Floral Fireworks

Nature's Color Bursts  

In honor of Independence Day and Canada Day, enjoy some floral fireworks from my gardens! These are the kind that won't spook your horses, dogs, or cats. No thunder jackets. No mosquitoes. No having to stay up waaaay past your bedtime.

 

 

I love gardening! Perennials, annuals, herbs, and vegetables - I love them all. I get that from my mom. My mother is a master gardener. Her green thumb is like no other. She just looks at a sickly plant and you can tell it's starting to feel better. She has that special touch you can't learn from a book or website or Facebook group. While I did not inherit that superpower, I did fall in love with being in the garden because of her. 

 

I remember weeding rows and rows of vegetables when I was little. She would pay me 10 cents per ice cream pailful of weeds. Only once did I layer the weeds light as air in my bucket to make it look full. When I presented it for payment, she gave me a dubious look and smashed them down to the half way mark. Lesson learned: No cheating.

I would sit in the grass-clipping-lined aisle with my little bucket and sing to myself while I picked weeds - from the root. Always go for a "good pull," that's the kind where you literally feel the hair-like roots giving way. Mom, in her sun hat, worked from the opposite end. We would meet somewhere sort of in the middle (Usually closer to my end. She was a way more efficient weeder.) and move on to the next long row. The sun bleached my hair white and browned my shoulders, but I didn't mind. When I tired of singing, the birds took over, and I dreamt up story after story. Something about the repetitive motion and satisfaction of looking back at the clean dirt lulled me into daydreams as it still does today. 

  

Though my daydreams have certainly changed, the weeds have not. They keep on coming, persistent little buggers. It makes me think of the weeds in my writing. I write a chapter, put a solid punctuation mark at the end, smile, and close my laptop, thinking, "Dang, that was good." Then I let it rest a day or so, read said chapter again, and oh my heavens to Betsy is it suddenly full of weeds. Wordy phrases, unnecessary descriptions, over-dramatic dialogue - it all needs a good editing pull. Then I read it over after I've filled my proverbial 10-cent bucket, and I get the same satisfying feeling as looking back on clean dirt in the garden. Heck, I've weeded this blog enough to go to Dairy Queen.

So everyone, happy Canada Day, happy 4th of July, happy gardening, and happy weeding!

       

Time to test yourself by donalee Moulton

 

www.bookswelove.com

I’ve been doing readings to launch my new mystery, Bind; introduce the world to Woo Woo, Charlene, and Lexie; and take them inside the hunt for an expensive watch that has been stolen. I’ve discovered one of the fun things about book readings is drawing participants into the subject matter—with a quiz. The Bind quiz has 11 questions that focus on two of the books main topics: watches and theft. Below are the questions about watches. They’re timely. Scroll down for the answers. Next month I’ll share the final questions.

 1.  When were the first portable timekeeping devices — in other words, the world’s first watches — first invented?

A.    16^th century (the Early Modern Age)

B.    18^th century (the Age of Enlightenment)

C.    20^th century (the Age when Bind’s characters were born)

 

2.  Who were wristwatches originally designed for?

A.    Men, because men get everything first

B.    Women, because they are the smarter sex

C.    Police officers, because they carry guns

 

3.  When did wristwatches gain popularity among men?

A.    During the Roaring Twenties

B.    During the Industrial Revolution

C.    During World War 1

 

4.  Which old Hollywood movie star’s watch shattered records when it sold at auction in 2017?

A.    Clark Gable, The King of Hollywood

B.    Archibald Alexander Leach (you probably know him as Cary Grant)

C.    Paul Newman aka Cool Hand Luke

 

5.  From 2021 to 2022, luxury watch thefts rose by 65% in London. And something happened as a result?

A.    A petition to ban the sale of machetes

B.    An ordinance prohibiting anyone wearing of a luxury watch in public

C.    A law forbidding anyone to take a photo of the Crown’s wristwatch

 

 

 

                                                          ORDER HERE

And the answers are…

 

1.  When were the first portable timekeeping devices — in other words, the world’s first watches — first invented?

A.    16^th century (the Early Modern Age)

 

German clockmaker Peter Henlein is credited with inventing the first watch around 1510. Because of its size (about 3 inches), it was best suited to be worn on a pendant or attached to a belt.  

2.    Who were wristwatches originally designed for?

B.    Women, because they are the smarter sex

 

Wristwatches were originally created for women. They were seen as both elegant pieces of jewelry and functional timepieces. According to the Guinness World Records, Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe made the first wristwatch in 1868 for a Hungarian Countess. Men preferred pocket watches at that time.

3.    When did wristwatches gain popularity among men?

C.    During World War 1

 

During World War I, wristwatches became a necessity because soldiers needed to tell time quickly and easily. This translated to civilian life after the war. By the 1930s, wristwatch sales had surpassed pocket watch sales.

