Cover Reveal for Jessie's Cafe by Nancy M Bell

 

Very happy to reveal the cover for my new novel coming in Spring of 2026. The image is an actual building in Castor, Alberta which was built in or around 1910. It has had many names over the years, Jessie's Cafe, The Royal Cafe, The Queen's Cafe, The Golden Crown. It was also known locally as Lewies and Andy's over its storied past.

The building has intrigued me ever since I move to Castor and it seemed natural to set a novel within its precincts. Sadly, the building is in sad need of restoration and as a heritage building I hope that someone will take on that task. Someone with very deep pockets. LOL

My story starts in 2026 but to do the building's history justice I have created a time travel journey with some interesting twists and turns. Another interesting thing about the building is the tiny shed that is clearly visible perched on the flat roof of the cement block addition at the back of the original structure. It looks suspiciously like an outhouse although I have been told it served as a garden shed at some point in its career. That humble shed plays an integral part of my plot...so stay tuned...

I love uncovering and discovering the legends and tales that seem to cluster around old buildings, as if they are just sitting and waiting to share their stories with anyone who is willing to linger and listen. So if you are ever in Castor be sure to stop by Jessie's/Andy's and then wander down the street to visit the other venerable building - The Cosmopolitan Hotel. This is also a 1910 structure that was in use up into the early 2000's. I'm sure if those walls could talk there is a plethora of stories regarding adventure and misadventure that has occurred over the years. Interestingly, there used to be another hotel directly across the street where the ATB bank is now. The National Hotel which burned down in 1924. Can you imagine the brawls that might have occurred with denizens of the two establishments duking it out in the middle of what was then referred to as Grand Avenue.

Until next month be well, be happy. Oh, and Happy Valentines Day even if it's a bit late.

Tuesday - Writing VS Olympics #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Skiing #Winter #Olympics

 

I'm always interested in the Winter Olympics and have written between watching a lot of athletic events. I really enjoy watching the contests and especially the skating, something I have absolutely no talent in doing. Only once have I tried to ice skate. This was way back when I was in nurses' training and my roommate invited me to her house for a weekend. Now ice skating was something I had never attempted. I was a failure at roller skating as a kid and have the scarred knees to prove my lack of dexterity. Ice skating was even harder. My roommate handed me two ski poles to help me balance myself. Worked for about 2 minutes and then down I went. Thank heavens my ski pants were well padded. The entire afternoon was spent with me more on the ice than in the air. 

So now I watch the events on the Olympics and sigh with envy as the skaters do their thing. Now sking is another of the events I envy. Here, I have managed to go down the bunny hill and remain standing but when I went up higher. I spilled my way down with frequent stops to regain my position on the skis and standing.

I will say sled riding was fairly good but that's because my friends and I used a long sled where four of us fit and at least one of the riders had some skill.

So here's kudos to all those winter athletics. May they continue to enjoy their sport. I will enjoy watching.

The 5 Fs, by J.C. Kavanagh

To order your copy of the award-winning Twisted Climb series, click on the link below!

 https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/series/the-twisted-climb 

There are so many 'never-have-I-ever' moments since last July that I've lost count. We sailed from Georgian Bay, Canada, through three of the five Great Lakes, through the United States waterways and canals, and reached the Bahamas four months later. Last week, in order to retreat from gale force winds and 3-4 metre waves (12-16 feet), we anchored beside the wee island of Little Farmers Cay. It is the second smallest isolated community in the Exumas, part of the Bahama islands.

The 'never-have-I-ever' moment came when my partner and I were invited to participate in the local 5 Fs.

Um, hello? Five what?

The male locals are not averse to using the 'F' word. It's a favourite verb, adjective, adverb, noun - well, you get it. So you may understand my hesitation to participate in the 5 Fs. Nonetheless, I nudged my partner, Ian. "You might be good at it," I said, smiling sweetly.

Ian gave me the side-eye but the local man gave Ian a huge smile. 

"You'll be on my team, then," he stated. "You are a sailor, right?"

Ian nodded.

"Have you raced boats before?"

Again Ian nodded. In Ontario, he raced sailboats for many years. 

The man continued. "We race 10, maybe 15 other boats this coming Saturday. They'll be coming from islands all over the Exumas. It's our annual 5 Fs."

Ah, I thought. Not a swearing contest.

The man pointed to his t-shirt. "5 Fs" was blazoned across the front. Below it, in smaller letters was the meaning behind the 5 Fs: First Friday in February Farmers Cay Festival. The highlight of the event was the sailing races - three categories. The first category was for non-residents to race in their own sailboat. There are no restrictions or handicaps. All you need is your own sailboat, whether it be a catamaran or a monohull. Unfortunately, due to the gale force winds, this Class was cancelled. What a relief. While I love my boat, as does Ian, he would use every trick in the racing book to pull out a win. That means all the other sailors are in trouble. 

The second category (C-Class) is for young, teenage sailors. The sailboats are all home-made, using material from the Bahamas. There are no motors and only one sail. These youngsters race in a wooden, 12-foot boat, a crew of just two in each boat.

E-Class represents a 17.5 foot vessel, each with a crew of five. As with the C-Class, the boats are handmade in the Bahamas. After all, sailing is the national sport of these beautiful islands. Similar to the C-Class, there are no motors and only one very large main sail. In fact, the boom which supports the sail from the mast, is almost twice as long as the boat. Crew use two 8x12 wooden beams to 'hike' out and, for additional ballast, ingots of lead are placed in the hull. The boat on which Ian was a crew member, named "Miss Rowie," had 600 pounds of lead! 

