Diane Bator's Blog, page 48
March 20, 2021
Victoria Dowd's New Release Body on the Island
Welcome to mystery author, Victoria Dowd!
FYI, I'm a huge fan and can't wait to read Body on the Island!
Victoria is a crime writer and the author of the Smart Women mystery series. Her novel, Body on the Island, will be published on 23rd February. It’s the sequel to her debut novel, The Smart Woman’s Guide to Murder, which was published in 2020 by Joffe Books and was Classic Mystery’s Book of the Year. It is also a finalist in The People’s Book Prize.
She is an award-winning short story writer, winning the Gothic Fiction prize for short fiction in 2019 and was runner up in The New Writer’s writer of the year award. She has been short listed by Writers’ Forum and long-listed for The Willesden Herald International Short Story Competition. Her work has been published in various literary journals, including Aesthetica: A Review of Contemporary Artists; Between These Shores Literary and Arts Journal; Dream Catcher magazine; and Gold Dust.
She also writes the Adapting Agatha series on her blog which can be found at https://victoriadowd.com/. She has spoken at various literary festivals about Agatha Christie.
Victoria is originally from Yorkshire and graduated in law from Cambridge University. She was a criminal defence barrister for many years until finally hanging up her wig for my fictional crimes.
Website https://victoriadowd.com/
Twitter Victoria Dowd (@victoria_dowd) / Twitter
Instagram Victoria Dowd (@dowdvictoria) • Instagram photos and videos
What genre do you write?
Crime. The whodunit style.
Do your reading choices reflect your writing choices?
Oh, very much so! I read a lot of Golden Age Detective fiction, primarily Agatha Christie. I also like modern day writers in this area of crime such as Martin Edwards. I’m currently reading a wonderful series by Brian Flynn. I’m also revisiting Margery Allingham’s books which are perfect for dark, cold nights by the fire. I do also read a lot of gothic style novels such as Rhiannon Ward’s The Quickening. I like crime novels that have that cross over between mystery and the supernatural. That really influences my writing. I love evocative settings such as old, crumbling gothic houses. I enjoy creating an atmosphere that immediately has the reader on edge. I do like a sense in a murder mystery that it might not be one of the people we’re seeing but perhaps something else. When I was doing a live FB reading one of the listeners wrote a comment as I was reading that said, ‘It’s a ghost!’ I loved that someone actually thought that the murderer might be something a little more supernatural. I think the setting can conjure up all sorts of different responses almost as if the reader can imagine new ‘characters’ wandering around. I found Abbie Frost’s The Guest House was very evocative and had a really wonderful dark edge to it. I also love to get into a crime series such as Margaret Murphy’s amazing books and D.E. White’s. It really influences how I see the books developing over time and the arc of writing a crime series.
Which type of characters are your favorite to write?
I love writing strong female characters. I like how they interact with each other. There’s a lot of arguing and smart comments between the women in my book. They are a family and I’m not sure strong female characters in a close relationship are always conscious of the need to be ‘nice’ to each other. I think there are a lot more layers to their relationships than that. There is genuine love and affection. Nothing is fake or saccharine about these kind of characters. They don’t feel the need to sugar coat anything. I want the readers to have really genuine characters who are intelligent, funny but, more than anything, people they think are real who they can relate to.
Do pictures, real life or plain imagination create the character you want readers to love?
Very much so. I have a strong image of Ursula, my narrator, and her mother. They’re not drawn from real life pictures but are more my own imagination. I spend a lot of time with these ladies so I can imagine every tiny bit of them now. I think that’s really important to me, to be able to visualize these women walking around in the story. I can see them in each scene I write and I know how they would react to certain events. They’re very real to me.
Do your characters come before or after your plot?
The characters came first. It’s a series so obviously for the sequel, Body on the Island, I already had most of my characters. But with the first book, I had a very strong idea that I wanted them to be a group of women who are at the heart of the books. The plots stem from these people and the kind of situations they might find themselves in.
How do you choose a villain and how do you make them human?
I like to choose the kind of people who can hide in plain sight. Because they are whodunit books I can’t make them obviously the villain but what I like to do is give them the sort of characteristics that when I reveal who the murderer is, the reader can imagine that might be the case. For instance, I might choose someone who has irritating aspects to them that most people find annoying and experience a lot in real life. Then when the killer is named, it’s a big reveal and shocking but there’s definitely that part of the reader that says, ‘Yeah, I can imagine that kind of person killing someone!’
BODY ON THE ISLAND
An uninhabited island.
Ten stranded strangers.
No way to escape.
Ursula Smart (not her real name), realising therapy alone cannot teach her how to survive this life, is determined to make some changes. She signs herself up for a survival course — along with her mother, aunts Charlotte and Mirabelle and Bridget.
But the promised gentle weekend of foraging and camping in the Outer Hebrides swiftly turns into a desperate battle for survival.
Their boat capsizes. Washed up on an uninhabited island, the Smart women face starvation, freezing conditions and — worse — no Wi-Fi.
Then the murders begin.
Someone is killing them off one by one. Will the Smarts escape or will they be next?
A Darkly Comic Golden Age Murder Mystery
Victoria Dowd’s brilliant whodunnit is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, Faith Martin and Stuart Turton.
UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08W9F5ZKC
US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W9F5ZKC
THE SMART WOMAN’S GUIDE TO MURDER
A faded country house in the middle of nowhere.
The guests are snowed in.
The murders begin.
Withering and waspish, Ursula Smart (not her real name) gate-crashes her mother’s book club at an isolated country house for a long weekend retreat. Much to Mother’s chagrin. Joining them are Mother’s best friend, Mirabelle, Aunts Charlotte and Less, and Bridget with her dog Mr Bojangles. It doesn’t matter that they’ve read Gone Girl three times this year already, this retreat is their chance to escape bustling suburbia. But someone has other ideas.
A body is found in the grounds.
Is a lone killer hunting them? Or has one of their own group embarked on a killing spree?
What they need is to stop sniping at each other long enough to solve the mystery before the killer strikes again.
What they need is a guide to survive.
Book link for The Smart Woman’s Guide to Murder https://geni.us/smartwomanvictoria
https://www.amazon.com/WOMANS-MURDER-classic-country-mystery-ebook/dp/B087C12B9L
March 19, 2021
Round Robin Blog Fest March 2021
I've been having fun this month with the launch of my new release All That Shines. Next week I have an entire Blog Tour lined up which will hopefully bring new readers!
This month's Round Robin Blog Fest question is: How do you develop tension in your writing?
It was a dark and stormy night...
Think about a suspenseful movie that you've seen lately. The tension builds when a character has no idea what's around the next corner. As they walk forward stealthily into the unknown, eerie music swells to add anticipation. Is the killer lurking? Will they fall into a trap? Is the bad guy the person we thought it was or the person we least suspected?
Tension comes from not knowing what is coming next. This evokes emotion in the reader. If we care about the character, we may become fearful for their well-being and invested in their fate.
When writing a novel, we can't cue the music to build. We can show readers how the protagonist's palms grow damp and mouth goes dry. As the lights go out and our character's heart races, we hope to build that same anxiety until either the bad guy is revealed or a cat jumps out for a cheap scare. As in the scary movies though, that cheap scare can and should be followed by something we didn't anticipate.
