Lee Bice-Matheson's Blog, page 4

The Bookshelf Book Fair, Writers’ Community of York Region Invites J.R. Matheson & Lee Bice-Matheson

J.R. Matheson and Lee Bice-Matheson at The Bookshelf book fair in Newmarket. We are ready for the day to begin.

J.R. and I were delighted to be invited to the inaugural book fair held on Saturday, June 25th, in the Newmarket  Community Centre and Lions Hall, next to the Farmer’s Market. We’d never been to Newmarket and what a booming place it has become. Through-out the day, we took turns navigating our way through the farmer market vendors and bought some of their goodies. We loved the live music. Thank you to the band. Awesome guys! And there were other entertainers too.

Title Release, Cover Reveal, oh my! Paige Maddison Series, Book 3, Fall 2016 Release

We’ve been busy this past winter into spring. J.R. Matheson and I completed the third manuscript in the Paige Maddison Series entitled Shine Your Light. We did a cover reveal on Facebook that resulted in over 20,000 likes. We were happy

Cover Reveal for Shine Your Light, Book 3, Paige Maddison Series

to relay the good news to our book cover designer, Nancy Batra  She lives in New Delhi, India, and she is an Illustrator / Graphic Designer. It was a marvelous interaction in the creation of the cover. Thank you so much Nancy for your beautiful design.

J.R. Matheson and I created the title, Shine Your Light, based on a conversation in the book. You’ll have to read it to understand the backstory in our novel. It has been described as, “Your third novel is the best one yet. I had goosebumps reading it as the story jumped to life for me. I couldn’t wait to read until the ending. Congratulations Lee & J.R.! Your audience will love it.” We thank this beta reader kindly. We will be releasing Shine Your Light this Fall, 2016.

In the meantime, we had another awesome book signing at

Indigo Bay Bloor sign for Mom-Son Coauthors Lee Bice-Matheson and J.R. Matheson

Indigo Bay Bloor in March. Many book lovers stopped by and we learned a lot from them. Thank you for your interest and thank you to those who bought our series. Truly appreciated.

I was interviewed in April on Laney Smith’s and Fre Thought’s Blog Talk Radio show called ‘Writing Under the Influence’. For us, it’s writing under the influence of the characters in our series; they talk to us.

2016 is Off to a Great Start for Coauthors J.R. Matheson and Lee Bice-Matheson

I have to admit after our big year in 2015 with lots of travel for our series to bookstore signings in Ontario, I was left exhausted and happy. Between working in our Clinic and managing it, writing book 3, marketing the first two books, and providing support to those who needed it, I was thankful our last book signing just before Christmas was postponed until the Spring. J.R. and I always want to present our best selves for those kind enough to come out and meet us. Now our schedule looks busy again with radio interviews booked, Chapters Book signings, Independent bookstore signings, and our manuscript due on our editor’s desk, April 11th. Thank Heavens for holidays, right everyone?

Christmas 2015 with Lee, J.R., and Kevin Matheson.

I know there are many authors much busier than we are, and our hat’s off to you. Keep on going. We don’t know how you do it. We are in awe of you. It’s a wonderful life, a busy life, and I know I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. I love, and I know J.R. you do too, meeting the book loving public in person. This is why we write to connect with book lovers and hear their stories. There is an exchange of information that shapes who we are as writers. Lucky indeed. Let’s hope book lovers are ready for our next novel, right J.R.? There’s a few times when I’m reading a scene, and I get up and walk away from the computer. Tears, laughter, joy, pain, and the haunting tale of good vs evil. Have a great week to all. Thank You to our supporters.

Reviews for Wake Me Up Inside by Lee Bice-Matheson

Wake Me Up Inside It is wonderful of everyone to review the Paige Maddison Series on Goodreads. I was happily surprised to find our books are also rated on Google Books as well. Thank you to everyone who supports our series. J.R. Matheson and I are working diligently on book three in the Paige Maddison Series. Have a healthy and happy 2016. https://books.google.ca/books?id=_-MA... Keep on reading.

Have a Happy, Healthy, and Positive New Year Everyone, in 2016. Follow your heart, aim for the stars.

