She
has been featured in newspapers, on radio, and TV, has spoken for regional book
events, and hosted the radio program Books and Brews. She currently
teaches writing at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
As a musician, Laura has performed as on
trombone, flute, and harp, in orchestras, and big bands. She lives in Brooklyn
park with 5 of her 9 children, 3 cats, and an Irish
Wolfhound.
Her latest book is the time
travel/historical fiction, The Water is
Wide.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
Thank you for your time in
answering our questions about getting published. Let’s begin by having
you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Laura: I can’t say I ever really decided to become an author. Writing is something I’ve done since I was eight years old. I couldn’t not write.As to this book, it sprang from a few sources. One was my favorite childhood novel, In the Keep of Time, in which four siblings go into a medieval tower and come out in the 1500s. Another inspiration was my own life as a classical musician.But mostly, the people of this world just seemed too alive and real. I have never felt as if I ‘created’ them, but more as if I just knew them, and their story had to be told.
Is this your first book?
Laura: No. This is the third of the five book series, The Blue Bells Chronicles, which I bill as a tale of time travel, mysteries and miracles, romance and redemption, ranging across modern and medieval Scotland.It tells the story of of two men who switch places in time, of Shawn Kleiner, a notorious modern musician, arrogant and womanizing, whose girlfriend finally has enough and abandons him in a medieval castle tower on the orchestra’s tour in Scotland. He wakes up in the wrong century, where he is mistaken for Niall Campbell, devout and upright Highlander, and sent on a mission to save Scotland.The Water is Wide continues the story as Shawn and Niall live and work together, both pretending to be Niall, to hide Shawn’s existence, and working for Robert the Bruce and James Douglas, as Shawn tries to get home to his own time, to make amends to Amy and see his newborn child, with whom she was pregnant when he made his accidental slip through time.
With this particular book,
how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose
this method?
Laura: I published The Water is Wide under my own indie press name, Gabriel’s Horn, which also publishes for other authors.My decision was based on the changing world of publishing and the emerging technology at the time I wrote the first book in the series. Author John Stanton, a member of my writing group, Night Writers, had gone the indie publishing route. He was talking up the benefits of indie publishing, and pointing out that traditional publishers were expecting most authors to do more and more of their own marketing, while continuing to keep most of the royalties. He and I together created Gabriel’s Horn.
Can you tell us a little
about your publishing journey? The pros
and cons?
Laura: I have been indie published for more than nine years now. A simple answer is that the pros are, an indie author will almost certainly be published more quickly and keep a greater share of the royalties for themselves. The cons are that they will do most of the work themselves and forgo the stamp of approval of having someone else say their work is worthy of publication.The deeper answer is: it’s impossible to say because we can never know what the other path would have brought. A friend of mine was published by a major publisher—and they proceeded to bury his work. I’ve sold exponentially more books with my indie publishing than he did with a major publisher.Maybe I would have been doing the same thing—most of the work—as I’m doing now, for a far smaller share of the royalties. Or maybe I would have been among the lucky few whom a major publisher really promoted and I’d be selling millions. We can’t know.In the end, I can only say that, the more I market, the better my books sell and throughout this journey, I have met many wonderful people. I have my books in print and speak at conventions and book festivals. I’m enjoying the journey, people are enjoying my books and I think that’s what really matters in the end!
What lessons do you feel you
learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing
industry as a whole?
Laura: Writing is a labor of love. Write because you love what you’re writing. If you’re concerned about selling, the truth is, it’s all about marketing. No matter how good your book is, no matter how much readers love it, it’s not going to sell many copies unless you get out there and tell people it’s there.If you want to write and want people to read your writing, be prepared to spend many hours marketing, or pay someone to market for you.
Would you recommend this method
of publishing to other authors?
Laura: In the end, yes, although I would also say look at both options. There are many benefits to being traditionally published and there are also drawbacks. I have seen indie published books that are superior to traditionally published. And I have seen indie published books that should have had more work put into them. Traditional publishing doesn’t guarantee a great book and indie publishing is, today, a viable alternative.I would only add the caveat that if you’re going to go the indie route, get beta readers, give your book multiple readings, give it thorough editing. Choose indie publishing for the right reasons and be prepared to do the work, not only of marketing, but also of carefully editing your own work and making sure it’s very well-written.
What’s the best advice you
can give to aspiring authors?
Laura: Join a writers critique group. Find beta readers. Get feedback on your writing. Perfect your writing and strive to make it the best it can be.https://gaelicwordaday.wordpress.com/
Trailer Book Three: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGUnjU2kE3M
Trailer Book Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp6PS5rUgqU
Trailer Book One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ000XxYle4
About the Book:
After his failure to escape back
to his own time, Shawn is sent with Niall on the Bruce’s business.
Returning from the Bruce’s
business, to Glenmirril, Shawn finally meets the mysterious Christina. Despite
his vow to finally be faithful to Amy, his feelings for Christina grow.
In modern Scotland,
having already told Angus she’s pregnant, Amy must now tell him Shawn is alive
and well—in medieval Scotland.
Together, they seek a way to bring him back across time.
They are pursued by Simon
Beaumont, esteemed knight in the service of King Edward, has also passed
between times. Having learned that Amy’s son will kill him—he seeks to kill the
infant James first.
The book concludes with
MacDougall’s attack on Glenmirril, Amy and Angus’s race to be there and Shawn’s
attempt to reach the mysterious tower through the battling armies.
Watch the Trailer:
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