Category Archives: Reading

Our Vanished Sisters

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I’m about to put the finishing touches on my latest work-in-progress, Off The Grid. This story takes place in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, which is infamous for being Canada’s poorest postal code. I loved writing this story. I love the characters, especially Marnie. But it really started with my fascination of the setting. It called to me from the first time I became aware of the reputation of the Downtown Eastside (DTES). At the time I had no idea I would craft a story set in Vancouver. But as I look back, I realize it all started with my book club and a selection I never would have chosen to read on my own.

That book was Missing Sarah: A Vancouver Woman Remembers Her Vanished Sister by Maggie de Vries. Sarah’s remains were never found, only trace amounts of her DNA. It also meant she was a victim of the worst serial killer in Canadian history, Robert Pickton. Sarah was a sister, a daughter, a writer, a poet. She loved and was loved. She had hopes and dreams. She also happened to be a prostitute and a drug user living in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. de Vries’s book is her tribute to her sister. It’s also brutality honest. It is sad. But in the end I cared about Sarah as a person, as a sister. Before I read this book I knew less than nothing about Canada’s vanished and murdered women. I’ll always be thankful I read it. It gave me a new perspective, a new way to look at stories about lost sisters.

And now I do care.

February 14th Annual Women’s Memorial March is held on Valentine’s Day each year to honour the memory of women from the Downtown Eastside who have died due to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual violence. Now in its 22nd year, the march brings courage and commitment to remember and honour murdered and missing women, and to end the violence that vulnerable women in the DTES face on a daily basis. Women’s Memorial March Many cities across Canada now hold their own Women’s Memorial March. Check your city for details.

“We are here to honour and remember the women, and we are here because we are failing to protect women from poverty and systemic exploitation, abuse and violence. We are here in sorrow and in anger because the violence continues each and every day and the list of missing and murdered women gets longer every year,” says Marlene George, Memorial March Committee organizer.

February 14th is also a day for dancing. One Billion Raising to stop violence against women around the world.

Because of gendercide and sex selection abortions. Because a child should never be forced into marriage. Because a college student should never face the horrors of being gang raped on a city bus. Because women do not go ‘Missing’. Because of statistics that suggest 70% of murdered women are killed by an intimate partner. They are murdered by people they know. Assaulted by people they know. Stalked by people they know.

When we demand the right to be safe and free from violence, we demand equality.

End of November Update

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One day until the end of November and it’s snowing. Again. NaNoWriMo is over. Mustaches and beards disappear. Hopefully. And all is well with the world. Except here comes Christmas. I used to be an uber organized person. Now, I’m not. I don’t know what happened. I have no excuse. The good news is I remember most things.

November did see me taking part in a writing challenge, just not the official NaNoWriMo. At this point slinging out 50,000 words that require major rewriting at the end of it doesn’t work for me. I tried it once. I ‘won’. I ditched 95% of those words but have kept the same characters and the same town. That’s it. I’m much happier with the story this time around. My goal for November was 500 words a day. It was an informal challenge supported by my writing group. We weighed in everyday on our private Facebook page and inspired each other. I didn’t keep super strict track but I’m pretty sure it’s all evened out and I’m on pace to slightly exceed that goal.

Obsession (Kate and Seth’s story) is currently sitting at 30,745 words. 13,693 of those words written prior to November. Here’s a sneak peak at the first paragraph.

Kate Logan figured hiking the long road back to self-respect sucked at the best of times. These weren’t the best of times. The splintered wood of her boutique’s back door jamb was rough and sharp under her fingers. With her bank account sitting at next to zero, repairing the break-in damage was an expense she couldn’t afford. She had insurance, but collecting took time.

I’m also working on a manuscript called Off The Grid. Today I signed up to pitch it to  Harlequin’s Dana Hamilton on January 4th as part of their Speed Dating with Editorial Assistant Dana Hamilton opportunity. We’ll see what happens.

And this morning I was busy jotting down an idea for the first scene of the third book in a trilogy that doesn’t have a book one or two. Just plenty of ideas about three adopted brothers and three women who understand about sacrifice.

On December 5th I’m giving a reading along with Mary Balogh and Annette Bower called Some Enchanted Evening…A Romance Reading.

If you happen to be in the Regina area, join us at New Dance Horizons at 7:00 pm!

