Happy Tuesday, Everyone!
Several weeks ago, I posted a book cover reveal for my sweet friend, Laurel Wanrow and her debut novel, The Unraveling. I asked her back today so we can get to know her a little better.
I’m so thrilled to have you here today, Laurel. To start off this interview, tell us three things about yourself that readers may not know about you.
Laurel...
- I’ve always loved nature. I’ve never
been squeamish about much in the outdoors. Here’s a childhood story: During
grade school I lived in California in a little town with the desert pressing
in. We kids were warned to watch out for scorpions and Black Widow
Spiders—shudder, I still am afraid of finding one—but for fun we caught lizards
and horny toads. Once, I caught a tiny, quarter-sized horny toad on the walk to
school and wanted to keep it. In those days, the book satchels were open at the
top, and little second grader me never dreamed such a small animal would be a
climbing maniac. I spent the day leaning out of my desk and scooping up that
horny toad and shoving him back to the bottom of my satchel. It’s amazing the
teacher didn’t yell at me, or worse, someone didn’t step on my little guy.
- I collect rocks. I have lava picked up from
California roadsides when I was eight, fossil crinoids from my
great-grandfather’s farm in Nebraska gathered when I was a teenager, Wrangle
garnets from my honeymoon ferry ride to Alaska, all the way to a teeny perfect
quartz crystal I found on the beach last year while hunting shark’s teeth. It’s
no wonder I married a geologist!
- I always have been, and always will be,
a huge John Denver fan. My favorite song is not Rocky Mountain High, Take Me
Home Country Roads, or even Annie’s Song, which was sung at my wedding. It’s an
obscure, short song (ballad?) at the end of the Spirit album, entitled The
Wings That Fly Us Home.
I laughed out loud imaging you catching your little friend before your teacher caught you. It sounds like you had a great childhood with your share of adventures. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I didn’t always want to be a writer, but I always had stories going
through my head. It sounds cliché, but I didn’t realize people didn’t think in
stories. While homeschooling my son, I started writing down one of theses
stories during the times when he attended specialty classes. I was hooked,
joined RWA and kept writing.
I have also had stories living in my head all my life. And like you, I thought that was normal. So here's an interesting question. How do you think your life
experiences have prepared you for a writing career?
I started 4-H as a ten year old and
continued through graduating from high school. In our area, the county held speech
and demonstration competitions. Writing my spiels for these prepared me for my
career as a naturalist, the same work my dad did. I went to college at the same
university as my dad, got the same degree and worked in the same field. I
always wanted to be a naturalist—someone who leads nature programs—and loved
sharing my love of nature with people, especially children when I taught at an
environmental education camp. Telling people about nature and enticing them to
enjoy it involves as much storytelling as writing! I wrote nature walks,
campfire talks, history demonstrations and all the other written materials that
parks put out, like exhibits, trail brochures and press releases.
What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least?
I like imagining the setting and figuring out the problems the
characters are facing. I am just in the beginning throes of promotions, but I
bet that will be my least favorite, because it takes me away from writing,
though I do love connecting with people!
What genre(s) do you write in?
Why?
Everything I write is fantasy.
I’ve always loved magic and mystery. My settings may change—historical to
contemporary to futuristic—but the story will always have a thread of magic, something
mysterious going on, and a happily ever after, of course!
Wow, I'm so impressed that you can combine historical and fantasy. Tell us about your newest book release, The Unraveling.
It’s fun. It’s fantasy, and not just one kind: magic, psychic
abilities, shapeshifters and made-up steam-powered and clockwork machines that
work via mechanics and luminated blue threads that only the heroine, Annmar,
can see. There’s a mystery to solve as her world unravels, twists and becomes
bound up with the European polecat shapeshifter she falls in love with.
Did I
mention it’s an epic fantasy, told across three full-length novels? The
complete story, The Luminated Threads, is
set in the 1860s England during a simpler time, yet the problems are just as
ornery to solve when a determined magnate is set on controlling agriculture—and
Annmar. I’ve tried to stay true to the Victorian sensibilities, while still
having lots of fun with a culture where the customs evolved to suit the rather unorthodox
magic-bearing residents.
Laurel, that sounds fascinating. Tell us a little bit
about how you came to write The Unraveling.
