Readaholic Review
🔗 http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/2009/11/review-giveaway-blue-bells-of-scotland.html
Story Behind The Book
Blue Bells of Scotland, because it involves time travel and historic Scotland, is compared by many readers to Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I love her work, but only started reading it a year after I started writing Blue Bells of Scotland. The true genesis is the children's novel from the 70's, In the Keep of Time, by Margaret Anderson, a wonderful story about four siblings who go into a Scottish keep and come out into medieval Scotland. Blue Bells of Scotland, however, is also influenced heavily by my background as a musician. Like my characters, I play trombone and harp, and the title itself comes from a piece well-known to all trombonists. My research into the lyrics of the old folk song led me to the Battle of Bannockburn, and things grew from there.
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Reviews
<strong><font size="5" face="Times">"</font></strong><font size="4" face="Arial"><em>BLUE BELLS OF SCOTLAND is an entertaining, sometimes humorous, sometimes sad story, about two men propelled into adverse situations, which will forever alter their lives. Laura Vosika is a storyteller with a propensity for lots of details which truly makes this story vivid and believable. She skilfully weaves plenty of tension into the tale as the reader explores Scottish history. The main characters not only travel through time, but they find themselves on a journey of self-discovery. As such, they evolve and change in a touching, sometimes heart-wrenching manner. It is this, along with a richness of detail, that makes this story larger than life. BLUE BELLS OF SCOTLAND, is the first instalment of a three book series. For lovers of time travel, medieval, or Scottish history, this story has it all."</em></font> <div><font size="4" face="Arial"><em></em></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial"><em>~ Mirella Patzer ~ </em></font></div> <div align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial"><em>author of Bloodstone Castle and Heinrich the Fowler</em></font></div> <div align="center"><a href="http://historicalnovelreview.blogspot.com/2009/11/blue-bells-of-scotland-by-laura-vosika.html"><font color="#98ff85">The Historical Novel Review</font></a></div> <div><font color="#98ff85"></font> </div> <div><font color="#98ff85"></font> </div> <div align="center">~</div> <div align="center"> </div> <div><font size="5" face="Times"><font size="3" face="Arial">"</font><em><font size="3" face="Arial">I approached this book with a mix of excitement and trepidation. I love time travel books, but Blue Bells of Scotland is such a challenging mix of medieval and modern culture, with two heroes that seem shockingly different at first, music, romance and warfare. There's a lot going on in this story and I wondered whether the author could pull all these threads together into such a complicated tapestry. I need not have worried, Ms. Vosika wove all these aspects and more together in a very masterful way that drew me in and kept me spellbound. The characters of Shawn and Niall, while appearing very different at first, gradually come to resemble brothers born seven hundred years apart. I planned this as a leisurely read, but by the time I was halfway through, I kept racing on to the very end. In fact I could hardly put it down. Read this book!"</font></em></font></div> <div><em></em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font face="Arial"><font size="3"><em>~</em> Thea Nilsson,<em> author A Shunned Man~</em></font></font></div> <div align="center"><em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font></em> </div> <div align="center"><em><font size="3" face="Arial"> ~</font></em></div> <div align="center"><em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font></em> </div> <div align="center"><em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font></em> <font size="4" face="Arial">"Absolutely brilliant!"</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial">~ <a href="http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/2009/11/review-giveaway-blue-bells-of-scotland.html"><font color="#98ff85">Bridget at Readaholic</font></a> ~</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial">~</font></div> <p><font size="3"><span><span class="reviewText"><em>Loved it! Original & intelligently written. Towards the end, I could not turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened. The end was definitely not what I expected. I can't wait until the next in the series comes out! I will be the first in line to get it. Thanks Laura Vosika for sharing your engaging story. Keep tapping those keys on the keyboard...carry on!</em></span></span></font></p> <div align="center"><font size="3"><span><span class="reviewText"></span></span></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="3"><span><span class="reviewText">~Dorsi Miller~</span></span></font></div> <div align="center"><em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font></em> </div> <div align="center"><em><font size="3" face="Arial">~</font></em></div> <div align="center"><em><font size="3"></font></em><font size="4" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><span><span class="reviewText"><font size="4" face="Arial">Absolutely fantastic book. I really well done time travel. Loved it!!</font></span></span></div> <div align="center"><span><span class="reviewText"></span></span><font size="4" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><span><span class="reviewText"><font size="4" face="Arial">~ Goodreads.com reader ~</font></span></span></div> <div align="center"><em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font></em> ~</div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"><font face="Arial"><font size="3"><em>Blue Bells of Scotland is the best time travel book I have ever read. I liked it better than Time Machine by H.G. Wells. Fantastic descriptive detail and a sweet love story are combined beautifully. I eagerly await the next one.