In the big climax of my new book All That Shines, the fashion show at the end is predeeded by an impending storm coming in off the ocean that may or may not add to any havoc Sage, our intrepid sleuth, expects. Thunder, lightening, torrential rain, these things already build a sense of tension. The threat of the lights going out and the killer being able to hide among the many guests, only heightens that suspense. When coupled with the climax of the novel, they can become as important as the characters themselves.
The weather isn't the only way to build tension. Sometimes the setting can provide its own tension. Think of the hotel in The Shining, for example. Isolated, dark, lonely and in the middle of winter. That alone is enough to create tension.
To buy All That Shines click here!
We can add tension due to a chain of circumstances where the protagonist is sent further off his goal due to events beyond his control. Think of the character who has to get from point A to point B to rescue a loved one. Along the way, he misses his plane, is shot at, falls into the ocean, and so on. Each thing that happens to him, builds tension. Will he make it on time to rescue them or will he die trying?
Just when a writer paints their protagonist into a corner, suddenly there is a way out. The "cavalry" may come to his rescue in the form of another character. The police arrive just in the nick of time. The house could fall down around him. He could dig his way through the wall using his pocket knife. If this way out is not believable though, readers may not be sympathetic enough to read future books!
I'd love to hear how other authors increase the tension in their novels! Join me to find out more,
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2fU
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com
For some added ways to create tension in your writing, check out:
March 18, 2021
Marie Powell featuring Water Sight and Spirit Sight
LAST OF THE GIFTED SERIES!
Historical Fantasy at its best from Award-winning
Young Adult Author, Marie Powell
Spirit Sight (Book 1) - Winner of the Moonbeam Young Adult Fiction - Bronze Medal
Water Sigh t (Book 2) - Released November 2020
Published by Wood Dragon Books, the books are available worldwide, in digital and print across all platforms!
“Amazingly written, emotionally driven, and fantasy-fueled …a must-read for fans of the historical fiction/fantasy genres … 10 out of 10.” Anthony Avina
Wales, 1283: A world at war
Catrin can see the future in a drop of water.
Her brother Hyw can take the shape of any bird or animal.
Only their magic can thwart the invading English forces
determined to bring down the country.
The Prince of Wales needs three magical relics to rally the straggling Welsh forces. Catrin’s gift of Second Sight may be the only hope for success - if she can outwit the English lord who wants to use her gift to capture the prince.
Her brother Hyw is on the run with the prince and the dwindling Welsh army. To escape the betrayal dogging their heels, Hyw takes refuge in his evolving gift—until shifting shapes puts his humanity in jeopardy.
With Hyw trapped in his magic and her betrothed imprisoned, Catrin faces an impossible choice: save her brother, or save the man she loves.
Winner of the Moonbeam Bronze Medal for Best YA Fiction
Two siblings pledge their magic to protect their people from the invading English, with the help of the last true Prince of Wales -- after his murder.
Warrior-in-training Hyw can control the minds of animals. His sister Catrin can see the future in a drop of water.
Hyw wants to use his gift to win a place in the Prince of Wales' bodyguard. Then ambush and murder stretch the gift in unexpected ways as the slain prince's spirit melds with Hyw to help guide him in fighting back against the invading English army.
Catrin visions hold only disaster and death. She must convince the young nobleman she’s pledged to marry to help prevent the genocide she foresees.
Can the gifts be trusted? Or will their world shatter around them?
This award-winning medieval fantasy combines magic, mythology, and historical legends with the realities of 13th Century Wales.
"Weaving history with romance and fantasy—elegant yet immediately accessible. Highly Recommended." - Top Shelf Magazine
More Praise for Spirit Sight:
"…Powell does a great job mixing elements of fantasy, mythology, and historical conflict... Overall, a meticulously researched young adult medieval fantasy with compelling characters and high-stakes action. Recommended.” - J. Lynn Else, Historical Novel Review, Issue 95 (February 2021)
“…Well researched and beautifully written, Powell keeps us riveted with this, her debut historical fantasy. History and magic are intertwined effortlessly to cast a spell over the reader...” - Wendy Hawkin, Ottawa Review of Books
Booklinks:
Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1989078281Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GFK8BSJ/Kobo (ebook): https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/spirit-sight-1Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spirit-sight-marie-powell/1137496305
Chapters/Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/
Spirit Sight: https://books2read.com/u/3n8A95
Water Sight: https://books2read.com/u/4A701d
ABOUT MARIE:
Marie Powell’s adventures in castle-hopping across North Wales resulted in her award-winning historical fantasy series, Last of the Gifted. Spirit Sight (Book 1) and Water Sight(Book 2). Marie is the author of more than 40 children’s books, along with award-winning short stories and poetry. She holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing from UBC, among other degrees. Marie is an experienced speaker/panelist, and presents her specialty "Castles of Wales" talk to audiences ranging from Regina’s St. David's Day banquet to middle-grade classrooms throughout the region. Find her at mariepowell.ca.This project is made possible through Creative Saskatchewan's Book Publishing Production Grant and Market and Export Development Grant Program.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Marie, please contact: Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
March 16, 2021
A Talk with Heather Chavez, Author of No Bad Deed
Welcome to debut thriller author, Heather Chavez!
Heather is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley’s English literature program and has worked as a newspaper reporter, editor and contributor to mystery and television blogs. Currently, she’s employed in public affairs for a major health care organization where she writes human interest stories. She lives with her family in Santa Rosa, California, and is at work on her second novel.
https://twitter.com/iamHRChavez
https://www.facebook.com/heatherchavezauthor/
https://www.instagram.com/iamhrchavez/
Publisher's site and buy link: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/no-bad-deed-heather-chavez?variant=32126586945570
What would you say are your strengths as an author?
I love reading and writing stories that focus on strong female characters, and I hope one of my strengths is bringing these women to life. As a former newspaper editor, I also learned to sacrifice words for the sake of the story. I learned the importance of revision. I would hope that this has made me better at creating tension, portraying action, and establishing pace. That’s always been my goal as a writer: to create a story that will keep readers turning pages.
How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?
I wish I had a strict routine! Life has a way of thwarting any attempts I’ve made at establishing one. That’s why it’s so important for me to steal the moments I can to write, whether that be on a break from the day job or that hour at night when everyone else is already in bed. I try to write each day, but I also cut myself slack on the days when I just don’t have the energy. By writing as often as I can, even if it’s just a few hundred words, the story remains in my head, and the words come more quickly.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?
In five years, I would love to be writing full-time. But even if I can’t reach that goal, I intend to keep writing a book each year, because writing is what gets me out of bed each morning. Standalone thrillers and domestic suspense are my passion and likely what I’ll be writing five years from now, though I’ve also considered series and suspense with science fiction or supernatural elements. Whatever I’m writing, it will be dark, twisty and fast-paced.
If you could offer once piece of advice to a novice writer, what would it be?
Believe in yourself, and respect your writing time. It’s so easy to dismiss writing as a hobby, especially pre-publication, or to sacrifice writing time if there are dishes in the sink or a TV show you’ve been wanting to stream. Even now as a published author, when people ask what I do, I find myself reluctant to answer, “Author.” Give yourself permission to call yourself a writer and to find a quiet corner—whether that be in your car or at your kitchen table—and write as often as you can. Celebrate those days when you fill pages, but also those days you write only a paragraph—because you wrote. Then edit mercilessly. Also, be kind to yourself on the days you don’t meet your goals, because sometimes you really do need to wash those dishes or get some sleep.
What would you consider to be the best compliment a reader could give your book?
