Lori Wolf-Heffner's Blog: Lori Straus' Blog, page 2

Experiencing Flamenco Dance on Film

Writers, performers, and many other creators know that the medium they choose to express themselves can have a great impact on how their message is perceived. Performing flamenco dance live vs. on camera, for example, can change the connection and level of intimacy dancers have with their audience. 

One artist who can speak to this experience is Esmeralda Enrique of the Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company. Enrique served as the artistic director on the short dance film, Reflejos del Tiemp...

Setting Books in Belmont Village Kitchener: Between Worlds and Love on Belmont

I’ve spent most of my life in the twin cities of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. Both cities have a downtown core, but Kitchener also has a little shopping gem: Belmont Village. It splits two neighbourhoods, Belmont and Westmount, and has almost everything, from a dry cleaner and drug store to my favourite tea shop, fantastic restaurants, and one-of-a-kind stores. Belmont Village stores are small, and when you step inside, someone says hello to you. It’s always a nice experience. My grandparents li...

Being a Canadian Romance Writer: Avoiding Stereotypes. Most of the Time

When you think of a Canadian romance writer, maybe you envision writers sitting in a log cabin, a story idea in their mind, banging it out…um, typing it out in peaceful tranquility. The story, of course, is also set in nature, with the plot involving at least one campfire and a bear.

Or maybe a Canadian romance takes place in either Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, or on Prince Edward Island (because of Anne of Green Gables) and involves a hockey team.

As a Canadian romance author, I hope I d...

What ChatGPT Thinks Between Worlds Is About

ChatGPT is all the rage these days. Like every other curious person, I thought I’d give it a shot. I asked it to write me a blog post about my series Between Worlds. Here’s what it had to say. Enjoy.

ChatGPT on Between Worlds

As a parent, you may be looking for ways to encourage your tween’s love of reading and learning about the arts and history. Fortunately, there is an exceptional series of books that does exactly that. “Between Worlds” by Lori Wolf-Heffner is a series of books that exp...

The Nutcracker Ballet in a Sweet Romance Book

[Contains spoilers for Tea Shop for Two, a sweet romance for adults] 

What is the first performance that comes to mind when someone mentions ballet? For many, it would be the famous Christmas ballet The Nutcracker. Based on the story Alexandre Dumas adapted from E. T. A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and The Mouse King, The Nutcracker ballet is one of the most well-known ballets in the world. While those who don’t keep up with ballet can still recognize many famous ballets, it’s hard to imagine a...

Disability in Fiction: Austin, a Character with Epilepsy

Austin Tschirhart, age 16 in 2017, is one of my favourite characters to write. I can kind of live vicariously through him and raise awareness at the same time. In this blog post, I’ll discuss my fiction books about epilepsy and how I use disability in fiction.

Do you write fiction books about epilepsy?

I apologize if that wording seems awkward, but that’s apparently the phrasing used in Google searches. (That’s what writing for your audiences entails—using words they enter into Google. ...

Dance as a Form for Storytelling

One of the most important components to any story is the medium through which it’s told. Throughout human history, a common form of storytelling has been dance, which gives us the ability to translate our thoughts and words into physical movements.

Two creators renowned for their expression in dance are Karen and Allen Kaeja. In celebration of the 31stanniversary of their company, Kaeja d’Dance, Karen and Allen will debut two new performances at Habourfront Centre from November 11th to 13th, ...

The Creative Process for the Artist in You: A Discussion with a Tap Dancer and a Writer

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.”

Mar...

Between Worlds: A Series of Dance Novels

Between Worlds is a series of dance novels or anyone who loves dance and the arts. It’s the story of a 14-year-old girl who uses dance to cope with upheaval in her life.

Between Worlds 1: The Move

Can a sketchbook from the past help Juliana move forward?

Tap dancer Juliana moves across Canada with her parents to care for an ailing grandfather. Cut off from her friends and surrounded by strangers, she becomes overwhelmed by the whirlwind of changes dancing around her. Unable to cope, Jul...

YA Books That Take Place in Waterloo Region: Between Worlds by Lori Wolf-Heffner

Waterloo Region is my home–I was born here, grew up here, and aside from a few years in Germany and eight months in Edmonton–have lived here all my life. When I began planning this series, it made no sense whatsoever to choose a city the world was more familiar with, like, ahem, Toronto (apologies to family who live there). I wanted to write novels that take place here. I’ve lived in many neighbourhoods in Kitchener and Waterloo, but settled on an area in Kitchener with many fond memories for me...