I'm thrilled to let you know that another visit with Meg is in the offing. Dundurn will be publishing A Cold White Fear late 2015 or early 2016. I've had a lot of fun writing this 7th book in the Meg Harris mystery series and am now deep into the revisions. I always enjoy this part of the writing process. I get to know the story and my characters so much better. In fact I usually hate to part with them, when I finally have to say good-bye to the manuscript and send it into my publisher.
This time I am trying something different. I have put Meg in a threatening situation. I wanted to push Meg, get her outside her comfort zone and see what she would do to get out of it alive. I've also brought back her young friend, Adjidamo, or Jid as most of us know him, Sergei's buddy, the boy with the impish grin.
Here's the teaser....
It is five days before Christmas and night is approaching. A major blizzard has cut off access to Meg’s isolated wilderness home, Three Deer Point. She is alone with her
young friend, Adjidamo, preparing for the big event, when a knock suddenly echoes
through the house...
And so it begins.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Thursday, November 27, 2014
The fun of a book tour
I had a fabulous time on my western Canada book tour. When Words Collide was a world wind of panels and author discussions and I particularly liked the multi-genre aspect of the Calgary conference. Usually the conferences I attend are devoted solely to crime fiction, so it was a nice change to meet science fiction and romance writers. If you are looking for another writers/writing conference to attend, you couldn't go wrong with When Words Collide, usually held in August.
And of course I couldn't go to Calgary without a trip into the mountains. I spent a delightful day hiking along the shore of Lake Louise and paddling on Emerald Lake with my niece, who was working in Field B.C. for the summer. Her brother who happened to be out West at the same time joined us for dinner the night before, so we had a bit of a family reunion. It was great fun. It was also a trip down memory lane. When I was in high school I spent a summer working at Lake Louise. I won't say how long ago it was, but let's just say the hotel Chateau Lake Louise has changed a bit in the intervening years, but they still grow the Icelandic poppies in the gardens.
Vancouver was spectacular. I returned to the hotel I stayed in for my research trip for Silver Totem of Shame. And followed Meg's footsteps along False Creek, walked past the houseboats on Granville Island where she and Eric could've stayed and saw the carving studio that served as the model for the murder scene.
But the best part was meeting readers and fans at three Vancouver Public Library branches and the store signings at Black Bond Books/Book Warehouse. Living in such a large country, I don't expect to find fans in places that are several thousands of kilometres from where I live, so I was thrilled to discover people who not only knew my name but had read all my books and were dying to meet me. I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real.
And of course I couldn't go to Calgary without a trip into the mountains. I spent a delightful day hiking along the shore of Lake Louise and paddling on Emerald Lake with my niece, who was working in Field B.C. for the summer. Her brother who happened to be out West at the same time joined us for dinner the night before, so we had a bit of a family reunion. It was great fun. It was also a trip down memory lane. When I was in high school I spent a summer working at Lake Louise. I won't say how long ago it was, but let's just say the hotel Chateau Lake Louise has changed a bit in the intervening years, but they still grow the Icelandic poppies in the gardens.
Vancouver was spectacular. I returned to the hotel I stayed in for my research trip for Silver Totem of Shame. And followed Meg's footsteps along False Creek, walked past the houseboats on Granville Island where she and Eric could've stayed and saw the carving studio that served as the model for the murder scene.
But the best part was meeting readers and fans at three Vancouver Public Library branches and the store signings at Black Bond Books/Book Warehouse. Living in such a large country, I don't expect to find fans in places that are several thousands of kilometres from where I live, so I was thrilled to discover people who not only knew my name but had read all my books and were dying to meet me. I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Heading West in August
I am very excited about my western book tour to Alberta and British Columbia. First I'll be in Calgary doing a store signing and attending When Words Collide. I've heard lots of good things about this multi-genre conference, so am looking forward to having a fabulous time.
And then onto B.C. Although I would've loved to have gone to Victoria and Haida Gwaii, it turned out not possible, so I will be spending close to a week in Vancouver doing a number of library and store events. It would be fabulous to see you, so please drop by and say hello.