J.R. Matheson, my son and coauthor, and I are so grateful for a recent Youtube post by Siobhan’s Book Corner. Click on the link here. We couldn’t be happier with your words of support and encouragement Siobhan. Thank you so much. What a beautiful message to receive on New Year’s Eve day from our Super Fan Siobhan. You support ?#?Indie? ?#?authors? loyally. Siobhan’s Book Corner highlights the Top 15 best novels or series she’s read in 2015 written by Independent Authors. I would like to share Siobhan’s thoughts with all of our friends on Goodreads. So happy you are doing well, my friend. Thank you for mentioning Wake Me Up Inside and Destiny’s Gate, Paige Maddison Series. Cheers to all of the #Indie #authors mentioned. Well done! Happy New Year’s Eve, Siobhan. Have the best one yet to you and your family. Happy NYE to All! 

We wish everyone a healthy, happy, and joyous 2016. Lee and J.R. pictured with Kevin Matheson, husband and father, manager.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy St. Nicholas Day

Around the world, people celebrate many different occasions in the month of December. But they all have one thing in common. Children around the world string colourful lights, filling their homes with festive decorations, and lighting candles. This does indeed brighten up the darkest month of the year. We’ve had our Winter Solstice, the shortest, darkest day and now we look forward to our days growing longer and brighter. We must acknowledge our multicultural world and grow to understand one another. That is my Christmas wish, 2015. From our family to yours, we wish you the Merriest of Holiday Seasons. Thank you to everyone who so generously supported J.R. and I in our Paige Maddison Series adventure.

My son and coauthor J.R. Matheson at his graduation from McGill University, Montreal, June 2015.

We are all pictured here at J.R.’s graduation. Lee on the left and husband Kevin on the right. Proud parents. Shoot for your dreams.

From our home to yours. Happy Holidays.

 

Happy Birthday to my Fellow Scorpios! Celebrate Yourselves.

Happy Birthday fellow Scorpios. It’s my birthday today. I have a life story you won’t believe. You see, I was told in my early 30s that I wouldn’t live past the age of 40. I was told this negative gem by a Specialist. I literally walked out of his office. And a second Specialist told me I’d be on disability for the rest of my life, and never be able to hold down a regular desk job. I walked out of his office, too. He was so distressed he had his secretary call me to return because he was concerned about further treatments. A very caring physician, I decided, but he and I differed on my outcome.  While I thanked him for his healthcare and compassion, I walked away from him that day and have never looked back. I have a rare disease, and asthma, and a few other health challenges, including the after-effect of a parasite that almost killed me in my mid-20s. I’m here to tell you, it’s all in what you, the patient, believe.  I turned to Dr. Xiu-Min Li, an Asthma and Allergy Specialist in NYC. She works

Words I live by. Scorpio, November 20th. Lee Bice-Matheson.

 

Dr. Xiu-Min Li, M.D., The Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC

at The Mount Sinai Hospital and accepted me as her patient. I knew she had invented an alternative Chinese herbal medicine for treating asthma in children. Dr. Li said because of my health issues, she would help me and maybe I could help prove through trials and testing that chinese herbal medicines can be used in replacement of steroids for childhood asthma.  At our first appointment, she examined me and said my asthma wasn’t the only problem. She said I was quite ill, in fact. I replied, “Please don’t label it, just fix it.” And she did. My asthma is in remission, as it can never be cured. I asked her for help to also supervise me while weaning off my steroids. The ongoing lung function testing

was done in conjunction with my local General Practitioner. Thank you for your support as well! It has been 6 months since my last puff. I am running now. I haven’t run in 25 years!

