S4E5: Walking the Camino Alongside Three Talented Authors

Kevin Donahue:00:14

Welcome back to the Sacred Steps Podcast. I'm Kevin Donahue, and I am thrilled to have with me today three incredible talents, ladies each with unique projects dedicated to Camino Pilgrims. For the last several episodes, I've been talking to you about my book, The Pilgrim's Table, which you collectively have now made a number one bestseller on Amazon, which just sounds crazy to say out loud. So thank you. Thank you doesn't seem to be enough, but I'm really just blown away by the reception the book has gotten and and nothing makes me happier than hearing your feedback and reading your reviews on Amazon.

Kevin Donahue:01:01

I did hear from several of you some feedback that you don't want to buy the book on Amazon and I get it. I completely understand where you're coming from. So we have a brand new web store online. So if you just go to the pilgrimstable.com or sacredstepsbooks.com or kevindonahue.com, click on the author web store. That will take you to a website powered by Shopify that is completely independent of Amazon.

Kevin Donahue:01:33

I am running that store. So if you request an author signed copy or you have a special request that you want me to see, there, buy online. I will say, you know, all the proceeds from that store do go to helping me run the podcast and give back to Camino Pilgrims. So I do like it when you buy there, but whatever works best for you, whether it's Amazon, whether you're downloading from Apple Books, whether you're at sacredstepsbooks.shopor.com, I really appreciate it. The store will help me ship to you, whether you're in The United States or Canada, Australia, Europe, worldwide.

Kevin Donahue:02:22

We're shipping to more than 82 countries right now. And as I learned the ropes about international shipping, if there's a country where you need a book ship, please just shoot me an email or get me on WhatsApp, kevansacredstepsbooks dot com. Okay. Enough about my book. I am very proud to welcome back to the podcast, a lady who was with us several seasons ago, Maria Seiko.

Kevin Donahue:02:48

You may remember Maria for her incredible website and projects called Spanish for Camino. That's also her social media. So hit her up at Spanish4Camino that help all of us become a little more aware and I hope a little better prepared to walk the Camino, especially if you are a non native Spanish speaker. Maria lives along the Camino Portuguese and has also done some, guiding of tours along the Camino. So today we're going to take a look at a new project that Maria has and welcome her back to the Sacred Steps Podcast.

Kevin Donahue:03:26

Maria Seyko, welcome back to the Sacred Steps Podcast. I love this new project. Tell us a little bit about it.

Maria Seco:03:33

Hola, I'm Maria, author of Mi Primer Camino de Santiago and several other Camino themed books for Spanish learners.

Kevin Donahue:03:43

You have a very successful website and project for helping non Spanish speaking pilgrims learn Spanish. What was the thought behind this new book?

Maria Seco:03:53

I've always loved books, and when I'm learning a language myself, reading is one of my favorite ways to do it. As a Spanish teacher, I loved using stories in my lessons because they make language come alive. But it could be hard to find texts that were the right fit, the right level, the right context, the right vocabulary for what I wanted to teach. So, the idea of writing my own stories had been with me for a very long time. I actually started several stories over the years, but none of them came together the way I hoped.

Maria Seco:04:38

It wasn't until I decided to draw from my own personal experience walking the Camino that everything fell into place.

Kevin Donahue:04:48

What makes this Spanish language novel unique?

Maria Seco:04:52

Mi Primer Camino de Santiago is a short novel written in easy Spanish, designed specifically for beginners. It follows the main character from the moment she starts planning her Camino English all the way to her arrival in Santiago. Unlike a traditional language text book, the Spanish in the story is exactly the Spanish you'll need on the Camino. Things like finding a bed for the night, ordering food and drinks, making friends along the way, asking for help. You're not just learning vocabulary lists, you're learning the language in context all wrapped up in a story you want to read.

Kevin Donahue:05:48

We both published our first novels. Congrats. So what was your favorite part of the process or what brought, I guess, the most pride for you in finishing the book?

Maria Seco:06:00

My favorite part of writing it? Simply that I did it. As I said, this was my first book after several failed attempts. So finishing it meant fulfilling a dream I had for a very very long time and the feedback I've been getting from the readers just confirms that this was the right book to write.

Kevin Donahue:06:32

I love that. And I agree. There is a lot of pride and a huge feeling of accomplishment for just finishing. For me, the best reward is having someone tell you that they read your book or taking two minutes out of their time to leave a review and say that they enjoyed your book. That has become incredibly rewarding for me.

Kevin Donahue:06:57

What's on the horizon for you, Maria, and for Spanish for Camino?