Calgary
Thursday Aug. 7 - Chapters McLeod Trail, I'll be signing Silver Totem of Shame and my backlist from 6:00 pm to 9:00.
Aug. 8-10 - When Words Collide - I'm involved in a number of events including a book social on the Friday, Aug. 8 at 5:00 pm, when I will be sharing Meg's adventures with Alberta fans.
Vancouver
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 7:00 to 8:00 pm at the West Point Grey Library. I'll be reading from Silver Totem of Shame and discussing the Meg Harris mystery series
Wednesday, Aug. 13, 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the Kitsilano Library - I have a family connection to Kitsilano, so am quite excited to be introducing Meg to the patrons of this library.
Thursday, Aug. 14, 12:00 pm to 3:00 - I'll be signing at Black Bond Books, 632 W. Broadway Ave.
Saturday, Aug. 16, 2:00 pm to 3:30 at the Dunbar Library for another reading from Silver Totem of Shame and a discussion on the Meg Harris mystery series
Saturday, Aug. 16, 7:00 pm to 9:00 at the Book Warehouse on Main Street, 4118 Main St. I'll be reading and discussing my books. I am thrilled to have two Vancouver authors join me, E.R. Brown and Sam Wiebe. This promises to be a fun evening of murder and mayhem.
The photo was taken during my research trip to Vancouver for Silver Totem of Shame. I am very much looking forward to returning to this fair city that has so many ties to me and my family.
And then onto B.C. Although I would've loved to have gone to Victoria and Haida Gwaii, it turned out not possible, so I will be spending close to a week in Vancouver doing a number of library and store events. It would be fabulous to see you, so please drop by and say hello.
Calgary
Thursday Aug. 7 - Chapters McLeod Trail, I'll be signing Silver Totem of Shame and my backlist from 6:00 pm to 9:00.
Aug. 8-10 - When Words Collide - I'm involved in a number of events including a book social on the Friday, Aug. 8 at 5:00 pm, when I will be sharing Meg's adventures with Alberta fans.
Vancouver
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 7:00 to 8:00 pm at the West Point Grey Library. I'll be reading from Silver Totem of Shame and discussing the Meg Harris mystery series
Wednesday, Aug. 13, 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the Kitsilano Library - I have a family connection to Kitsilano, so am quite excited to be introducing Meg to the patrons of this library.
Thursday, Aug. 14, 12:00 pm to 3:00 - I'll be signing at Black Bond Books, 632 W. Broadway Ave.
Saturday, Aug. 16, 2:00 pm to 3:30 at the Dunbar Library for another reading from Silver Totem of Shame and a discussion on the Meg Harris mystery series
Saturday, Aug. 16, 7:00 pm to 9:00 at the Book Warehouse on Main Street, 4118 Main St. I'll be reading and discussing my books. I am thrilled to have two Vancouver authors join me, E.R. Brown and Sam Wiebe. This promises to be a fun evening of murder and mayhem.
The photo was taken during my research trip to Vancouver for Silver Totem of Shame. I am very much looking forward to returning to this fair city that has so many ties to me and my family.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Next stop in the Writing Process Blog Tour
I’ve been invited by
children’s author, Rie Charles to participate in a unique blog tour on writing.
Rie, and I practiced yoga together for a number of years before either of us
got involved in the writing world. And now Rie is set to have her third children's book, A Hole in My Heart, published by Dundurn in the fall. Visit her website http://riecharles.com to learn about her
writing process and to learn more about her and her books. You can also visit
other authors on this tour by following the different links in each of the
blogs. Enjoy.
And so to continue the tour,
I will answer the four questions
What are you working on?
I’m trying something
different with the next and 7th Meg Harris mystery. I’m putting Meg in a precarious,
thriller situation.
After her adventures in B.C.
in Silver Totem of Shame, she is back
home in Quebec at Three Deer Point, the Victorian cottage she inherited from
her Great Aunt Agatha. It’s less than a week before Christmas, Eric is away in
Regina on Grand Council of First Nations business and a major blizzard has trapped
her inside her house. So much snow has fallen that the roads are almost
impassable, her own driveway clogged with two feet of the white stuff. Jid, the
boy she rescued in Red Ice for a Shroud,
is helping her get ready for Christmas. She is balancing unsteadily on a ladder
trying to hang some mistletoe when a loud knock echoes through the house from
the front door. On her way to answer it, the power goes off and she’s plunged
into darkness….
