Tuesday, August 19, 2025

A Little Patch of Green: a short story by Victoria Chatham

 

https://www.bookswelove.com/search?q=chatham



A LITTLE PATCH OF GREEN

 by

Victoria Chatham

 

If asked, Adele Fisher would have replied yes, of course she was happy. But lately, a nagging doubt had crept into her solitary lifestyle. She enjoyed her work, knowing exactly what she would do each day, and did not let anything disturb the balance of her daily routine.

And maybe that was it, she thought. She existed rather than truly lived. Life simply passed her by. It was as if she were moored in some quiet backwater while, beyond her, a river of excitement rushed past in full flood.

She pondered this as she walked through the park from her apartment to the offices of Simpson Sellers, Architects, where she had worked as an office administrator for the past eight years.

Each morning, more of the park looked fresher and tidier. At first, Adele barely noticed the landscapers, thinking that they, like her, were heading to work. It took her a few mornings to realise they had already been working, probably even before her alarm woke her from a cosy sleep.

She began searching for the two businesslike young women who were engrossed in the task of bringing life to bare patches of earth. They both wore white T-shirts and blue jeans, but that was where all resemblance ended. One was tall, blonde, and serious-looking. The other was shorter, red-haired, and hummed and sang while she worked, regardless of who might be passing by.

Adele did not usually speak to anyone as she walked, since she was not, as she put it, a morning person. She preferred to be left alone until after her second cup of coffee at ten-thirty, but there was something infectious about the cheerful redhead. Adele looked for her, caught her eye, nodded, and said “good morning”. In return, she received a broad smile and a cheery wave.

Somehow Adele felt brighter, lighter. She stepped out a little more confidently and arrived at her office a full five minutes earlier than usual. Slightly infected by the redhead’s cheerfulness, she hummed to herself as she removed her coat and hung it on her hanger in the staff closet. She la-lahed her way to the coffee machine and poured her first cup, unaware that she was receiving some curious glances from her junior colleagues.

Adele took her coffee to her office. Her seniority in the company granted her the advantage of having an outside office with a window. She did not often bother to look out of it, preferring instead to sit at her desk and start work immediately. But this morning, she was drawn to it and looked down into the street. The traffic crawled to a halt as the lights changed, and people scurried along the sidewalks.

What are they thinking about? she asked herself. Are they planning their days, recalling what they did the previous evening, or perhaps looking forward to meeting a friend for lunch?

It occurred to her that, compared to the hustle below her, her life was unbearably dull. From Monday to Thursday, she worked from eight-thirty in the morning until five o’clock in the afternoon, and on Fridays, she finished at four. On Saturdays, she cleaned her apartment, did her laundry, and shopped for groceries. Sunday was her catch-up day, when she made a full pot of coffee and opened all the mail received during the week, answering, paying, or discarding it. After a light lunch, she might read a book from the library or magazines picked up from the grocery store. If the weather was fine, she would take a walk or sit on her balcony. In the evening, she watched some TV—if there were programmes that interested her—then would run a bath and soak in it. It refreshed and revived her, preparing her for another week at work.

As she mentally reviewed her routine, Adele felt she should fall asleep standing up. When had she allowed herself to fall into such a rut? More to the point, why had she? Her life seemed dull, colourless, as empty as the wind-swept prairie from which she thought she had escaped. ‘Small town girl makes good’ had been the motto in her mind when city life beckoned, promising better things ahead. She worked tirelessly, took one educational course after another, and climbed her particular ladder. She was so busy studying and working that there never seemed to be time to accept the offer of coffee with a neighbour or a movie with someone from the office. Over time, the invitations gradually ceased.

She now thought that it would make little difference to the staff at Simpson Sellers whether she was there or not. Perhaps she should take some time off. That might clear away her mental cobwebs. If she just stepped off her particular roundabout for a short while, she might feel refreshed, less jaded, and discontented. Adele checked her wall calendar.

Her bosses, Henry Simpson and Jonathan Sellers, had no major meetings scheduled the following week. The junior architects Kirk, Taryn, Mike, and Boyd were all out of town working on various projects and would definitely not need her. In fact, it was not necessary for her to be there at all.

She picked up yesterday’s letters and took them to Henry’s office for his signature.

“Thanks, ‘Del.” He barely looked up.

“Think nothing of it, Henry. By the way, I won’t be here next week.”

“Eh?” Henry’s handsome head swung up. “Won’t be here? How come?”

