Toni Anderson's Blog: Toni Anderson, page 67

My Adventures in Labrador (1)

As promised, serialized into bite-sized chunks, my summer adventure in Labrador, 1997... This is as I remember it, but I don't have any notes so it's possible other people have other versions. This is mine and I'm sticking to it. 
You might know that the migration study that Cameran Young undertakes in Edge of Survival is actually based on a study I did when I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Waterloo, Ontario. I thought you might be curious as to what events actually took place and what I made up. Trust me, none of the romance stuff happened—I'd just got engaged and wore my emerald with pride.
But I'm not saying I didn't have offers... :)
My misadventures started before I even arrived at my destination. After several flights I spent the night in Happy Valley—Goose Bay, and mosquitoes feasted on my feet, which shouldn't be a problem except I was allergic and swelled up so badly I couldn't get my boots on. Picture me hobbling through the airport, carrying my shoes as I head deep into the Canadian bush. 
Side note: I actually made the trip several times that summer and my favourite time was when we took the floatplane. That was so cool. Cam's description at the start of the book is spot on. The fuselage stinks of avgas and seats are ripped out to accommodate luggage. There are no facilities. AT ALL. For a woman who needs to pee as often as I need to pee, this was a problem. It's also the reason DH thinks I'd be no good in the AMAZING RACE. I beg to differ, but that's the joy of marriage—we get to agree to disagree.  Anyway, I crossed my legs and thought of England. A few hours later, when we landed I was amused to see the windscreen wipers beating like fury across the glass. I'd never thought of that, never imagined they'd need wipers to see through the spray.
[image error] [image error] We landed in Nain and then got a helicopter ride to the bay where the Sir John Franklin (now a renamed, fully dedicated arctic research vessel but then was just being leased by the consulting company), was moored in a secluded, sheltered bay. Frenchmans Bight is completely fictional—really, I made it up. There was a bigger mining camp beyond Nain but I only went there once and it was a freaky experience. I do not turn heads. I'm not drop-dead gorgeous. I'm totally fine with who and what I am and how I look. However, I stepped into the canteen with a couple of my smelly fishy buddies and I could feel the male eyes on me every step of the way. It was like I suddenly had an X on my back and it was a XX—as in FEMALE! J I have never been so self conscious in my life and I've worked in plenty of male dominated environments. I like men. Some of my best friends are men, hell, I even married one. But this was different. It was like being the star in a porn flick and they were just waiting for me to take off my clothes.


When I arrived I got to share a cabin with a really nice girl, a redhead. Although the numbers changed slightly over the summer there was a maximum of maybe 4 women onboard at any one time (none of the porn-flick feeling I had in the camp, mind). We'd get up about 5 and grab a fantastic breakfast and packed lunch (I loved the chef) and we'd head up to the lounge to wait for when we'd get helicoptered to our sampling site for the day. 
Side note: I thought I was oh so popular with the pilots. Generally someone would ask who the pilots wanted to take and they'd almost always say, "I'll take Toni and..." I used to glow because I'd never been so popular before. After a short time I figured it out. Helicopter pilots are constantly trying to keep the weight down and, standing at a rugged 5'1", they figured I was one of the lightest loads (in terms of people) :) Also one of the women (not on my team) weighed about 300 lbs, and it's hard to get a good visual past someone that big. Anyway, I blocked it out. They liked me. I was popular LOL. 
We'd get ferried out to our site every morning, catch fish, tag fish, take a few samples and release fish. My expertise was the surgical implantation of telemetry devices but it doesn't mean I can catch the suckers. Thankfully I had a couple of brilliant fishermen with me. Rick, especially, was fantastic.
That's the end of the first installment. I'll post the next one next week. 
The Labrador Inuit called this place Nunatsiavut: Our beautiful land. You can see why.

My heroine has diabetes and I'm donating 15% of my royalties to diabetes research.

Available for pre-order from Carina Press, Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Barnes & Noble. 

Read an excerpt here

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I'm starting My Adventures in Labrador series. Just five blog posts about some of the stuff I did up there. I hope it whets your appetite for a Romantic Suspense adventure set up in the great white north. Any day I'm not blogging in November I'll be posting a pretty picture, because I like pretty pictures. Wow, it really is all about me. LOL.
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland.

Another Favourite Photo

Collecting fish from rock-pools on Vancouver Island.

Developing the Split Personality.

Next month will herald the beginning of a lot of promo for my upcoming release. Doing promo is a bit like developing a split personality. Most writers are introverts by nature who hate banging their own drum. That's why we need readers, not just to buy the books but to tell people about them.  It's one thing for me to say I write a good story (I mean, even writing that makes me cringe), it's completely different for someone who isn't related by blood or marriage to go online and take the time to write a review or send me an email. Thanks to everyone who does. 

