Author Georgia Ruth's Guest Post ~ Lost Legend of Vahilele

Georgia usually dreams about sharks, this time was different.

Thank you, Leslie Ann, for an opportunity to tell my story. I spent a recent October weekend at Lake Lure, a storybook location nestled at the foot of Chimney Rock, a filming location known for the movies “Last of the Mohicans” and “Dirty Dancing.” When the leaves of western North Carolina turn colors, thousands of visitors come to admire the natural beauty of this area, and hundreds of residents leave for their second homes in warmer climates. The season calls for a party, or a craft fair, where locals like me sell our wares before hunkering down for the winter.

A visitor to my booth picked up my recent release, Lost Legend of Vahilele, and inquired if I had traveled to Fiji. My response was, “only in my head.” Her question reminded me of a message from a Tennessee reader who said she felt as though she had walked the island with the main character. Imaginative readers are blessed to inhabit many faraway worlds. For some unknown reason, the world of Vahilele has been clear to me for a long time.

Four years ago, I was awakened from a sound sleep by the image of a woman with her back toward me. I only noticed her long black hair and red feather headdress. I reached out to her, and she turned. The flames shooting from her eyes awakened me. Rarely do I have dreams like that. I had not seen a movie or read a book with a similar character. I did not know if she was from heaven or hell.  Who was she and what did she want? Usually my nightmares involve sharks!

At the time, I was writing mystery short stories, and a historical blog about my fascinating neighbors with roots that go back to Wales in 1100 AD. From archaeology magazine articles, I was aware of the conflicting theories on the Lapita people. Where did they come from and when did they become the Polynesian settlers of the South Pacific? I named my night visitor, Lapita, and devoted hours researching islands to find an appropriate setting for her. I discovered Vatulele, a tiny island in Fiji, with petroglyphs of mysterious origin. I also found the perfect mate, a shipwrecked sailor. And I included the protection of the Phoenix, a mythical firebird.

My 10,000 word short story titled “The Rampart of the Phoenix” was rejected by a publisher who said the story was not complete. My 35,000 word novella titled “The Rampart of the Phoenix” was rejected after long consideration by a publisher with comments forwarded from five editors who said the story was not complete. On Friday the thirteenth, November of 2015, I finished the 95,000 word novel. That same day I received an email message from a stranger, the owner of the only resort on Vatulele. He had found my blog where I mentioned my mysterious interest in Vatulele. He had purchased the resort because he fell in love with the island, yanuyanu in Fijian language.

Among the many photos Mr. Bertini sent me, there was a sketchy one of a lady’s profile with long dark hair and a red headdress, a petroglyph painted on a cliff thousands of years ago, my Lapita. He told me of a significant sign he experienced before he bought the resort. As he stood at the lagoon, a shark came steadily toward him, paused, and turned to swim out to sea. All of this was in my novel before he contacted me.

A breathtaking sunset of the island with an odd formation over the lagoon. I liked this one especially, since the main character is seeking the strength of the island's guardian, the Phoenix spirit. ~used with permission

I do not possess the theology or the philosophy to explain this mysterious connection. Until I visit today’s Vatulele, the old world of Vahilele in 650 AD is clear to me and easy to describe from scenes in my head. This new friend who has invited my family to his resort thinks I have travelled to the island before as a “dreamwalker.” I will let others form their own opinions.

I rarely share the origins of this tale because some people don’t appreciate what they cannot explain. Last week at a booth in another small town, I felt compelled to tell a customer about my dream. She nodded with understanding. She had been in Arizona at an archaeological dig and felt as though she had been there before. When the park ranger told her tour group a site was a native ceremonial spot, she knew immediately it was a place for burning flesh and blood sacrifices. She remembered it. When she told the ranger what she suspected, he confirmed her truth but cautioned her that information was not for public knowledge. She could not explain to him how she knew what she knew. Perhaps there is a supernatural truth. I offer Lost Legend of Vahilele as an oral history of a people who do not have a written history. I respect the Fijian legends and talented crafters and never want to detract from their culture. On the contrary, it seems I am under their spell.

