Popping in to say, Voni is celebrating! And all of us here at the Diamond Mine are so excited for her. Her sophomore release, Burning Rivals hit the virtual shelf just a few weeks ago. It's an Alaskan adventure just in time for the boiling heat of July! Leave all that humidity behind along with those temperatures pushing passed ninety and pull up a iceberg for our chat with Voni!
I live in the constant
beauty of Kodiak, Alaska—a rain forest island— fishing village homes, mountains,
the gorgeous and powerful Pacific Ocean, towering spruce forests, and the sky
with a mix of colors, and bears, fish, sea lions, otters, all reminding me of
God every day. Even on the rainy, icy, wintry days.
Of course it was also beautiful
in Southern Indiana—rolling hills and farm country— where Rich and I lived
after we were married…
…In Iowa, where we met
in college in Des Moines. Also beautiful with corn farmland around and the Des
Moines River running through town.
But I grew up in
Wyoming, with mountains in the distance, and wind blowing with gusts that
wanted to blow me away some days. Oh, the beauty and power of God!
Do you have pets?
You don’t know me if
you have to ask that, lol. I’ve never been without dogs in my life, except you
know, college where they weren’t allowed in the dorms. Rich and I have a black
and white Australian shepherd (Sting, who thinks we exist to play tug every
moment of the day.) and a black and white Boston Terrier (Kip, who thinks she
must dart around and make us laugh, and beg for food every moment of the day).
What’s the most unusual animal you’ve seen in person not just in a zoo.
On our first hike in
Kodiak, we saw Kodiak bears in the distance. A Kodiak bear several years later walked
down our street. Another left some scat in our yard. Also, bald eagles are
abundant here, majestic and threatening to small pets—one sat in our yard and
ate our neighbor’s chicken with his partner.
Let’s talk favorites. Favorite recipe? Favorite dessert? Favorite color? Favorite book? Favorite Bible verse?
Recipe: I keep thinking
of white chicken chili lately.
Dessert: Chocolate lava
cake. Or butter pecan ice cream.
Color: I would say I
don’t have a favorite color, but I love yellow with a soft green, yellow with
blue, yellow with black, yellow with white, yellow with gray, yellow with red
(not like a convenience store)…so, anyway, I’ll have to say yellow, especially
a buttery yellow.
Book: Anne of
Avonlea series from my childhood, or any Nancy Drew book. As a grown up,
Dee Henderson books or Ronie Kendig or Lisa Phillips. I can’t pick one,
lol.
Bible verse:
[Jer 18:1-6 ESV] 1 The word that came to
Jeremiah from the LORD: "Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and
there I will let you hear my words." So I went down to the potter's house,
and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was
spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it
seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the LORD came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you
as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the
potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.”
God goes on here in
Jeremiah to talk about His power to shape Israel and the countries of the
world. But I also see here God shaping me and the awesome life He has given me.
May my heart always be soft like the clay in the potter’s hand.
Do you have a job outside of the home? Did you ever work outside the home, and if so, where?
I worked in restaurants
as a server for a while. I worked in a company who was putting newspaper
articles online for searches. I tutored (sometimes still tutor). But mainly, I
homeschooled our daughter all the way through. Now, I write.
How did you get into writing, and how did you get into writing suspense?
I was an obsessive
reader—reading while standing on my head and I had to be reminded to stop
reading while walking. So there’s that. Also, Mom was a newspaper reporter,
then editor of the paper. And Dad was the law enforcement instructor at the
community college, friend and teacher of the cops in the local police
department. So how else could I NOT end up writing suspense?
Your book Burning Rivals is set in Alaska. Tell us how your experience in Alaska fed into the setting.
When Rich and I were in
Anchorage, we drove out to the city that inspired the setting of the Chasing
Fire: Alaska series. It was so fun, and so full of people driving from
Anchorage to Denali, or just touristing. Such interesting pictures to take and
send to the other authors in the series.
What was the most exciting scene to write in Burning Rivals?
You know, I really
enjoyed writing the scene where Cadee and Vince have to go to help rescue the
people in the village she grew up in. They choose to, but they are
smokejumpers, so if they’re needed, they go. It helps open their eyes to each
other, especially Vince seeing Cadee’s past, like her growing up years.
Oh, and the scene with
the river filled with dead salmon…fun to write, since they end up in that oily
water. Typical Alaska during the salmon life cycle.
Can you come up with 5 things about Voni Harris that have nothing to do with writing?
1.
I am a
whole 4’6”. My life is unique! Anyone wanna go shopping with me to reach the
stuff on the top shelves for me? LOL.
2.
I have a
degree in Radio-Television (Journalism)…but fiction writing is where I’ve
always been headed, even while I thought it was just a hobby.
3.
I may be
obsessed with movies—but call me a film buff. Okay, TV series as well. NCIS,
Blue Bloods, etc. But doesn’t “film buff” sound so meaningful and consequential?
4.
Hubby and I
love to travel. Of course, how else are we going to see family?
5. Our family fills my heart. Daughter, Son-in-law, Grandson, and Granddaughter.
What’s your next writing move? Writing? Editing? Publishing?
I am planning
out my next book (I am a plotter!), but working on figuring out the backstory
of the crucial computer…this is hard for some reason. But SO fun to travel down
some fascinating research rabbit holes.
Thank you for the opportunity to share the beauty and fun of the life God has created for me. And the fun of your questions!
And thank you for your answers and sharing your new release with us! Win a copy of Burning Rivals by leaving a comment of entering your info on our contact form. If you can't wait (and why would you?), follow the links to grab your copy of Burning Rivals by Voni Harris right now!
Thanks for stopping by! Have a super-spectacular reading day!