</em> </font></font></div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial">~ Amazon Reviewer~</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial">~</font></div> <div><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div><font size="3" face="Arial"> </font><span class="reviewText"><em><font size="3" face="Arial">"What if you could swap your life with someone in years long past? It's one of those questions I ask myself a lot. This book explores the possibilities of time travel and changing personalities. <br /><br />Shawn Kleiner has it all, including a shallow, self serving personality to boot. Niall Campbell is Shawn's twin from the past - everything that makes a man a man - the complete opposite of Shawn. When circumstances cause them to trade places in time and history - we see one man remain loyal to himself and one man change dramatically. <br /><br />This book puts you right there, next to both men. Whether at the symphony or in battle, Ms. Vosika spins the web so well you are a part of all the action. If you love history, if you love romance, if you love music and if you like the believable unbelievable...this book is for you. I started it and couldn't put it down until I closed the cover on an ending I never expected. <br /><br />Three cheers for Blue Bells of Scotland. Cannot wait to read the next volume of this trilogy."</font></em></span></div> <div><span class="reviewText"><em></em></span><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><span class="reviewText"><font face="Arial"><font size="3">-- Kat Yares, author of <em>Kat's Tales: Journeys into the Velvet Darkness</em></font></font></span></div> <div align="center"><span class="reviewText"><em></em></span><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><span class="reviewText"><em><font size="3" face="Arial">~</font></em></span></div> <div><em></em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div><em></em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial"><font size="3"><em>"Blue Bells Of Scotland is some of the best writing it has been my pleasure to read in some time. At first I was beginning to wonder where it was going. The more I read the less I cared where it was going because Ms Vosika kept me wrapped up in what was happening every moment. Each switch from medieval to modern times was so smooth and integrated that places and characters all felt perfectly natural and plausible. To meld two individuals diametrically opposite in morals and attitudes, alike only in personal appearance into each others cultures and customs separated by seven centurys is a daunting challenge. The author handled it skillfully enough that the reader feels involved and apprehensive. A throughly enjoyable read."</em> </font></font></div> <div align="center"><br /><font size="3" face="Arial">--J.R.Jackson author of <em>The ancient Mariner Tells All, Reilley's Sting, and Reilley's War</em> </font></div> <div><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial">~</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div><font size="3" face="Arial"><em>"Laura has done an incredible job researching Scotland in the time period and relating the characters to present and historic time to tell a very exciting tale."</em></font></div> <div align="center"><em></em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font face="Arial"><font size="3"> <em>---</em> Ross Tarry, author of<em> Of Mourning Doves and Heroes, Cardinal Red</em> and<em> Last Cry of the Whippoorwill</em></font></font></div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial">~</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><em><font size="3" face="Arial">"Vosika is a master at creating engaging characters like Niall Campbell, a new hero from medieval Scotland, and Shawn Kleiner, a womanizing modern musician. The fun is in watching the story unfold, with a riveting plot, a well-drawn cast, and the beautiful imagery of Scotland."</font></em></div> <div align="center"><em></em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font face="Arial"><font size="3"> <em>--- </em>Genny Zak Kieley, author of <em>Hot Pants and Green Stamps: Growing Up in the 50's and 60's</em></font></font></div> <div align="center"><em></em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial"> ~</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial">"I always love books about time travel, but this book is so much more. The characters come to life in your heart and mind and as they grow and change, their victories seem just like your own."</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial">~Jeryl Struble, singer/songwriter, Journey to Joy~</font></div> <div style="line-height:100%;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><em></em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div style="line-height:100%;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><em><font size="3" face="Arial">~</font></em></div> <div style="line-height:100%;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><em><font size="3" face="Arial"></font></em> </div> <div style="line-height:100%;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><em><font size="3" face="Arial">"Laura Vosika's new novel is fast-paced, well-written, and witty, with an intriguing time travel twist that sends two look-alike men-- present day Shawn, acclaimed musician, manipulator, and womanizer, back to 14th Century Scotland right before the ill-fated historical Battle of Bannockburn; and Niall-- honorable, battle-prepared warrior-- to fill each other's shoes. Captivating!"</font></em></div> <p style="line-height:100%;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Arial"></font> </p> <div style="line-height:100%;font-style:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="3" face="Arial">--Stephanie Derhak, author of <em>White Pine Treasures</em>, a turn of the century Minnesota lumbercamp romance novel.</font></div> <div style="line-height:100%;font-style:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div style="line-height:100%;font-style:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="3" face="Arial">~</font></div> <div style="line-height:100%;font-style:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div style="line-height:100%;font-style:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="3" face="Arial"><em>"One of the most intriguing stories of Scottish history I have ever read. The characters came alive, and through their experiences of love, loss, hope, and redemption, I learned there is a bit of good in everyone. The time travel adventure combined with historical perspective were riveting. I eagerly await the sequels that are to come."</em></font></div> <div style="line-height:100%;font-style:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font> </div> <div style="line-height:100%;font-style:normal;margin-bottom:0in;" lang="en-us" align="center" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="3" face="Arial">-- Pamela Borum, Minneapolis, MN</font></div>