Top Episodes from Season 1, Part 2

Fancy a journey into the creative minds of authors who have graced our podcast in its first season with the highest rankings? Ever wondered how horses can be a source of wisdom about love, faith, healing, and grief? In our latest episode, we're revisiting some of the most captivating writing journeys and books from the previous season, with guests like Colleen Valles, Janet Wolanin Alexander, and Laurie Brock sharing their unique experiences in the literary world.

Discover the thrill of urban fantasy as we delve into the realm of Aztec mythology with Colleen's 'Book of Star Demons.' Learn from Laurie about the challenges and triumphs of publishing her book, 'God, Grace, and Horses. Janet Wolanin Alexander discusses her contemplative rides and the intriguing horse stories that have inspired her writing in 'At Home on a Horse in the Woods'. We also celebrate Mariah Kalunju's book, 'Amka little Lele, You've Got Everything You Need to be
Great.'

Join our stimulating discussion on the power of storytelling and writing with experts. Listen in as they highlight the importance of culture representation in fantasy writing and the educational value of writing. They also share their insights on the struggles authors face in evaluating success. We discuss essential strategies for garnering reviews – a crucial aspect for authors' success. Tune in to this intriguing episode brimming with advice and tips for every budding author.

Check out their original episodes here:
✨🎙Ep. 33, God, Grace & Horses with Laurie Brock:  https://youtu.be/FJJ36qessbc
✨🎙Ep. 12, Culture, History, & Aztec Mythology with Colleen Valles:  https://youtu.be/lku9XLFxDzI
✨🎙Ep. 18, Swishtails & Tales to Find Your Dreams with Janet Alexander:  https://youtu.be/ZFgKC8FddoQ

➡️Connect with Colleen Valles here:  https://colleenvalles.com/fiction/
➡️Connect with Laurie Brock here:  revlauriebrock.com
➡️Connect with Janet Wolanin Alexander here:  https://swishtails.com

📖✒️ 👉Grab a copy of their books here:
Be sure to leave them a review where purchased or on Goodreads.com

📖Book of Star Demons   https://amzn.to/48I7sXk

📖God, Grace, & Horses  https://amzn.to/41MyRVX

📖At Home on a Horse in the Woods  https://amzn.to/3NQnkza

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https://linktr.ee/writerparachute

✨🎙Subscribe to our channel to join our writer community for tips, tricks, author interviews, and more. We can't wait for you to join us as you embark on your writing adventure!✨🎙

🎙📖✒️ 👉 All episodes are available to view on YouTube and listen anywhere where podcasts are played every Wednesday!👈

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Welcome back everyone to the Writers' Parachute. We're guiding author and writer dreams to a perfect landing. Today we have with us a completely new episode. It's a bonus episode, part of season two, and we want to bring you back and celebrate with some of our top episode guests. We have with us today Colleen Vales. She is season one podcast platform top episode. It is culture, history and Aztec mythology. About her book, book of Star Demons, and that was released on May 1st 2022. Also, we have with us Janet Woollanen Alexander. She is episode number 18 of season one.

Speaker 1: 0:52

Hers is Swish Tales and Tales to Find your Dreams about her horse at home in a horse in the woods, and that was released on May 13th 2022. We also have Lori Grock, who is a season one YouTube top episode, top episode of all time. Hers is episode number 33, inspired by God, grace and Horses, talking about her book titled God, grace and Horses. That was released on August 31st 2022. And, unable to attend today, is sitting in second place for podcast platforms. That is episode number 28 with Mariah Kedalunju, and hers is style, mentor and rest, and hers is about her book Mika little Lili, you've got everything you need to be great. That was released on July 20th 2022.

Speaker 1: 1:48

So, of course, we want to welcome you all back. We hope that you continue to join us to celebrate these top episodes. Of course, we would love for you to go ahead and hit that subscribe button. Don't forget to ring the bell so that you get notifications every time a new episode is aired. If you would like new episodes brought directly to your inbox, you can go to sendfoxcom, slash the writers parachute and sign up for that to be delivered to you every week.

Speaker 1: 2:19

Of course, you can go ahead and follow us on Instagram, facebook, twitter or X, tiktok, and now on threads at writer parachute. That's writer parachute without an S. So let's get on with it. We want to welcome back Colleen, laurie and Janet here today, so I'm so excited to have you back. So, colleen, I'm going to pick on you first. It's really not picking on. We're celebrating. I am so thrilled with you guys and congratulations. So I want to start off with letting you show a picture of your book that was the Star Demons Book of Star Demons and remind listeners a little bit about your book and what we talked about on the episode.

Speaker 2: 3:09

Yeah, donna, thanks so much for having me back. It's so excited to be one of the top podcast episodes for you. Here is my book. It is the Book of Star Demons. It's the first in a series which is still forthcoming, and the book is an urban fantasy, an adult urban fantasy about a woman who discovers that she has magical powers that come to her via a relative and are tied to the Aztec pantheon, and her sister goes missing. She has to find her and hilarity ensues not really hilarity, it's. Adventures ensue and, yeah, it's the Right. Now it's planned to be a trilogy.

Speaker 1: 3:56

We'll see it might go a little bit longer than that, so, yeah, Well, and just a reminder, I was very excited to read the book because it was like there was so much history and mythology that was kind of woven into this crazy mystery and it was just like I just remember it moving really, really fast and I was like at the end of it I was like, wow, I got to read it on a thrilling ride and an education all the same time. I'm like that's impressive Thanks.

