An intro to D.L. Dixen, my "Skidded and Skunked" co-author

 

I stopped at a bookstore last week and the owners asked an obvious question, "Who is D.L. Dixen and how did she become your "Skidded and Skunked" co-author?"

Our collaboration began with "Prairie Menace" after my long-time cop consultant passed away. Ms. Dixen introduced herself at a library event and after explaining her law enforcement and legal system experience, she offered to proof my manuscripts. From there she advised me on horse/farm issues, she helped create the CJ Jensen character, and her basset showed up as a character in the Pine County series. She's been a key collaborator and editor for several years, so it was only logical that she contribute her writing skills.

Here's the bio she wrote for "Skidded and Skunked": D.L. Dixen makes her home on a small hobby farm with her family, ponies and basset hound, not far from the Pine County border. Her professional background ranges from the criminal justice system to secondary English education. Her professional experiences, coupled with her deep familial Pine County roots, make for good fiction in the Pine County mystery series. Skidded and Skunked is her first mystery.

Reviewers have posted many positive comments about our collaboration. This review is by Julie C. on Goodreads. "This was my whirlwind introduction to the Hovey and Dixen Pine County series. The situations this pair of writers came up with both shocked and amazed me. I can't count the number of wide-eyed moments I had. I am looking forward to getting to know the Pine County crew as the series grows!"

Check out "Skidded and Skunked", the latest Pine County mystery from BWL Publishing.

https://www.amazon.com/Skidded-Skunked-Pine-County-Book-ebook/dp/B0F2GWWSLZ

A Romance Parody. You Were Supposed to Laugh, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

To purchase this book, called "a worthwhile read (and nice change of pace)." ~ Long and Short Reviews, click HERE

If you like parodies, and funny romps through the 18th c., you'll enjoy my story where I poke fun at the tropes of romance novels. At least if you take it with a grain of salt.

I read many historical romance novels and usually found the formula, boy meets girl, they immediately fall in love, trouble ensues, but love and lust conquers all, contrived. I wanted to pen more believable stories, with long simmering attractions. But first, given the parodies of the popular Fifty Shades of Grey, I had to combine the usual tropes of this genre and have some fun.

Here is an excerpt: (Melwyn and Griffin are betrothed, but neither wants the match. He confronts her in the Vauxhall Gardens)

The chit’s wrist felt sparrow-thin in his hands. Griffin glared down at her, as she stared up, raspberry ice cream on her lips. At first startled, she didn’t scream and composed herself quickly; he had to admire that.

“How is your sojourn in London, my lady? A sudden urge to travel, had you?” Griffin smiled at the rising anger in her blue eyes.

“How dare you follow me, sir. And drag me into bushes.” Miss Pencavel pulled away from him, chin jutted out. “I told you my wishes in Cornwall. You have wasted your time if you’re here to change my mind.”

“Truth is, I did have business in town, so it’s not a total waste.” He rocked back on his heels, arms now behind his back. His actions were irrational, and totally alien to his usual demeanor. “You intrigue me, Miss Pencavel, such as a wasp might intrigue one. You wonder how close you may hover before being stung.”

He baited her, and enjoyed it. This slip of a girl provoked him, and that was disconcerting. Most females he understood as connivers or simpletons. Miss Pencavel appeared to be neither. Her eyes shone with an innate intelligence. Why had he followed her into the garden—while he had to admit that he’d searched for any sign of her in town—when he had little use for marriage? A wife like her would only get in his way.

Thomas Rowlandson 1780s, "Entrance to Vauxhall Gardens"

 
“I assure you, you will feel my sting.” She backed up a step and took another bite of her dessert. “You said cruel things about my mother. Even if they were true, you were still despicable.”

“I must apologize; I should have waited until I knew you better before being so straightforward.” He softened his words as a twig crackled under his buckled shoe. “But are you like your mother, partial to servants and other low-lifes?”

“I might be partial to whoever takes my fancy, a sailor, a groom, a particularly handsome nightsoil man.” She scrutinized him closely. “I’ve heard you have sinister inclinations, not that such things would bother me, being the free-thinking person I am, but I’d rather not be troubled with you.”

Griffin pondered what she really knew. He decided to deride her, to nudge her off-balance. He resisted the urge to brush a stray leaf from her cheek. “Are you already ruined, my girl, is that why you shy away?”

“I have been in various positions where I might have been ruined, but not in that compromising position I know nothing about, and you no doubt insinuate.” She licked her spoon, slowly.