Starting December 1st I’m offering a Goodreads Giveaway for two copies of my romantic suspense, Backlash. It’s open until the 15th of January.

 

Fifty Shades of Success

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As a romance writer I’m thrilled when readers outside of my genre give it a try. I’m especially thrilled, of course, when they’re surprised by how much they enjoy it. I’m continually surprised by friends who have never before considered reading a romance have read Fifty Shades of Grey. I remember reading at one point that E.L. James sells two books every second. Or did, perhaps that was during the height of the consumer rush. All I can say is, wow! Call me crazy but I’m pretty sure that classifies as a success story.

I won’t bother to explain who E.L. James is or what her Fifty Shades books are about. I can’t imagine anyone not knowing. What interests me is why readers who’ve never ventured into the erotic or erotic romance genre flocked to stores and catapulted her and her stories into the spotlight.

I’m not going to comment on the quality of the writing. E.L. James has sold a gazillion books, I’ve sold…less than that amount. And who am I to say what the well-written word looks like. I’m still trying to figure it out for myself. I will say there were parts I loved and some I loved less. That’s generally the way it works when I read most books. I’m one of those readers who likes to read the book of the moment. As a writer, I thinks it’s important to keep track of what’s selling. And why.

It’s my job as a writer, one who wants to increase her readership, to figure out what I can learn from her books and the book buying climate. What is it about this story that sells books? What is it about Christain Grey and Anatasia Steele that sells books. Is it the sexual component? Curiousity? The cover? The ideal fantasy? And how much of it is marketing?

Here’s what I took away from Fifty Shades of Grey.

Memorable Characters: First and foremost characters over plot sell books. They’re the reason we love a book. In literary and genre fiction. The most carefully contrived plot fails is the characters are cardboard cutouts. Who gives a crap about the world building if the characters suck. You don’t have to like them, but you do have to feel strongly about them. If the characters are flat the story isn’t as captivating. Today’s heroes and heroines are smart. They push to survive. Contemporary characters need modern dilemmas. They may not want it all but they want it BIG. They dig deep for the courage to live big and maintain ideals.

Emotion: Emotional Rewards per Page and Reader Experience. I remember a guest blog post written for the new defunct Prairie Chicks Write Romance by a gentleman, Vince Mooney, who had studied the romance genre and gave us a look into what makes Nora Roberts’ writing so popular. It really is worth the time it takes to read the post. In romance the ending is no surprise. The appeal is in the journey. When we write we need to think in terms of reader experience and what that means on every page. Living big takes huge emotion. It takes courage, passion and commitment; success and failure; sacrifice, forgiveness and humility.

Voice: It’s what starts that coveted promotion tool known as word-of-mouth. It’s that nebulous thing that either appeals or it doesn’t. It resonates subconsciously. Voice is, of course, subjective in it’s appeal. But as with emotion so it is with voice. Go big or go home. If the author holds nothing back in terms of how she/he tells the story it shows on the page.

Of course, these three things are subjective but books with these qualities have mass market appeal as there are certain qualities that appeal to us all. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not going to plant myself in my writing chair and try and churn out a story that’s only appeal is marketability. I am saying that there is inspiration to be found in other’s successes. Something to be learned from the works of others whether we liked the story or not. Objectivity is a skill we use in critiquing others pre-published works. It’s also plays a part in improving our own skills.

 

Do you read bestsellers? Are you influenced by the book of the moment? Do you feel writers can learn valuable insight into the publishing climate by studying bestsellers in your genre?

My Thoughts on Jane Eyre

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I don’t claim to be a lover of classic literature, more intrigued by it than anything, as my time spent with it has been brief. But I am an advocate of expanding the reading experience. If you can do it with a group of other readers I figure all the better. I’ve always wanted to read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and now I can claim I have thanks to our Carnivalesque Summer Reading Challenge.

Hayley, Jana, and I are sharing our final thoughts over at Hayley‘s blog.

However, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts here as well. Let me start off by saying it was a slow go. It took me literally the whole summer. Although, that largely has to do with our house being in a state of chaos due to main floor renovations. My favorite reading spot was dismantled for two months and…

Okay, enough with the excuses.

I still don’t know what I think of it. Having said that, I did enjoy it and most importantly it made me think.

