Please welcome Chris Solaas to my blog. Hello Chris! It’s a chilly Sunday out there!

1. Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.

Chris: Hi, I’m Chris Solaas, a senior programmer analyst for a manufacturing company in Memphis. I’m a dad of 4 ADHD kids (2 with ASD) and on the high side of 60 now. I’ve written over 25 books now, and about 300 songs. I’ve been a lay worker in Children’s Ministry, 30 years with the Boy Scouts, 25 years with Awana. My wife and I have a traveling puppet show called Rexx and Jester, where we showcase two characters from my novels and sing songs, tell jokes, and give messages of lasting value.

2. Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?

I’m the youngest of 4, so my big sister played school and taught me to read at 4. Probably because I nagged her to read Dr. Seuss so much. By 6 I was reading books like Nancy Drew, and loved the stories. But I got hold of scifi books my brother had, and loved them, and wrote my own stories at 8, which my mom lovingly typed and bound with cardboard and contact paper. I’d always wanted to be a SFF novelist, and while in scouts they offer a ‘careers day’ to the Eagles in the council. They asked us what we wanted to be, and I said a SFF novelist. They hooked me up with Dan Henderson, a columnist for the Commercial Appeal, who took me to the paper and showed me what he did for a living. He encouraged me to keep at it, but I did not. Life happened. I grew up, and got married, had kids, and got busy in scouts as an adult leader.

But one day, one of my Eagle Scouts came up to me and asked, “Mr. Solaas, wouldn’t you like to actually WRITE a novel instead of just TALKING about it?” He shamed me into it, you could say. He was the area coordinator for NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org) which is a worldwide event every November where you take 30 days to write a 50k book. By the end of that first Nanowrimo, I had a 120k book I read to my kids, Of Secrets and Sorcery (www.amazon.com/dp/B00O98R38Q ). They demanded a sequel, and then another, and… the rest is history.

3. How difficult was it writing your first book?

I asked Colin (the Eagle scout) how much I could write ahead of time, and he said none of it. I had to wait until Nov 1 to write the first word. Then I asked if I could outline, in Excel, write character descriptions, scene descriptions, and a chapter-by-chapter outline, and he said ok. This allowed me on day one to paste this into a word document and get the gist of what each chapter needed to contain. After that, the story just flowed. It wasn’t difficult to write, actually. I’d had a recurring dream of a boy who could have anything he wished for, and some wanted to use his power for their own, while others wanted him dead. Adding wizards, dragons, fairies, goblins, and a solid plot was like candy to me. I loved the Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia.

4. Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?

Well, yes. Writing is a compelling drive, but as anyone who has written a novel can tell you, getting published is another matter entirely. I wrote my first novel in 2008, and by 2013 I had written 6 books (2 series). I picked up a copy of Writers Digest and the Christian Writer’s Guide and started contacting publishers, agents, editors, anybody who MIGHT have an interest in Christian Fantasy or Scifi… and had no luck at all getting them published. I learned later Robert Silverberg wallpapered his office with rejection letters. I was about done after the 10 I got. Those were the ones who took time to respond. There were many others that never replied at all.

What stopped me was CreateSpace, now known as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. (KDP). For little to no investment I was able to upload and publish all of my books. I’ve waited until now, 10 years later, to begin really marketing them, and in the meantime have honed my craft and cranked out about 20 more.

5. Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?

I’d have to say my wife. That first November, she hardly saw me. And periodically it’s been hard for her, having an on-again-off-again husband, coupled with Mr. Toad when I’m writing books, recording audiobooks or songs, etc. But through the entire process, she’s had invaluable input, been my editor and fan, and now the puppeteer of Jester, who is always quick with a prank, joke, or song. She comes to all my book releases, writer events, and the like.

6. Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

I want to say that if you are a reader, and have access to do so, rate the book you read. Better yet, leave a review. It not only helps the writer, it helps other readers find a good book. Especially if you enjoyed it. Be kind, but be honest.

If you are a writer, keep at it! DON’T QUIT! Edit your work, read it aloud to yourself, hone your craft, and don’t lose your voice. It’s easy enough to publish now, but publish your best, because it will be out there for everyone to read.