I’ve had readers mention nearly falling off their treadmill or needing an extra cup of coffee the next morning. That’s the ultimate compliment: that a reader was fully immersed in the story and couldn’t stop reading.
What are you working on now?
My next book is currently in edits. It’s another standalone thriller. Briefly: Cleaning up after her wayward sister, Izzy, has long been Frankie Barrera’s job. When Frankie learns her truck was spotted at a missing girl’s house, she fears Izzy might be involved—especially since it’s not the first time Izzy has been linked to a missing persons case.
And now for some bonus questions Heather sent!!Is it true you had the idea for this book while in an elementary school parking lot?
It is. Years ago, I was picking up my daughter from afterschool care when we noticed this boy around 14 years old walking alone. Suddenly, two other boys rushed him and attacked. The fight ended as quickly as it had started, the boys scattering before I could react. Still, the rest of the day, I kept asking myself questions: What had motivated the fight? What should I have done? Should I have called 911? Would my reaction have been different if the attack had happened at night? And what if my daughter hadn’t been with me? That inspired the first sentence, and ultimately the plot, of No Bad Deed.
You got your first novel published at the age of 50. What advice do you have for other aspiring writers?
Spend at least as much time editing as you do writing, and be ruthless with your revisions. Before No Bad Deed, I wrote a few “practice” novels. It wasn’t until much later that I realized those early manuscripts weren’t working because they were essentially first drafts. In contrast, No Bad Deedstarted in third-person with multiple points of view, but after drafting, I cut about two-thirds of the words and switched to first-person. It was painful, but it was the right decision for the story.
You have two kids. How did you balance parenting and writing?
When my children were younger, they didn’t even respect a closed bathroom door. How could I expect them to respect a closed office door? By the time I got the book deal, though, my youngest was a teenager, so that part at least became easier. Of course, I still had to contend with family demands and a full-time job. But we all have lives and distractions. For me, I find balance by writing when and where I can, whether that is at the dining room table while dinner’s cooking or in the car on my lunch break. If I waited for a block of uninterrupted time and a quiet house, I would never write.
The hardcover of your book came out right as Covid hit. How has the virus impacted its promotion?
I was fortunate to have a bookstore event—and then everything shut down. In those early months, it seemed like everyone was still trying to figure it all out, so the events that were canceled weren’t rescheduled as virtual. They just didn’t happen. Now, thankfully, the support for virtual events is more robust. I just presented to a writers club I might not have been able to otherwise visit, and soon I’ll be on a panel with a group of talented authors from all over the world. And I’ve managed to connect with readers on social media.
Your main character, Cassie Larkin, stops her minivan a mile from her house on a rainy night, to help a stranger who is being attacked by a man named Carver Sweet. How does that one incident change the course of her life?
In that opening scene, Carver warns Cassie: Let his victim die, and he’ll let Cassie live. Cassie’s not about to go along with that. But just because you do the right thing, it doesn’t mean the universe is going to reward you. Sometimes, stepping in can ruin your life, which Cassie learns. The next night, her husband disappears, and her life begins unraveling. The main part of Cassie’s journey is trying to figure out if that incident helping a stranger is really connected to everything else that’s going wrong. And if so, how?
Your book is classified as a thriller. For those of us who don’t know the category well, what are its basic tenets and what draws you to it?
Thrillers are known for being fast-paced and action-driven. I enjoy putting ordinary characters in danger and then making them work hard to get out of it. I also love asking the questions: What would happen if…? and Why would someone do such an unspeakable thing? It’s probably the former journalist in me. Over the years, I’ve heard so many stories about people hurting the ones they’re supposed to love. A mom abuses her children. A man kills his wife. What prompted them to do something so horrible? And what are the consequences of that act, both in that moment and many years in the future?
Your book takes place in California’s Sonoma County. Why did you choose that as your setting?
Having lived in Sonoma County since I was 18 years old, the roads Cassie drives and the places she visits are the same ones I have. As a writer, I’m inspired by being able to smell and see and taste the same things as my characters. Wine Country is also such an interesting place. Within a short drive, you’ve got redwoods, the coast, wineries, mountains, San Francisco. A lot of beautiful places for really ugly things to happen.
I assume the title of your book is a play on the phrase “no good deed goes unpunished.” At first I thought the bad deed was a reference to Sweet’s attack and subsequent stalking of Cassie. Am I right that the bad deed in question—and even its perpetrator—becomes murkier as the book goes along?
The concept of right versus wrong definitely becomes murkier as the novel progresses. I liked that idea for the title since a theme in No Bad Deedis the duality of human nature—good people do bad things, and vice versa, and sometimes the “bad” choice is the right one for that particular situation. Still, what one person believes is a good deed can be perceived as a very bad one by someone else, and circumstances might compel someone to commit an act they previously believed unthinkable. How far would you go to protect someone you love? Where is that line, and what would it take for you to cross it?
After the attack, when Cassie’s husband disappears, we’re not sure what happened to him and neither is she. What’s on her shortlist?
When Sam goes missing, he’s trick-or-treating with their 6-year-old daughter. So when Cassie finds their daughter but no Sam, her first thought is that something terrible has happened to him. She’s confident she knows her husband and, at first, that’s the option that makes the most sense. After all, Sam is the parent who is usually home with the kids each night, while she’s working late at the veterinary clinic. He’s the one who makes the kids dinner. Coordinates their schedules. So Cassie believes that even if he would leave her, he wouldn’t leave the children, especially in such an abrupt and perilous way. But then she gets a text from her husband: I’m sorry. As she digs deeper into what happened that night, she learns her husband may have been keeping some pretty disturbing secrets.
As a writer, what’s harder—starting a book or ending it?
I’m a plotter, so starting a book is more intense. I put so much pressure on that first scene, and that first sentence. With No Bad Deed, for example, that first sentence is probably the only one I didn’t touch during my many revisions. That said, I think ending a book is harder. By that point in the process, I’ve invested so much in the characters, and readers will have invested so much in the story that I want to do right by them, and myself. The beginning of a book is full of possibilities but, by the end, those possibilities have narrowed significantly. It’s much easier to scrap a first chapter than a climax.
NO GOOD DEED
Now a mom, Cassie Larkin has long since outgrown the anger and recklessness of her own childhood – or so she believes until the night she witnesses a brutal attack.
Driving home on a remote Northern California road, Cassie spots a man and woman arguing. The fight escalates. After calling 911, Cassie does the one thing the dispatcher warns her against: She gets out of the car. The ensuing violence leaves her with a few bruises and the fleeing attacker’s threat: He’ll let Cassie live if she lets his victim die.
A veterinarian trained to heal, Cassie isn’t about to let the woman die. But while she’s examining the unconscious victim, the attacker steals her car. Now he has her name. Her address. And he knows about her children. Though they warn her to be careful, the police assure her that the perpetrator—a criminal named Carver Sweet—won’t get near her. Cassie isn’t so sure.
The next day—Halloween—her husband disappears while trick-or-treating with their six-year-old daughter. Is Cassie’s confrontation with the road-side attacker connected to her husband’s disappearance? Her husband has been growing distant—is it possible he’s become involved with another woman? Or, worse, one of his students?
As she desperately searches for answers, Cassie discovers that nothing is as random as it seems, and that she is more than willing to fight—to go to the most terrifying extremes— to save her family.
