As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
That one is easy. In first grade the little boy sitting next to me told me there were other worlds like ours and they were called planets. I called him a liar, then I started asking the grown-ups questions. Oops. James was right. I’ve wanted to go visit those other planets ever since.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Anything else that must be done. I’ve learned the hard way that I only write when I tell myself writing is all I have to do. Nothing else matters. I keep a rigorous to-do list for the next day, and if something pops into my head it gets written down there and forgotten. I also turn off my phone and close my email.
Otherwise, I’ll spend my entire writing time throwing in a quick load of towels, ordering that bug spray I just remembered, and following up on some random pre-recorded reminder from my doctor.
Do you believe in love at first sight?
No. Infatuation and lust at first sight, yes, but I think love takes time and knowledge of the other person. Most of my books echo this theme from the start, but the one I’m promoting here today is the rare exception. My main character Celestine is smitten with Firuza when they meet on page one. I’ll argue that Celestine feels a combination of infatuation and lust that slowly turns into love.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
I worked hard to make each of these seven sisters different, and Celestine ended up both being the beauty of the family and the one most concerned about her appearance. I had to dig deep to find any part of me that could identify as I’ve always been more of the blue jeans and flannel shirt type of lady. Celestine and I had more than one false start as I tried to understand her motivations.
What are you working on now, and when can we expect it?
The last two books in this series will both be out later this year. The sixth sister’s story is called “She’s the One Who Won’t Behave.” It’s about half written and is set to be released July 8. I’m having a lot of fun with this one.
The last one is only about a quarter done and I hope to release it in December. After that I want to try something new. I plan to return to my first love, science fiction, and to try my hand at a stand-alone novel.
Do you know what your problem is?
Celestine, the fifth of seven sisters, is tired of hearing about hers. Father thinks she’s frivolous because she likes pretty clothes and caters to the crowds in the taverns who adore her music. Mother thinks that because she’s the most social daughter in the family, she can’t keep quiet about anything.
They’re both wrong. Celestine has hidden a secret for most of her life.
As the family beauty and a talented musician with a lyrical voice, she is Mother’s best hope for a son-in-law prince. When a liaison with a prince never happens, everyone assumes Celestine is too picky. But even in somewhat tolerant Ilari, a daughter hates to disappoint her family. How can she tell them she’s in love with a princess instead?
Lucky for Celestine, all six sisters have become obsessed with an invading army headed to their realm. Celestine would rather ignore the threat, and enjoy the freedom their lack of attention gives her. But, her voice can unlock a power that may help save Ilari. And the woman she loves wants to fight these invaders. And her family, for all their talents, seems clueless about how to motivate the masses.
Celestine knows she can inspire the citizens of Ilari to do what needs to be done. Is it time to put her inhibitions aside and use her voice to save those she cares about?
Warnings: There is lightly handled consenual sex bewteen two women (no details) and some violence in the final battle scene (nothing graphic). no other triggers
About the Series:
Can seven women stop the most powerful army the world has seen?
It’s the 1200’s in Ilari, a small mythical realm somewhere between Europe and Asia. Peace and prosperity have reigned for generations. That doesn’t mean every citizen is happy, however.
In the outer nichna of Vinx lives the seven troublesome daughters of an intellectual farmer and his ambitious wife. Ilari has no idea how lucky it is to have this family of misfits, for the Mongols are making their way further westward every winter and this prosperous realm is a tiny plum ripe for picking. Desperate, the seven sisters will devise a way to save their realm. Can their preposterous ideas possibly work?
The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters consists of seven short companion novels. Each tells the personal story and perspective of one of seven radically different sisters in the 1200s as they prepare for an invasion of their realm. While these historical fantasy/alternate history books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels, together they tell the full story of how Ilari survived.
Which sister do you think saved the realm? That will depend on whose story you are reading.
How did they manage it? Each sister offers surprise information on why this didn’t go the way anyone planned.
S. R. is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card and a gift copy of book one in the series:
“Hey!” I yelled after a few numbers. The last one had a been a popular jig, yet hardly a finger or toe had tapped while we performed. Most unusual.
“I’ve never seen soldiers so quiet. Did you all party so much last night that you’re still worn out?”
I got a few laughs, but not as many as I expected.
“Come on. Somebody tell us poor troubadours what’s going on. Is one of your commanding officers coming in to check on you?” I looked to my left, then to my right, then gave the crowd an exaggerated look of alarm. “Is he here now?”
Even fewer laughs. Maybe I’d lost my touch.
One young man spoke up. “You seem like a nice lady, so I’ll tell you. Stop trying to cheer us. We got horrible news today and nothing’s going to make us feel better.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Did someone tell you we’d run out of ale in our realm? No more until Kolada?”
I got more chuckles this time.
“No, Miss. The commander of the Mozdols told us that our lands are in the path of a huge marauding horde of thieves. They’ve been burning and pillaging their way towards us for years and now travelers say we ought to expect them this year or next. We’re to begin training tomorrow for this onslaught.”
For several heartbeats, I stood speechless. I’d never done that on a stage before. But how does one respond to such news? I thought it couldn’t be so dire or so certain. Yet, I sensed arguing with the soldier would hardly win over my audience. What would?
“Then, sir, you should know that the musicians of the realm are at your service.”
I stood tall, as if I were a soldier myself, awaiting a command. This earned me a few derisive laughs.
“No offense meant, but musicians can’t do much in a war.”
“What? Of course we can.” I knew where I was going now. “We can inspire you as you assemble to fight.” I began to tap a slow beat against my leg with my hand. Zamarran figured it out. He added his own strong drumbeat and then I thanked the Goddess I hadn’t misjudged Mirva. Her flute began to sound out a war march to match and I added my voice, choosing random phrases about honor and patriotism and weaving in bits of melodies from well-known songs about the beauty of Ilari. It was a mess, but it conveyed the general idea.
“And as you fight, if some do fall, as some may, we will be there to mourn with you,” I said as the other two moved into the saddest of melodies. I knew enough to only do this for a few breaths. No soldier wanted to dwell on the need for funeral music.
“And, when you’re victorious, and you will be victorious, we’ll be there with you, with a rousing song to celebrate your bravery and our freedom.” At that all three of us found an appropriate joyful noise to make and the room broke into applause. We bowed, we collected some tips, and we got ourselves the Heli off the stage and out of there before anyone had time to think too much about my logic.
As we walked back to campus, Zamarran looked at me in wonder.
“That was one of the best varmin improvisations I have ever seen, and I’ve seen some good ones.”
I shrugged. I’d been doing this sort of thing since I was in basic school. Not with soldiers, of course, but with classmates, teachers, and the parents of my friends, who’d all found themselves standing up and applauding for me and one of my causes over the years.
Zamarran stopped walking and he looked directly at me. Hard.
“This isn’t easy for me to say, but it’s better said now. This will be your trio, not ours.”
“No, we both agreed ….”
“It doesn’t matter what we agreed. You’ve become our voice, and the whole realm will consider it yours no matter what we decide.” He smiled. “I might as well learn to live with it.”
Today she lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina where she writes, answers a hot-line, and occasionally checks her phone for a message from Captain Picard. She still hopes to get the chance to pursue her remaining dream in life and become Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise.
Book Series Blog: https://troublesome7sisters.xyz/
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