate Spitzmiller recently to talk about Kate’s debut novel, Companion of the Ash. Everyone here at SRP is excited about this vivid, intense, feminist tale. Forgive us if we’ve been talking about it non-stop! When we have the privilege of publishing an emerging writer whom we admire, we want to shout it from the rooftops! Let’s check in with D. Marie and Kate…
Welcome, Kate. Your new novel, Companion of the Ash, is a retelling of the tale of legendary Trojan heroine, Andromache. What sparked this story?
I was taking a writing course when I lived in Derbyshire, England in 2003 and the instructor asked us to brainstorm “what if?” I had been an ancient history teacher for six years by then, and had always been interested in the forgotten women of history. I’m a big fan of Homer, and Andromache just sort of popped into my head. She has always been portrayed in the Classics as weak and weepy and so my “what if” question was, “What if Andromache was strong and went through life with her head held high?” That was the beginning of Companion of the Ash.
Thanks. Writers sometimes choose a genre and sometimes the genre chooses them. Can you tell us more about your passion for historical fiction?
Well, history has always been a passion of mine, ever since I was a child. It was always my favorite subject in school and I spent nearly fifteen years as an ancient history teacher. I still tutor history today. So, mixing writing fiction with my love of history is a natural fit. I can’t imagine writing in any other genre. I have attempted sci-fi and fantasy, but I always drift back to historical.
Theme, characters, and plot are all tools used to create compelling stories. The heart behind the words is not as obvious, but just as important. What do you hope, in your heart, that readers will glean from Companion of the Ash?
I hope people will take heart that death is not the end of love; that those we have loved and lost are still with us because we keep them alive through our memories.
You’re also an award-winning short story and flash fiction writer. Being skilled at both long and short historical fiction, how would you compare the writing process of these different forms?
A novel is all-consuming–for months, if not years. It’s a huge project. The novels I have worked on have gone through workshops and courses and bootcamps to be perfected and honed over months and years. A novel is a long-term commitment. A flash piece can be written in an evening, and a short story can be written in a day or in a day and a half. There is much less commitment and emotional engagement in the shorter works. The novels feel more like people–like actual members of the family–because so much time is spent with the characters and the plot. There is much more emotional investment in the novels. The old saw of, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” definitely applies to novel-writing. There is nothing more marathon-like than writing a novel–it’s a long, slow slog that feels like it will never end, but results in sheer joy at the finish line.
We’re all happy that readers get to enjoy and consider Companion of the Ash, Kate. It’s available now in Spider Road’s web bookstore, on Amazon, and in select TX bookstores. Readers can grab the paperback or download the 5-star reviewed ebook for only $3.99 today: https://www.amazon.com/COMPANION-ASH-Kate-Spitzmiller-ebook/dp/B07L5WK91C/
Your prize winning flash fiction is featured in our collection Approaching Footsteps, too. But you’ve written lots of great stories. Tell us about a few other places readers can find your work?
https://www.cleavermagazine.com/the-song-of-saint-george-by-kate-spitzmiller/
http://onthepremises.com/issues/issue-30/issue-30-place1/
https://typishly.com/2018/09/05/my-girl/
http://onthepremises.com/minis/mini_28/
Thanks, Kate. Good talking with you.
Author Kate Spitzmiller writes award-winning historical fiction from a woman’s perspective. Her moving piece “Liberty Falls,” was recently published in The Esthetic Apostle. Upcoming publications include “Cherry Pie” and “Fire and Rain,” in Fredericksburg Literary and Art Review as well as “Six O’clock,” in Scribble Literary Magazine. Learn more about Kate and her work on her blog: https://katespitzmiller.com
