Today I’m welcoming to the Campfire Sorchia DuBois

Hi Sorchia! Thanks for visiting the campfire today. What’s your preference, coffee, tea, cocoa, wine? The camp fridge is like the Starship Enterprise. You speak it, you get it.
I’m a green tea with jasmine freak—can’t get enough, but I’ll not refuse a crisp white wine either.
 
Lets start with tea and we'll see where it goes. I'm a Sauvignon Blanc fan. So there's always a bottle around here. Tell us, have you ever camped? If you’re not the camping type tell us about your favorite adventure or vacation. What made it special to you.
We used to camp often. Then we bought some property at the end of a road in the middle of a forest. At first, we camped there at every opportunity and then we built a house on the campsite. Now I can enjoy the same view, but with a kitchen and bathroom, as well! Tall pine trees, lots of deer, turkey, and other wildlife, a pond filled with fish, and the nearest neighbor is nearly a mile away—and they are nice people who value privacy as much as we do. I have a porch and a deck and a firepit and all is well. There’s really no need to ‘go’ camping anymore though I wouldn’t be opposed to a camping trip to the mountains one day.

That sounds amazing. We live at the edge of a state forest but have lots of neighbors. Tell us about your latest project. What book are you talking about today, and what’s on the horizon.
Today, I’m chatting about a 99 cent sale book. The last book in my Zoraida Grey trilogy was released in October and now all three books are available for 99 cents each. The trilogy is about a small town fortune teller who travels to Scotland on a quest to save her granny’s life. Instead, she finds herself in a haunted castle battling a family of witches and in danger of being ensorcelled by not one, but two, handsome Scottish witches. She has to choose between her comfortable, safe life or a life of magic and danger.

Wow that sounds like a great book set at an awesome deal. Do you have a tagline? Life Motto?
A reviewer provided the inspiration for my tagline: Magic, Mystery, Romance, History, a Little Whisky, and a Cat.

How long did it take you from conception to publication?
This trilogy has taken 6 years to get finished. My family were the primary culprits—they are barely aware that I write and seem to come up with one drama after another just as I get involved in a book. And then in 2020, I came down with a slight case of cancer which slowed down the last book by a year. I’m fine now, and determined to put my writing projects on the front burner instead of letting them languish.

Huh. I've never considered any cancer slight. You must have great perspective on life. I'd do a freak out at any mention of it. Are there any mentors, authors, or books?
Writing is a solitary activity but promoting and marketing are just the opposite. I’m grateful for all the people I’ve met as I guest on their blogs or they guest on mine. I could point to Stephen King’s On Writing, William Zinsser’s On Writing Well, and Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life as inspirational works on the business and purposes of writing.

What does literary success look like to you?
Well, I would love to quit the day job and write fulltime—this is doable since my standards are low. I don’t crave fame—this is why I live at the end of a road. For me, literary success is a steady income from writing which would give me time to write more and to provide help and encouragement to other writers who may be having some of the same doubts and problems I had. I love to write the stories—love to dig into personalities and love to create atmosphere. The writing is the main goal.

How you have been managing your life and writing with COVID-19?
During COVID I also had cancer. Actually, if you are going to get cancer, I highly recommend doing it during a pandemic. Get it all over with at once. My hair fell out and no one saw it. I felt and looked like poo and no one will remember that. I was cranky and dopey and only a select few know about that—and I’ve apologized profusely to them. Traffic was light during lock downs as I went to the doctor for treatment and I was taking good drugs which made the whole experience kind of blurry. I still limit my trips to town and I would really, really like to go out to eat. I miss yard sales and flea markets and the opportunity to hobnob with friends. I’ve been disappointed in some acquaintances response to the situation, but I’m looking forward to talking it out with some of them.
 