'

"Beer Street and Gin Lane" by William Hogarth 1751

Many reviewers took offence at my fun-poking, but it was not meant to be taken seriously. My book club thought it hilarious.

For more on me and my books, visit my BWL author's page

https://bwlpublishing.ca/lewis-diane-scott/

Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with one naughty dachshund.

'Crabbed age and youth'...by Sheila Claydon

Find my books here

In a poem attributed to him, William Shakespeare said 'Crabbed age and youth cannot live together.' He was right about so many things but not about this, well at least from my perspective. Why do I feel this way? Well, although I sincerely hope I'm not crabbed, I am definitely aged. This means that I now have regular help with my garden and my house. Not a lot, but enough for me to no longer have to tackle the heavy jobs.

In the past 6 months my longtime gardener has retired and the woman who helped with the house has left to have a baby. So now, instead of seasoned experts, I have two young people helping me instead. My new gardener is 21 and just setting himself up in business. The cleaner 23. Both work hard but this is where the crabbed age bit could come in if I let it, because neither of them have enough experience to get everything right.

When I asked the gardener to clear the weeds that had grown up around my very small pond, he cleared everything leaving a patch of bare earth. That was when I discovered that his 5 year apprenticeship was in landscape gardening not horticulture and he didn't know a weed from a flower. Not the best recommendation for a gardener I know, but he wasn't aware of the difference and now he wants to learn. So while he does the heavy stuff, I teach him about the plants in the garden I have planted and nurtured over many years. As a bonus he has done a brilliant job of rebuilding the pond, re-laying paving stones and moving large plants, all things that needed his landscaping skills. And now we are working together I've learned all about his brothers and his parents, his dog and its recent operation, his hobbies (cage fighting...the mind shudders) and now, his new girlfriend and his plans for the future.

Then there is the cleaner. When she first arrived she seemed shy so, in true writerly fashion, I asked questions, hoping to put her at ease. That was when I discovered she is a student who is working to pay her way through university. She already has a Degree in computer science and is now studying for a Masters in Data Collection using Artificial Intelligence. Wow! I don't know how long I'll keep her as there must be a much more exciting future career out there for her, but in the meantime I'm learning quite a bit about the uses of AI while she learns some of the finer points of housekeeping. Because a 23 year old graduate who is still studying isn't ever going to be the best I consider a forgotten window or an unplumped cushion a small price to pay for our interesting conversations. So far I've learned about the use of AI in medical care, specifically the lungs, and in return she's learned how to clean windows without streaks, and how an expandable feather duster works wonders! Not a fair exchange really but it's all I had to offer other than my great admiration for how she is managing her life.

And in addition to those two I have my granddaughters, all of whom are moving forward with dreams and ambitions. A trainee vet, a college student whose final exams are almost over and is going to take a gap year, working behind a bar in addition to bringing on her young horse, while she decides what she actually wants to do, and finally a younger one just about to start senior school. They don't get to hear much about their grandmother. Instead they tell me all about their adventures, what thrills them and what bothers them.In this way I have learned a great deal about the inner workings of a horse, some rather grusome facts behind lambing large flocks, and the ethics of animal care. I've learned, too, how to mix an espresso cocktail and a mini Guinness. And the youngest one has taught me faster and better ways to use my Ipad and phone as well as how to catch mosquitos and the future of the world relating to climate change. Such a mixed and interesting bag!

We have young neighbours too, all of whom we like a lot and see regularly. So my take on Shakespeare's 'Crabbed age and Youth' quote is that old people won't ever get crabby if they open themselves up to living with the young. They have so much to tell us if we truly listen. And they are such fun.

My book Many a Moon, the third in my Mapleby Memories series, also includes relationships between the old and the much younger, and how wisdom can be exchanged for vitality and interest. Crabbed old age! Pah!

Spring...It's Spring! by Nancy M Bell

 

To find out more about my books click on the image above.   

It's finally Spring here in Central Alberta. I know that on the west coast the trees are in blossom and the tulips and daffs are glowing. It seems Spring comes to different parts of Canada at different times for sure. In Southern Ontario the lilacs and tulips would be blooming by Mother's Day and the peonies wouldn't be far behind. Here, my peonies don't bloom until late June or early July. 

It's raining today on the dry dusty prairies. Which is cause for joy. It has been dry for so long, even the snow melt was whisked away by the strong winds. The top six inches of soil needs to be moist so the crops can germinate and flourish. In comparison to the growth of wheat, barley and canola my little garden worries are pretty tiny. Besides, I can water my garden, without irrigation pivots and a water source it's pretty hard to water hectares of grain crop. So today, I'm doing the happy dance for the rain and for Spring.