7. What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?

Surrender. My brother gave me this advice when he came back from the Marine Corps a different person. Surrender to the God of this Universe. Because He loves you with an everlasting love. It was because of my brother’s changed life that I came to faith, and I’ve never looked back.

8. What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?

The answer is, that depends.

For Teens:

I’ve written 2 4-book series of Christian Fantasy (A Prince of Lynvia) and SciFi (Doors of Destiny) and these are geared to YA who are looking for a clean read in those genres.

For Young Readers through Middle Grade:

I’m writing a chapter book series based on 2 characters in the Doors of Destiny series, named Rexx and Jester. This is a backstory series with 3 books published and a fourth about to be released.

For Advent, I have a coloringbook, and two full-color short books (one an ABC book) for the shortest of Christmas fans. The content of the Advent Story Christmas at Grams is found on an interactive Advent Calendar website, www.AdventStory.com

For Families:

I’ve written 2 365-day devotionals (3-6-5 Devos) that are geared to family devotions or adults looking for a way to supercharge their year.

I’ve written an Advent Story, Christmas at Gram’s for family devotions over Christmas, complete with a read-aloud, coloring book and full color easy reader version.

For Schools and Homeschools:

I’ve written a YA Time Travel Historical Fiction book (Clumsy Stumblefoot Trips Through Time with Magellan) with companion workbook, for a homeschool or classroom setting as a DEEP dive into that voyage.

For adults or older teens:

I have a deep dive into Leviticus that is actually an adventure story of Nicodemus fleeing from Saul (Unpacking Leviticus: The Third Night Journey of Nicodemus).

For Families with Special Needs:

I’ve written 2 hilarious nonfiction self-help books on ADHD (Life in HyperSpace)and Autism (Through the Wormhole) about my homelife with our crazy family, each chapter containing help and advice for families dealing with these challenges.

9. Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?

The covers of my Lynvia and Doors of Destiny books were designed by my daughter. They were published that way, and there are printed copies about with those covers, but the Lynvia series has gotten a makeover by GetCovers, who did an excellent job. The Doors of Destiny books will retain my daughter’s artwork, as they are exactly what I wanted and well-done.

10. What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?

I’m getting ready to release the 4^th book in my Rexx and Jester series. Here’s an excerpt from one exciting chapter:

Herrin led us up a mountain trail the following morning. For all his talk of killer robots, too many to be truly counted, he was brave enough.

I sailed through the sky, keeping a lookout for any birds that might or might not be from Haven. And keeping a sharp lookout for any killer robots, too.

Strapped to their backs, under black cloaks, were the two massive copper shields the blacksmith in Spokane had forged. Large enough to protect Rexx from the top of his head to his knees, and enough to protect Herrin from the ground up.

How the one legged, one armed one eyed mountain climber managed to stay on the pony he was riding was beyond me. But since the man didn’t fall off, it was good enough for me.

Little Bit rode in front of Rexx on Faithful. The red-headed giant rode back the way he’d come, taking news of this much larger army to King Bariat in Fargon. Since Rexx had the Seeing Eye, the king would get some advance notice of the invasion, or hopefully our success in stopping it. But Ai hoped to give him some idea of the secret weakness of the robots we were up against. The king might fight, with that information. Or he might run, with all his citizens.

Frankly, Rexx was adamant about going up there and destroying these robots, but I was with the mayor of Spokane on this one. The best advice Rexx had received was to run. But I knew he wouldn’t do that. He was probably just going to go up to the front door of the factory and knock.

Herrin led them high above Nereth and into a canyon just below the snow line of the mountain. I landed on a rocky outcropping far above them, tilted my head and zoomed in to stare intently at the two horses proceeding into the shadow of the mountain.

Switching to infra-red, I watched the four red figures moving. Little Bit did not show up in the infrared lens. It appeared robots were not hot enough to trigger the sensor.

As I watched, however, the figures in my vision separated. The two large creatures, probably the horses, started running rapidly for the mouth of the canyon behind me. The two smaller ones, Rexx and Herrin, appeared to lie on the ground and crawl toward a cave near the end of the canyon ahead.