“I’m taking a break. I think I need it.”

“Oh, well, I suppose that’s all right.” Henry frowned. “When was the last time you had time off?”

“Two extra days at New Year, and before that?” Adele’s brow creased in thought as she frowned. “I honestly can’t remember. Shall I ask Kelly from reception to help with some of your workload?”

“God, no.” Henry shuddered. “Get someone from Super Supply. I don’t want to deal with the mess Kelly will make, nor will you when you come back.” Henry looked at her suspiciously. “You are coming back?”

Adele giggled. “Of course! It’s just a week’s holiday, Henry, nothing sinister, I assure you.”

“Hmm. Well, okay. But what will you do?” Henry, a self-confessed workaholic, would only ever tear himself away from his drawing board for the odd round of business-oriented golf.

Adele thought of the colourful spots appearing in the park and immediately knew what she would do. She smiled and said, “I’m going to plant a garden.”

“Where?” Henry was again suspicious. “Don’t you live in a high-rise? Forteenth floor or something? How can you plant a garden there?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see, Henry. When it’s done, I’m going to have a garden party and I’ll invite you and Jonathan and a few of my neighbours.”

With that, Adele swirled out of his office.

Oh Lord, what have I done, she thought. Why did I open my big mouth?

Her only attempt at growing anything had been an unsuccessful Grade 4 science project. Her carefully planted apple pips failed to respond to her daily nurturing, and she was never sure if she had looked after them too carefully or not carefully enough. Her daily log entries had been as barren as the little pots on her windowsill. Now she had committed herself to planting a garden.

On Thursday night, Adele reset her alarm clock. She planned to wake up twenty minutes earlier on Friday morning. After giving it considerable thought, she realised the answer was right in front of her. Talk to the landscapers in the park. It wasn’t as if she would ask them to do it for her; she would just seek some advice about which plants might be best and where she should buy them. She showered and dressed with more purpose than she had in a long time. Goodness, she almost felt excited. She strode briskly across the park searching for the two girls and soon spotted them unloading trays of plants from a truck bed.

“Good morning,” Adele said.

Both girls turned to face her.

“Hi,” they replied. The simple greeting sounded like a carefully rehearsed chorus. They looked at her expectantly.

“I hope you don’t mind, but...” Adele suddenly felt unsure of herself.

“Yes?” the blonde girl prompted, clearly eager to get on with her work.

Adele introduced herself.

“I’m Adele Fisher,” she said. “I’m at 1402 Park View apartments, and I want to brighten up my balcony. I thought about getting some plants, but I’m not sure which would be best. Would you mind recommending something bright and cheerful that wouldn’t mind living up there with me?”

Both girls turned towards the apartment building and looked up. The redhead smiled. “Your balcony faces west. Fill it with geraniums. Red, white, pink. All they need is sun and not too much water. They’ll look lovely.”

“Merle, don’t forget petunias and marigolds.”

“Mm.” Merle nodded in agreement. “Got a car?”

Adele said yes, she did.

“Then take a run out of town to Amberside Nurseries. Ask for Patrick and tell him Merle and Tanya sent you. He’ll look after you, probably give you a good discount too.”

Adele smiled. “I’ll do that. Thanks very much, and when it’s done, you’ll have to come to my garden party.”

“That’ll be neat,” Merle said. “Thanks, Adele, we’ll look forward to it.”

The day stretched out before her. For once, Adele couldn't wait for it to end. She planned the week ahead with Henry, quietly delighting in his consternation at what he saw as her neglect of duties. That alone gave her a boost. She was doing something unexpected, extraordinary. For once, she was making waves, as Kelly would say. A bubble of amusement rose within her and escaped as a giggle. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt like this.

During that week, she bought various gardening magazines and became intrigued by the different sizes and styles of tubs and planters. She thought she might even add a water garden, just a small one, naturally, but it would enhance the ambiance. Garden furniture would be enjoyable, especially if she planned to invite people to share in it. She chose a few select pieces, wicker rather than plastic, and instead of one large table that could be cumbersome, she decided on several small side tables.

Armed with a rough idea of what might work, she set out of town on Saturday morning to the garden centre. The sky was a clear blue, with a slight breeze that swept away all but a few high, wispy clouds. Merle’s directions were straightforward, and Adele was soon driving through the entrance of Amberside Nurseries. She wandered among stands of bedding plants, shrubs, and baskets — a confusing array of pots and planters in all shapes, colours, and sizes. She found a bench to sit on and gather her thoughts.

