The Hudson's Bay Company by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

https://books2read.com/West-to-the-Bay-Yarmey

https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/p/west-to-the-bay

https://www.amazon.ca/West-Bay-V2-Joan-Donaldson-Yarmey/dp/0228630568

https://books2read.com/West-to-Grande-Portage-V2

 https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/p/west-to-grande-portage

https://www.amazon.ca/West-Grande-Portage-Joan-Donaldson-Yarmey/dp/0228630479

https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/p/west-to-fort-edmonton

https://books2read.com/b/West-to-the-Bay-Yarmey

https://www.amazon.ca/West-Fort-Edmonton-Joan-Donaldson-Yarmey/dp/0228636000

The beaver fur trade began in Montreal, originally founded as a French missionary centre, in the 17^th century. After a few decades, two fur traders, Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Medard des Groseilliers, heard the best furs were further north on a frozen sea, the Hudson’s Bay, and they wanted to investigate. They asked for backing from the French Governor but he didn’t want to fur trade to move away from the St Lawrence River area and refused.

The traders went to England and received funding from Prince Rupert, cousin of King Charles II. In 1668 two ships, the Nonsuch with Groseilliers and the Eaglet with Radisson, left London. However, the Eaglet had to turn back so only the Nonsuch sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to what is now James Bay on Hudson’s Bay. There, Groseilliers founded Charles Fort on the Rupert River. The fort was later named Rupert House. The ship returned to England in October 1669 laden with prime beaver furs to be made into the waterproof felt hats that were popular at the time.

The charter for the formation of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) was granted by King Charles II on May 2, 1670. It included all the land surrounding the rivers that drained into the Hudson’s Bay. This reached as far west as the origin of the North Saskatchewan River in the Rocky Mountains and was named Rupert’s Land. The company’s headquarters were in London and by 1717 there were six forts on the bay. The company controlled the fur trade throughout most of North America. However, they relied on the natives to transport the furs to their posts by canoe to trade for muskets, gunpowder, shot, and kettles and other articles.

The French, known as voyageurs, continued their fur trade with the indigenous peoples but they were the ones who went inland with the goods and built posts to trade for the furs. Eventually, in 1779, the independent traders formed their own company, The North West Company. The Hudson’s Bay Company began to open their own inland posts in competition. In 1821 the two joined under the name The Hudson’s Bay Company. It was the government of the land until 1868, two years after Canada was established.

Over the decades the company opened 80 retail stores across North America and employed over nine thousand workers. However, times changed and in March of 2025, the oldest continually operating company in North America filed for credit protection. It closed its last store in June 2025.

I have written three Canadian west historical novels for young adults. Two, ‘West to the Bay’ and ‘West to Fort Edmonton’, a novella, are based on the Hudson Bay Company. The third, ‘West to Grande Portage’ is based on the voyageur’s life. I am researching for a fourth which is tentatively titled, 'West to Fort Selkirk.'

 

What is a Short Story? by Victoria Chatham

 

 

 AVAILABLE HERE

Last month, I wrote about a short story competition in which I had been a finalist. I enjoyed short story writing and taught an introductory short story course many times. It was a great format in which new writers could find their feet. When asked by one student what a short story was, another somewhat cheeky student replied that it wasn't a long story.

A short story can be anything from 100 words to 15,000 words long. At 100 words, it is sometimes referred to as postcard or flash fiction. By contrast, a novel can be from 40,000 to 100,000 words. Depending on the genre and the publisher's guidelines, it may be longer. But, long or short, the requirements are the same as for any story.

You need to create a protagonist and antagonist, as well as the setting or world in which they live. From the beginning, a conflict must be introduced into the plot that escalates to a climax and is then resolved, resulting in a change in their character(s).

You can populate a novel with main characters and plots, as well as sub-characters and sub-plots. It can cover the span of a few days or a few years. In a short story, there are usually no more than two or three characters, and the story takes place over a brief period, such as a few minutes or a couple of days, but the basic principles still need to be there. Here is a 230-word simple example that I wrote for my class, which takes place in the space of a few minutes.

 

STRAWBERRIES

 Zach (protagonist) takes the basket from his mother. He’s fifteen, too old to be picking strawberries. (the strawberry field = setting) His sister, three years younger, smiles at him.

“I can pick more than you,” she says. (conflict with his sister)

“Can’t,” Zach mutters, and strides away between the arrow-straight rows, kicking up sun-scorched dust with the toes of his runners. 

“Zach!” His mother’s voice reminds him of why they are here.