I flew down into the shadows for a closer look, and switched to night vision as the shadows deepened considerably.

I landed in the lower branches of a pine tree and stared hard. Rexx and Herrin were on their bellies crawling slowly toward a large metal door at the canyon wall. The black cloaks on the copper shields made them almost impossible to see. Especially down in a wide crack in the rock.

I wondered what would cause them to behave so strangely, until I saw a strange flying robot with one huge eye and two claw-like arms coming off it, floating above the door.

The blue eye of the robot turned red, and I heard, in my head, some rattled commands coming from the ‘Flying Eye’.

R28137 and R28192, get out here. We have suspicious movement near the west entrance.

A response came back immediately. What does it look like?

Like suspicious movement! Giant black bugs crawling on the ground. May be some sort of giant beetle.

You’re seeing things, FE3233.

I’m ALWAYS seeing things, you numbskull. It’s why I’ve got this big EYE. Now get out here and deal with it before I have to direct report you.

You wouldn’t.

Try me.

We’re on our way. Moments later two beefy robots came out of the door.

I heard a familiar voice in my mind. Jester. The message was on a private channel. I looked around carefully and saw Little Bit hiding behind a rocky outcropping.

What’s going on, Little Bit? It looks like they’re TRYING to get caught!

11. Any last words before we wrap things up?

I really appreciate the opportunity to talk. I find it amazing and humbling how things have turned out on this writing journey. It’s thrilling to watch God at work and join him in the journey, and this has been the journey of a lifetime.

BIO

Chris Solaas was born in Memphis, TN a half-century ago, the fourth child in a happy Norwegian/Italian family. He began writing stories at the tender age of 8. He was sure he was going to be a science fiction/fantasy novelist.

He graduated from the University of Memphis in Electrical Engineering, and began a career in Computer Programming. Things don’t always work out the way you plan…

He still lives in the Greater Memphis area with a wonderful wife, four ADHD children, and a bi-eyed snow-white monster dog that eats trees.

Somewhere in this mess, God took hold of him and shook him. Sort of like a terrier with a rat. Or a dad with His son. “What are you doing with the time and talent I gave you?”

“Uhhh… nuffin!” he said brightly.

Since then, he’s been making up for lost time, writing songs and books for the glory of the King.

His passion is writing entertaining fantasy and Science Fiction stories with a Christian Worldview for kids like his four greatest fans.

Nowadays you might find him putting on a puppet show with Rexx and Jester at a local library, church or school, or flying through a time warp with Clumsy Stumblefoot. Or riding on the back of Kass, the mighty dragon. Only time and imagination can tell.

You can visit his Author Website for news, contact information, and other cool stuff at www.lynvia.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WritesAboutDragons

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lynvia

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11983333.Chris_Solaas

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chris-Solaas/author/B00OPMFE1Y?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-solaas-11b297a6/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/chrissolaas/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR9eH4OS3EugGkVfetE5g-Q

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/writesaboutdragons

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guitardadof4/

Music: https://www.soundclick.com/buriedtalentsband

More Music: https://www.soundclick.com/chrissolaasbooksongs

The book I’m currently promoting is

Of Secrets and Sorcery

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O98R38Q

Middle School is the least of Kyne Goodrum’s problems. That is, it would be if he could take his dragon along.

When Kyne moves to a sleepy little town in Tennessee, he has no idea the house his family is moving into is ‘haunted’. He begins having dreams of a world where dragons live, where magic really works, and for some inexplicable reason, everyone he meets is trying to kill him! He spends each day dealing with bullies and burned-out teachers, and each night running for his life. When’s a guy gonna get some sleep?

His only friend is a sarcastic dragon who seems to know much more than he’s saying.

