Hi Laura! How nice to have you here today, and with a New Release! So, Laura, please tell us a bit about yourself.

Hello, I’m Laura Vosika, author of the beloved series, The Blue Bells Chronicles.

I run Gabriel’s Horn Press,  am active in poetry as a member of the League of Minnesota Poets, and routinely perform at local open mics as both poet and musician. I have appeared in The Star Tribune, on Minnesota Public Radio, WCCO, and Channel 12, and hosted Books and Brews with Laura Vosika on AM 950.

I currently live in Minneapolis with 5 of my 9 children, three cats and an Irish Wolfhound much like the Laird’s great hunting hounds.

Thanks for the introduction – sure sounds like a busy life so I can’t imagine when you find the time to write! I can’t wait for you to tell us about your books, but first, please answer three questions to tell us a bit more about you.

Where are your books set. Have you been there or spent significant time there?

The Blue Bells Chronicles is set primarily in Scotland–both modern and medieval–but also partly in Midwest America. I live in the Midwest and am quite familiar with the concert halls, but as to Scotland, I have made five trips there, mapping out routes to as many of the places in my novels as I can possibly get to in two or three weeks.

Five trips isn’t as significant as I’d like, but it has taught me a lot and really brought the land, the history, and the heritage to life in a way we just can’t fully get from internet research.

Take, for instance, midges–a question I wouldn’t think to ask in my research and something that just rarely comes up otherwise.

Or take the chill–in Minnesota, I’ve been known to be out without a jacket when it hits 40 degrees. On my first trip to Scotland, the temperature was hovering around 60–and I was in 5 to 7 layers every day, bar one, because it’s windy and near water.

Although I spent my earliest years in Germany, visiting castles all over Europe, it was also good to get back and experience castles as an adult.

Oh, I love Scotland. I’ve only been there once, but it was magical. We visited the area around Glencoe which is famous for the massacre in 1692. I’m sure everywhere you went would have been rich with history. So, do you write from your own experiences or do you simply sit down and make stuff up?

Well, the music parts have a lot to do with my own experiences. I have my degree in music, I played trombone semi-professionally for years and am quite familiar with the pieces Shawn plays, having played them myself for a long time. I’m quite familiar with orchestral life, rehearsals, concert halls, playing in a big band, and more. Like Niall, I also play harp and make a point of playing medieval music on it, to hear what he would have been familiar with.

As to time travel–I have no experience with that–for better or worse. I have no experience with being a medieval warrior. Still, I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s strictly made up. Shawn and Niall’s stories are very much the stories of human nature (Shawn’s initial character, his search for redemption, his and Niall’s initial scathing assessments of each other, their growth and change), and also of Scotland’s actual history.

As an example–in Westering Home, Book Four of The Blue Bells Chronicles, Niall fights in Ireland with the Bruce. There, he experiences the miraculous birth of the army laundress’s child, on a battlefield as the much larger enemy army looks down on Bruce’s. Despite knowing all his men may die facing this much larger force, Bruce has refused to abandon her. This is a story that has come down to us, reported by John Barbour in The Brus. 

What makes you happiest as an author?

The connections I’ve made with others as a result of my writing have made me the happiest. There is my writers’ group, Night Writers. These people, past and present members, have been a very important and wonderful and meaningful part of my life.

There are readers and fellow authors I’ve connected with and become friends with. Among those was my friend Elaine. When I announced on my author page I’d be in Scotland, she invited me to her home–in Dollar, Scotland, in the glen below Castle Campbell. I was privileged to know her and call her a friend and I never would have, had I not written the books. 

In the end, knowing that we’ve touched each others’ lives in a positive way is what makes all of us happiest, I think.

So very true–I feel the same way when someone tells me they enjoyed my books or that they were swept into a new and different world by reading them. So, speaking of writing, you have a new release. So, can you tell us a little about your books?

The Blue Bells Chronicles is a tale of time travel, action and adventure, romance and redemption, ranging across modern and medieval Scotland.

Shawn Kleiner is a modern musician, self-centered and arrogant. He has it all, fame, fortune, and women, until the night his girlfriend has enough and leaves him in a medieval Scottish tower. He wakes up in the wrong century.

The series follows the story of Shawn and his medieval twin, Highlander Niall Campbell, in the months and years surrounding the battle of Bannockburn. It is ultimately a story of love and redemption, told against a backdrops of American orchestral musicians and the times of Robert the Bruce and James Douglas.