4.    Which old Hollywood movie star’s watch shattered records when it sold at auction in 2017?

C. Paul Newman aka Cool Hand Luke

 

Movie star and race car driver Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona sold at auction for $17.8 million in 2017. The watch had been a gift from his wife actress Joanne Woodward—engraved with the words “Drive Carefully, Me.”

 

5.    From 2021 to 2022, luxury watch thefts rose by 65% in London. And something happened as a result?

A.  A petition to ban the sale of machetes

 

A London councillor launched a petition to ban the sale of machetes after having his watch stolen by a machete-wielding thief in 2022. The petition got almost 140,000 signatures.

 

I hope you were intrigued—and challenged—by the questions. Let me know how you did.

    

                            

BWL Publishing New Releases July 2025

BWL Publishing | Discover Quality Fiction Today

Hamish McKenzie stood welded to the spot as fifty million volts coursed through his body.  He was dead before he hit the ground. Dealanch was never wrong.  Lightning stalks the first-born of three generations of the McKenzie clan from Scotland to Ottawa to Saskatchewan as each successive son looks over their shoulder knowing it was not a question of if, but when the paranormal would strike.

Running from the inevitable – the McKenzie clan leaves Scotland for Canada, but can they outrun lightning?  Astraphobia stalks three generations trying to escape the first-born curse.

 

https://www.bookswelove.com

Texas PI Kelly McWinter’s three-person agency often works with the Fort Worth Sheriff’s Department and handles investigations as diverse as chicken killing ghosts, Mexican migrant cocaine smugglers, suspicious baby adoptions and the worst-case Kelly’s ever handled, the kidnapping of nine-year-old Suzanna Hedley. Join Kelly, Cade and Stella as they match wits with a very sneaky ghost, help out a suspicious nurse and try to negotiate a peaceful understanding with the enforcement arm of a local Cartel.  

 

Editorial Review 

Jay Lang – journalist and BWL bestselling novelist.  

 

Unputdownable & beautifully written, Jude Pittman’s skillful storytelling in Deadly Ghosts—the fifth installment of the Kelly McWinter P.I. series—seamlessly blends sharp suspense with deeply human emotion. As a seasoned Canadian author, Pittman brings a unique depth to her crime fiction, enriched by her multi-genre background and dedication to the craft. 

Pittman’s prose is razor-sharp, with dialogue and atmosphere that pull readers into an intricate investigation without resorting to clichés. Every twist feels earned; every character resonates with authenticity. Her ability to balance tension with emotional resonance makes Deadly Ghosts not just a standout in the series but also a powerful example of suspense writing done right. 

Whether you’re a long-time fan or discovering Kelly McWinter for the first time, Deadly Ghosts captivates from the very first page and keeps you hooked until the satisfying conclusion. 

https://www.bookswelove.com

 

The quaint New England coastal town of Mystic Port is steeped in history and has more than its fair share of restless sprits. Prudence Trivit, the town’s librarian and historian, is on a mission to exonerate her great Aunt Alexandra, who in 1897 was accused and arrested for the murder of her husband, the mayor. Prudy is certain of her great aunt’s innocence.  

 

A handsome young journalist, Dylan Monroe, is sent to Mystic Port to interview Prudy for the town’s 250th anniversary celebration. 

Dylan notices Prudy’s uncanny resemblance to her great aunt in the large portrait of Alexandra that hangs in the museum. He is stunned by her beauty and quite intrigued by the story of Alexandra.  

 

Prudy and Dylan become quite the investigative team. There are mishaps and mayhem as the spirit of Alexandra tries to point them in the right direction and an opposing spirit tries to dissuade them.  

 

If you're a fan of Jessica L. Randall's The Obituary Society Series, then you'll be charmed by Betty Ann Harris’ Portrait of a Ghost. 

 

Editorial Review by Nancy M. Bell 

5 Stars 

Betty Ann Harris takes her readers on a fun and fascinating journey centered around a portrait of Prudence's great aunt. It just happens that the lady in the portrait bears a striking resemblance to the heroine Prudence. Amid plans for a grand gala and a reenactment of an event that should have taken place, but never did due to an untimely death, Prudence and Dylan arrive late to the party only to discover a ghostly apparition may have stolen the limelight.  A delightful read. 

https://www.bookswelove.com

Late one night, while tending to his trap-line, a native Inuit stumbles across a clandestine rendezvous not far from one of the DEW line radar sites and is subsequently shot and killed. This incident brings RCMP intelligence officer, Inspector Jesse Thompson to the north. He gradually uncovers a Soviet network involving an agent and a paid mole in the Shingle Point site.  

 

EDITORIAL REVIEW 

 

S. Peters-Davis Book Review for: The 69th Parallel Incident by H. Paul Doucette 

 

This is the first Jesse Thompson Cold War suspense novel that I’ve read, and I wasn’t disappointed. Many characters were introduced and became involved in Jesse’s pursuit of the culprit. Action-packed and interesting facts about the Canadian people and areas involved, this historical suspense mystery moved right along and was a fascinating story. I look forward to reading the next Jesse Thompson mystery by H. Paul Doucette.