Allan Hudson's Blog, page 11

The Story Behind the Story with Jane Doucet of Halifax, NS, Canada.

 

Jane has been busy of late with thepublication of her new novel and enjoying rave reviews.

The Scribbler is fortunate to haveher back as our guest this week to tell us about the story.

If you missed Jane’s previous visit,please go here.

Read on my friends.

 

 

Jane Doucet is a seasoned journalist whose articles have appeared in myriad national magazines, including Chatelaine and Canadian Living. In 2017, she self-published her debut novel, The Pregnant Pause, which was shortlisted for a 2018 Whistler Independent Book Award. Four years later, Halifax-based Vagrant published Jane’s second novel, Fishnets & Fantasies. In May 2023, Vagrant rereleased The Pregnant Pause with a fresh new cover and brought it back into print, and in September 2023 it launched Jane’s third novel, Lost & Found in Lunenburg, which combines characters from her first two novels. Jane lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her husband.

Working Title: Lost & Found in Lunenburg

 

Synopsis:

Widowed suddenlyafter her fiftieth birthday, Rose Ainsworth is addled by grief. Could that bewhy three months later, she decides to buy her friend Wendy Hebb’s sex shop inthe tiny coastal community of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia?

As Rose rushes torent her house and store her belongings, her older sister, Daisy, worries thatRose is running away—from the home that she and her late husband, Jim, lived intogether, and its constant reminders of what she’s lost.

When Rose landsin Lunenburg in a furnished condo with a year’s lease, a colourful cast oflocal characters keep her from drowning in grief—including a long-lost quirkycousin with a mysterious health condition and a handsome restaurant owner whostirs feelings in Rose she isn’t ready to face.

As the condo’slease creeps closer to its expiration date, Rose must make a choice—continuecarving out her new life or move back home?

 

 

The Story Behind the Story:

 

Readers keptasking for a sequel to The Pregnant Pause, but after I self-publishedit, I didn’t have anything to add to Rose’s story. However, the following year,when my then boyfriend and I broke up two weeks after my 50th birthday, I had alight-bulb moment.

Since ThePregnant Pause was semi-autobiographical, I now had a new storyline forRose. I wanted to write about midlife love, loss and new beginnings, but notabout divorce. So I decided to explore a topic that interests me: death.

Most of thecharacters in this story are dealing with some sort of loss—of a spouse, theend of a career and good health, their sense of home and identity. I wantedthem to slowly forge a community of support, with people they wouldn’t normallyhave gravitated toward otherwise.

Flash back to mystory for a second: that boyfriend and I reunited five months after ourbreakup, and nine months later we got married. Because we had a happy ending, Iwanted to give one to Rose, too. To give readers hope. Our life journeys aren’talways linear, and we’ll experience multiple losses as we age. The more hopefor happy endings—whatever they may look like—the better for all of us.

 

 

Acouple questions before you go, Jane:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, or desire, for yourwriting? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila? Neat or notes everywhere?

 

Jane: The quiet ofmy home office, working on my iMac at my sit-stand desk. Decaf green tea anddark chocolate, daily (can’t write without them). Neat most of the time, butsometimes—especially in the early stages of research—notes everywhere.

 

Scribbler: What’s next for Jane Doucet, the Author?

Jane: I’m in the preliminarystages of working on a cozy mystery novel, which I hope to co-write with afriend. We plan to get serious about it in 2024!

 

 

I’m looking forward to reading your novel, Jane.Thanks for being our guest.

Have fun with the cozy. Wishing you continuedsuccess with your writing.

 

 

And a Humongous thank you to our visitors and readers.

 

The Story Behind the Story with Pierre Arseneault of Kent Junction, NB, Canada.

 

Lets welcome Pierre back to theScribbler.

He’s here to share the SBTS for hiscontribution to the Spring Paths Anthology.

This is not Pierre’s first visit tothe Scribbler and we hope it is not the last.

If you missed his previous posting,please go HERE. 

Read on my friends.

 

 

The youngest of eleven children, Pierre C. Arseneaultgrew up in the small town of Rogersville, New Brunswick, Canada. As acartoonist, Pierre was published in over a dozen newspapers. As an author, hehas written solo and in collaboration with six titles published so far. Pierrecurrently lives in New Brunswick, Canada.

 

Title: Spring Paths (book title) / The Old Belfries Farmhouse (the shortstory title)

 

Synopsis: The Belfries farmhouse’s new owners learn their recentpurchase has a dark and mysterious past.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: First, I’m going to say that I simplylove writing short stories and this anthology series has allowed me to exploreother genres without the pressure of fitting in with the other dark tales of a shortstory collection. In the first book of this series, Autumn Paths, Iwrote a drama inspired by the idea of combining a literal and a figurative path.I planted this seed in my imagination and developed it into a story I call ThePath to Redemption. The story in the second book, Winter Paths, wasa drama-comedy titled Melvin, inspired by something I saw while drivingto work. I can’t tell you what I saw without spoilers though, so you’ll need toread the story for yourselves.

Whichleads me to the newest in the anthology series, Spring Paths. For thisone, I wrote a story that I must label as science fiction. The inspiration forwhich was my recent infatuation with a certain genre of movies, evidence ofthis you’ll find in the story itself. I can’t tell you what that means without spoilers,so I’ll refrain from doing so and hope that you go read the story, if youhaven’t already. But in case you have not (yet), let me say that it’s a simplestory of a young couple who learn about the history of the home they recentlypurchased and are about to move into. Even if this story isn’t the mostoriginal, I’m hoping that I gave it an original take that you’ll enjoy.

 

 

 

Acouple questions before you go, Pierre:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, or desire, for yourwriting? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila? Neat or notes everywhere?

Pierre: I like quiet but it doesn’t always work. Sometimes I needwhite noise, like the sound of peeper frogs, rain and thunder or ocean waves.Other times I might listen to instrumental music. Be it classical, light jazz,movie soundtracks, etc. It just can’t be something with lyrics as they pull meout of my work and distract me.

As for a setting, since I moved that’s not the easiest at this time. Isimply need a space where I can lay out what I need and avoid distractions.Sometimes that can be the office desk or the kitchen island.

As for notes, it depends on what I’m writing. But let’s just say thatI’ve tried it all in my short run as a writer. Notes. No notes. Plotting andpantsing or a combination of both. I’m still gathering evidence on what worksbest for me. So far it varies with the project.

 

 

Scribbler: What’s next for Pierre Arseneault, the Author?

Pierre: Next? I have a dramatic novel written and at the publisherright now. Barring any change of plans, it should be titled Carlton. It’s asequel to the novella which was the last story in my collection titled SleeplessNights.

I’ve also started a crime thriller but set that aside to collaborate withmy friend Angella Cormier on book 3 of the Oakwood Island trilogy. The title ofwhich we will reveal in due time.