My loving husband, Kevin, moved us to fresh air in Orillia. You see, we lost seven very important, loving, family members from my mom and dad, to Kevin’s dad, my aunt and uncle, my maternal grandmother, and my best friend (who called me her adopted daughter) within 3.5 years. Too much of a coincidence? We think not. I am forever thankful Kevin! And imagine moving our Chiropractic Clinic in mid-life? We didn’t know a soul in Orillia, but Kevin knew he had to save my life,

Dr. Kevin Matheson adjusting a patient at Matheson Chiropractic Clinic, Orilla, ON.

and he did. Dr. Li had looked him in the eyes, at one of our appointments, and she said to him, “The best thing you can do for Lee Anne, is to lessen her daily stress, and move her to fresh air.” I am teary as I write this – he did both! I share my story for those of you who have been given a bleak medical report. Know this. It’s all in what you believe, as well, that counts! The mind is a very powerful tool and one not to be underestimated. I envisioned myself healthy, without the use of steroids, and running again, many years ago. Please let me remind you, this is never to be done without the help of the medical community. You must have supervision for any reduction of medications you’ve been prescribed. I am forever grateful to have met Dr. Li and for her exceptional healthcare, support, and friendship to me. 

My life’s philosophy.
Lee Bice-Matheson

Pictured here with my husband, Kevin Matheson. You win for the Best Husband Ever! Love you, Dear.

And to my husband, Kevin, I am in awe of you each and every day. Without your loving, undying support, I probably wouldn’t be here today. How can I ever thank you enough?! You are my Rock! Love you Now and Forever.

Today I turn 55. I’m going to say this all day long! It feels fantastic. I didn’t become an author until the age of 50 and co-authored Destiny’s Gate with our son, J.R. Matheson, since then. I have to acknowledge to our loving son, Justin, you changed our lives for the better on the day you were born. I couldn’t have done any of this, including my health, without your loving support. You’ve been our Rock.

J.R. Matheson, loving son, and Lee Bice-Matheson after our event held at Furby House Books, Port Hope, ON.

Imagine what I would have missed if I had believed my diagnosis: dead before 40?! I feel blessed to have met all of our wonderful supporters at each and every book signing, the bookstore owners and staff who have hosted us, the fascinating interviewers and radio show hosts, waiting on our loyal and always interesting patients at Matheson Chiropractic Clinic, meeting JR and Ruth Colombo, my mentors and friends, spending quality time and trips away with my family and extended family members,

Here is my extended family that show up to our events when time permits. We are the Bice sisters and families. :)

and just enjoying the great outdoors again. Living in my former hometown of Sarnia, I was rarely outside in the spring and summer months, the last year we lived there, 2010.

Loving Algonquin Park. My backpack weighed 50 pounds! We canoed and portaged in to Ralph Bice Lake ( our ancestor)!! #grateful

Now, I’m outside each and every day, even when it’s -40C. I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Loving life, living large, feeling blessed! Thank you. It shouldn’t surprise anyone reading this, Kevin and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this December, 2015. Blissful and happy. Forever grateful.

Paige Maddison’s Birthday is November 19th. Find out why.

I’m sitting at my computer gazing outside at the beautiful 100-year-old trees that line our backyard, much like a fence. Today is a sunny day, the fog has lifted, and blue skies have appeared. It is a bittersweet week for me. My birthday’s on Friday, however, it was my Mom’s birthday, the day before mine. Margaret Mary Jane Bice died 10 years ago, this year. It’s hard to believe how fast time flies. I miss her every day. I celebrate her life each birthday, privately, remembering the beautiful Mom she was. This year, I decided to share with all of you some of her sage advice. If you would like to read her pearls of wisdom…please do, read on.

I am 18 years old in this picture with Mom. Isn’t she pretty? Still missed by your daughters: Lynn, Cindy, and Lee, spouses, and all of your grandchildren.

First of all a little known fact: Paige Maddison’s birthday is November 19th, chosen because it was our Mom’s birthday.

1/ Lose the weight Lee Anne before you grow older. Don’t be like me. Thankfully, I had gained a lot of weight while I was pregnant, 23 years ago, which protected my baby, son, and coauthor, J.R. Matheson. I had alloimmunethrombocytopenia which generally means my body should not have been able to deliver a baby. It took me years to lose the weight and it’s still ongoing. But I am healthy, happy, and the most active I’ve been in my 54, soon to be 55, years of age. Thanks Mom for your sage advice.

2/ Get along! so you don’t lose the closeness with those you love. We all have our differences of opinion, especially when growing up with our siblings, and family, or friends. In my youth, I played competitive tennis and if you’ve ever played a sport like this, you’ll understand that it takes drive, passion, and sometimes anger to win the match. I was testy in my teens for a lot of reasons. Thank you Mom for emphasizing this to me – it’s important to be tolerant, compassionate, understanding, and loving towards others.

