Author Alisa Weis lives on a small farm in Olalla, Washington, with her husband, son, daughter, and lots of animals. She teaches high school English at a private school in Bremerton, WA. Alisa began writing fiction as a young girl, but did not publish her first book until she was 36. She is a member of the Greater Gig Harbor Literary Society. When Alisa Weis is not researching, writing, or teaching, she enjoys exercising, visiting new (and familiar) coffee shops, spending time with her three dogs, and seeing plays and movies.
What genres do you cover?
Alisa Weis: Historical Fiction
What is your latest book and what is it about?
Alisa Weis: The Last Culprit was just released this July. It’s a coming-of-age story set in 1970 in Gig Harbor, Washington, about the aftermath of a prank gone wrong on a small group of high school students. I discuss lasting consequences and the fact that intention doesn’t always match effect.
At which book events can readers find you?
Alisa Weis: With the school year starting again and my third baby coming soon, I don’t have many events planned this fall. I would love local opportunities and appreciate events like the Gig Harbor Art Festival, Roslyn Farmers Market, and local authors’ presence at BBQ2U in Gig Harbor. For upcoming events (around the holidays), check out my page at: www.alisaweis.com.
What book event that connects you with readers is your favorite and why?
Alisa Weis: I have really enjoyed having a table at the Gig Harbor Art Festival for three summers now. I find it inspiring to meet local writers and area readers. I love that we have the Greater Gig Harbor Literary Society and am grateful that the founder (DL Fowler) asked me to host a few meetings at my farm and be part of the future scholarship team.
Do your books have a special message for your readers and if so, what?
Alisa Weis: I want to build a message of resilience and hope somewhere in the story, even if my characters don’t get everything they want. I’m not someone who wants to leave my readers depressed for long. Life is hard enough. I want to remind myself and others that beauty exists in so many places, even if we haven’t found or noticed it yet.
Which author(s) inspire you again and again and why?
Alisa Weis: I’m inspired by local authors E. Hank Buchmann (Until the Names Grow Blurred), DL Fowler (Lincoln’s Angel), and Connie Hampton Connally (Fire Music) because they speak directly to me and are so passionate about their craft. I’m amazed by the writing talents of Maggie O’Farrell (Hamnet) and buy almost any hardcover book by Jodi Picoult because she’s such an intuitive writer.
Do you have any particular writing habits?
Alisa Weis: This season is more for research than writing. With teaching and the arrival of a new baby coming to the forefront soon, I took the advice of a fellow writer and decided to revisit a book of mine that I drafted twice but never published.
What are you working on right now?
Alisa Weis: I’m in the process of rewriting my WWII family saga. I need to give it a new title as I’m not entirely happy with Haven’s Ridge, but I’m looking forward to working more with these characters. Some of them came to mind when I was only 17!
What book are you currently reading just for entertainment?
Alisa Weis: I’m currently reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley. I don’t write psychological thrillers, but I sometimes turn to them to see how authors can captivate and keep their readers on the edge of their seats. Historical novels can sometimes be more intense, but I’m drawn to the study of human nature and believe that some of the tools of the field cross genres.
What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
Alisa Weis: I would recommend that aspiring writers read frequently and start where they are. That said, you don’t always have to travel far to write a compelling story. Sometimes as writers we overlook the stories from our own environment, but we just have to challenge ourselves to look at our surroundings with fresh eyes. I would also encourage new writers to tell the stories they love and most want to read. If they don’t know that much about the subject, they can change that through research and interviews and gain knowledge. You need to have a heart for the story you’re telling. And finally (for now), the best writing is rewriting. Not every story follows such a dramatic trajectory, but my current project is one I wrote when I was 17, then again when I was 34, and I’ll pick it up again when I’m 43. Please feel encouraged that it’s totally OK if your book takes longer than a year. Some of our stories aren’t shaped and formed as quickly as others. You stick with it, even if you put your drafts aside for a season (or more), and focus your attention on the story that most demands to be told.
You can find Alisa Weis’s books through her personal website www.alisaweis.com, Amazon, and local bookstores such as Invitation Books (Gig Harbor) and Basecamp Books (Roslyn).
