Dec6

If you’ve ever wondered what my voice sounds like…

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If you’ve ever wondered what my voice sounds like…

Wynne and Vicki at Heart of the Matter kindly invited me on their podcast to talk about Wish I Was Here and its long, winding road to publication.

Before we started recording, Vicki told me she was upstairs reading, got to the end of chapter nine, and yelled, “Shut up!”

Her husband downstairs asked if everything was okay and, “You’re not on a business call, are you?”

I love this story not just because it’s hilarious, but also because that’s the reaction I hope for when readers reach that point–a “Shut up!” or a more general scream of surprise and delight.

That was Vicki’s favorite part of the book, and it’s mine too!

Also happening “off-camera” was the mention of our mutual friend Mark Petruska, who helped me with editing. I realized after we ended that I had somehow managed to not mention him during the podcast. I apologized to him privately in advance, figuring he wouldn’t mind, really, knowing he’s not all about the glory.

He responded in typical Mark fashion: “Oh, I’m ALL about the glory. What a tragic oversight.”

So this public, “Thanks again, good buddy,” will have to do.

And a quick shout-out to one of my earliest blog buddies, Julie Holmes, whom I mention twice for being so kind and helpful in my early writing days.

Here’s the podcast write-up from Wynne

A few years back, Ilsa Rey and her husband came to Seattle and stayed with me and my family. So I’m very confident when I say, Ilsa is the real deal! Reading her books or blog always leaves me smiling because she’s a wonderful combination of witty, charming and smart. In person, that is exactly who she is as well! [Editor’s Note: Whaaaaaat?? Girl, stop! No, sorry, please go on.]

So I loved this wonderful podcast conversation where Vicki Atkinson and I have the privilege to talk with her about her book, Wish I Was Here that will be released on December 23, 2025. We delve into the thrilling narrative where Ana’s best friend Isaac invents an invisibility pill and is kidnapped for it. In a desperate attempt to save him, Ana takes the pill herself, leading to a race against time to find him and secure the antidote before she remains invisible forever.

Ilsa tells us about learning what she didn’t know she didn’t know and how that propelled her through the 10 year process of getting this book published. 

We talk about the importance of feedback – even family feedback and how Ilsa used every opportunity like query contests to learn and keep writing. 

Ilsa tells us about the process of writing a series and the big picture view of interweaving the parts and pieces. We get a peek into the experts that helped her shape her narrative, and she even visited a prison in order to keep it real! 

Ilsa reveals how her aforementioned trip to Seattle helped to fuel some scenes in book three. 

And we get the inside scoop and how to order her book for a discount before its release date on 12/23. This is a great episode with a fun author and a great book! We know you’ll love it.  

Now go to the post here to listen or on Spotify.

Further resources

Video book trailer for Wish I Was Here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Py-B0EbMMmEV3QBsxDHxVX4Pfr3d04wy/view?usp=sharing

YouTube shorts from the episode:

Writing in the Zone: https://youtube.com/shorts/fpD1njEFPUE?feature=share

Pantser’s Series Challenge: https://youtube.com/shorts/Imaw7r0n1B8?feature=share

Elevator Pitch: https://youtube.com/shorts/HCSLKXOJK9k?feature=share

Back to me: My super-duper thanks again to Vicki and Wynne for hosting me. Such fun to connect with blog buddies in a deeper way and in a fun conversation. Mwuah to you both!

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52 responses »

  1. If some cop with a haircut like that one ever pulled me over, I’d tell him “Son, get a **** haircut, you hippie *** commie pinko” and then I’d pull away. Obviously, I’d get chased, forced off the road at gun point, pepper sprayed, probably tased and then arrested. But when I went before the judge, I’d tell him “That cop’s haircut makes him a **** hippie commie pinko” and he’d agree with me and set me free. I’d go on National News extolling the virtue of our justice system and I’d say “I owe it all to Ilsa Rey who inspired me” and then BAM, you’d sell 1 kajillion booksl

    So once I find a hippie *** commie pinko cop, you’re all set! 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

    • Start patrolling the streets for a traffic cop like that, honk your horn to be sure he notices you, then peel off, hitting 80 in a 35 zone. This is a great plan, Bookie. Thanks for sacrificing for me like this. You’re a true friend!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

      • That’s a good plan! Operation *** Hippie Commie Pinko is A Go.
        And we have plenty of 35mph zones around here so I don’t see how it can fail.

        Friends do what they have to. If you ever see a *** Hippie Commie Pinko, you can throw a book at him and tell him your friend Bookie was your inspiration 😉

        On a completely unrelated note, has your site been scraped by bots this year?

        Liked by 1 person

      • Don’t think so. I had to look at my stats, which I rarely do. Didn’t see any huge spikes. Why, what’s happening? Are robots taking over blogs now? Should I start writing about how great AI is (cough, hurk!) so they think I’m a friendly and leave me alone?

        Liked by 1 person

      • People are getting scraped and having thousands upon thousands of views in just hours. There’s been a lot of complaints on the forums and I know a couple of bloggers who have told me. One blogger has gotten almost 100,000 views in the last 1-2 months.

        I ask because I’ve avoided it but want to find out how wide spread it is.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Yes, Google and Meta have all suppressed me in one way or another. The AI boogeyman is real, and it is no fun to have them put their sights on you, whether you are a microblogger like me or a larger audience. I have a complicated relationship with AI. While I wish the Pandora box had stayed closed… now that it’s open, it’s not going to close. I believe we can continue advocating for artistas, using it with caution cause they’re farming us hardcore, and whenever possible, do activities away from the Grest Machine. For example, we are working on a family band. While we buy all the instruments, organize our home, etc., I wrote some songs and have used AI to create simple melodies. This quality will not be surpassed when we finally record. How do I know? Because of what the Gibli studio head said in the mid-1990s, and implied.
        My interpretation was that his disgust when he worked in his Japanese studio suggested that they use a machine instead of working by hand. He had so much disgust that his workers would dare believe a robot 🤖 could produce anything of high quality on its own, comparable to what a human could. I never display the finished work of my children. Why? CAUSE AI WILL SCRAPE THEIR TALENT. Even though there are tools 🔧 to protect art, I don’t think there are enough protections in place. Keep fighting the great fight of our generation, for love, dignity, and respect of the art community, y’all. Blessings 🙌

        Liked by 1 person

      • That our world is inhabited by *** hippie commie pinko cops? That right there would be enough to drive some machine insane and to go invent the terminators to deal with us 😉

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Ahhh! I love that you included that fun aside at the beginning – it was a total ‘shut up’ moment. Wowza! Your book…IS SO GOOD. A total joy to read and I can’t wait for what comes next. Get busy, okay? Sending loads of love for your continued success…and thank you for spending time with us! xo! ❤️😊❤️

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

    • Jam. Haha! I’d love to see you rocking out in your car to a podcast. Get down with your bad self, Mark. I want to see a video of that: you at a stop light, breaking out some funky seated dance moves to a backdrop of W, V, and my voices just talking normal.

      I’m glad my apology was accepted. Phew!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

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  17. Did I ever mention how I burst with pride whenever I think of your writing & publishing journey? You work so hard to share your joy with the world. This podcast is another step in the process and I am so very pleased for you!

    P/S I feel you on the omission of mentions and credits. You are surrounded by caring and generous people, so I know they get it.

    Like

    Reply ↓

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