Storm Chaser? Not Me? by Helen Henderson

 

Windmaster Legend by Helen Henderson
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For many years at every conference, lecture, and workshop I attended, the most often preached guidance was "Tell a good story." With "Write what you know," so close a second that it was just as often in first place as second.

While I have written tales based in the past and say I like to fly with dragons or hang with mages, I'm sorry to admit that in reality I don't. Research helps as does my imagination. But that isn't really knowing. So add "experienced" to part of the definition of knowing and it is easier to follow the rule. 

One setting (or event) that both myself and my characters have experienced is a storm.

Blizzards from my childhood and later years provided the inspiration for the sandstorm that trapped a character in a cave in Windmaster Golem.  

Winds howled outside the cave. Just beyond the entrance, columns of sand wheeled and pirouetted. Relliq watched the otherworldly dance. Anger mingled with dread. Desert storms were known to last for days. Some lasted season after season until the dunes swallowed up entire cities.

The characters in my current work in progress have to survive a different type of storm -- a tornado. When I started writing the scene my personal experience was primarily with blizzards, thunderstorms, and hurricanes. Superstorm Sandy was front and center in my memory as I didn't live that far from where she made landfall and had just finished archiving the photographs of its aftermath.

Although I now live in what is called the Dixie Tornado Alley, my experience with tornados was limited to local news coverage of the Christmas Eve tornado in Mississippi and  our town warning sirens going off whenever the national weather service issues a tornado alert for our county.  After the first alert and two hours of "wall to wall" non-stop reporting with the storms going farther south, not much thought was given them on later alerts. Then came Mother Day 2021. 

 

The local news broke into regular programming with details of a tornado sighted in our town and the warning to immediately go to our safe room. My husband got out a map and started tracking the tornadoes path by the roads announced. After I put my mother in an inside room, I alternated between a sky watch and the  news with its minute by minute radar reports. Luckily the tornado didn't zig right towards my side of town and dissipated before reaching an apartment complex and the three nearby schools.

 

Considering the weather events experienced in the world of Windmaster will I become a storm chaser in my real life? After the excitement of what could have been a close encounter with a tornado, my answer is an emphatic "No."

 

To purchase the Windmaster Novels: BWL

Find out more about me and my novels at Journey to Worlds of Imagination. 

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Helen Henderson lives in western Tennessee with her husband. While she doesn’t have any pets in residence at the moment, she often visits a husky who has adopted her as one the pack. 

 

Is it Spring yet in Alberta, Canada? by Nancy M Bell

 

To find out more about Nancy's books please click on the cover above.

This is the brand new cover for the last book in The Alberta Adventures series. I really love it, it's Chance right down to the cocky grin. Who doesn't love a bull rider (as long he's not dating your daughter LOL)

So....Springtime in Alberta. It can never quite make up it's mind. One day it will be +16 Celcius and the next it is snowing to beat the band. Hard on my delphiniums who are eternal optimists and always start to push up green shoots as soon as the earth warms even a bit. 

So far this year, we've had some nice warm weather, and then a cold front dips down from the north and BAM- wind, and snow, and sleet, and rain

The pansies tolerate the cold so well I always put them out first. The geraniums, not so much. They come inside to hide until the weather turns again. The flowering plum in the front is working hard to put on a show, but we had some chilly weather and I'm afraid some of the buds got nipped. Hence the old adage to 'nip something in the bud' meaning to stop something before it manifests. 

I'm hoping to have a full garden, but it will depend on what weather we get in June. In the past, it has offered up a hard frost, hail and even snow, so we'll see.

The Saskatoon bushes are blooming, so hopefully I will get some berries before the birds do this year. The Rhubarb is begging to be thinned out already, it doesn't seem to mind the snow either. 

Ian Tyson got it right when he wrote the song Springtime in Alberta. 

On another note, Chance's Way is coming along. Look for it to release in September 2021.

Wishing you all happy gardening and praying for a Covid free summer.

www.nancymbell.ca

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A Fond Memory #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Memories #Indian reservation

 

A bit of the past

 

 

Many years ago, my husband was a doctor in the Public Health Service. His first assignment was to an Indian Reservation. Not your usual one. On the grounds were the hospital, a meeting place and the houses for the two doctors. I was thinking about this the other day and had to laugh at one of my experiences.

 

Several young men helped us move in. At that time I had long dark hair, and I do mean long. One of the young men said when you hear the drums at night, they’ll come for your hair. I laughed.

 

Two nights later, the drums began. The young man came to the house and asked us to come. I knew they weren’t going to take my hair but I was curious as to what they wanted. We took our small son in his little seat and followed. Part of this was a welcome ceremony for my husband. The other was to give gifts to a young man leaving for the army.  My son loved the drums and rocked his seat in time to the beating. The women clustered around him. This presented problems later when I would put him outside for some fresh air and sunshine. He tanned easily and the sun bleached his hair blonde. I had to keep a close eye on his because he would be stolen. :The “Blonde Indian,” the pwople called him.

