Giving Thanks

I am done my rewrites and am printing off my manuscript as I type this blog in order to go through it as a unit to pull all the bits and details together. This includes looking at the timeline and minute description, such as eye colour and type of vehicle my characters are driving. In one novel, just before the book went to press, I noticed that the grandmother's jeep had morfed into a van by the last chapters. Oops. It's even trickier to have a grey-eyed blonde turn into a brown-eyed redhead. It's easy enough to do when you stretch a manuscript out over a year. Geez, you could forget your own kids names in this length of time.

Lots going on this weekend. Pie-baking, turkey roasting, sitting on the front deck wine-drinking. The thing I'm really keen to do is go through this manuscript, but I can see that happening on Monday when Ted heads to the golf course for one last round although he says this every time he heads out with his clubs. (I continue to nod as if I believe him.) Still, 27 degrees today with a humidex so who can argue with a morning on the links?

I'm also getting excited about the Capital Crime Writers and Ottawa Public Library event coming up Saturday, October 22nd and have to tell you that there are still some spots open if you want to come out. (To register, see www.capitalcrimewriters.com). I'm on a morning panel with my buddies Chris Forrest, Nadine Doolittle and Barb Fradkin - it looks like a spin off of a game show and the Debaters (CBC Radio). It will be moderated by another friend from Health Canada John Holt, who also writes comedy and hosts a radio show. We have so much talent in this city - and so many interesting people. There will be other panels and celebrity readings - someone yet to be determined will read from In Winter's Grip - can't wait to hear them do it. There will also be a delicious free lunch prepared by Margaret Dunlop and morning coffee with homemade baking. How can you not come out?

Speaking of baking, it's time to go blend up some pie dough and peel some apples. I hope that wherever you are, you raise a glass to this most wonderful harvest as you sit down to a heaping plate of turkey and gravy, and of course, that pie.

And to my daughter Lisa curling in Calgary, I'll bake you another pumpkin one sometime soon :-)

Happy Thanksgiving, all!