For short stories, I’m mulling over a short story idea to submit to anupcoming anthology as the idea simply sounds fun. Also, I’ve already written asequel to my Winter Paths short story Melvin for the upcoming Summer Pathsanthology. It’s a comedy titled The Year of the Goat and I’m looking forward tosharing this one with you all.

Also, I’d love to write sequels to my previous works, but the time isn’tright just yet. So, there are things brewing, in between my day job, life, andobligations.

 

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts withus Pierre. The whole Path Series sounds delightful. Wishing you continuedsuccess with your writing. 

 

And another HUGE thank you to ourvisitors and readers.

The Story Behind the Story with A-M Mawhiney, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.

 

Photo Credit: Laura Stradiotto.

This week you will meet Anne-Marie, a devoted author, aswell as other author's best friend with all her sharing and caring.

She was kind enough to accept my invitation to be ourguest.

Please read on my friends. 

 

 

A-M: First let me thankyou, Allan, for your kind invitation to chat here about my latest book.

 

I grew up in northernOntario, mostly in small mining communities, with time in Montreal and Torontofor my university years. In 1980 I came back to Sudbury where I worked at thelocal university for almost 40 years. My debut novel Spindrifts was shortlistedfor the 8th annual Rakuten Kobo emerging Writer Prize and for theWhistler Independent Book Awards. It was also a finalist in the Canadian BookClub Awards, all in 2022. My second novel Spelldrifts was published August2023.

 

 

Title: Spelldrifts

 

 

Synopsis: Spelldrifts:  Lifehas changed at and of Hope in the decades since Earth tipped back to aflourishing biome. People work together, connected through a telepathicnetwork, to keep their planet healthy. Each person develops additional magicalpowers in their teen years that help them find their place in the community.Saki, Fania’s seventeen-year-old, is adrift – they don’t know yet what theirunique abilities are nor how they will contribute to the world. 

Everything changes when Sakidiscovers a long-buried secret. Faced with strangers intent with destroyingeverything that is precious, a darkness creeps over the land. The stakes arehigh, for those who prevail will determine whether Earth survives.

 

 

The story behindthe story: I had no plans to write asequel to Spindrifts. But our grandchildren urged me to continue thestory. The older one asked that I include a dragon, and the younger requested awolf. This seemed a daunting task given the world of the Land of Hope in myfirst book. But over a few months, dreams, thoughts, and ideas intruded,eventually overriding my common sense. I began to write Spelldrifts. Oneor two enthusiastic suggestions by the grandchildren, used with theirpermission, have found their way into the story but mostly this book is acreation of my imagination. However, many of the themes remain rooted in ourown realities: inclusion, environmental rehabilitation, social issues, respect,and hope.

 

 

Website:  www.ammawhiney.ca 

 

 

A couple questions before yougo Anne-Marie:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us aboutthe perfect setting you have, or desire, for your writing? Music or quiet?Coffee or tequila?  Neat or noteseverywhere?

 

A-M: Writing setting:Although I do have a painting and writing studio it became cluttered withcopies of my first book, so I wrote Spelldrifts at a drop-leaf table owned bymy paternal grandparents when they first were married in 1926. I am a pantserso many of my scenes were created on walks with my dog Charlie (who, sadly,passed away in July) and in the middle of the night.

Scribbler: What’s next?

 

A-M: Besidesmarketing and promoting my books, I have just started a new writing projectthat is unrelated to the Drifts two-part series. It starts with a high schoolstudents on a debate team who don’t get along. When they start to discover whatthey have in common this overrides their differences and they form a tight bond.After they graduate, they head off in different directions but keep in touch.Then one day a world-wide disaster occurs. The story follows the four maincharacters on their quest, against all odds, to reunite and help theircommunity survive.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for being our guest this week, Anne-Marie. Thanks for all you do foryour author friends. Wishing you continued success with your writing.

 

 

 

And a HUGE thankyou to all our visitors and readers.

The Story Behind the Story with Steve C. Eston of Fredericton, NB, Canada.

 

Steve is no stranger to theScribbler, having been our guest several times in the past.

He’s an excellent storyteller and weare happy to have him tell us about his contribution to the Path Anthologies.

If you missed his previous visits,please go HERE.

Read on my friends.

 

 

Steve C. Eston is the author of four books: The Burden of the Protector,The Conclave, Deficiency, and The Stranger of Ul Darak (Book 1 of The LostTyronian Archives – Available in December 2023).

He has been a lover of the fantastical and the scientific since he was ayoung boy. He wrote his first story by hand while still in elementary school —a five-page fantasy action/adventure about a tiger-masked ninja fightingmystical monsters that included his own illustrations.

When not spending time with his family, Steve try to make time for one ofhis numerous hobbies, which include reading, listening to music, playing videogames, watching movies, making puzzles, and playing hockey and tennis. He alsolove to travel and have developed an obsession with New Zealand after travelingthere in 2015 (visiting the set of Hobbiton and hiking alone the slopes ofMount Doom may have something to do with it).

For more information on his current writing projects and for free shortstories, visit him at www.sceston.com.

 

 

Working Title: Erasing

 

 

Synopsis: Ayoung girl and her family try to find an escape when their small villagebecomes the target of the powerful Sentinels.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: ‘Erasing’ is my contribution toSpring Paths: An Anthology, the third book in the Paths series, which regroupsshort stories inspired by the four seasons. It continues to be amazing to workwith the authors of the Seasonal Collective in putting these books together.I’ve learned a lot from each of them and hope we will keep going for severalyears to come. At this point, we’re already thinking about the next instalment,Summer Paths.

Ineach book of the Paths series, I try to create a short piece that complementsor expand on one of my publishes books or stories. For example, the events in‘Erasing’ take place around 10 years before the beginning of my upcoming highfantasy book, ‘The Stranger of Ul Darak’. It is a great story on its own, whileproviding background information about one of the main characters, as well asshowing how powerful and dangerous the Sentinels, a key organisation in theseries, are.

Writingside stories  like ‘Erasing’ is a greatway for me to explore characters or events that I wouldn’t normally get thechance to discover. I’ve come to cherish and look forward to creating theseshort pieces.

 

 

Aquestion before you go, Steve:

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, ordesire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or notes everywhere? 

Steve: There is a big difference between theperfect setting, and the reality of my writing. Years ago, I used to have achair in a corner of our guest bedroom and I would write every morning, betweensix and seven, closing the door, and putting on headphones. Those were the goodold days.

Now, we have moved and added four young children toour family. I do not have a dedicated writing space any longer, and I need tobe creative and flexible, balancing writing with my new responsibilities as aparent. I try to be as consistent as I can, and write regularly, even if onlyfor fifteen minutes.