An E-class sailboat (one of many) delivered/lowered by crane at Little Farmers Cay for the annual race.
Note the full ocean-style keel, painted white, on the bottom of the boat.

The sliding boards used for the crew to 'hike' out and prevent the boat from tipping :)

The crew of Miss Rowie prepping for the race.

Ian and a second crew member (Scott) hiking out on the boards

The proud crew of Miss Rowie. 

With a 4th place finish out of 12 boats, I'd say they had much to celebrate. They were in second-last place after the first leg of the race, so kudos to their sailing (and hiking) skills. 

In The Twisted Climb trilogy, many adventures take place in a watery environment. I have to admit the sailing knowledge I've learned from Ian ensured the water scenes were genuinely accurate, and in some cases, frightening. If you haven't checked out this award-winning series, now's your chance. Click on the link below for your purchase choices!

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 

https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/series/the-twisted-climb

For the Love of Reading

find the Navajo Code Talker Chronicles here

February is a month that cherishes love---love of all kinds, including one dear to my heart...the love of reading.

When my children were in school, they participated in a program called D.E.A.R.....standing for: drop everything and read.  The whole school...students, teachers, office staff, maintenance, cafeteria workers and visitors alike took a daily half hour to read.  Silence would come over the whole busy building.  Everyone entered the reading material of their choice. What a lovely tradition. What a way to celebrate and treasure the ability to read. We all entered new worlds of knowledge and imagination.

In short: We were not given rewards for reading...reading was the reward!

My children have gone on to be life-long readers, a wish I have for all their friends.

Readers are life-long learners too. And, in my humble opinion, more interesting people. They are able to juggle many different ideas and viewpoints, and to think in new and creative ways.

So in this month of love, let's celebrate the act of reading and all the treasures it brings!

 

Travel & Historical Research - A Fun Combination

                                    Please visit my website for author and book information

I'm planning a trip to Karlovy Vary, Czechia (aka Karlsbad, Czech Republic) to do research for my historical novel-in-progress. My initial idea was to visit the locations in the story. take numerous photographs and notes, and soak in the atmosphere to make my novel more vivid and authentic. 

Many of these locations are tourist sites, such as the Elisabeth Spa, where my novel's protagonist works. Austrian Emperor Franz-Josef built the opulent baths to honour his late wife Elisabeth (Sisi). The spa opened in 1906. My novel takes place in 1914 during the months leading up to World War One. On my short visit to Karlovy Vary thirteen years ago, I saw the Elisabeth Spa building and its gardens and park setting. On this refresher trip, I'll get a peek inside by enjoying swimming and relaxation pools. Research is tough work.

 

During my trip planning, I discovered that Karlovy Vary has an excellent museum with exhibits on the history and development of the town since the 15th century, famous Karlovy Vary doctors and visitors, and local crafts, art and historical collections. Might the museum have archives that I could view with advance notice? It also occurred to me that the municipal library must have books of local interest not available elsewhere. I emailed both institutions about my research trip and explained that my novel was inspired by my 2013 visit to Karlovy Vary and my maternal grandparents who immigrated to Canada from Czechia shortly after WWI. I received helpful and enthusiastic replies.

Librarian Kateřina Krieglsteinová advised me to check the Karlovy Vary Library’s online catalogue and send her a list of books that interest me. She will have them available when I arrive and supplement them with other relevant books. In addition, she offered to arrange a walking tour of the city with an English-speaking guide knowledgeable about local history, a visit to the Karlovy Vary Museum exhibits, and, as a benefit to the library, an informal, evening talk about my writing and ancestors in Czechia for their readers. Since I don't speak Czech, she'll try to find a translator.     

David Čech from the Karlovy Vary Museum replied that he and two historians will be available to show me their museum archives that include old maps, photographs, postcards, and official documents. He supplied the historians' email addresses so I could contact them directly and about a dozen links to websites with historical information. One of these was the “Kurlisten,” which lists every spa guest in Karlovy Vary from 1795 to 1949. I had recalled reading that Sigmund Freud was in Karlovy Vary at the outbreak of WWI and made him a character in my novel even though I couldn't find confirmation of his visit anywhere on the internet. I asked David about this. He sent me an article stating that Freud "took the cure" in Karlovy Vary from July 13 to early August, 1914, as well as the "Kurlisten" page that records his arrival on July 13, 1914. My novel had Freud arriving a month earlier, but now I've altered the timeline to make his story appearance historically accurate. This will involve a number of changes, but at this first draft stage of writing, the revision isn't drastic.  

I also asked one of the historians about current spa culture in Karlovy Vary. It's still a thriving industry, but the pictures I've seen show treatments done in modern facilities. I like to experience one in a historical atmosphere. The historian said I'd be disappointed; the old ways are all gone. He suggested I visit the building of the former imperial spa, which has been renovated into a cultural centre and museum. I hadn't known this building existed. I emailed it and learned the facility offers guided and audio guide tours of its displays of the golden era of the spa industry in the early 20th century. I'll definitely add this to my itinerary.

My research trip idea began as a relaxing jaunt through the footsteps travelled by the characters in my historical novel. I'd stroll down the river promenade, enjoy leisurely lunches at cafes to gather details for my story's fictional cafe, and hike to historic viewpoints. I'll still do all these things and more -- library and museum visits, guided tours, evening talk with readers who don't speak my language. It feels overwhelming but exciting.        

Imagine Karlovy Vary in 1914