Setting:  The mid 18th century is not a time period I’m familiar with nor read in. I’m assuming Charlotte Bronte lived in the time period she wrote in. So, contemporary for her and historical for me. I don’t know if that makes a difference or not.  It’s an interesting thought, though. Authors write historicals, but is it the same?

I don’t know. It’s something I’m going to have to give more thought to. I do know Bronte’s style and voice struck a cord with me. I had no problem envisioning the various places Jane found herself in. Bronte’s way with description has inspired me to think even harder about how I use words.

Jane:  I wonder how ‘feminist’ this literature seemed at the time? A story about a young woman who largely succeeds due to her own ingenuity and strength. She’s no shrinking violet. Even though she receives an inheritance that gives her the power to greatly better her circumstances I like to think she’d have succeeded without it. I admired her strong sense of faith, and her steadfast sense of right and wrong. I wondered where she managed to amass all her courage. For someone who has received little to no affection, she manages to be very together. There were times I found it impossible to believe she was eighteen years old. However, I found it impossible not to root for her. Damn it, I wanted that happy ending for her so bad and I’m so glad she got it. Without losing any of the qualities that made her so special and that set her apart: her wit, her common sense, and her values.

Mr. Rochester:   I’m a contemporary romance writer. I love my modern day heroes. I’ll say this: he was very human. The best thing about reading books with others is sharing opinions. You can read some of ours here. This proved helpful and I was very interested in what others had to say about Rochester. There were times when I didn’t know what to make of this guy. Did I like him? I’ll say this, by the end I saw him differently then when we were first introduced. I’m now a fan of redeemed heroes. I believe he loved Jane with his whole heart and that she was the one woman for him. I saw a man who tried to do the right thing and then was burdened by the force of those choices. There were times when I wish he would have kept his mouth shut. Then again, the story would not have the power it does.

Am I glad I read it? Absolutely.

My Own Personal Reading Challenge

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My first blog hop is over and it was a blast. Thanks for all the lovely comments and for taking the time to travel the web in search of why we love heroes. My winner for the $5 Amazon Gift Certificate and a copy of The Storytellers’ Bouquet was:

Jan D.

Go Canada!

We all know unless you live under a rock the London 2012 Olympics Games are underway in Great Britain. So exciting to watch and cheer on your country. But I can’t help thinking about those parents in the stands. I mean good luck to all the athletes and everything, but seriously? How hard it must be to sit in those seats and wait for your son or daughter’s turn to be the focus of the entire world. OMGosh, if you’re a parent of a gymnast you have my sympathies. They are in the spotlight and they love to show the parents whether things have gone their way or it wasn’t their day. And you really have to love pink!

I’m not what you’d call an athlete (how’s that for understated sarcasm) but in honor of The Games I’m creating my own event – Book Reading. I’m combining this with love of country and an unreasonable desire (because I have absolutely no free time) to participate in a some type of book reading challenge. See? Three birds with one stone. Kind of. Maybe.

Okay, not really. But here it is anyway. I know there are challenges out there that encourage you to read a 100 books or some crazy number. If you’ve tried this and succeeded I applaud you. You deserve a medal. I’m going to try and read – wait for it – 7 books. I know, crazy ambitious right? Let me explain. I had some criteria. They had to be Canadian authors. The stories had to be set in Canada. Mostly. They had to genre fiction (because my book club reads mostly ‘literary fiction’). They had to be new-to-me authors. I love it because now I know what I’m going to be reading for the rest of the year. Or at least along side my book club’s picks and my go-to authors releases.

Hopefully, I’ll be more organized with this challenge than with Jane Eyre which I planned to read while away on holiday for our Summer Reading Challenge. Which was family reunion fun than camping capers. With kids. Two of whom belonged to my sister and who are aged one and four. And adorable. But exhausting. If they were a TV channel I would watch it all day. I’m back on track though and making my way through Jane’s time at Lowood. The plague (or whatever they’re calling it has arrived) and children are dying. Something terrible is going to happen to Helen and I’m dreading this next part.