I prefer to write with headphones, listening toinstrumental music that fits with the story I’m writing. Movie or video gamesoundtracks tend to work well for me. For example, I listened to the soundtrackof the movie The Adjustment Bureau while writing ‘Deficiency’, my sciencefiction thriller. More recently, I used the soundtrack of the movie TheFountain while writing my upcoming high fantasy book, ‘The Stranger of Ul Darak’.I’m also working on a new dark fantasy series and listen to the soundtrack ofthe Witcher 3 video game while doing so.

I scribble ideas and notes in several notebooks that Ikeep all over the house, and the cars. I also use my phone, texting myself so Idon’t forget ideas that appear, often at the most random of times. When I havea minute, I copy and consolidate everything in a series of documents I keep onmy laptop, one for each of the fictional worlds I write into.

 

 

Thanks forbeing our guest this week, Steve. Thanks for being part of the SeasonalCollective. Wishing you a ton of success with the new book coming soon. I amanxious to get my hands on ‘The Stranger of Ul Darak’. 

And a HUGEthank you to our visitors and readers.

 

****If youare intrigued by Steve’s novel - ‘The Stranger of Ul Darak’ – watch here December 16thfor the SBTS of the book.

Mark it in your calendar. 

The Story Behind the Story with Carrie Stanton of Alberta, Canada.

 

Please welcome Carrie to theScribbler. It is her first visit and we hope it won’t be the last.

Not only does she write stories, she is also an active reviewer for The Miramichi Reader. She is a kind and generous supporter of her fellow authors.

Read on my friends. 

 

 

Carrie Stanton has published two picture books and two chapter books. Emmieand the Fierce Dragon, The Jewel, Beast Bot, and The Gardener. The Jewel isused in schools as a companion to First Nations study. Carrie has a BA from theUniversity of Calgary and is an editor at The Miramichi Reader (TMR). And, likeTMR, Carrie is devoted to Canadian Literature. Carrie has two adult children, adaughter-in-law, one grandson, one mother, one husband, and a small white dogwho incorporates many personas.

Carrie enjoys writing stories that allow the imagination to blossom. She loves how words can grow wings and transport readers great distances, to worlds where anything is possible.

Carrie is proud that many schools often use her books for classroom study, engagement, and conversation. Her books are local #1 bestsellers, have been staff-picked at Chapters and Indigo, and are loved by parents, teachers, and children globally.

Titles: Emmie and the Fierce Dragon & The Jewel.

 

The story behind the story: I knew something was going onwhen I had a cacophony of words inside my head. They were in there rumblingaround, loudly causing distractions. 

I decided to sit still, pen in hand, blank pages at the ready, to seewhat all the mental chaos was about. That’s when the two stories started toevolve. A picture book and a chapter book.  Emmie and the Fierce Dragon and TheJewel emerged, almost simultaneously. I wrote Emmie and the FierceDragon first, then immediately began The Jewel. With The Jewel,I had the story outline but knew I needed to research the setting. The perfectplace to do that was at The Glenbow Museum Library and Archives, located in Calgary,the city in which I live. After all, how else could I possibly get an accuratepicture of life in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in the mid-1800s?Securing a table in the museum’s library, I requested the material I hopedwould uncover life during a time unknown to me. Not being allowed to select thediaries, journals, and notes from explorers who recorded their findings of thearea, I asked the gloved library attendant if I could go over some of these archivedworks at my table. Bringing pieces out of the collections kept securely awayfrom seeking hands, I was rewarded with a cache of wonderful and enlighteningnotes and documents from an era long past. Reading through these carefullywritten works was absolutely necessary to be able to create the world I wantedto bring alive in The Jewel. Knowing my characters Grey Wolf and LittleBear very well, I had to make certain they were at home in this story.Incorporating the colourful Indigenous life into the adventure story of thesetwo best friends made it historically accurate and vibrant. It is a homage tothe beautiful First Nations of the land we now call home. Because of thejournals and diaries left by those before me, I could incorporate the backdropinto The Jewel. The added bonus is that renowned Canadian storyteller,poet, and novelist, Lee Maracle, granted me permission to use her grandfather’swords in The Jewel. Chief Dan George’s words are few but striking in thestory. I used them with precise care and respected them in the beautiful waythey were meant to be honoured.

 

With both manuscripts ready, I sent them to only one person, KathrynCole, managing editor of Second Story Press in Toronto. I knew her reputationwas solid as she had been in the publishing business for decades, at that time.Then I held my breath. 

Kathryn Cole responded with a letter saying that she loved both thestories and they should be printed. Their house wasn’t able to do that withintheir schedule and limitations, but she urged me to keep going. It was at thatmoment I decided to seek illustrators, professional editors and proofreaders,book designers, and a quality printing house. In other words, if Kathryn Cole,the seasoned children’s book editor had faith in me, I had to get some faith goinginside me as well. To my amazement, she offered her words as blurbs on both ofthe books! 

The first stop was deciding to create the picture book, Emmie and theFierce Dragon. Who would ever believe that a small girl could help out atown with a serious fierce dragon problem? Still, Emmie sets off with a plan ofher own to tame that dragon. How many times in our lives must we be faced witha dilemma that requires each of us to stand tall, be brave, and do thecourageous thing with nothing more than our wits and skills? Even if that meantour kneecaps could shake down a hillside? Yes, we must, at any age, face abeast. My daughter, Carly, introduced me to her friend Sonia Leung, a talentedwatercolour artist whom she felt could do the job of illustrating. Afterreading the manuscript, Sonia agreed to create the fantastic original watercolourartwork in Emmie and the Fierce Dragon. I loved how Sonia’s workcomplimented and brought to life the words I had written; I knew this wasexactly the road I should be on. Seeing the finished product in Emmie andthe Fierce Dragon confirmed this choice was indeed the perfect fit I hadbeen seeking when the jumble of words first appeared in my head. I could nowgive it a name, and that name is STORY.

 

Emmie and the Fierce Dragon was the first to be introduced into themarketplace of readers. At the book launch held in Calgary at the city’s oldestbook store, Owl’s Nest Books, a friend of Sonia’s, James Pantuso, approached meand offered to do some illustrating for any other book I might have in mind.Well, I did have The Jewel manuscript just waiting for an illustrator.James created the graphic art that is a stunning example of what an artist cando with a black pen and a piece of paper. There was one and only one colourused in that book, purple, and it was used in a very purposeful way. It becamea critical part of the story, appearing and disappearing at the right times.James and I have gone on to do more collaborations and I am so proud to havebeen able to work with such immensely talented artists.  Both Emmie and the Fierce Dragon and TheJewel are Calgary Number One Bestsellers!