While I hunker down in my log cabin this winter, I will consider writing a sequel to this novel because I am curious about the journey of a golden race who eventually sailed their outriggers thousands of miles east to Hawaii. Last year in Vanuatu, west of Fiji, archaeological proof was found that the Lapita people had lived there for generations. Ancient pottery sherds have also been found east of Fiji in Samoa, Tonga and other islands. For me, it is a great indie adventure to track the roots of my dream lady. I invite my readers to come along for the discovery. And if you have been to Fiji, I invite you to share your travel photos on my website Lost Legend page here.

Blurb:

Princess Lapita risks her life to preserve a golden race whose last child comes of age in 650 AD. When the shipwrecked crew from a Persian trading ship tries to take control of the island of Vahilele, they underestimate the powers of the local Priestess who seeks wisdom from her guardian, the mythical Phoenix.

Buy:

Amazon

Bio:

Georgia Ruth lives in the storied gold-mining foothills of North Carolina where she records and shares the folklore of neighbors. Her former careers in family restaurant management and retail sales inspire countless characters and conflicts. 

Because perspective influences behavior, her stories offer a psychological window to examine the motivation for crimes amid tangled relationships. Her latest short story “Strong Enough” was published in April 2017 in the Malice Domestic 12 anthology Mystery Most Historical. Her short story “The Mountaintop” was selected by bestselling author Elizabeth George for Best American Mystery Stories 2016.

Find Georgia Ruth: 

Website | Amazon Author Page

Take Five and Meet Author C.C. Harrison and Her Book~Death By G-String

Don't you love a play-on-words? I do and this title is a great one.
Read on and meet C.C. Harrison. It even caught me, as I'd put in "A G-String"!!

Welcome to An Indie Adventure, C. C. Harrison.  Tell us, what inspired you to write DEATH BY G-STRING, a Coyote Canyon Ladies Ukulele Club mystery?

After I sold four books, I decided to take a hiatus from writing so I could catch up on my life. One night I saw actress Zooey Deschanel on television playing a ukulele. Something about that intrigued me, and I stopped what I was doing to watch. Then I noticed I was hearing the ukulele being played on TV commercials, and in pop music.  About that same time, Heidi Swedberg of the fabulous Sukey Jump Band came to my local library to give ukulele lessons, and she was bringing ukuleles to use. Something compelled me to check it out.

Heidi gave everyone in class a ukulele to use, and the minute that ukulele was in my hands, I didn't want to give it back. By the end of the lesson, I could play a simple two chord song, and I was absolutely hooked. The next day, I went out and bought a soprano ukulele, a chord chart and a book of easy beginner songs. That ukulele, one of several I now own, was never out of my sight.

After I bought my first ukulele (then another and another and another—no one told me how addictive this ukulele thing was) I turned my attention to music instead of writing. But it wasn't long before a ukulele themed mystery series began swirling in my mind. I batted the idea away, and focused on music, eventually making my coffee shop debut. (Let me tell you about that! Everyone was eating lunch and paid absolutely no attention to me up there at the microphone.)

Not long after, I met author Catriona McPherson at a writers conference. She just about jumped out of her chair when I mentioned the ukulele book idea that wouldn't let go of me. I hadn’t yet written a word, didn't even have a character or a fully developed plot in mind, but it was her encouragement that shot me like a rocket back to the computer.

Now I write and play. I have a Luna soprano ukulele, a Kohala tenor ukulele, a Fender tenor ukulele, a Makala baritone ukulele, a Lanakai baritone ukulele, two Martin acoustic guitars, a handmade Black Mountain Appalachian dulcimer, and a McNally minstrel dulcimer. I tend to play American folk and country music on the ukuleles, traditional and classical Old English folk music on the dulcimers, and a little (very little)  classic rock in the Eagles, Marshall Tucker Band, and Doobie Brothers leitmotif on the guitars.