 He drops to his knees, parts the green canopy of protective leaves to reveal the bright fruit beneath. His fingers close around a plump, glistening berry, but before he can separate it from its stem, other fingers close around his. He looks up into a pair of blue eyes twinkling with mischief. The girl’s (antagonist) dark hair is held back under a blue and white bandana. They stare at each other across the green spine of the strawberry plants.

“I got it first,” he says. (conflict with his antagonist)

She pouts and releases his fingers. (more conflict) Zach plucks the fruit, looks at it for a moment, then hands it to her. She takes it, her fingers again brushing against his, as she lifts the fruit to her mouth. Seduced by the sight of her moist tongue caressing the berry, he catches his breath. (escalation) She sinks her perfect teeth into the succulent, pale pink flesh. (climax) He imagines that rhapsody of texture and flavour on his tongue, and slowly returns the full, knowing smile she gives him. (awareness = resolution)

So there, in a nutshell, is a short story. I hope you enjoy it.

Victoria Chatham

 ON FACEBOOK

 MY WEBSITE

NB: image is from author's photo gallery.

 

Do you really know all of that, or are you just making stuff up?

 Yes, that was a question from a young guy who stopped by my table at a local book fair. He'd read the blurb while I was talking to someone else, then waited politely until I was free. He waved the book at me and commented about how much detail seemed to be in the book.

I explained that I'd gone to Kentucky on a research trip, had toured several distilleries, visited a cooperage where they made the charred white oak barrels, and had spoken to numerous experts about the nuances of making bourbon. 

"But this is fiction!" he replied.

"Yes, the plot and characters are fictional, but the location, Lincoln's Birthplace National Monument was very real and people who read the book and have gone to the park will know what it looks like. If my description isn't correct, someone will gladly point that error out to me." The same goes for the bourbon making and flavors in the finished bourbon. I did a lot of research on bourbon flavors, right down to understanding the chemicals that create good and bad flavors, and how the distilleries manage their processes to maximize the good and minimize the bad.

The young man had a hard time getting his head around all of that. "You do THAT MUCH research to write a book of 'made up' stuff?"

I said that I did, then he gestured to the piles of thirty-eight different titles arranged on the table in front of me. "You did that much research on each of these?" I assured him I had, then showed him the acknowledgement where I cited assistance from a gun expert, a law enforcement expert, a horse expert, to an archaeologist, and even a rural coroner, all of them helping me get the details correct.

The guy asked me to sign a book for him, and he handed me cash to cover the purchase and sales tax. Before he left, he commented that he felt better about handing me twenty bucks knowing how hard I'd worked on the book.

As he left, I thought to myself Outlining a plot, writing 80,000 words, rewriting, proofreading, and doing the final prep for publishing wasn't enough "work" to justify his purchase. However, knowing I'd traveled to the location, spoken with experts, and researched the details of making bourbon was sufficient 

Either way, I hope the story and detailed research are enough to entice you to check out a copy of A Bourbon to Die For. Check it out at my publisher's website or on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore.

https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/p/a-bourbon-to-die-for

How does a young woman spy for the British during the American Revolution? by Diane Scott Lewis

 

To purchase this novel click HERE

I decided to write a story from a loyalist's point of view, the British side, even though I'm American. My ancestors fought on the revolutionaries' side.

My heroine, Rowena, learns to decipher code under the guidance of the Welshman Derec. She must flee her home with her family as Washington's army closes in. Will she ever see Derec again?

I hope you enjoy this different view of the fight over America.

Here is an excerpt:

In the musty stone cottage they’d gathered in before, Rowena laid the paper bearing her cipher on the rough-hewn table. It had taken her all of yesterday to unravel the mystery of the Greek words. Dressed again like a boy, she sat without having to manage with petticoats and hoops. A lantern flickered beside the note. Sam, Derec and James stared down at it.

“This dispatch tells of rebel forces gathering again to protect Morristown in New Jersey. Their General Greene knows they’re outnumbered.” She kept her tone officious and massaged a bush scratch on her hand. She’d taken a great risk sneaking from her aunt’s home this evening. Sam had strolled boldly through the rear garden, the extra guard watching him, while she slipped off in another direction. They’d reunited at the stables to retrieve Kayfill.

On the tip of her tongue, she decided she wouldn’t dare ask the courier’s fate from whom they’d obtained this report. The first courier’s bloody stomach flashed through her mind.

"A well written story, produced by an author who knows her era. Details of espionage and intrigue keep those pages turning."