Book Title: London Tales

Series: Short Stories, Book Two 

Author: Tim Walker

Publication Date: 8th November 2023

Publisher: Independently published

Page Length: 203

Genres: short stories; historical fiction; contemporary fiction; dystopian

Twitter handle: @timwalker1666 @cathiedunn

Instagram handle: @timwalker1666 @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #ShortStories #HistoricalFiction #London #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Blog Tour Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/10/blog-tour-london-tales-by-tim-walker.html

Book Title & Author:

London Tales

by Tim Walker

Blurb:

This collection of eleven tales offers dramatic pinpricks in the rich tapestry of London’s timeline, a city with two thousand years of history. They are glimpses of imagined lives at key moments, starting with a prologue in verse from the point of view of a native Briton tribeswoman absorbing the shock of Roman invasion. The first story is a tense historical adventure set in Roman Londinium in 60 CE from the perspective of terrified legionaries and townsfolk facing the vengeful Iceni queen, Boudica, whose army burnt the fledgling city to the ground.

Further historical dramas take place in 1381 during the Peasant’s Revolt, the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the last ice fair on the frozen Thames in 1814. These are followed by a romance set during the Blitz in 1941, then the swinging Sixties and wide-flared seventies are remembered in the life story of fictional policeman, Brian Smith. Moving on, an East End family get a fright from copycat killings that are a throwback to the 1888 Jack the Ripper murders.

There’s a series of contemporary stories that reference recent events, including the London terrorist bombings of 2005, a literary pub crawl and a daring prison break, building to the imagined death throes of London in a chilling, dystopian vision. These stories are loosely inspired by the author’s personal experiences and reflections on his time living and working in London in the 1980’s and 90’s. Adaptability, resilience, conformity and resolve are recurring themes.

London Tales evokes the city’s rich history and the qualities that were needed by Londoners at various times to survive and prosper – from the base and brutal, devious and inspired, to the refined and civilized.

Available from Amazon in e-book, paperback, Kindle Unlimited and audiobook formats, London Tales is a companion volume to Thames Valley Tales.

Book cover designed by Sean McClean, shows elements from stories.

Buy Link: 

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal link: http://mybook.to/LondonTales

Author Bio:

Tim Walker is an independent author living near Windsor in the UK. Although born in Hong Kong in the sixties, he grew up in Liverpool where he began his working life as a trainee reporter on a local newspaper. After attaining a degree in Communication Studies he moved to London where he worked in the newspaper publishing industry for ten years before relocating to Zambia where, following a period of voluntary work with VSO, he set up his own marketing and publishing business. He returned to the UK in 2009.

His creative writing journey began in earnest in 2013, as a therapeutic activity whilst recovering from cancer treatment. He began writing an historical fiction series, A Light in the Dark Ages, in 2014, inspired by a visit to the part-excavated site of former Roman town Calleva Atrebatum at Silchester in Hampshire. The series connects the end of Roman Britain to elements of the Arthurian legend and is inspired by historical source material, presenting an imagined historical fiction of Britain in the fifth and early sixth centuries.

The last book in the series, Arthur, Rex Brittonum, was published in June 2020. This is a re-imagining of the story of King Arthur and follows on from 2019’s Arthur Dux Bellorum. Both titles are Coffee Pot Book Club recommended reads. The series starts with Abandoned (second edition, 2018); followed by Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017); and book three, Uther’s Destiny (2018). Series book covers are designed by Canadian graphic artist, Cathy Walker.

Tim has also written two books of short stories, Thames Valley Tales (second edition 2023), London Tales (2023); a book of verse, Perverse (2020); a dystopian thriller, Devil Gate Dawn (2016); and three children’s books, co-authored with his daughter, Cathy – The Adventures of Charly Holmes (2017), Charly & the Superheroes (2018) and Charly in Space(2020).

Tim took early retirement on medical grounds and now divides his time between writing and helping out at a Berkshire-based charity, Men’s Matters.