Speaker 2: 4:25

Well, you know, when I wrote it there, a part of why I wanted to do it is because you know my culture is based in Mexico and there's not a lot in the urban fantasy genre that has to do with sort of non-European mythology. So I wanted to kind of broaden the scope.

Speaker 1: 4:46

Well, you definitely did a good job, so I'm going to turn to you, lori. You are our top episode on YouTube, but I'm glad you were able to join us here, and so can you hold up your book and remind us what your book is about and what we talked about on the podcast?

Speaker 3: 5:06

So this is God, grace and Horses Life Lessons from the Saddle. And I am an equestrian and an Episcopal priest, and so these are just some of the insights I've had about a life of spirituality and faith, and it's very broad, so it is written to be inclusive, wildly inclusive, but just about the wisdom that horses have given me, about love, about faith, about healing and grief, and all of the wisdom that they share with us.

Speaker 1: 5:41

Well, and I do remember that when you and I talked originally for your episode, it was it was almost, you know, magical, in that it felt like, you know, we were two old friends and it was like I remember we just kept going on and on and on. It was probably one of my longer episodes, but there was a lot of fun, but there was just so much depth and just so much information that you were willing to share and let us talk about it. So I do truly appreciate that, and it doesn't quite surprise me that that you would be our top episode. So congratulations, Thank you, you're very welcome. Ok, janet, you're next, and so I know we're going to talk about your other books, but we're going to focus a little bit here on the first book, which is at Home and a Horse in the Woods. So can you show us your book which you don't have, I do and remind us about what the book's about and what we talked about on your episode?

Speaker 4: 6:40

Well, first of all, I want to say my book came out just before Lori's first book and I was so excited to when I heard about her book because we have a lot, we intersect a lot and we also live near each other Not that, you know, we've met in person yet, but we will. So my book I didn't set out to write a book. I was called throughout my life to write about horse related things, from a child, you know, to you know I was still doing it and I'm almost 72. So it just was a mysterious but very undeniable Thing that I had to do and I didn't know why. So years went by and I joined a writers group toward my teaching. I'd suffered 30 years and I joined the writers club and I had a pile of papers. We went through my writings and I put them in order and I thought you know, I have enough to put it in the book. So the book I published first in 2017 and it didn't sell.

Speaker 4: 7:55

I was ignorant. You know, you write the book and you put it out there and you're going to be a best seller, famous and make noodles of money, and that did not happen. So I did some research and I found another editor, which you know. That's how we met. That helped you with your writing before, you know, helped you with your writing, and I had not done certain things. I had not identified my audience, I had no idea why I wrote the book. I was just told to, guided to do it, and I did it. But I didn't know why.

Speaker 4: 8:36

And so I had to do a lot of soul searching and I guess I figured out that my I wanted to write my story to help other people who weren't aware of the importance of their dreams and maybe squished it like I had for a while. They didn't realize the source was divine. And my story starts with me furious at God, absolutely furious, and I'm telling a minister this, and I thought that I would be really blacked down, you know, for saying all these things about how mad I was at God. And you have to read the book to see what she said. It was that she would just call it it wasn't Lori, but it was very powerful change my life and I have had horses in my life ever since.

Speaker 4: 9:30

That was in my late 40s. As I said, I'm almost 72. They're still there. They're all miracle stories because they came to me in ways I had never participated and they proved. They stayed deep in my faith and my relationship with God and I realized God really does love me and that's why all these things were granted. And it's my story is important for other people to realize. Don't put your dreams down. Take them seriously and where their sources.

Speaker 1: 10:03

Right, and I truly loved each of your books. I've read all of them, I've helped you with some of them and I remember, when we did this interview, that I was so struck by this passion that you carried with this dream that you had as a child and I mean, we're talking a very young child about having horses, about being with horses, about riding about horses and stuff like that, all the way through to now, and you're just as passionate about it and it just comes across in your books. I mean, you've written in multiple genres about horses, but the one thing that I know is absolutely true and every one of your books is that passion and that dream and the hope that everybody else finds something that they're that passionate about to dream about. So I'm so glad that you're here and congratulations. So, lori, I'm going to jump back to you. So do you have any new books out?

Speaker 3: 11:11

I don't have any new books out. I signed a contract with for my next book with tentatively titled Souvenir of the Holy, and it is a study of faith in 10 objects and so, as you can imagine, because it's me writing, it's not necessarily things like crosses on the wall and pictures of Jesus, it's more like scars and lumps of coal and things like that. So just the fact that you know, objects are deeply symbolic to humans and have been since sort of we became human and I just began to sort of wonder you know what? What is it about the wisdom of stuff? How can it be holy? And also, how can it be a hindrance to holiness?

Speaker 3: 12:05

You know, when we keep things we don't necessarily want, like those pants that we're never going to fit in again. So I've got that, and then I've got, I've got a couple of articles do I wrote, I did the Camino and horseback this summer, so I've got an article about that that I actually need to finish in the next couple of weeks. So, and some, some, some, some different devotional things, as always, but that's the. The book should be out in the fall of 2024, I think is the scheduled release date.