ORDER NOW
What Others Are Saying:
“A sensational debut – compelling, hypnotic, full of suspense and quiet menace. Don’t miss it!”- Lee Child
“The kind of twisty, jet-fueled thriller that explodes on page one and has you happily abandoning work, sleep, and life as you race to the stunning end. Don’t miss it!”- Lisa Gardner
“An extraordinary thriller… that may well become the book everyone is talking about…In a mesmerizing first-person narrative, [Cassie’s] fear is palpable, then vanquished by an astonishing ferocity she finds within herself. Where does that come from? Wait until you find out. This one glows in dark.”- Booklist (starred review)
“[A] propulsive debut… Chavez peoples her tale with credible, flawed individuals, presenting even the multiple antagonists with harrowing backstories and convincing psychological motives… Chavez is in full command of plot and pacing… Domestic thriller fans will be well satisfied.”- Publishers Weekly
“Chavez’s breathless page-turner will have every aspiring Good Samaritan thinking maybe they should let the NEXT guy help.”- Linwood Barclay, author of The Noise Downstairs and No Time for Goodbye
“Heather Chavez’s debut novel starts at a sprint and never lets up, twisting its way to an exhilarating, you’ll-never-guess-it ending.”- Peter Swanson, author of Before She Knew Him
March 13, 2021
Charles Mossop on The Athena Syndicate
Welcome to Canadian author Charles Mossop!
Charles Mossop was born and brought up in the United Kingdom, apart from seven years spent in Canada as a youngster. After finishing secondary school in Britain, he returned to Canada where he obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees in Anthropology, with a specialization in Chinese cultural history. After spending further time in the United Kingdom, he made his permanent home in Canada where he pursued a lengthy career in post-secondary education and international development. Now retired and living on Vancouver Island on Canada’s west coast, he divides his time between writing historical fiction, motivational speaking, and volunteering. Legally blind since the age of nineteen, Charles is an active leadership volunteer with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Canadian Council of the Blind, and the World Blind Union, an international non-governmental organization dedicated to improving the lives of people throughout the world who are blind or partially sighted.
Media Link
https://www.facebook.com/charles.mossop
Tell us about your life outside of writing.
I am retired now, so I do not have to fit my writing into a daily work schedule, but I am very busy, notwithstanding. For the past twenty or so years, I have been a leadership volunteer with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Canadian Council of the Blind, serving on numerous boards and committees. Additionally, I serve as a Canadian delegate to the World Blind Union (WBU), an international NGO committed to improving the lives of people across the globe who are blind or partially sighted. Since 2012, I have been president of the WBU’s North America and Caribbean region which has enabled me to continue with my former career in international development. For rest and relaxation, I play the flute and classical guitar.
Do you have a work in progress?
Yes, indeed. At this time, I am in the final review stages of a mystery novel set in China during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 CE), titled “The Affairs of the Heart: A Magistrate Lin Mystery.” The protagonist is Magistrate Lin Jiang, who is called to the house of a wealthy landowner who is convinced someone killed his pet songbird. Lin is charged with finding the culprit, but once engaged upon this improbable task, he finds himself entangled in a drama of lies, conspiracy, and murder, playing itself out within a dysfunctional family torn by envy and fraternal rivalry.
Until now, all my novels have been set in both the present and the past, alternating between the two, but this is the first book I have written set entirely in a single historical period. It is an exciting challenge.
What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult?
I think the most difficult piece was a short story I wrote several years ago entitled “With Different Sight,” about a young man facing the loss of his eyesight. It was a fantasy in which he travels back in time to speak to prominent people from the past, such as Beethoven, who rose to greatness in spite of their disabilities. The young man is about the same age I was when I received my diagnosis, and in describing his experiences, I revisited the feelings and emotions I travelled through myself at that time. It was a challenge, but very worthwhile, since it reminded me yet again that the loss of sight does not also have to mean the loss of vision, and that is the message of the story.
What sort of research do you do for your work?
The historical portions of my books are always set in Europe or Asia, predominantly China or Britain, because that is where I have the best pre-existing background. I have a good collection of books and articles in audio format to which I frequently refer, and of course the Internet is an invaluable source of information. I should also point out that without the technology now making computer use possible for people like me, I would be unable to write in the first place, let alone do the research.
Another important source of information for me is personal experience. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate enough to travel the world and work in many different countries. This first-hand experience of other peoples and cultures, combined with standard research techniques, constitutes the basis of my preparations.
Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an author who inspires you?
For the most part, I read historical fiction for pleasure, but I also enjoy non-fiction as well. My non-fiction choices include lots of history, of course, but I also like biographies, memoirs, and books on art and music.
When it comes to historical fiction, I have two current favorites. I love the work of Patrick O’Brian; his tales of British naval life are historically accurate, especially in relation to square-rigged ships of war in the Napoleonic era, and his use of the English language is magnificent. I am also inspired by Ken Follett, whose portrayals of life in the English medieval period is superb, and meticulously researched.
Whether I am reading for relaxation or research, my aim is always to learn all I can about writing.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
My parents were avid readers of fiction and non-fiction and introduced me to the world of books at a very young age. Some of my earliest memories are of being read to by my mother and father, and I grew up in the literary lands of Rudyard Kipling, A. A. Milne, Kenneth Graham, and many others. When I was ten, I announced I was going to write a book, and my parents encouraged me to go ahead, probably thinking the idea would not last more than a day or two. However, the resulting pencil-written magnum opus, twenty-three single-spaced pages, carefully bound together with string, and all about talking animals, was kept by my mother for decades until it finally disintegrated.
My parents were undoubtedly the primary force in developing my love of books and writing. They have both passed now, but I am sure they would be happy to see I am still writing, although not with a pencil any longer.
THE ATHENA SYNDICATE
When a young archeologist is shot, his uncle, Detective Inspector William “Bill” Foy, comes out of retirement to help the London Metropolitan Police find his killer. Foy’s investigation, deeply resented by his immediate superior officer, first centers on an ancient Chinese oracle bone which he believes holds the key to the homicide, but he soon finds himself faced with untangling a complex web of murder, corruption, art theft, and smuggling. With the help of his two young assistants and an Oxford professor, Foy follows the history of the oracle bone and uncovers a ruthless international criminal organization whose origins lie in the cataclysmic collapse of Nazi Germany.
Buy Pages:
https://books2read.com/The-Athena-Syndicate
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BMN5A2
March 9, 2021
Dorothy Ellen Palmer tells us about Falling For Myself and Wiggins: Son of Sherlock
Welcome to author Dorothy Palmer!
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Dorothy Ellen Palmer is a disabled senior writer, mom of two, retired English/Drama teacher, improv coach and union activist. Her adoption-disability memoir, Falling for Myself, (Wolsak and Wynn, 2019), was acclaimed by The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, and Quill & Quire. Longlisted for the ReLit Award, When Fenelon Falls, (Coach House, 2010), features a disabled teen in the Woodstock-Moonwalk summer of 1969. Wiggins: Son of Sherlock, featuring a feminist-disability lens appeared this spring with MX Publishing, London, England. Her fiction and nonfiction appear in literary and disability anthologies and journals, including Reader’s Digest, Refuse, This Magazine, Canthius, Wordgathering and Nothing Without Us. Winner of the 2020 Helen Henderson Award for Disability Journalism and the 2021 Cecils Award, she tweets @depalm.
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/depalm?s=20Tell us about your life outside of writing.