 

But back to the gift giving. The gifts weren’t given directly to the young amn but made their way through the gift being given to someone who then gave the gift to someone else. Always as a thank you. Finally all ended up with the young man who was leaving. This really impressed em, and I saw how close the community was to each other. I will never forget my time in the small town and the friends I made there and the stories I heard.

 

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Killers in the Pen, by J.C. Kavanagh

 

The Twisted Climb 

Book 1 of the award-winning Twisted Climb series

 

It was known as 'KP' to inmates and guards, but to Canadians, the Kingston Penitentiary was the maximum security jail home to Canada's nastiest criminals. Its 178-year history saw thousands of offenders incarcerated until 2013, when the Canadian government determined that the buildings were not equipped to handle the challenges of modern technology. It was designated a National Historic Site due to, among other things, "the number of its physical facilities of special architectural merit that survive from the 19th century." The penitentiary was then decommissioned and has been operating as a tourist attraction since 2017.

It was during a non-lockdown Covid breaks last autumn, that I made the trip to Kingston to stroll through the most notorious prison in Canada. The 90-minute tour was conducted by a former prison guard who shared a few stories about criminals who escaped the confines of the jail. Most were found, and most found due to their own stupidity. One convict successfully escaped after fooling two separate Wardens but then came back because he forgot to steal the stash of cash one of the Wardens kept in a safe. Another fellow, after successfully escaping, sent the Warden a letter from his 'safe' house and included the address on the envelope. Police were dispatched and the felon was returned to KP in handcuffs and leg irons.

Eerie feeling standing where so many felons have stood.

Construction at the Pen began in 1833 while King William IV reigned over the Commonwealth, which comprised the fledgling Upper and Lower Canada (later the provinces of Quebec and Ontario). The jail was originally one large stone block containing 154 cells in 5 tiers. There were other outbuildings including sheds, stables and separate lodgings for staff, who lived within the gated facility. Back then, the only thing keeping the inmates 'in' and visitors 'out,' was a 12 foot high wooden, picket fence. It was the largest public building in Upper Canada.

In 1835, six inmates were the first to call KP their home. The original cells were 2.4 feet wide, 8 feet deep and 6.7 feet high. A separate cell block housed the female convicts, who laboured as seamstresses. Construction continued as more wings were added containing shops for carpentry, shoemaking, blacksmithing, tailoring and rope making. A permanent hospital was completed in 1849. A central dome, connecting the four cell blocks, was added in 1860. The facility was noted for its architectural beauty.

Inner courtyard.

One of four cell blocks.

The recreation yard.

The front entrance.

The 'Hub' where guards monitored entrances to each cell block.

32 foot limestone walls form the Pen's perimeter

The Pen was known as Canada's Alcatraz and was notorious for housing the worst-of-the-worst criminals in Canadian history, including killers Paul Bernardo, Russell Williams, Michael Rafferty and Mohammad Shafia. (I have chosen not to disclose their heinous crimes.) These offenders were locked up for 23 hours a day in protective custody in the Lower-H cell range. Jail cells for these men were upgraded with plexiglass shields over the metal bars. Why? Two reasons. To prevent other prisoners from hurling objects into the cells and to prevent the killers from hurling their own human waste at the guards. 

Several riots occurred at KP, including the most serious riot in 1971 where inmates held six guards hostage over a period of four days. During this riot, sex offenders were rounded up at The Hub and a mock trial took place with the inmates acting as jurors and executioners. The sex offenders, deemed 'undesirables,' were covered in sheets, shackled to metal chairs and beaten with metal rods by other inmates. Two of these offenders were killed but the guards were not harmed. The majority of these guards, after surviving incarceration by convicts, decided to change careers. 

In the years since that riot, many changes were implemented at the jail, including a substance abuse program, family violence prevention program, AAA meetings, and a progressive educational program. A high school diploma was mandatory - inmates without the certificate were placed in classes where they were paid to attend. All inmates earned $6 per day, whether they were in school or 'working' at one of the many trades taught at the jail.

When the Pen shut down for good, a modern maximum-security facility had already been completed in a neighbouring city. The KP convicts were transferred there.

I've always been fascinated with Canadian history and my tour of the infamous Kingston Penitentiary quenched part of that fascination. Would I go back there? No. Sometimes historical places, even those with majestic architecture, are not worthy of a second visit. The horrors within those walls still reverberate in every metal bar of every cell.

But enough of that. I'd rather write about Book 3 of The Twisted Climb series. What happens to Dick after falling/jumping off the dream world cliff with Jayden and Connor? Has Georgia been saved? And Patty - that wicked mother of Jayden's, what is she doing? So much action. So much drama. Stay tuned.  If you haven't read The Twisted Climb or book 2, Darkness Descends, you need to check it out now. You won't be disappointed. 

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

Stay safe everyone!