The Mayday tree in the yard has come fully leafed over the last week and the tiny flower spikes are waving in the breeze, soon to break out into white spiky florets that will attract the honey bees and the birds. Hollyhocks are  the first to brave the uncertainty of a Central Alberta Spring and they are raising their broad leaves to the sun and rain, fighting off the strong winds. Rhubarb is growing in the northeast corner of the yard which gets the most early sun in the year. It will actually be ready to harvest a bit soon. It will be so nice when the fruit trees here blossom and the lilacs by the house scent the air.

Birds are everywhere, fighting over seeds and nesting materials. And, I saw my very first Sandhill Cranes this Spring. They were migrating and I came across a flock of them twice. I had to do a double take as I assumed they were geese at first, but nope. Cranes! They sound different as well when they fly, but the ones I saw were earthbound scavenging in a grain field. I am so used to the sound of Canada Geese which is what I encountered at our old house. But here, the Grey Geese and swans go through and their voices are all different to my ears. 

So wherever you are and whatever stage your Spring is at.... Enjoy the transition from winter into Spring and the lengthening days. We are climbing the slope of Light up to the Solstice which is when we begin the slow slide back toward the longest night in December. Cherish your journey, because it is yours alone.

Until next month stay well, stay happy.

      

The garden by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Garden #Peonies #Roses

 

Before I talk about my garden this is the new cover for the double book Leo - Aquarius and Virgo- Pisces. The new covers are great.

Now the garden. I have roses and peonies and a dogwood tree that are now all in bloom. The dogwood tree grew much taller than was predicted when I planted the tree. The soil must have been really rich. I was told the tree might grow to ten feet tall. It is now  between thirty and fourty feet tall. Today the green is turning white with the blooms and this is a grand sight. 

As usual, the peonies went from small buds to full flowers and as happens every eyar, they bloomed and it rained. Not sure why but that happens nearly every year.

The roses went from tight buds to full flower. They are in full bloom but they will remain that way for all summer. Actually two of the bushes continue to bloom through the fall and occasionally into winter depending on how cold the weather becomes and how early or late.

I have a large front porch and sitting out when it's warm is one of my favorite things. I've written parts of many of my books while sitting on the white wicker swing.

Are you a curmudgeon? by J.C. Kavanagh

 

To purchase your copy of the award-winning Twisted Climb series,
including the audio version, click here:
https://www.bookswelove.net/kavanagh-j-c/

I've been delving into the infinite realm of human personalities these past couple of weeks. Yes, somewhat existential, I know, but when creating characters for a novel, the author needs to pin down unique personalities so they are credibly defined to the reader. A successful author creates a kinship, so to speak, between the reader and the characters on the page.

Having said that, and without putting yourself into an iron-clad character 'cage,' if you could place yourself or people you know into a personality category, would you/they be one of the:

• Good ones
• Not-so-good ones
• Fence sitters
• Ass-hats
• Fragile ones
• Arrogant ones
• Kind ones
• Power-driven ones
• Opinionated 'swordsmen/women' who use words as daggers
• None of the above, or,
• A combination of some of the above traits

How about a curmudgeon? Are you one? Do you even know what that means? 

Here's the Webster's Dictionary definition: Curmudgeon: (noun) a bad-tempered, churlish person.

And the Oxford Canadian Dictionary definition: Curmudgeon: (noun) a bad-tempered person.

And then there's my definition: Curmudgeon: (noun) an altruistic person hiding behind a gruff exterior; a person reluctant to display his/her true character in public.

My former boss, I'll call him 'Mr. White,' was a true curmudgeon - my definition. His stern disposition was on full display at work. The fact that he was an expert in his field and in tune with the demands of the company he represented, put him on a pedestal of sorts. Colleagues appreciated the knowledge he willingly, albeit gruffly, shared. Despite this outward disposition, he was greatly respected by his peers and the owners of the companies he dealt with.

Years ago, I began writing an article about Mr. White and his long and successful career with the company. I wanted to refer to him as an 'old curmudgeon' in the article. When I asked him permission to do so, and without informing him that 'my' definition of the word curmudgeon would be included, he gazed at me intently for what seemed like minutes.

Finally, in a begrudging tone, he said "Yes." When staff and customers eventually read the article, all heads nodded in agreement. Mr. White was indeed an 'old curmudgeon.' I don't know what my old boss is up to now, but I do hope he's fulfilling all of his retirement dreams.