3/ I watched as Mom overcame many of her fears, by facing them head on. She was never a camper and not comfortable sleeping outdoors, in a tent, with a sleeping bag between her and the groundsheet. What animals might be encountered, after all? Yet my husband and I took my parents to the Pinery Provincial Park near Grand Bend. Mom was a trooper and she even said she enjoyed it. Mom had a fear of the water. She couldn’t swim, yet she agreed to be picked up in an inflated Zodiac, boated to our sailboat, and she climbed up the ladder while the waves were pushing our boat onto its side. Mom sat down, relaxed to have a day’s sail. This I could not believe, as I had watched Mom accidentally pushed into a pool once, and she sank straight to the bottom. My dad jumped in and saved her. Face your fears head on! It’s empowering.

4/ When hosting a party, it’s important to put on your best and make your guests feel welcomed. Thanks to Mom we’ve hosted many dinners, get-togethers, and parties that have been successful. Many great ideas are born from socializing. If you hadn’t shown me the way Mom, I wouldn’t have a clue how to do this.

5/ Mom taught me pride of ownership. She often redecorated our home in simple, non-expensive, ways. By painting a wall, or fireplace, the whole room looked fresh. By rearranging ornaments or paintings/pictures, what is old is new again. By lighting candles, the room looked softened. What a wonderful and fantastic interior decorator.

6/ Mom was a clothing professional. I’m not a ‘shopper’ per se, but Mom worked in several higher end women’s clothing stores. Mom would put aside maybe 10 outfits, that I would burst into the store, try on, and buy the top two. I worked as a Manager in a busy corporation, so it would be on my lunch which was a half hour. And she would say, Lee Anne, never buy at the first sale, or second, wait until the third sale, and that’s nearer to the store’s cost. Thank you Mom for this very important tip that has helped me many times over.

7/ Lastly, and this one took me a long time to get…stand up for yourself. Mom once told me that I was often misunderstood, and insisted that I stand up for myself. But instead, I argued that people will think what they want, regardless of what you do or say. Even if they’re wrong. But, now and again, when someone repeats something to me about me, that’s totally off the rails, I will look them in the eyes and say, “That’s not what I meant, or, you must have misunderstood me. This is what I meant…”  People use their own filters to judge others, and their filter, may have nothing at all to do with how you live your life. But it’s their interpretation and it’s the way they judge others and the world at large…not using all of the facts but the illusion they live with, live in. Funny, I grew up believing we aren’t the ones who get to judge each other. Capital H…He does.

Thank you Mom for all of your life lessons. You are our Rockstar. And I am happier, stronger, and loving because of you. May you, forever, rest in peace. I’ll miss you again this birthday. Much love, xo

Chapters Bayview Village Has It Going On! Coauthors J.R. Matheson & Lee Bice-Matheson Attend an Instore Book Signing

Saturday, November 14th, was the first snowfall for us. We set out early for Toronto, with a stop along the way, and then dropped in to see Douglas Gardham, author of The Actor and The Drive-In at his book signing, Indigo Bay Bloor.

J.R. and I were happy to drop in and see Douglas Gardham at his book signing, Indigo Bay Bloor. Great to see you Douglas. Congratulations.

Doug often RTs and shares our FB posts, and he dropped in to meet us at The Word On The Street book fair held in Toronto, September 27th. We were thrilled to return the favour. Great to see you working, Doug! Congratulations on all of your success. J.R. and I were anticipating our instore book signing at

I had to post this exquisite sign for Bayview Village.

Chapters Bayview Village since it was first booked months ago. Our family visited this bookstore many years ago and wondered what it was like after all of these years. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. From the moment we walked in, we were enthralled with our surroundings. Approached by a staff member upon arrival, he directed us to Andrew who paged our host, Colin. Thank you so much to all of you. It was so nice to be greeted and taken to our table on the second floor with a fabulous location. J.R. and I observed the customers and figured out pretty quickly,

Here we are at Chapters Bayview Village. Love this bookstore. Great location for our table too. Thank you Colin. November 14, 2015.

