Writers, Authors and a Bookstore - Barbara Baker

 

Writing is a solitary process. So, when you get a chance to meet up with writer friends and participate at a bookstore author event you jump on a plane and fly to Ontario.

First stop, the Stephen Leacock Museum in Orillia, Ontario. My friend goes into the office. “I know the museum isn’t open, but she’s come all the way from Calgary.” She points at me. “Is there a chance we can take a look?”

“Of course,” the cheery lady says. “Give me five minutes. I’ll open it for you.”

I grin at my persuasive friend, and she winks back.

While we wait, we head to Leacock’s Boathouse. Painted figures resembling characters from Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town align the pathway.

And then we’re off to check out Leacock’s home. With no one else around we’re able to take our time and read all the plaques. 

        Stephen Leacock facts:

        - 1869-1944 born in England, 10 siblings, family moved to Ontario in 1876, father became an alcoholic and abandoned the family in 1878.

        - Leacock was a teacher, political scientist, writer, humourist (best known English-speaking humourist of his time).

        - In 1900 he married Beatrix Hamilton, an actress. They had one son, Stephen Lushington.

        - Leacock’s colleagues warned him his reputation would be ruined if he published humour. Beatrix encouraged him to publish it regardless of what others thought.

        - In 1990, while completing upgrades on the Leacock house, love letters from Beatrix were found in a secret panel in the bedroom closet. They were written before she died of breast cancer in 1925 at 46 years old. The letters tell of their love story and depict a side of Leacock few people were privy to.

        - Beatrix passed away before the house was complete.

                 Okay, enough Leacock trivia. We’re off to meet the others. There’s much to catch up on so a simple supper of nachos and fixings, red wine, Hawkins Cheezies (no substitutes) and assorted chocolates carry us late into the night. My cheeks hurt. Tears fall. Weight is lifted off shoulders. Exhausting good fun.

Early the next morning we leave in the rain, headed for Uxbridge, Ontario for the Independent Book Store celebration at Blue Heron Books. I get to promote my book, hang with authors and try to appear unterrified.

 

At the bookstore, I get a name tag which helps me remember who I am when fear nails my tongue to the roof of my mouth. I pull up my big girl panties and approach authors, ask them questions about their book(s) and writing journey. It’s not a walk in the park for anyone – this book writing gig. It’s hard work. A lot of hard work. 

From a distance, I watch Canadian bestselling author, Terry Fallis chatting. He’s relaxed. Smiles like it’s not painful. I want to go over and tell him I follow his newsletters and enjoy reading how his career didn’t just fall in his lap. But I’m too shy. He’s…well, he’s Terry Fallis. I can only hope in my lifetime to look that comfortable. Be that confident. Did I mention he’s a two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour? How awesome is he?

I recognize two authors chatting in the kid’s section. I approach and say, “Would it be okay if I hang with you gals?” They smile and say, “sure” in unison.

Time flies and then it’s over. I leave with a bag full of new books and notice my friends purchase my books and discreetly slip them into their bags. I’m a lucky lady to have them as friends.

On the drive home, the rains stops. The sun shines. The chatter continues. 

We make plans to put together an anthology of our short stories and publish them in a book. It’ll be a lot of work. But I know there will be another trip to Ontario to review the hardcopy draft. I can hardly wait. 

You can contact me at: bbaker.write@gmail.com

Summer of Lies: Baker, Barbara:9780228615774: Books - Amazon.ca

What About Me?: Sequel to Summer of Lies : Baker, Barbara: Amazon.ca: Books

 

 

The Importance of Book Reviews

 

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Click here to visit Eileen O'Finlan's Website

As any authors can tell you, book reviews are extremely important. That's why so many of us include a call to action for a book review at the end of our novels. The more reviews we get, the better our sales.  I can't stress enough how important it is for authors to get reviews,whether it's on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnesandnoble.com or where ever you purchase your books. This is especially true for authors who are not huge household names like Stephen King or James Patterson. They don't have to worry about it, but the rest of us do.

However, I think some folks are intimidated by the thought of writing a review. I get that. But it's not as hard as you might think. You do not have to be a professional reviewer. No one expects that. It's actually very easy. All you have to do is click on the number of stars you want to give the book, then type something like: "I liked this book because..." or "My favorite part of this book was..." (just don't give away any spoilers). It doesn't have to be long. Even a sentence or two is fine. If you want to get more creative, by all means, go right ahead. It may also help to read some of the other reviews and see how they were written. The important thing is that you write something - anything!

The only other thing to know is that most sites will require you to give your review a title. All that needs to be is one line from your review or something as simple as "Great Book!"

I hope that quells any fears about leaving a public book review. Believe me, authors are extremely grateful. In fact, I want to take this moment to give a huge THANK YOU! to everyone who has left a review for either of Kelegeen or Erin's Children. You are the best!

Road Trip by Barbara Baker

Going to Lethbridge, Alberta. Those familiar with Alberta geography might say ‘why’. Others might suggest putting rocks in my pocket. Both are valid statements.

First stop, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump - a UNESCO World Heritage site west of Fort MacLeod. The site preserves and interprets over 6,000 years of Blackfoot culture. According to the legend, a young boy wanted to see what it looked like when buffalo fell over the cliff. After the carcasses were removed, they found the boy’s body. The buffalo piled so high they smashed his head into the face of the cliff.

As I read the plaques along the trail, I try to imagine what the first buffaloes felt when they realized going over the cliff was inevitable. Or would a buffalo realize their demise was imminent?