In my Twisted Climb trilogy, there are no 'curmudgeons.' You will find some good characters, some not-so-good, a couple of ass-hats, a drama queen and many more unique individuals. Some characters you'll love, others, not so much. However, in my upcoming paranormal novel, entitled "The Deepest Divide," I would definitely describe one of the main characters, Jimmy McQuat, as an old curmudgeon. My definition of course. And in case you're wondering how to pronounce this Scottish surname, it's Ma-koo-et.

Until next time, 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

Hello music lovers- by Lance Chalmers

 

https://bwlpublishing.ca/chalmers-lance/

Your old school beat maker here. Just about to track drums for a friend. He’s going to use the drum track as a backing track for a performing duo. Why would I endeavour to create such a thing you ask? Am I not taking away the potential for a live drummer to play the part? Maybe. I’ve known this friend for 42 years. We played together in a cover band. Given the state of the current music scene, I’m thrilled he’s once again making an effort to get out there and play. Whether it be a duo, full band or solo act. He’s capable of all three. And more. Where he lives, has been subject to the same venue availability as I. Music has taken on a more disposable position with most people. A duo, will be viewed as more a pleasant distraction, akin to that hockey game on the screens everywhere in the venue, or that text conversation people have on their phones sitting right in front of the band, complaining about volume. He’s doing what every smart musician can only do these days. Adapt. My playing these days is split. I track drums from home, and gig just about as much. Which is pale in comparison to pre covid days that saw me gigging every weekend. I could lament? But what for. It’s the past. Time to move on fellas. I still have the drive. Even if it costs more for fuel. I have two gigs this weekend with two different bands. The way I see it? Keeps my chops up for sessions. Or air drumming on my steering wheel driving to work. Teaching drums and guitar. Have a great holiday weekend!

Unearthing Mary: The Research Behind Dancing Mary- by Jay Lang

 

https://bwlpublishing.ca/lang-jay/

When I first heard the story of “Dancing Mary,” it came as little more than a whispered local legend—just another ghost story, one of many that echo around the misty corners of British Columbia’s Comox Valley. But there was something about her tale that wouldn’t let me go. Maybe it was the image of the glowing blue orb seen drifting across Comox Road. Maybe it was the sorrow I felt beneath the surface of the legend—a grief that felt startlingly human.

I wanted to write Dancing Mary. I wanted to understand her.

What began as simple curiosity turned into months of deep, often emotional research. I pored through old newspaper clippings, dug into settler records, and read the fragmented, colonial accounts of the early days in the Comox Valley. Most haunting were the silences—what wasn’t recorded. Mary, a young K’ómoks First Nation woman, had been betrayed and murdered, yet the details of her life had been mostly erased, overshadowed by the sensationalism of her ghost.

So I listened—to local stories, to Indigenous voices, and, I hope, to Mary herself.

Woven into this research was my own personal journey. As I explored Mary’s story, I found myself reflecting on themes of grief, family, and the invisible threads that connect us to place and memory. Writing Dancing Mary became a way of honoring both historical truth and personal healing.

Because Mary wasn’t just a ghost. She was a girl. And she mattered.

To Save or Not To Save

                                                                   find my books here

May is Historic Preservation Month. It is a time for businesses, historical societies, and other organizations to highlight places that have played an important role in our past. Here in Vermont, most of us believe that old homes and neighborhoods embody America’s living history and should be celebrated.

What is it like where you live? Is there a focus on elevating awareness of old homes?  Do your communities rally around them?

On a personal level, I assisted a recently widowed neighbor to move to a new, smaller home after the sudden death of her husband. Oh, the trouble she had culling through her treasured mementoes of a fifty year marriage with her beloved! You may have heard the expression that Vermonters don’t throw anything out? Well, Bill certainly didn’t! From an old train set that he built with a nephew to trunks of costumes from their community theater days, to CD and cassette collections and many ways to play them. And the couple seemed to have at least three sets of every kitchen gadget known to Man— from coffee makers to toasters to ladles!

What did my friend treasure most? Her Bill’s writings…letters, stories, articles. 

What would make your list if you could only keep, say…three precious possessions in your home right now?

May Day Celebrations

                                         Please Click this link for author and book information

On Saturday, May 3, I celebrated May Day with back-to-back-to-back activities. The day began with sunshine, warmth, and my morning Heritage Walk in Calgary's Tuxedo Park -- my first time leading a Jane's Walk. Forty-three people turned up at our meeting spot in Balmoral Circus Park, which conveniently provided chairs for half of the attendees. 

