Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

I have been writing for quite a while, but more in technical writing, documentation, and editing through my website, www.writeforhire.com. However, it has only been in the past couple of years that I have felt confident enough to try writing a book. 

I enjoy reading about the latest in science, technology, and science fiction, and with my degree in geography, I have always been interested in climate. So, I guess when searching for a theme to write a book, I chose Global Warming, which I felt combined all these interests.  

Interestingly, it was only later that I discovered a genre based on these interests called Cli-Fi, which is short for (climate fiction). When I think back, I now realize that I needed this final boost back then to get me moving on at least an outline for the global warming fellowship idea for my book, Bon Echo and The Competition.

What inspired you to write your book?

I spent my early childhood in Kaladar, Ontario, Canada, where my parents owned the Kaladar Hotel. Our hotel was close to Bon Echo Provincial Park, so many of our guests who had travelled far to visit the park would stay overnight while sightseeing. Bon Echo is famous for its spectacular azure lake reflecting sunlight onto its golden cliffs at sunset.

Somehow, I must have stored a vision of this inspiring spectacle of nature as a child, forgotten its location, and then held it in my memory as a powerful childhood mystical experience. I have meditated on this calming vision throughout my life but could not recall where I acquired it. So, later in life, I decided to explore places with my husband from my childhood, including Kaladar and Mactier, a railroad town in Muskoka, where we lived before moving to Kaladar. This adventure quest was sad and yet very gratifying at the same time. It was heartbreaking to see the ruins of our old home in Mactier and, even more so, the broken-down remains of the hotel. The Ministry of Transportation demolished it in 2018, so I was grateful to see it one last time before it was gone forever.

Due to rainy weather, we had to return home before reaching Bon Echo Park. However, happy childhood memories flooded my mind as I told my husband about my childhood in Kaladar, visiting Bon Echo Park and feeding deer before crossing the park gates in my family’s car. Eventually, I followed up with online research and found my beautiful Bon Echo vision on my laptop in pictures of the shimmering sunlight reflecting on Mazinaw Rock. I traced this major event in my childhood to the source of my love for nature and why I felt drawn to geography at university. You can read the full story of my quest to find the inspiration for my Bon Echo series through this link: Northern Lights Publications

Bon Echo reflects the inspiration for a fictional setting in my Bon Echo series and on the adventures of Maven and her friends. Hopefully, it will inspire you to visit the real Bon Echo Park, as Bon Echo Bay is a fictional creation found within the pages of my book Bon Echo and The Competition.

What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

When I was approximately the age of five, I visited Bon Echo Park in Ontario with my family. I recall looking at the fantastic golden glow of the sun reflecting off the Mazinaw escarpment rock face. I must have been so awestruck by its beauty that I experienced a mystical connection of love emanating from the environment’s sheer beauty and maybe even Mother Nature herself. Of course, I’ll never know for sure what I experienced, but it was such a powerful experience that I carried that image and feeling of love throughout my entire life.

When I decided to try to write a book, the theme of fighting global warming seemed like the right choice for me. It felt like an opportunity to honour Mother Nature for all the love and peace I received from her over the years. 

The most powerful message of my book is our need to protect and conserve our planet through fellowship because the earth is the only home that we can all say we genuinely share and need to save.

What drew you into this particular genre?

I have always been a big fan of all sorts of science fiction, from Star Wars, Star Trek, Dune, and all the TV science fiction series. So, I was pretty sure that if I were ever to write a book, science fiction/fantasy would be my first choice.

If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

That’s an easy one! I would ask Maven a particular question related to her journey in discovering her passion in life. I would have asked her if her search would have had a time limit. Writing became my passion, but I didn’t realize it until much later. I would encourage Maven to never give up on her quest to find what ignites her love because it is such a powerful and energizing force in life, making it worth pursuing.

What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

I haven’t experimented too much with social media, but Facebook has been the most helpful in developing my readership.

What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

When I first started to write, I realized how much of a learning curve I had to tackle before even beginning to put pen to paper. I was a complete novice and seriously didn’t have a clue where to start. I felt it was best to research and learn the basics through the many excellent books and on the many varied writing subjects. So, if you are not well versed in grammar, terms, usages, and writing methodologies, I would start there. And of course, read, read, read, because we all build on the shoulders of others, and because nothing is new under the sun, I promise you will find so much inspiration in all your reading adventures. Also, if you are prepared to take on this journey, you will learn much about yourself as a writer and even start cultivating your unique writing voice.

What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

It has been a long trek and quite an adventure of the mind writing my first book, which has energized me even further to start outlining the second book in my Bon Echo science fiction series. The working title for this second book is Bon Echo and The Crystal Library, and I am coming up with all sorts of intriguing ideas on living history, artificial intelligence, and possible future climate change directions that may take place within this series. I have an enormous amount of research and notes that need organizing and outlining, which seem to take place in tandem because, as always, “the learning curve” can be its own adventure. I am currently digging in and looking forward to all the stepping stones of the writing process. Make everything an adventure, and you will never be bored, which is one of the true joys of imagination.

About the Author

Colette is a talented writer and web developer who has turned her passion for science fiction and environmental causes into a new creative writing direction. With a background in Geography, she has taken a more focused approach to exploring ecological themes in her work. Her debut book, “Bon Echo and The Competition,” the first in the Bon Echo Science Fiction series, is a captivating blend of science fiction and romance. Set in a world where environmental issues are at the forefront, Colette weaves a beautiful story of adventure and love that will captivate readers until the end. With her remarkable talent for storytelling, Colette is sure to leave a lasting impression on the science fiction genre.

Social Media Links:

Author website:  Northern Lights Publications

Facebook:  (1) Facebook

Instagram:  Colette Bos (@bos_colette) • Instagram photos and videos

Newsletter:  Northern Lights Publications

Amazon Link to My Book:  https://mybook.to/BonEchoandTheCompetition