Jane Spavold Tims's Blog

Winner of the Blue Toy Truck!

During the month of November, when I was at a book fair and a signing, selling my new book ‘Open to the Skies,’ I displayed a blue toy truck at the booth. The ‘blue toy truck’ is a major symbol included in the book, a way of showing how community stories are a part of every church. Churches are more than just stained glass windows and candlesticks—they are places of faith and keepers of community mythology.

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Each time someone bought a copy of ‘Open to the Skies,’ they entered into a draw for the blue toy truck on display. Yesterday, at Dog Eared Books in Oromocto, I drew for the winner of the toy truck. And the winner is Jeremy T. from Fredericton. I let Jeremy know today about the results of the draw and he was pleased to be the new owner of the little truck.

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I will be running another draw in December when I sell books in person. This will include the official launch of ‘Open to the Skies’ at the Gallery on Queen, Fredericton, on Saturday, December 6, 2025. There will be readings from the book, a chance to see a few of my paintings of older at-risk buildings, and some snacks. Also a chance for a glimpse of the beautiful gallery and artwork on display there. I would love to see you at the launch!

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All my best,

Jane Tims (a.k.a. Alexandra)

a blue toy truck

Every child who attended the Landing Church knew what was hidden under the loose floor board in aisle four on the right hand side. When the sermon and hymns became too tedious, a child could coax the floor board up and reach in to find the small blue truck. Always fun to run along the backrest of the pew.

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Open to the Skies, my new mystery, tells the story about a woman who falls in love with a church building and vows to save it from demolition. What she learns is that churches are more than stained glass and candlesticks. They are repositories of faith and community mythology. And when an older building is saved from demolition, that mythology is preserved as well.

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I will be at Dog Eared Books in Oromocto (11:00 AM to 3:00 PM) on Saturday (November 15 this week) to show you my new book. Anyone who buys a copy of Open to the Skies at this book signing (and other signings in November) will have their name entered in a draw for a small blue toy truck. The winner will be announced here at janetims.com on November 30.

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Hope to see you on Saturday!!!!!!!

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All my best,

Jane Tims (a.k.a. Alexandra)

Open to the Skies: a new novel by Jane Tims

Since I retired, one subject has particularly interested me – the loss of older church buildings from our landscape. As new buildings are constructed to house congregations, and older buildings become less useful because of small size, aging construction or antiquated heating systems, decisions are made to retire and deconsecrate historic churches. As with other older buildings, the choices are few: rehabilitation, repurposing, or demolition.

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My new book, published by Merlin Star Press in New Brunswick, is the fictional story of one of these churches. In ‘Open to the Skies,’ a couple in transition to a simpler way of life, encounters an old church about to be abandoned and perhaps demolished. Sadie and Tom decide to purchase the church and move it, a few kilometres down the road, to their new property. They intend to turn the church into a writers’ retreat.

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In the process, they encounter a community uncertain about how it wants to proceed. Some want to give the church a new life, others are dead set against repurposing a building where their children have been baptized and married. Others in the community are motivated by a conservationist mentality and one very difficult fellow has an ownership claim against the property where the church has stood for over one hundred years.

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The church itself has a history and mythology, to be understood by anyone taking it over. In the church’s story includes a mysterious blue toy truck and a young boy who turns up at strange times. The threats of fire and violent protest also haunt Sadie and Tom as they undertake repurposing of the church.

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I will be presenting my new book at launches and signings in the coming months. These will include a signing event at Dog Eared Books in Oromocto, New Brunswick on November 15th and a reading in Fredericton later in November. I would be so happy to see you there! The book is now available from Dog Eared Books in Oromocto and from Merlin Star Press https://www.merlinstarpress.com/home/bookstore

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I’ll be keeping you up to date on my book, its availability, and any readings.

All my best!

Jane (a.k.a. Alexandra)

Writing a Novel: the chapter table

I have a tool I have used to help my writing process. I have used it for years, so I know it works. I think of it as ‘my chapter table.’

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After I have finished my first draft and have done at least one edit of the entire draft, I create a table. I usually do this before I choose my chapter beginnings and endings. Part of the purpose of the table is to determine those beginnings and endings.

