Tweep Tattler: Laura Vosika

INTRODUCING

LAURA VOSIKA

Hi Laura!

You have NINE children. Do you find that you

weave their personalities into your characters?

(I have two, btw, and don't understand how you

get writing done. You're a miracle)

Hi Shauna, yes, I think my current WIP in

particular, there's a little bit of my children

in there. The story, The Castle of Dromore,

is about a young widow with a bunch of

boys who moves into a medieval castle, only

to find it's haunted by a woman in green!

I'm not sure their specific personalities are t

there, but definitely parts of them, definitely

their interactions with each other, their very

differing personalities.

I bet they think that's cool😀

OK next one:

Your cookbook

Did you actually try all 200 recipes???

No. It was partly a matter of times and partly

that some of them, such as how to bake 4 and 20

black birds in a pie (and let them come flying out!!!

Yes, they really did that!!!) were way beyond

impractical and probably impossible without a huge

hearth to accommodate such a large pie!

But I did try many of them, including some over

open fires. I was particularly pleased with how the

medieval pottage turned out! Much tastier than

I expected.

*Check out the recipe at the bottom of the page!*

Wow!

Last question:

Tell me about your Celtic connection.

You're a Lady!

And you have a Gaelic site!

The funny thing is...I have no Celtic connection

really. Apart from having been married to an

Irishman (as in, from Dublin) for 23 years. I

arrived in Scotland, so to speak, by way of my

life as a trombonist, which involves (for most

anyone who plays the instrument seriously)

working on a piece called Blue Bells of Scotland.

Shawn Kleiner, the main character, is a world

famous musician who plays this as his signature

piece -- so it seemed logical to set the story in

Scotland. Hence began the connection! A

friend of mine bought me the two plots of land

(one is a square foot and one is ten square feet)

that officially makes me a Lady (at least

according to their promotional material!)

I love that! What a friend 💜

Laura, I've so enjoyed reading about, and

speaking to you. Thank you for taking the time

to help with this project.

Thank you, Shauna! It's been fun.

STANDARD TWEEP TATTLER INTERVIEW

1) Where do you live?

Minneapolis, Minnesota

2) What is the first thing you remember writing?

Wow, that’s a tough question, since I’ve been writing since my earliest years! I remember sitting outside my house when I was about 8 writing a poem. Then there was the novel I started at age 10 about a boy who is kidnapped and is such a handful that the kidnappers try to return him and his parents charge them ransom! Then I found O. Henry’s ‘Ransom of Red Chief’ and figured it had already been done.

3) Why do you write? Because I can’t not write. Because there are stories and people in my head who need to come out.

4) Have you published any of your work? Yes. I have five novels out (the five books of The Blue Bells Chronicles, a tale of time travel set in modern and medieval Scotland), and the associated Food and Feast in the World of the Blue Bells Chronicles: a gastronomic historic poetic musical romp in thyme. I call it my ‘Not a Cookbook,’ because it contains over 200 recipes, modern and medieval, fanciful and practical, for the king’s banquet and for the warrior in the wilderness, it is also a collection of history, lore, poetry, and more, that illustrate the history behind the Blue Bells story. I have just completed a collection of musical compositions called Glenmirril Garden, after the fictional castle of my series, because the music is mostly in the style of Celtic jigs and reels. It’s not yet widely available but will be soon. And just in case anyone is interested in a more efficient method of practice, I have a practice record book out called Go Home and Practice.

5) What are you currently writing?

I have three WIPS—fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. My novel, The Castle of Dromore, is the story of a young widow who moves her five boys into a medieval castle in Scotland, only to discover it’s haunted by a woman in green. It’s the joint stories of the betrayals that brought both these women—the widow and the ghost—to the castle of Dromore. My non-fiction is Tell Me a Tale of Alba which is a collection of the stories of Scotland—not just historical, not just myth or lore, but all of the above, the fantastical, the fascinating historical, the tales of saints and heroes who made the country what it is. And finally, I’m currently compiling and editing Startled by Joy: 2019, a collection of modern poetry written in traditional forms, comprising work from approximately 27 poets, including the highly-regarded Thomas R. Smith. That should be available in May 2019.

6) Are you currently querying?

No. I hope to start submitting my poetry and possibly short stories to outside markets, but all my work is published through Gabriel’s Horn, my publishing company.

7) Finish this sentence (three lines or less): IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT…, Brother David said.

“You have got to be kidding!” Shawn returned. “Nay, ’twas indeed a dark and stormy night, else Alexander ne’er would hae gone over the cliff and none of our troubles would have started,” Allene assured him. [I confess, I used exactly this scene in one of my novels, as my modern musician tries to understand what’s going on in 1314, where he has found himself caught!]

8) Which activities do you like to participate in, in the Twitter writing community (VSS365, etc.)?

I struggle with twitter, to be honest. I’m more comfortable with other social media. But when I have time I try to take part in one line Wednesday, Thursday Thurds, and other such opportunities to post writing samples. I was running Time Travel Tuesday and would like to get back to that.

9) Do you have any formal training/education for writing? Only if you count the formal education that comes with any college degree. I have both a bachelor’s and master’s, but they are in music and education, not in writing specifically.

10) Do the people in your life know that you write?

Yes!

11) Tell me about the people in your life. Family? Pets?

Well, this could be a long story! I have nine children, a daughter-in-law, a grandson, two cats, and a big Irish Wolfhound! Mychildren include seven boys, two of whom are identical twins, and two daughters. Of my children who have moved away from home, I have a daughter finishing her Ph.D., a son who works in computers, a son in the Marines, and a son in college.

12) Where do you wish your writing to take you?

Like most authors, I hope to see the story of Shawn Kleiner come to life on screen one day!

13) What did you expect when you joined the Twitter writing community? Did it turn out as expected?

I hoped to meet other writers, make connections, trade opportunities for promotion. Yes, this is what I’ve found and I’ve really enjoyed meeting so many people who share my love of writing!

14) Where do you write? Anywhere and everywhere! In my office, at my kitchen counter, on my front porch. I also spend a fair amount of time writing while I’m waiting for my kids. At the moment, I’m in the high school cafeteria while my son is at track practice (we live too far from his school to drive back and forth.) I often write in the car writing while my daughter is in a store doing her shopping.

15) How much time do you dedicate to writing, weekly? For the last month or two, not much. I’ve been too swamped with compiling the anthology and family and household needs. But when I get back into my routine, it would be maybe twelve to fifteen hours a week. If you include marketing as part of my writing life, probably twenty or more.

16) Do you have other talents? I play and teach multiple instruments, including piano, harp, most of the wind instruments and a bit of strings and guitar. I write a bit of music and a friend and I routinely play at open mics in the Twin Cities. I will almost always play my alto flute or tenor saxophone there!

17) CHOOSE ONE: I definitely don’t mind when others ask for advice! I’m happy to offer what I can!

I do not mind when other writers ask for advice.

I’d rather keep to myself!

Laura planting a tree on her plot of land that makes her a 'Lady' in Scotland where her books are set

Laura Vosika is an author, poet, publisher, and musician who has been featured on TV and radio, in print, and at book festivals. Best known for her time travel and historical series, The Blue Bells Chronicles, set in modern and medieval Scotland, she has also had her poetry published in several places. When not writing, she can be found performing on flute or saxophone at open mics. Laura lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with 5 of her 9 children, 2 cats, and an Irish Wolfhound reminiscent of the Laird's great hunting hounds in her novels.