 

This is the cover for Laura’s latest book, book five of the Blue Bells Chronicles – The Battle is O’er

and all Laura’s books can be found on her Amazon author page.

https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Vosika/e/B002PD3ZBQ

Today I’d like to introduce you to my fellow CIR author, Dana K. Ray.

Dana K. Ray is always watching “movies” in her head. They are real, vivid and colorful. She is able to change them around and when she gets the chance, she writes them down. A full time Children’s Minister, she lives in the Midwest along with her somewhat neglected husband and four kids due to her writing. She loves to connect with her readers!

Now that we know a little about you Dana, I’ll get you to answer a few questions, then tell everyone how to find you and your books at the end.

So, tell us, what inspired you to become an author?

I’ve always wanted to write. Stories have played like movies in my head since as far back as I can remember. I won my first poetry contest in fifth grade. A simple poem I wrote in 1976, the theme: The Bicentennial.

One of our famous presidents was Lincoln,

He did us lots of good thinkin’

All though he was tall,

He was loved by all and

He kept the southern states from leavin’!

Wow, and I won first place. Amazing, huh? My prize…a book about boys track. Yes, the ultimate punishment, they thought Dana was a boy. Ugh. Not the first time someone thought I was a boy, but I graciously accepted my book, taped my poem in it and have cherished it since. Occasionally I pull it from the shelf, look at it and am reminded of my call to write.

Jump ahead to the 1990’s when computers came out. That’s when I got to finally start putting my stories down on paper. Twenty years later, they have become published books. My first two books are published by a traditional publisher. My last two, and newest, There’s No Reasoning with Love, are self-published. I love the freedom self-publishing gives! No more arguing about a cover design.

Thanks for that. I can definitely relate to the desire to be indie-published, along with all the control you have! Now tell me, do you read reviews that others leave for your books?

I really try not to, but occasionally get sucked in. When they love my books, it’s like floating on a cloud. When they don’t care for my books it can be like a dagger in your heart. So to keep it balanced, I constantly remind myself that not everyone will like what I write and that’s okay. That’s why there are so many authors, books and genres.

I do hate the reviewer who has to be downright mean. I haven’t experience one like this, but my author friends have. There’s no reason to be nasty if you don’t like a book.

Being considerate in a review is appreciated, because writing a book is exposing a part of your life to the public that is very personal. The novel and characters become part of you.

Yes, wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone could just be nice?  But we can still learn from the harsh reviews even so. And lastly, how much time per week do you spend writing? Or are you a full-time writer?

I have a full time day job as a Children’s Minister. I write to keep my sanity. It truly is my stress release and my outlet. I love working with kids all day, but I need my adult conversation which is usually with my characters.

Absolution, The first book in The Luciano Series got me through the times I stayed home with my own children as preschoolers. Which is actually kinda funny. When my kids took naps I wrote a mystery with a murder or two.

A Second Chance was my first romance novel, written when the kids were in school. Both were published over twenty years later, beginning in 2016.

My newest release, There’s No Reasoning with Love I started writing last year. I have no set time to write or couldn’t even tell you how many hours a week I spend writing. My laptop goes almost everywhere with me and I write whenever I can.

A couple months ago I took my first writing retreat. Well, it was two days and one night at a condo on the lake. By myself with no Internet. I did finish the cover to There’s No Reasoning with Love and I finished writing Everlasting, book 3 in The Luciano Series.

If you always wanted to write a book, do it! There’s nothing more rewarding than holding your finished, published book in your hand!

Thanks so much for joining me here today, and taking time from what sounds like quite a busy schedule!  So … you’ve got us all interested about your new book. Where can we find it and keep in contact with you?

You can find me and all my books on my own website.

Or you can visit me on my Amazon author page.

Or I’d love to see you on Facebook too.

Thanks for having me here today!

Dana 🙂

 

 

Today I’d like to introduce you to my fellow CIR author, Tara Meyers. Welcome Tara, would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?

At nineteen, I was recruited into a secret government program, where my memory was erased .. wait — that’s the outline for a potential book. Sorry, my real biography isn’t quite as interesting, but I’ll give it a shot! I live in the Pacific Northwest, and when I’m not writing, I’m out beach combing with my dogs for sea glass, or hiking in the rugged Cascade Mountains. It’s the perfect backdrop to fuel my creative genius. *rubs hands together evilly* You’ll find all my adult romantic suspense and cozy mysteries here, and on my OTHER profile (secret identity ;)) Tara Ellis, I keep my middle grade and young adult books. Check them out, You might like those, too!

I also write middle grade mystery and young adult scifi under the pen name of Tara Ellis

Wow, you had me going there for a moment! So, before we learn any more about your books, I’ll get you to answer three questions for me.