Now the fun questions
Teach me something I don’t know in two sentences. 
The word "quarantine" literally means “40 days.” The word was coined in the 14th century and 40 days was how long passengers on ships were kept in isolation to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.  Extra sentence: Fun fact--after the 40 days, if the infection was still extant, the ship—and passengers—were sometimes burned.
(😮⬅ Me, D.V.)
What’s your favorite cartoon, and why?
Rocky and Bullwinkle closely followed by Bugs Bunny—hard to pick between them, but Moose and Squirrel featured Boris and Natasha, Fractured Fairy Tales, Snidley Whiplash,  and Captain Wrongway Peachfuzz so…..

Last movie you saw? 
I’ve been binging movies like there is no tomorrow. The most recent batch was all the Mission Impossible movies. I’m not a huge Tom Cruise fan, but Mission Impossible is great fun.

What weird talent do you have?
I’m a Firestarter. I love bonfires and am proud of my ability to lay the fire and start it in the most inhospitable conditions. I took tutelage from a historical reinactor—a mountain man—who showed me how to light fires with just a piece of flint. This guy was a mild-mannered art teacher by day but authentic mountain man by night and weekend and summer. In full mountain man regalia, he used to give presentations to my evening college folklore classes and one night, while his partner was demonstrating the meanings of Native American tatoos and badges, he sidles up to me and points to a feather in his cap. “Wanna know what this one’s fer,” he says, in character. “Sure,” I reply. “Strangling a white woman,” he says smugly. He enlivened history for my students as well as teaching me how to set the forest on fire at any time of year.

Last thing you googled? Why? I just googled how much money is to be made selling illegal firearms. Yep—I’m certain to be on an FBI list. They’ll also find searches for most lethal spots to stab someone, amount of blood which would result—and a few other bits like that. The info will show up in a small-town mystery trilogy. The first book is titled All the Pretty Knives. I’m aiming at a July release.

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Blurb for Entire Series https://sorchiadubois.com/witchin-winter-sale-zoraida-grey-trilogy/
How many Scottish witches does it take to destroy one small-town fortune teller?
The Zoraida Grey trilogy follows Zoraida from Arkansas to Scotland on a quest to retrieve a healing stone to save her granny’s life. But Granny hasn’t told her everything. Soon Zoraida is smack dab in the middle of a witchy clan war and in danger of being ensorcelled by not one but two smoking hot witches. The truth of her own heritage is buried deep beneath Castle Logan, but the only one who can help her has stepped in a steaming pile of Voodoo thousand of miles away in the Caribbean. Zoraida must decide between her old, safe life or a new one filled with magic and danger.
The task may be the end of her—or the beginning.
 
Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones
 How many Scottish witches does it take to destroy one small-town fortune teller?
 Granny’s dying, but Zoraida can save her with a magic crystal of smoky quartz. Too bad the crystal is in Scotland––in a haunted castle––guarded by mind-reading, psychopathic sorcerers.
Getting inside Castle Logan is easy. Getting out––not so much. Zoraida stumbles into a family feud, uncovers a wicked ancient curse, and finds herself ensorcelled by not one but two handsome Scottish witches. Up to their necks in family intrigue and smack-dab in the middle of a simmering clan war, Zoraida and her best friend Zhu discover Granny hasn’t told them everything.
Not by a long shot.
 
Zoraida Grey and the Voodoo Queen
A Scottish wizard, stripped naked and painted blue—a Voodoo priestess bent on immortality—a yacht-load of Caribbean pirates. What can possibly go wrong?
With her best friend held hostage in a haunted Scottish castle by the magical Logan clan, Zoraida needs help. She can’t trust beguiling but dangerous Shea Logan, and Al, her over-protective ex-boyfriend, doesn’t believe in magic.
Granny says only one creature strikes fear in the blackened hearts of the Logan witches. Trouble is Jock disappeared five centuries ago leaving a trail of destruction across the Gulf of Mexico. Now he’s stepped into a steaming pile of Voodoo.
Can Zoraida drag wayward Jock back to Scotland? And what’s she supposed to do with two men who promise completely different futures? She’ll need all the magic she can muster to get out of this predicament with her skin-- and her heart-- intact.
 