Speaker 1: 12:36

All right, awesome. We have to keep us up to date and of course, we'll get any information from you and add those as we got them. So that's a very exciting. So what about you Colleen Any new books out? Any expectations of new books coming soon?

Speaker 2: 12:51

Yeah, so no new books out right now. I actually did draft book two in the series, send it off to an editor. He got back to me with a few edits and then I was like you know what? I don't really like the story, so I'm in the process of replotting it. Okay, so next year?

Speaker 1: 13:09

Okay, so maybe a new release in 2024. Yep, that's what I'm hoping. All right, well, we'll be very excited about that. Do we have a title for it yet, or are we still playing with that?

Speaker 2: 13:21

No, I do have the title. It's and I have the cover to actually it's Army of Star Demons.

Speaker 1: 13:25

All right, awesome. Well, we'll have to get that information from you and at least a cover shot, so that we can share that with our audience. So, thank you. What about you, janet? I know you got an answer to this one. So what new books do you have?

Speaker 4: 13:40

I have two more out. One is could you hold them up please? Sure, I'm in Cleveland, a big city where I grew up horseless and I didn't. It was a family emergency, so I'm not prepared with the background. Or you know my books. Braiding Horsehair Bracelets is my second book.

Speaker 4: 14:01

I found out while I was riding a trail riding a lady told showed me her bracelet. It was something she bought at West End Vacation. I had no idea there was such a thing as a horsehair jewelry. I immediately found I was going to learn how to make one from my horse's hair. It took me years to find out how.

Speaker 4: 14:21

One problem that I had was not everybody who does braiding lives in my area, I mean, and they, some people don't want to teach it. And then the other thing was that there were no books. There were this was kind of before YouTube and stuff, and there were. You could find like pieces you know the lesson here and an idea there, but there was no book from the very beginning to how do you get it off the horse correctly and how do you, you know, finish a piece. And so I figured out that God was telling me okay, you're a teacher, you've written lots of lesson plans.

Speaker 4: 15:07

You know step by step directions. You just put out your first book. You know there's a void out there, so I'm picking you to write this book. So that was that one. And then the third book is the children's version of At Home on a Horse in the Woods. It's an important. It has the same theme the importance of you know taking your dream seriously. And it's funny because of the very sidewalks outside this house were the ones where I rode that bike as fast as I could as a little child, pretending that I was galloping on a real horse. So those are my three.

Speaker 1: 15:46

Right, and finally, horses just dropped last month, so it's still new, so we're very excited about that, all right. So I want to start with you, janet, so you got any events coming up anytime in the future you want to share with our audience.

Speaker 4: 16:05

No, the only thing I have to say is that there is a place called All Authors that has cover awards, and I think it was last month that I had breeding horsehair jewelry in and it made it to the top 25. And then next month, in December, is the children's cover, and I have been accepted, or, finally, horses has been accepted. So what it is for those who don't know it's a cover contest. You apply, some people get I mean they they accept certain ones and they put them up for vote. So the first week you get it Well, I think they put them all up, and then you get it down to a hundred. And the next week you vote and you get them down to 50, and then the third week you get them down to 25, and then the last week it gets to the top three. So please, everybody who hears this, please go to allauthorscom and choose, finally, horses once a week during the month of December and give me a shot.

Speaker 1: 17:11

All right. Well, we will certainly share that information with them and we wish you the best of luck. And I also know that your your new book. Finally, horses has been entered for the Equus art.

Speaker 4: 17:23

Here a horse author if you're out there. The best place to start out these I did was with the equus film and arts fest, which is an annual event, has worldwide coverage, and I my first two books won an award and I'm hoping that my third book wins an award this year. It's soon, it's, it's in, maybe next week. I mean it's.

Speaker 1: 17:49

Maybe we'll be congratulating you twice this month, let's hope. How about you, colleen? Do you have any upcoming events that you'd want to share with our audience? I?

Speaker 2: 17:59

Don't have any upcoming events, just continuing to plot, plot, plot.

Speaker 1: 18:04

Well, you know that is important. You know, sometimes we get so wrapped up in all the things we would have, could have, should have done with marketing and forget to go right the next. All right, what about you, laurie? Any upcoming events that you would like to share? I know you're always very busy, yeah.

Speaker 3: 18:26

I always say I'm a pair every Sunday at St Michael's Episcopal Church. So if you're in Lexington, I you know I've had people drop by and it's just a delight to meet them and I'm, you know, it is absolutely okay and I'm greatly humbled when people say could you sign my book? I brought it. So but no things. It feels like you know, sort of the COVID stuff has kind of gotten. We've learned to live with it. So I have, I'm starting to book some stuff, but it's not finalized yet for the spring and summer of this year, so we shall see.

Speaker 1: 18:59

All right. Well, of course we'll keep in touch with you and anytime you have updates on that, let us know and we will go ahead and update the show notes for you. So I'm going to go to you, colleen, first, and ask you to give us an update on your overall journey since last time we chatted was a while ago, but yeah.

Speaker 2: 19:23

So basically I wrote a book and now I'm rewriting the book and plotting out a series and Switch jobs and, yeah, I have moved towns so it's been busy and, you know, life kind of sometimes puts writing on the back burner, so it's been a little bit slow going, but I'm excited to get back into it some more now.

Speaker 1: 19:44

All right, well, we're excited to have you here and maybe this will be the, the, the little extra push you need to get going back down that road again. So we're excited about you. Laurie, do you have an update for us on your overall journey since we last talked?