The other reason promo makes writers develop split personalities is we're already working on the next story. I've written 3 complete novels since I finished EDGE OF SURVIVAL. I've been in ten different character's heads, lived in Montana, South Dakota, Minneapolis, Hereford and the Wakhan Vally, plus visited London, and sailed the English Channel.That doesn't include the partials I've written for other story ideas, the edits on another (I'd forgotten about a NYC story), and the characters floating in the ether of my mind.

Sometimes it takes me a moment to click back into the story that's about to be published. I do LOVE this story BTW. Possibly my favorite hero/heroine combination ever. 

OK--gotta edit. I love my job!

A favourite photo from last year

Struggling to get everything done. Writing a million blogs (believe it or not :)) for my upcoming release and stretched so thin I feel like a supermodel. This was my screensaver today and had to share. Me and a bald eagle eying each other on the Pacific coast.

Today's tune

Guest Author: W. Soliman

Today I want to welcome a good friend and fellow NYUS blogger to my blog. 
Who are you and what do you write?
That's a complicated question! Here goes. I'm a Brit but it's a long time since I lived in England. Nowadays I call Andorra home but also spend a chuck on the year in Florida. I write historical and contemporary romance under my own name but my other self, W. Soliman, writes gritty marine crime mysteries.
What's your favourite place in the world to visit?Some years ago my husband sold his business in England. The negotiations were long and arduous. At the same time I was selling our house in Spain and we seldom saw each other. When the wheeling and dealing came to an end Andre said we deserved a decent holiday. The Maldives, The Seychelles—the world was literally my oyster. So I chose Ireland! I've always wanted to go and wasn't disappointed. The people were friendly and welcoming, the scenery spectacular and, guess what, it didn't rain. Not once!
Where do you write?Wherever I happen to be. All I need is my laptop, an internet connection and my whacky imagination.
How long have you been published or is this your first sale?I was lucky enough to get my first full length novel published, which was in 2006. Unfinished Business is my tenth published novel – the first as W. Soliman.
How long have you been writing?Well, I wrote my first novel at age 15, (and I'm not telling you how long ago that is, so don't bother asking!). I guess that proves the desire has always been there but I only got serious about it eight years ago. 
What comes first—characters or the plot?I get a vague idea for a book, the characters come alive and we're off and running. They're in charge and frequently surprise me.
Who's your favourite hero?That's a tough one. I like strong, resourceful men who don't necessarily conform. Well, I think most women secretly like a bad boy, wouldn't you agree? Sean Connery as James Bond is right up there. So too is Sean Bean in his uniform as Richard Sharpe.
Who's on your auto-buy list for authors?What, apart from some of my fellow Carina authors, do you mean? People such as yourself, Maureen Miller, Shirley Wells, Marie Force to name but a few. Well, I devour everything that Sandra Brown writes. If I'm in the mood for a regency then Eloisa James is a must. And I adore the sarcastic wit of Nelson deMille. Eclectic tastes, I think it's safe it say.
What's your biggest dream?That's easy. To hit the NY Times Bestseller list!
Cat or dog person?Another easy question—just ask my husband. Jake, our rescued mutt, is my joy and my life. Andre says that if I had to choose between him and the dog, he knows it would be no contest!

The Hunter FilesUnfinished Business

Where is Jasmine Webb?
Charlie Hunter retired from the force at 40 to relax, work on his boat and go fishing with his son on weekends, not become an amateur sleuth. But he can't say no to Kara Webb when she seeks his help in tracking down her sister, missing for 15 years.
The disappearance of teenaged Jasmine Webb was one of the first cases Charlie worked on after being made a detective. He's never forgotten it or his suspicions, even after the girl's parents told police they'd heard from her and the file on Jasmine was closed.
When Charlie's son is threatened, finding Jasmine becomes even more important—it's no longer just about closure, it's about protecting his family. Which makes the constant dead ends all the more frustrating. Until Charlie realizes that the question they should be asking isn't where Jasmine is, but who has she become…

Unfinished Business by W. Soliman available now from Carina Press.com or Amazon.com. $5.49
Pop over to my website at http://www.wsoliman.com where you can read the entire first chapter and enter a contest offering you the opportunity to win a copy of the book.
Alternatively, go to my Facebook author page at http://on.fb.me/qfenW1 click Like, leave a message containing the words Unfinished Business and you could
Thanks for having me here, Toni. It's been a blast.W. Soliman.
Thank YOU, Wendy :) 

Switching heroes

[image error]
It's a hard life :)

My kids latest obsession...

Happy Thanksgiving

I can't believe it's already here, but Happy Thanksgiving. We're celebrating tomorrow with a big meal (cooked by someone else--double yay! :) I have so much to be thankful for.
Another important thing happening today in Winnipeg? The first Jets game. Go Jets Go!