I’m a disabled senior, a mom of two, a binge knitter and a retired English/Drama teacher and union activist. In pre-pandemic days, to get around in the world I used a walker, a wheelchair and a mobility scooter. Since March 8, 2020, like much of my disabled community who are under double threat from the virus and eugenics, I have been sheltering in place. I haven’t left my apartment trying to save as many lives as possible. During that time I’ve watched far too much TV and read more Scottish mysteries than I could ever imagined existed on the planet.
Do you have a work in progress?
Yes, I’m working on my thriller, Liar, Liar, Wife on Fire. It’s the story of Roberta Brandt, a mom of twins and a disabled high school history teacher with my tiny feet, who slowly realizes her husband has been gaslighting her for decades. In tense, personal affidavits, in increasing fear and peril, she exposes him as a cheater, a thief, a sex tourist, a serial predator, and worse. Pushed to the brink of despair, Roberta joins forces with other women he has burned - her daughters, her mother, her mother-in-law and a teenaged sex worker in Argentina. Tragically, not every life can be saved, but, together, these charred women rise from the ashes to deliver their own verdict of collective justice.
I’m also working on a picture book, The Scooter Twins, contracted to Groundwood Books. It’s about a pair of feisty twins going shopping for their first mobility scooters.
What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult?
In my memoir, Falling for Myself, I confide many things about my past that were difficult about both my adoption and my disability, but the most difficult section was about admitting that I now wear adult diapers. I put it in, I panicked, I took it out, then put it back in. Surprisingly, I have gotten more email about that, thanking me for it, than about anything else. I think people need to have that normalized and seen.
What sort of research do you do for your work?
It varies book to book. For my novel, When Fenelon Falls, I spent years immersed in the pop culture and news of the year I and the main character turned fourteen, 1969. For Wiggins: Son of Sherlock, I had spent a lifetime as a Sherlock fan, but still researched the specifics of Victorian life to learn more about how a disabled girl might be treated in the 1890s. For my memoir, Falling for Myself, I did a great deal of live, in-person research, consulting with my disabled community about representation and how to present my life in an authentic light.
Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an author who inspires you?
During the pandemic, I’ve been able to write about it, but I’m finding it really hard to both write about it and read anything serious. As I mentioned, for escape and pleasure, I’ve been reading endless Scottish mysteries. The authors who will always inspire me are Thomas Wolfe and Audre Lorde, one for his ability to capture human music in words, and the other for helping marginalized disabled women see themselves.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
Not really. I was born in 1955. My working class parents didn’t believe in university for girls, let alone the ridiculous dream of being a writer. My English teachers gave me a love of books and suggested I become a librarian. I had to find my belief in my work myself. My now grown children have always encouraged me to write and wanting to be worthy of that support has always sustained me.
FALLING FOR MYSELF
In this searing and seriously funny memoir Dorothy Ellen Palmer falls down, a lot, and spends a lifetime learning to appreciate it. Born with congenital anomalies in both feet, then called birth defects, she was adopted as a toddler by a wounded 1950s family who had no idea how to handle the tangled complexities of adoption and disability. From repeated childhood surgeries to an activist awakening at university to decades as a feminist teacher, mom, improv coach and unionist, she tried to hide being different. But now, in this book, she's standing proud with her walker and sharing her journey. With savvy comic timing that spares no one, not even herself, Palmer takes on Tiny Tim, shoe shopping, adult diapers, childhood sexual abuse, finding her birth parents, ableism and ageism. In Falling for Myself, she reckons with her past and with everyone's future, and allows herself to fall and get up and fall again, knees bloody, but determined to seek Disability Justice, to insist we all be seen, heard, included and valued for who we are.
"Dorothy Ellen Palmer writes to 'channel shame into solidarity, anger into analysis, denial into delight and loss into love,' and this book – full of insight and wild humour, fierce activism and vital intersectional analysis – marks her stellar success. She calls all of us to imagine a world beyond the limits of ableism and a movement where all of us have room to move." – Sonya Huber, author of Pain Woman Takes Your Keys and Other Essays from a Nervous System
Buy: https://bookstore.wolsakandwynn.ca/products/falling-for-myself
WIGGINS: SON OF SHERLOCK
On New Year’s Day 1891, Sherlock Holmes summons the limping street urchin, Wiggins, to Baker Street and decrees he must die at dawn. Wiggins, however, has other plans. To fulfil the dying wish of his mother, Irene Adler, he schemes with his two formidable American aunties to keep two important facts from the great detective: Mrs. Hudson is actually his Aunt Grizelda, and he is both Holmes’ child and a girl pretending to be a boy. Through a series of mysterious letters Adler bequeathed to Wiggins, the dark backstory of her parents and all their long-kept family secrets unravel. To flee the mad King of Bohemia trying to claim Wiggins as his heir, Holmes and Wiggins begin their Great Hiatus. From Mycroft to Moriarty, from Dr. John H. Watson to the Baker Street Irregulars, from P.T. Barnum to Jumbo the Elephant, Wiggins learns little is what it seems. Slowly learning to trust each other, Holmes and Wiggins travel from London to Reichenbach Falls to New York City to a small farm in Canada which holds the secrets of their family history. Together, they correct the errors in Watson’s tales, bond over Wiggins’ disability, drop their masquerades, and deduce a father and daughter future.
“Wiggins is full of surprises, pulling us back into the world of 221B from an entirely original angle - as if Palmer had found a secret hiding space even the Great Detective had never accessed!” -- Angela Misri (Portia Adams Adventures).
March 6, 2021
Amnesty International Book Club features Karen Grose's The Dime Box
Congratulations to one of my favourite authors, Karen Grose!
This week, Amnesty International announced The Dime Box by Canadian author Karen Grose as their 2021 March/April Book Club novel to coincide with International Women’s Day.
Set in Ontario, The Dime Box is the story of a young woman, Greta Giffen, who is accused of murdering her father. The novel embodies the theme of domestic violence, yet also includes themes of justice, the search for identity, adoption, and how we, as society, define family.
Canadian author Lawrence Hill describes The Dime Box as “a quintessential book club novel, with an unforgettable protagonist, and where every character faces moral dilemmas and is forced to make difficult choices.”
Amnesty Internationalchose The Dime Box as their 2021 Book Club novel for a number of reasons.
“In regular times, the characters and themes inherent in The Dime Box successfully highlight the lasting impact of domestic abuse and gender-based violence on survivors. Due to the ongoing global pandemic, these significant impacts have become further exasperated. Lockdowns and other public health restrictions have led and continue to lead to higher rates of gender-based violence, less access to sexual and reproductive health services, increased unpaid care work, and much more. In choosing The Dime Box for Amnesty International’s Book Club selection of March/April 2021, our hope is that people will begin to have their own conversations about these issues, and join us in solidarity to ensure survivors have access to protection and justice, as well as to shelters, helplines, and other vital services and supports.
A pandemic is not an excuse to violate women’s rights!” - Amnesty International
When I talked to Karen, she said:
“It is deeply humbling Amnesty International chose The Dime Box as their 2021 March/April book club novel. Supporting girls’ and women’s rights is one of the most pressing human rights issues of our time. Together, through conversation and taking action to combat injustice, we can help to create an inclusive world.” -Karen Grose
The AmnestyInternational Book Club engages readers by connecting important books to real-world human rights issues. Hosted by acclaimed guest readers, a Discussion Guide is created which includes the guest readers thoughts, discussion questions, background information on their chosen issue in their chosen book, and an action that can be taken on a current human rights case. Past renowned authors chosen for the book club include Zarqa Nawaz, Catherine Hernandez, Margaret Atwood, Shyam Salvadurai, Cherie Dimaline and Lawrence Hill.