“Aye, General Knyphausen plans a second attack after the failure of Connecticut Farms.” Derec plucked up the note. “Greene has over a thousand Continental troops, plus the hundreds in the New Jersey militia to oppose the Hessians.”

“Connecticut Farms. Where you imprudently put yourself and Sam in grave danger.” James’ words cut through her. “But you never heed my warnings.”

“Dear James, we must work together to prevail in this war.” She tried Aunt Joan’s soothing manner, instead of allowing him to provoke her.

“I still think you should return to Easton, and Uncle Robert, before you’re hurt or arrested.” He averted his gaze, his shoulders hunched.

She grinned over her irritation. “How kind of you to worry about me, dear cousin.”

“We do worry, geneth.” Derec paced the hard-packed dirt floor, his face in and out of shadow, the note in his hands. He’d briefly smiled at her when they’d greeted tonight and cast her a look now and then.

She thought of his words at the river. The dare about her seeking a husband. The memory of his arm around her sent a heated tremor through her. She rubbed her nape, hard. If she wanted to be taken seriously, she couldn’t be seen as a simpering girl. The boy’s clothing sheltered her.

                               

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.

Never Underestimate the Importance of History...by Sheila Claydon

Find my books here

I think I enjoyed writing my  Mapleby Memories series more than any of my other books and, in part, this was because the research that was necessary to get the facts right sucked me in. For Book 1: Remembering Rose I had to discover what life was like in small town UK in the late 1800s and early 1900s. For Book 2: Loving Ellen I only had to go back a few years, whereas in Book 3: Many a Moon, I had to travel back to the 13th century.  Although all of this took a lot of time, it left me with a history bug. One I've been indulging ever since.  

Not by reading many history books though, but by reading historical fiction, because I know that good and committed writers get it right but in a much more digestible way.  I don't always read the books either, sometimes I listen to them on Audible or via the BorrowBox App from my local library. This way I can offset boring household chores with something much more interesting, such as what living in Shanghai was like before the Japanese invaded China - it was known as the Paris of the East - or Romancing the Klondike by Books We Love's own Joan Donaldson-Yarmey - a tale about the men and women searching for gold in the Yukon.  There are also TV series that open up the lives that people all around the world lived in the past.  I know some of them manipulate the facts a bit to suit their story but a factual check on almost anything I've read, listened to, or watched, (something I often do) has shown that most of it is faithfully reported.

In this way I've learned about so many things that I knew very little about, or, I'm ashamed to say, in some cases wasn't even aware of. Amazing books by foreign writers I had previously never heard of have opened my eyes to the devastation caused by wars, such as the Turkish/Cypriot war and the Biafran bid for independence. I've learned about the glassmakers of Venice and how they had to adjust their trade to survive over the centuries, and I've read so much about how the ordinary people of Britain and Europe lived from the thirteenth century to the present day. One of my favourites, however, is the story of Ninevah, an ancient city in Mesopotamia, where its history is told through the movement and importance of water.  The tale is so ingenious, while also being 99% accurate, that it stayed with me for days after I'd finished it, and, dare I say it, made me just a little jealous of the author for having such a skill. 

Inevitably, the lives lived in the past, before modern comforts and modern medicine, were often hard and unforgiving.  I've read or listened to tales of the displaced, the ignored, the forgotten, but then rejoiced that they have all been brought back to life by compassionate writers who want to tell their story.  In the hands of the skilled writers the humanity of the characters comes through, as well as the healing strength of love. 

I will continue to search out the history of the world because reading about it imparts the wisdom of hindsight, something the world urgently needs today. 

Falling into Fall by Nancy M Bell

 To learn more about my books click on the link above

It's that time of year again. The sun is making its way south through the skies and throwing golden slanting rays across the land as its position sinks toward the horizon. The air is full of shining motes of light as the sun glints off the dust raised by busy combines bringing in the harvest.

The days are drawing in as the Autumn Equinox approaches, mornings are blessed with the cool bite of what is to come and the grass is rimed with the last of summer's breath.

 

My roses are still blooming right now, the pumpkins are orange, the apples are glowing through the emerald leaves and the garden is getting ready for the winter sleep.  Fall is a time of renewal, much the same as spring.  The busy days of summer are coming to a close, the nights grow longer and wrap us in the comfort of our hearth fire and knowledge we are ready for the coming cold. The long nights gift us with time to spend in pursuits we have set aside for the warmer months. Time to bring out the projects that have been put on hold, time to savour the summer that is past, time for introspective thoughts and time to plan for the coming spring.