What inspired you to become an author, and how old were you at the time?

This is perhaps the easiest question for me! At an extremely young age, I used reading as a form of escapism. (A healthy form!) No matter what was going on in my life, I could retreat to a feel-good world with Trixie Beldon and her friends, or into a slightly more mature escapade with Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys. At an older age (5^th grade) I got into Lois Duncan and then even Stephen King, but it was the Trixie Beldon series that held the greatest influence over me. I think I was about six when I first decided I wanted to be a writer. I was reading the little golden reader books before pre-school, and I could never get enough. For me, the ability to create that safe haven for someone, to escape to a place that feels good and they want to keep going back to share the exciting and fun stories is amazing.

If you could tell your younger self something you know now, with respect to your writing career, what would it be?

To not give up so easily! I got very discouraged after an unsuccessful try at getting traditionally published, and I really wish that I had stuck with it.

Yeah, wouldn’t we all!  If we could have only known then what we know now …  Anyway, last question. As a science fiction writer, how hard was it to come up with your alternate world?

I had a blast creating my world. Actually, why I loved it so much is because in The Forgotten Origins Trilogy, it takes place in our “real” world, except that it isn’t what we were lead to believe. I used several different historical references and writings to create an alternate reality. When you start digging into these ancient texts, it’s really quite intriguing. So, it wasn’t hard for me to come up with my “reality”. 😉

Sounds like a lot of fun!

Now, you have a brand new release!  Why don’t you tell us about it.

There’s a killer in Sanctuary, and the prime suspect is a horse!

When spirited Ember Burns is led back home to open her own veterinary practice, her first client lands her in the middle of a mystery. It starts as a desire for Ember to clear her name, and turns into a personal entanglement in a rapidly unfolding story of lies and deceit.

The small mountain town of Sanctuary has always had its secrets. Who can be trusted? It’s been ten years since Ember lived there but roots run deep. Discerning friend from foe isn’t an easy task. Relying on her intelligence and instinct, Ember tries to piece the clues together as the town gears up for its centennial celebration.

From the quaint historic shops, to the rugged mountains surrounding them, Ember works to unveil the true culprit before they get away with murder.

This is a fun cozy mystery with a traditional whodunit story. There are two minor cuss words, no graphic violence and no sex. I would rate a light PG.

You can grab the book on Amazon by clicking here

Or see all Tara’s books here.

Today I’d like to introduce you to my fellow CIR author, Katharine E Hamilton.

Katharine began writing in 2008, publishing both children’s and fantasy books, then in 2017, Katharine decided to venture towards romance and released the first novel in a collection of sweet, clean romances: The Lighthearted Collection. Chicago’s Best reached Best Seller status in its first week of publication and rested comfortably in the Top 100 for Amazon for three steady weeks, claimed a Reader’s Choice Award, and ended as a finalist in the American Book Festival’s Best Book Awards for 2017. Montgomery House, the second in the collection, released in August 2017 and rested comfortably alongside its predecessor. Both were released in audiobook format in late 2017 and early 2018. Beautiful Fury is the third novel to release in The Lighthearted Collection, and Katharine hopes her readers enjoy it as much as the previous novels in the collection.

Katharine has contributed to charitable Indie anthologies and helped other aspiring writers journey their way through the publication process. She loves everything to do with writing and loves that she is able to continue sharing heartwarming stories to a wide array of readers.

Katharine graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s degree in History. She lives on a ranch in south Texas with her husband, Brad, and two year old son, Everett. She can frequently be found sitting on her front porch swing with her lap top creating a new story, staying up too late reading a good book, or quite possibly watching Finding Dory for the billionth time with her son.  

Now that we know a bit about Katharine, we’ll get her to answer a few questions, then she can tell us about her new release.

What three things would you say are the most important for an aspiring author to keep in mind as they begin their writing journey?

1. Finish your story. Don’t bog yourself down thinking about editing, formatting, marketing, etc. FINISH it first. Then you can send it to an editor and start the process. But finish the manuscript.
2. Follow your gut. Trust your own imagination and creativity. It’s okay to bounce ideas off people, but hold true to your original vision. It’s YOUR story. Tell it like you want. When you receive feedback from beta readers, then think about changes. Otherwise, go with the flow of your own imagination.
3. Do not be afraid or intimidated to reach out to other authors for guidance or help. We are a community. We are the ones who understand a 1* review, writer’s block, and the importance of the Oxford comma… we celebrate successes together and we are there for when you need encouragement.

Do you read the reviews that others leave for your books?