I had a dream about
being stuck in a confusing maze of storage in an outbuilding on a farm I had
once lived. I could hear people talking overhead on the second floor and see
lights ahead down the stuffed corridors, but these people couldn’t see or hear
me trying to get to them. I woke up trying to figure out what would happen
next. That question led me into the story. My original scene has been
significantly cut, but it’s when Annmar first arrives at Wellspring. The
supposedly prosperous farm is deserted. She knocks and no one hears. She cannot
find anyone, and is blocked from entering an outbuilding crammed with farm
equipment…until the farm owner arrives, things continue to be just a bit off,
and Annmar learns…ah, spoiler!...let’s just say she learns the truth about
Blighted Basin. :)
Don't you just love dreams!! Do you believe
writers are born to write or learn to write?
I believe
storytelling is innate. But one needs to learn the techniques to best present
the story.
If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be?
‘Never give up. Never surrender.’
But it’s not original to me! It’s been years since Jo Ann Ferguson used this
Galaxy Quest quote in her very motivational keynote speech during the Beau
Monde mini-conference in San Francisco. It was my second RWA conference and the
advice made such an impression on me I’ve never thought I wouldn’t publish.
What is up next for you?
The Unraveling is Volume 1 of a three-part serialized novel. The Twisting,
Volume Two of The Luminated Threads, will release this fall.
The Unraveling will be on SALE for ONLY .99 through June 30th.
HERE'S THE LINK:
There’s still a chance to win a print copy through the Goodreads Giveaway
program. And the trade paperback, 360 pages, is available at Createspace.
Thanks for having me on your blog, Nancy! It’s been fun chatting with
you!
Laurel, it's been my pleasure. Please come back when you are ready to release the next books in this amazing series. I have my copy and can't wait to read it.
If you want to learn more about Laurel Warrow and her writing, I've posted all her social media links below.
Laurel Wanrow - Author Bio
Laurel Wanrow loves misty mornings, the smell of freshly dug earth, petting long-haired guinea pigs and staring at the stars. She sees magic in nature and loves to photograph it.
Before kids, she studied and worked as a naturalist—someone who leads wildflower and other nature walks. During a stint of homeschooling, she turned her writing skills to fiction to share her love of the land, magical characters and fantastical settings.
When not living in her fantasy worlds, Laurel camps, hunts fossils and argues with her husband and two new adult kids over whose turn it is to clean house. Though they live on the East Coast, a cherished family cabin in the Colorado Rockies holds Laurel’s heart.
Visit her online at
Laurel Wanrow - Social Media Links
Laurel also left behind a blurb and excerpt. Enjoy!
The
Unraveling, Volume One of The Luminated Threads
In 1868 England, the competition to control
agriculture is fierce…
…and nobody says no to Derby’s industrial
magnate.
Except
Annmar Masterson. The nineteen-year-old rejects his improper advances and
instead takes an advertising position on a farm. She discovers the isolated
valley is home to gifted species—including animal and plant shifters—who hide
their lives from the rest of England. The blue threads only she sees on their
clockwork machinery prove her heritage is rooted with theirs, but their world
is so different that Annmar doesn't know if she'll ever belong.
Shapeshifter
Daeryn Darkcoat blames himself for the death of his mate and swears he won't be
responsible for another pack. But when the farm he loves falls victim to an
endless run of strange pests eating the crops, he joins the hunt, taking charge
of an unruly team of predator shifters. In the midst of the battle, Annmar stirs feelings he can’t resist.
As
Annmar becomes entangled in the fight against the pests, and with Daeryn, she
discovers her magic might help…if she can learn to use it properly. If not,
she’ll be forced to leave the people she has come to care for and become what
she fears most: nothing more than another cog in the magnate’s gears.
THE UNRAVELING is a full-length
novel, approximately 350 pages, for readers 18+ (new adult and older). Please
note: This is volume 1 of a three-part serialized novel. Volume 2 will be
published in fall of 2015 and Volume 3 winter of 2016 to complete THE LUMINATED
THREADS, a steampunk fantasy romance.
To be notified of these releases, sign up
for Laurel's
Newsletter.
(http://eepurl.com/17xRH)
Excerpt
from The Unraveling by Laurel Wanrow
Annmar
and her new employer had just agreed on the size of the advertising label when
the door opened again, and in walked the fascinating young man, wiping his
palms down heavy brown trousers held by worn leather braces.