Karen Grose was born in Canada and lives with her family in Toronto. After a long career as a teacher, principal and superintendent, she turned her attention to writing. The Dime Box is her debut novel and she is currently working on a second. Karen is a member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime-National, and Sisters in Crime-Toronto Chapter. When she isn’t writing, she consults in the global EdTech sector and walks her high-strung French bulldog, Ruby, on the boardwalk of Lake Ontario.
Social Media
Twitter: @kgrose2
Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn
Website: karengrose.ca
March 2, 2021
Debra Jones reveals The Successful Healer Book and Affirmation Cards
Welcome to healer and author, Debra Jones!
Debra Jones, known as "The Healer's Healer," is an award-winning Alternative Healing Professional with over twenty years of experience. She has featured in THE WELLNESS STORY documentary and wellness TV talk shows, written for several health publications, and founded ‘Red Tent Ontario’, ‘The Successful Healer Academy’, and ‘Own The Gray’ and ‘Lunch with a Healer’ podcasts.
Debra grew up in England, and obtained her first diploma in child studies, setting off for Canada at nineteen to be a nanny. Her second diploma in interior design was obtained while the baby slept, allowing her to open her first business in interior decorating. The subtle differences that she found in environmental energies prompted her to obtain her third diploma as a Feng Shui practitioner. Operating her second business harmonizing the energy in buildings, she discovered that it was also necessary to clear and align the people within these buildings. Debra thus obtained her fourth diploma as Reiki Master and opened her third business – Debra Jones Healing Centre– where she shares her experiences, knowledge, and wisdom to help others succeed.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebraJonesNa...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebraJonesRM
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debrajones.ca/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-jon...
What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult?
The Successful Healer is my first book. The process of writing my second book will be so much easier, mainly because the unknown has become known, but also because I've learned about my own process as a writer. What works and what doesn't, and I have all the resources, wisdom and knowledge I need to self-publish again. I have gained confidence in sharing my voice, learned to overcome 'imposter syndrome' and other debilitating hindrances. I have personally evolved with the experience.
One of the most challenging chapters to write was the conclusion. In the book planning stages, I had specific ideas about what would be written in this section. The book took five years to complete. During that time, and as a result of the writing process, my vision had evolved. What I thought I knew at the start was different from what I had discovered along the journey. My original ideas for this last chapter no longer applied.
Another challenge appeared while writing the first chapter. The chapter is about root chakra problems relating to belief systems, a sense of safety and security, and the ability to manifest. My business slowed right down and activated fears and self-worth issues. Thankfully, I recognized that the experience helped me relate to what I was writing, prompting me to use the wisdom and tools I was writing about. Going forward, I found my own successful healing business aligning with the lessons as I wrote them. It was a fascinating, eye-opening experiment. Uncomfortable at times, especially when old issues came back up for healing on an even deeper level.
What sort of research do you do for your work?
The book contains the experiences and wisdom gained from over twenty years as a healer, mentor, and teacher. To obtain a greater perspective, I interviewed 24 healers from all over the world, asking them similar questions. This process was most rewarding as it revealed insight that would never have been available to me. I discovered an exciting yet comforting realization that the methods of finding and maintaining balance were similar from healer to healer. This insight helped me in my business, and now the secret could be shared with others too.
It took five years to be published because I chose to conduct extensive research of healer's methods and wisdom gained. I also wanted to learn about the entire book creation process. I needed to know all the pros and cons of self-publishing vs. using a publishing house. Pushing ego aside, I decided to self-publish. I love to learn new things as much as I love to save money. So, I committed to the time-consuming research process of watching hours of YouTube videos, book publishing training courses, learning new formatting software, designing a book cover, all the way to the best book printing company. I'm SO glad I did.
Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an author that inspires you?
Becoming an author has given me a new-found appreciation for all authors. I like to read books written by healers because everyone has their own unique methods and insight. I chose to read some of these books as research for my own book, and they helped round-out my ideas. I am most inspired by author Dr. Alberto Villoldo. This medical anthropologist spent twenty-five years in the amazon jungle learning Shamanic Healing from the natives. I use much of the wisdom and techniques that he shares in my own healing practice. He also taught me a way to creating your book is to envision it completed. Feel what life would feel like after it has been published and work backwards from that feeling.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
I had always believed that I had a book inside me but had no idea how to start. So, I took a one-day workshop called How To Write Your Brilliantly Successful "How-To" Book with the author, Yvonne Oswald. The course manual's subtitle was "in two weeks or less." Not my own experience, down to my choice to research the industry, but it initiated the process and pointed me in the right direction. When the almost-final draft was complete, I enlisted the support of two trusted healer friends whose feedback I knew would be constructive. I needed eagle eyes to review and challenge any inconsistencies and flesh out ideas. I am indebted to these two for the hours they spent helping me create a book that I am proud to have authored.
What would you say are your strengths as an author?
It was only in the last year that I knuckled down to get the book finished. I lived and breathed the book, in between running a busy healing practice. I revised and revised and restructured and reformatted until my perfectionistic streak was exhausted. I decided to get out of my own way. In my attempt to avoid failure, I realized that "done is better than perfect." As a self-publisher, I took comfort that I could correct any errors (if any were found) and simply re-upload the manuscript to the printer. That satisfied any self-judgement.
Shortly after my book was published, three healers that were featured in the book collaborated to create a set of Affirmation Cardsto support the concepts in the book. Then a year after my book was published, I applied the book’s concept to create The Successful Healer Academy, an online school of Energy Medicine. This was my ‘COVID-19 Project’ and a way to pivot my business during lockdowns. My goal is to create courses based on the material in my book.
(See more below)
How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?
My process for writing subsequent books will take life-balance more into consideration. Producing a book is no exchange for living a healthy, balanced life. Becoming an author is not for the faint of heart, but the rewards, most definitely supersede the struggles.
THE SUCCESSFUL HEALERHOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR BUSINESS?
Every solopreneur experiences isolation and overwhelm from time to time. Whether you’re starting, growing or realigning your healing business, The Successful Healer meets you where you are.
With business decisions to make and clients to attract, sometimes you wish you had a roadmap. Well, here it is!
Using this book as a guide to awakening your innate wisdom, you’ll discover new approaches to self-care and powerful techniques to dissolve any sense of paralysis or burden.
The Successful Healer gives you the resources for solving challenges and practical tools for work/life balance.
BOOK SPECIFIC: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessfulHe...
BUY: https://www.amazon.ca/Successful-Heal...
Also at:
Booklore, Orangeville
Harmony Whole Foods, Orangeville
Forster’s Book Garden, Bolton
Debra Jones Healing Centre, Melancthon
Roberta Robbins, Collingwood
February 27, 2021
Wendy Appleton talks about A Little Girl's War and After the War
Welcome to the amazing Wendy Appleton who tells us about her memoires about living in England during World War II.
Wendy Appleton grew up in Kent, known as 'The Garden of England.' Now a great-grandmother, she writes about her memories and adventures in extraordinary detail. Her amusing and delightful writing style draws you in as if you were right there with her.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.applet...
I'm now an 80+year-old great-grandmother, and I wrote my first memoir in 2012. It was the story of a five-year-old perspective in wartime, entitled A Little Girl's War.