Nights through October and November are long and sometimes cold, but without the dark would we really appreciate the return of the light after the Winter Solstice? The slow trickle of lengthening days as January turns to February. For those who follow the old ways, Samhain, Alban Arthuan and Imbolc. No matter what we humans call the turning the seasons, the universe carries on with no regard to our celebrations or worries. I find comfort in that in some odd way. So I'm more than ready to fall into Fall. The short days will get me out of the garden and back into the house where the dust lays thick on my computer. There are stories to write and tales to tell.

Until next month, stay well, stay happy.  

 

Back Today by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Absence #Computer problem

 I'm finally back on line. The computer was hacked along with a hundred thousand New Yorkers last Monday. Just received the computer back from the computer gurus. So this will be a short post. 

I am gearing up for the release next month of the Horror Writer's Demise. 

Though I didn't have the computer, I kept writing and have been working on my next book. At this point, a medical romance. Rough draft is done but now I need to make the story make sense. My roughdrafts are usually heavy on dialogue and light on setting and action.

Oh you dirty rat, by J.C. Kavanagh

  

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

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

Rats. 

Who likes ‘em?

NOT ME!

So when I heard tiny feet scrabbling on my boat, I did not think ‘rat.’

Not at first.

We were tied up at an Erie Canal town dock in New York State. By outward appearance, the docks were clean and well maintained. Trash cans were evenly distributed. Me and my partner, Ian, had walked into town to pick up a few provisions (like fresh baked bread!) It was a warm and humid day and we left some ports open as the weather forecast was zero per cent chance of rain.

The forecast did not predict 100 per cent chance of rat. 

That night, we left the freshly baked bread and buns on the galley counter. The scrabbling sounds we heard before retiring for the evening was attributed to a few drops of rain (I mean, how often is the weatherman accurate?)

So imagine my shock - my first morning visual - was the sight of a half-eaten bun and multiple crumbs strewn across the counter, and one bun completely gone.

Oh, that dirty rat!

Ian and I marched to the nearest hardware store, which was not ‘near’ at all. After 45 minutes, our angry not-on-my-boat stride became a slow version of “are we there yet?”

Fifteen minutes later, we arrived. The hardware store had an excellent selection of rat removal products, so it seemed we weren’t the only ones with this problem. I took no comfort in that.

We set out our traps that night along with a tasty piece of homemade bread. 

At 1:30 in the morning, the big fellow was caught. It was promptly evicted and I did not hesitate to make the following announcement to the neighbourhood rats: NOT ON MY BOAT!

As you’ve likely ascertained, me and rats are not friends. So when I included them in an action-packed scene in A Bright Darkness, the final book of the Twisted Climb series, I did not place them in a good light. Literally. Dreadful creatures!!

Hope your summer was eventful, as mine has been. We are 1,000 nautical miles into our sailing adventure to the Bahamas. 2,000 more miles to go :)

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

History in the Footnotes

 

                                                                            

                                                                        My author page

I love finding history in the footnotes of my research. Did you know that Native Americans have used a now disgraced symbol in their art? For the first peoples of the American southwest, the symbol is the whirlwind or whirling log. But with the rise of the Nazi party in Germany its benevolence turned deadly. 

It is, of course, the swastika.

    Realizing the growing threat to the world, four nations--the Hopi, Navajo, Apache and Papago decided to have a ceremony to renounce its use. In 1940, representatives signed a proclamation which read:

Because the above ornament which has been a symbol of friendship among our forefathers for many centuries has been desecrated recently by another nation of peoples,

Therefore, it is resolved that henceforth from this date and forevermore our tribes renounce the use of the emblem commonly known as the swastika or flyfot on our blankets, baskets, art objects, sandpainting, and clothing.

 Here is a photo of the event:

Did I use this in book 3 of my Navajo Code Talker Chronicles, All of Me? Of course I found a way to work it in!

Since then, some artists and craftspeople have reclaimed their ancient benevolent symbol, which exists in many cultures throughout the world. Others think it should stay buried, because of the trauma it engendered by the Nazis.

What do you think? 

Home Sweet Homicide - but please don't try this in your own home

Please click this link for Susan's website  or click this link for book information.

In August, at Calgary's annual When Words Collide Festival for writers and readers I sat on a panel titled Home Sweet Homicide: the multitude of ways victims die at or near their homes. The moderator asked us panelists to describe the various methods we'd used in our mystery novels and why we'd chosen those approaches. 