So, now I tell people I was born to be a rock star, but I write books instead.

If you were not a writer, what vocation would you pursue?

I would have liked to be a lawyer, or a National Park Ranger. I think the latter was inspired by Nevada Barr's National Park mysteries. The job always seemed so very interesting. Then, many years later I interviewed a park ranger for an article I was writing. His daily work activities were incredibly interesting. Did you know the National Park Service has crime investigators? Since then, I've met several park rangers and I have to say I've never met one who didn't absolutely love the job.

Do you prefer to read in the same genre you write in, or do you avoid reading that genre?  Why?

 I don't avoid my genre. I have to read it to know what's being published and what readers like and are interested in. I read mystery, suspense, true crime, some biography, some history, some Westerns. But I don't have a lot of time to read for pleasure at the moment. I have four books in various stages of development right now. Watch for a Michigan Mystery series some time next year.

How do you create internal and external conflict in your characters?  I find conflict often the hardest to create when I start planning a book.

Yes, I did, too, at first, and that's the reason I gave up writing romance novels. I couldn't come up with enough conflict in a love relationship to make an interesting story. And I had trouble coming up with a happily ever after, too. So I switched to writing crime novels and now have no trouble finding all kinds of conflict and trouble. In fact, I have more story ideas than I have time to write. My new book is a cozy mystery, and I did slip some romantic conflict in there, but it isn't enough to carry a whole book. I tend to write female characters that are a little older now, in their thirties, they've been around, and are carrying some baggage about past relationships. That tends to make them leery of getting too involved right away. Though they adore men, they all step carefully and move slowly before committing to a relationship.

If you could live during any era of history, which one would you choose?

Oh, that's easy. I'd live in the old West. Without a doubt, I would have been one of the first to jump on a wagon train heading West. I was born and raised in Michigan, but I have always felt connected to the West. First chance I had, I moved to Colorado and have lived there most of my life, everywhere from Denver to Cortez. I'm in Arizona now, but plan to go back.

Recently, I watched a movie called, "Meek's Cutoff." This is a film for people who, like me, think they came West in a covered wagon in a previous life. I not only watched this movie, I experienced it!!  Wide, long, extended camera shots showed the desolation of the high desert passage, and it was all so familiar to me. I could hear the insects in the prairie grass, the flapping of the wagon canvas, the clanging of the metal pots and pans, the animals huffing. I could feel the wind dusting my face, whipping up the skirts and bonnets of the women. I was there!

A few years ago, I wrote an Old West Historical, "SAGE CANE'S HOUSE OF GRACE AND FAVOR." It's about a young city girl trying to make her way, and stay safe, in a fledgling mining town in the mountains of Colorado. I swear that book was channeled to me! Every word fell out of my mind onto the keyboard. I'm convinced one of my past lives was lived back then. That book turned out to be the one my readers seemed to favor. Very few print copies exist anymore, but it is available as an e-book on Amazon.

Give us a brief summary of DEATH BY G-STRING

The tiny mountain town of Coyote Canyon in my book was inspired by Crested Butte, one of my most favorite places in Colorado.  Crested Butte readers, or those familiar with Crested Butte, might recognize some of the thinly veiled places in which I set scenes. 

Here's what the book is about:

The Coyote Canyon Ladies Ukulele Club is gearing up for a ukulele competition when their flamboyant star player, Kiki Jacquenette, is found strangled to death with a ukulele G-string. Not only is a first place win in jeopardy, the entire folk music festival is put on the verge of collapse. A murderer on the loose is sure to keep tourists away.

Canyon Chronicle editor Viva Winter had hoped to make Coyote Canyon the folk music capitol of the Colorado mountains, and was also trying to raise money to help repay the townspeople bilked by her father’s phony investment scheme. With much to be gained by the death of her father’s largest investor, Viva soon comes under suspicion, so must uncover the truth before her whole life turns into a sour note, and a tourist trade boom falls flat.

