Sunday 12 June 2011

Author & Adventurer, Eileen Schuh from Canada


This week my guest is the wonderful, Eileen Schuh from Canada and we are doing something a little special with our Blogs.

Today, Eileen will be sitting here on my Blog, on the sunny island of Lanzarote, sipping bubbly whilst relaxing on a sun lounger at the side of the pool waiting to chat with you. So where am I you ask? I'll be over at Eileen's Blog in Canada, where I hope to spot a bear or two and eat fresh fish I manage to catch myself in a lake nearby.

Seriously, my guest this week is not only a great author, but an amazing adventurer. Please take a few moments to read about this wonderful person and have a chat with her.



Thank you, Pauline, for sharing your Blog and your readers with me. We are both celebrating the release of our novels and what better way to do that than to guest blog for each other!

I read Pauline’s Sometimes It Happens... even after she warned me it was “very English”. I like “English”. In fact, my generation was raised English. We sang “God Save the Queen” at the start of each school day and were treated to such great literature as Curious George, Winnie the Pooh, and Alice in Wonderland.


By Grade 2, I knew what a lorry (truck), a lift (elevator), a flat (apartment), and a boot (trunk of a car) were! Of course Shakespeare and Charles Dickens eventually made their way into our lives, as well.

Canadians often forget that their home land is ‘foreign and intriguing’ to others. Compared to Europe, “the States” and tropical islands, we figure Canada hasn’t got much of interest except perhaps, hockey.

However, my daughter played for me an interview with her grandfather that she taped for a university project. She asked him about his experiences when he immigrated to Canada from Europe. Why did he choose Canada?

“For adventure!” he declared. Back then, on the posters and in the newspaper ads that promoted immigration, Canada wasn’t marketed to Europeans for its economic opportunities, nor its freedoms, nor its vast open spaces—but as a land of great adventure!

Yes, I do live an adventuresome life, compared to those who inhabit the huge cities of the world. I’ve seen bears, shot grouse, cooked deer. I’ve fished icy lakes and climbed in the Rockies. I’ve ridden horses, rounded up cattle, and sat around many a campfire while loons cackled and geese honked. I’ve survived blizzards and felt the warm kiss of a Chinook.

My adventures pale, however, when it comes to the adventures my young heroine undertakes in my novel THE TRAZ. Against the vast and exciting setting of Canada’s prairies, THE TRAZ, a newly released YA novel, is as daring, raw, and spirited as the young heroine.

It’s exhilarating entertainment but it also contains a vital message for those on the cusp of maturity and for the adults who guide them. It addresses head-on the issues behind juvenile delinquency and exposes the adults who exploit these troubled teens.

What is the captivating story through which these life-lessons flow?

Katrina is thirteen, wealthy, grieving, and alone. But she is more than that. She's intelligent, beautiful, and intrigued by the dangers of street life.

Shrug's a giant of a man with a voice of thunder and eyes of granite. He has tattoos, The Traz gang patch, and a motorbike. When he asks Katrina if she wants a ride, she makes a decision that will change her life forever.

Katrina quickly discovers the violent side of life on The Traz compound. However, there is no way for her to escape until she meets Chad—an undercover cop with rich brown eyes, a gentle chuckle, and a plan to rescue Katrina from the clutches of the gang. However, there's a problem.

Somebody is keeping dangerous secrets from them both.


WARNING: if you watch this video promo, you'll want to buy the book!

"TheTraz" Book Trailer

To purchase or sample THE TRAZ visit:
Amazon.com
Amazon.UK
Amazon.de
Smashwords



For more information about THE TRAZ and the author, or to request an interview: mailto:eileenschuh@yahoo.com
I invite you to become a part of my virtual family. Visit me at http://www.eileenschuh.com/
or http://eileenschuh.blogspot.com/

 I’m also easy to find on facebook and twitter.

My other book, SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT, a sci-fi novella, will be released August 2011 by WolfSinger Publications in eBook and print formats.

Courage to you all! May you have many great adventures

11 comments:

Suzy, The Grey Brunette said...

Hi Eileen!
I love anything Canadian so I was delighted to read your post. I'm definitely going to add your book to my TBR list!
I visited Canada for the first time in 2009... I fell in love with it, so much so, in fact that it inspired me to write a YA urban fantasy novel based there (Powell River)! Its certainly an inspiring country!
Best wishes
Suzy Turner
http://suzyturner.blogspot.com

Eileen Schuh: said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Eileen Schuh: said...

Thanks for visiting, Suzy. You'll find many references to my home province of Alberta in THE TRAZ and its followup novels in The BackTracker series.

Hi, Pauline. Thanks for sharing your spot with me--and welcome to my blog http://eileenschuh.blogspot.com

(I had to delete my 1st comment to correct a spelling error.)

Unknown said...

A great post. I'm torn now. I really want hot sunshine so I was longing for Lanzarote, but I've always wanted to visit Canada.

Good luck with The Traz, Eileen!

Eileen Schuh: said...

Thanks for your comments, Shirley. You can always do a virtual Canadian visit via THE TRAZ.
"She gazed around. Gone were the miles of endless prairie. A ridge, glinting with the gold of September poplars, circled the gully enfolding them. Across the clearing, behind lazy wisps of smoke rising from a fire pit, several rustic cabins backed into the brush. The shadow of a long, low building off to the south slithered over the brittle grass into the clearing. In the shadow, edged up against the building, was a fleet of motorcycles...."

Rosalind Adam said...

I'm so unworldly. Have you really done all those things? In my world bears are small and stuffed with kapok and I have to admit that I've just googled Chinook. I thought it was a helicopter and was amazed by your foolhardiness. I'm not surprised that your book is packed with adventure. It sounds excellent.

Eileen Schuh: said...

Oh, yes, Rosalind. I've done all that and much more.

I expect I only have one life to live so if I don't do things now, I won't ever get to do them, or see them, or touch them. Or write about them.

I once heard that one should not tip-toe through life hoping to get to death safely. That became my motto!

p.s. the bears are scary. I often carry bear (pepper) spray when I walk in the forest.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I've never been to Canada, but my grandmother who travelled extensively always said it was her favourite place to visit.

I love the sound of The Traz, hope it does very well.

Eileen Schuh: said...

Thanks, Debs.

Sample it, buy it, read it, review it. I know you'll love it! I haven't received any complaints so far. There's a straight row of 5-star reviews on Amazon.com and I'm pretty sure one is about to appear on Amazon.co.uk, too!

Cheers! Have a great, adventuresome summer.

Pauline Barclay said...

Thank you everyone for talking the time to pop over to meet my lovely guest and what an amazing lady she is. I think you'll all agree Eileen has a pretty adventurers life and her book THE TRAZ reflects this.

Good Eileen and sell a million! xx

Eileen Schuh: said...

Thanks, Pauline! How about we split a million sales between us? I'd be happy...You know, sometimes it happens....