The views across the plains are endless to the east and west. The lemon-yellow buffalo bean leans in the breeze and mixes with the wild rose scent as the landscape runs into the snow-covered Rockies.

After a quick lunch stop, we head for our destination. Lucky for me, there is road construction outside Lethbridge and it’s at the best vantage point for a picture of the train trestle referred to as the High Level Bridge. I jump out of the car, dash to the edge of the ridge, snap a few pictures and am back in my seat before the flag person waves us on.

I came here to learn about fossils. As a newbie rockhound with a ‘still shiny’ rock hammer, I’m keen to have fossil names roll off my tongue. If they didn’t have so many syllables it would be a lot easier – Brachiopoda, Articulata, Pachyrhinosaurus. I can remember red rock is pomegranates, but it took me a few times to realize ‘never take me for granite’ is rockhound humour. Also…faults, plates and shifts sound impressive if I could just remember the right sequence which creates the seam I stand on.

The specific type of rock I want to find is called Ammonite. To be honest, unless it’s stamped on the rock ‘I’M AN AMMONITE’, I’m not sure I’d recognize a fossil. But I love being outside and like shiny things so I’m game to see what I can find.

            Spring run off hasn’t started which makes it easy to walk along the wide banks of the Oldman River. With safety glasses on, I smash rock in the bank and watch it crumble. Nothing. I crack boulders as a pair of adult geese and 18 goslings float by. They make me thankful I only have three kids.

Bald eagles scout out their next meal as I roll stones over.

Trails run up the banks and into the river valley. A couple mountain bikes zip by. A fisherman with the biggest smile waves a large whitefish at us. More rock smashing and then around the corner, I see a cliff. Even in my newbie rockhound status, I can tell the layers in the face are different. Too bad it’s across the river. Apparently, people have found shark teeth in the sediment.

I did not find any Ammonites but am pleased with the lava rock (almost light as a feather) and worm fossils I uncovered. A fun and educational road trip with great food along the way and, of course, red wine.

Where are you going? If you could go anywhere, where would you end up?

Summer of Lies: Baker, Barbara:9780228615774: Books - Amazon.ca

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My Book Club reads Her Vanquished Land by Diane Scott Lewis

Last month my Book Club drank wine at a winery in Western Pennsylvania and discussed my historical novel, Her Vanquished Land, which was that month's pick. I was honored when the Wine Lady suggested it when we made our year's list.

Here's the novel blurb:

In 1780, Rowena Marsh decodes messages for the British during the American Revolution. When the rebels overrun her home state of Pennsylvania, she flees with her family. Are the people loyal to England welcome anywhere in the burgeoning United States? Rowena struggles with possible defeat and permanent exile, plus her growing love for an enigmatic Welshman who may have little need for affection. The war might destroy both their lives.

But when I sat down to face the women present, I wondered if they'd liked it, disliked it, thought I was brilliant or a hack.
Here were the comments:

"I thought the story of the Loyalists and Patriots paralleled today's government situation. Stay in the system and fix it or change to a new system."

"You really painted the historical picture, everyday things, and the bigger picture of the war."

"Use of Welsh was well done."

"I loved the Welshman."

"Rowena was a strong, intelligent heroine, who also questioned the system and why the two factions were fighting."

"Made history come alive! And I loved the Welshman."

"The two aunts were opposites, one frivolous, the other steady; I liked how the frivolous aunt showed her bravery in the one instant she needed to, banging a thief on the head with a teapot."

"The history was well done and fit right into the story, not overwhelming it."

One woman, a head librarian, said she loved my cover, very striking.

When I asked for any negative comments:
One woman said she'd read another book where the author used long sentences, and coming to mine, the sentences seemed choppy. But once she got into the story, she liked the structure and the fast pace.

I hope they weren't being kind to not bruise my feelings, but my novel seemed a triumph. It was good to get so many outside opinions on a novel I labored over.

To purchase my novels, and my other BWL books: BWL

Find out more about me and my novels on my website: Dianescottlewis

Diane Scott Lewis lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty puppy.

Did you say READ? But WHY? by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

I love reading. During those precious hours when I'm alone with a good book, I lose myself into the story and escape reality. It's a wonderful feeling to step into a make-believe world, and it's sad when it ends, but

some of these stories stay with you for the rest of your life.

Reading isn't just a passion I enjoy by myself, it's also a passion I share with my children and granddaughter. I read to my children when they were little, and now I read to my five-year old granddaughter. I make funny voices and it's delightful to see the expressions on her face as the story progresses. She's even started reading to me, and I can see she's enjoying the story at a new level.

We've all heard that reading was good, but what are the real benefits of reading? Well, as it turns out, they are plenty.

- Stimulate brain: reading is a good workout for your brain, it jogs your memory and helps make you smarter.

- Expand vocabulary: books teach new words, broadening your spoken and written vocabulary.

- Increase empathy: reading fiction helps readers understand what other’s are thinking by reading people’s emotions.

- Improve concentration: when you're reading, you're concentrating on one thing, so you're training your body to avoid distraction.

- Reduce stress: when you lose yourself in a story, you distance yourself from the stress of everyday life.

- Help sleep: when your mind is racing and busy worrying about a variety of things, reading for ten minutes can help push whatever is keeping you awake out of your mind.

And my favorite reason:

- It entertains! You're never alone when you're with a book.

So, what should you read? Anything you can get your hands on. There's no accounting for taste. What someone loves to read is as personal as what someone loves to eat.

But BEWARE: reading is contagious. Make sure you transmit the passion to your kids.

Happy Reading & Stay safe. Many hugs!
JS

 

J. S. Marlo's Website