 

Creating the first two books led to two more books. Beast Bot isa chapter book about a passionate inventor who must decide, after the worsthappens in his family, if he should continue with his passion or give it up andmake some new friends.  Beast Botis blurbed by Canadian Treasure, poet, storyteller, novelist, and my personalidol, Sheree Fitch. I was over the moon when she agreed to read the manuscriptand offer her thoughts in a book blurb. Then, it was reviewed by CBC Books,with host Russell Bowers and Canadian literature advocate and author, Dr. AngieAbdou. The Gardener is my latest release, illustrated by James Pantuso,showcasing his talent with a full-colour extravaganza of pictures and a rhymingsingsong story about one’s dreams and imagination, and what happens when thoseare lost. How can your dreams and imagination possibly be brought back oncethey are gone? The Gardener will help out with that!

 

 

Website: Home | Emmie and the FierceDragon

 

 

Coffeeor tequila: Both if the situation demands it! Coffee to keep fueled and a wee dramof Scotch upon completion of a book.

 

Music or quiet: Quiet so the story music in myhead can storm out and dance onto the paper.

 

My desk is a delightful nest of book piles, notebooks, scraps of paper, bitsof story ideas, book thoughts, several pairs of glasses, a multitude of pensand ink colours – a general happy conglomeration of perfect disquietude,awaiting my next book adventure, which might be very close on the horizon.

 

  

Thank you so much, Allan Hudson, for this wonderful experience with youand The Scribbler! I had a blast!

 

 

You are most welcome, Carrie.Wishing you continued success with your writing. 

 

 

And a BIG thank you to ourreaders and visitors.

Spring Paths. The wait is finally over!

 

From the Seasonal Collective comes the third episode of the series. 

We are so-o-o-o-o excited. 

Nine writers – Seasonal Collective - from both sides of the Atlantic, including best-selling and award-winning authors, have created a third miscellany of stories.

One of our collaborators from Great Britain, Angela Wren, sums it up best.

Sometimes, a compelling short story is allyou need.

Let our tales of gods, ghosts, alienworlds, mystery, secrecy, love, loss, and horror get under your skin for awhile.

Nine North Atlantic writers have collaboratedto create this anthology, the third in a series of multi-genre fables that willentertain, possibly unsettle, and cause you to think about the present in whichwe live.

Curl up on the sofa and allow yourself tobe lost in the pages of this fascinating book.

The original series began in 2021 with Autumn Paths. Please take a look HERE.

 

Read some of the Reviews HERE.

The following year, we introduced the second of the series. 

Winter Paths.

Nine writers – Seasonal Collective - from both sides of the Atlantic, including best-selling and award-winning authors, have created a second miscellany of stories.

From the frozen north, across continents, space and time, these stories will mystify, enlighten, intrigue and perhaps bring a tear to the eye.  With a linking theme of winter - in all its guises - experience the warmth of friendly hearts, find companionship and place, encounter battles, uncover secrets, meet ghosts and witness the strength of maternal love.

There’s a story for everyone in this thrilling new collection.

Discover more HERE.

Paperback is available now if you follow this LINK. eBook to follow soon. Watch here for details.

Meet the Collective.

Pierre Arseneault

Angella Cormier

Chuck Bowie

Sandra Bunting

S. C. Eston

Allan Hudson



Eden Monroe



Gianetta Murray

Angela Wren



Please join us with our tales. Thank you for your support.
Spring Paths.

The Story Behind the Story with Diana Stevan of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.

 

Diana is always a welcome guest on theScribbler and we are pleased to have her back.

I have had the pleasure of reading Diana’strilogy of which Paper Roses is the third book in the series.

 Beware –the stories are extremely captivating. You will have to set aside your to-do-listafter you open the first pages.

If you missed Diana’s last visit, please go HERE.

 

Read on my friends.

 

 

 

Diana Stevan likes to joke she’s a Jill of all trades as she’s worked as a family therapist, teacher, librarian, model, actress and sports reporter for CBC television. Her writing credits include newspaper articles, poetry, and a short story in the anthology Escape. She’s also featured in Alex Pearl’s book 100 Ways to Write A Book. Conversations with authors about their working methods.

Her novels cross genres: A Cry from the Deep, a time-slip romantic mystery/adventure; The Rubber Fence, women’s fiction, inspired by her work on a psychiatric ward; the award-winning Sunflowers Under Fire, historical fiction / family saga based on her Ukrainian grandmother and her family’s life in Russia during WWI; and its sequels Lilacs in the Dust Bowl, and Paper Roses on Stony Mountain, set during the Great Depression in Manitoba and the early years of WWII. The latter novel was on The Miramichi Readers’ List of Best Fiction of 2022.

When Diana isn’t writing, she loves to garden, travel, and read. With their two daughters grown, she lives with her husband Robert on Vancouver Island and West Vancouver, British Columbia.

WorkingTitle: Paper Roses on Stony Mountain

I chose thistitle because I wanted to maintain a flower theme for Lukia’s Family Saga, abiographical and historical fiction series. The flower theme started with thefirst book, Sunflowers Under Fire. Since the sunflower is the nationalflower of Ukraine and my story takes place during WWI, it seemed like a fittingtitle. The sequel, Lilacs in the Dust Bowl came about because I had aphoto of my father holding a bouquet of lilacs in his hands in front of an oldbarn during the Great Depression. That photo became the cover of the sequel,which also made sense as his family appears for the first time in this novel. Andthe title of the last book in the series—which, by the way, can be read as astandalone like the other two—came about because while my mother was livingwith my father in Stony Mountain, she made paper roses to supplement theirmeagre income.

 

 

Synopsis: Paper Roses on Stony Mountain tells the story of how Lukia Mazurec and herfamily fare as Ukrainian immigrants during the last years of the GreatDepression and the early years of World War II in Winnipeg and on the Manitobaprairies.

Lukia’s dream offamily unity is crumbling, as one by one her children leave, forcing her tomake some hard decisions. Wars, typhus, drought and family losses could notstop her in Ukraine. Will her children’s indifference inCanada finally break her spirit?

 

 

TheStory Behind the Story: I’vehad quite the journey writing this epic family saga, covering the years fromWWI to WWII, 1915-1943. When I wrote the first novel in the series, I thought Iwas done. But readers were curious as to what happened to Lukia and her family,so I wrote the sequel. Since there was so much to tell and show, I ended upwriting the third as well.

My mother lovedtelling stories about her life. She was a natural oral storyteller, and I’m so  thankful she made sure I knew not only thehardships but also the joys of making lemonade out of the lemons that came her family’sway. I know she’d be pleased I’ve strung her stories into a book, like pearlson a necklace. I’m not sure how my father would feel, as he was a private man. Butbecause he loved my mother deeply and tolerated her openness, I suspect he’daccept what I’ve written and embellished in this historical and biographical fiction.

 

A couplequestions before you go, Diana:

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting youhave, or desire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or notes everywhere?

Diana: I love music, but I prefer quiet when Iwrite. With characters speaking through me and hurrying me along, I have enoughsounds running through my head. 😊

First thingin the morning, I head to the computer with a cup of coffee. I keep it at twoand switch to tea and water in the afternoon. My desk is not neat. I have tokeep tidying it up, as I have a habit of writing notes on scraps of paper andthey pile up.

 

Scribbler: What’s next for Diana Stevan, the Author?

Diana: I’m hoping to launch a book of short stories looselybased on my experience of growing up in rooming houses. I’ve also written apilot and the second episode for a limited series of Sunflowers Under Fire. Withthe writers’ strike in Hollywood and everything at a standstill, I don’t hold alot of hope it’ll be produced. But I started writing screenplays in the 1990s,and had an agent for a while, so I felt compelled to give it a try.

 

Thank you so muchfor having me, Allan. Such a pleasure to be on Scribbler.

 

***It is mypleasure, Diana. I truly enjoy your stories and thank you for those.

 

 

Here’s the firstchapter from Paper Roses on Stony Mountain:

 

 

 

A Curious Incident

Lukia believed there was nothing like the sun’s glow to dispel the darkestof moods, but despite the warm rays on her skin, she could not shake thefeeling of foreboding that had come over her. She stopped weeding the vegetablegarden to push some loose strands of hair off her forehead, then stretched heraching back and leaned on her hoe. Her daughter, Dunya, and daughter-in-law,Elena, had their heads down as they hoed the rows nearby. Their laughter oversome shared joke punctuated the air, as did the honking of the geese flyingoverhead. Lukia wished she could share their joy. She should have been working,like them, with renewed vigor. From what she understoodfrom the news reports on the radio, the Depression was nearing its end. ADepression that had given her nothing but grief ever since she’d immigratedwith her family to Manitoba in 1929—eight years ago. The hard times weren’tover yet, but rising grain prices meant hope on the horizon. That should havebeen enough to get Lukia dancing the kolomeykaup and down the rows, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

Her sons continued to quarrel. Egnat’s frustration had grownover Mike’s irresponsibility and his flirting with Elena. His wife had done nothingto encourage Mike, but her gentle nature had charmed the younger brother, whowould often make excuses to help her with the children or some domestic chorerather than work alongside his brother in the fields. And then, when hereturned drunk from the city with less cash than expected from the sale oftheir grain or dairy products, there was bound to be a fight. Lukia had lostcount of how many times she’d pulled Mike aside to tell him to stop aggravatingEgnat, to stop visiting the beer parlour or the bootlegger, to stopentertaining his friends and strangers, and to stop pestering Elena. No matterwhat she said or how she said it, he didn’t listen.

Lukia stared into the distance, where Egnat sat on thehorse-drawn mower, cutting the pasture. He had tolerated so much, and yet henever complained. Even when he had to build his father’s coffin on histhirteenth birthday and help his mother raise his siblings. The problem wasMike was simply too close in age to allow his older brother to be his guide. Hishorns of envy threatened to tear her family apart.

As if she didn’t have enough grey hairs, there was also theproblem of Dunya, who was in love with a poor man. He’d stopped coming around ayear ago over some silly argument, but when her daughter ran into him the otherday in Winnipeg, she realized she still loved him and broke off her engagementto a Russian fellow, a man of means who worked at the Winnipeg Stock Exchange.Why did Dunya push Sergei aside and give up a chance for a good life? She hopedDunya would come to her senses. Immersed in thought, Lukia nearly tripped overPuppy, who surprised her by charging out of the cornstalks, kicking up the dustand making her cough.

“Puppy! What’s got you so excited? If you had my worries, youwouldn’t be jumping like that.” She leaned down to pet the collie beforewatching him scamper off to greet Dunya and Elena. Thrusting the hoe into thesoil again, she hacked away at the weeds as if they were hiding the answers toall her problems.

 

Brooding over herlost love, Dunya brushed her long hair, then sat on her bed in the room sheshared with her mother and her niece, Genya. She tried to make sense of whathad happened in Winnipeg. Petershould’ve been standing there on the sidewalk when she came out of thejewellery shop. She could have sworn he had been staring at her through thewindow as she was picking out rings with Sergei. But when she ran out of theshop to talk to him, there was no Peter in sight in any direction.

Confused, she wondered if Peter’s image had been a mirage. Ora sign from God saying it was Peter she should marry, not Sergei, even thoughPeter had broken up with her six months before. And who was she to argue withGod? She told Sergei their engagement was off and left him standing on thesidewalk.

When she returned to the farm, she related this curiousincident to her mother. But instead of being understanding, her mother scoldedher. First, for breaking off her engagement to a successful man and then, forthinking of eloping without her mother’s or priest’s blessing.

Unabashed, Dunya had shrugged and said, “Why are you soupset? I didn’t get married.”

“Oy,” her mother said. “That’s all you have to say? My God,how have I raised you?”

“I’m sorry, Mama.” Dunya knew better than to argue with hermother.

She said good night to her mother, donned her nightgown, andgot down on her knees. After saying the Lord’s Prayer, she asked God foranother sign. “If Peter’s the one I’m supposed to marry, have him come back tome.” Satisfied with her request, she climbed into bed and fell asleep thinkingof Peter. 

 

A week later,Dunya decided she couldn’t leave her future up to God alone. Though the daypromised to be hot, the kind the English called a scorcher, she went with Egnat in their wagon to Stony Mountain toget some flour and other staples. It was usually her mother who went, but thistime Dunya offered to go, as she was hoping to run into Peter, who lived in thevillage which had a federal penitentiary on the hill leading up to it.

About a mile before the village, they passed the farm wherethe prisoners toiled. A large work gang in coveralls, their feet bound bychains, were weeding and thinning the crop while a guard on horseback stoodwatch. A few appeared younger than her. She thought their lives must have beenawful if they had to resort to crime to get ahead. She guessed some weredangerous, or else why would they be bound like that and forced to do labour insuch a humiliating fashion?

As her brother drove the horses up the hill, past thelimestone prison—a massive structure that loomed forbiddingly over the highwayand the prairies—Dunya shifted in her seat uncomfortably. There was no escapefrom the sun beating down on them. Her thighs stuck together in the unbearableheat. She flapped her arms, hoping perspiration wouldn’t stain her dress andspoil her appearance. She thought about what she would say if she ran intoPeter. Maybe he would be at Dan Balacko’s General Store, one of two stores inthe village. Dan’s was popular with the Ukrainian farmers; the other wasWilliam McGimpsey’s, popular with the English. General stores were where localsgossiped and discussed news and politics. She wondered what she should do ifshe saw Peter there. Should she apologize for her part in their breakup? Shouldshe tell him she thought she saw him looking in the jewellery shop window?Should she say she never really loved her Russian boyfriend and was no longerengaged?

“You’re awfully quiet,” said Egnat as he drove past thepenitentiary. “Are you sick?”

If she were being honest, she might have said, sick in love with Peter, but shereplied, “No, I’m just thinking. You always complain I talk too much.You should be happy I’m quiet.”

He snorted as he flicked the reins. “You’re right. It’s a nicechange when you’re quiet.”