After my book was published, I was surprised at the stellar reviews I received from book reviewers and newspaper journalists. My great-niece took it to her primary school teacher who read my book to her young students, and I received 30 letters in response. I replied by hand-writing a letter back to every student.
My sister-in-law, a teacher in France, gave my book to a fellow teacher who was teaching English history. She loved the book so much that she made it part of the school curriculum. The students read my book and formed groups to each pose a question to me. I was asked to send a video reply answering them all.
My second book was published in 2020 and titled After The War – A Memoir. It is the sequel to the first. It begins when the war has ended and takes you through my journey from childhood to womanhood.
Writing both books had its challenges. Being sent away from home, seeing a crashing plane while running through the streets alone during an air raid, and other disturbing experiences were painful to remember. The memories became vivid and scary, re-living them as I wrote them down. In "After the War," the most difficult parts were recalling the death of my parents. For obvious reasons.
The research was minimal as the books are a recollection of my own memories. I researched second world war history to make sure I got the dates right.
I have always loved reading and have found many books inspiring. As a child, I read much more than I do now and loved reading books by Enid Blyton. I would get completely lost in her stories. I have enjoyed books by Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling and C.S Lewis. One of my favourites is "The Keeper of the Bees" by Gene Stratton Porter. Now I love to read gardening books and anything to do with plants as I am still an avid gardener and have always loved flowers. Growing up in Kent, known as 'The Garden of England," has made an indelible mark on my life.
The idea to write my book came from reminiscing with my sister. We were evacuated together and, in later years, still recalled many memories of that time in our lives. I received encouragement from my daughter and my husband, which helped me to start writing. While writing my first book, I was not very computer savvy and lost the entire script three times, and because I had to start from scratch three times, it took me seven years to write.
In my opinion, a great author produces a book that readers enjoy reading. The response that I received from my first book gave me the courage to write the second book. I think it helped that I was always good at English in school. Having an aptitude for reading and writing helped me get my thoughts onto paper and express what I wanted to say. I am also blessed with a good memory, essential when writing about things that happened seven decades ago!
Once my second book was released, I was taken aback to feel conflicted about having shared details on my family's lives. I suddenly felt exposed and did not expect to feel so vulnerable. Writing the book was the only aspect I had been aware of and not the effects on others reading what I had shared. I began to question my decision to publish my story.
I have realized that there is no point in worrying about that now, and I have learned to let it go. Now I am writing my third book. What would have been another memoir is being written as a fictional piece, inspired by my memories. I write when I am inspired to write, with no fixed routine. I enjoy it more that way.
A LITTLE GIRL'S WAR
Wendy ran home through the streets of Bexleyheath with the air-raid siren wailing, her little gas mask box bumping against her hip. Just as she reached her front gate, a Spitfire spiralled out of the air and crashed into the school field at the end of the road. You never forget a moment like that. Growing up in Bexleyheath in the Second World War, bombs, air-raid sirens and fear were all Wendy had ever known. Here, through the eyes of a small child, we see family life on the Home Front in 1944 in its entirety - from bombed-out houses to burnt potato peelings, from maths lessons and classroom antics to air-raid sirens and crashing planes. After the family slept through an air raid that destroyed the houses directly opposite, Wendy's parents decided it had become far too dangerous. Wendy, her sister Thelma and her brother Brian were evacuated to the Burnley area of Lancashire. Surrounded by a new accent, shining front steps and outdoor lavatories, this little girl felt a long way from home. However, the two women who took Wendy and her sister into their home helped her adjust to a new way of life. She remembers fondly the kindness of these women, as well as her other experiences as an evacuee: a new school, nits, chickens, gravy, and her first trip to the seaside. Wendy Appleton describes beautifully the memories that were imprinted so deeply on her young mind. As she discussed her recollections with her older brother and sister and started to write them down, everything came flooding back - so much so that at times she was in tears. She is delighted to share within these pages the sights, songs and sounds of her wartime childhood.
https://www.amazon.ca/Little-Girls-Wa...
AFTER THE WAR – A MEMOIRE
No more bombs, no more noise, and no more mayhem. No more searching the skies for flying bombs or enemy aircraft. No more food rationing. Instead, family holidays and trips to the seaside in a country that is now at peace. Follow this typical English family as their lives unfold and the children become adults in post-war England. Wendy shares memories of an age past and her journey from childhood to womanhood.
February 23, 2021
Carole Fontaine tells us about Sail Above the Clouds
Welcome to "The Sailing Yogi" and author, Carole Fontaine!
Known to some as, “The Sailing Yogi,” Carole Fontaine teaches by sharing stories of her 20 years of living aboard a sailboat to illustrate the life lessons and challenges she overcame. A successful professional graphic designer, she left the busy world of design after her health failed and sent her on a 10-year journey to search for answers and heal from chronic disease.
She studied holistic and yogic philosophies and learned ways to manage her health. This ignited a passion for teaching and helping people apply simple techniques to live healthier lives and discover their heart’s purpose. Carole is a certified Life Coach, Meditative Writing, Shakti Dance® Yoga, and Reiki Master Teacher.
Readers live vicariously through Carole’s journey of finding her voice, taking control of her health, and discovering her passion, forgiveness, and strength—all while sailing the ocean, diving in caves, swimming with sharks, surviving hurricanes, waking up in a sinking boat, and maneuvering in a meager 41 feet of living space with an unconventional husband and, of course, a dog.
Who on earth would purposely choose to live this type of inevitably challenging and non-conforming life? One who sought the freedom to reclaim and reinvent herself—meet Carole—she’s driven to inspire others to rise above omnipresent (and sometimes self-induced) drama, so she could manifest a life that offers true prosperity and authentic happiness.
Praised for her ability to connect with individuals on a deeply personal level, Fontaine inspires change through storytelling, mindfulness education, and meditative writing. She teaches online classes and when not in a pandemic, offers local in-person classes.
Fontaine was awarded an Inspirational Leadership Scholarship by Female About Business (FAB), a division of the Florida Deland Chamber of Commerce.
Her four-book series shares adventures, inspiring lessons, and self-mastery tools which underpin her program S.A.I.L.: Simplify, Align, Integrate, and Let Go—so you can live an extraordinary life. Book one, SAIL Above the Clouds—How to Simplify your Life, recently launched to excellent reviews and enthusiastic readers from all walks of life.
After living in Florida for 25 years and sailing the Bahamas extensively, she sailed to Maine where she currently lives with her husband of 30-years, and has a thriving graphic design business. She is currently working on Book #2 of the series.
SNEAK PEEK / WEBSITE: https://bit.ly/3mdK0tm
AMAZON: https://amzn.to/3q4bQdR
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sail-above-the-clouds
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1621129.Carole_D_Fontaine
FB: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredCreationsInc
IG: https://www.instagram.com/awomaninspired/
What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult?
The chapters that were the most difficult to write were about the years when I was sick and doctors couldn’t diagnose the source of my illness. Understandably, it’s never pleasant to relive your most anguished memories when you’re depressed and considering your mortality. I had to dive deep and relive those fears so I could describe that period, and although I’ve healed so much since, there is still a lot of heaviness around it.
No matter how painful, I honor these experiences because the lessons that I learned were vital to my growth and healing. I know a lot of readers either struggle with their health or have watched someone they love go through a health scare. It’s important to know that we are not alone and that our health is the number one most important thing in life.
What sort of research do you do for your work?
Since my book is the story of my life, I haven’t needed to do a lot of research. I did look up certain facts when describing locations or confirmed data from events like documented hurricanes.