Anyhoo…The List for my 2012/2013 Personal Reading Challenge:

September – Anthony Bidluka – Dos Equis – Mystery – Saskatchewan

October – Pamela Callow – Damaged – Crime – Nova Scotia

November – Janet Gurtler – If I Tell – Young Adult – Alberta

January – Louise Penny – Still Life – Mystery – Quebec

February – Maureen Jennings – Murdoch Mysteries: Except the Dying – Mystery – Ontario

March – Barbara Dunlop – A Cowboy Comes Home – Romance – Yukon

April – Nadine LaPierre – The Slayer – Mystery/Thriller – Nova Scotia

Wish me luck. Or better yet join me! It’ll be fun. Do you participate in reading challenges? Book clubs? Read-offs?

Care For a Drink With That?

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“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” Julia Child

The weekend is just around the corner and what’s summer for if not to enjoy? There are tough decisions to be made like what are you going to drink, what are you going to eat, and most importantly what are you going to read. Having trouble deciding what goes best with what. Well, I’ve got a few suggestions.

I could go with a dark, rich ale whose slightly smoky complex flavor goes well with an assortment of foods. But the heck with that idea! Choose a medieval romance or a highland romance to sip your ale by, perhaps while snacking on some chicken wings, nachos, or some other type of delicious finger food. No haggis allowed here however.

Might I point you in the direction of a Chardonnay, the Queen of the whites, with its wider-bodied, rich citrus flavors? Recommended pairings are fish and chicken. I say pair it with a contemporary romance. There’s got to be a Nora Roberts book out there I haven’t read. Sushi anyone?

Then there’s the wine that goes with anything – a Merlot. Its round texture and black cherry and herbal flavors suggest a partnership with a riveting romantic suspense along with a gooey, oozy, cheesy, spicy pepperoni pizza.

How about the granddaddy of them all, a Cabernet Sauvignon? Full-bodied, firm and gripping. To be enjoyed with red meat. Permission granted to sink your teeth into a paranormal romance. Might I recommend a perfectly grilled steak?

Is there anything better then a straight shot of Canadian whiskey? Aged, typically lighter and smoother, you can’t help but marry it with a historical. So grab that jar of fire roasted peanuts for yourself and saddle on up to the couch with a historical.

What weekend is complete without a trip to your favorite coffee shop and a frothy cup of Chai tea latte? Or a London Fog, I can never decide. Back home again with a bag full of ginger cookies and a regency romance and you’ve have all the makings for tea in the afternoon.

If your tastes run more to a sharp, tangy lemonade or sweet iced tea might I propose a traditional romance or an inspirational romance. Enjoy them alongside a slice of a real deal, homemade chocolate cake smothered in rich, creamy chocolate icing.

Or mix and match any of the above!

Are there any other romance sub genres I’ve left out? What about other genres? What would you pair them with?

*For the recipes to those delicious looking drinks go here.

**This post has been recycled. It first appeared on the now defunct Prairie Chicks Write Romance, but I thought it deserved another airing. 

Channeling Ferris Bueller

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This Thursday on our travelling blog we talked about our favourite places. So, as a tie into that I thought I’d blog about playing hooky. Come on, we’ve all done it! Maybe it’s a mental health day from work? Bowing out of a social engagement? Or skipping out of Sunday supper with the extended family? A class?

We all have a little Ferris Bueller in us!

We don’t make a habit of it and the reason has to be a very good one. But if you’re not comfortable telling a little white lie to your boss, friend, or family member, there are ways you can take some time to yourself without the guilt. Take a paid one-day holiday from work, send the rest of the family off to supper without you, give your tickets away to someone else who’d really enjoy the show but might never get there otherwise.

Sloane: What are we going to do?

Ferris: The question isn’t “what are we going to do,” the question is “what aren’t we going to do?”  

Now I don’t know about you but my favourite way to play hooky is to hideaway with an awesome book. The book that I’ve been eagerly waiting for and counting down to until release day. All I want to do is call dibs on the living room couch and settle in to read. Then I pretend I’m invisible. And deaf.

Bueller?… Bueller?… Bueller?

The fact remains that it would have to be a pretty special book to go to all the trouble to carve out considerable hours of your hectic day to indulge. So what book would be worth skipping out of something? For me that would be JR Ward’s next installment in her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I can’t wait for Blay and Qhuinn’s story. Can. Not. Wait. Maybe it would be JK Rowlings next offering. Thankfully, the possibilities are endless.

 

Added to that summertime is the perfect time to play hooky in my neck of the woods. The hot weather is here. Today marks the start of Canada Day weekend. Let the festivities begin. Here are a few facts to prove just how vast of a country Canada really is!