Speaker 3: 20:00

So I so the new book is under a different publisher, so it was just real and it was. It was one of. It was the first time that a publisher actually had a publisher, one of. It was the first time that a publisher actually came to me and said have you, you know which? You thought about writing. So I was a little blown away by that and I work with an editor About. I said, you know, I have this idea and and. And she was just really helpful about distilling it, which I have to say, like I was listening to Colleen and I was like, oh yeah, I've been there because I wrote this whole proposal. And she came back and said, well, can you do this with it? And and I thought, yeah, that is what it needs. So, so I'm in the process of writing, which is always fun.

Speaker 3: 20:43

I vow every time I'm not gonna write ever again In November, december, and I always end up writing in November.

Speaker 3: 20:50

Needs were, which is the busy month for clergy and for all of us really, and so, but also to not write this.

Speaker 3: 20:58

I mean, I'm sure this book will mention horses, but it's not completely about horses and that was, on some level, deliberate, because I wanted to just Take a break from that I've got another horse book, you know, out working on that, so it's so there notes about that, but it is. It's really interesting to kind of expand out to work for with a different publisher, but also to have To take myself out of the comfort zone of writing about horses, which is, you know, a default, and it's what I've done and and, and, and that is my dog telling me that dinner is past time, so but it certainly for me has been really of Challenging as a writer to step out of, I mean still, it's still, you know, essay, so it's not changing zoners but to step out of a place that I've, I've been very comfortable into something that is like, oh, I actually am gonna be Doing this now about stuff, so, so that is exciting and and I still have imposter syndrome, I'm still like I'm not really a good writer.

Speaker 3: 22:14

I really don't know what I'm doing and I really don't know what I'm doing. But but Silas house is an acquaintance of mine and he says if you, if you're gonna publish four books, you get to be a writer, so shut up. So I passed that knowledge on this.

Speaker 1: 22:28

Well, you know, and I think we all do that in it, you know, I I quote my mother a lot and she used to say you know that there's those internal critics. Only come out when you're doing well. So listen to him.

Speaker 3: 22:41

Good, good advice, thank you.

Speaker 1: 22:43

So all right, Janet, so give us an update on your overall journey. You have been extraordinarily busy since the last time we talked for the Episode that we're talking about.

Speaker 4: 22:54

Yeah, I'm a little tired. Yeah, yeah, I, I am. I want to pick up. Where are my calling? I, you know, I. Anyway, I want to pick up back where I'm on a horse Left off. I also in there's a lot of nature because I'm a nature nut. So I like why a contemplative rides and I like the meditative aspect very spiritual and I like the nature Observation part. So I still continued writing those stories. But it takes there's, there's Geronimo, he's, he's my horse in there, and then dancers streak and then Highlander. Highlander recently passed it, well, passed away a year ago now, and I didn't know what was going to happen. Of course Scott provided another miracle immediately.

Speaker 4: 23:47

A friend of mine had a saddle bread who had Salad bread horse, who had retired from show, in from schooling and was out of her. She had grown up in a stall and in the ring and her owner Put her out into the country where my horse, highlander, was and she had pasture, you know, only went in when the weather was really inclement and just a whole different life. And Jane, their owner, wonderful woman, huge blessing in my life had heard from her veterinarian what Jane had had, an issue, a health issue, and she no longer cheery parrot from riding and her Veterinarian said that the horse, you know, needed to be ridden just for exercise. No, like we don't sit around on chairs, I mean go for walks, and you know. So the horse needed exercise and so would I. I Ride her horse. It's like, oh my god, she is a sheer delight.

Speaker 4: 24:50

I was a nervous at first because I know nothing about saddle bread or ring riding. I'm a trail rider and she knew nothing about being in the woods and wasn't sure where in the heck she was the first time, you know she went out. But I had a girlfriend come with me for two to rides. It was a very experienced. In case we ran into any trouble, and you know she didn't know what water was and had to walk through a creek, and you know it's a digi-gigi. She just encountered a whole bunch of. You know there's a beer, you know things. But within two lessons she is Absolutely Anominal. As a trail horse is you would think she was born to it the lightful, delightful thrill to ride. So I've been very lucky anyway. So so I'm gonna pick up where I left off with Highlander, finish his life story and then start With my experiences with dancer.

Speaker 1: 25:44

So and this is a new book, continuation that you're gonna go, which is the second book to at home and a horse in the woods Do you have a title for that yet?

Speaker 4: 25:52

No not yet still at home on a horse in the woods. I don't know I'm gonna got involved in the writing of finally horses and that that original title was Sweet dreams really do come true. Which, donna next? We struggled and finally came up with finally horses and I'm very happy with it, so I'm sure you'll you'll have some ideas, donna.

Speaker 1: 26:17

Well, yes, I already have ideas. We'll talk, we'll talk. So, all right. So I'm going to go back to you, laurie, and just ask you what's next? What have you got planned for the future?

Speaker 3: 26:30

Oh, I have to like get through Christmas. That's um, I don't know. You know I saw I went to. I did the Camino on Horsedback. This is Evie. She's not been fed dinner. She's so cute, I miss my doggies.

