Helen C. Escott's Blog: The Helen C. Escott Book Club: A Novel Idea, page 4

Book Giveaway contest – Blind Date with a book

New year, new you! Let’s start with your bookshelf.

 

Are you up for a blind date with a book?

 

You could win the laugh-out-loud bestseller – I am Funny Like That. Or one of my bestselling crime thrillers from the Operation Series.

 

To enter:

Join Helen C. Escott's Book Club - A Novel Idea at ,https://www.helencescott.com/

Like this post

Leave a comment guessing the name of the mystery book #blinddatewithabook

Please share this post with your friends & tag me.

Entries close on January 31st at midnight

Winners will be announced on February 1st, 2024.

@FlankerPressLtd. 

 

#iamquerying #writingcommunity #bookstagram #crimefiction #bookoftheday #mystery #booktok #currentreads #thriller #crimethriller #thrillerbooks #bookblogger #bookreviews #bookcommunity #booklover #bookaddict #crimebooks #goodreads #thrilleraddict #thrillerbooks #thrillerreads #thrillerbooksaddict #thrillers #reading #readersofinstagram #literaryagent

They found the hidden Masonic tunnel!

Is life imitating art or is art imitating life?

Operation Masonic takes you on a treasure hunt in the historic city of St. John's. It starts with the murder of the Masonic Grand Master at the Masonic Temple on Cathedral street. This Temple is the first one built in North America and was bult when Newfoundland was still a British colony.

AUTHOR SIGNING: Pick up a signed copy of Operation Masonic at Coles, Avalon Mall Saturday, December 16th from 1- 3 pm. The complete Operation Series is avalable at Coles, Chapters and on line at ,https://www.helencescott.com/

In the crime thriller, Masons search for a hidden tunnel that connects the buildings in the Ecclesiastical Circle and leads to an incredible treasure trove of riches.

Masonic underground tunnels are a topic of urban legends and conspiracy theories. Some people believe that various cities around the world have underground tunnels bult by the Freemasons for secret rituals and meetings. However, there is little concrete evidence to support these claims… until now.

The new owners of the Masonic Temple on Cathedral Street in downtown St. John’s are getting an intriguing glimpse into the building’s—and the city’s—history while doing renovations.

The builders have taken the building back to the studs and they’ve found a few interesting items, including a passageway leading from the basement.

VOCM News interviewed one of the owners. “They found a tunnel,” says Morgan MacRea, and “we don’t know where it goes!” The tunnel was bricked in, and MacRea is doubtful they’ll ever get the full story on where it goes or what it was used for.

The news station reports that a number of tunnels and underground structures have been found in and around the Avalon Peninsula in recent years, including some vaults beneath Water Street in Carbonear, uncovered during recent road work.

Shop Smarter, Not Harder: Effortlessly Tackle Your Christmas Shopping

Just in time for Christmas!

Get The Operation Wormwood Duology for just $29.99

This sensational murder mystery is set in Newfoundland & Labrador.

Get hooked on crime thrillers! Receive the 1st chapter of Operation Masonic free by signing up for A Novel Idea Book Club

Find out why murder provides the minds with a greater fund of innocent enjoyment than any other single subject Flanker Press Ltd.

The Helen C. Escott Book Club: A Novel Idea

,November Book Signngs:

It's time for Christmas shopping and books make great gifts. If you enjoy the thrill of the chase, not knowing who the murderer is & being shocked at the conclusion, you need to read my Operation Series.

My next signing is at Chapters Kenmount Rd this Friday from 3:30-5:30.

Let's talk about the Art of Murder.

The Art of Murder - How to Write Crime Thrillers This is a remarkably interesting and fun class that will encourage students to

think about writing in a whole new way. From planning the murder, to making it believable, to solving the crime.

I take students on a journey through writing that they will never forget.

This one-hour course is available to schools and libraries. Contact me at hcescott@gmail.com

,Operation Masonic/ Ecclesiastical Circle Murder and Mystery Walking Tour

Take a fascinating mystery and history walking tour in the St. John’s Ecclesiastical District National Historic Site of Canada featured in my bestselling crime thriller, Operation Masonic (Flanker Press). This tour takes you to the scene of a murder and explores actual sites discussed in this gripping novel. It is a unique experience that unveils some of the most exciting mysteries in Newfoundland and Labrador’s history: specifically, the history of freemasonry.

