Cathy Spencer's Blog, page 4
July 6, 2016
Summer Reading Diary, Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Just finished reading Carola Dunn's cozy mystery, Superfluous Women, the latest installment in the Daisy Dalrymple series. I've already read a few of the other books in the series and enjoyed them. The setting is England after the first world war and features Daisy, a poor but titled young woman who makes her living by writing and selling magazine articles, and the Scotland Yard Detective Chief Inspector she marries.
In this episode, Daisy is convalescing after a bout of bronchitis in the small town of Beaconsfield, where she meets up with an old school chum who has just moved to town with two other women. These three young "spinsters" are some of the "superfluous women" referred to in the title who will never find husbands because of the 700,000 British men who died during WWI. Wanting a home of their own, they pool their resources and skills to buy a house, but it turns out that the house comes complete with a dead body locked in the wine cellar. Soon Daisy is tottering around town in between naps to help solve what appears to be a murder, and it doesn't take long before her husband is drawn in out of his jurisdiction to aid with the investigation.
What do I like about the series? I like the historical elements and the traces of humour in the writing. The primary characters are interesting and likable, and no one owns a craft store or has a cat who solves the crimes. But mostly, the mysteries are gentle - no gore, no overt violence, and Daisy is seldom threatened herself. They're a nice, easy-going read, perfect to relax with before turning out the lights and going to sleep. We don't always want our reading to be spicy or thrilling, so if this kind of story appeals to you, I recommend it.
The covers are also quite attractive, don't you think?
Catch the next book in my summer reading diary, coming soon. Cheers!
You can subscribe to my blog or follow it by e-mail by clicking on the icons on the bottom right of the page.
July 3, 2016
Huge Book Savings with the Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale 2016!
Smashwords had a brilliant idea. In the month of July, it's summer for those north of the equator and winter for those south. So whether you're sunning on the beach or wrapped up snug in a blanket in front of a blazing fire, why not grab one of my books at a great sales price, or even for free, during the Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale 2016! Use a coupon code at checkout to get the following great deals.
Framed for Murder , the award-winning first novel in the Anna Nolan series, is FREE! (coupon code SFREE at checkout)
And so are my two short story collections, Tall Tales Twin-Pack, Mysteries and Tall Tales Twin-Pack, Science Fiction and Fantasy , if you feel like an entertaining shorter read (coupon code SFREE).
Once you've picked up Framed for Murder for free, you can get the second Anna Nolan mystery, Town Haunts, for just $1 (coupon code SSW75), and the third, Tidings of Murder and Woe, for only $2 (coupon code SSW50). That's big savings on the whole series!
And I didn't stop there. I also put the romances into the sale. You can laugh and sigh with my contemporary romance, The Dating Do-Over, for just $1 (coupon code SSW50),
and my historical romance, The Affairs of Harriet Walters, Spinster, for only $2 (coupon code SSW50)!
The sale only lasts until July 31, 2016, so hurry to buy these books from Smashwords at these incredible savings.
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
Framed for Murder , the award-winning first novel in the Anna Nolan series, is FREE! (coupon code SFREE at checkout)
And so are my two short story collections, Tall Tales Twin-Pack, Mysteries and Tall Tales Twin-Pack, Science Fiction and Fantasy , if you feel like an entertaining shorter read (coupon code SFREE).
Once you've picked up Framed for Murder for free, you can get the second Anna Nolan mystery, Town Haunts, for just $1 (coupon code SSW75), and the third, Tidings of Murder and Woe, for only $2 (coupon code SSW50). That's big savings on the whole series!
And I didn't stop there. I also put the romances into the sale. You can laugh and sigh with my contemporary romance, The Dating Do-Over, for just $1 (coupon code SSW50),
and my historical romance, The Affairs of Harriet Walters, Spinster, for only $2 (coupon code SSW50)!
The sale only lasts until July 31, 2016, so hurry to buy these books from Smashwords at these incredible savings.
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
July 1, 2016
Summer Reading
It's July 1st, and I thought it would be fun to keep track of the books I'm reading this summer. If you're looking for suggestions, maybe you'll find a gold nugget in my list.
I've started with a Nick Hornby kick, devouring two of his books this week. I first became aware of About a Boy while seeing it as a movie some years back, starring Hugh Grant and a very young Nicholas Hoult, who's doing pretty well for himself these days. The other Hornby book was Funny Girl , about a gorgeous young woman living in Blackpool in the 1960's who idolizes Lucille Ball and wants an acting career as a comedienne even though she's never had any training. I like Hornby's narrative voice; it's very easy to read and his characters are charming and so human.