Maria Seco:07:01

Since then, the journey has continued. I've also created Pasatiempos Peregrinos, which is a puzzle book because I think that learning should be fun. In it you'll find word searches, crosswords and up to 10 different types of activities. Over 80 activities in total, all using vocabulary that's entirely relevant to the Camino. Over 200 words.

Maria Seco:07:33

And the best part is that it works for any level. If you're a beginner, A will help you build your vocabulary. And if you're a more advanced learner, you can use it to refresh and revise your Spanish. It also works for most age groups, For anyone over 10, really.

Kevin Donahue:08:01

Oh, wow. I didn't know that you had a puzzle book. That I think that is a great concept. Anything else you're keeping from us?

Maria Seco:08:11

My latest book so far is Historias Trascada Paso, a collection of legends and cultural and historical tidbits from the Camino Portuguese which is where I live. This one is aimed at intermediate learners. A lot of the stories are directly related to the Camino like the discovery of Saint James's remains or the story of why the scallop shell became a symbol of the Camino. Some others are about the towns the Camino goes through. Either way, there are some fascinating stories in there.

Maria Seco:08:54

And then I have created several Camino journals as well in Spanish with a little bit of info about some of the routes so you can practice both reading and writing.

Kevin Donahue:09:12

Maria, thank you so much for all you bring to the Pilgrim community and for helping all of us be better prepared for the people and the places that we will encounter along the journey. Where can we find your books?

Maria Seco:09:27

You can find any of these books on Amazon. Mi Primer Camino and Historia Strascada Paso are also available in bookstores worldwide, including Apple Books and Kobo. So, however you like to read, you should be able to find them.

Kevin Donahue:09:50

Thank you so very much, Maria. I'll link your books in the show notes of this episode so that our listeners can find them on their podcast apps. Selfishly, I have to ask, Maria, what's next?

Maria Seco:10:05

And what's next? Well, I have a couple of book ideas, very different types of books that I'm working on. All I can say for now is they're both for Spanish learners and both have the Camino at their heart.

Kevin Donahue:10:27

Incredible. See, I I have learned some things. It's so wonderful to talk to you again. I hope we get the chance to spend a little time together when Jack and I are on the Camino next summer. Maria.

Maria Seco:10:41

Happy learning. I'm Camino.

Kevin Donahue:10:47

That was Maria Seiko. You can find her books on Amazon and your favorite ebook app. I'll link all five of those titles that she mentioned in the show notes today. But I have to say, if you want to be better prepared for the Camino, consider reading Maria's first book, Mi Premiere Camino De Santiago. My First Camino de Santiago.

Kevin Donahue:11:11

That's the title. The dialogue in the short novel will prepare you far better for your daily interactions with locals and other pilgrims than just relying on Duolingo or your translation app. So thank you, Maria, for all that you've given to the pilgrim community. Now let's go from Spain halfway around the world and say aloha to a Camino Pilgrim who's written a brilliant memoir for the Camino Angela Leslie. Buen Camino and Aloha Angela.

Angela Leslee:11:44

Aloha. I'm Angela Leslie. I live in Kialakekua on the big island of Hawaii, and I'm the author of The Way of Love, a memoir of walking the Camino, and also the Camino Curious series.

Kevin Donahue:11:57

You have a memoir, which is linked in our show notes, but I want to ask you about your series of novels. Can you share a little bit about those books with us?

Angela Leslee:12:07

Today, I would like to talk about Camino Magic. It is the first book in a Camino inspired fictional series of women in crisis who decide to walk 500 miles across Spain to new beginnings. Each of the books feature different women with different problems. They are connected, of course, by the Camino. And also in each one, I've included cameo appearances by the characters from the previous book.

Angela Leslee:12:32

In writer's parlance, we call these Easter eggs. Don't you love that term? Camino magic is book one, the gateway drug to this series. Here, our heroine discovers that while she wants a baby, her husband wants her best friend. At the urging of another friend, she decides to try walking the Camino as she figures out next steps in her life.

Angela Leslee:12:53

She meets a handsome Brazilian actor who sets her moral compass spinning, and as in real life, both have dramas unfolding at home while they're navigating Camino life. When they meet Lily, a teenage girl who lands mysteriously on the Camino one day, she adds a whole another dimension to their journey. Lily was a surprise character that showed up in my head one day on a morning walk and almost took over the story.

Kevin Donahue:13:22

Okay. Wow. Drama. There's there's a lot to unpack there, but I really love the concept that each book has a different female lead who is walking the Camino. And like all of us, right, facing the trials and tribulations of life, They're finding the space for their emotion on the Camino, which has been a constant theme of this podcast for the last four years.