Chapters Bayview Village has many regular, repeat book-buying customers. We were first approached by this young boy who was excited about our series. Quite intelligent, I might add, he asked us many questions about the books, read both of the

Loved this boy’s questions for the Paige Maddison Series. He was so polite, intelligent, and thoughtful. Thank you for stopping by.

novels’ synopses, thought carefully to himself for a few minutes, and then said, “I would love to read your books.” We smiled broadly, of course. J.R. and I do not push our books on anyone. We feel if a customer is interested in ghost stories and the supernatural, and it’s appropriate for them, they’ll buy it. Next, I was seated at the table tweeting about our day, when a young girl ran up to me with her four family members and exclaimed, “I really want to read these books. May I please?

Young lady raced up to us and announced she really wanted to read the Paige Maddison Series. We felt famous. Thank you for making our day! We hope you enjoy the books.

I really want to…” We had not spoken a word to her, yet I was signing her books as though she knew us. Thank you so much. You made our day. I was also surprised to find out her name. You see, my family felt bad that we couldn’t connect with my husband’s mom, Barbara, as it was a very busy day for us. This young girl’s name was Barbara, spelled the exact same way. Coincidence? Well, if you’ve read our series, you’ll know the answer to this question. My mentors stopped in and we were all thrilled to see JR Colombo and his lovely wife, Ruth.

Wonderful to see my mentors J.R. Colombo and Ruth Colombo. Truly spectacular you dropped by. Thank you kindly. We enjoyed our visit.

It is always a pleasure and indeed an honour when they give their stamp of approval on our series. Thank you JR for helping to sell some copies. JR Colombo is Canada’s Master Gatherer, author, and anthologist to over 200 books. Ruth is an insightful poet. Your friendship and mentorship mean the world to me and to my family. Thank you for coming. We sold sets of our series and copies of Wake Me Up Inside, the first book in the series.

This young lady asked lots of intriguing questions about the Paige Maddison Series. Thank you for the conversation.

One young girl said, “If I like the first book, I’ll come back and buy the second.” I have no doubt she meant this. We hope you enjoy it. Thankfully, Colin asked us to leave signed copies behind so we are now in our second Chapters bookstore. A young mom and her son approached us and she asked what is the appropriate age for our series. I said 10 years old and above but all ages are reading it. Then I went on to explain that our family spent many hours in Chapters bookstores while J.R. was growing up, just like she was doing with her son. We had a great discussion on the importance of reading and also doing Brain Quest books.

J.R. Matheson is signing Destiny’s Gate, again. What a wonderful son and coauthor. Thank you for your partnership, J.R. I am blessed, indeed.

Thank you for the kind chat. We enjoyed our afternoon spent at Chapters Bayview Village and the many interesting conversations we had. For this blog post, I couldn’t point out who bought our series as Santa is coming very soon. Let’s just say we felt elated to be a part of some of the families Christmas gift giving. Thank you so much for buying our series.

Thank you for your interest in our series.

This young lady said if she likes Wake Me Up Inside, she will return to Chapters Bayview Village and buy book two. Awesome! We hope you enjoy book one. Thanks for the interesting conversation.

If you’ve never been, and live in, or near the Toronto area, or visiting, please drop in and browse this awesome bookstore. They have thought of every kind of gift you can imagine, and there are books galore displayed so well. Thank you Colin for having us.

We loved our afternoon spent at this awesome bookstore: Chapters Bayview Village. Thank you Colin and staff for having us.

We’d love to return to Chapters Bayview Village with book three.

Father and son! Manager and author. Thank you Kevin for supporting J.R. and I so well. We couldn’t do it without you.

First Time at Chapters Peterborough for the Paige Maddison Series by J.R. Matheson and Lee Bice-Matheson

J.R. and I were delighted to be invited by Andrea to the Chapters in Peterborough. What a lovely bookstore!

Pictured is author Lee Bice-Matheson, Paige Maddison Series.