Speaker 3: 26:51

I did the Camino de Santiago on Horsedback this summer, which was sort of one of those things that I wasn't going to do and then decided to do with another clergy female equestrian colleague and I would like to share that. More is what that looks like as partially pilgrimage, but partially doing that with horses and in a different way. So I don't know what that looks like. I would, so I'm sure that will pop up in the book or something somewhere. And one of the things that I would really love to do is Pam Houston is an amazing writer. I recommend her books to fiction and essay writing, but I had the wonderful blessing of getting to ride with her at Zapata Ranch in Colorado, and one of these days I told Pam I was like I really, really want to do one of her courses, because I think that we never stopped learning as humans, as people of faith and certainly as writers, and so to do one of her.

Speaker 3: 27:56

She does a lot of wonderful courses around, but to do one of her courses and I dabble in poetry. I'll never publish it because I suck as a poet, but because it's such an uncomfortable discipline for me. I think it makes me a better essay writer and so it's kind of like dressage. I hate dressage, but when I actually take dressage lessons it helps myself. I ride Saddle Seat, so Janet's doing that and I'm like Janet, put that sweet horse in a ring and let her show you what she can do. But I think that as writers pushing ourselves in places that are not comfortable for us not to publish but just to write and remember the joy that we get and the gift we have to be able to enter people's lives and imaginations and souls with the words that we put together. I mean that's such an amazing gift to be able to do that, and I think it's one that we have to continue to nurture and treasure in daily. Don't just take it for granted.

Speaker 1: 29:11

I 100% agree with you, and it's like painting with words is an art all in of itself. But I just had an amazing thought and it's like it's probably crazy, but I'm gonna throw it out there. It's like wouldn't it be cool to have a one of those long horse rides with a riding escape? Oh, it would be amazing. I mean let's put the horses and the riding together.

Speaker 4: 29:39

It's like it's going on a really long trial ride. That's all I do.

Speaker 3: 29:41

Well, yes, I know it's like although I will say, because I was in the saddle 68 hours a day, I was too tired, I was like you know, I have my little journal. I was gonna make notes every day, exhausted, and that's a good. I mean, that was a good thing because that was what it was supposed to be, and then just to let the, to let the memory simmer and make notes. But it was, it was amazing. I definitely. I love Portugal and Spain. If the audience, if you've never been to Portugal and Spain, I commend going. Their amazing countries, amazing cultures, the people are just excited about life and excited to have you there. And the seafood is not comparable. It's just it's, it's a. Everything is amazing. I ate my way through it. I rode horses and made notes, but I did that. But yeah, to take a long trail ride, I'd actually have to do one. That was actually like camping along. To do that is riding and at the end of the day, sort of take time to ride.

Speaker 1: 30:46

Yeah, that was kind of more what I was thinking about. That'd be great, that would be amazing. All right, colleen. So what's next for you? What's on your agenda in the future?

Speaker 2: 30:58

Well, quite a bit, but you know, finishing the series, so getting book two out next year and getting book three either out next year or ready to go by the year after. Finishing plotting the series, determining if it's going to be three or five books, and then probably writing a few short stories. I have some other ideas percolating in my head and sometimes I just like a little bit of a break from the one set of stories. Go back and then, along the lines of what Lori was saying, I have a whole stack of writing craft books that I need to get through. So just kind of learning a little bit more about how different people look at writing and structure and plotting and just all the different ways of going about making a story. So reading those, letting it percolate and continuing to write.

Speaker 1: 31:59

There you go. That sounds like an amazing plan. How about you, janet? What is your look into the crystal ball, into the future?

Speaker 4: 32:08

for you De-stress, let's see ride horses more and be on the computer and trying the hell of promotion which less, and. But I want to explore going back into the classroom this time with, finally, horses, and see if I can do something with that. And I also have this brainstorm that I've started already but I don't know exactly where to take it. I mean, I put up you and I developed a canva poster on it, but I want to sell, I want to pair up, finally, horses at home and a horse in the woods and have the adult, grandparent, parent, teacher, whoever and the child, grandchild Leave them at the same time together, you know, and then have discussions about them so that they can develop a better relationship. And if they share, you know, if they share the dream they can share that the parent can, or the adult will, have more information about the horses that they can provide to the child and that the parent can discuss what their, their dreams were when they were the child's age and if they've come true and if it was harder, easy and you know what kept them going.

Speaker 4: 33:41

And just you know, I have like a bunch of questions that compiled that the adult and the child can like talk, you know, begin. If they can't think of their own questions, they can kind of, you know, have a couple ideas and get started. And I want to, you know, develop. You know I think it's, I don't know, it just seems in our culture that, you know, the kids are on the cell phones and on the media and the grandparents, you know you've all gone to the restaurant and the parents are talking and the kids totally in their own little world, on their, you know, their, electronic device. And I would so like to develop the art of communication through between generations, through a book that you know you can hold in your hands.

Speaker 1: 34:31

So I'm kind of rambling, but that's kind of no, it sounds like an amazing thing and it sounds like you're planning and plotting right here in front of us, and I think a multi-generational book club and dream session would be perfect. So yeah, I just name what it is you're going to do.

Speaker 1: 34:51

I love doing that. All right, well, it sounds like a plan. I'm so excited for you, so I'm down to the last couple of questions, but these are the really important questions. So, Colleen, I would like for you to share with us what you think was your best, most memorable or most surprising moment from when we recorded your episode.