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The table records information about many aspects of the novel: chapters, chapter title, chapter length (page numbers), includes characters, settings, and (because I illustrate my books) possible topics for illustration.

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Here is a sample table, used for my in-progress Rural Mystery, The Road. The Road is an adventure/mystery about a woman on vacation who visits the places marked on a map, left by her Aunt Beth when she died.

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chaptertitlepagesvacation daycharactersdrawingsPrologue —10Aunt Beth none1vacation50ChelseaMasonKarmann Ghia2the plan50-1Chelsea
MasonMap and red dot3the chimney92Chelsea
MasonJed The chimney in the woods4cemetery93,4ChelseaCemetery5Money Point Road95Chelsea
Mason
Lily of the valley
Glamping dome
Trail and mountain
Soldier lichen

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I can put the table to almost any use. So, for example, if I want to track a symbol used throughout the novel, I can indicate the occurrences here. I can also insert dates, if those are important to my story. As I think about changes to the action or characters, the table helps me find particular areas of the novel, without searching the entire draft.

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When you work at your next story, try my table method of keeping track of chapters, characters and action. I know there are many uses for such a table.

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All my best!

Jane (a.k.a. Alexandra)

Writing process: a new novella

How do you approach your writing? Do you get the germ of an idea and let it grow in your head until it can be written in its entirety? Or do you start by staring at a page, adding a word at a time until you are certain of your way forward?

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A good friend of mine, Chuck Bowie, who writes the compelling Donovan: Thief for Hire series, says that writers proceed in one of two ways:

1. as a ‘planner’ – every character, setting, and nuance of story and plot are set out in a detailed plan that guides the writing of that first draft, or

2. as a ‘pantzer’ – writing by the seat of your pants, letting the story unfold in directions not previously planned or known.

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I am a ‘planner’ with respect to characters and setting; I usually have imagined these in some detail before I start the story. The story and plot, however, I write as a ‘pantzer.’ I believe that once the characters are well understood, they will behave in predictable ways in a particular setting.

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Sometimes, I nurture a plant or story line in my head for days, even years. This was the case for my Kaye Eliot Mystery – How Her Garden Grew. My son says I was writing that story all his life until I finally had it published ( https://www.amazon.ca/Garden-Grew-Jane-Spavold-Tims/dp/1987781732 ).

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Last winter, I finished and published five Urban Mysteries, set in cities in the Maritime provinces:

Office Green: a woman in Halifax, Nova Scotia waters office plants for a living and sees something she was not meant to see (https://www.amazon.ca/Office-Green-Alexandra-Tims/dp/B0DQTQ9H7N )

City Grotesque: an artist in Saint John, New Brunswick helps the city find sixteen look-alikes for a unique set of carvings on an Uptown building and finds a look-alike who doesn’t want his face in the news ( https://www.amazon.ca/City-Grotesque-Alexandra-Tims/dp/B0DQV7937Q )

Hollow Hotel: three friends undertake a climb of the outside of the old hospital in Saint John and have a terrible accident (https://www.amazon.ca/Hollow-Hotel-Alexandra-Tims/dp/1069375322 )

Roundabout: an artist in Fredericton, New Brunswick decides to capture the spirit of the city by drawing vehicles and other users of a traffic circle, and, by mistake, identifies some criminal activity in the city (https://www.amazon.ca/Roundabout-Alexandra-Jane-Tims/dp/B0DQY1KDXJ )

Dancing with Trees: an artist n Fredericton, New Brunswick is drawing the beautiful trees in the city and discovers an old urban mystery and sees a strange woman dancing with the trees (https://www.amazon.ca/Dancing-Trees-Alexandra-Tims/dp/1069375314 )

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This year, I want to publish five novellas as Rural Mysteries. Starting out, I had very few ideas, but lots of experience in the rural environment.

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I now have the first drafts of four of the Rural Mysteries done:

The Garden – a woman discovers her unknown family as she explores a mysterious garden

The Woodlot – a woman finds a small graveyard abandoned in a woodland

The Road – a woman inherits a vintage car from her aunt and sets off on a journey to unravel a mystery associated with a map found in the glove compartment

The Trail – a woman searches for a friend who she thinks is lost in the forest on the hill behind her new house

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For the most recent book, I started with a single word: trail. I have travelled many trails in the province of New Brunswick. The one that came to mind first is the Eagle Rock Trail in southern New Brunswick. In 1978 and for the years following, I followed the trail regularly to collect lichen samples for my work in air quality (lichens get most of their nutrients from the air and so are good indicators of some air pollutants like trace metals).