  1.  The border between Canada and the United States is officially known as the International Boundary. At 5,525 miles, including 1,538 miles between Canada and Alaska, it is the world’s longest border between two nations.
  2. At 3,855,103 square miles, Canada is the second largest country in the world, behind Russia.
  3. Alert, in Nunavut territory, is the northernmost permanent settlement in the world.
  4. Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world at 151,600 miles.

But my personal favourite fact is this one:

  • Cryptozoologists claim that Canada is the home of several cryptids, including Sasquatch, a giant sloth-like creature known as the beaver-eater, a cannibalistic wildman named Windigo, and a number of lake monsters, such as Ogopogo in Lake Okanagan, British Columbia.

Find more interesting Canadian facts here

So grab a mickey, or a 2-4, some Timbits and lets get this party started. Happy July 1st to my fellow Canadians and Happy Independence Day to my American friends! Feel free to share an interesting fact about your place in the world.

.

 

Fiction Friday

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So, I’ve been reading! At one point I had three books on the go. That’s very strange for me. I generally stick to reading one book at time, with one on deck and one in the hole. All other months, except for July, August, and December, I have a book club book on the go. Hopefully. Usually I’m falling behind the eight ball on that one. This month is no exception.

Let’s start with that one. Room by Emily Donoghue. Room is the story of a five-year-old called Jack, who lives in a single room with his Ma and has never been outside. When he turns five, he starts to ask questions, and his mother reveals to him that there is a world outside. Told entirely in Jack’s voice, ROOM is no horror story or tearjerker, but a celebration of resilience and the love between parent and child.

I’ve started it and it’s so engaging and fresh. But it’s the beginning. My problem is a mistrust of words ‘no horror story or tearjerker’. I guess I’ll find out!

 

The one I’ve finished. For the first time ever I picked a book because I saw it on Facebook! Jillian Stone’s The Seduction of Phaeton Black. Loved it! A bit Steampunk, a little Sherlock Holmes-ish, hints of the erotic, some Paranormal bits.

Unfairly linked to Scotland Yard’s failure to solve the Whitechapel murders, Phaeton is offered a second chance to redeem himself. A mysterious fiend, or vampire is stalking the Strand. After a glass and a consult with the green fairy, he agrees to take on the case.

On his first surveillance, Phaeton pursues an elusive stranger and encounters several curious, horrifying beings. But the most intriguing creature of all is a Cajun beauty who captures him at knifepoint and threatens to spirit away his heart.

What a delightful book! Mary Balogh at her best. The Proposal is Book 1 of the Survivors’ Club series and Gwen, Lady Muir’s story. Gwen, wealthy, aristocratic widow after a troubled marriage, has resisted remarriage for many years. But at last she is restless and believes she could find contentment in a marriage with a quiet, refined man. Large, powerful, dour Hugo, Lord Trentham, is reluctantly in search of a practical, capable woman of middle class origin, like himself, to help with his newly busy life after his father’s death. When he rescues Gwen after she has sprained her ankle on a deserted beach, they feel a mutual dislike and resentment of each other.

I’ve only recently learned of Saskatoon author, Anthony Bidulka. His books sound awesome. I’ve been busy adding his books to my TBR pile! A gay wedding gone bad. A missing groom. An unsullied reputation at risk. Enter Russell Quant, cute, gay and a rookie private detective. With a nose for good wine and bad lies, Quant is off to France on his first big case. From the smudgy streets of Paris, he cajoles and sleuths his way to the pastel-coloured promenade of Sanary-sur-Mer.

Back in Saskatoon, Quant comes face to face with a client who may be the bad guy, a quarry who turns up in the most unexpected place and a cast of colourful suspects: the vile sister, the best friend, the colleague, the ex-lover, the lawyer, the priest, the snoopy neighbour—are they involved? Or is someone else lurking in the shadows? As he works through his case, Quant juggles his detective gig with the responsibilities of a personal life brimful of captivating personalities.

Have you discovered any new authors lately? Read any good books? Added anything to your already teetering TBR pile?


 

Adventures in Reading

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First is a book I’ve just finished reading and it’s my critique partner’s debut New Adult paranormal, Stealing Breath by Joanne Brothwell! It’s a wonderful story and I hope you check it out.