Find out more about the author at his website: www.timwalker1666.wixsite.com/website

Author Links:

Goodreads Author Page: https://goodreads.com/author/show/678710.Tim_Walker  

Amazon Author Page: http://author.to/TimWalkerWrites

Facebook Pages:         https://facebook.com/TimWalkerWrites

https://facebook.com/LondonPostcards

Twitter:                       https://twitter.com/timwalker1666

Instagram:                   https://instagram.com/timwalker1666  

Extract – A Summer’s Disquiet

In 1381 and survivors of the Black Death were angered by the announcement of a direct tax on their earnings, leading to a march on London. In this extract, Mayor of London, William Walworth, dutifully follows his king to the open field of Smithfield for talks with the Peasant’s Revolt leaders…

“Our young king and his giddy age mates are full of excitement, as if it were a tournament we are going to,” Walworth whispered to his friend, Brembre, riding next to him. They were behind the royal party in a long parade that had been cautiously cheered by a modest turnout of loyal townsfolk as it wound its way from the Tower through London’s streets, past churches of stone but in the main lined with wood and thatch dwellings. Evidence of rioting could not be ignored with smoke trails rising from the embers of split timbers and broken furniture strewn before a smattering of ransacked houses.

“You’ve done well, Sir William, in guiding our king to meet the rebels at Smithfield where, despite their greater numbers, they shall see the king, his nobles and his knights arrayed in their armour and fine livery.” A day earlier, the grateful king had knighted Walworth, Brembre, Philipot and Launde for their forthright advice and bravery in facing up to the rebels at the first meeting. Their growing influence at court as trusted advisers to the king would ensure more favours, once this matter was resolved.

The former fishmonger smiled as he rolled in his saddle, uncomfortable due to the body armour fitted beneath his finely woven blue garment belted at the waist by a thick leather belt from which hung sword and dagger in ornate scabbards. The chain of office of Mayor of London also weighed heavily around Walworth’s thick neck. “It’s the most open space within the city and should it come to a charge by heavy horse, the mob will be scattered, regardless of its size. We have mustered a mere three hundred mounted soldiers and nobles, but that is enough to command one side of the ground.”

The royal cavalcade lined up along one side of the open, square space, a well-known meeting point for fairs, markets and holiday tournaments of jousting and other entertainments. It was the site of cattle, sheep and horse markets – a place where livestock was slaughtered and traitors executed. But on this day, Saturday, 15^th June 1381, King Richard was now summoning his subjects to meet with him, thus gaining the upper hand and asserting his position as their ruler. The royal party took their place in the middle of the line, flanked on either side by determined armour-clad soldiers carrying lances. Behind them stood a line of archers.

The rebel army had been emboldened by the king’s timid showing the day before, where he had meekly agreed to action their reforms and, rather foolishly, gave his blessing to ‘traitors’, those enemies of Wat Tyler and Jack Straw, being hunted down by the mob. Now, after a full day of looting and murder, fully three thousand commoners filed onto the green field of Smithfield and faced their king and his soldiers. To their front sat Tyler, Straw and Ball mounted on ponies.

King Richard stood in his stirrups and called Walworth to him. “Tell their leaders to come forth and meet me, Sir William,” he announced.

The Author’s Note:

A Summer’s Disquiet is a dramatization of the real events of the Peasant’s Revolt in the summer of 1381. The framework for this story of two men who are set on a bloody collision course is inspired by a truly gripping historical account by Dan Jones in his book, Summer of Blood. My story centres on the characters of rebellion leader, Wat Tyler, and his antagonist, the Lord Mayor of London, Sir William Walworth. In fact, all the main characters are historical figures, and King Richard II was 14 years old at the time, lauded by historians for his bravery in agreeing to meet with the rebellion leaders. Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales, was living in rooms above the Aldgate at the time of the revolt.

Their lives, careers and fates became intertwined as truly remarkable events were played out in June 1381. The eventual dispersal of the rebel army by King Richard and his supporters was not the end, as retribution followed as ringleaders of the uprisings were hunted down and executed in the weeks and months after the rebellion almost succeeded in toppling the monarch and seizing London. None of their demands were actioned.

As Richard’s reign progressed, he became more of a tyrant, exiling or executing anyone who crossed him. Perhaps the near catastrophe of the Peasant’s Revolt had made him feel insecure and fed a growing paranoia? He made the mistake of disinheriting and exiling his popular and charismatic cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt and heir to the House of Lancaster. Henry returned to England with an army in 1399 and deposed Richard, becoming King Henry IV. Richard was not seen again and some historians believe he was imprisoned and starved to death.