After my introduction and a discussion of the intersection's history and recent transformation into a park, we set off to explore the other historical sites in the neighbourhood that I had chosen for the setting of my mystery novel, A Killer Whisky. 

The whole walk took 1.5 hours. Highlights included unexpected contributions by walk participants. A woman who grew up in the neighbourhood recalled that the house in the above photo used to be a Scout Hall. She rang the home's doorbell to see if the owners could confirm this. They said they were newcomers but would contact the previous owners and send her more information. 

At our next stop, a surprise for me was a "Sold" sign in front of the blue house in this picture. 

A few weeks earlier, when I'd researched the walk, no sign was there. I had imagined this 1912 house as the residence of my novel's protagonist. A woman in the walking group Googled the real estate listing and found the description boasted that the home was featured in a Jane's Walk. During my research trip, I'd dropped a flyer in the mailbox advising the owners about the upcoming walk. Evidently their real estate agent viewed this as a selling point. 

Between my morning and afternoon walks, I grabbed a burger and fries at a nearby local landmark, Peter's Drive In. After lunch, I repeated my Jane's Walk for 40 new participants. The afternoon walk featured three guest speakers. 

The first speaker was planned. In front of the 1912 commercial building that once housed a branch of the Calgary Public Library, author and literary historian Shaun Hunter spoke about Elaine Catley, a Canadian writer who lived in Tuxedo Park in the 1920s. 

The two other speakers were spontaneous additions. When we discovered an urban planner from the City of Calgary was in the audience, we asked her explain about Heritage Protection laws, which I wasn't familiar with.  

Asia Walker, Urban Planner, and Shaun Hunter added interest and expertise   

Later, a woman who'd gone to Balmoral Bungalow School shared her memories of attending the school that was built to temporarily house students during Calgary's periods of rapid school enrollment. The school is boarded up now, although an application has been made to make it a daycare centre.  

Balmoral Bungalow School 

From the walk, I drove to the Austrian Canadian Cultural Centre for a dinner/dance to celebrate May Day and the Centre's 70th anniversary. May Day, the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, welcomes the summer growing season with the traditional Maypole dance. 

During the day, groups from Western Canada had gathered at the Centre for workshops on Schuhplattler dancing. My sister's German dance club came from Victoria and dressed in dirndl and Lederhosen for the occasion.  

After the workshop presentations, the band continued with polkas. I was tired from my busy day, but couldn't resist hitting the dance floor when the band segued to Elvis' "Blue Suede Shoes." By midnight, I was ready to crash in our hotel room. 

What a fun way to usher in summer. Happy Merry Month of May to you! 

Alphorn players

      

Quilting fast counts as aerobic exercise

https://bookswelove.net/stover-karla/

My parents were the youngest in their respective families, owned their home, and had a big basement. That meant, as various family members downsized, a lot of their I-don't-need-it-right-now items ended up in the basement. Then my parents died, followed by my brother, and that's how I inherited a signature quilt with names I can't identify.

Signature quilts, aka Autograph quilts and Album quilts have a long history.

TIMELINE:

400 BC - 300 BC:  people began making what was known as Gallnut Ink out of Oak Gallnuts (Oak Apples) and Iron Sulphate. 

3400 BCE: when it thought that stitching together of layers of padding and fabric together, may date back to. 

1101 - 1200: when historians think Crusaders introduced quilting in Europe.

1360: In Sicily when one of the earliest existing decorative works, the Tristan Quilt, was made.

The early 19th century was an enormously sentimental time: diaries, scrapbooks, poetry, and sketches, or photographs when they became available, abound. Then, in approximately 1839, the first indelible ink showed up in stationary stores and quilters turn their attention to signature quilts. While back home they often commemorated single events such as a marriage or birth of a child, based, as they were, on friendships and/or family, they became comforting reminders of home during the first western expansion (Massachusetts to Ohio). The women making these quilts sometimes stitched their political and religious beliefs. Baltimore album quilts have sayings, bible verses, and drawings inked on many of the blocks. 

One day in 1856, Adeline Harris, a seventeen-year-old Rhode Island girl, came up with a unique idea, make a quilt in the tumbling block pattern and incorporate hundreds of celebrity autographs. She mailed out small diamonds of white silk to various notables with an explanation of her project and a request that they sign the square and send it back to her signed. 

POSTAGE CHARGES IN 1856: