Jane Spavold Tims's Blog, page 10

Book Review: Jan Fancy Hull’s new Tim Brown Mystery

February: Curious by Jan Fancy Hull (Moose House, 2022)

February: Curious is a delightful walk through another month of a year-long sabbatical with newspaper editor Tim Brown. Enjoy Tim’s thought process as he prepares to delve into the intricacies of rural life in Nova Scotia. Although he plans and thinks more that he actually does, Tim is able to discover a mysterious problem and find a solution that assists the victim, a young man in need of a mentor, and the entire community. I love his approach to plotting his daily activities and overcoming his troubles—maintaining a household, outfitting a new office space, deciding what to wear. All the old friends are back—Stella, and her perils of politics, and Robert and his coaching of the choir. In spite of being on sabbatical, Tim works with the temporary editor to improve the newspaper in ways he would not have done when he worked full time. 

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Looking forward to the next book – March: Enigma.

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All my best!

Go find a cozy corner and read a book!

Jane

Book Covers: from sketch to design

 

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In producing my science fiction books, one of the many tasks is to produce a book cover for each book. I could hire this step out, but I made a decision early in my author experience to feature both my art and writing in producing my books.

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There are ten (soon to be eleven) books in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series. Once I decided on the design for the first book (Meniscus: Crossing The Churn), I knew I wanted all the books in the series to follow similar design. I liked the format of a single block showing the cover art and the general placement of title, volume number and author’s name. I also wanted all the cover art to show the two Meniscus moons (Cardoth-roe, the big moon, and Cardoth-grill’en, the little moon) and the characters in the book in silhouette.

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Creating a book cover takes four main steps.

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Step One is to consider how I want to present the book and what themes could be displayed.

Step Two is to do a black and white drawing of the cover.

Step Three is to do an acrylic painting of the drawing.

Step Four is to create a cover for the book, to be up-loaded to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) for both paperback and e-book editions.

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The only cover to depart from the pattern (no drawing was produced that led to the cover), was Book Seven, Meniscus: Encounter with the Emenpod. Here are the drawings and final covers for all the books after the first:

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There is one book, Meniscus: One Point Five – Forty Missing Days, that should be shown. Its cover came from a painting done to welcome people to my sales table at various book fairs.

All my best,

Jane ( a.k.a. Alexandra)

next Authors Coffee House

Mark Thursday July 21 in your calendar and join us for an author reading and lots of writerly discussion. Eric will perform some of his poetry and I will read from my new book in the Kaye Eliot Mystery Series. In the book, Kaye and her family travel the Noel Shore of Nova Scotia to track down a story told in windows of stained glass. ‘Stained Glass’ is the fourth in the Series. It would be great to see you there. Our efforts will benefit the New Maryland Heritage Association and the restoration of the 1864 Saint Mary the Virgin Anglican Church.

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All my best,

Jane

the input of my editor

I have had one editor since the beginning of the Meniscus science fiction series. My editor is Lee Thompson of Lee Thompson Editing + ... his business headline says: ‘editorial and design services to help you navigate the word’ … for me the words ‘help’ and ‘word’ say what Lee’s guidance is all about.

https://leethompsonediting.com

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Lee has guided me through eleven books, challenging me to think deeply about the world of planet Meniscus. He has asked me if the dog-like Kotildi would ‘bark’ on an alien world. He has pointed out places where my poetic voice gets off-track. He always finds the places where I repeat words within a paragraph or stanza. He points out gaps in the action or logic. He tells me where he sees wobbles in my ‘Point of View.’ And his edits are delivered in a way that I laugh more often than I scowl.

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Speaking of scowling, Lee says my consistent flaw is that my characters ‘frown’ almost more often than they breathe.

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They frown …

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and frown …

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and frown …

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Lee says I am no longer allowed to use the word ‘frown’ in my books. I have ‘TTF’ (Tendency to Frown).

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Thanks to Lee, I frown less. Obtaining the services of a professional editor is one of the most important steps a writer can take. The best is to hire a great editor who will understand what you are trying to do and get you to see your own writing in a new way.

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All my best,

Alexandra (a.k.a. Jane)

summer drive

We are so lucky to live in New Brunswick. Driving down any road is a kaleidoscope of flowers, especially in June. We have green hills, streams and rivers gushing after our recent rains and lots of wild life to see. And we have river ferries!!!!

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Today we drove home from our camp by way of the Gagetown ferry. It’s only been operating a few days but we have ridden the ferry so many times it feels like a cruise on the river.

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In the Gagetown area, there are lots of osprey nests to see. This time of year there is usually at least one adult, sometimes two, feeding young chicks.

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We do not have road runners, but we have road crossers. Last week we watched as an American bittern ran across the road, its neck stretched forward parallel to the ground as it ran. Today we saw a woodcock walking slowly across the road, not concerned in the least about the truck or the photographer. Unfortunately, the photographer lacks skill but you can see the woodcock’s short legs and his long beak over his right shoulder …

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And, this week, there are the roses (Rosa spp.), pink and fragrant. Some with a single whorl of five petals. Some doubled and redoubled.

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And other flowers:

bladder campion or maidenstears (Silene vulgaris), with deeply-notched petals and red-veined inflated calyx …

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bedstraw (Gallium sp.) grows in mounds in the ditches, with leaves in whorls and white flowers …

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and lupins (Lupinus sp.), crowding the ditches in pink, blue and purple and occasionally white, already setting seed …

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Looking forward to many drives this summer. I know that gasoline is expensive, but this is my entertainment of choice.

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All my best,

Jane

next book in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series

The editing and formatting always takes time, but I am aiming to publish my new science fiction book in July. Meniscus: The Struggle will be number eleven in the Meniscus Series and number two in the trilogy begun with book number ten, Meniscus: Rosetta Stone.

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Life on the planet Meniscus is interesting and challenging. But for a Human, life can be dangerous, deadly. And Humans are below the lower rung of the social ladder, treated as chattels and slaves by the alien Dock-winders. Humans are not allowed to have families, not allowed to chose their own pathways in life.

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In Meniscus: Rosetta Stone, we meet Abra, a translator and historian who thinks she has found a secret to change the Dock-winder control over Human destiny. With the help of her irresponsible husband, Trath, she must recover a manuscript written in both Gel-speak and Dock-winder. They find the manuscript but during the effort, Trath falls into a chasm and certain death.

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In the next book, Meniscus: The Struggle, Abra must forget Trath and begin the arduous task of translating the manuscript. In the community of Hath’men, centre of the Human resistance movement, she discovers there may be help far to the south, in the Village of Themble Hill. But how will she bring the assistance she needs to Hath’men? And how will she fend off the advances of James, now that Trath is no longer in his way? If you have read other books in the Meniscus Series, you will be happy to know that Don’est, the Dock-winder child, will be there to thwart Abra’s progress.

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All my best,

Alexandra (a.k.a. Jane)

adding books to Little Libraries

Had some fun today. Drove around to a few Little Libraries in our area and left some of my books. I was impressed to see books for both kids and adults. The Little Libraries were well constructed, keeping the books dry and safe.

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I left copies of my books in the Little Libraries on:

Smith Road in Geary, New Brunswick

Beaumont Lane in Rusagonis, NB

The Covered Bridge Park in Rusagonis, NB

Covered Bridge Estates in Nasonworth, NB

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I left two books in each Little Library, some poetry, some mystery, one science fiction:

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If you haven’t visited a Little Library before, try it! Look for one of my books or a book that would interest you or your child. I saw all genres of writing, some Nora Roberts, a ‘Game of Thrones’ and lots of mysteries. Just take a book to leave in exchange for the one you take!

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If you would like to read one of my books, they are available at Westminster Books in Fredericton and Dog Eared Books in Oromocto.

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All my best,

Jane

Authors Coffee House —- Rescheduled

The Authors Coffee House has been rescheduled. The reading and book signing by Dr. Ross Hebb will now be held on June 2, 2022 at 2:00 (a Thursday). Hope to see you there!!!

Authors Coffee House Resumes!

After a long hiatus due to the pandemic, we are resuming the Authors Coffee House, an outreach effort of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Nasonworth. We have held the Authors Coffee House since November 2016 and have featured many local writers including Chuck Bowie, Lynn Davies, John Leroux, Shari Andrews, and Gary Campbell. To date we have held 20 Authors Coffee House readings and raised $2221.50 for local charities.

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At the event, the featured author reads from their work, answers questions and signs sold copies. There is always a lively discussion of the topic at hand. The event is held in the actual church so the acoustics are wonderful and the setting is bright and comfortable.

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This month, on May 26 (Thursday) at 2:00, we will present Dr. Ross Hebb and his new book “A Canadian Nurse in the Great War.” The book features the diary entries of nurse Ruth Loggie in France in 1915 and 1916. The book is fascinating, in a very readable, well-annotated format, with lots of photos. Ruth was born in Burnt Church, New Brunswick in 1883.

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We will open with a poetry reading by local poet Eric Burns! Eric is a performance poet and creator of a long-running reading series for children on Facebook.

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There will not be any food served at the event (due to COVID precautions) but there will be water, and books to buy. And a couple of book prizes. Set aside the time in your calendar now. This event’s free will offering will benefit the Fredericton Food Bank.

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Hope to see you there,

Jane

Meniscus: The Struggle … Creating the Cover

Sometimes choosing the theme for a book cover is difficult. Sometimes it is so easy.

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In my new book, Meniscus: The Struggle, Abra is trying to discover a way to overthrow the alien Dock-winders. As she wanders along the shore of the Vastness, she thinks she sees a Dock-winder from the corner of her eye.

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Startles as she sees a shadow.

Parody of Dock-winder physique—

purple, angular, thin,

long neck, single coil of hair.

Abra relaxes with a nervous laugh.

The shadow an anomaly, a teetering pile

of pebbles built

by some wandering child.

All the real Dock-winders

are gathered in arrogant bouquets

on the streets of Sintha, Enbricktow,

Prell and Bleth.

I liked this idea of the Dock-winders casting their shadows across the sands of Meniscus.

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The cover painting took less than a day to paint. The colours are mellow and there is lots of room for the cover text. All of the Meniscus books have included the two Meniscus moons: Cardoth roe and Cardoth grill’en.

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A lot of the work for the final book is done. The edit is complete, as are the drawings. I was without a scanner for a while but with our new printer, I can scan each drawing and place it in the text where it should be.

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Then I will order a proof and use it to make any final adjustments. Once my beta-reader has had a chance to react to the book, I will be ready to publish.

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June, sometime in June.

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All my best!

Alexandra, a.k.a. Jane