The Prize

Hello, and welcome to Lars Hedbor's blog tour. Lars is the author of the Prize a young adult novel about the Revolutionary War in Vermont. Lars, I teach history, so I'm definitely intending to read your book. Thank you so much for coming.

1.When did you realize that you were a “real” writer?

 

I think that I became a "real" writer at the first moment that one of my characters did something that I didn't expect.  It was something like watching Doctor Frankenstein's monster draw its first, shuddering breath, and from then on, I regard my job as being more of a coach than a creator.

Sometimes my characters listen, and do what I want; other times, they've got their own ideas, their own motivations.  Either way, my writing process then becomes a simple matter of recording what they do.

 

2.Why do you write?    It isn’t as easy as some people think.

 

My primary motivation is to inform in an entertaining manner.  If my readers come away with a deeper understanding of the real historical events I've fictionalized, if they've been motivated by the story and the characters, then I've done my job.

 

More fundamentally, I write because there are such wonderful stories to tell.  There are so many events that have shaped our history, but don't make it into the textbooks.  More importantly, all of the events in history were brought about by people like you and me, people who woke up in the morning and tried to make the best of the world they found themselves in.

 

Our forebears laughed, sang, wept and grieved, just as we do.  They had mundane chores to do, between the soaring moments when they rose above themselves to accomplish extraordinary deeds.  I write to remind my readers of this, both about the people in my books, and themselves.

 

3.What can readers expect when they read your books?

 

First of all, my readers can expect to meet folks who are, as we are, products of their time and circumstances.  They can expect to get caught up in the lives of these people, and to come to better understand them.  And, if they're not careful, my readers might wind up learning a bit here and there - how to catch geese with a shovel, or what it meant for the British to have unrestricted access to Lake Champlain during the Revolution.

 

They can expect, too, that I've done my research.  I once spent an entire evening making sure that the particular species of tree that I wanted to have silhouetted on a ridgeline could be found in the place and time where I was depicting it.  In order to achieve verisimilitude in my stories, I read everything from the diaries and letters of people who witnessed the events I'm writing to scholarly theses putting the events they lived into historical context.

 

4.What or who has been your most significant inspirations for your writing?

 

It may seem strange that as a writer of historical fiction, I am most inspired by the writing of the dean of science fiction, but Robert Heinlein's grasp of characters, and his focus on letting the people in your books tell the story, deeply inform my approach to writing.   In my own field, though, I'd be remiss in not mentioning the towering achievements of Patrick O'Brien and James Michener.  I'm not in their league, but I strive to emulate aspects of their work.

 

As for what inspires the subjects that I write about, that's the quiet, everyday heroism of everyday people as they faced challenges that they knew were too big for them, but stood up and took their best shot anyway.    It is simply breathtaking what we can accomplish when we decide that we're going to, regardless of our limitations.

 

5.What's next for you writing wise?

 

I am working on writing at least one novel for each of the colonies at the time of the American Revolution.  Of course, Vermont wasn't actually a colony - it was an independent republic - so you can see right away that there will be more than just the thirteen books. 

 

I'm working on the production tasks for a book about the Quakers in New Jersey, and I've got drafts completed telling the stories of some of the Iroquois of New York, and a tobacco farmer in South Carolina.  I'm currently wrapping up a novel about a sailor participating in the amazing Spanish-led campaign along the Gulf coast of the West Florida colony, and after that is a tale of science and adventure out of the Massachusetts colony.

 

As you may have guessed, my dance card as an author is quite full, and I deeply appreciate the opportunity to share with your visitors a little bit about my work.  I sincerely hope that they will give my first novel a read, and that they'll let me know what they think of it.  I also look forward to answering any questions your visitors might have for me.  Thanks again!

THE PRIZE

By

Lars D. H. Hedbor

 

BLURB:  

 

 

Caleb's father is serving with Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys as the long-anticipated open war against the British rages up and down the length of Lake Champlain. Between his duties on the family farm and constant worry about his father's safety, the young man's attentions are already fully occupied when a fateful encounter with an unlikely neighbor changes everything. Pulled into new intrigues and new friendships, Caleb finds himself on a path that changes his life - and which will affect the outcome of the whole war.

 

Excerpt

Caleb nodded and hesitated slightly before asking, "Da, how do you go about making a home with a wife. I mean, "—he blushed suddenly—" not everything, just … well, you might have noted that Lunette has a forceful way about her, not unlike Ma at some times. How do you keep peace with Ma, even when she is being stubborn?"

Elijah smiled and got a faraway look in his eyes for a moment before answering, "Well, Caleb, for a start, you have to value her opinions highly enough to hear her out, even if you should disagree. Of course, your word is final in the house, but 'tis a foolish man indeed who listens not to the intelligence of his helpmeet."

He nodded toward the house. "Your Lunette, she has a good head on her shoulders, and a strong spirit to accompany it. Pay her heed and be sure that she knows you have considered her point, even if you come to a different conclusion at some times."

Then he grinned, a twinkle in his eye. "Let her win more arguments than she loses. On matters that are of little import to you, look for the opportunity to grant her victories, that you may claim the advantage when you more ardently desire it. Lastly, always apologize sincerely for your disagreements, whether you prevail or yield. Don't be afraid to disagree, but make sure that she knows that you wish that it weren't so."

Caleb nodded thoughtfully. "I shall endeavor to hew as closely as I can to your advice, Da. Thank you for your wisdom."

REVIEW SOUND BYTES

 

"Wonderful! Lars Hedbor has magnificently captured the zeitgeist of Colonial Vermont! He seamlessly blends his tale with the events of the American Revolution in the Champlain Valley!" 

- Daniel O'Neil, Executive Director, Ethan Allen Homestead Museum

 

 

 

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

 

Lars D. H. Hedbor is an amateur historian, homebrewer, astronomer, fiddler, linguist and baker.  His fascination with the central question of how the populace of the American Colonies made the transition from being subjects of the Crown to being citizens of the Republic drives him to tell the stories of those people.  Hedbor resides in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and five daughters, and is hard at work on the next novel in the Tales From a Revolution series.

  

LINKS:

 

Web: http://LarsDHHedbor.com
Twitter: @LarsDHHedbor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lars.D.H.Hedbor

 

Lars is giving away a $25 gift certificate to either Barnes and Noble or Amazon so follow the tour and comment often.  You can find his schedule at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/03/virtual-book-tour-prize-by-lars-dh.html