Kevin Donahue:13:48

I have to ask, how did this book, how did this series come about?

Angela Leslee:13:53

So how did this book come about? I thought that my first book, The Way of Love on the Camino De Santiago, a memoir of my 500 mile pilgrimage in 2016, would be my last. That it was just a fun project. But as an avid reader my whole life, I had discovered another aspect of books, creating them. In quick succession, I wrote two more memoirs about my life in Hawaii, but then figured people were probably sick of hearing about me.

Angela Leslee:14:20

But I wasn't tired of writing, quite the opposite. I loved having my life drenched in every aspect of books. Could I do fiction next? How hard could that be? You're just making stuff up, right?

Angela Leslee:14:32

Well, as it turns out, fiction is a whole other animal. Turning on my creative brain, getting inside another person's head, what they would say, how they would react, was harder than I thought. In my first attempt at Camino Magic, one of my daughters was quick to point out that one of the main characters was eerily similar to, you guessed it, me. Back to the drawing board. But I finally was able to discover the joy of letting my imagination run wild.

Kevin Donahue:15:05

So confession time. I think writing fiction is so much harder, at least for me. The one thing I realized that having a big imagination is an advantage until you have to keep track of all those characters, places, dates, objects, quirks, nuances, and so on. I actually had to write a character bible before I could ever finish the novel just so everything would line up. But great, great fun to finish the project.

Kevin Donahue:15:38

So Camino Magic, what was your favorite aspect of writing the books and the novel series?

Angela Leslee:15:47

Probably my favorite aspect of writing all my Camino books is that I get to spend time on the Camino vicariously through my characters. When people ask me how many times I've walked the Camino, the answer is three in real life and too many to count in my head as I've walked with my characters. Let's just say my Briarley's is well thumbed.

Kevin Donahue:16:13

Ah, yes. Thank you, John Briarley, my good friend Sandy Brown, Michael with Wise Pilgrim, and all of the guidebook authors and app developers out there. I have to make a note to give more credit to them in my next novel because you're right. Those are some well worn pages. What's on the horizon for you, Angela?

Angela Leslee:16:36

And what's on the horizon for me? Well, my plan is to complete six books for the Camino Curious series. I'm in the middle of writing book five as we speak. Then I've had an idea rolling around in my head for several years now about a series that takes place on the big island of Hawaii in a spiritual community with all kinds of quirky characters. It will probably land in the cozy mystery genre, and I love writing funny, so I will be able to unleash my sense of humor.

Kevin Donahue:17:12

Well, keep them coming. We need all of those books finished, five and six. I'm gonna link all of the books and the series in the show notes for our listeners so that they can find it. But where can we find your books online?

Angela Leslee:17:26

And where can you find my books? Well, they are all available in paperback, Kindle, and on Kindle Unlimited on Amazon. If you'd like to know more about each book, you can find them in one place on my website, angelalesley.com, but you will still be pointed to Amazon to purchase them. And also on my website, you can access a free novella that is sort of a sequel to one of my fan's favorite characters from Camino Magic.

Kevin Donahue:17:54

That's angelalesley.com. Angela, leslee.com. I'll link that in the show notes as well, Angela. Thank you so much for being on the Sacred Steps Podcast and for sharing a little insight into your series and upcoming books.

Angela Leslee:18:13

And thank you so much, Kevin, for hosting me on your podcast, and I wish you the very best with your upcoming Camino novel, The Pilgrim's Table. I can't wait to read it.

Kevin Donahue:18:33

Thank you, Angela. Aloha and Buen Camino. That was Angela Leslie, a Hawaiian Camino Pilgrim who's written a memoir and the Camino Curious series available on her website and on Amazon. She has some great titles as well, including, a memoir that she's written about raising hens on the big island of Hawaii called Chicken Boots. Her titles are on Amazon in paperback hardcovers, and you can get the whole series as well on Kindle and ebook.

Kevin Donahue:19:05

I I I mentioned this earlier in the show, and I know that there are some people who are very hesitant to shop on Amazon. And I understand that perspective and and sometimes share it. And then sometimes I just need something and they can get it to me, you know, overnight and I click buy. But I think it's also important to say that for all its faults, Amazon Publishing is opening the world to a great diversity of ideas, perspectives, and talents. They have taken the publishing industry by storm, and they have hurt a lot of independent booksellers.

