Finishing the novel calls for a celebration! - by Vijaya Schartz

COVER REVEAL - NOVEMBER 2025 RELEASE
In the meantime, read my other novels
amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo

The story is complete, revised several times, only needs a few tweaks before I send it to the editor, and the new book cover just emerged from the BWL Art Department. That’s an exciting time for an author. This is the time when I pat myself on the shoulder and celebrate finishing my thirty something novel. I lost track. I’ve been writing for a long time, but this feeling of accomplishment never gets old. Ice-cream sundae with all my favorite toppings (including Kalua) is definitely indicated.

I wanted a kick-butt heroine on the cover to illustrate this story, and boy, did I get one. She is ready to conquer her world. Big thank you to Michelle Lee, at the BWL Art Department. She is a magician who performs miracles with graphics.

At this stage of the process, I proudly post and promote the future release with the cover on Social Media, show the art work to all my friends on my phone, watching their reaction. I’m also lining up a few blog posts and interviews, and a few professional reviews, as well as a small launch campaign when the book is released.

Meanwhile, I’m refining the blurb, trying to say just enough for a hook, while not revealing too much. This is what I have so far:

The Protectors trilogy:

Set a few decades after a cataclysm devastated the feudal planet. An elite of mighty warriors protect the Celestial Gate, expecting benevolent Immortals to return from the stars.

CHI WARRIOR:

Anila, spiritual warrior woman, trained all her life in the desert, at the monastery of the Celestial Gate, to take the vows of the mighty Protectors. That’s all she’s ever known, all she ever wanted. But a cloud of black wings haunts her nightmares.

When hordes of barbarians invade from the north, Bayor Khan seems unstoppable, determined to destroy everything in his path. Rumors of his cruelty make the most powerful princes tremble in their stone fortresses.

Anila is pulled into the inevitable clash as a prophecy unfolds, blurring the lines between good and evil. Nothing is as it seems… An ancient enemy rises in the shadows, and the falling darkness threatens to engulf Anila and everyone she loves.

CHI WARRIOR is scheduled for release on November 1st, but you can find my other thirty-five-or-six-or-seven novels with kick-butt heroines and brave heroes at your favorite online retailer: amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo 

amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo

In my mind, I’m already plotting the next books in the Protectors series. Although set in the same world and closely related, the next novels will also be standalones, with a few returning characters, but a new hero and heroine for each story. I love my characters dearly, but I also like to meet new ones. And readers picking up a book in any of my series at random will not feel frustrated for not having read the previous ones… although I hope they’ll want to read them later, as they can be read out of order.

amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo

amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, Romance with a Kick

amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo - FB

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.