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It was a beautiful location to visit, because of the lichen wonderland that occurs In the forest on the way to the Eagle Rock lookout. The woods there are full of various types of reindeer and other fruticose lichens (lichens that have a branched structure). They are white or off-white in colour and are so plentiful they make the woods look like a snow storm has passed through.

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I thought about what it would be like to live near to that location and with that thought, I had the character for my book. I began to write about her first day living at the base of the hill and the story began to unfold when a friend drives into the yard and yells “Stacy is missing!”

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From there, the questions who, what, when, where, and why let the story and plot unfold. I typed almost non-stop until the problem in the story was resolved and all the W5 questions were answered.

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The resulting novella and story, tentatively titled The Trail, will be available in December!

All my best!

Jane (a.k.a. Alexandra) Tims

New Urban Mystery: Dancing with Trees

A new Urban Mystery is available! Dancing with Trees is the 5th novella in the Series. The story is set in Fredericton, New Brunswick. An artist, Katie, who is cataloguing interesting trees in the city, happens on a mystery associated with the trees. As she walks the city streets, she encounters a strange dancer who shares a special relationship with each tree.

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Fredericton, known as the City of Stately Elms, has long been celebrated for its old trees and urban forest. The story was a natural for me – during my career as an environmental botanist, I often worked with trees, including those in the city.

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The Urban Mysteries are short, at only about 20,000 words, and each one is a quick, easy read. So far, there are five novellas in the Series:

Office Green: set in Halifax, NSCity Grotesque: set in Saint John, NBRoundabout: set in Fredericton, NBHollow Hotel: set in Saint John, NBDancing with Trees: set in Fredericton, NB

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The books are available at Dog Ears Books in Oromocto, New Brunswick, and 2nd Story Books in Harvey, New Brunswick. They are also available at Amazon.ca, under my pen name, Alexandra Tims.

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Hope you enjoy these books!

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All my best!

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Jane Tims

(a.k.a. Alexandra)

what is a ‘Meniscus Peripheral?’

On the cover of each of my new Urban Mystery novellas is the subtitle ‘A Meniscus Peripheral.’ What is this strange thing? Some new treatment for failing knees? A more accurate way to read your measuring cup?

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No. A ‘Meniscus Peripheral’ connects each of my Urban Mysteries with another series I write, the Meniscus Science Fiction Series. The science fiction series tells the story of Humans who have been kidnapped and taken, against their will, to the planet Meniscus, somewhere out in the Galaxy.

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The novellas in the Urban Mystery Series (Office Green, City Grotesque, Roundabout, and Hollow Hotel) are written in the same universe as the Meniscus Science Fiction Series.

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In the Meniscus series, the aliens of planet Meniscus, the Dock-winders and Gel-heads, visit Earth seven times (in 1982, 1988, 1995, 2008, 2013, 2020, and 2023), harvesting Humans for transport to their planet and to a life of enslavement.

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Some of these Humans escape to the wilds of Meniscus, sharing adventures and building new Human communities.

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Look for titles in the Meniscus Science Series, starting with Meniscus: Crossing the Churn.

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In A Meniscus Peripheral, the world of Meniscus and the associated alien abductions are always mentioned, but not explained. Each of the abducted Humans mentioned in the novella are living on Meniscus, alive and well.

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For example, in Roundabout, the story begins with a car, deserted in the middle of a traffic circle. The owner of the car is identified as Mary Fitzgerald, a twenty-year-old student of the Community College, studying Information Technology.  No one ever sees Mary Fitzgerald again. But…

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On Meniscus there is a character named Aagle, also known as ‘The Stone.’ She is a formidable member of the Blood-Let resistance movement. She was abducted from Earth in 2020 as she was driving around the Victoria Circle in Fredericton!

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Reading the two series together will reveal more about the backgrounds of some of the characters on planet Meniscus.

