Waiting Until Dark....

Well, I've finished the first draft of my latest manuscript - fourth in the Stonechild and Rouleau series. Now, begins the slow, methodical work, pulling all the plotlines together, checking facts and timeline, finding grammatical errors... I have several characters living in different parts of Kingston and have Google Earth and a street map of Kingston open as I check locations. This cast of characters is moving all around the city and each place has to be checked out. I feel like I'm running a kingdom - deciding who lives where: a nice house, a crummy apartment, downtown, in the burbs - who is naughty and who is nice - who gets to live and who gets murdered.....

I'm looking forward to the Perth Classic Theatre Festival production of Wait Until Dark next Saturday evening. Peggy Blair and I will be doing short readings from our work beginning at 7 p.m. before the play gets underway. I remember seeing the movie with Audrey Hepburn many years back and it's a suspenseful storyline. A blind woman is trapped in her apartment with men searching for a heroin-filled doll. Kind of has that Hitchcock feel, doesn't it, although he didn't direct the movie. No wonder I check cupboards and under beds when I'm in the house alone.

If you're thinking about a fun evening out, order tickets in advance - the play is on for a few weekends with Ottawa crime writers putting on readings for three Saturday evenings. Perth also has some fine restaurants for dinner before the show and lovely B & Bs for an overnight getaway.

Here are a few pictures from last year - I'm on stage with Thomas Curran waiting to do our readings. You can see a bit of the set behind us. We sold copies of our books at intermission.

I can't believe ads are running for back to school sales. Didn't the kids just get rleased from classes yesterday? I think time really is speeding up. But there is still time left to enjoy the heat of summer and long, lazy days. No snow on the horizon yet!

Have a good, relaxing week, everyone. Maybe, I'll see you in Perth!