The tour begins in the foyer of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist. We then head out on an hour-and-a-half walking tour of some of the oldest streets in St. John’s where we go hunting for Masonic symbols. You will receive expert insight into the meaning of the cryptic symbols hidden on the façades and some interiors of historic structures and churches, such as Gower Street United and St. Andrew's Presbyterian (The Kirk), that make up the Ecclesiastical district. The tour then finishes at the Sergeants’ Memorial in Veteran’s Square where Operation Masonic famously ends. Group and school rates are available. This walking tour includes stairs and hills, so comfortable shoes are required.

Get more information at: https://www.facebook.com/DistrictToursNL

https://www.helencescott.com/the-book-club

Or call: (709) 631-8878

,Get the first chapter of Operation Masonic free by signing up for my book club

Subscribe ,here

Operation Masonic was a finalist for the 2023 Best Atlantic-Published Book award by the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association. But it now

We used to build beautiful things

One of the reasons people travel to historic places throughout Europe, and North America is to see the architecture that was created several thousand years ago. Despite wars, climate events and time, it is still standing, and it is still beautiful.

In our own province, take a drive out to Trinity Bay or Brigus. Walk through old St. John’s, tour the Ecclesiastical District, or hike up to Cabot Tower.

Stop.

Really stop and look at the workmanship. The stones used to build the Basilica, or the Anglican Cathedral were cut by expert masons.

If we tried to build something similar, we simply do not have the skill or the talent here to do it. At its roots, architecture exists to create the physical environment in which people live, but architecture is more than just the built environment, it is also creating our culture. It stands as a representation of how we see ourselves, as well as how we see the world. It is also how the world sees us.

For some reason, in Newfoundland and Labrador, we have left the beauty of architecture behind and instead embraced, lazy and poor architecture. It seems builders buy set plans from a store that offer no detailing, no craftsmanship, and are slapped up in no time.

A good example is Newfoundland Housing. We create subdivisions and fill them with row after row of the same box house. They are designed to oppress not impress. These are designed to become a ghetto.

The Newfoundland Housing units seem to be purposely designed to defeat the human spirit. Take a moment and drive through one of these areas. The first thing you notice is there is absolutely nothing beautiful. Very little or no pride of ownership.

They are a slapped together box that is jointed on both sides. It is meant to be cold and industrial. The drab design is on purpose. So, when a person moves into that house, their first thought is, “I’m gonna get out of here someday.”

These units are designed to remind the people who live there that:

· You are on social services or low income.

· Everyone who drives by will know that.

· You are lesser than everyone else going to work this morning.

· You offer nothing to society.

· Our tax dollars are paying for you.

Imagine if every time you left your house someone yelled these comments at you. Because that is what people living in housing think every time they leave their front door.

These ugly box houses are designed to tell everyone who drives by that:

· Here are the poor.

· You do not want your children hanging around in this area.

· Feel free to ridicule and judge everyone inside these houses.

· Including the children because the apple does not fall far from the tree.

These box houses are designed to divide classes: the rich and the poor.

Every child who lives in Newfoundland Housing, is tagged in school. Teachers will privately refer to them as a Newfoundland Housing child. Other students will soon find out they live in government housing and make fun of them. These government sponsored ghettos are designed to remind these children that you are not as important as the kids in the beautiful houses. You are of no value to us. You are forgotten.

But… what about if we walked away from lazy and poor architecture?

What about if we decided to take a parcel of land, and instead of building oppressive box ghetto housing, what about … if we built another Brigus?

What about if we built something beautiful?

Take a parcel of land, and instead of building box house after box house, and bungalow after bungalow, what about if we built beautiful, smaller, economical housing for people.

What about if that neighbourhood had a beautiful playground and a large community vegetable garden?

What about if the people who lived in these beautiful houses were encouraged to go to the vegetable garden to take what they need and contribute back by helping the garden grow?

What about if we built a senior’s neighbourhood that looked like Trinity? What about if that community had a senior’s type playground and a vegetable garden?

Think about it!

Put yourself in the position of these people.

What about if those using the housing came home, and instead of walking into a house that is purposely designed to break their spirit, they walked into a house that welcomed them home to a safe space. A house that makes them feel like they finally achieved some thing. A house that they are proud of.

