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?
I’m busy getting ready to go on a writing retreat this weekend at St. Peter’s Abbey in Muenster, Saskatchewan. The first one in the after times. I’m so excited to spend three days thinking of nothing but writing.
June was a lovely month that went by entirely too fast. Somewhere in between planting, watering, and weeding, I fit in a couple of games of golf. A read a great book, A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske. It’s the first book in her Last Binding series. Highly recommend!! Will go into more depth in a couple of weeks. I baked a rhubarb pie for Father’s Day from rhubarb I picked from my yard. And the peony I planted last fall is blooming and it’s the prettiest pink. I ordered a couple of mugs from The Clay People. I’ve been wanting to order a mug from them forever, but every time they announced a stock resale of their Wheat Collection they were gone before I could order one. This month I was successful and I LOVE these mugs!
Well, May flew by and it’s already the last Friday of the month.This round up includes a bunch of spring things. Like Mother’s Day, tulips, garden planning.
I love my three S’s: salad, soup and sandwiches.
The Lasagna Roll Up recipe is from Natasha’s Kitchen. It was delicious. Definitely recommend giving the recipe a try.
I order my tulips from Whistling Prairie Flowers which can be found in southwestern Saskatchewan. I have had nothing but success with anything I’ve purchased from Whistling Prairie Flowers. But be warned, they are a small operation and they sell out of stock fast! If you’re interested sign up for their newsletter so you know when stock becomes available.
So…this is my second attempt at planting a garden and I’m hoping it goes better than last year when nothing but zucchini and weeds grew. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
What I’m Reading: The Eden Series by Devney Perry. I’m on Book 3, Garnet Flats. So far, the first book is my favourite so I’ll see if I finish the series, or not.
What I’m Listening to: A Sinister Revenge, Book 7 in the Veronica Speedwell mystery series by Deanna Raybourn. One of my absolute favourite series! I’m also listening to You Just Need to Lose Weight and 19 Other Myths About Fat People by Aubrey Gordon, cohost of Maintenance Phase (my absolute favourite podcast!)
Until next time…
Who else is up to their ears in yard and garden work? Loving it? Or hating?
Categories: Contemporary Romance / Paranormal Ghost Romance / Witches and Wizards Romance / Small Town Romance / Romantic Suspense Romance
The Blurb:
Returning to her beloved home of Salem after a trip away, Lucy Finch can’t shake the feeling of anxiety that suddenly plagues her. Nor can she shrug off her third eye’s urging that she has a mission she must undertake—a secret she must uncover.
As a green witch, Lucy has always felt strongest and the most at home in the forest, surrounded by nature. But when a disturbing dream wakes her and sends her fleeing into the woods, she isn’t prepared for what she finds. She expected her element. Perhaps a message from spirit. She didn’t expect to cross paths with a sexy-as-sin man, straight out of a movie scene.
Jonas Morley isn’t like the other residents of Hallows End. He knows the town’s secrets, as well as Salem’s, and it has been his honor and duty to protect them for as long as he can remember. But the gorgeous witch who graces the town’s hidden border shakes him and makes him second-guess his directive. She calls to him like no other. But can he save his home and those under his care and still make her his? Or will their union mean danger and destruction for not only them but also those who live within the town’s borders?
Curses don’t discriminate, and the curse of the blood moon is the most determined and dangerous of all.
This book weighed in heavier on the suspense/plot side of the story then the character development side, which some will enjoy and some will not. I’m actually here for it. It was a palate cleanser. I’m all for character development and deep emotional dives and a reasonable amount of angst, but sometimes I just want to read a book about witches and magic and time travel and have it just be about breaking the evil curse while a couple fall in love.
Having said that, let the suspension of disbelief begin, because sometimes that’s the funnest part. Three friends. Three witches. They live in Salem. Because of course they do. Where both non-magical people and witches live in harmony. A nightmare sends the heroine, Lucy, into the woods where she meets the hero, Jonas, a male witch capable of time traveling, sort of. He needs to break a spell he cast to shield Hallows End from the infamous witchcraft trials happening in Salem in the mid 1600s. And now Hallows End exists in the 1600s but not in contemporary times.