Deep in the backwoods of North Dakota, twenty-one year old Sarah Ross is searching for a missing child when she is attacked by a glowing-eyed, transparent… creature. Sarah survives, destroying the monster by using mysterious abilities she didn’t even know she had.

Bloody and bruised, Sarah flees the scene and runs directly into Evan Valente, a handsome, charismatic stranger who helps her back to safety. But what is Evan doing out in the forest at five in the morning? Read more here!

The second book is the one I’m currently reading and it’s our May reading selection for my book club, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Excellent so far!

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

Laura Griffin’s Unspeakable, the 2nd in her Tracer series, is next in cue on my TBR pile!

Elaina McCord’s dream of being an FBI profiler is in danger with her first case—investigating a string of murders near a Texas beach resort. The victims, all young women, were drugged and brutally murdered, their bodies abandoned in desolate marshland. Elaina’s hunch—met with disbelief by local police—is that these are only the latest offerings from a serial killer who has been perfecting his art for years, growing bolder and more cunning with each strike.

True-crime writer Troy Stockton has a reputation as an irresistible playboy who gets his story at any cost. He’s the last person Elaina should trust, let alone be attracted to. But right now Troy, along with the elite team of forensics experts known as the Tracers, are her only allies in a case that’s turning dangerously personal. A killer is reaching out to Elaina, taunting her, letting her know how ruthless he is and how close he’s getting. Now it’s not just her career that’s in danger—it’s her life. . . .

There you have it. That’s my adventures in reading for the last couple of weeks.What great books have you read, are reading, or have stacked in your TBR pile?

 

Reading Therapy

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I participated in a reading last week at a lovely small town Saskatchewan library along with a friend of mine, Annette Bower. I read from my romantic suspense, Backlash, and she read from her newly published e-book, Moving On: A Prairie Romance. An old converted school house with original tin ceilings and hardwood floors, it contained a small library and an art gallery. We read in a cosy room in front of a beautiful mural created by young local artists to fifteen or twenty interested attendees.

I had a very entertaining conversation with an older woman who hadn’t read a book of fiction since high school. It’s true. Apparently, it’s possible to go fifty or sixty years without reading a book. I’m sure she’s enjoyed many other creative pursuits, but still…

I thought about all those times I’ve read books to save my sanity. Like recently, when I found myself awake at 2:00 am three or four nights in a row because I was coughing and couldn’t sleep. Tucked up in bed, propped up against a mound of pillows, Vicks Vapor Rub smeared on my chest, waiting for the cough medicine to kick in, I poured through four books.

On those bi-monthly weekend Greyhound bus rides from Regina to Saskatoon to visit my now husband in my twenties. Airports, hotel rooms, doctor’s offices. What do people do in these places if they aren’t reading? Okay, excluding hotel rooms!

On our way home from the reading we talked about creative ways to promote ereaders and ebooks. Someone mentioned their niece reading on her ereader while breastfeeding her baby. Oh, how I wished I’d had one way back when to pass those long hours.

It’s been a long day and the next one promising to be just as long. What do you do? You pick up a book and allow the story to sweep you away. There’s nothing quite like immersing yourself in a great book. I’ll even take a not-so-great book over no book. I’ve used books to soothe away teenage angst. I remember once, shortly after moving away from home for the first time at eighteen, a group of girlfriends got together one night to watch the movie: Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I read an entire Harlequin romance once I returned home to my dark, little, very empty house. I don’t remember the name of the story, but it saved my sanity that night.

When has reading saved your sanity?

I hope you check out my friend, Annette Bower and her new release, Moving On – A Prairie Romance.

Moving On-A Prairie Romance

Anna is a mysterious woman that has just moved to Regina Beach. The residents of the small town know everyone’s business and they are very interested in discovering Anna’s secrets. Nick was a Sergeant in the Canadian Army, doing active duty until a horrific accident sent him home to recover. He helps Anna feel safe and comfortable in her new environment, just as he has always done for his men in strange, dangerous places. Meanwhile, he focuses on preparing for his future physical endurance test to prove that he is capable of returning to active duty.

Anna doesn’t talk about her past, and Nick doesn’t talk about his future therefore she is shocked to discover that his greatest wish is to return to active duty. She won’t love a man who may die on the job again. Intellectually, she knows that all life cycles end, but emotionally, she doesn’t know if she has the strength to support Nick.