Driftless Spirits book tour is through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and includes an author interview. Enjoy and a giveaway. Share, comment, follow.
Book Details
Driftless Spirits (Secrets in Casten’s Horn)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting: The Driftless area of Wisconsin, in a fictional town called Casten’s Horn
Publisher : Casten House Books
Publication date : October 30, 2025
Print length : 280 pages
Paperback
ISBN-13 : 979-8231084883
ASIN : B0G11YHMBK
Digital
ASIN : B0FXN5T913
Charlotte Burke can’t shake her recurring dream.
Over and over again she dreams of finding a mysterious journal on a candlelit desk while wandering through a strange house in the middle of the night. Every dream has shown her a framed picture of an old woman sitting at the same desk, except the latest version. Last night, the woman stood and offered Charlotte a keyring. In the morning, Charlotte woke up with her car keys in her hand.
Her best friend is worried but skeptical when Charlotte insists the house is real. The dream is metaphorical, Ivy says, reflecting Charlotte’s restless state. Ivy gifts her a journal and urges her to take the trip her subconscious is demanding before she wakes up behind the wheel. A roadtrip of self-discovery will help Charlotte figure out what she really wants.
Charlotte agrees to the roadtrip but not for Ivy’s reasons. To her, the house, the journal and the woman in her dream are all too real. She sets off to do the impossible. If she can find the house and uncover its secrets in time, she might save far more than her driftless life.
About Karen Ringel
In 2020, Karen Ringel retired from an engineering career to settle in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin with her husband. After taking some time to adapt to the rural lifestyle, she started creating the fictional Casten’s Horn, imagining how a small town might have been founded in the secluded valley she lives in. Always a researcher at heart, her books include references to real bits of history and traditions in an effort to enhance her stories. She writes what she likes to read: small-town mysteries with a cozy feel.
Author Links:
Author website, where I blog about my writing and the Driftless area of Wisconsin: https://castenhousebooks.com/
Goodreads author page, where “Ask the Author” is enabled, and I’m happy to answer questions: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/61067885.Karen_Ringel
Purchase links:
Universal Link Amazon Kindle Amazon Print Apple B&N (ebook and print) Kobo
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 23 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
March 23 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
March 24 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 25 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 26 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 27 – Hall Ways Blog – SPOTLIGHT
March 28 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT
March 29 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 30 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 31 – Salty Inspirations – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 1 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
April 2 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
April 3 – Because I said so – adventures in parenting. – REVIEW
April 4 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
April 5 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
Author Interview
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
I love a lot of the scenes in Driftless Spirits but they are hard to talk about without spoilers. There is a crime to be thwarted but I won’t say what it is. Instead, I’ll offer that the series is called “Secrets in Casten’s Horn” for a reason. In a way, the town itself is my favorite part of Driftless Spirits because I spent so much time building it and I love how it turned out. Casten’s Horn has all the trappings of the type of cozy town found in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin. A quirky town celebration provides the backdrop for the story. The local police chief, the recently elected mayor, and the town’s librarian all cross through Charlotte’s journey as she tries to solve the mystery of her dream. The history of Casten’s Horn also gives the town a lot of depth. Founded in 1860, the town’s past draws Charlotte into solving mysteries throughout the series that are impacting the present day.
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Although I love the main character, Charlotte, she’s just turned thirty and I’m in my
fifties. The current mayor of Casten’s Horn is Rosemary Moody and she’s far closer to
my age. I think if we spent a day together we’d be fast friends. She’s part successful
career woman and part warm hug. Like me, her kitchen is her sanctuary where she
gains perspective and solves problems while she bakes. I would spend a Saturday
afternoon with Rosemary in her kitchen. I’d learn the recipe for her best coffee cake as
we prepared one step by step. As it baked, we’d sit at the table in the corner, sipping
some tea, with the smell of cinnamon wafting from the oven. Rosemary would gossip
“just a bit” about happenings in the town and offer me wise advice about honoring
traditions while progressing towards a bright future. She has a strong vision for
Casten’s Horn and a pride in her home that is infectious.
What books/authors have most inspired you?
It’s cheeky to say but my husband has written a lot of science fiction books. While I’m
not a scifi writer, watching his process and how his early drafts transformed into finished
works greatly influenced my own approach. As a reader, the books I gravitate towards
are those with an immersive world and a bit of “unreality” to them. It could be magical
realism or softer paranormal elements or a story that reaches into the future or shifts the
past. Some specific titles I’ve enjoyed lately are The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de
Paris by Evie Woods and Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
This is an interesting question. Of course, none of the present-day characters in
Driftless Spirits are real people in disguise although some are influenced by people I’ve
met. There are echoes of my best friend in Charlotte’s best friend, Ivy. Once we start
diving into the history of Casten’s Horn, I have to say I spent a lot of time looking up
early settlers in Wisconsin, where they came from and what they did. While none of
those settlers became characters in Casten’s Horn outright, the portrait of Wilhelm
Casten hanging in the museum room at the library was inspired by a picture of Gustaf
Unonius, a real immigrant from Sweden who came to Wisconsin around 1841. The
story of Carl Friman, which I learned about from a real historical marker (there are many
in the state), is reflected in Wilhelm immigrating with two of his sons (Carl came with five
in 1838). I think part of what makes the history of Casten’s Horn feel so authentic is that
it’s been inspired by real stories.
What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always had the bug, it just took a while to get here. I remember presenting my
third-grade teacher with a typed (on a typewriter) booklet of truly bad poetry. In high
school, my sister and I had a game where we’d alternate writing chapters of a story,
each ending in a ridiculous set-up for the other to solve. When it came time to pick a
career, however, I let the analytical side of my brain win. I retired from an engineering
career in 2021. As my husband was still writing, the bug resurfaced. A little push from
my best friend got me moving again. Now I’m hooked. Since I’m still an analytical
planner, the overall arc for the series is set. I just have to tell the story, book by book.
Giveaway
Prize – A paperback copy of Driftless Spirits(Secrets in Casten’s Horn) by Karen Ringel and a $25 Amazon gift card
