May Days

Today, I'm signing at Perfect Books on Elgin Street (at Somerset) from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. so this anchors my Saturday. It's another rainy day - Ted and I were discussing over coffee whether this would help to bring shoppers to the bookstore or whether a sunny day would be better. Elgin can be a vibrant walking street since it is lined in restaurants and shops, with apartments and condos nearby so we decided sunshine would be optimal - I will see shortly!

I've been getting such good feedback as people finish reading Cold Mourning. A few have told me that they got a kick out of reading about different neighbourhoods in Ottawa because they are so familiar. A friend Bill said that he is halfway through and he lay out whom he thought was the killer and why. I kept my lips buttoned but I expect another phone call soon when he finishes the book. Another friend Kathryn told me last night that she didn't guess the killer and she finds Kala Stonechild to be a great character. All music to my ears.

My Dundurn editor Jennifer McNight is working through the manuscript Butterfly Kills and I'll be getting her changes to review by May 20th with a second look by the 30th. The book will be out in January/February but we do the final editing early to get the advance reading copies to reviewers. I've got some distance from this manuscript since I haven't looked at it for nearly a year, so I'm looking forward to having another go at it.

As for the third Stonechild and Rouleau book, I'm 65,000 words in and had a eureka moment about the plot this week. It means changing a few things in the storyline, but I'm excited to see if I can pull the strands all together. I'm aiming to have a decent draft to Dundurn to have a look at by June.

Next Saturday, May 10 is the Capital Crime Writers and Ottawa Public Library mystery author day at the main branch on Laurier. The day begins with Peter Robinson being interviewed - not to be missed. A free homemade lunch will lead into an afternoon of panels and readings. I'll be on a panel with Vicky Delaney, Jeff Ross and C.B. Forrest at one o'clock. You can pop in for all or part without registering, but to have the complimentary lunch, you need to send in your name - Click on this link for more information.

So lots going on as we round the corner into May. Still cool, still rainy but the odd hour of sun to stave out massive depression. To lift our spirits, the refrain has become, "At least it's not snowing". I guess we're adapting our expectations to suit the conditions. The Canadian obsession with the weather continues . . .