May 15, 2016
Funny Pictures of Cats in Small Spaces
It's true that in my Anna Nolan mystery series my heroine has a faithful dog companion, but in real life, my husband and I have two cats. Their names are Gus and Phin, and we've only had them since the Christmas holidays.
My husband recently bought a pair of shoes and left the box sitting out for the cats to play with. Here's a picture of Phin after he stuffed himself inside and spent the afternoon sleeping in it.
He looks kind of ticked that I bothered him, don't you think?
What is it about cats that they enjoy being in spaces that are too small for them? They seem to have an inherent dignity and superiority that dogs don't have, but they still act like clowns. I decided to pursue this topic on the internet, and found some very funny pictures of cats looking ridiculous in confined spaces. I had a laugh looking at them, and I hope that you will enjoy them too, fellow cat fanciers.
Cat in a basket.
Puss in boot.
Kitten in brandy snifter.
Cat in egg carton. Do you think he figured out where chickens come from?
I actually find this one kind of disturbing. Did there used to be goldfish in there?
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
My husband recently bought a pair of shoes and left the box sitting out for the cats to play with. Here's a picture of Phin after he stuffed himself inside and spent the afternoon sleeping in it.
He looks kind of ticked that I bothered him, don't you think?
What is it about cats that they enjoy being in spaces that are too small for them? They seem to have an inherent dignity and superiority that dogs don't have, but they still act like clowns. I decided to pursue this topic on the internet, and found some very funny pictures of cats looking ridiculous in confined spaces. I had a laugh looking at them, and I hope that you will enjoy them too, fellow cat fanciers.
Cat in a basket.
Puss in boot.
Kitten in brandy snifter.
Cat in egg carton. Do you think he figured out where chickens come from?
.jpg?m=1383298033)
I actually find this one kind of disturbing. Did there used to be goldfish in there?
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
February 15, 2016
Happy Family Day!
Happy Family Day. Here are some images of family-themed TV shows from the days when TV was still in black and white.
Father Knows Best
Leave it to Beaver
Ozzie and Harriet
The Danny Thomas Show
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
Father Knows Best
Leave it to Beaver
Ozzie and Harriet
The Danny Thomas Show
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
February 14, 2016
My Top 5 Romance Novels
Valentine's Day is the celebration of love, so I would like to share my top five romantic literary novels.
#5 Wuthering HeightsHeathcliff and Cathy were wild, selfish, and bad for each other, but their love persisted beyond death. A ghostly love story.
Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon from the 1939 film
#4 Much Ado About NothingBenedict and Beatrice were too clever for their own good, so their friends tricked the quarreling couple into revealing their love for each other.
Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson in a 1993 rollicking film version, although I was fortunate
enough to see Maggie Smith and Brian Bedford in a 1980 production at the Stratford Festival.
#3 Pride and PrejudiceIf you ask me, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett were both proud and prejudiced. A sparkling literary gem by Jane Austen.
A picture from the treasured BBC dramatization starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle
#2 Jane EyreFor years as a teenager and a young woman, Mr. Rochester was my definition of masculinity. George C. Scott was born to play Edward Rochester, here in a 1970 movie version with Susannah York.
I also enjoyed a 2006 production with Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson, although I didn't find the depiction of their relationship faithful to the story.
#1 Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane in the Lord Peter Wimsey MysteriesThe couple meet in Strong Poison when Lord Peter gets Harriet off a murder charge. She's too skittish to fall in love again after being charged with her lover's murder, however, and he doesn't want her to marry him out of gratitude. It takes two more novels, Have His Carcase and Gaudy Night, for these two to finally get together, and they're even plagued by murder in Busman's Honeymoon. Witty, clever, and sensitive, they're an engaging couple.
Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter in a stylish 1987 BBC dramatization of Have His Carcase.
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
#5 Wuthering HeightsHeathcliff and Cathy were wild, selfish, and bad for each other, but their love persisted beyond death. A ghostly love story.
Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon from the 1939 film
#4 Much Ado About NothingBenedict and Beatrice were too clever for their own good, so their friends tricked the quarreling couple into revealing their love for each other.
Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson in a 1993 rollicking film version, although I was fortunate
enough to see Maggie Smith and Brian Bedford in a 1980 production at the Stratford Festival.
#3 Pride and PrejudiceIf you ask me, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett were both proud and prejudiced. A sparkling literary gem by Jane Austen.