Kevin Donahue:19:42

What they have done to independent booksellers and the ability to just go into town and shop at two or three different mom and pop or locally owned stores is it's a real shame. That's why I promote different independent bookstores directly on my websites. But at the same time, there are a lot of books that would never have been published if it weren't for Amazon and lowering the barrier to publishing. So I don't know. Do with that as you will.

Kevin Donahue:20:17

If this is your first time joining the podcast, please give us a like on your podcast app and press subscribe so that our entire episode catalog will be available to you automatically. The Sacred Steps Podcast is streaming in 116 countries worldwide. So welcome to our community. You can always find more at sacredstepspodcast.com or on my personal website at kevindonahue.com. Finally, today, we're connecting with another powerful woman writing about the Camino, an American pilgrim, Shoshana Karevsky.

Kevin Donahue:20:52

Shoshana, welcome to the Sacred Steps Podcast. Tell our audience a little about yourself.

ShoshanaK:20:58

I'm Shoshana Karevsky, and I'm the author of the novel, The Codex of Christian Surname.

Kevin Donahue:21:07

Great title. Quite intriguing for a novel. Tell us more.

ShoshanaK:21:11

The Codex of Christian Surname is an alternative history of Iberia, so Spain and Portugal, in around the end of the late medieval period, mostly, but history has taken some divergent courses, including much more presence of the Jews and the Moors and less animosity between those groups and the Christians than there was in the actual historical period. The, novel is narrated by a Jewish girl named Havah who, is a orphan in a family of butchers. And a mysterious stranger comes and she runs off with the stranger and then things get weird. It's literary fiction as well as an alternative history. So it does have Spanish in it.

ShoshanaK:22:06

It does have other languages. It does have a lot of historical detail, but also historical detail that I made up.

Kevin Donahue:22:17

Wow. It's very interesting. Blending a little bit of historical reality and bending it a bit. Not your typical Camino novel. How did you come up with it?

ShoshanaK:22:28

I had this character in mind in about 1988 to 1989, but in a really different context. And when I was walking the Camino De Santiago in Spain for the second time, I've now walked five, I started thinking maybe this character was the narrator for a Camino based story or Spain based story that I was, beginning to think about, beginning to write in my head and in my journal as I was walking on the Camino.

Kevin Donahue:23:09

And what's your favorite aspect of the Codex?

ShoshanaK:23:13

My favorite aspect of writing this book is a little hard to identify because I've really enjoyed the whole process. I didn't set out to write a novel. It just kind of happened to me. And I think what I really like about it most though is how the story unfolded. The basic plot was very clear to me.

ShoshanaK:23:34

And then as I would walk and think about it, more and more detail would come and little place fillers that I had, this has to happen here, but I don't know how, would start to show up for me. Whether that's the muse or the unconscious or pattern finding, maybe all three of those. That was an intensely pleasurable process for me.

Kevin Donahue:24:04

You explained that so well, Shoshana. My experience was a bit like that as well. And maybe that's true for all fiction. Maybe it's a first time author thing. I don't know.

Kevin Donahue:24:14

But unfolding and unpacking how the details might come out. Shoshana, what's on the horizon for you?

ShoshanaK:24:21

Right now, I'm working on a fiction book, and that's all I wanna say about it other than that it's also about the Camino.

Kevin Donahue:24:31

Well, there you go. We will be anxiously watching for that. Where can listeners find the Codex of Christian Surname?

ShoshanaK:24:38

You can find the Codex of Christian Surname as well as my other books on Amazon. By, the end of twenty twenty six, I am hoping that the Codex will be available more generally from your local independent book seller as I move its publication over to Ingram.

Kevin Donahue:25:00

Thank you, Shoshana. We will add those links to today's show notes of talented women and their latest work about the Camino De Santiago. A lot, a lot, a lot to unpack on today's episode, but perhaps you will find a new favorite novel to add to your Camino reading list. Mine includes several authors who have appeared previously on the podcast. Kinda selfish.

Kevin Donahue:25:23

I reach out to them because I like their book, and I ask them to come on my show. But Claude Tranchant from Australia, Boots to Bliss, Carolyn Gillespie, from England via Scotland, Her book Pilgrim, Coelho's The Pilgrimage, and one that's not specifically about the Camino, but just a great story that I really like and fell into, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. As always, you'll find all of the links and details from today's guest on our show notes and at sacredstepspodcast.com. Please give a quick like to this episode. And please, if you can take two seconds, click a five star rating for the show so that all of those logarithms know to recommend our show to Camino pilgrims like you worldwide.

Kevin Donahue:26:21

This has been the Sacred Steps Podcast recorded today in the kitchen in Luca, Italy. I'm Kevin Donahue. Until next time. Be well, stay safe, and.