Speaker 2: 35:18

Well, I think what I remember most was not making it back to the place that I was going to take the call in time, so I had to pull off on an off ramp off the freeway and I was in the middle of some farmland doing the interview. I was like I hope we maintain connection. But it was fun, it was easy, the conversation flowed and that's really you made it easy, so that's what I really appreciated.

Speaker 1: 35:53

You're welcome, and it's like there's so many hurdles and obstacles that we put in front of ourselves that when we actually get down to the brass tacks of it, they don't make any difference. It's like I remember now that you brought it up, that you were in your car and we did it. You were out in the middle of nowhere off the freeway, but it worked, and it's just like I mean Jana's joining us from someplace other than her home base. It's trying to scramble to put everything together. It's like life happens. We just have to figure out how to work with it. But I'm very excited that that turned out well for you and that it was fun and comfortable. It's always my goal is to make everybody feel relaxed, because we're doing one of my favorite things. We're talking about books and writing while I sit here and drink coffee. I mean, that's my personal trifecta of greatness.

Speaker 4: 36:55

I have come up with an idea I want to talk to Lori about after this. I just guess absolutely.

Speaker 1: 37:03

we can continue on. So, lori, same question what was your best, most surprising or most memorable moment from when we recorded yours?

Speaker 3: 37:12

I remember how much fun it was talking to you. I thought, oh, this is like Donna and I've known each other for years. And after we finished I'm like good luck editing that down because it was like two hours of conversation and it was a lot of fun. And Donna then and now had to get me through the time zones because I don't do time zones.

Speaker 3: 37:34

She's like no, no, this is what time it is in your time zone. I'm an East Coast, but I just and I really enjoyed knowing that. First, that you have created a podcast about the publishing aspects of writing. I think we all have taken the classes of how to write, but the fact that you actually talk to people who have made the journey and who are doing that, and then you share that with others, that's such a gift, because it's like my experience is, you learn from people who've walked the road before you and too often in life, people who have walked that road well charge $1,000 an hour and they don't want to talk about it and I was thinking that about Janet people not wanting to share how to do horsehair bracelets. But I think that the fact I was so excited to be a part of something that you share you invite us to say, hey, what did you learn, good and bad, what have you learned and that you put that out there for people is just really a gift and I'm thankful to be part of that.

Speaker 1: 38:48

Well, thank you. And for me, when I was. I've been writing and working with authors and writers for years and years and years, and one of the most frustrating things for me was when I would go to somebody that I knew knew the answer and I'm like I have this problem, can you help me? And they're like, no, well, you mean no, what do you mean? No, and they're like, well, you're gonna have to learn it like everybody else. And I'm like, wait, no, why? You know?

Speaker 1: 39:15

It's like I'm a former teacher, it's like we find the answers, we share the answers, we don't hoard them. And it was like, and it was so frustrating to me and I find also, too, it opens a conversation where people are more comfortable sharing what didn't work, and I want to hear about all the greatness that you achieved. I want to know what didn't work, because that kind of keeps me off of those, you know, those rabbit trails that they really kind of, you know, just eat up a lot of time and frustrate us so much, because we're just like, well, that should have worked, but it didn't. Why? And nobody has the answer to that either. So I appreciate your thoughts on that, but, yeah, it's like I said it's, it's a joy for me because I get to talk about the things that I love, which is, again, books and writing and publishing and, and you know, finding new, new ways to do things, and you know, and get to sit here and drink coffee while you guys tell me all about everything that you're doing and I get to share it with the world.

Speaker 1: 40:13

So yay me, yay you, and evidently we're doing it right. You guys are on the top episodes here, so that's all very exciting, so All right. So so, janet, what was your most surprising, most memorable or best moment from the recording of your first episode?

Speaker 4: 40:35

That being on a podcast isn't so terrifying. That also I think I have a question. Or my husband people get tired of me asking questions and in my husband says he's going to put a question mark on my tombstone. But I love, I love going deep into you know, into things, and I think the thing that surprised me was the quality of your questions. They were not just when did you publish the book and you know that type of thing. They were really, you know, in depth questions. And the question that I remember the most from that podcast was that you, you knew, you know Ms Donna Cowan, who's written the whole series, who's published, who has this podcast, who knows everything computer and publishing and writing. You know and the soul way above me is like said that that that I surprised you. I mean the only one that you know that's written in three genres, and that that impressed you because I just took that for granted, that's what I was called to do.

Speaker 4: 41:48

I never thought, I never sought to do that, or it wasn't you know that hard. I mean, it just seemed natural. So I was surprised that that struck you and I. It's fascinating to see from readers what strikes them, you know. You know, did they catch something you meant them to? Or did they find something in the did something catch them that you never realized? You put out there? They saw it in different, you know eyes. I'm glad that's the reaction. Is is interesting and I have to tell you just from this episode I'm going to go ahead and tell you like I have this. When I published my first book I want, I thought that church would be my church, would be interested in it because it would.

Speaker 4: 42:39

You know that minister that that revealed something profoundly for life changing in me. He had retired but I still thought that you know that people would be interested and they gave me a book reading, but I don't think they quite. I was. I thought there was a deeper spirituality in it that they didn't catch. You know, they gave me the book reading to support, you know, a congregant, but the spirituality of it didn't catch. And another friend of mine said hey, would you speak? Would you speak? She caught it and said would you speak at my church? And I said no, no, no no, no, no.