A picture from the treasured BBC dramatization starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle
#2 Jane EyreFor years as a teenager and a young woman, Mr. Rochester was my definition of masculinity. George C. Scott was born to play Edward Rochester, here in a 1970 movie version with Susannah York.
I also enjoyed a 2006 production with Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson, although I didn't find the depiction of their relationship faithful to the story.
#1 Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane in the Lord Peter Wimsey MysteriesThe couple meet in Strong Poison when Lord Peter gets Harriet off a murder charge. She's too skittish to fall in love again after being charged with her lover's murder, however, and he doesn't want her to marry him out of gratitude. It takes two more novels, Have His Carcase and Gaudy Night, for these two to finally get together, and they're even plagued by murder in Busman's Honeymoon. Witty, clever, and sensitive, they're an engaging couple.
Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter in a stylish 1987 BBC dramatization of Have His Carcase.
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
My Top 5 Romantic Literary Couples
Valentine's Day is the celebration of romantic love, so I would like to share my top five favourite literary couples.
#5 Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering HeightsWild and selfish, they were bad for each other, but their love persisted even after death.
Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon from the 1939 film
#4 Benedict and Beatrice in Much Ado About NothingToo clever for their own good, their friends tricked the quarreling couple into revealing their love for each other.
Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson in a 1993 rollicking film version, although I was fortunate
enough to see Maggie Smith and Brian Bedford in a 1980 production at the Stratford Festival.
#3 Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and PrejudiceIf you ask me, they were both proud and prejudiced. A sparkling literary gem by Jane Austen.
A treasured BBC dramatization with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle
#2 Edward Rochester and Jane Eyre in Jane EyreFor years as a teenager and a young woman, Mr. Rochester was my definition of masculinity. George C. Scott was born to play Edward Rochester, here in a 1970 movie version with Susannah York,
but I also enjoyed a 2006 production with Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson, although I didn't find the depiction of their relationship as faithful to the story.
#1 Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane in the Lord Peter Wimsey MysteriesThe couple meet in Strong Poison when Lord Peter gets Harriet off a murder charge. She's too skittish to fall in love again after being charged with her lover's murder, and he doesn't want her to marry him out of gratitude. It takes a while for these two to finally get together, and they're even plagued by murder on their honeymoon (Busman's Honeymoon). Witty, clever, and sensitive, they're an engaging and dynamic couple.
Here's Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter in a stylish 1987 BBC dramatization of Have His Carcase.
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
#5 Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering HeightsWild and selfish, they were bad for each other, but their love persisted even after death.
Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon from the 1939 film
#4 Benedict and Beatrice in Much Ado About NothingToo clever for their own good, their friends tricked the quarreling couple into revealing their love for each other.
Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson in a 1993 rollicking film version, although I was fortunate
enough to see Maggie Smith and Brian Bedford in a 1980 production at the Stratford Festival.
#3 Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and PrejudiceIf you ask me, they were both proud and prejudiced. A sparkling literary gem by Jane Austen.
A treasured BBC dramatization with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle
#2 Edward Rochester and Jane Eyre in Jane EyreFor years as a teenager and a young woman, Mr. Rochester was my definition of masculinity. George C. Scott was born to play Edward Rochester, here in a 1970 movie version with Susannah York,
but I also enjoyed a 2006 production with Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson, although I didn't find the depiction of their relationship as faithful to the story.
#1 Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane in the Lord Peter Wimsey MysteriesThe couple meet in Strong Poison when Lord Peter gets Harriet off a murder charge. She's too skittish to fall in love again after being charged with her lover's murder, and he doesn't want her to marry him out of gratitude. It takes a while for these two to finally get together, and they're even plagued by murder on their honeymoon (Busman's Honeymoon). Witty, clever, and sensitive, they're an engaging and dynamic couple.
Here's Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter in a stylish 1987 BBC dramatization of Have His Carcase.
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
February 13, 2016
Two Charming Valentine's Day Reads
With Valentine's Day tomorrow, perhaps you'd enjoy a romantic read about a girl with a heart of gold, but terrible taste in men. When Viv finally gets dumped - on Valentine's Day - her girlfriends ride to the rescue to choose a prospective mate. Come check out the fun as Viv tries to figure out her heart's desire in The Dating Do-Over.
E-book from Apple iBooks, Smashwords, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo, and others.
Paperback from CreateSpace, Amazon, Amazon Europe, and your favourite bookstore.