I also share meditations and tools for personal growth after each chapter and those are either inspired from the years of trainings I’ve had in different modalities, or common knowledge in the mindfulness or health & wellness fields.
Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an author that inspires you?
Brené Brown is definitely on the top of my list of adorned inspirational leaders, and I have immense respect for Eckhart Tolle. For fiction, I thoroughly enjoy Starhawk’s The Fifth Sacred Thing and read the first book several times. I haven’t tackled the rest of the series yet but have it on my kindle. I was captivated by Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series and loved Jean Auel’s Clan of The Cave Bear series. I love fantasy, magical stories, and period pieces with strong inspirational leading ladies.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
I used to keep a diary as a kid but stopped writing when I went to college. I wish I hadn’t, that would have made a great book! Mom probably would have liked it less! Fast forward 20 years and a friend I used to know when I was sick kept telling me that I should journal. At the time, I was followed by numerous doctors and barely had the strength to think of anything else except healing my body, so I didn’t take her advice. Eventually, I reached my darkest night of the soul, and in a desperate attempt to find answers I started to journal and look for holistic ways to understand why my body was failing me.
As I healed, my journal became a kind friend I could confide in. I found my voice, discovered patterns in my life, and recognized that I had been avoiding issues that were affecting my health. Writing helped me heal. I also got trained in meditation, yoga, and miscellaneous healing techniques, and since journaling had been so beneficial to me, I eventually started to teach Meditative Writing, blending some of these practices for more powerful results.
For 20 years, I always kept a captain’s log of our travels, and on occasion would write short stories for myself to document particular events. Once I started teaching Meditative Writing, I started to illustrate my classes with stories of our life on board and students loved it. This is how the idea of my SAIL ABOVE THE CLOUDS series was born. I feel blessed because I get to share two things I love the most in one book: my life on the boat, and inspiring others to live a healthier and happier life!
What would you say are your strengths as an author?
I inspire. I always find a silver ray through the clouds, no matter how bad the storm.
And it’s not out of naivety or avoidance of “bad” situations because I face challenges dead on. Fear may have me shaking at the helm but I stand my ground and look at the storm in the eye, and do what needs to get done to get out of whatever mess I’m in. Yes, afterward I may fall to pieces for a while, but I always acknowledge that there is a lesson waiting to shine through.
It is how I got out of my depression and how I tackled every scary obstacles I have faced. My greatest mission in life is to inspire people. I named my company Inspired Creations. It started out as a graphic design company as I inspired through art. It expanded to jewelry design with Reiki Infused Crystals Jewelry that inspired beauty and health. Then morphed into inspiring people to better their lives through Meditative Writing, personal growth, and Shakti Dance Yoga classes. And now, I am inspiring through words and stories, and that fills my heart with joy.
Inspiration is something that connects us all no matter what culture, background, or walks of life. We all need inspiration to urge us to live our best life. Stories inspire us to rise above the clouds that permeate our daily drama and believe that our dreams can become our destiny. We are infused with energy, speak up, and make a stand. We create a better life for ourselves, better communities to thrive in, and a better world to live in.
It is a great honor to inspire others and no matter how different our stories are, I can relate to almost anyone. We have common grounds, we are all human. My stories may be on a sailboat, but the challenge of finding my voice and gaining the strength to take control of my life is the same whether it is sailing a 20-ton vessel, firing your doctors, or starting your own business.
Hopefully, I can share some light on a cloudy day with my S.A.I.L. book series:
S-implify your life,
A-lign your goals with your heart’s purpose,
I-ntegrate tools for success, and
L-et go of all that doesn’t serve you.
And my adventures on Windsong may just inspire you to Sail Above the Clouds!
How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?
I need to be inspired to write. (Recognize the theme? It rules my life!)
That being said, I am an inspired soul so I write a lot! My favorite time, of course, is as I wake up in the morning when the veil of dreamland is thin, and I still have one foot in the other realm. I find that writing early before the hustle and bustle of the day, or after meditation helps me connect with my inner voice. I even surprise myself sometimes by the harmony of the words that flow onto the pages.
If I’m working on a book, I get up, do my meditation, and then work on the book without interruption or looking at any social media or television. SAIL Above the Clouds is a series of four books, all at different stages of completion. It used to be one large book, but at the suggestion of a professional in the industry I cut it down to four. I have been working on this heart project on and off for five years.
In 2020, I started doing a special meditation to remove blockages. After I did it for 40 consecutive days, I told myself that if I can do this, surely I can commit to working on my book every single day, even if only for ten minutes until it’s done. I did and it was one of the grandest moments in my life when I typed THE END, and say out loud: IT IS DONE! Not just because the book was finished, but because I kept my promise to myself.
In the past, I had broken my word, pushed back my launch date, allowed self-doubts to push aside my writing, and procrastinated. This time, I kept my commitment. I proved to myself that I could accomplish what I set out to do. Dreams do become reality when you take constant actions towards your goal. It was extremely empowering!
SAIL ABOVE THE CLOUDS
GET ONBOARD & GET INSPIRED as Carole invites readers to join her as she sells everything and moves aboard a 41’ sailboat where she’ll spend the next 20 years navigating life’s highs and lows. Laugh at her beginner’s mistakes, cringe at the hurricanes coming, take heart in her search to heal from chronic illness, and rejoice in her finding the strength to conquer it all, and find meaningful purpose.
Packed with adventures, at times humorous, other times far-out scary, it is also an inspiring tool of self-discovery with each chapter sharing lessons she learned, and a journaling question and transformational exercises for the reader to go on an inner journey.
The reviews are outstanding and the most recurring note is “I couldn’t put it down!”
SAIL Above the Clouds—How to Simplify your Life, was the #1 New Release on Amazon for 3 weeks in 3 categories, and has sold copies on 5 of the 7 continents!
Read the outstanding reviews on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3q4bQdR
More info & SNEAK PEEK: https://bit.ly/3mdK0tm
May you sail above the clouds! ~ ⛵ ~
Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3q4bQdR
Back Cover:
GET ONBOARD AND GET INSPIRED!
Unafraid to ‘rock the boat,’ this sailor-turned-author drops her truth bombs—like an anchor. Here’s your chance to live vicariously through one woman's journey of finding her voice, taking control of her health, and discovering her passions, strength and capacity for love and forgiveness.
Join Carole as she moves onto a boat, adapts to a new lifestyle, learns hard ‘beginner’ lessons, sails the breathtaking ocean, survives gale storms, and navigates life for 20 years in a meager 41 feet of living space with an unconventional husband and, of course, a dog.
S.A.I.L. Above the Clouds weaves big emotions, humorous impasses, and motivating results through topics such as overcoming major health concerns and chronic disease, tackling mental health, surviving the doldrums of a 30-year marriage, discovering life’s purpose, and learning when you’re the crab’s dinner, or receiving a naked spank from Mother Nature.
How to SIMPLIFY Your Life is the first of a four-book series where each book represents a unique aspect from the author’s signature program S.A.I.L: Simplify, Align, Integrate, Let Go. Readers will benefit from tips and insights on how to simplify all aspects of their life while exploring different healing modalities, writing prompts, and exercises following each chapter.
It is packed with stories that will make readers laugh, cry, or cringe—all weaved into an interactive set of tools that invites you to dive deep into a journey of self-discovery and come out of it energized, enlightened, and inspired!
Raise your sails and set course on an exciting and purpose-driven adventure!
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