Buy:

DEATH BY G-STRING will be out the 14th, but it can be pre-ordered here. 

After it's released, it will be available on Amazon and in book stores.

Bio:

C. C. Harrison is an award-winning author who knew she was going to write novels when she finished her first beginning reader library book as a child. Since then her work has been honored both regionally and nationally with writing awards for her short stories, articles, essays and novels.

THE CHARMSTONE and PICTURE OF LIES are mysteries set in Monument Valley on the Navajo Indian Reservation where she lived as a VISTA volunteer. RUNNING FROM STRANGERS, set in Durango, Colorado is the story of a child advocate on the run with a child in her care.

In a departure from her contemporary mysteries, SAGE CANE'S HOUSE OF GRACE AND FAVOR, written as Christy Hubbard, is an Old West historical that depicts one woman's attempt to bring civility to the wild and wooly inhabitants of a fledgling Colorado mining town.

She lives in Arizona where she has several new books in various stages of development: DON'T FRET THE SMALL STUFF, second in the Coyote Canyon Ladies Ukulele Club Mystery series; and BAD DEEDS and HOT MESS, the first two books in a Michigan Mystery series. When she's not writing, reading or working out at the gym, she can be found in the mountains of Colorado or in some far-flung corner of the Southwest.

Find C.C.:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Author Spotlight Featuring Mia London in the Anthology ~ Blame It On Fate

Hello!

Thank you, L.A. for hosting me on your blog today. 

I am often asked how I got started writing. Well, my response is always, “My career found me.”

I’ve enjoyed reading romance for years, and sometimes I would get caught up in a scene, my mind would race ahead and play out the rest of the scene. I would return to reading to see how the author ended it, but ironically the scene would continue to play. And I see a scene like I’m watching a movie- with dialogue, scenery, sound, etc. I found myself adding on, changing things. At one point, I decided to put everything down on paper, in an attempt to get the thoughts out of my head. After 25 pages of just stuff, I realized there may be something. J

Blame It On Fate is an anthology where six authors came together to create something yummy for the readers. I personally love multi-author anthologies. I may recognize one or two authors, but in reading the entire book, I fall in love with another one or two. So over the course of a few months, the six of us would brainstorm. I’d send out theme ideas, ideas turned into titles, titles turned into cover ideas, etc. It was so great collaborating with these smart and funny women. I would work with each of them again in a heartbeat!

This anthology has a little bit of everything: a billionaire, a highlander, Christmas love, time-travel, and more. But they all have Fate play a hand in the outcome. Some stories are quick easy reads, some are full-length when you have more time, but they all have steamy love scenes.

We hope you enjoy this anthology. And don’t forget to leave a review; we’d love to hear from you!

Excerpt:

Undeniable Fate (from Blame It On Fate):

“Please let me make it up to you. You know they have some of the world’s best pasta in Rome,” he said with a broad smile.

She guffawed because an image of Kirk, eyeing her as she scooped extra parmesan over a plate of spaghetti was the first image that popped in her head. “I’ll take you up on dinner, but I’ll stick with a salad.”

His eyebrows pinched together. “You don’t like pasta?”

“I love pasta. My ex said I should stay away from it.” The words came out before she could block them. Brandon did not need to hear the sordid details of what her ex thought about her and her eating habits. She bit her lips between her teeth.

He tipped his head. “Okay. Why?”

“Never mind.”

“Is it a gluten thing?”

Crap! Her head drooped for a split second. No good way to get out of this. “He said I put on weight too easily.”

Brandon’s eyes went wide. “He said that to you?” His voice pitched on the last word.

“Yes,” she mumbled. Could this be any more embarrassing?

 She wouldn’t consider herself overweight, but definitely curvy. Slightly obsessed, Lily worked out regularly and had strong muscles. Regardless, she couldn’t rectify the number she saw every morning on the scale.

“No wonder you dumped the bastard.”

