Wherever you are. However you feel.
Until next year…
Peace be with you.
December 2024: Merry Christmas
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December 2024: Recipe of the Month Recommendation
This time of year can come with a lot of pressure. It can be noisy and overwhelming and costly. Something needs to be easy. And cheap.
How To Make Chocolate Bark From The Pioneer Woman
I just used what was in my cupboards for toppings. It’s a great way to use up the last bits of things you have hanging around. But you could make it pretty and Christmasy without too much effort.
I have my favourite Christmas treats. Mostly they are childhood comforts that my Mom still makes this time of year. Family favourites like scuffles, fudge, apple bars, lemon tarts. Things we only had at Christmas time. I think baking things for people is my Mom’s love language.
So, forget the hustle, hustle, hustle of performance culture and take care of your mental health by doing what you can with what you have.
Until next time…
November 2024 Romance Book Recommendation: Mother Faker by Brittanee Nicole
I’m a sucker for a romance with a big old house that’s falling apart. Victorian, Queen Anne, Classical Revival, Arts and Crafts, Tudor Revival. You get the idea. I even have an old house in the book I’m writing. A Queen Anne that my heroine is converting into a bed and breakfast. Hopefully Darcy house is as much of a character as the two main protagonists, Charlotte and Ridge.
Mother Faker by Brittanee Nicole
Categories: Romance, Rom-Com, Contemporary Romance
Blurb:
Moving with my three best friends and our seven kids into a dilapidated brownstone in Boston may have seemed like the most insane thing I’d do this year. Apparently the universe said hold my beer.
Because last night I got drunk and married my boss.
Don’t worry, it’s all fake. Or at least everything after ‘I Do’ will be.
Beckett Langfield is grumpy, rich and hates kids. I’m an overworked, overstressed, and overweight single mom. The only reason we’re getting married is because he needs to fix a PR disaster and I am available. As in sitting next to him, in a bar, when he has this brilliant idea.
Considering I just got divorced, I’m not looking to do that again. But Beckett makes me an offer that I literally can’t refuse, so I don’t.
He’ll help fix up our broken house and all I have to do is take a few pictures and pretend we’re happily married.
Easy peasy.
Now if someone could just remind him that it’s all fake.
Thoughts:
Mother Faker is the first book in the MomComs Series. Four best friends who are also single moms move into a crumbling brownstone. Each book in the four part series is written by a different author. I listened to them all on Audible and they were all good but Mother Faker is my favourite of the four. I love plus size heroines and the author does a great job with Liv’s character. Also, there is plenty of always-been-you vibes in this one, and that’s another of my favourite tropes.
I love the friendship and sense of family the four women have and likewise the banter between the Langfield brothers. Spot on. And the seven kids…so adorable. Let’s face it, this would never work in real life but that’s what makes it such great escapism. And the notion that these rich men (I know we’re over the billionaires!) would do anything for their women is kind of swoon worthy. I mean who doesn’t want a man who appreciates lots of pillows on the bed. IYKYK.
The writing is good. It’s cute. It’s steamy. It’s fun. But it’s the sense of community they create for themselves that’s really the appeal. And let’s be honest, we need that now more than anything.
Until next time…
What has everyone else been reading?
October 2024: Thanksgiving Weekend in Canada
Acknowledging that we are on Treaty 4 Territory, traditional lands of the Nêhiyawak (Cree), Nahkawé (Saulteaux) and Nakota and homeland of the Métis, Dakota and Lakota.
“Realize that we as human beings have been put on this earth for only a short time and that we must use this time to gain wisdom, knowledge, respect and the understanding for all human beings since we are all relatives.”
June 2023: A Writing Retreat at St. Peter’s Abbey
Four of us went on a writing retreat last weekend. Annette Bower, Jana Richards and Alison Lohans and I packed up some writing gear and spent the weekend at St. Peter’s Abbey in Muenster, Saskatchewan. My first writing retreat since 2019.
Gosh, it was lovely to get away and focus entirely on writing! The companionship was excellent, too. The abbey is basically in the country, outside of the (very) small town of Muenster and close to the larger town of Humboldt.
The accommodations are simple. We stayed in St. Scholastica, a former nuns’ residence, not the main college building. No air conditioning. Common washrooms. We ate in the cafeteria. Simple food found on many a prairie table. No distractions. We met for meals and in the evening in the common room. It was delightful.
And, I got a lot done. Now it’s back to reality. We’re doing things like cleaning out our garage and basement. There’s a big disposal bin on our driveway and we are getting things done! We might fit in a game of golf or a barbecue, too.
Until next time…
It’s the long weekend here in Canada! What’s everyone else doing?