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Both series of my books are available at ‘Dog Eared Books‘ in Oromocto and, soon, at ‘2nd Story‘ in Harvey. Drop in sometime to enjoy browsing through these great local book stores! Reading is so much fun!!!!

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All my best,

Jane (a.k.a. Alexandra)

Hollow Hotel – a new Urban Mystery

This week is the release of book 4 in my Urban Mystery Series: Hollow Hotel. There are three previous titles in the Series: Office Green, City Grotesque, and Roundabout. These are novellas, each a quick read and packed with adventure and mystery.

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Set in Saint John, New Brunswick, Hollow Hotel features three young climbers who attempt to scale the exterior of the old Saint John Hospital (now demolished). They get into all sorts of trouble: with the climb itself, and with a group of thugs who have taken up residence in the abandoned building. After a brutal fall from the dome of the hospital, one of the climbers must team up with a homeless woman to save her friends.

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The book is available through Amazon Canada, or Dog Eared Books in Oromocto.

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All my best,

Alexandra Tims

(a.k.a. Jane)

eulogy for a covered bridge

This past week, New Brunswick lost another covered bridge: the William Mitton Covered Bridge in Riverview. Ray Boucher, Chairman of the New Brunswick Covered Bridge Association, suggested I write a poem. Of the 340 covered bridges in the province in the 1950s, only 58 remain.

the William Mitton Covered Bridge before the demolition (Source: CBC)

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sorrow

William Mitton Bridge

1942 – 2025

“…because I’ve seen it die.”

Ray Boucher

advocate for covered bridges

in New Brunswick

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crosses the river

for the last time

its reflection brief

in the brown stream

tributary of Turtle Creek

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mud banks carved and sculpted

a waterbird, neck broken, a mangle

rubble of broken beams and boards

weakened burr trusses, punky beams

broken boards, holes for sunlight

to drill through

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initials scratched and scrawled

on greying surfaces, overcome

with lichen, moss and mildew

inscriptions at weddings

graduations, tourists

school photos

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its twenty-three metres

or more, once crossed

an Acadian river

Sainte-Marie-de-Kent

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in myth, the ‘travelling bridge’

floated down the river

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in fact, removed, by a resourceful

farmer, William Mitton

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purchased the bridge

took it down, plank by plank

moved, rebuilt in 1942, to connect

his farm to Coverdale Road, his name

became the name of the bridge

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a  place    to  play

between   rafters

thump and climb

chase        echoes

a place     to relax

watch      the river

between        gaps

in    wall     boards

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spring floods

and abutments reel

snow loads break its back

echoes fail beneath snap

and sag of weakened boards

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an excavator, a high hoe

a crane, lifts its rigid neck

takes the Mitton Covered Bridge

apart, one wood fibre

at a time

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All my best

Jane Tims

going round and round!

The third book in my Urban Mystery Series, ‘Roundabout,’ is set in Fredericton, New Brunswick. In the last fifteen years, we have been introduced gradually to the idea of the traffic circle, also known as the roundabout. As of this year, there are nine larger roundabouts and a few smaller ‘chicanes,’ to calm traffic. In general, this form of traffic control is more economical than traffic lights and safer in terms of numbers of accidents.

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In my book, ‘Roundabout,‘ an artist sets out to capture the business of a city as expressed in the daily traffic of the Victoria Circle roundabout. Various events in the city are exemplified by her observations: for example, the numbers of tractors and work trucks indicate increased construction activity. The artist realizes there are patterns to the traffic and one of those patterns may indicate nefarious activity.

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Doing research for this book was lots of fun. My husband and I parked down by the Victoria Circle and took note of the number and types of vehicles, the interactions of pedestrians and traffic, and the way people approach and use the roundabout. One cyclist, a multitasker, made it into the book in words and a drawing.

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I hope you enjoy this book. The book is illustrated and includes a map of Victoria Circle. Traffic circles are almost everywhere; my interest in traffic circles began long ago when I used the Armdale Rotary in Halifax regularly. If you live in the Fredericton area, you will recognize a little of the city’s history and demographics. If you live elsewhere, I hope I will show you some of the interesting features of our beautiful city.

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‘Roundabout’ is available in Dog Eared Books in Oromocto, or, to order, just click here.

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All my best,

Jane (a.k.a. Alexandra)