The Year That Was and the Year to Come

The last day of 2016. Looking back, this has been a good year for me on the writing front. Tumbled Graves, fourth in the Stonechild and Rouleau police procedural series, was launched in early March while the fifth Anna Sweet novella No Trace was published in September.

At the Whispers Pub launch with Wendy Pell, Mona Simpson, Carol Gage and Nancy LeBrun

In February, I flew to Left Coast Crime in Phoenix with good friend Alex Brett and spent a great few days in the sun with fellow crime writers and readers. I was part of a book signing at the famous Poisoned Pen mystery bookstore and sat on a panel as part of the conference.

 Poisoned Pen Bookstore event

A morning at the Phoenix botanical gardens - Barb Fradkin, Alex Brett and me

I continued writing throughout the summer and fall, submitting the final draft manuscript for the fifth Stonechild book to Dundurn in early December. We also edited Shallow End (fourth in the series) and prepare for its release in early March 2017. Most exciting, I got word late summer that the first two books in the series, Cold Mourning and Butterfly Kills would be made into audio books, and I was part of the process to pick the actress to read the books. I travelled to Toronto in late October to sit in on a recording session with voice actress Michelle St. John and sound technician Dan Harden. The audio books will be released early spring as well.

Michelle St. John

With Dan Harden and my Dundurn publicist Michelle Melski

And the events continued throughout the year. I was invited to two local book festivals: the Ottawa International Writers Festival in April and Prose in the Park in June. Both were great fun with terrific crime writers to share the stage.

Ottawa Writers Festival with Linwood Barclay and John Lawton above and Barb Fradkin and Joy Fielding below.

 (l to r)  Peter Kirby, Ian Hamilton, me, Dietrich Kalteis and John Farrow

At the Capital Crime Writers tent (Prose in the Park) with Linda Wiken, Tom Curran, Patricia Filteau, Joe Italiano and Madonna Skaff

Not to mention, all the signings and visits to book clubs and organizations as a guest author in 2016 ..

Chapters Gloucester in October

Manotick book club with Mary Jane Maffini hosted by Janet Claridge in September

It was indeed a busy writing year and 2017 promises to be even busier! Thank you for continuing to take this journey along with me - I feel that much stronger knowing you're out there. I begin the New Year with two book club visits in Ottawa and Cobourg, a trip to Toronto to the Ontario Library Association's annual conference, and the Shallow End and audiotape launch. I'll be visiting some bookstores as well for signings and hope to meet you along the way.

Happy New Year, everyone. I raise my glass with you at midnight and wish you much joy and good health in 2017.