What about if the house had a rent to own option? What if part of the rent went toward a mortgage and a part paid government for building the house, where no down payment was required. What if your annual income was the only consideration. Where you knew eventually, this house would be yours so keeping it up would be important to you.

Imagine the difference that would make to the spirit of a human and the community?

Imagine the difference that that would make to the children who live in these houses? Instead of going to school tagged as a Newfoundland Housing kids, they would be the kids who live in the beautiful little houses.

Instead of calling them ‘Newfoundland Housing,’ we call them, ‘Mayfair,’ or name it after someone who deserves it.

I know some people would say, “Why build beautiful houses for these people? Let’s keep them oppressed because that is going to encourage them to get out of there.”

Well, how has that worked so far? It has not. The definition of crazy is doing the same stupid thing over and over but expecting different results.

We keep using the same template and wondering why it does not work.

We need to walk away from lazy and poor architecture. It is destroying the culture of this province and creating ghettos. It is destroying the very soul of the people of this province.

This is not just in Newfoundland Housing areas. Look at any new subdivision. It is the same bungalow in assorted colours. These areas are designed to remind you that you are middle class.

It is to remind you that economically, you are all the same and this is your price point. For contractors, it is less expensive to build multiple copies of the same or similar houses. It is easier to budget and hence reduce overhead when certain elements like the concrete foundations are identical for all houses. It also simplifies the sales cycle when the number of choices is reduced.

What they do not have is character, artistic skills, and design. No one walks by and goes, “Wow, now that’s beautiful!” Two thousand years from now, no one will be traveling here to admire them.

Every year charities put million dollar houses up on tickets to raise money. I do not have a problem with that. But don’t we have enough million dollar houses that people cannot afford?

What about instead of putting up a $1 million house on tickets we put up three $300,000 houses on tickets? Now, I would buy a ticket on that.

Let’s build less expensive houses that last and allow low income and the working class to buy them.

We need to go back to building beautiful things. We need to go back to building things that nurture the soul of the people who live there. We need to go back to maintaining and nurturing our culture.

This is how you change the social systems. This is how you stop ghettos. This is how you help people.

The houses that make up the fabric of our province say a lot about the people who inhabited them and will long after our time. Archaeologists study the built environment of the past to understand the effects of architecture on people.

Which begs the question: How is lazy architecture impacting our society?

Operation Masonic Mystery & History walking Tour of the Ecclesiastical District of St. John’s

Take a fascinating mystery and history walking tour in the St. John’s Ecclesiastical District National Historic Site of Canada featured in the bestselling crime thriller, Operation Masonic by Helen C. Escott.

The tour takes place Saturday, October 28, 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM, starting at the Basilica of St. John the Baptist, 200 Military Road, St. John’s. Tickets are $25 per person and are available on line at Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/operation-masonic-walking-tour-tickets-741119437187

This walking tour includes stairs and hills, so comfortable shoes are required.

You’ll receive expert insight into the meaning of symbols hidden on the façades and some interiors of historic structures and churches such as the Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Gower Street United Church, Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and St. Andrew's Presbyterian (The Kirk) that make up the Ecclesiastical District. The tour then finishes at the Sergeants’ Memorial in Veteran’s Square where Operation Masonic famously ends.

Operation Masonic and the other crime thrillers in the series are available at Coles, Chapters, Indigo, Amazon and https://www.helencescott.com/books

Get more information at: https://www.facebook.com/DistrictToursNL

https://www.helencescott.com/the-book-club

Or call: (709) 631-8878

The Art of Murder – How to Write Crime Thrillers

This is a remarkably interesting and fun class that will encourage young readers to think about writing in a whole new way.

From planning the murder to making it believable to solving the crime. I take students on a journey through writing that they will never forget.

I start with a slide show of the tips and tricks to writing about murder and while I am doing that I take questions and we have discussions.

Then I end with a exercise called: The man fell down the stairs. Students have to fill in the descriptors: Who is the man? How old is he? What is he wearing? Where does he work? How did he fall down the stairs? Did he just fall or did he try to catch himself? Why was he on the stairs? Where was he going? What time of night or day is it? What’s the weather like outside?

In the end students have a much more detailed story that comes from looking around your characters and finding out who they are.

For more information contact Helen C. Escott at h.escott@hotmail.com

Time to cozy up to fall fiction

Exciting things are happening in October!

Operation Masonic Walking Tour

Go back to the scene of the murder!

