Hazy Monday.

I stepped outside at my usual 7:15 a.m. to walk to the transitway where I catch the bus to work - and partway down the first street, I smelled something burning. It was a whiff of what seemed to be burning garbage. I stopped and searched for smoke in case someone's shed or house had caught on fire, but I saw nothing. When I went out for a lunchtime walk, the air was thicker and the smell of burning filled my nose and throat. News reports said the wind had shifted and brought smoke from forest fires burning in Quebec across the Ottawa Valley. We just had a taste of how horrible it must be for communities close to the blaze. Let's all start wishing for a steady all day rain across Northern Quebec and Ontario.

I arrived home from Bloody Words in Toronto late Sunday afternoon. It was fun to meet up with friends I haven't seen in a while and to meet new ones. The Friday night panel on bad girls in crime fiction was a hoot - good crowd and lots of laughter. Therese Greenwood, a Kingston short story writer, is an adept moderator, and she kept the questions coming. We had varied backgrounds - Pat Capponi (Toronto) writes about poverty and mental illness in her mysteries and she is herself an activist fighting for systemic change in how we look after marginalized people. Mary Jane Maffini (Ottawa) has three mystery series underway, all featuring comedy and strong female protagonists. Jill Edmondson (Toronto) is a professor at George Brown College, and her main character works for a phone sex line when she's not detecting. All interesting people with great senses of humour.

I've posted photos on my fan page (link at www.brendachapman.ca) if you want to see the panel in question.

There were two cocktail parties, one foolishly before our panel, perhaps explaining some of the laughter, and one before the banquet on Saturday night. All in all, we were well fed and watered and it was an enjoyable few days away. Still, nice to get back home.

Next on the social agenda is Capital Crime Writers' wind-up pub night at the Brewmasters Pub.

Cocktail parties, pub nights, nights at the Hilton - this writing life isn't too hard to take at all!

Just back from my visit to Mrs. Webster's Grade Six class at Leslie Park School. It's a little school, one story smack in the middle of a residential area, with about 130 kids. My group of 30 grade sixers was an enthusiastic lot with questions about the writing process and inspiration. My neighbour Carol is principal and she took me on a tour after the class, which was the last one of the day. The best thing was when three boys stayed behind to ask for my autograph - (I hope those weren't blank cheques they placed in front of me.)

I arrived home to a Winter's Grip manuscript in my in box from Allister, editor for RendezVous Crime. They've gone through it once and have some suggestions for me to wade through this weekend. Not too many though so it won't take all my time. I might have time for some writing if I can keep myself inside.

We're looking at a hot, sunny weekend and up to 35 or so by Tuesday. May has turned into July! I want to get to the plant store tomorrow and into the garden. May 24th weekend. This is when I'm all gung ho about gardening. The feeling wears off by end of June and then it's every plant for itself.

Next Friday, I'll be heading to Toronto with three girlfriends to take in Bloody Words mystery writing and fan conference. I'm on Friday night panel that has a bad girls' theme. I'm pretty sure they mean our characters and not us personally, but I can come up with some stories if pressed:-) Rachel Sentes even put out a news release that you can find on my website under media. The title makes me laugh.

Well, off to find some shade. Happy long weekend everyone.

The weeks sure go fast.

But this is my favourite time. Friday, home from work, with a weekend ahead.

My daughter Lisa's article was in the Wednesday Globe and Mail. A lot of people have told me how much they like the story - I think it is a terrific bit of writing, but I'll let you be the judge. (The link won't copy here so I'll try to attach when I post this in Facebook.) Lisa, I'm proud of you kid.

I wrote a bit but probably read more this week. For those of you looking for a good read, Harlan Coben is an American thriller writer and one of the best, in my humble opinion. He spins good suspense with likable protagonists. I just finished reading Long Lost, published March 2010 - hot off the press, as they say. Anyhow, Harlan is the reason I didn't write as much as I should have this week. I have to say that I'd never heard of him before I went to Bouchercon (mystery writers' conference) in Baltimore two years ago. He was on a panel and an engaging speaker with one of those fine senses of humour. I've since read a few of his books and enjoyed them. If our paths ever cross again, I think he owes me a beer for this fine review of his work :-)

Well, almost time to wander down to the local pub with my husband for a bite to eat served up by out youngest daughter. Since she moved out last summer, we look forward to seeing her at her place of work . . . and it doesn't hurt that she's now waiting on us. Sometimes, life has these full-circle moments.

Well, I was thinking this was going to be a boring week for the blog, and then, Thursday happened! It opened with my daughter Lisa telling me her article that she submitted to the Globe and Mail Facts and Arguments page will be printed this coming Wednesday. Be sure to check it out!