I talked about my Paula Savard Mystery Series set in Calgary. Paula, my sleuth, is an insurance adjuster whose work gets her involved in crimes. In books # 2 and 3 of the series, Paula investigates a building fire and a hit-and-run collision near a victim's home. She comes to suspect both apparent accidents were coverups for murder. Book # 4 begins with Paula investigating a theft from a bicycle store during the COVID-19 pandemic. A murder takes place in the adjacent furniture store, which has closed for the pandemic and become the home of a squatter. The victim is bashed on the head with a weapon of opportunity: a candlestick from the store's dining room display. 

Home Sweet Homicide panel at WWC 2025

The panel's most engaging questions related to the allure of poisons and medications thanks to our expert panelist, Lee-Anne Hancock, a retired nurse who worked at the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre. Lee-Anne told us about ordinary plants and medicines that can kill if used incorrectly -- or correctly from a killer's perspective. She noted that poisoning has been called the female murderer's method of choice, perhaps because it is less messy and violent and doesn't require physical strength.

As a mystery writer, I'm intrigued by the medicinal method that can easily be disguised as an accident. In two of my short stories, someone kills a relative by administering an overdose of their prescribed medicine. Even if suspicions arise and victims are autopsied, it would be normal for traces of their own medicines to show up in their bloodstreams. 

In my novel, A Killer Whisky, set in 1918 Calgary, a man dies in his living room after drinking a glass of whisky. His symptoms are consistent with the "Spanish Flu" that has struck the city and the attending doctor diagnoses the flu as the cause of death. But the man's neighbour, who is the doctor's receptionist, suspects someone laced the whisky with a poison or a medicine that reacted with the alcohol to produce a toxic brew. She convinces a sympathetic police detective to investigate.       

The Home Sweet Homicide panel took a light hearted approach that entertained the audience at the end of a busy festival day. Afterward, I pondered why I've tended to kill off my novel victims in their homes or on nearby streets rather than farther away. I came up with three thoughts. 

1. My killers and victims always know each other, which is most common with real life murders, and relatives and friends often hang out together at or near their homes.  

2. Homes are, by definition, private rather than public. There will likely be fewer potential witnesses to a crime and perhaps no witnesses. Any friends or relatives present might lie or conceal information to protect themselves, someone else, or the victim.  

3. Home is supposed to be our safe place. A home break-in feels like a violation, and a killing in our home or neighbourhood threatens our sense of security.  

Me on the Home Sweet Homicide panel, perhaps contemplating a question 

 

     

 

Why Genealogy is Just So Dah Gone Fun  by Karla Stover

Several years ago, I rescued a book called, Strange Stories, Amazing Facts. It is what I would call "bathroom literature." It's an oldetr book, published before the Anastasia / Anna Anderson contraversary was settled by Prince Philip's DNA. Although, truth-be-told, I am a bit of a conspiracy theraist about that. Take a look at the side-by-side AI generated picture below. Their heighth, build, eye color, face shape, teeth issues, foot deformity, nose, and hair color were all the same. And if she had been genuine, the repercussions would have it would have been an embarassment to the Soviet Union and there would have been lawsuits over estates, jewelry, bank accounts and who knows what else.

                                                                   But I Digress

Included in the book was a short story about Emerich Juettner, known to the FBI as Mister 880 because his case number was 880. Over thre years, he had supported his family by working as a picture frame gilder, maintenance man, building superintendent, and junk collector. By age 62, his wife had died and Mr. Juettner was having a hard time making ends meet. And so he began making one dollar bills--poorly-made ones, at that. He drew the design by hand on a cheap zinc plate, he used a toy press and cheap paper, spelled Washington's name as Wahsington, and drew the president's picture.  I'll cut him slack because he was born in Austria-Hungary. He never used them at the same place and spread the wealth around for 10 years before being caught.

 Now, how does this fit into genealogy you might ask? Well, I have a counterfeiter in my family, only family legend says he made pennies. He was my dad's Uncle Irwin, and I used to tell Dad, Irwin didn't have much iniative is pennies were the best he could do. One day the San Francisco raided a two-room cave under the First Street approach to the Bay Bridge looking for squatters and found, instead, was what the paper called "an elaborately-equipped, one-man counterfeiting establishment" along with "molds. dies, metal, and spurious coins." The tip off came after a Bay Bridge highway patrolman glance hastily around before crawling into the cave. The Secret Service men amazed that my great uncle would have wasted time making pennies which, they said, were nearly perfect, but in fairness to Uncle Irwin, he was making other coins.

Uncle Irwin had other issues including being charged with adultry, and he end up being killed in a riot at Oregon State Hospital where, I just learned, his cremains are waiting to be claimed.