Sun, Oct 15, 2023 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

200 Military Road St. John's, NL A1C 2E8

Tickets $25. Get them ,here

The tour takes you to a murder scene and explores Helen C. Escott’s gripping novel Operation Masonic. It is a unique experience that unveils some of the most intriguing mysteries in Newfoundland and Labrador history: Freemasonry.

Join author Helen C. Escott and John FitzGerald, Executive Director of the Basilica Heritage Foundation, as they lead this fascinating tour based on the investigation of lead character Inspector Nick Myra of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. Follow his trail investigating a murder at the Masonic Temple. Unravel the mystery and visit sites with him while looking for hidden Masonic symbols in downtown St. John’s.

At the Basilica, see the “Iota Pulchra” window where the mystery begins.

From there, the tour will stop at historic sites in the Ecclesiastical District where the hunt continues.

You will receive expert insight into the meaning of the cryptic symbols hidden on the facades and interiors of churches such as the Basilica, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian (“The Kirk”), Gower Street United, and the Anglican Cathedral, the cornerstones of the Ecclesiastical District. The tour finishes at the Sergeants’ Memorial in Veterans’ Square, where Operation

Masonic famously ends.

The tour starts at 3 p.m. Sunday, 15 October, 2023 in the front foyer of the Basilica, 200 Military Road. Tickets must be booked in advance.

Win your fall fiction!

Win the Wormwood Duology (Operation Wormwood & The Reckoning), 2 skull wine glasses, a Halloween tray & 19 Crimes wine.

To enter:

Review Operation Masonic on your socials

& tag me

That's it! The draw date is Tue. Oct. 31st, Halloween night

Good luck!

Grab a fiction for Fall!

Operation Masonic is about greed and how it destroys a family until one person finally kills for what they want.

But, who is it?

I will be at at Coles Avalon Mall this Saturday, October7th from 4-6 pm.

Drop by and get a signed copy.

Giving local books for Christmas gifts supports local authors and our economy.

This is the only signing I will be doing in October. Hope you can make it.

Operation Masonic/ Ecclesiastical Circle Murder and Mystery Walking Tour

Take a fascinating mystery and history walking tour in the St. John’s Ecclesiastical District National Historic Site of Canada featured in the bestselling crime thriller, Operation Masonic by Helen C. Escott (Flanker Press).

Get your tickets today: Tickets are $20 per person and can be bought at the visitor’s desk in the Basilica of St. John the Baptist, 200 Military Road, open 10 am-4 pm Mon-Sat, and Noon-4 pm on Sundays. Tickets are not available online. This walking tour includes stairs and hills, so comfortable shoes are required.

This tour takes you to the scene of a murder and explores actual sites discussed in Escott’s gripping novel, Operation Masonic. It is a unique experience that unveils some of the most exciting mysteries in Newfoundland and Labrador’s history: specifically, the history of freemasonry.

The tour takes place Friday, August 11th at 6:30 pm starting at the Basilica of St. John the Baptist, 200 Military Road, St. John’s. Tickets must be booked in advance.

Join author Helen C. Escott and John FitzGerald, Executive Director of the Basilica Heritage Foundation, as they take you on this fascinating tour, which is based on the investigation by the book's lead character, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Inspector Nick Myra. The tour follows his trail as he investigates a murder at the Masonic Temple. Unravel the mystery and visit the sites mentioned in the book while looking for hidden Masonic symbols in downtown St. John’s.

The tour begins in the foyer of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist. Participants will be taken to the choir loft to see the ‘Iota Pulchra’ window where the mystery begins. We then head out on an hour and a half walking tour of some of the oldest streets in St. John’s and visit historic sites in the Ecclesiastical District where we go hunting for Masonic symbols.

You’ll receive expert insight into the meaning of the cryptic symbols hidden on the façades and some interiors of historic structures and churches, such as Gower Street United and St. Andrew's Presbyterian (The Kirk), that make up the Ecclesiastical district. The tour then finishes at the Sergeants’ Memorial in Veteran’s Square where Operation Masonic famously ends.

Conversation With My Bladder in the Fitting Room

Why don’t ladies fitting rooms have a washroom in the area? Is it because they were designed by men who don’t have to deal with over active bladders? It’s a design flaw which I am sure was created to just aggravate women of a certain age.