Sometimes. I would like to say I read every review, but I’m pretty terrible at checking in on Goodreads. I try to keep track of new ones on Amazon, but I think if we (authors) focus too much on reviews we can get sidetracked. Some people are going to love your work and some are going to hate it, and I think if we stalk the reviews we receive, self-doubt can begin to creep into our writing. It’s best to write because you love it, and if someone enjoys it, wonderful. EVERY review is appreciated though. Though we may not check them all the time, they are appreciated because they help us in other ways besides feedback. So keep reviewing! We love them. And just the fact we receive a review makes our day because it means people are reading our books.

What makes you happiest as an author?

Finishing a story. There’s no better feeling as an author than holding the first copy of your book in your hands. It’s a mixture of wonder, fear, excitement, and joy all rolled into one crazy experience. I love hearing from readers as well. I love hearing their thoughts on my work, especially which stories they relate with most, or the characters they love. Our characters become our friends… in a weird way… so we love hearing what people think or enjoy about them.

It’s been great having you here today, Katharine, and that’s great advice we can all benefit from–just get on with our writing and not let self-doubt bog us down!

So, you’ve got a new release, the third book in your Lighthearted collection. Where can readers find it?

All my books can be found on Amazon by clicking here.  Or you can find me on my website.

Today I’d like to introduce you to my fellow CIR author, Rich Bullock.  Rich writes stories of ordinary people put in perilous situations, where lives are changed forever.

He is the author of the Perilous Safety Series, including Perilous Cove, Storm Song, and Desperation Falls, and the Glass and Stone Novels: Shattered Glass and Glass Revenge.

His first writing experience was at ten years old on a well-used Remington typewriter, where clearing the tangled print arms was a continual chore. The old machine lasted through high school all-nighters. 

Fortunate to grow up in small-town San Luis Obispo, California, he developed an eye for settings that remind people of home, and characters you’d like to have next door (except for the killers). He now lives and writes in Redding, California where, on most days, he sees Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta. But his favorite places in the world are Perilous Cove and Storm Lake.

I, too, consider myself fortunate to have grown up in California, and it sounds like Rich lives in a very inspirational place now with views to Mount Shasta!  So, Rich, you’ve got a brand new release, Glass Revenge, that just hit the shelves at Amazon a few days ago. We’ll provide links to all your books below, but how about answering three questions for me first.

Where are your books set? And have you been there, or spent significant time there? 

My stories start in a variety of places around the world, but mostly take place in the fictitious town of Perilous Cove and the communities around Storm Lake, both on or near the central coast of California. The first time I put a map of Storm Lake in one of the books, several readers told me: That’s exactly how I pictured it!

Shattered Glass was an exception in that it tok place in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Malibu. The main character, seventeen-year-old Lilly Glass, just wasn’t cooperating with me on that. But her parents are in the film industry, so the settings lent a lot of local flavor to the story, and I had a blast putting in references to locations, movies, and industry terms.

Thanks for that. Now, tells us, what three things would you say are the most important for an aspiring author to keep in mind as they being their writing journey? 

A. Keep writing. You get better and better.

B. Learn the craft. Attend conferences and workshops. Commit yourself to excellence. It’s not as easy as it looks (if done well).

C. Make your main character the main thing. I tell aspiring writers: “It’s the character’s story. I’m just writing it down.”  That means being in their head; knowing what they want, what they fear, what they love, and what will hurt them if lost. My characters are my best friends, and I know them far better than real people in my life. Sad, I know. But true.

Great advice! And lastly, do you write from your own experiences, or do you simply sit down and make stuff up?

I draw from every experience I’ve ever had, from the time I was a boy growing up to earlier today. And it’s critical to bring in the senses. For example, my younger brother and I regularly rode in the backs of pickups long before there were laws against that. I remember the hot metal of the floor, the cold air swirling around as we covered ourselves in heavy blankets, the gaseous exhaust fumes seeping up through cracks and holes, the rumble and howl of the tires on the pavement, bracing as my dad turned corners or bounced over rough road. All the senses come into play when describing a scene, and they allow the reader to relate and connect with the characters.

And I’m always bringing in current things, too. Several times a week I hear something on TV and tell my wife: that’s in my new book. It might be a place, a song title, a famous person, a business, a well-known quote. Fiction is so incredibly flexible and fun to play with.

And I have a lot to say about indie vs traditional (I’m strongly indie), but I’ll leave that for another time. 🙂

You can find all Rich Bullock’s  books on Amazon, but here is a link to his New Release, Glass Revenge–just follow this link to Amazon.

Or you can visit his website, Perilous Fiction, here.