March 2023: Round Up
Technically it’s spring but still very much winter. As in there is still a lot of snow here. But spring is coming! That’s why when we went to buy furnace filters I also bought gladioli bulbs and dahlia tubers.
The Round Up
March saw us through Pi Day, the Ides of March and St. Patrick’s Day. Also, International Women’s Day, World Poetry Day and International Transgender Day of Visibility.
In fact, today is Transgender Day of Visibility, so here are some things to be aware of:
1. Trans people are valid.
2. Trans people are not a threat.
3. Trans rights are under attack.
4. Trans people need active allyship now more than ever.
Here’s a great list of transgender and non-binary romances from Word Wilderness.
I read some books this month. You can find my thoughts on The Bodyguard by Katherine Center here.
I also read Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade and I really enjoyed it. Plus size heroines for the win! Heroines who identify as fat, even better. We need more positive representation for fat people. Can you tell I’ve been listening to the Maintenance Phase podcast? But also just yes to love stories for all of us.
We went to see Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion at Globe Theatre this month, too. It was written by the very talented Drew Hayden Taylor, a leading Indigenous playwright, and the Globe’s performances were directed by Erin Goodpipe and Jayden Pfeifer.
About Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion:
A ‘buddy’ adventure that is part road trip – part grand heist – this story follows two Ojibway men, Bobby Rabbit, and his wannabe rock star friend Hugh, who leave their reserve and head out on the TransCanada highway to right a cultural wrong. To retrieve his grandfather’s medicine pouch from the British museum, Bobby and Hugh will steal precious relics to hold as ransom – Sir John A. MacDonald’s bones. Along the way they pick up, Anja a white student from a prestigious university with opinions on absolutely everything. These three sort historical fact from fiction to chart their own terms for reconciliation. First premiering at The National Arts Centre, this is a funny and inquisitive piece of theatre that invites us all to brush off the cobwebs of history with grace, courage and a few laughs along the road.
All the performances were so good. We have such talent in our small city. It was funnier than I expected it would be, but with a hard look at the past and present damage inflicted by colonialism. I learned a few things about Sir John A Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, that I didn’t know. And I will never again listen to The Romantics song, What I Like About You without substituting What I Like About Hugh.
Until next time…
Who’s ready for spring?
September Snapshot
Busy taking in the last of the summer days. The first day of fall is September, 22nd. After which, those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, will start to see more darkness than daylight. Evenings outside will require more blankets and hot beverages. And after the toasty stretch of 30+ days we’ve had this summer, I’m looking forward these nights. More stargazing. More sitting by the fire table. Now that’s it’s darker earlier, we’re planning an outdoor movie night tonight.
What I’m reading:
eBook: To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters
Audiobook: The Evil Inside by Heather Graham (The Krewe Hunters Series)
What I’m Watching:
The Great British Baking Show (Cable Television)
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime)
Sadly, racist LOTR fans are busy protesting the inclusion of actors of colour.
The show’s stars released a statement to the official “Rings” Twitter account Wednesday, strongly denouncing the racism and harassment.
The cast stands “together in absolute solidarity and agains the relentless racism, threats, harassment and abuse some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis. We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it.”
“Our world has never been all white, fantasy has never been all white, Middle-earth is not all white,” the statement says. Black people, Indigenous people and people of color “belong in Middle-earth and they are here to stay.”
Fellowship. For all.
Until next time…
What is everyone else reading and/or watching?
December 2021
A Photo Journal
Who else loves biscotti? And dipping in a steaming cup of something? I didn’t do a lot of baking this year, but managed to make cranberry nut biscotti and gingerbread men.
Dabbing in watercolours is soothing for the soul, at lease for me. This month is was all about gift tags.
My husband had last week off and we indulged in a Harry Potter marathon. I recently read an article that explained why some of us love to rewatch or reread old favourites, especially when times are stressful.
I miss my office space. I’m currently writing at the kitchen table and sharing space with a puzzle.
Although, I’m not a huge fan of Christmas movies, The Muppet Christmas Carol is my favourite.
We are facing an upside down Christmas here. Omicron is spreading, and once again Christmas celebrations will be smaller. But we’ve got a roof over our head, food to eat, and we’re looking toward the future. Lots of exciting things happening in 2022. We move back into our house in February and I have plans to release the first book of a new contemporary series. More about those things in the new year.
Until then…
Book Talk Friday: Beach Read
Where I talk about books that I’ve read and enjoyed because life is better with books. And summer is definitely better with books!
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Published: Berkley, May 2020
Length: 384 pages
Categories: Women’s Fiction / Romance / Humour / Contemporary Romance
The Blurb:
A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.
Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.
They’re polar opposites.
In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they’re living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block.
Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.SEE LESS
My Thoughts:
January Andrews is suffering from writer’s block. She’s also broke. Grieving the loss of the father she thought she knew, she ends up in the last place she wants to be, the beach house her father left her. Even worse, she finds herself living next door to her college nemesis, Augustus Everett. Turns out he’s also suffering from writer’s block. When avoiding each other doesn’t work, they strike a deal. She’ll write a literary novel. And he’ll write a romance. And they’ll help each other through the process.
I worry when writers, who are not romance writers, write romance. I worry it won’t be a romance at all but an attempt to ‘elevate’ the genre. I also shy away from romances written in 1st person perspective. Just not my favourite perspective when it comes to romance. So, why did this book work for me? The chemistry between January and Gus is immediate. The dialogue is witty and funny and surprising. The writing is clever. January’s grief and sense of betrayal is heart wrenching. So, is Gus’s. Gus is delightfully swoon worthy in a guy-next-door kind of way. And January is quirky and real and just the right amount of over the top.
Also, this was an audio read for me and I have to say the narrator is amazing. Julia Whelan does a fantastic job. I can’t say enough about the great job she does. It’s the first time I’ve haven’t cringed when a narrator switches from a female to male character or vice a versa. I enjoyed her narration as much as I enjoyed Emily Henry’s writing.
This book is a great look at what happens when our egos fail us and the necessity of grieving. And what it looks like to find your way back and forward. Definitely recommend.
Until next time…
What beach reads have you savoured so far this summer? Any recommendations?
Book Talk Sunday: An Image in the Lake by Gail Bowen
Sundays seem like a good time to talk about the books I’ve read! I don’t give ratings, or stars, or gold crowns. Just offering a few of my thoughts. This week I’m taking An Image in the Lake by Gail Bowen, which is an ARC (Advance Reader’s Copy).
An Image in the Lake: A Joanne Kilbourn Mystery by Gail Bowen
Published: ECW Press, September 7, 2021
Length: 350 pages
Categories: Mystery / Cozy Mystery / Women Sleuths / Amateur Sleuths / Canadian Setting
Blurb:
A dark secret threatens the future of the Shreve family
It’s August 24 and Joanne Shreve and her husband, Zack, are savoring the last lazy days of summer and looking forward to the birth of a new grandchild; involvement in the campaign of Ali Janvier, a gifted politician with a solid chance of becoming the province’s next premier; and the debut of Sisters and Strangers, the six-part series Joanne co-wrote that focuses on her early life. The series is the flagship of a new slate of programming, and MediaNation is counting on a big return. Joanne and Zack’s stake in the series’s success is personal. Their daughter, Taylor, is in a relationship with one of the show’s stars, and Vale Frazier is already like family to them.
It seems the “season of mist and mellow fruitfulness” will be a bountiful one for the Shreves. But when a charismatic young woman wearing a grief amulet that contains a lock of her dead brother’s hair and a dark secret becomes part of their lives, the success of Sisters and Strangers and the future of Taylor and Vale’s relationship are jeopardized, and only Joanne and Zack can put an end to the threat.
My Thoughts:
Joanne Shreve and her husband Zack are enjoying the last days of summer, determined to spend more time together and less time at work. But strange things are happening at MediaNation. They are about to air the line-up of fall programs which includes Sisters and Strangers, a six-part series co-written by Joanne about her early life. Then people start to disappear. Joanne and Zack are drawn into the search for answers when information comes to light about a group of four young people who are prepared to break the law in their quest to get to the top.
An Image in the Lake is classic Gail Bowen. Plenty of colourful and familiar faces show up, and we catch up with Joanne’s children and grandchildren. The meandering twists and turns that make Bowen one of Canada’s best mystery writers lead us on a slow but dark and entertaining path to the truth. Joanne (Kilbourn) Shreve is one of my favourite fictional characters. There is a calmness and a self-assuredness about her that is immensely appealing. After reading this book, I can tell you she is a lot for forgiving then I am. She’s also a wonderful example of a woman in her fifties who lives life to the fullest. Her life is never perfect but it’s always compelling.
I really enjoyed this book. And always love a Canadian setting. We need more of those. I would definitely recommend it.
An Image in the Lake is set in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada! My home city. I love reading books set in Regina. Regina is also a great city to visit with lots of fun activities and opportunities to offer visitors!
Check out Must Do Canada for other traveling Canada inspiration!
Until next time…
Have you read any great mysteries lately? Or any of Gail Bowen’s other books in her Joanne Kilbourn series?