Home With My Feet Up

Did you hear that? It's me dropping like one of the flies - I've finally gotten one of the many bugs going around work. Sore throat, tired . . . time to stay home and recover. I'm sure most of you know the feeling.

It's actually been a rather uneventful week. I finished all my homework for the acquisitions editor at Dundurn to pitch my adult mystery. I've plugged away at the Rapid Reads sequel and am now at the point where I think it is terrible - this happens with every manuscript. I'll finish it though and then have some readers critique it. At the very least, I've had fun writing it.

So here is an embarrassing moment to share since I haven't much to talk about this week. I was coming home on the bus on Thursday after work, not feeling so great but hanging in. A group of school kids got on at Wellington Street and were clogging up the aisle since all the seats were full. I rang the bell for my stop and stood up, moving toward the side door. The bus driver hit the brakes and I fell flat on my bottom on one of the stairs between the upper and lower level - there were a lot of gasps and then shocked silence. I managed to get up and with all the dignity I could muster, stepped off the bus as if nothing had happened. Hard to do when one's white coat is dripping mud. Luckily, no harm done otherwise.

So, a day of drinking tea and resting up ahead. I'm reading an Elizabeth George book Careless in Red  and recommend her series for those who've never read her Inspector Lynleys. This is the first day that I said to Ted I'm thinking about getting a Kobo or similar device to be able to download books. It might be nice to have the option although I still prefer the tactile experience of a real book and know that I always will. I'm sure those people driving Edsels talked the same way. Heck, I'm still driving my old Pontiac . . . .

Working Toward Goals

I love this photo by Frank Bowick - it captures the feel of these winter days.

First, good news on the publication front. The acquisitions editor for Dundurn likes my latest manuscript submission, an adult murder mystery set that I hope to make into a series. The book will need to be 'pitched' to the editorial board and so I have several assignments to do in the meantime. One is to think of a cover design idea. I also have to write a synopsis as well as several blurbs, much like you would see on the cover of a book. You might be surprised how much input authors have to the presentation and marketing of a book.

The manuscript will need fact checks and lots of revision before all is said and done, so lots of work ahead: first to get it accepted and second to get it publication ready. I am hopeful though and just a bit excited to have this one in reader hands. Once I get confirmation that it is a go, I'll start on the next book in the series - I already have several plot ideas in mind :-)

I've been beavering away on another Rapid Reads manuscript in the meantime and have hit the crux of the story. These are great fun to write and from all the feedback I've been given on The Second Wife, great fun to read. For those of you asking about its Golden Oak nomination, voting is done through the libraries by registered readers in May and the award is given out at a luncheon in Toronto on June 7th. I am planning to attend.

On the curling front, my daughter Lisa's team (Rachel Homan) finished first in the Ontario Scotties round robin and plays at 3 o'clock today in the one-two game. Loser plays the winner of the three-four game with the final tomorrow. All will be on Rogers tv or Shaw, depending on where you live in the province. There's been lots of excitement this week leading into the weekend.

In case you missed my Mystery Maven blog about awards, here is the link:   http://mysterymavencdn.blogspot.com/2012/01/tuesday-brings-trouble_22.html

So, lots to do and already I find the weekends too short. Time to get the day underway . . . .

The Siren Call

I've been writing a lot this week. I'm always asked about my writing process and when I find the time. I'd say the past seven days are an example of how I operate when I'm in the creative mode.

Ted was away curling last weekend so I was up late Friday night working on a manuscript. I spent Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday writing. On Monday, I skipped my lunchtime yoga class to work on the manuscript, and I worked on it through four out of five lunch hours in my downtown office. Thursday and Friday nights, I worked on a blog post that I promised Linda Wiken for this Tuesday (check out Mystery Maven blog at http://mysterymavencdn.blogspot.com/). Last night, I was back to typing away at 10 p.m. on the manuscript, having gone into my office to shut off my computer when inspiration hit.

And this is how I work . . . days away from the keyboard and then weeks when I organize all my free time around getting to it.