Perhaps you'd prefer a historical romance? Having been turned out of her family home by her father's death, all Harriet has to look forward to is a dull existence as an unpaid companion to a persnickety aunt. Fate intervenes, however, and Harriet finds herself being chased by a seductive ne'er do well. Or should she choose the love she left behind? With plenty of plot twists and humour, try The Affairs of Harriet Walters, Spinster.
E-book from Amazon, B&N, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, Google Play, Kobo, and others.Paperback from CreateSpace, Amazon, Amazon Europe, and your favourite bookstore.
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
February 6, 2016
What's Next??
I have two projects in mind for new novels.
One is the fourth novel in the Anna Nolan mystery series. Anna and her long-distance lover, Sergeant Charles Tremaine, go on vacation to the beach town she grew up in on Lake Huron. Anna wants to introduce him to her estranged father, and Charlie thinks it's time Anna mended some fences with her dad. The problem is, someone holds an old grudge against Anna's father which has been festering for years and finally erupts, with murderous implications.
Anna's home town will have a fictional name, but I'm going to model it after the beach town of Port Elgin on Lake Huron. My family vacationed there almost every summer when I was growing up, renting a cottage for a week at a time, and I have fond memories of the place with its tree-lined streets leading down to the beach. Now that my husband and I have moved back to Ontario, we've managed to visit there at least once a year. Here are some pictures of the beach and dock area. Did you know that Port Elgin has the world's best sunsets?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My second project is a new historical mystery series. I love Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher novels, which are set in 1929 in Australia, and I love the art deco period too, so I'm inspired to write my own historical mystery series set in Waterloo, Ontario in 1920. My female amateur sleuth will be wealthy and stylish, of course. I won't give away too many details at present, plus I've got a lot of research to do, but I promise it will be fun!
Here's a post card of three art deco-styled Winter beauties, just to get you in the mood.
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
One is the fourth novel in the Anna Nolan mystery series. Anna and her long-distance lover, Sergeant Charles Tremaine, go on vacation to the beach town she grew up in on Lake Huron. Anna wants to introduce him to her estranged father, and Charlie thinks it's time Anna mended some fences with her dad. The problem is, someone holds an old grudge against Anna's father which has been festering for years and finally erupts, with murderous implications.
Anna's home town will have a fictional name, but I'm going to model it after the beach town of Port Elgin on Lake Huron. My family vacationed there almost every summer when I was growing up, renting a cottage for a week at a time, and I have fond memories of the place with its tree-lined streets leading down to the beach. Now that my husband and I have moved back to Ontario, we've managed to visit there at least once a year. Here are some pictures of the beach and dock area. Did you know that Port Elgin has the world's best sunsets?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My second project is a new historical mystery series. I love Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher novels, which are set in 1929 in Australia, and I love the art deco period too, so I'm inspired to write my own historical mystery series set in Waterloo, Ontario in 1920. My female amateur sleuth will be wealthy and stylish, of course. I won't give away too many details at present, plus I've got a lot of research to do, but I promise it will be fun!
Here's a post card of three art deco-styled Winter beauties, just to get you in the mood.
If you'd like to be notified when new novels are released, just leave your name and e-mail address with the Contact Cathy app to the right of this post, and I'll include you on my mailing list. Cheers!
January 10, 2016
Singing Lessons in Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario
Okay, I'm branching out today to tell you about my talented husband, Reid Spencer. He is an actor/singer/teacher who has performed with The Canadian Opera Company, the Stratford Festival, and Drayton Entertainment, to name just a few. He's also acted in movies, television, and commercials. He has taught in the music departments of Memorial and Mount Royal Universities, and is currently teaching for the Musical Theatre Department at Sheridan College. He also adjudicates at music competitions.
One of the talents my husband has as a voice teacher is the ability to fix problems with a singer's technique. They should call him Dr. Fix-It - yes, he has a doctorate degree. He doesn't just teach repertoire. He teaches people how to sing. And he can teach in various styles, which is unusual, because he performs in a variety of styles. Opera, classical, jazz, musical theatre, pop. He can do it all.
Reid has just opened a private voice studio in Waterloo, Ontario, and is currently accepting students. So, if you are an amateur who sings with a local choir, a secondary-school student who wants to prepare for university auditions, or a professional who wants to work on a problem, some new repertoire, or maybe cross-over to a new style of singing, Reid is the teacher for you.
Contact Reid through his website: http://www.thevoicestudioca.com/contact.html.
Ages sixteen and up, please.