As you enter the store, books are displayed front and center with lovely gifts found on each side from plush ‘cottage’ faux fur throws, to nicely designed tea cups, or scented candles…everything to set the scene for readers. My husband, Kevin, and I wished customers a Happy Halloween as they entered and as you can imagine, we received quite a reaction to our Halloween table.

Here is our table decorated for Halloween, 2015, Chapters Peterborough. The wailing ghost is voice and motion activated. Spooky.

Our wailing ghost, voice and motion activated, caught customer’s attention. What I found to be interesting, is that some people thought we were manikins until we moved and began to talk. I guess we gave the ‘trick or treat’ on Halloween to the customers of Chapters Peterborough.

Thank you Judy for the interesting conversations. You definitely are a storyteller and I think you have a career in writing. Please look into this. I think you have talent! Thanks for buying our series.

Many book lovers stopped by our table and we had many interesting conversations. One family asked if I knew anything about witches and what do they celebrate on Halloween night. Sorry, I am not an expert in this area. But we do know a lot about ghosts. Our series is loosely based in fact.

Blue Eyes accompanied us to Chapters Peterborough. Kevin caught me talking about Destiny’s Gate to a young customer.

Yes, it’s true. Since our book buyers are often tweens, Ages 10+, I do not post their photos on my blog. But they sure are wonderful to talk to. Full of imagination and embracing the Halloween spirit. Only one person asked us to turn off our wailing ghost and that’s quite all right. The concept is not for everyone. Destiny’s Gate is filled with earthbounds (ghosts), spirit wolves, and angels…the good kind…not the Dr. Who kind. Our series is family oriented, tackling the subjects of estrangement, the love between grandparents, their children and grandchildren. They help each other in time of need, protecting family at all costs like Paige does as she must battle the evil on the O’Brien Estate. A strong teen heroine, Paige must solve a mystery on the estate in order to save her grandfather’s life. It is filled with Celtic folklore, First Nations folklore, we incorporate Grey Owl, a Brit, who lived amongst the First Nations and was the first to insist on conservation of land in Canada, Edgar Allan Poe’s poems, and more.

Thank you for stopping by. We had a delightful conversation about our series.

Well, the people of Peterborough seemed to love ghost stories and we were asked to leave signed copies of our series for the first time on our Chapters bookstore tour.

Lovely to talk with you about ghosts and Halloween.

They are in-stock on the local Ontario authors’ shelves. Thank you kindly, Tom! What a wonderful trip to Peterborough. It’s a lovely city to visit. We enjoyed touring the area with the surrounding Kawartha Lakes. In fact, I saw one of my favourite animals of the forest…a porcupine crossing the road.

Thank you Kevin for stepping in for J.R. Matheson. You wore the masquerade costume well.

My husband, Kevin, jammed on the brakes, parked the car, and took photos of him. If you haven’t seen a porcupine in person, they are so cute.

Cute porcupine had just crossed the road and heading home, fast! Peterborough Petroglyphs

They do a mating dance. I’ve experienced this at the Muskoka Wildlife Centre several times. ‘Quilber’ performed a mating dance to me and my husband filmed it. I tried to ‘adopt’ Quillber but unfortunately the zoo closed down. He reminded me of a cartoon character and he will remain in my memory forever.

Of course, candy is a must on Halloween. I believe our friend, the crow, drew Judy over. Can you see what’s hidden in the basket? Yes, it’s a wolf’s head. I was Little Red Riding Hood at Chapters Barrie, October 24th, to kickoff Halloween week. Must have a sense of humour on Halloween.

Thank you so much to the staff of Chapters Peterborough: Tom, Rita, Meghan, and Andrea for inviting us, to the interesting people who stopped by and our wonderful conversations we had, and thank you kindly to the book lovers who bought our books.

This family wins for the best decorated ‘scary’ home. Mason is dressed as The Joker. Thank you Mason for the tour, and to your family also. Photo taken in Omemee on our journey home. Happy Halloween!

J.R. loved the sign for our series. He gives his regrets that he was unable to make it on Halloween. But J.R. will be at our next book signing at Chapters Bayview Village on November 14th.

We couldn’t do this without you. We hope you enjoyed our Halloween extravaganza. And thank you for the kind invitation to return to Chapters Peterborough. We will look forward to it with book three in 2016.