Speaking of Linda Wiken, let me give you a little history about this most interesting woman. She is one of the original members of the Ladies' Killing Circle, a group of six or seven Ottawa mystery authors who became famous for their short story anthologies. Linda won awards for her short stories and went on to open Prime Crime bookstore with business partner Mary Jane Maffini. Mary Jane then went on to become a full-time author while Linda carried on with the store, which unfortunately closed a few years back. But with books in her bones, Linda inked a book deal with Penguin/Berkley Prime Crime in the U.S. and her first mystery entitled A Killer Read under the pseudonym Erika Chase is due out in April. I'm very much looking forward to getting a copy. You can read a snippet on her website at http://www.erikachase.com/

This is a photo taken at the closing of Prime Crime bookstore, Left to right are me, with fellow Ottawa authors C.B. Forrest, Barbara Fradkin and Linda Wiken.

I've also got my video buddy Patrick Walton working on a little piece with CBC's Alan Neal reading from In Winter's Grip back in October at 'A Day to Kill'. While some of the camera work is a bit wobbly, it's a great little memento of the day and I'll share it with you shortly. Patrick made this four-minute clip about the actual event, posted on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym0RBTOlHEU

So, I've given you a few links to help entertain you on this mid-January weekend. I'm about to climb the stairs and wake Ted up with a cup of coffee. Then, we'll see how the day unfolds but you can be sure it will include time writing - I might just open the manuscript now to have a peek . . . .

Snow Week in the Valley

My first full week back at work and the cold. snow and freezing rain moved into the Ottawa Valley. What do they call that when nature is in sympathy with mankind's (or in my case, womankind's) plight? I know it will come to me.

Anyhow, some hardy Capital Crime Writer members braved the elements to attend our panel discussion about the writing process on Wednesday evening in the auditorium of the main branch of the downtown library. It was both fun and informative - moderator Wynn Quon kept the flow of questions going for C.B. Forrest, Nadine Doolittle and me. Nadine works as a writer fulltime, living near Wakefield, Quebec while Chris and I both work fulltime in communications and try to fit the writing into busy schedules. I'm a fan of both authors' work and recommend that you pick up their books for a good read.

C.B. Forrest this past summer, dropping in on my book signing at Collected Works.

Nadine Doolittle at A Day to Kill author event in October.

It's the kind of weekend where I'm happy to stay indoors and putter. Sadly, the snow plow keeps zipping by and dropping a load of heavy snow at the end of the driveway and sidewalk, and I will shortly have to go outside to do more shovelling before heading to the grocery store. Since we were away last weekend, the food situation in my cupboards is quite dire and the laundry has piled well above sea level. I am, however, making some headway on a manuscript and intend to spend the bulk of my day writing. Housework be damned (did I write that out loud?)

I've heard from one of the librarians organizing the Awesome Authors contest, and I can expect a package of short stories at the beginning of February. It took me three weekends of reading last year and a few weeknights as I recall so I'll be allowing some time - the contest keeps growing in popularity (for kids 9-17), which is a double-edged sword for the judges - it's so good to have kids participate, but it makes our job more time-consuming. Still, I do enjoy reading their work - so much fun.

I also just registered for Bouchercon in October in Cleveland - a huge American mystery conference that brings in fans from all over the States. It seems fitting to visit the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year since Second Chances is set in 1971 when rock was coming into its own. I can still remember my high school history teacher playing Steppenwolf in the library "Born to be Wild". Not sure why he ignored the library noise bylaw . . . but it was a cooler time.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_81PchgI7A

Just off to track down the snowplow operator to offer a bribe if he bypasses my driveway on the next run. I wonder if he reads mysteries . . . .

Onwards and Upwards

A few of you might have wondered where I got to this week. Well, I was in lovely Gananoque, Ontario watching my daughter Lisa in the ladies regional curling playdowns. We booked into a great B & B named Stonewater Manor and the above photo is sunset from the window seat in our third-floor room. The room took up the whole of the third floor and felt a lot like being up in your grandmother's attic although much better stocked and way cosier. Downstairs and just around the corner is the pub, also owned by Jeff and Sue Girling with live entertainment on the weekends. We caught Cliff Edwards on the Saturday night - he was part of that 70's group The Bells if anyone remembers their music. (I actually do.) All this to say, if you want a fun, entertaining getaway for a night or two, I highly recommend this spot - and order the French toast for your breakfast, smothered in blueberries, strawberries and blackberries. (I had it twice.)

