Journey to “Awakening Dusk” Local author speaks at public library

Local fantasy author R. Weidner was at the Humboldt Public Library on Oct. 24 to discuss her debut novel “Awakening Dusk” and navigating the writing and publishing process. Independent photo.
By KYLIE PORTZ
Giants, sword fights, animal companions, secret orders and a slow burn romance. R. Weidner’s debut novel “Awakening Dusk” has it all.
Written as the first in a planned trilogy, “Awakening Dusk”, follows a human Carpenter and an elf apprentice of a secret order as their paths align and they are sent on a journey to save their kingdom from an unknown enemy.
The author of “Awakening Dusk,” Rachel Weidner – who publishes under the name R. Weidner – was at The Carnegie Library in Humboldt on Thursday Oct. 24 to discuss her debut and the self-publishing journey.
At the event, Weidner discussed her writing career, living on base in Germany, self-publishing and her plans for upcoming work.
Weidner has been writing since she was a child, she explained that she first considered the idea of becoming an author when she was 9 years old. Her first book was an adventure story about a little brown bear. According to Weidner, her love of books runs in the family.
“My mom loved reading, and people in my family referred to it as our book disease. Obviously, I succumbed, never recovered.”
Weidner recalled enjoying fantasy films like “Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter” growing up and eventually finding herself immersed in the dystopian, fantasy genre. Reading books like “Divergent” and “Hunger Games”.
In college, Weidner would meet her husband, and the couple would marry six months later.
Weidner said, “most people don’t recommend that, but we have fun.”
As a young couple, Weidner and her husband would move to Germany after he enlisted in the Air Force.
Weidner shared how living overseas inspired her writing.
She said, “Europe lit my imagination. I was already a Tolkien girl, “Lord of the Rings” all the way. And now, I was there.”
Weidner shared that she was heavily inspired by the gothic architecture in Europe.
“We were stationed at Ramstein, which is four hours from Paris, so we were on the western side of Germany along the French border. And Mets Cathedral…they have a crypt under that cathedral that legend said was inhabited by a dragon or a serpent. So, there’s a lot of stuff to keep in mind engaging in fantasy over there.”
She shared, “We continued our adventure by having two kids back-to-back. And I kept writing and imaging, and when it was time to return to the U.S. three years later, I had a new persisting story idea spurred from visiting castles and reading books by Brandon Sanderson. A new genre was calling my name.”
Weidner shared how the idea for “Awakening Dusk” came to her.
She said, “So it started with a fleeting image of a girl running through a store and fortress that just entered my mind. I was sitting on the couch with my kids watching a show, I couldn’t’ tell you what one and I just had it. It just popped into my head, and it wouldn’t let me go.”
“And the vague idea quickly expanded into a secret order of houses that were being attacked, a raven companion and a human carpenter who would join the fight.”
“Once these elements got hold of me, they wouldn’t let go until I started to write. And when I started writing, even more ideas unspooled in my mind, and I worked hard to stitch them into the tapestry of a story.”
To read the full story, check out this week's issue of The Humboldt Independent!