Laura Vosika
Laura Vosika is a writer, poet, musician, podcast host, and mother of 10. Her time travel series, The Blue Bells Chronicles, which ranges across modern and medieval Scotland, has garnered praise for its historical accuracy and the very real personalities inhabiting its pages, along with comparisons to writers as diverse as Diana Gabaldon and Dostoevsky. Her poetry has been published in The Moccasin and The Martin Lake Journal 2017.
Laura has been featured in newspapers, on radio, and TV, has spoken for regional book events, and hosts the popular podcast Books and Brews. As a musician, Laura has performed as on trombone, flute, and harp, in orchestras, and big bands. She lives in the north woods of Minnesota with her husband and their small and dainty Irish Wolfhound.
Instagram: @Laura_Vosika
What period of history do you wish you knew more about?
I know quite a lot about medieval Scotland from about 1285 to 1324, since my books are set there—which means I’ve touched quite a lot on medieval England and a bit on medieval France and Scandinavia. I’ve been learning more about Rome and the middle East of the years 221-220 for another book I’ve been working on with Kendall Price. So I would like to know more about that time, and I’d love to dig deeper into the era between the early 1300s and early 1500s in Western Europe. I’d also like to write a novel set during World War II.
Is your go to comfort food sweet or savory? Is it something you make yourself? Does food inspire your writing?
I love seafood of any sort: Shrimp, scallops, salmon, mussels, calamari, sushi, whitefish, ahi tuna! But I rarely cook. My husband loves to cook, which works well since I’d rather continue writing, anyway. He makes great meals, very tasty!
Whether food inspires my writing is a yes and no question. The original Blue Bells series, no. But I had a publicist who noted how often food is talked about and described in the story and suggested I put together a book of recipes of the food talked about over the course of the books. The result is Food and Feast in the World of the Blue Bells Chronicles: a gastronomic historic poetic musical romp in thyme was entirely inspired by food!
Is there another profession you would like to try?
I’ve wanted to do three things in life: write novels, play music, and work with dolphins. I’ve done the first two. If I had another lifetime, I would want to work with dolphins. My husband and I actually briefly discussed moving to a place where I could at least volunteer at an aquarium.
Do you have another artistic outlet in addition to your writing? Do you sew? Paint? Draw? Knit? Dance?
I’m a musician. After getting kicked out of organ lessons (which was very much to my liking!) I took up trombone, then bought and taught myself a new instrument almost every year. I majored in music, played semi-professionally for quite a few years, directed a school band for five, and taught music lessons for 32 years.
What brings you great joy?
My children. I have seven sons, two daughters, a step-daughter, daughters- and son-in-law, and three grandchildren. I love nothing more than when they’re visiting and I especially love having very young children around again!