She jutted her chin and looked ahead.

Outside Dan’s store, a couple of farmers stood around an oldtruck, having a smoke. Egnat stopped to talk to them, while Dunya peered up anddown the gravel road, hoping to catch a glimpse of Peter. But all she saw weretwo cars driving down the main street, which contained the Masonic Lodge, theCanadian Legion, a modern school, and three churches.

She found some shade under the store’s eaves and stood inback of the farmers, who didn’t seem to mind the sun.

Egnat pulled a hand-rolled cigarette from his shirt pocketand lit it. He said to the stout farmer in baggy overalls, “It’s going to beanother hot one. I heard on the radio, it’s a record heat wave. How are yourcrops doing?”

“You know how it is. It looked promising this spring. Ithought for sure the hell of the last eight years was past. One good thing,though. We fought the grasshoppers off this time.”

Egnat’s forehead furrowed. “I thought they’d never leave.”

“At least grain prices have gone up,” the elderly farmersaid, taking off his battered straw hat to wipe his brow.

“A lot of good that will do,” Egnat said, “if we don’t haveany grain worth harvesting.”

The men nodded and took another puff.

The stout farmer nudged the old-timer. “How are you makingout with that lady friend of yours?”

“There may be snow on top, but there’s still fire in the oldfurnace.”

The men laughed. Egnat flicked the ash off his cigarette withhis thumbnail, and after ensuring his rollup was no longer lit, put it back inhis shirt pocket. The men smiled at Dunya, who took one last look down thestreet before following her brother into the store.

 

Asusual, the storekeeper, Dan Balacko—a husky young man with dashingfeatures—flirted with her. “Dunya, you’re a sight to behold. You better watchall the fellas.” Dan’s eyes roamed over her figure, stopping at her breasts.

Egnat, always protective, said, “Dunya, I need some help inthe back.” 

“I’m low on butter. Can you bring some in soon?” Dan askedEgnat.

“In a day or so,” he replied, before walking away with Dunya.Together, they picked up fifty-pound bags of flour and sugar and carried themout to the wagon. Checking the list she got from her mother, Dunya browsed thestore aisles and picked up a box of salt, a cylinder of pepper, a tin of blacktea, and a large spool of black cotton thread.

They waited at the counter while Dan recorded their purchasesunder their family name in his ledger. So far, they were good on their credit.Dan wrote the total on a slip of paper and gave it to Egnat.

Dunya said to Dan, “If you see Peter Klewchuk, tell him DollyMazurec was asking about him. You can also tell him she’s no longer engaged.”

“Is that right?” said Dan, grinning. “It’s Dolly now, is it?Damn, if I wasn’t already married …”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Dunya said jokingly. Even if Dan wasunattached, she had no interest in him as a potential suitor. He was known asthe town wolf. How much of that was true, she didn’t know. But she believed,where there’s smoke, there’s fire. A girl couldn’t be too careful.

 

Thank you for being ourguest once more, Diana. Wishing you tremendous success with your stories.

 

And thank you Dear Reader & Visitor.

The Story Behind the Story with Anna Dowdall of Toronto, ON, Canada.

 

The Scribbler is pleased to have Annaback.

A dynamic storyteller, you can’t helpbut be entertained by her stories. 

If you missed her earlier visit,please go HERE.

Read on my friends.

 

 

 

Anna: I’ve lived all over Canada and the US, and now I can't seem todecide between Toronto and Montreal.  (Rightnow it’s the Junction neighbourhood of Toronto.)  I’ve been a reporter, a college lecturer, atranslator, a nurse’s aide, a pilot, an urban shepherd, and we’ll forget therest.  My work has been nominated for theUS Katherine Paterson YA prize and for Canada’s Arthur Ellis.  I’m the author of the well-reviewed AshleySmeeton Files:  After The Winter (2017),The Au Pair (2018), April On Paris Street (2021).  My new mystery, The Suspension Bridge, (RadiantPress, September 2024) has been called "an irreverent and immersivepost-war fairy tale."

 

 

Working Title: The Suspension Bridge: A Fable

 

 

Synopsis: A literary whodunit set in anunreliable 1962, The Suspension Bridge features a reluctant young nunsleuth, a boarding school where girls go missing, a small Canadian citydreaming too big for its britches, and a sentient bridge with ideas of its ownon stairways to heaven and highways to hell.

Sister Harriet alwaysmeans well, but her first year of teaching at swanky Saint Reginald’s Academyis a chaotic mix of scrapes she precipitates herself and the brisk unfolding ofexternal events.  These include thedisappearance of the school’s star students and an industrial espionage rolefoisted on her by an engaging crackpot bishop. As for the bridge, it’s meant to usher in a new dispensation forBothonville (pronounced Buttonville), but it has its own sinister agenda. 

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: After writing three books about a Montreal-basedprivate eye named Ashley Smeeton, I felt it was time for a change.  I just love the brilliant mysteries of Russianwriter Boris Akunin featuring the nineteenth-century sleuth Sister Pelagia, andI thought, why don’t I try my version of these?  I was raised—steeped to the gills—in anatmosphere of Irish/French Canadian Catholicism and I soon realized I wanted torecreate a whole world and time.  Readerscomment on the scene setting and world building in my other books, and I waseager to go in deep here too.

Themesemerge as you plan a book, and mine were big and serious: contagion, extinction,doubt.  So I read some very depressingbooks around those topics, delaying the book by at least a couple of years inmy procrastinating way.  When I began towrite, at the height of the pandemic, the narrative voice emerged as comic rightaway.  This light and playfultone, with its accompanying underlay of darkness, persists throughout. 

Thereare a few of different ways to read The Suspension Bridge, I guess.  It’s a whodunit, although not astraightforward or realistic one.  Butstill, there is a story about the mysterious disappearance of girls froma Catholic boarding school, and a rather hapless police detective makes severalappearances.  It’s a darkly humorous pilgrim’sprogress of a young religious sister with an identity crisis.  It’s to some extent a parable about small citylife, group think and the overreaching optimism of the post-war period.  And it has elements of memoir:  to this day I have great fondness andadmiration for that community of practical mystics, the nuns who taughtme. 

Sinceit doesn’t easily fit into any one literary category, I’m absolutely over themoon that the award-winning, small but mighty Radiant Press took a chance onit.

 

 

Website: www.annadowdall.com       

              

 

A couple questions before you go, Anna:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, ordesire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or notes everywhere?

 

Anna: Oh so boring: my thirty-year-old little desk, an ergonomic chair, everymorning from nine to lunch time, more or less, and of course I take theweekends off--what am I, some kind of workaholic? 

I write voluminous notes in the thinking and planning phases, then a sortof chapter plan online, that I can keep adding to.  I write plans on plan on plans.  But by the time I’m composing a chapter atthe computer, I’m working off a short series of prompts really, with the actualscene I’m working on taking its own shape as I type. 