Well….since I am about half
way through in its writing, I am waiting to find out what happens to Meg too.
How does your work
differ from others of its genre?
I write distinctly Canadian
mysteries with distinctly Canadian stories. Because I love the Great Canadian
Outdoors I want to bring this alive to my readers, so I have chosen wilderness
settings, which tend to be less common in the mystery genre. While Meg lives on
a remote property in the wilds of Quebec, she does travel to other
wildernesses, as she did in my recent book Silver
Totem of Shame, in which she travelled to Haida Gwaii in search of a killer
of a young Haida carver. Meg lives
next door to an Algonquin First Nations Reserve, so I interweave their stories
into the mystery series. I find writing mysteries is a terrific way to explore
social issues. So in each of my books I explore issues related to Natives,
issues, like missing native women, police prejudice against Natives, controversary
between the archeologists and Natives over ancient human remains and so on.
Why do you write what
you do?
I
grew up on a diet of Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and
host of other mainly British mystery writers. I’ve been gorging on mystery
books ever since. When I finally made the big decision to try my hand at
fiction writing, it seemed only natural that I write a mystery. Since the mysteries I enjoyed the most
involved series characters, I decided to write a series. Thus Meg Harris was
born. I named her Meg, short for Margaret, after my grandmother and Harris
after the street I grew up on in Toronto. Like me, she too comes from Toronto,
but apart from our mutual love of the Great Canadian outdoors that is about the
only thing we have in common.
How does your writing
process work?
I
suppose the writing process I use can best be described as ‘writing by the seat
of my pants’. I have tried outlining, but invariably found Meg sending the
story in a totally different direction, so I don’t bother with an outline any
more. I start with a setting, a time of year, an overarching theme, a general
idea of what the story will be about and the opening scene. Since it is a
series, I already know what Meg thinks and feels as well as the secondary
characters. I generally pick up on Meg’s life where it left off in the previous
book.
Once
I have the story down in the first draft, I go through two-three revisions
before sending the manuscript to my publisher. Part of the revision process includes
having two to three critiquers help me see the ‘forest for the trees’. I find
this a very invaluable step and invariably make key changes as a result of
their observations.
I
should not forget where I write. I find my writing muse at my cottage, where I
can look out on the natural world that Meg also enjoys watching. The photo is of my favourite summertime writing spot inside the screened-in porch of my Quebec log cabin.
Thanks
for this opportunity for me to talk a bit about my writing process. And if you
would like to know more don’t hesitate to drop me a line.
Now
let me introduce the next two authors on this tour, long time friend and former
colleague at DMR Group, Maureen Fisher and fellow Ottawa crime writer, Mike Martin.
Maureen Fisher will be posting her writing process on June 2 on her blog http://booksbymaureen.com/my-blog/
Maureen Fisher will be posting her writing process on June 2 on her blog http://booksbymaureen.com/my-blog/
Maureen
is a terrific writer with a very wry sense of humour. She
writes sassy romance novels containing a slice of adventure and enough steamy
love scenes to drive those who to dare read them racing for a cold shower. She
enjoys taking readers into another world, a world full of romance, humor, and
suspense.
Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand . He is the author of "Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People" and has written a number of short stories that have been published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.
The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. The Body on the T was the second book, and Beneath the Surface is the third installment in this series. He's having a big launch at Chapters Rideau in Ottawa on May 29 in the evening.
Be sure to put June 2nd in your schedule so you won't miss the next blogs in the Writing Process Blog Tour.
I hope you are enjoying this blog tour. Don’t forget to check out Rie Charles writing process blog and work back in time to the other blogs. You will discover new writers from many fields and revisit familiar faces.
I hope you are enjoying this blog tour. Don’t forget to check out Rie Charles writing process blog and work back in time to the other blogs. You will discover new writers from many fields and revisit familiar faces.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Store signings, conferences and more
With Silver Totem of Shame now out on bookshelves, I am set to start store signings. Thus far I have Ottawa stores booked and one in Peterborough. Here's the schedule. Drop by. I would be thrilled to see you.