J.C. Kavanagh, author of
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
Novels for teens, young adults and adults young at heart
Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com
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What is a ‘grammar nazi?’ Mohan Ashtakala

 

The use of the lower-case word ‘nazi,’ to describe an extremely authoritarian person, came into vogue in the 1950-60’s. It found popular usage in the description of fanatics of all kinds, such as ‘surf-nazis,’ whose zeal in the search for a perfect wave knew no bounds. More recently, audiences were introduced to the ‘soup nazi,’ an ill-tempered restaurant owner who had the habit of throwing customers out of his establishment, in the Seinfeld television series.

A grammar nazi is one who is obsessed with the formal rules of grammar. They are also eager to point out these ‘errors’ in others’ writings. Grammar nazis are usually amateurs with strong opinions on the usage of the rules of grammar. They are not to be confused with professional editors who wield a pen with the same expertise that a Japanese chef uses his trusty knife. The editor’s intent is to help the author refine his or her craft; the grammar nazi is more interested in proclaiming his or her expertise, especially on social media.

One of the issues is that grammar nazis accept only Standard English, while ignoring many other forms of English, such as Black or Asian English. Another defining characteristic of this type is the pointing out of inconsequential errors, usually done by mistake, while diverting attention from the plot itself.

All writers, even editors, make the occasional mistake. It happens. But it would be a mistake to judge writing only by its strict adherence to the rules of grammar. More important to most writers is the ability to create interesting characters, a compelling plot and the construction of well-written sentences.

We have all come across grammar nazis. My experience is that it never pays to engage in an argument or even a discussion with them. It is a losing proposition and only serves to encourage them in spouting further grammatical rules. Best to continue writing!

 

Mohan Ashtakala (www.mohanauthor.com is the author of The Yoga Zapper, a fantasy, and Karma Nation, a literary romance. He is  published by Books We Love (www.bookswelove.com)

Say it with flowers...by Sheila Claydon

Click here for my BWL page

Weather-wise, I don't know what the winter of 2020/21 was like in the rest of the world, but in the UK it was cold and wet, and the dreariness dragged on into spring. When the sun should at least have been trying to shine it stayed tucked away behind a blanket of grey cloud, and the rain kept on falling. The outcome, where I live on the northwest coast, was overflowing ponds, puddles everywhere, and, as the weather warmed slightly, lush grass and greenery. No flowers though. Everything was waiting for the sun to break through. Then it did, and my goodness the wait was worth it.

Too eager to show off, many of the plants burst into bloom before their time so that late winter, spring and the beginning of summer plants have been fighting for space all at once. And the growth is like nothing I've ever seen. Everything has doubled in size thanks to all that winter rain so that gardens are full to overflowing with colour and foliage. 

Waking up in the morning and stepping outside into all that beauty and colour makes every minute of the day worth living. Memories of that long winter are fading fast as another and then another plant bursts into bloom. And eating lunch outside under a pergola drooping with roses and honeysuckle, or drinking coffee in our tiny courtyard where the dramatic leaves of hosta provide a backdrop to pansies, pinks, and campanula is an absolute joy. 

In case you haven't realised it yet, I love flowers! My mother was a florist, which probably accounts for some of it at least, and my book Bouquet of Thorns pulls everything together. I know how to care for flowers because she showed me. I know how florists work because I watched her. And when I married I discovered that my mother-in-law was not only a keen gardener but someone who wanted to share her expertise and knowledge, so my garden now pays tribute to both of them. It has flowers that were originally cuttings from my grandmother's garden, there are plants my mother-in-law bought, planted for me and showed me how to care for, and the tubs and displays, while not as beautiful as the ones my mother would have planted, are as close as I can get. 

In Bouquet of Thorns, Sarah is trying to establish her own flower shop. Unfortunately she also has to manage her brother's run down wine bar when he is awarded a travelling scholarship. Working long hours, using the profits from her own business to prop up the wine bar, and trying to pacify her disgruntled boyfriend, she is too tired to think straight as she lurches from one catastrophe to the next. And even worse is the fact that Sean Marlow, with his Viking warrior beard and piercing blue eyes, always seems to be at the bottom of them.

It's a story about love amongst the flowers. What could be better?

The Company of Writers

 

   My site at BWL Publishing

             

     

Mercies of the Fallen has just been awarded First Place in the Laramie and Chatelaine Awards!

I love the company of writers! In my office bookshelves are framed photos of treasured author friends I've met all over the world.  We sometimes meet at conferences, at writing classes or library-started critique groups. My latest writer friends are co-entrants in writing awards... we have congratulated and supported each other through long lists and short lists notifications. We've happily shared announcements of making it to finalist levels, then attended award ceremonies together.

Even when it's in the same category, we don't consider ourselves in competition with each other... no one can tell your story but you. We read, review and enjoy each others' work. When we're together, we eagerly talk shop, method and survival in a difficult profession.

I hope you'll find a community of fellow writers or readers who will become lifelong friends!