Speaker 4: 43:18

And so now I can kind of see like maybe I can explore. You know, I just want to pick Lori's brain and see if that's something at all that's realistic and that's kind of. It's fun to be with people like you. You know all you guys because you're like my people, you know, and I don't meet in daily life and so it's really neat to hear your stories and get your enthusiasm and you know, see, what you might dare to do next.

Speaker 1: 43:59

Well, I'm going to. I'm going to respond with a couple of things. Number one always say yes, you're expecting no anyway. So when yes comes your way, grab it. Number two you know the spirituality is there, whether people get it or not. That's. You know. That's not your job as an author, as a writer. Your job is to present the argument, present the idea and let them figure it out from there. You know, some will get it, some won't, some will take something else away, as you've said. And about these genres that you've written in, and multi-genre author, I have met some that have written in a couple, but I mean yours are so vastly different. You wrote a memoir and then you switched to a Kraft How-To book and then you switched again to a children's, you know, early reader, middle grade book. It's like that is. You know, that's like going and getting three PhDs at the same time.

Speaker 4: 45:02

I don't know. I think it was all the same, in the sense that there was a spirituality about the horse, that the horsey boat because, you know, for bringing horse or jewelry, yeah, it was a step-by-step, you know guide, but the whole thing was to honor the passion of the relationship between the person and the horse, the spiritual component of their relationship.

Speaker 1: 45:24

Right, and I think that's what impressed me so much is because to you it was just a natural progression of your journey, whereas an author and a writer and a coach you know I'm sitting back here going you know she took one kind of story or one lane and she made it work across these three genres without blinking an eye and that truly was impressive.

Speaker 4: 45:49

I don't think it was me, I think there was somebody helping me out up there.

Speaker 1: 45:55

Well, you know you took that leap, so I'm going to give you the kudos for it. So I have one last question for each of you. So, Lori, I'm going to start with you. What was your reaction when you were notified of being a talk episode for Season 1?

Speaker 3: 46:12

I'll be honest, I was like, oh, three people watched it. Like I mean, I was like what? I mean I figured who's going to watch this? You know?

Speaker 3: 46:23

so yeah I was. Have you looked to see how many I haven't? Because I just can't do that kind of stuff. Like I could go down that rabbit hole and part of it came from having to quickly turn into a televangelist during COVID and being online and like how many views have I? And I finally quit doing that because I was like I you know I can get way too caught up in that.

Speaker 3: 46:46

So I don't do it, so I didn't you know, I shared it on my Facebook page and on the, you know, reverend Laurie Brot page and you know, and people liked it and said, oh, this was great, now this. But I was like, oh, you know, ok. And then when you emailed me, I was like, well, she must have gotten that wrong, because so, but I guess not. So I was very, I was very. It was a wonderful surprise and quite exciting and it made my publisher very happy because they were like, yay, publicity. So, because publicity is just such a pain in the neck as a writer, it just we have to do it and it sucks. So because we're all like introverts. That's the problem.

Speaker 1: 47:26

Well, I want, I want you to hold on to your hat here. You are cruising towards 8000 views.

Speaker 3: 47:33

Oh good grief, that's wild, I can't even do that so.

Speaker 1: 47:41

So when I say you are the top of video, I truly mean it. Wow, all right. So see, you know, I mean sometimes obliviousness and not worrying about it, kind of you know is is even a better strategy, sometimes just accidental, serendipitous.

Speaker 3: 48:02

You know, one of the things and I and I certainly learned this I teach preaching so that I learned about it. That I tell people is, you know and this is sort of dovetails on Janet's comment you put this stuff out there. Your job is to do is to put your sermon together, you know whatever, and to preach it. And and it is not my job to dictate how people should receive it, and it's certainly not my job to measure how people are doing it. Because the thing that I found is that I preached and I've done this with books. I've had people, you know, come tell me something that they read in one of my books and I'm like I feel certain I did not write that in the book, but that's what they read and I trust that Like that's what they read. And so you know, I have, you know, and there are people that have that have heard something, and then they come back like two months later and say you know, this thing happened and I remembered this from your book and so it has. There's something wonderful about detachment to know that we I don't actually go back and reread my books because A I'm sick of them after they hit, after the print. I don't. I've read it so many times and then I'll go back and read it for book readings, or if I'm a speaker and and I'm, and I'm always just kind of amazed at even like, like, oh, I didn't realize I wrote that and I don't know that I did write that and so I. There is a beautiful detachment in doing the job that we like birthing into the world what we are called birth into the world, and our stories and then letting them go to the people, like letting them go and not judging how people receive them or shouldn't receive them. And that is hard to do because, boy, you know, we want to say this is what this is about and it is and it is a gift, and I think that's again, I think what's so lovely about when you and I talked is we really talked a lot about, you know, just putting it out there and letting it go and it works.

Speaker 3: 50:00

You know, nonfiction, because I get a pass, I write about God and Jesus and spirituality, but even in fiction it's like that. I mean, that's why we have classes on literary studies, you know, and I love me some fantasy writing. So I was like coming on, get your book and read it. But you know, even fantasy writing is. I mean, I love that Colleen is lifting up indigenous cultures that we have relegated to sort of flatness, you know, and she's like, hey, there's this great fantasy world and I think that's wonderful. We have a comic con here in Lexington you got to come to because there are fantasy people around, and so I love that. That. Again, that surprise is always a great part of writing.