“Need some help?” A tall, slender man with a warm smile on his tanned face approached her.

Adele smiled in return. The Adele of last week might have said, “No, thank you." The Adele of this week said, “Oh, yes, please. I’m here to see Patrick. Merle and Tanya recommended him.”

“That was kind of them. I’m Patrick. How can I help you?”

Adele showed him her sketch and saw an expression of interest light up his lean face as he studied it.

“You’re really going all out on this, aren’t you?” he said.

“It’s time for a change,” Adele replied quietly.

Patrick marked her measurements on the pavement inside the greenhouse and arranged pots, planters, and furniture so she could better visualise how everything would look. She had even chosen a wooden, plastic-lined half barrel fitted with a bamboo spout and circulating pump. It was just deep enough for a water lily and a couple of goldfish, making it surely a conversation starter.

Before Adele knew it, the afternoon had flown past and her purchases filled two carts. Patrick asked her how she planned to get it all back to town.

“Goodness, I didn’t think of that,” she said. “I didn’t expect to get so much.”

“Tell you what. I’ll load it all onto my truck and follow you back. How would that do?” More than friendly interest shone in Patrick’s gentle brown eyes.

Something stirred in Adele Fisher’s heart, and a gentle smile spread across her face. “Thank you, Patrick. That would be very helpful.”

Patrick nodded, clearly pleased.

“And perhaps,” Adele added, surprising herself with her boldness, “you’d like to help me with my little patch of green?”

The smile Patrick gave her made her breath catch in her throat.

 “I’d like that,” he said. “I’d like that very much.”

She sensed the undertone in his voice, and in that exhilarating moment, Adele Fisher realised that life was no longer passing her by.

 

END

Monday, August 18, 2025

Jessie's Cafe by Nancy M Bell

 

Click the image to find out more about me.

Hello, Usually I would use one of my book covers as the image, but I wanted to share this old building with you as it will figure prominently in my next book. This is Jessie's Cafe on main street in Castor, Alberta. This building has a long and storied life being built in the early 1900's when the railway was coming to Castor from Stettler and beyond. It is now empty having been many things in it's past including  a great place to have coffee and gossip, excellent Chinese cuisine and the upper floor was a boarding house in the far distant past. It was once known as The Golden Crown in later years (note the 'crowns' on the corners of the roof) There is even an outhouse on the flat roof of the cement block addition at the back of the building for the use of the boarders. I kid you not!
Jessie's Cafe is the working title of the new book and will involve some time travel and some interesting twists and turns. Stay tuned, Jessie's Cafe is due out in May of 2026.


Here for your viewing pleasure is the outhouse on the roof of Jessie's Cafe. Bet it was a might chilly in the winter. 

Until next month, stay well, stay happy.



Sunday, August 17, 2025

A Bit About Plot by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthors #MFRWAuthors #Plot #Phone Call #Voice From Past

 

I've recently had several ideas and had to decide which kind of plot to use.  The History Author's Snuff Boxes was the idea.

Snuff boxes were popular years ago and people used the to carry snuff with them so they could take a sniff when they wanted. I looked at many and saw they were small and sometimes very beautiful. At first I thought a historical story particularly in the Regency period would be the setting. But I didn't really want to put snuff boxes into a story and for them not to be the focus. That eliminated one kind of plot.

Remember this. A plot is just a plan to take a story from the beginning to the end. Something I've heard many times since I began writing.

I looked at other kinds of plots. Contemporary romance. I didn't think snuff boxes would work. Not would, at least for me, paranormal. Not fantasy or science fiction.

Actually as I considered how to use the snuff boxes, I could probably figure a way to put them into most genres. Then one hit me and seemed to be the way for snuff boxes to be featured in my book.

At the present time, the idea is swirling in my thoughts adding bits of ideas that will eventually become the book I've dreamed of. Not until I finish the book I'm currently working on - a medical romance at present called A Voice From Her Past triggered by a phone call I received from a friend I hadn't seen or heard from for years.

Saturday, August 16, 2025

The sailing adventure continues, by J.C. Kavanagh

 

Click on the link below to purchase this award-winning series!

https://www.bookswelove.net/kavanagh-j-c/

The Murray Canal - anyone know about this place in Ontario, Canada?

