Blue Bells of Scotland on GH Virtual Book Club
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the Gabriel's Horn Book Club on Zoom!
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We held our third meeting tonight with author Laura Vosika, talking about her debut novel Blue Bells of Scotland. Shawn Kleiner is a self-centered, arrogant musician in modern day America, indulging himself with wine and women--until his long-suffering girlfriend, Amy, finally has enough and abandons him in a medieval Scottish tower. He wakes up in the wrong century.
Without his fame and fortune, Shawn finds it's not so easy to get out of the scrapes his arrogance and condescension get him into. Men with swords and pitch forks don't care who he was--or will be in seven hundred years! And so, he is forced to come face to face with who he's become and how it's affected those around him.
Shawn is a man you love to hate--and yet end up cheering for as he does face himself, his choices, and who he really wants to be. It's a story told with humor and great attention to historical detail as we step into the world of Scotland, 1314, with the might of England about to descend on the Scots at Bannockburn, 20,000 against 5,000, and Shawn in the middle of it.
Meanwhile, Niall Campbell, medieval Highland warrior, has been sucked into Shawn's time, mistaken for Shawn, and is desperately seeking a way back across time to save his people at a battle--so history tells him--that wiped out the Scots.
Shawn is a man you love to hate--and yet end up cheering for as he does face himself, his choices, and who he really wants to be. It's a story told with humor and great attention to historical detail as we step into the world of Scotland, 1314, with the might of England about to descend on the Scots at Bannockburn, 20,000 against 5,000, and Shawn in the middle of it.
Meanwhile, Niall Campbell, medieval Highland warrior, has been sucked into Shawn's time, mistaken for Shawn, and is desperately seeking a way back across time to save his people at a battle--so history tells him--that wiped out the Scots.
We had a great group: Becky, Lisa, Genny, Judy, Shawn, John, JoNell and Mary, and of course, Laura. It was fun to talk with people from Minnesota, Nebraska, Vermont, and Washington, and to see old friends!
We talked about how the idea of two men switching places in time came about, why the author chose the Battle of Bannockburn, and the detailed research that goes into such a book, from cannons to cooking to buttons, to barely missing Prince Andrew and taking a tour of every nook and cranny of Eden Court in Scotland where Shawn's orchestra plays, to climbing the hills that in places look much today as they did in 1314.
In our discussion about weaving music into the story, Lisa asked about the research that goes into medieval instruments. Laura showed us a sackbut she currently has on loan from a friend and played a little bit on it, pointing out the difference between this and a modern trombone. We also got a look at two modern harps that would have been much what Niall knew in the 1300s, with an explanation of why the modern pedal harp was so different from what he knew.
In our discussion about weaving music into the story, Lisa asked about the research that goes into medieval instruments. Laura showed us a sackbut she currently has on loan from a friend and played a little bit on it, pointing out the difference between this and a modern trombone. We also got a look at two modern harps that would have been much what Niall knew in the 1300s, with an explanation of why the modern pedal harp was so different from what he knew.
Blue Bells of Scotland was Laura's first published novel, released in 2009, and followed by the rest of the story in The Minstrel Boy, The Water is Wide, Westering Home, and The Battle is O'er.
Coming next Monday, April 27, 2020, 7 pm CST is Bob Miller's first novel, the Smart Kid, a thriller about a corporate giant playing with bio-engineering and the 'kid' caught in the middle of it..
Coming next Monday, April 27, 2020, 7 pm CST is Bob Miller's first novel, the Smart Kid, a thriller about a corporate giant playing with bio-engineering and the 'kid' caught in the middle of it..
Our weekly book club is held on Zoom and is free and open to the public. You can attend if you've read the book of the week or even if you're interested in reading the book of the week. Heck, you can join if you're just looking for something to do Monday evening! Most weeks, the author will be present.
Our meeting schedule is listed on the GABRIEL'S HOR FACEBOOK EVENTS page. Individual events give the links to join the meeting. You can also find the information, including the links at the GABRIEL'S HORN BOOK CLUB page.
Look for our past and upcoming book club selections. Grab them early and read ahead!
April 13, 2020: Without Words, by Lisa Gurine
April 20, 2020: Blue Bells of Scotland, by Laura Vosika
April 27, 2020: The Smart Kid, by Bob Miller
May 4, 2020: The Feet Say Run, by Dan Blum
May 11, 2020: See That House, by Judith Granahan
May 18, 2020: Daughter # 5: Baby of the Family, by Genny Kieley.
June 1, 2020: My Gypsy War Diary, by Shawn D. Brink
June 8, 2020: A Dream of Dragons, by Lauretta & Michael Kehoe
May 18, 2020: Daughter # 5: Baby of the Family, by Genny Kieley.
June 1, 2020: My Gypsy War Diary, by Shawn D. Brink
June 8, 2020: A Dream of Dragons, by Lauretta & Michael Kehoe
The Battle is O'er is now available!
Start from the beginning: Prelude One
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PTL Perrin's Terra's Anthem
Meeting Margaret: the Conclusion
Ross Tarry Mysteries
PTL Perrin's Terra's Anthem
Meeting Margaret: the Conclusion
Ross Tarry Mysteries
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