Speaker 1: 50:49

It absolutely is. And it's like this. You know, I've said this once, I've said it a hundred times I love books and I love storytelling because I get to travel the world and beyond from the comfort of my own home. And you know you can't replace that kind of education and it is education. You know it's an education in so many different factors. I read nonfiction, I read fiction, I read, you know, fantasy, I read it all, and they all have something to teach me and you know that's what it is.

Speaker 3: 51:28

And the best books I mean the books that I love and hate the most are the ones that I have to put down because I'm like I've never thought about before, you know, and then I sit with it for a little while and those are just, you know, people who write those books that call me into a different place of thinking. I mean I think that's just a wonderful gift, wonderful, wonderful in the world, and it's why I think writing matters, it's why I think, you know, writing matters, getting stuff out there matters. I hate that there's like three publishing houses, but I like that there's so many more ways to publish now, because it matters to get all of these different viewpoints out there and challenge people and let them dream, dream in different ways. It's so keep writing, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 52:19

You know, storytelling is one of the oldest forms of communication. So all right, colleen. So the question is to you what was your response? When I first contacted you about being a top episode, I had to go over it a couple of times to really understand.

Speaker 2: 52:38

And then I was like no way, that's awesome. So I was pretty excited. Yeah, I wasn't expecting that and I think it's great.

Speaker 1: 52:50

Well, yeah, and you're one of probably my oldest episodes to make the top ranking. She was episode number 12. So just in the infancy of my podcast for that first season, and now the year ranking is a little bit different because yours is on the podcast platform, which goes with downloads and views together, so it's like a hodgepodge and it's a really weird ranking. So it's like I can't compare. But but you know you came in number one in all the podcast platforms and I was really very impressed with that and I was so excited to have you here and I'm just so thrilled and I am so hoping that this is again the impetus that you need to go in with that second book, because I have looked forward so much to getting the next book. It's like it's coming, but it seems that I always have to write each of my books multiple times.

Speaker 2: 53:45

Like the first one I wrote and then rewrote a couple more times. This one I've written. This will be the second rewrite. There might be one more, but hopefully not. Hopefully this will be it. I think that's just the writing process.

Speaker 1: 54:00

I think it's like I can't even tell you how many times I write and rewrite and revise and rethink, and Is it and Lamott's great line about?

Speaker 3: 54:08

you always just have to write the shitty first draft. Yes, yes, the first draft is always going.

Speaker 1: 54:15

It always goes. The first draft is always going to be garbage. It's just about telling a story and finding out if there's really a story there, exactly. So it's kind of. It's kind of like, you know, when you're building a house, you got to go in and put in the sewer system first. That's great. That's kind of the way we got to find a way for all that stuff to exit the building. So how about for you? What was your reaction when I contacted you about a top episode?

Speaker 4: 54:54

Well, first time I just want to insert something. I'm sure that, with all your love of stories, you've heard of the NPR program, the Moss. Yeah, I love that. Okay, so mine was. I was also just, you know, disbelief, a total disbelief, because I guess I've been measuring if I money and I invested way more money into my books than I have gotten. I mean, I have been broken into the black yet. And the second thing is I do, I guess, what I shouldn't do of how many people listen to their podcasts, how many people responded to that story? How many people responded to? Three of us started a Facebook group and we've gotten very little. What do you call it? Traction, Traction, right, and it's just like I don't know how to measure it. You know, I mean money doesn't. The vision of my money doesn't make me feel. It makes me feel like failure. Educate, you know, like doing it by response makes me feel like failure. So what the heck am I?

Speaker 4: 56:13

doing this for you know, it's kind of I don't know. I've been talking to God lately about this like I think you want me to do all this stuff. I use a lot of like failure every time I try something new, so I have to see the success and that's where I'm having trouble right now. This is seeing what the gift of being a writer, because to me. It's kind of I don't know how gifty it is. It's kind of like oh.

Speaker 1: 56:47

Well, I'm going to, I'm going to get really deep in the weeds here with you, but I think we often are taught a backwards way of thinking about success. You know, we think about money and notoriety and the truth is, you know, the reason almost everybody writes a book is because they have something to say that they know somebody needs to hear. And, quite frankly, ladies, you are here today because you said it, you did it, they listened.

Speaker 4: 57:21

You listened and it's your greatest gift you listened.

Speaker 1: 57:25

But I wasn't the only one listening. You guys wouldn't. I mean, I have, you know, over 80 videos up on my podcast. So to be in the top episodes for season one and for season two is a pretty elite group, so give yourself credit for that, that they are listening. The sales will come, the notoriety will come, the money will come, but there's nothing that can replace that moment. Then you realize they're hearing you and so they've heard you, they listened, and I want to thank you guys for being here and I wish you all the success in the world. We hope that you will come back as you have more books, of course. To remind you again, lori Brock she was episode number 33 for season one.

Speaker 1: 58:22

Colleen Vales, I'm just terrible with your yes, the back of the book, because it's hard, people. And so I'm going to go back to the book, and I'm going to go back to the book, and I'm going to go back to the book, and so I'm going to go back to the book, and so what I'm doing here on season two is talking about getting those reviews out there. They're really, really important. It's one of the few ways that authors and writers and so I'm going to go back to the book.