A Passion for History by Victoria Chatham

When I was in school, history was never my favorite subject. The only dates clearly engraved in my brain

 

are still 1066 (the Norman Conquest of England) and 1492 (Columbus sailed the ocean blue) but don’t ask me about the succession of kings or when the Industrial or French Revolutions began..

Somewhere in my late twenties I read Jean Plaidy’s The Sun in Splendour and what a difference that made. I could see the characters in history, the people behind the names. I scrambled to read all I could on the Plantagenets, the Tudors and the Wars of the Roses. My history teacher would have been proud of me.

When I immigrated to Canada in 1990, I frequently had people tell me ‘you won’t like it here, we’re not old enough’, or ‘Canada has no history’. I will admit my ignorance at that time. After all, what did I know of Canada other than it’s a very big country, the Mounties always get their man (or woman) and it’s cold. After twenty-five years I am happy to beg to differ with those early and misleading statements. Well, maybe not quite so happy about the cold.

While Canada may not have 8^th century churches and medieval castles it has its own history and I’ve been lucky to see some of it first hand; black and ochre pictographs on cliff and canyon walls, dinosaur remains, glacial erratics and First Nations teepee rings, hunting grounds and totem poles. I’ve visited restored forts and trading posts and learnt that the Hudson’s Bay Company, incorporated by Royal Charter in 1670, extended every bit as far and wide as did the East India Company, established earlier in 1600 also by Royal Charter.

I’ve had a trail guide point to a stretch of prairie and tell me to close my eyes and picture it not green but brown, a veritable tsunami of thousands of snorting, bawling buffalo. He also told me about the African-American cowboy, John Ware, commemorated here on a postage stamp. Renowned for his ability to ride and train horses, Ware was also known for his strength and work ethic. He drove cattle from Texas to Montana and then, in 1882, further north into what is now Alberta where he and his wife settled.

Who knew that in 1789 Britain and Spain nearly came to blows after disputing their settlements in Nootka Sound? Or that one thousand years ago the Vikings settled L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland and Labrador? Or that in 1857 Queen Victoria chose Ottowa (formerly known as Bytown) as the capital of the Province of Canada?

 

More recently I have dug a little deeper into Alberta's history, that of Banff to be exact. I've discovered so much that I'm spoiled for choice as to what to include in my next book and what to leave out. I've met some interesting characters and heard some great tales, and I still have some loose ends I need to tie up. How tough is it to do research in such a beautiful place as Banff?  Famous for its hot springs and hotel, it has much more to offer, not least its peaceful walks along the Bow River.

What happened yesterday, an hour or a minute ago becomes history and we all have our own. 

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Find out more about me and my books at:

http://bookswelove.net/authors/chatham-victoria/

www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaChatham

Z Fold Mother's Day Card by Cheryl Wright

 

 Click here for an Excerpt

Since Mother’s Day has just passed, I thought I’d post a Mother’s Day card.  (Sorry, I should have done this before Mother’s Day!)

My own mother has long passed, but my mother-in-law is still with us. She lives in a nursing home as she has advanced dementia, so I try to make cards that will be reasonably steady as she has trouble making them stand.

Here is the card I made for her:

If you are interested in learning how to make this card, go to my card making blog for the video instructions by UK card maker JanB. 

I hope you've enjoyed this card. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!

Links:

My website:  www.cheryl-wright.com 
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/cherylwrightauthor 
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/writercheryl
BWL website: http://bookswelove.net/authors/wright-cheryl/ 

These Days Everyone's a Writer by Stuart R. West

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"Everyone has a book in them, but in most cases that's where it should stay."

The quote is most often attributed to Christoper Hitchens (1949-2011), a famous journalist and intellectual. Some sources argue the origin of the quote. Regardless of who said it, I couldn't agree more.

It's not that I'm snobby or believe my writing's the cat's pajamas. On the contrary, I'm always striving to improve my writing. And I've been more than willing to help out new writers. After all, every writer should be given a chance. Or so I used to think.

Over the past several years, I've had people crawling out of the woodwork asking me to read their Great American Novels. People I've never met before. People who have no business writing. People who become a little "stalkery."

I took on many cases until it became overwhelming and more than a little discouraging.

I worked on one guy's coming of age (groan!) novel for more than two years. At the end of our trial by fire, he still didn't get it. It was a mess, more head-hopping than a psychic's convention. I tried telling him what he was doing wrong. Every time he'd respond, "Oh, yeah, I get it now." Then he'd continue to do the same thing.

My mother, a "snow-bird" in Florida, has a new suitor who's a writer! He's written a spiritual self-help book. Wants my opinion. I honestly don't know how I could be of help to him when I'm writing jolly serial killer books and what-not.

Recently during a medical exam with a tongue depressor lodged into my mouth, a young doctor told me he's writing a book about government mandates on the beautification of homes and lawns. I said, "Really?" He said, "Yeah, it's a comedy." Not exactly water-cooler talk.

The other day my neighbor told me he's writing a book.

"Cool!" I said, while inside I died a little bit. But trapped as I was, I pursued it.

"What's the book about?" I asked.

"Well...that's hard to say...something about a Christian alien planet."

Noooo! "Huh. Okay, let me read it."

"I'm just starting it. But I will."

I told him I couldn't wait, ran inside and locked the doors.

Some of these writers take my advice to heart and actually work at improvement. All writers should. But some of my other pet projects? I've had a few writers get quite angry regarding my commentary, yell at me, then take their toys and go home.

The advent of "self-publishing" is a double-edged sword. While it opened up an alternate venue for fledgling writers who may not have had a chance via the traditional "over the transom" route in the past, it's also full of people who are absolutely clueless.

Which is why I appreciate dedicated publishers like Books We Love who uphold a high level of quality in the books they put out.

From now on, though, I'm closing the door on new writers who hit me up. (Except, of course, for my neighbor's upcoming epic about an alien Christian planet!)

CLICK HERE TO BUY!