Lynn Lawler's Creative Artists' Blog

Good Afternoon Everyone and welcome. First I’d like to congratulate Brenda Garner for winning a copy of my ebook, Enticed by Love.

Today we have Author Fiona Lehn to share. She is a multitalented artist who also creates and plays music. Her new book, Transformation Junkies debuted in January.

Hello, readers, writers, and casual onlookers!

I’m coming at you from the Okanagan Valley, a beautiful wine, fruit, and lake region in British Columbia, Canada. I hope you are all doing as well as can be. Thank you for joining me here, and big thanks to Lynn Lawler for inviting me to introduce myself to you.

Nutshell background, I grew up in a vast agricultural region and began writing punny science fiction stories with green aliens in them around age seven. I was also very into Nancy Drew. I read everything I could get my hands on and made up songs and stories whenever my nose wasn’t stuck in a book. In my twenties I wrote mostly speculative fiction that explored gender roles and women’s lives–stuff I thought nobody would publish because I had read so few speculative stories with women as the main characters, so I shied away from submitting my work to publishers. I wrote songs too, which I recorded and performed all over–probably in a coffeehouse or at a festival near you!

Like most artists, I had a lot of day jobs over the years–teaching high school and at-risk kids and ESL, editing for magazines, editing audio for film and television, waitressing, and doing admin in countless offices. Unfortunately, I was exposed to chemicals at one such office and my life changed drastically because I got ME/CFS, which basically means I have chronic pain, cognitive issues, and severe energy limitations.

I live a rather isolated hermit-like life due to my health issues, and I write very little now and very slowly, but I still love writing and do it whenever I can. What else can I tell you? I love to laugh, and I serve a Feline in perpetuity. That’s me in a nutshell.

The first major milestone in my writing career occurred almost 15 years ago, when a friend convinced me to enter the Writers of the Future international speculative fiction contest for emerging writers–my novelette, The Assignment of Runner ETI, won Third Place. That recognition boosted my confidence enough that I then sent out my first novella, The Last Letter, to Aqueduct Press. They published it, and with two pro sales under my belt, there was no stopping me! I set out to write a novel–and another novella–both of which got published just a few months ago. The novella, Lift-Off, is an inspiring and heartwarming pre-space adventure novel with MM and Het romance, published by Devine Destinies.

https://www.amazon.com/Transformation-Junkies-Fiona-Lehn/dp/1703447263

The novel, Transformation Junkies, is a speculative novel with adventure, a loser vampire, ancient gods, precocious herding dogs, and lesbian romance. It’s available here:

A sensual, supernatural quest from the icy streets of Canada to the pastoral hills of Switzerland, Transformation Junkies tells the story of two women unwilling to compromise for love and satisfaction. 

Chol enjoys a serene, independent life as a reclusive herdswoman, but when her cattle start disappearing, she must protect her home or lose it all. 

Susannah leaves an unhappy marriage and her home country to become an electrician. When she fails, she loses herself in an addiction to transcendence, and a loser vampire makes her an offer that could solve everything—or just might dash her hopes forever. 

An ancient god tries to help, but Chol and Susannah are the only ones who can save themselves—and maybe save each other in the process.

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I’m really proud of this book. I wanted to write a story that explores the struggle women go through to achieve their dreams and to change things about their lives that seem unchangeable. The book also delves into the idea of satisfaction—what is it? How do women get it? Set partly in scenic, rural Switzerland and partly in Canada, France, and the United Kingdom, this tale takes the reader on a sometimes humorous, mystical, romantic, and sometimes tragic journey that spans decades. (Oh, and did I mention the herding dogs? Two prominent characters are furry and will steal your heart!)

I made a book trailer for Transformation Junkies that features some of my own music.

You can see it on my Facebook author page here:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/FiFiHermitage/videos

If you want to learn more about my books or songs, or just say hi, please visit my FB author page anytime:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/FiFiHermitage

Keep well and safe out there, and keep on reading and writing!

Yours–Fiona

I want to thank Fiona for being our guest today. Her books are available on Amazon. I’m looking for discussion so feel free to add a comment in the comments section of this blog. Be sure to stop by next week when I’ll be presenting something new.

Until Next Time,

Lynn

Photos subject to copyright.

Copyright 2020

Click here to buy Awakened by Fate

Click here to buy Enticed by Love