With only five chapters to go in my upcoming novel, Autumn in Arborwood, I am excited to share an excerpt from the manuscript. SPARKS WILL FLY WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE There is absolutely nowhere on earth that Ryan Mitchell would rather be than at home, in the picturesque town of Arborwood. As General Manager of... Continue Reading →
An Update on My Writing Space
Five years ago, I purchased a three-bedroom, raised bungalow that was in dire need of cosmetic repairs. It was my little fixer-upper, and she and I were going to get to know one another while I made her beautiful once again, while learning how to play with power tools. Five years on, and my little... Continue Reading →
Why I Am Nixing My Social Media Activity
Today, I make an announcement. A declaration. A promise to myself: I am giving up on the Almighty Social Media machine. Yes, I am well aware of the irony of this statement… which I am addressing on my blog, and will be posting to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (and which, thanks to this nifty little... Continue Reading →
Reflecting on Writing in a Construction Zone
FOUR YEARS AGO, I wrote a blog post about the little fixer upper I had bought. This post was written with a healthy dose of optimism, and an undercurrent of idealism. Me and my 70s-era fixer upper—we would go on an adventure together. I saw into her soul, saw who she once had been and... Continue Reading →
Autumn in Arborwood – Introducing: Ryan Mitchell
In my last blog post, I admitted to a secret. It’s one that I share with laughing chagrin… I imagine celebrities as my main characters so that I can keep straight what they look like when I write about them. When I describe Emmie Tunstall’s sunny smile or Ciaran Halloran’s intense gaze, it is easier... Continue Reading →
Mathing, Visualization and Celebrity Tricks (or: How My Brain Works When Writing)
Math. I am no good at it. Nay—I suck. I’ve slipped below suckage at math and generally stagnate at the point below which suckage can eke its slurpy, slimy function. My newly-minted teenager, my “wee man,” on the other hand, is scary brilliant with numbers. Last year, when his class performed timed math tests, the... Continue Reading →
Authors: Why Reading is Also Your Job
“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” — Stephen King I read voraciously as a kid. From an early age, I indulged in the joys of immersing myself in words and the worlds they create. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, The... Continue Reading →
Why I Love to Run in Spring (…And Why I Make a Fool of Myself Doing It)
Ah, springtime. Hands down, it is my second-favourite time of year (close on the heels of autumn, which is my absolute favourite). Springtime is the time of year where mother nature is waking up again, and filling the air with her perfume. Spring is when the trees are alive with the scent of lilac and... Continue Reading →
Introducing My Newest Work in Progress: Autumn in Arborwood
Hot on the heels of my latest release, I am pleased to announce that my next manuscript is well underway. The last four of my novels - The Ghosts of Tullybrae House, Shadow, The Other Side of Dawn and The Haunting of Tess - explored difficult topics for each protagonist, and took them on a... Continue Reading →
Never a Villain – Why I Love Writing Loveable Characters as an Author
Every good story has a villain… or does it? Villains certainly have their place in our literary landscape. What would Cinderella be without her Wicked Step Mother, after all? Or what would Coronation Street be without the likes of Richard Hillman, Maya Sharma and Pat Phelan creeping the cobbles? (Wuzzup, fellow Corrie fans!) A villain... Continue Reading →