Talkshow Thursday: Meet Varis Gladstone, Plucky Sidekick

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Varis Gladstone, Plucky Sidekick

As part of the launch for Under Fire, the first book in my mystery trilogy, I interviewed the main character Ruth Brown. Today is your chance to meet Ruth’s BFF and “plucky sidekick.” But first a little bit of background.

Varis is named for one of my great aunts. I was very young when she passed away, but I often heard tales about her; a strong personality, but gracious. From what I understand she followed her own path, never marrying and working as a schoolteacher. She enjoyed traveling and did so extensively (unusual for a single woman to travel alone at that time). When I was looking for a secondary character who could hold her own next to Ruth, I knew someone based on my great aunt was perfect, and why not give her the name too!

LM: Thanks for joining us Varis. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Varis: I’m glad to be here. I’m an only child, and my parents were older than most when they had me. I was born in Hazelton Falls, NH and still live there. I met Ruth on the first day of kindergarten. We took to each other and have been pals ever since. My one vice is clothes. I’m always on the lookout for the next great outfit. Rationing makes it tricky, but fortunately I love to sew which keeps my wardrobe budget in check!

LM: You work for Coltrain Enterprises. What do you do for them?

Varis: I’m Mr. Coltrain’s secretary. He owns the company, having inherited it from his uncle. I type lots and lots of letters, reports, and contracts. I also take the minutes at meetings such as the union negotiations that got a bit out of hand. Because we’re a war contractor, I can’t give you specifics. I’m sure you understand.

LM: Absolutely! You had some close calls with danger during the investigation surrounding Jane’s disapperance. Would you consider yourself very brave?

Varis:  (Laughing) Hardly! When I’m around Ruth, things just seem to happen, so I’ve learned to be on my toes at all times. Most times that works!

LM: What is the greatest challenge you face with the war on?

Varis: The loss of our young men. Hazelton Falls was well-represented at Pearl Harbor and several of our boys perished that day. More have enlisted, and not everyone may return. I’m proud that they have chosen to serve, but it is a scary time waiting for them.

LM: Do you have a special young man?

Varis: Not at this time. I’m enjoying my career, and I’m very busy with hobbies and serving in the Red Cross. My life is quite full.

LM: Anything else you’d like readers to know?

Varis: Under Fire is available online at eLectio Publishing or Amazon. When readers purchase the paperback directly from the publisher they receive the ebook version for free! And please don't forget to leave a review once you've read the book.

Release Day!

Release Day!

Did you ever have something you were waiting for that seemed to take forever to arrive, and when it did it felt like it happened in an instant? That has been a bit what this exciting journey to publication has been like for me.

I have been writing since I was a child. It was only after my husband and I moved to New Hampshire that the idea of seeking publication began to germinate in my mind. I stumbled on some freelance opportunities and became a regular contributor to several regional and statewide travel and lifestyle magazines. I even managed to score an article in the national magazine Writer's Journal.

Around 2005, I decided to try my hand at writing a novel. I used NaNoWriMo as the impetus to get started. National Novel Writing Month is held during November, and participants commit to getting 50,000 words down on paper, on a project they begin on the first of the month. Despite being a rookie, I managed to meet the goal. By early the following year, I had finished the remaining 30,000 words and deemed my story ready for a publisher. Needless to say, it was not, and received numerous resounding rejections.

Fast forward to 2016. By then I had attended ten Crimebake conferences, several NH Writer's Project workshops, graduated from Jerry Jenkins' Christian Writers' Guild, and revised my story countless times. In between there, I had self-published some novellas. Then I was signed by not one, but two publishing companies! I had been waiting eleven years to be traditionally published, and my dream had come true. In many ways I felt every one of those years, and in other way, it felt like overnight success.

Sandra Barela of CelebrateLit Publishing contacted me and asked me to write a novelette that was included in their collection Let Love Spring. She was so pleased with my work, she asked me to write another that will be included in a Christmas collection releasing in November, 2017.

In early December of last year, Under Fire was accepted by eLectio Publishing, and a release date of July 25th was selected. The last six months have been a combination of waiting and work. Thanks to my beta readers, Jessica Baker, Rebecca Peterson, Mary Rowlette, Natalee Stotz, and Connie Tillman for taking time to read the manuscript and give me feedback. Thanks to the design team at eLectio who did such a creative job on the cover. The most common response I've had to it is "striking," and I must say I agree. Thanks to Jesse Greever and Christopher Dixon, who believed in me and my story, and have been such an encouragement during the process.

Please consider picking up your copy of Under Fire. (Hint: books make wonderful Christmas gifts too!)

I am visiting Donna Schlacter's blog History thru the Ages and Peg Bann Phifer's blog Whispers in Purple today. I hope you'll stop by.

Traveling Tuesday: A bit of inspiration

Traveling Tuesday: A bit of inspiration

Thanks to the internet I was able to visit England without leaving my chair, a necessity if I was going to get locations and other details correct in my novel, Under Fire, that releases a week from today. Because the story is set during WWII, facts such as which Tube stops were unusable due to bombing raids were important. I couldn't have my protagonist Ruth catching the train in the wrong place. When I was able to finally visit London and Hastings in 2015, it was thrilling to walk and stand where Ruth had been.

Ruth's story begins in a small, fictional town on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, a town very similar to my own.

A view of the mountains from Lake Winnipesaukee

A waterfall on one of the islands

A summer cottage Ruth might have
seen while canoeing with Lill

Then she follows clues to London...

Hyde Park: One of the place's Ruth loved to visit.

The Tower of London

Tower Bridge from outside the Tower.
Ruth would have seen this when she followed Roger
to the docks on the River Thames

Big Ben (which is actually the name of the bell
inside Elizabeth Tower) that Ruth would have
seen while prowling the streets for stories

Victoria Memorial that Ruth would
have seen as she walked past
Buckingham Palace

I hope you've enjoyed your virtual tour of London. Be sure to read about Ruth's adventures in Under Fire, available from eLectio Publishing.

Mystery Monday: Under Fire

Mystery Monday: Under Fire

Three weeks and counting until the release of my full-length mystery, Under Fire, featuring War Correspondent/Amateur Sleuth Ruth Brown. The book has been a long time in coming. It was one of the first manuscripts I wrote, and it was awful! Then I stumbled on Jerry Jenkins' Christian Writer's Guild and enrolled in his one year Journeyman course that paired me with multi-published, award winning author Eva Marie Everson. As we worked through the classes, and she gave me specific, encouraging feedback my writing improved and so did the story. I submitted it to several publishers before being accepted by eLectio Publishing last winter.

Combining themes of God's grace, forgiveness, and second chances, Under Fire is set during the early days of World War II when the Allies were struggling to achieve victory on multiple battle fronts. England was suffering the Blitz, European countries were falling by the week, and America had entered a war on foreign soil.

I hope you are intrigued by the "back of book" blurb:

WWII War Correspondents

Small-town journalist Ruth Brown's sister Jane is pronounced dead after a boating accident in the Spring of 1942. Because Jane's body is missing, Ruth is convinced her sister is still alive. A series of events and discoveries raise Ruth's suspicions about Jane's work at the local manufacturing plant, then additional clues send Ruth to war-torn London. By the time their brother contacts her with the devastating news that Jane's body has been found, and evidence suggests she was murdered, Ruth has stumbled on black marketers, resistance fighters, and the IRA-all of whom may want her dead.

Releasing on July 25th, the cover will be revealed soon!