A colourful, quick read about three friends navigating past hurts, lasting friendships and banding together against an evil entity. It that’s your sort of read, give Hallows End a chance and see what you think.
That means happy hour outside. Hands up if you love a good Charcuterie board as much as I do? We also love nachos. Chips and dip. Any kind of cracker you can use to scoop up some hummus. Heck, microwave popcorn. Of course, you can eat all these things year round, but everything tastes better outside.
Even more inspiration with Four Steps to a Gorgeous Charcuterie Board.
I’m just back from a wonderful time in Vancouver visiting family and having a lovely time that involved my granddaughter’s three year birthday party. It was as much fun as it sounds. Laughter and balloons and rainbows, which was the theme. That means next week will be about getting back into some kind of schedule and back to my work-in-progress that I haven’t thought about in a month. I may have to glue my butt to the chair.
Until next time…
Give me all your best ideas for snackin’ on the patio!
We’re back from a much needed vacation. For me, vacations include time away from social media which is why there wasn’t much happening here in April. So, this round up is about our trip to Palm Springs, California. We’re big fans of California.
Palm Springs, California
This was our first time staying in Palm Springs instead of staying near the ocean. I love vacationing by the water but it’s just warmer in the desert, go figure.The desert resort city of Palm Springs lies in the Coachella Valley of southern California. It’s got a very mid-century modern vibe, which I immediately embraced.
In fact, we stayed in a VRBO that was immersed in the mid-century modern style from the architecture to the design details. I loved how the teal tones blended with the brown and orange tones. There was a tiny patio off each bedroom and a lovely landscaped yard with a view of Mount San Jancito State Park.
MCM became popular in Europe post WWII as cost effective way to move forward in function and style. A wide low footprint, flat roof lines, and an abundance of windows put the focus on blending in with nature. The style made it way to America and was embraced by the West Coast, particularly, and Palm Springs quickly became known for all things mid century modern.
Honestly, we didn’t do a lot of exploring and kept it very low key. We swam, we read, we dined. We shopped. We did do a self guided tour of mid century modern homes. Below is the Edris House. You can see and read more about this fabulous house here.
Now it’s back to reality and back to writing.
Until next time…
It’s finally looking like spring has sprung. Time for spring activities. What’s everyone looking forward to doing after a long winter?
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.
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.
March is flying by. Not much to tell you about except that the writing is going well. So, yay!
Mood Board
My heroine is not only looking to open up her family home as a bed and breakfast. She has a sideline gig as a baker. She also makes petit fours, which are delicate little cakes, for her friend, Clare, and her ladies aid group to sell at the Whisper Creek farmer’s market.
So, if you’re in the mood for tiny cakes inspiration, check out this recipe tutorial for stencilled petit fours from Cake Journal. Aren’t they adorable? And made with store bought pound cake!
The great thing about being a writer is getting to incorporate ideas into a book that I can’t make happen in my everyday life. I love the idea of stepping through a large metal ring into another part of a garden. I’ve given Charlotte that dream and Ridge, the hero, is just the person to make her landscape dreams happen. I love the idea of a moon gate leading to a midnight garden. It sets a very romantic mood. Who knows what can happen when one finds themselves in such a garden? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
Landscape Design: Davis Dalbok & Tim O’Shea Photo Credit: Davis Dalbok Source: SFGate
There is both a parlour and a library in the book. Below is my inspiration for the library. I love the dark blue colour of the builtins combined with the rug and the light. I could spend hours in this room curled up with a good book. In the early days of Darcy House, which was built in the early 1900s, this room would have been Charlotte’s great great grandfather’s office. I like to think this maintains the mood of what would have been his domain and turns it into something that appeals to everyone looking for a cozy spot.
I picked up this story for three reasons. 1) It got a lot of attention last year. 2) I was looking to end my reading slump. 3) It was available at the library. Usually I don’t pick books written in first person point of view. Or books that are rom-coms. Or books with yellow covers. But I’m so glad I did. It was delightful and just what I needed. It was heartwarming. A bit ridiculous. So sweet. And, at one point, I laughed. Like out loud. Definitely recommend. Especially if you prefer reading romances without sex scenes.