Lily let the corner of her lips curve upward. She didn’t have the guts to tell Brandon that Kirk had dumped her.

His eyes narrowed. “Did he say you were fat?”

Shit! Really? She unknowingly sucked in her stomach. The most handsome man she’d ever met was standing six feet in front of her, wearing his suit with his shirt and tie loosened, and a five o’clock shadow that made her want to run her fingertips along his jawline. She stood naked in just a thin silky robe, and he wanted to have a psychology session?

She couldn’t answer so she glanced away. Kirk had said that once, but thankfully never again. He’d made her feel more self-conscience of her weight with his pointed stare at almost every meal.

Brandon let go of his luggage and took two steps closer. “From what I saw, your body is pretty amazing. I think your ex needs to have his head examined. That and be exiled to a deserted island with only rice cakes and raw broccoli to eat.”

Lily’s chuckle turned into a laugh. She actually loved that idea.

He smiled and took another step closer, never breaking eye contact. He stood so close to her now, he could effortlessly reach out and touch her.

She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry, and tipped her head up to meet his gaze. His eyes appeared darker than she remembered, like rich espresso.

He offer his hand, palm up, and she hesitated . . . not scared, as much as unsure what he wanted. She released the death-grip on the lapels of her robe and rested her left hand in his. He slowly brought it to his mouth and kissed her knuckles, not once, but twice.

The warmth of his hand and the sensation of his kiss shot low-level electric waves throughout her body. Her lower belly clenched and she nearly moaned.

He stretched his right hand forward, as if he wanted to touch her.

“May I see for myself?” His rich, soothing voice felt like a caress over her.

Buy: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble  

Blurb:

How great is the price of Fate?

Six stories about love, passion, and the role Fate plays in the lives of lovers. Six couples must decide whether to accept Fate or fight against it.

Have your soul touched and your heart set afire. You won't be able to put this anthology down.

Highland Oath (Highland Treasure Book 1) by C.A. Szarek: Saving a life in the 17th century is hard enough for a time-traveling doctor, until Fate hands her heart to a Highlander.

Claiming Emerson by Heather Miles: My double life was a shell game I'd mastered long ago, a chosen fate. The art of illusion wasn't just something I'd become proficient at, I lived it. 

On A Whim by JM Walker: B. Vesper is hiding. As a bestselling BDSM indie author, he knows all too well the dangers of letting people get close. But when his new cover designer Kiki Smith starts breaking down his walls and letting him in her life, will his secret rebuild those barriers?

A Twist On Fate by Jillian Stone: “They say that you don’t meet people by accident, that you cross paths with strangers for a reason. But then memes about fate are for morons, right? Thing is—after what just happened—I’m not so sure anymore.” —Skylar Fenstermaker

Temptations of Christmas Future (A Christmas Carol Book 3) by Lexi Post: When Joy, the Spirit of Christmas Future, is paired with a problem Spirit Guide, her positive outlook is tested beyond its limits. Will she persevere, or will the Guide, a young widow and her own outlook be the casualties of her weakness? 

Undeniable Fate (Undeniable Series Book 1) by Mia London: Shocking is putting it mildly. When the stranger she’d met only twelve hours earlier suddenly walks into her hotel room, Lily can think of only one thing.

Bio:

I love to write! 

I've been reading fiction for years and finally decided that the images and scenes floating around in my head needed to make it to paper.

I'm a huge fan of romance, highly optimistic, and wildly faithful to the HEA (happily ever after). I'm inspired by almost anything around me. And my biggest obstacle is not having enough time to get it all down on paper (or my computer, as the case may be).

My goal is to create a fantasy you will enjoy with characters you could love.

I live in Texas with my attentive, loving, super-model husband, and my perfectly behaved, brilliant children. My produce never wilts, there are no weeds in my flowerbeds, and chocolate is my favorite food group. 
And then I wake up.

Find Mia:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads  | Amazon Author Page |  Bookbub