490 Stone Street, Gananoque  www.stonewaterbb.com

And the curling . . .  it was a nail-biting, lock-jawing kind of weekend, but the girls prevailed. They won the B final on Sunday evening and will now head out to Kenora for provincials toward the end of the month. Yes, first and second place won a trip to Kenora in January . . . some might wonder what the losers get . . .

So, this weekend, I am home and will be doing some writing. More on my regular Friday blog.

GO TEAM HOMAN!  :-)

This is my picture of time flying, which seems fitting on New Year's Eve 2011. It was taken one hot summer evening this past summer in Cherry Valley, Prince Edward County. We had a great week with friends Kathy and Bill Adair and Janice and Peter Murdoch, all the more special because Janice and Peter moved to Cold Lake, Alberta the week afterwards.

We did more travelling this past year. It began early in the year as we followed Lisa and her team of Rachel, Emma and Alison on their Scotties run - January in Thornhill, Ontario where they won the provincials and Charlottetown in February where they finished fourth in the country. An exciting two weeks, no doubt about it.

In June, I flew to the opposite end of the country with friends Katherine Hobbs and Darlene Cole to Vancouver and Victoria for Bloody Words, Canada's national mystery author conference. It was my first time that far west and another wonderful trip with perfect weather.  I loved the west coast although I am told it rains there on occasion.

What else happened this year? The Second Wife was released in the summer and I launched it at the Clocktower Pub with fellow Ottawa authors Barbara Fradkin and Jeff Ross, mixing cupcakes, beer and a very good time. Icing on the cupcake was The Second Wife's nomination for an Ontario Library Golden Oak award, the winners to be announced at a luncheon in Toronto in June.

I continued writing and completed a manuscript for an adult mystery that I hope to turn into a series. I am awaiting feedback from the publisher before continuing with this project. I also had a fun booksigning at Collected Works and took part in a Capital Crime Writer day in October at the Ottawa Public Library, the highlight of which for me, was CBC Radio's Alan Neal reading passages from In Winter's Grip. He even managed to send a shiver down my spine. I spoke at the People, Words and Change literacy breakfast and was guest author at a Canadian Authors Association meeting in the fall. I also judged the Awesome Authors English short stories for the second year and presented awards at Ben Franklin place in the spring - I'll be soon reading this year's entries, which should arrive in February.

I make no resolutions for 2012 except my usual one to look for some interesting experiences, meet new people, keep up with old friends and have some fun. Already, plans are afoot. This year, we'll be heading to Italy for a two-week vacation and I've also got Bouchercon lined up in Cleveland in October, travelling again with Darlene and Katherine. And of course, Second Chances will be released in September.

So the year that was was a good one. I am thankful for my time with friends and family with so many good times and so much laughter. As the clock ticks down to the New Year, I raise my glass to each of you and wish you much joy and fulfillment in the year that is to come.

Christmas Eve, 2011. It's a bitterly cold morning with a coating of snow on the ground. I'm nearly ready for guests and meals - we begin tonight with family and my friend Sue, who comes every year for Christmas Eve supper. I change the menu every year. This evening, we will be having pork tenderloin, tourtiere and a lemon mousse dessert. Tomorrow is the main event - turkey with sausage apple stuffing and all the fixings. If we were bears, this would be the gorging part just before we crawl somewhere warm to sleep away the rest of the winter.

I have the entire week off and will spend it catching up with friends, reading (I sure hope there are some mysteries in my stocking), writing a bit and completing the final edit of Second Chances - due January 6th. I received a copy of the Dundurn catalogue in the mail this week and Second Chances has a full page spread. It's slated to come out in September, a good time of year for a YA novel to be released. In keeping with 1971, the year of my novel, I included the titles of a lot of music from that period. I'm thinking it would be fun to make a tape of the songs to play at my launch. A little "Black Magic Woman" anyone? Maybe I could ask one of the old rock bands to come play - they're all back on tour it seems.

Well, I won't write much today since I have brownies to bake and lemon mousse to whip up. I just want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday with family and friends. I've found in years past that it's not the gifts or the picture-postcard, perfect holiday that makes Christmas special, but it is the little moments. Pulling out the ornament box and reliving memories as you hang them on the tree, getting together with friends you haven't seen in a while, calling my family up North Christmas morning, waking up with my girls sleeping over . . . I hope that each of you savour your own special moments and the magic of the season brings joy and peace.

Merry Christmas and a toast to the year that was and the year that is to come.