 

Scribbler: What’s next for Anna Dowdall, the Author?

Anna: I do like series of three.  I thinkthe many-layered Sister Harriet could very well go on to have further adventuresthroughout the sixties.  Hints ofinterest were recently made, but I already had ideas for two sequels.  One idea involves two linked stories, one ofthem historical, a spot of heresy, and the Berrigan brothers.  Another has Harriet in California navigating thesummer of love as she continues to try to find herself.  You can imagine the lure, to a thirty-somethingreligious sister in need of quick cash, of the glamorous and high-powered worldof movie extras.  I’ve already said toomuch.

 

 

 

Thank you for being our guest thisweek, Anna. 

Sounds like a tremendous story. 

Wising you continued success withyour writing.

 

And a Grand Canyon Thank You to our visitorsand readers.

 

Tell us what’s on your mind.Comment below.

The Story Behind the Story with Sean Paul Bedell of Dartmouth, NS, Canada.

 

 

 

Sean is another author I met whileattending the GMRD Book Fair in April.

It was a pleasure to make his acquaintanceand it’s a treat to have him as our guest this week.

Read on, my friends.

 

Sean Paul Bedell has been writing and publishing for more than 30 years. His poetry and short fiction have appeared in numerous journals and magazines throughout Canada and the United States. Somewhere There’s Music is his first novel. Sean lives in Dartmouth with his wife, Lisa.

 

 

Working Title: SomewhereThere’s Music 

 

Synopsis: Somewhere There’sMusic is acoming-of-age story where the shy and intelligent Joel watches helplessly ashis alcoholic and abusive paramedic father spirals ever downward and out ofcontrol. Joel's life crumbles further when his older brother, disturbed by thedrunken violence inflicted on their mother, flees their home. Convinced he musttrack down his brother and bring him back home if he is to survive in thislonely and frightening new reality, Joel's awareness of his father's workplaceexperiences expands as he starts to appreciate the issues faced by firstresponders, even as he begins to doubt that he will escape the chaos of hisshattered world. Somewhere There's Music depicts a young man's struggleand the desperate search to find what's left of his family.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: When I worked as a paramedic, a co-worker andfriend of mine died by suicide. It’s impossible to know all the reasons forthat, but surely the cumulative trauma of emergency calls he responded to overthe years, must have been a factor.

When I attendedhis funeral, I noticed his teenage son was wearing one father’s suits, hemmedto fit him. This young man was sad and grieving but exuded a deep pride for hisfather.

In part, I wrote SomewhereThere’s Music to honour my co-worker and his son.  A novel was a good vehicle to do this. I havebeen honoured to work and serve as both a paramedic and firefighter. Writingthis book helped me exercise my own demons while pulling back the curtain onthe world of first responders that is rarely shared without a mask of bravadoand heroics. My book tells the brutal truth.

Overall, the bookis about a suffering young man who has suffered a tragedy and must find hisbrother and bring him home. Life is a balance of joy and sadness, so the storyalso includes fun scenes for a young man facing the world alone – music, wildparties, questionable but cool friends, a spark of romance and road trips. Allof which help him define himself.   Thebook is full of music references, sprinkled in to set the mood, reinforce someof the action taking place and to give the book an overall rhythm. The storyalso mentions other favourite and interesting things. It’s set in Amherst, NovaScotia with a few scenes in Boston. The book has lots of references to books,birds, and trees. Other characters have complex relationships with their ownsons, and the use of names adds an interesting layer.

I wroteSomewhere There’s Music to encourage a young man who has suffered hugelosses to carry on. I pointed to the future to assure all of us that somewherethere’s hope.

 

 

Website: Go HERE

 

A couple questions before you go, Sean:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, ordesire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or notes everywhere?

Sean: I’ve written for a long time; I think I can now write anywhere. I needcoffee, the stronger the better. I’m a nerd who uses a fountain pen and anotebook for ideas and sketching out scenes and the overall structure of astory first. I use the notebook to keep everything together, otherwise I’ll beafraid that the best idea I had still lives, unused, on a scrap of paper in anabandoned pocket. When I write I use my laptop and a great writing program thatkeeps everything together. To write I like to listen to soft jazz or classicalmusic in the background, music only no lyrics or vocals. I also need a place towalk around – outside is best – when I’m stuck on what comes next or workingout a plot point that doesn’t make sense yet.

 

Scribbler: What’s next for Sean Paul Bedell, the Author?

Sean: I’m currently working on a novel where the main character, a paramedicwith numerous personal tragedies, does his best to work in the world of traumaand emergency response. As his life falls apart, he struggles to carry on eventhough he feels he’s not making a positive difference. It has a lot of snippetsof emergency calls – good, bad and funny.

Once this book is done, I have another draft on the go. It’s a familydrama, where a man looks back on childhood events and now pieces togethersecrets and troubles t understand what he has become.

 

 

Thanks for the opportunity to chat South Branch Scribbler! It’sbeen fun and great to be a part of the blog.

 

 

You’re most welcome, Paul. Thanks toyou for being our guest. Wishing you continued success with your writing.

 

And a special thank you to our visitorsand readers.

The Story Behind the Story with Odette Barr of New Brunswick, Canada.

 

I had thepleasure of meeting Odette at the GMRD Book Fair this past April.

Always witha warm smile, it was a pleasure to meet her.

She has kindlyaccepted my invitation to be our guest this week.

 

Odette haschosen to feature the latest installment of her middle grade adventure series, Followthe Goose Butt to... This time, it is Prince Edward Island. Odetteis co-author and illustrator for the series.

 

 

Odette Barr is a retired teacher who enjoys manyhobbies and interests. She has drawn, painted and created art as long as shecan remember. Although Odette has always enjoyed writing (mainly nature-themednonfiction), she only discovered her love of writing children’s fiction in2014. Odette is a former interpretive naturalist with the Canadian WildlifeService and Parks Canada—she takes great delight in wandering through naturalhabitats and is constantly awestruck by the wonders of the natural world. Muchof her writing is inspired by nature.

Odette is co-author and illustrator for the CameliaAirheart children’s adventure series: Follow the Goose Butt to PrinceEdward Island (Acorn Press, Fall 2023), Follow the Goose Butt to NovaScotia (Chocolate River, 2018) and Follow the Goose Butt, Camelia Airheart! (ChocolateRiver, 2016). She and her co-authors also wrote a picture book, Take Off toTantramar (Chocolate River, 2017), which was the winner of that year’s AliceKitts Memorial Award for Excellence in Children’s Writing at the NB BookAwards. Odette placed second in the 2019 Pottersfield Prize for CreativeNonfiction, resulting in the publication of her memoir, Teaching at the Top ofthe World (Pottersfield, 2020), which documents a decade of teaching Inuitstudents in the territory of Nunavut.