He
was big. Much bigger than she’d realized from across the platform, he had the
firm muscle of a broad, well-defined body. His rolled sleeves revealed fine,
dark hair that covered the lovely brown arms he loosely swung. He planted his
feet before them.
“This
is the artist from the city?” His deep voice nearly purred.
“Yes.”
Mistress Gere crossed her arms, but couldn’t keep a smile from curling her
lips. “I should have known you’d be in here as fast as you could manage, my
boy. Annmar, may I introduce Daeryn Darkcoat, perhaps the most gregarious
individual among our farm family. Daeryn, Annmar Masterson, who, as you noted,
is a city girl and not at all used to our casual country ways. You will keep to
the borders of her territory until she gives you permission to enter.” The tall
woman fixed him with an eye-to-eye look.
Annmar
blinked at the bizarre introduction, so forthright, and made while he lacked a
jacket, or even a waistcoat…never would such an impropriety occur in Derby. Yet
she’d been warned and had promised to pardon their atypical customs.
Daeryn,
which Mistress Gere pronounced day-rin,
seemed to take it in stride. He nodded, a single dip of his chin. “Yes’m.”
He
didn’t pause between that acknowledgment and extending his hand. His gaze
searched hers curiously, and he smiled, not the grin of before, but almost
shyly.
Her
stomach flipped. Sweet wasn’t how anyone would normally describe a young male
who had so clearly crossed into manhood, but that was her exact thought. She
wiped her clammy palm discreetly in her skirt folds before shaking his hand.
“Pleased
to meet you,” he said. “Are you finding the Basin to your liking?” His
rough-skinned hand clasped hers in neither a strong nor a weak manner, but one
that conveyed gentleness for its size.
His
warmth felt nice, and her head muddled a bit. “I, uh, I’m happy to have
arrived, to be here. Yes. It’s all been…fine,” her mouth murmured.
Then,
too quickly, he released her. Somehow, Mistress Gere took over the
conversation, discussing an animal problem in the fields and listing several
possibilities she wanted Daeryn to look into. His brows came together over
narrowed eyes, changing his face into a calculating contemplation that had
Annmar glad she wasn’t the source of the problem.
“We’ll
delay dinner,” Mistress Gere said. “After I show Annmar to her room, I’ll speak
with your team and the growers.” She shook her head, and when she spoke again,
her tone was solemn. “The damage isn’t significant at this point, but the rate
at which it’s increased bothers me. If the losses continue to rise, the squash
harvest will suffer like the tomatoes, and I’m afraid what we’ve seen so far
with the turnips means the onions will follow the same track. The last we can’t
afford to lose.”
Daeryn
patted her arm and, to Annmar’s surprise, gave the older woman a quick hug.
“The creatures can’t avoid us long, don’t you worry. We’ll wait in the yard.”
He nodded to Annmar. “Be seeing you.” He strode out of the kitchen, leaving the
doors to swish closed.
Mistress
Gere turned her gaze back to Annmar. “That boy heads my nocturnal guards. I
trust him with my property and my life. Having just met you, I hesitate to say
this but feel I must. Some of the farm members can be overly friendly, but
everyone will be respectful of your person and your territory…er, social
needs.”
Social needs
better explained what her employer probably meant when warning off Daeryn. He
had to be from one of the Basin’s cultural pockets with different customs.
Telling him to keep to the borders of her territory must be a country way of
describing propriety. Good. Mistress Gere set out the rules more clearly than
Mrs. Rennet could have in town.
“I’ll
make the rest of the introductions at dinner,” Mistress Gere said. “Please come
to me with any questions. Or if you prefer to talk to someone closer to your
own age, may I suggest Mary Clare? She has an excellent grasp of the subtle
differences in individuals and how to set them straight.”
Annmar
did not want to admit that she might just do that.
The Unraveling is on SALE for ONLY .99 through June 30th.
~~~
If you have any questions for Laurel Wanrow, she would be happy to answer them. Just leave your question in the comment section before. If for some reason it doesn't post, use my Contact Me icon above and I'll post it for you. Have a wonderful weeks, and as always, be kind to one another.
Hugs to all,
Nancy C. Weeks