I knew very little about this Canal until I began my sailing adventure from Georgian Bay, Ontario, on our way to the Bahamas. Me and my partner, Ian, are sailing on our Beneteau 423, which weighs roughly about 20,000 lbs fully loaded and has a draft of five-and-a-half feet (that means our cast iron keel measures 5.5' below the boat's water line. Oh and the keel itself weighs about 6,000 lbs or 2650 kg.) 




But getting to the Bahamas is no easy feat. There is much planning to do! Because our sailboat has a deep draft, we are not able to travel on the Trent-Severn Canal which is the quickest route from Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario. Instead, we have to travel north on Georgian Bay then south on Lake Huron, through the St. Clair River to Lake St. Clair, then continue south on the Detroit River to Lake Erie, then east to the Welland Canal. From there we reach Lake Ontario and head east to the Bay of Quinte and the Murray Canal. This little trip takes us 650 nautical miles around three of the five Great Lakes. If we took the Trent-Severn Canal, we would have saved 550 nautical miles of travel. 

The Murray Canal
As early as 1796, plans for the canal were proposed and a total of five surveys were undertaken: in 1824, 1833, 1837, 1845, 1866 and 1881. Finally, in 1882, construction of the canal began and was completed in 1889. It is located between the Bay of Quinte and Presqu'ile Bay on Lake Ontario and is approximately 8 kms in length (5.5 miles). It was named after Sir George Murray, a British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in what was then called Upper Canada. The canal provided a 'safer' shipping route as it shortened the journey around the dangerous shores off the peninsula of Prince Edward County. When I say 'safer,' I also mean safe from the threat of war with the United States (check out the history of the Empire Loyalists). The seven-year project cost $1,272,500 to build, which is approximately $32.6 million in today's dollars.


Me at the helm, travelling through the Murray Canal

Our adventure to the Bahamas continues! And, if you're looking for summertime, adventurous books to read, look no further than the award-winning Twisted Climb series. As one reader wrote in a five-star review, "the series would be perfect for a movie!"

Stay safe and don't forget to tell the ones you love that you love them :)



J.C. Kavanagh, author of
The Twisted Climb - A Bright Darkness (Book 3) Best YA Book FINALIST at Critters Readers Poll 2022
AND
The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2) voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll and Best YA Book FINALIST at The Word Guild, Canada
AND
The Twisted Climb,
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll
Voted Best Local Author, Simcoe County, Ontario, 2021
Novels for teens, young adults and adults young-at-heart
Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/J.C.Kavanagh
www.amazon.com/author/jckavanagh
Instagram @authorjckavanagh




Friday, August 15, 2025

The Joy of Dialogue by A.M. Westerling

 

search Westerling

The Joy of Dialogue

 

            Recently, I had one of those A-HA moments. You know the ones, where you feel as if you have been bopped over the head with a big foamy hammer. And my epiphany?

 

Dialogue is my friend.

 

            Oh, how I used to fret and fuss over dialogue, agonizing over every word, forcing out sentence after sentence.  Introspection, back story, no problem. Description? Bring it on. But dialogue? It was like pulling teeth. Which is probably why my first manuscript had pacing issues. I much preferred to spend my words describing the scenery and clothing than have my hero and heroine actually talk to each other. 

 

But all of a sudden, one day I clued in - dialogue is a very, very powerful tool. Why is that?  Because:

 

1.         It breaks up narrative.  It happens in real time.

 

2.         It presents information. You can use it to tell the back story (one character talking to another.)

 

3.         It develops character. By word usage and slang, you can identify characters.

 

4.         Use it to move the plot along. The characters tell what’s going to happen rather than the author.

 

5.         It can also develop conflict – one character arguing with another.

 

            Now that I have more writing experience, I know how to build a scene with dialogue. Everyone has their own method but for me it is to write the conversation first, then go back and fill in the quotation marks, tags, emotional response, setting, gestures, etc. I might have to go over it a few times until I get the balance that I want but even so, I can write a few pages of dialogue a lot faster than a few pages of narrative.

 

Tips:

 

-       Get to the point – don’t waste time saying hello, talking about the weather, etc.

-       Don’t have the characters call each other by their names – we don’t talk like that in our everyday conversations

-       Identify pet phrases, expletives, etc for your characters – we all have them (see #3)

- If you’re in a public place, listen to people conversing around you.

 

 

A.M. Westerling, a writer of historical romance, is currently working on her tenth book for BWL Publishing and now finds that she can’t get her characters to shut up!!

 

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