Julie, I’ve enjoyed sharing my writing style and my latest novel, Yellowstone-A Fall From
Grace, with you and your readers, I’ll conclude with a glimpse into myself.
Balancing Faith and Honesty
As a born-again Christian, I value my walk with God over my walk with people. When I
embarked on my writing career, I vowed that the only person in my novels who would always be
right was God. To say my writing is dark and edgy is honest. The real world is worse. My
writing includes immorality, sexuality, greed, lust, murder, and betrayal. I've had interesting
reactions from Christians and non-Christians alike. Here are examples.
"I won't be reviewing your novel, Room 1515. When I got to Chapter 4, your characters got
naked in a pool! Uh!" (I wonder if the same person went to see Harry Wilson's War, starring
Tom Hanks.)
"What's with your cover? I mean it's GREAT! But I didn't expect the sexy thing from you."
Most of my reviewers see the point in my writing. Here’s a review of Yellowstone:
We think these things cannot happen –– simply cannot –– but devastation from natural causes
can happen, and that’s what Yellowstone, a Fall From Grace is about. Frightening in scope —
nothing regional about this story, it will give you more to think about than you may be ready for.
By the end, you’ll know you should be ready. From the depth of the research, chances are, there
are no fairytales here.
The author has brought together compelling, gritty, characters. Without grit, you die. The
formation of the Southern States of America (SSA) is intriguing. In times of total chaos and
lawlessness, what are women required to do? The SSA has a plan. What would happen in times
of great trauma? We know what an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) might do. Multiply that many
times, and you have Yellowstone — A Fall From Grace. Makes me think “prepping” should be
in my future, because there is more than a ring of truth to this story.
A geologist, who knows the area well, told me Yellowstone has been changing, and rapidly so. If
Yellowstone blows, do you think the park will shut down and that’s about it? Or, how much of
the U.S. would it affect? You might be surprised — maybe horrified. An exciting read, with
details you’ve probably never explored.
The real world is worse than fiction. But humans tend to avoid reality. My novels carry a theme
of repentance in each. No matter how far a person falls, God can raise them up and eventually
does.
I think my novels have something for Christian readers and non-Christian readers. After all, we
all have a Wild Side. If you read the Bible, and I study it faithfully, God doesn't pull punches. He
tells it like it is. Sin is Sin. Murder is murder. Rape is rape. Consequences are dire. Yellowstone-
A Fall From Grace is at least R-rated because of the nature of the story. I believe authors owe
their readership a warning if the subject deserves one.
How do you feel about this topic? Conflict and controversy are the cornerstones of great novels.
I'm not backing down. Please wade in and comment on my blog. http//BillWetterman.com.
Author Bio
Bill Wetterman
Author, Trainer, Public Speaker
Novelist Bill Wetterman has seven published thrillers. The Fifth Step, Room 1515 - The
Peacock Trilogy - Book 1, Madness – The Peacock Trilogy-Book 2, and Busted – The Odyssey
of Holly Bunn – The Literary Murders-A Covenant with Death-The Peacock Trilogy-Book 3,
and Yellowstone-A Fall from Grace. He has one non-fiction work. So You Want to be a
Published Author.
Award Winning Author:
Winner of the Mystery, Suspense, Thriller Competition OWFI 2011
Top 10 in the Writers’ Digest Genre Fiction Contest 2011 (Over 11,000 entries)
2nd in the Armchair Interviews Thanksgiving Day Competition 2010
Writers’ Digest 5-Star review: Madness – The Peacock Trilogy-Book 2
Bill is a member of the Oklahoma Federation of Writers, The Lexicon Writers, and the Tulsa
Nightwriters.
While hard at work writing thrillers, Bill Wetterman finds time to give back to the community by
speaking to groups interested in understanding the mind of a writer. Bill’s shares his experience
on how he constructs novels and short stories. He can speak on a variety of topics, including:
*The biggest mistakes authors make
*Writing dynamic thrillers
*Character development
*Researching and Outlining Your Novel
*Self-publishing—the pros and cons
*And, the steps to becoming a published author
I really like the way you tell it like it is, Bill, and I admire you for holding fast to your convictions. What better way to glorify God than to show how he can lift us up, no matter how far we fall? Delving into R-rated material can be a very effective way to do that. As you said, conflict and controversy are part of life. In the end, what matters most is how we deal with those things, the lessons we learn from them, and the ultimate good we're able to bring about through the power of Christ. No matter how dark things seem, God is always working behind the scenes to turn everything to good. This is an important message in your work. Using your unique gifts to share that message is your special calling as a Christian and a writer.
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