Next, I get word from the fabulous author, Mary Jane Maffini that she is keen to go on a roadtrip with me to Muncie, Indiana at the end of October to a writers' conference.

I'm pumped.

I'm thinking Thelma and Louise. . . well shorter, better dressed versions of Thelma and Louise . . . with credit cards and nice shoes.

Then, (this is deeper into Thursday morning), I received an e-mail from my publisher at Napoleon that they would like to publish a stand-alone young adult book I submitted a few months ago. It is tentatively called After Annie and set in the Vietnam era. So, you can imagine, that had me smiling. No date of release yet, but possibly in 2011. The story will have you reliving the seventies (or what you can remember of them:-) and remembering what it was like to be sixteen.

The day was capped off with an e-mail from the children's book manager at Chapters Pinecrest to do a book signing in July.

All in all, a pretty good day.

My latest manuscript is coming along. I'm at 40,000 words with rain in the forecast. That'll keep me out of the garden and at the keyboard.

I think my blog is working . . . I got feedback today!

My daughter called me at work. "Mom, I'm reading your blog right now, and ewww."

It takes me a split second. "Are you referring to the last entry?"

"I am, and my friend has it open on his computer too. How could you? You're a . . . you're my mother!"

"Well, I used the word 'racy' to make the writing sound exciting. Maybe the passage I wrote wasn't exactly racy. More like integral to the plot. Don't forget, I have to make this blog interesting. I'm building a fan base."

"I don't know if you're qualified to talk about such things."

"You mean . . . ?"

"Yeah, s . . .e . . .x. It makes me wonder just what is going on inside your head."

"Uh, I wonder sometimes too, but trust me, I know a bit about this subject."

"Eww! Double eww!"

Click.

I think I'm onto something. A few more weeks of creative spin and this puppy could go viral.

Well, I'm starting to enjoy the characters in this latest manuscript. I've been writing during my lunch hour at work and managing to get a flow going. Sometimes, I find myself still working on a scene just before bed. This book is taking a few twists I hadn't planned on, including a few racy, sex scenes. Something to read out loud at library events . . . or maybe not.

Anyhow, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the next scenes and what happens to the characters as I ride home from work on the bus. (A few times, I've almost missed getting off at my stop.) Characters really do start taking on a life of their own. It's odd, but you start to think of them as real people. I have trouble putting the ones I like in harm's way or having something horrible happen to them, and when bad things do happen to characters I like, it's draining. Readers go through the same experience - you become personally invested in characters' lives once you're hooked on the story.

I have some housekeeping stuff to do this weekend, including an update of my website and some publicity work that Rachel sent me in an e-mail yesterday. Rachel is contacting blogs and book reviewers for In Winter's Grip, which will likely have a September release. She's starting to get the ducks in a row.

I'm reading Linwood Barclay's novel, Never Look Away. It's a 2010 thriller, and I think, some of his best writing. The plot has a great premise and some unexpected twists. Definitely worth a read. This week, I'm going to try to get to the theatre to watch The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - I hear it's excellent - Swedish with English subtitles. I want to see this version before Hollywood gets its hooks into the script.

Capital Crime Wave rolled into the Ottawa Public Library last night. Ottawa journalist Kate Jaimet did an amazing job interviewing four authors - Tom Henighan, R.J. Harlick, Brian McKillop and . . . me. We each read for a few minutes from our work and then Kate chatted with each of us in turn about writing. What struck me as we were doing our schtick, was how varied our work is and our different life experiences that have all led into the writing field. Tom is a retired English prof from Carleton who specializes in mythology. I know this because he lives down the street from me, and one year I graded papers for his mythology class. Small world. R.J. or Robin is another Capital Crime Writer whose series is set in West Quebec - both of us are published by Napoleon/RendezVous so we're almost related :-) Brian is a historian and head of the history department at Carleton - his 800 page book is a bio of Pierre Burton and sounds fascinating.

The Arthur Ellis awards shortlists were announced last night (the real reason for the event) and kudos to fellow Ottawa authors Robin, Chris Forrest and Rick Mofina for their nominations. These are national awards with lots of competition for those few spots on the shortlist.

Writing has gone slowly this week. I need to buckle down. Some weeks, it just goes that way. If someone out there wants to pay me to stay home and write, I'm listening. Shakespeare had a patron and what's good enough for the bard is good enough for me. I could be a kept author.

A nice note in the mail today from Ottawa Councillor Jan Harder - the Awesome Author judges are being awarded the OPL Order of Friendship for "outstanding volunteer work". There will be a little ceremony in June.