Odette and her partner, YoAnne, share their idylliclives with a 5-yr-old standard poodle, in a cedar log home on theNorthumberland Strait shore.

 

 

Working Title: Cameliais never at the head of the flock. She has a faulty GPS—goose positioning system—andshe is easily distracted. This means she gets lost...a lot! Therefore,Camelia’s beak is always supposed to be as close as possible to the back end ofthe goose in front of her. The title for each of the middle grade chapter booksreflects this reality : Follow the Goose Butt, Camelia Airheart!; Followthe Goose Butt to Nova Scotia; and Follow the Goose Butt to PrinceEdward Island.

 

 

Synopsis: Followthe Goose Butt to Prince Edward Island is thethird book in the Camelia Airheart adventure series. In the first bookof the series, we follow the loveable young Canada goose throughout her New Brunswick adventures after she losestrack of her flock one spring on the way home to Branta Bog. In book two, Cameliatravels throughout Nova Scotia with her Aunt Tillie, a reporter for the CGBC(Canada Goose Broadcasting Corporation), and finds herself in all sorts ofpredicaments after losing sight of her aunt on more than one occasion! In Followthe Goose Butt to Prince Edward Island, Camelia’s adventures continue as sheends up circumnavigating the coastline of the pastoral island. Whileattending a Gathering of the Geese in Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick, Cameliaflies over the Confederation Bridge to help Billy the blue jay find his wayback to the red island. Despite being easily distracted, having difficultieswith directions and much trouble with landings, Camelia manages to explore theIsland’s coastline and she meets many new friends throughout her travels.Whether it is golfing with Gilbert the great blue heron, discovering sands thatsing with Josie the jellyfish, or causing chaos at Green Gables, Camelia has anexciting time and learns many important life lessons along the way. Mostimportantly, she discovers that her goose positioning system may not be asfaulty as she has always believed!

 

 

The Story Behindthe Story: Odettewrites the Camelia Airheart stories with co-authors, Colleen Landry and BethWeatherbee. The character of Camelia Airheart came about in June of 2014 whileOdette, Colleen and Beth travelled together at the end of the school year to a “Bornto Read” information session in Saint John. All three were full-time NBteachers at the time. All three women were interested in writing for youngpeople, and Odette was also interested in doing illustration work forchildren’s books. As they brainstormed story ideas in the car they came up withan iconic Canadian animal (the Canada goose) that loved to fly and discover newplaces, yet had no sense of direction and was easily distracted. Ironically,the three teachers got hopelessly lost in Saint John trying to find the libraryin Market Square. Eventually they got to where they needed to be. Odette,Colleen and Beth had such fun dreaming up Camelia they decided to write thestory together.

 

Readan Excerpt below.

 

 

Visit Odette’s FB page HERE.

 

 

A couple questionsbefore you go, Odette:

Scribbler: Can you tellus about the perfect setting you have, or desire, for your writing? Music orquiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or noteseverywhere?

Odette: I am fortunateto have an idyllic setting in which to write. I live in a beautiful log home onthe edge of the Northumberland Strait near Cap-Pelé, New Brunswick. My desk andlaptop are situated on the second-floor loft overlooking the great room and severallarge windows that face the sea. I draw my energy and serenity fromnature. The forest and bird-life I see from my back windows, the swaying treesviewed in the side windows, and the rolling waves (or drifting ice cakes...season-dependent!)out front help ground me when I need to look away from the page for a mentalbreak.

When writing CameliaAirheart stories with my co-authors, we take turns meeting at each other’splace to do the writing. We generally create our stories via 3-hour sessions ofa nonstop cacophony of chatter, singing and theatrical performances that almostalways involves food and (ahem!) wine.

Conversely, when writingmy own stories, I require absolute quiet. I love music but I also loveto sing and if I know the lyrics (which I almost always do...) I cannot helpbut sing along! I have tried listening to instrumental and classical music attimes but I end up turning it off eventually. My writing desk is always neat tobegin with but a collection of notes on bits of scrap paper and post-its appearsoon thereafter. Any mug of coffee I set on my desk gets ignored—once I startwriting I am focused for at least 3 hours. I force myself up after that tostretch my legs. It’s a good thing my body tells me I have to head back downthe stairs and take a long “movement” break!

 

 

Scribbler:What’snext for Odette Barr, the Author?

Odette: I have a fewprojects started but the one that I am most keen on at the moment is a youngadult novel. It is a coming-of-age story that follows a feisty young Scottishimmigrant to Canada through her early years, aged 7 through 19. Morag McEwin isfiercely proud of her Scottish roots and considers her parents’ decision to emigrateto Canada as a temporary one. She thinks of the first few years in this newcountry as a prolonged vacation and documents her Canadian experiences of ‘fittingin’ through the writing of a story journal. Morag intends to delight herfriends and extended family with these stories when she returns to her highlandhome in the Hillfoots. Morag possesses a strong sense of self. She knows whoshe is and what she wants...or, at the very least, what she doesn’t want! Shecomes to the realization that she likes girls a lot more than boys, for onething! And, much to her surprise, she develops a strong affection for her newCanadian home. In fact, she doesn’t recall when she stopped dreaming ofreturning to Scotland. The novel ends as Morag finishes her first year at university.She is happy and hopeful and ready to embrace whatever it is that life presentsto her.

 

 

Excerpt: Followthe Goose Butt to Prince Edward Island:

 

“...Cameliawaddled towards Green Gables. No one really paid attention to the Canada gooseon the grass. No one really paid attention to the goose walking through thegate. However, when the goose butted ahead of everyone in line and saunteredthrough the front door, people really paid attention. And they really, really paid attention when the goosebeelined for the parlour, shouting, “Anne! I’m your kindred spirit…where areyou?” Of course, all they heard was honk, honk, honk, honk, honk!

Half flying,half jumping around, Camelia wreaked havoc from one room to the next. Shetoppled the fern from the piano in the parlour. She skidded across the diningroom table, sending all the china teacups to the floor with a crash. Sheclipped the kitchen lamp with her wings, leaving it swaying wildly in her wake.She knocked several bottles of raspberry cordial off the pantry shelf.

Everyone wasaghast. People yelled, babies cried, and some pushed and shoved their way outof the house. It was bedlam! Someone grabbed the broom from behind thefireplace and attempted to shoo the Canada goose away. Books tumbled fromshelves, pictures flew off walls, and chairs landed where they fell. Last butnot least, a straw hat with braids was swept from its owner and…guess what? Itlanded directly on Camelia’s head. Of course, tourists were busy snappingpictures of this strange event. Nothing like this had ever happened at GreenGables!

Cameliaheaded for the stairs. She flew up to the second floor and found herself in thebedroom of Anne Shirley herself...”

 

 

 

Thank youfor being our guest this week, Odette. Wishing you continued success with yourstories. 

 

And a BIG thank you to our visitors and readers.

Feel free toleave a comment below.