Women need a washroom in the fitting room area! This should be a political slogan. I would vote for any politician who passes that law.

This is a typical conversation that I have in the fitting room with my bladder every time I try on a pair of jeans. Keep in mind, my part of the conversation is not in my head. It is said out loud. However, the bladder’s part is solely in my head.

I am in a fitting room to try on two pairs of jeans. Just as I lay my purse down and undo the button on my jeans, my bladder wakes up.

Are we going to pee?

No, we’re just trying on pants.

But when you undo your pants that means we’re going to pee.

No, we’re just trying out pants. Now shut up and go back to sleep.

Hang on, I think I’ve got a little dribble coming.

(Horrified). Do not dribble! You squeeze tightly! Do not let one drop fall! (I squeeze my butt cheeks so tight; I could crush a walnut).

But you undid your pants! That means we must pee.

I have to try these pants on. Be good. I haven’t even had a sip of liquid today. There should be nothing in my bladder. You should be empty. I am completely dehydrated.

What can I say, I’m part camel. I store fluids just for times like this. By the way, I don’t think the pants fit. You’re squeezing me too tight. That’s not a good idea. You know we have to pee.

I have to try on the other pair. Stop saying the word pee. Now that’s all I can think about.

Do you know what my favourite line from a nursery rhyme is?

No, I don’t!

It’s from the Three Little Pigs when they go pee, pee, pee all the way to the market.

It’s wee, wee, wee.

Same thing.

Uh-oh, why did I try on skinny jeans. (I finally pull them off along with my socks.) Hang on for just a few more minutes. I want to try on the other pair.

That’s not a good idea. I don’t think I’m gonna make it.

Just give me five more minutes and I’ll run to the bathroom.

Can we just pee on the floor? If we were out hiking, you’d just run behind a tree and pee on the floor of the forest.

No! We cannot pee on the floor. Just keep it together. Squeeze!

Do you have a bottle in your purse?

No, I don’t have a bottle in my purse! That’s ridiculous. And besides, you know our aim is not that great.

You should keep it a Ziploc bag in your purse for emergencies.

I would never do something that ridiculous.

Oh yeah remember that time we were on a plane, and you had to use the bathroom. You wouldn’t sit on the toilet seat because it was disgusting so you squat over it. Then, the plane hit turbulence. And it literally scared the piss out of you, and you sprayed the room down.

Don’t make me laugh and to be fair the room was already sprayed down.

(I try on the next pair jeans and snap the button closed.) Yes, they fit!

These jeans are kind of stiff and they are squeezing me. I told you this wasn’t a good idea. I’m going to have to let go of an ounce or two.

No, no, no! (I rip the jeans off and scramble to get my pants back on.) Squeeze a little harder. (Remember I am talking out loud in a ladies fitting room.) You can do this.

Where is the bathroom?

It’s on the other side of the store.

Why would they put the bathroom on the other side of the store! Why isn’t it next to the fitting rooms?

I think it’s designed that way just to irritate women. If women designed stores there would be bathrooms in the fitting room.

Are your jeans done up yet?

Yes, I’m just getting my coat on. Give me a second.

I can feel you walking. Squeeze tighter. I don’t think we’re going to make it.

I’m going as fast as I can. I can.

Squeeze you’re not squeezing enough.

We’re almost there! Wait, I can feel a dribble, was that you?

I know you’re wearing a poise pad. I had to let a little out.

Wait! I’m opening the door right now. Just let me pull down my pants.

Sorry! My bad. I couldn’t wait any longer.

Oops! You couldn’t wait for me to pull my pants down!

I told you; I have a problem and I can’t hold my pee for long. Maybe you shouldn’t try on pants in public anymore!

This is why I don’t have any jeans to fit me! Because you won’t let me try them on!

You got enough jeans anyway you don’t need more.

I got to see a doctor. There must be some kind of a pill or surgery I can do to fix you.

It’s not my fault. I’m 59 years old! Things are loosening up. I don’t have the same hold that I used to. Having kids dancing on me for nine months didn’t help either.

I’m still gonna try to do something to get you fixed. It can’t be like this every time I want to try out pants.

It’s not my fault. I’m old. Maybe I do need a little tightening.

Or maybe stores will finally realize that there should be a washroom in the ladies fitting rooms and then they wouldn’t have to clean the floor in the main washroom so often.

Oh, go piss yourself.