Zoraida Grey and the Pictish Runes
 Hostages in the tower, vampires in the caverns, witches in the drawing room.
 Castle Logan lives up to its dark reputation when Zoraida returns to Scotland with vengeance on her mind.
 To rescue her best friend forever, she’ll have to use every skill she’s learned. Will it be enough? How can a small-town fortuneteller hope to defeat the powerful witches of Castle Logan? The mysterious black crystal hidden beneath the East Tower offers certain victory––but the price is high. 
The last book in the Zoraida Grey Trilogy finds Zoraida pitted against the entire clan of Logan witches. But if they think it’s going to be easy, they've got another think coming.
 
 
Buy Links:
Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones: books2read.com/u/mKJkvZ
Zoraida Grey and the Voodoo Queen: books2read.com/ZoraidaGrey2
Zoraida Grey and the Pictish Runes: books2read.com/ZoraidaGrey3
 
 
Author Bio:
Sorchia Dubois is the pen name of a mysterious, retired English teacher who lives deep in the forest in a tall house with nine cats. Sorchia writes paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and small-town murder mysteries. She published her first book in 2018 at the ripe age of mumblety-seven and plans to publish at least ninety-nine more. Her latest accomplishment is to survive cancer, which was no fun, but served to broaden her perspective—that’s for sure. Currently, she’s working on All the Pretty Knives, the first in a new trilogy to be released 2021-22.
 
 
Social Media:
Website:  www.SorchiaDubois.com
Straight to the blog: https://www.sorchiadubois.com/sorchias-universe-the-bloga/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SorchiaDubois
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/SorchiaDubois/
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Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/SorchiaDuBois/e/B00B60NOUQ/
Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6879978.Sorchia_DuBois
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sorchia-dubois
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Excerpt from Zoraida Grey and the Pictish Runes
 
Dinner guests at Castle Logan look like a traveling Halloween party in search of a human sacrifice. Why am I surprised? A few of them stare at the looming figure of Jock in the doorway, but the majority seem to be people not put off by a giant wizard and his feathery familiar in the foyer.
Castle Logan looks much as I remember it, but I’m changed in more than appearance. The place is as creepy as it ever was. Dark shadows lurk in the upper hallways, a cold mist flows along the floor, and the prickle of magic crawls across my skin like a dozen tiny spiders. The first time I walked into Castle Logan, I had a severe case of the heebie jeebies. Now, the weirdness feels homey. I’m glad to be back.
Normal rules don’t apply here. We’re going to sit down to dinner as if nothing monumental has happened. Our unexpected appearance is but one of many odd happenings in the last quarter hour alone.
Zhu materializes beside me and hands me a glass of wine. I marked her presence and apparent good health the first minute I walked into the castle. I’m glad to see her, and not just because of the wine, though that’s a nice plus.
“You took your sweet time,” she says, grinning like a drunken Cheshire cat. “This place is nothing like Arkansas.”
“You’re the one who wanted to see witches and real magic. I didn’t want to come back too soon and ruin your fun.” I breathe a silent sigh of relief. She’s safe and she’s not bewitched. The world is still right side up. “You look pretty chummy with all these folks. I had the idea you were being held hostage.”
As I lift the glass of wine to my lips, I notice a tall, blue-eyed man standing close to Zhu. If I didn’t know better, I would say he was her bodyguard. And if not for the large, dark Scotsman holding my hand, I would be giving this blond fellow a longer look. Instead, I raise my eyebrows at Zhu.
Zhu smiles sweetly and sips her wine. By this, I understand I am not the only one with a story to tell.
 
 
Coming Attractions:
A new trilogy for 2021-22:
When a routine burglary goes tragically wrong, Money MacQueen heads for the only safe place she knows--Home. But her hometown isn't as quiet and secure as she remembers. Prominent townspeople keep turning up dead and her own dad may be on the killer's list. Did she bring trouble with her or has her crazy uncle finally gone too far? Old loves, new enemies, and a murderer haunt the familiar streets. Money must confront her own bad decisions before she can help people she loves.
 
Watch for All the Pretty Knives, Birds of a Feather, and Corked by Sorchia Dubois. Sign up for my newsletter to get the latest—along with freebies.
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