Ottawa
Chapters Kanata - May 23, 6:00 pm to 9:00
Barrhaven Indigo - May 24, 1:00 pm to 4:00
Chapters Rideau - May 25, 1:00 pm to 4:00
Chapters Pinecrest - May 29, 6:00 pm to 9:00
Chapters South Keys - May 31, 12:00 pm to 4:00
Chapters Gloucester - June 1, 1:00 pm to 4:00
Brittons on Bank St - June 21, 12:00 pm to 2:00
Peterborough
Chapters - June 8, 1:00 pm to 4:00
May 10, all day, I'm participating in Capital Mayhem at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library. At 11:00, I'm on a panel with those other killer dames, Mary Jane Maffini, Barbara Fradkin and Linda Wiken. This is a going to be a grand celebration of Ottawa crime writing.
May 13 is the big launch of Silver Totem of Shame. I'm joined by Vicki Delany who is launching two of her recent books. It's at the Heart and Crown Pub in the Byward Market and starts at 7:00 pm. We're going to have a great bash.
I will also be attending Bloody Words in Toronto, June 6-7. If you love mysteries, consider registering for this terrific Canadian mystery conference. Just click on this to go to the site.
Sadly this is the last year for this con, so it's your last chance to mingle with Canada's crime writers who will be coming from all across the country.
And I must not forget that I will be heading out to Calgary in August to attend When Worlds Collide, August 8 -10. Since I will be out west I am also planning on going to Vancouver and Victoria for some events and hopefully Haida Gwaii. Once these are finalized I will post them.
Take care. And enjoy Silver Totem of Shame
Ottawa
Chapters Kanata - May 23, 6:00 pm to 9:00
Barrhaven Indigo - May 24, 1:00 pm to 4:00
Chapters Rideau - May 25, 1:00 pm to 4:00
Chapters Pinecrest - May 29, 6:00 pm to 9:00
Chapters South Keys - May 31, 12:00 pm to 4:00
Chapters Gloucester - June 1, 1:00 pm to 4:00
Brittons on Bank St - June 21, 12:00 pm to 2:00
Peterborough
Chapters - June 8, 1:00 pm to 4:00
May 10, all day, I'm participating in Capital Mayhem at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library. At 11:00, I'm on a panel with those other killer dames, Mary Jane Maffini, Barbara Fradkin and Linda Wiken. This is a going to be a grand celebration of Ottawa crime writing.
May 13 is the big launch of Silver Totem of Shame. I'm joined by Vicki Delany who is launching two of her recent books. It's at the Heart and Crown Pub in the Byward Market and starts at 7:00 pm. We're going to have a great bash.
I will also be attending Bloody Words in Toronto, June 6-7. If you love mysteries, consider registering for this terrific Canadian mystery conference. Just click on this to go to the site.
Sadly this is the last year for this con, so it's your last chance to mingle with Canada's crime writers who will be coming from all across the country.
And I must not forget that I will be heading out to Calgary in August to attend When Worlds Collide, August 8 -10. Since I will be out west I am also planning on going to Vancouver and Victoria for some events and hopefully Haida Gwaii. Once these are finalized I will post them.
Take care. And enjoy Silver Totem of Shame
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Silver Totem of Shame Launch!
May 13 is going to be party time in Ottawa. I'm launching the latest Meg Harris mystery, Silver Totem of Shame, and you're invited. I'll be joined by Vicki Delany, who is launching not one but two books, the latest Constable Molly Smith, Under Cold Stone and a Rapid Reads, Juba Good. So if you live in Ottawa, come join us. We'd love to see you.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Contest!! Free Book!!
I'm so sick of looking at this never ending snow piling up outside my log cabin. To top it off, it's snowing right now, when it was supposed to be a bright sunny spring day. So I'm going to hold a contest. The first person to guess the date when all this white stuff is finally gone wins a free signed copy of my upcoming book, Silver Totem of Shame. The person with the date closest to the actual date wins! What could be easier than that. Just leave your answer in the comments section.
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