Allan Hudson's Blog, page 12

The Story Behind the Story with Author Shani Dykens of Saint John, NB, Canada.

 

 

Last week you met Amanda and Shani ofPIP.

If you missed it, please go HERE.

 This week you will be able to discover Shani’sstories as she shares the SBTS of her newest work, which is due for publicationsoon.

You can even read an excerpt below.

Read on my friends.

 

 

 

Shani: I’ve been writing most of my life but never seriously. I spent 15 yearsas a cake decorator while raising my family until I decided that what I reallywanted to do was write so I hung up my oven mitts and picked up a pen. Bestdecision ever. 

 

 

Working Title: There are a couple of books that  Iam currently working on. Blades and To the Centerfield and Back from the Baxter’s Lake Boys series and a standalonecalled No Matter What

 

 

Synopsis: Theclosest to completion is Blades. Enemiesto Lovers. Jaime and Ian are friendsof the MC (main character) from the first two books. They briefly appear inboth stories. Emotionally unavailable Jaime is a bladesmith who owns her ownforge and Ian is a pop/rock star. Jaime hates Ian at first but warms up to him.Ian is immediately besotted.

To the Centerfield and Back. Secret baby. This is acouple of high school sweethearts that broke up when the MC is drafted by amajor league baseball team. The get back together a few years later and have afling but she doesn’t find out she’s pregnant until after they separate. Theymeet up again later.

No Matter What. Second Chance love. Crissaand Jack were married until a tragedy strikes. They both move on with theirlives until they realize they still love each other.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: Music is my inspiration. I have playlists that I listen tothat are specific to each WIP. I love flawed characters that have imperfectionsthat make them perfect for each other.

 

 

Website: Go HERE.

 

 

Acouple questions before you go, Shani:

 

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?

Shani: Always music. I usually have a bag of candy and, of course, there aremultiple cups of half drunk coffee scattered around my workstation.

 

Scribbler: What’s next for Shani Dykens, the Author?

Shani: Hopefully, I’ll have Blades completed by the end of the year. To theCenterfield and Back will probably be the end of next year and No Matter Whatis a couple of years out.

 

Anexcerpt from Blades.

Hepulled up in front of the address she told him and turned off the engine. Hewaited until she was off before swinging his leg over himself. He hooked hisown helmet on the handlebar before he leaned back on his bike, legs spread outin front of him while watched her unclip the buckle and taking the helmet off.She was gorgeous. Her dark hair set off her honeyed skin perfectly. It lookedsmooth and silky, hardly a blemish. There was one small freckle above her puffyupper lip that begged to be kissed. Her almond-shaped, lion like eyes gave hera slightly exotic look that completely turned him on. She took a minute to runa hand through her hair and try to get a handle on her arousal, as she handedhim the helmet back.

Iantook it from her and hooked it on the opposite handlebar. He looked over at herhouse, trying to imagine what the inside would look like. The outside was neatand tidy, obviously well looked after. The craftsman was painted a soft butteryellow and what he assumed was a bright white trim. There was a light inside.He wondered if she had someone waiting inside for her or did she leave thelight on herself.

"Thanksfor the ride." Her words broke into his thoughts.

Hesmiled at her, "Anytime. I mean that. Anytime you want to take a ride, saythe word and I'm here."

"Ian-"She said hesitantly.

"Sayit again." His voice was urgent.

Shelooked at him quizzically, "Say what again?"

"Myname. That's the first time you've ever said my name."

"No,it's not." She tried to think back over the past couple of weeks.

"Yes,it is." He insisted, "If you refer to me at all, you always call mepretty boy."

"Thatcan't be right."

"Sayit."

"No."

"Comeon Jamie, please."

"Don'tyou ever get tired of hearing the word 'no'?" She almost laughed.

"Please?"

"Ian...happy?"

Hissmile was huge, dimples almost big enough to climb in. "Again."

"God,you're an idiot." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Sayit again."

"Ian."He loved the way his name sounded coming from her mouth. That slightly huskyvoice that made him think dirty thoughts.

"Jesus,I love the sound of that." In fact, he liked it way too much.

Jamiewas flustered by his apparent happiness over her saying his name. She wasn'tused to this kind of interaction, which was her only reasoning for whathappened next.

"Doyou want to come in for coffee?" The words were out of her mouth beforeshe even realized what she said.

Thatwas the last thing he expected her to say.

"Coffee?"he asked quietly.

"Uh,"she practically wilted in front of him before she caught herself andstraightened up, "It’s the least I can do after you got me homesafely."

"Jamie,admit it, you like me." he grinned.

"No,I don't. You're annoying, I'm just being polite." Ian threw his head backand laughed. Jamie didn't see the humour. He watched her lips thin as shepressed them together.

"I'mnot going to come in for coffee no matter how much you beg, remember? Ipromised and I always keep my promises." He pushed away from his bike totake a step closer to her. He put his hands on the open zipper of his jacketshe was still wearing to pull her half a step closer to him. Her eyes widenedslightly, and he thought he heard her breath hitch. Her golden eyes dropped tohis mouth before looking back up into his. Interesting that they were verygreen tonight instead of hazel she was used to seeing. Was she imagining thetwinkle? She was close enough to see how thick and spiky his lashes were. Yup,that was a twinkle. She was in trouble.

"Jamie?"He was asking her something. She didn't hear the question. Why was it hard tofocus?

"Huh?"Brilliant, Jamie, she silently berated herself. She saw him smirk.

"Doyou want me to kiss you right now?" His voice was deceptively calm. Hecould feel his erection throb against the rough denim of his jeans.

"What?No!" She gave herself a mental shake. “I told you-"

"Yeah,yeah, not your type, I know."

"Good,I'm glad we understand each other." She slid the jacket off her shouldersand handed it back to him. "Thanks again for the ride." She said asshe stepped back. She watched him put the jacket on, his shirt riding up,allowing her a glimpse of taut stomach before settling it over his broadshoulders. She couldn't help but sweep her eyes over the rest of his body. Shefelt a jolt at realizing he was hard. She swallowed thickly.

"Jamie."

Shelooked up at him but didn't say anything. 

"Youbetter go in the house before I take you right here on my bike."

Jamiestared for a few seconds, trying to process what he just said. She had beenfighting him since the first day he came into the shop. What would he do if shecalled his bluff? She could see the desire in his eyes. Did she really want topush him? She was looking for something tonight until he came along and screwedup her plans. He was here and obviously willing. Should she? She didn't bringher hook ups home though. What would he say if she suggested going to a hotel?Slowly, she closed the gap between them, laying her hands on his chest and slidthem up to wind around his neck. She pulled his head down and crushed her mouthto his.

 

 

Thank you Shani for being our guestand your compelling excerpt. Wishing you lots of success with your writing.

 

And a SPECIALthank you to all our visitors and readers. It’s all for you!

Don't be shy, leave us a comment.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story with Amanda Evans & Shannon Dykens of Saint John, NB Canada.

 

Amanda and Shannon are the owners ofPartridge Island Publishing.

Making one of their wishes come true,they became proprietors of a book store in the Container Village in Saint JohnNB.

They have graciously offered spacefor NB Authors in their store.

They have accepted my invitation tobe guests this week.

 

 

Since there are two of us talking about this we’ll give you our ‘how wemet’ story, since that started it all.

Amanda Evans and Shannon Dykens met at the first-ever meeting of WriteNow Saint John in January 2019 and quickly became friends, and that became thefoundation of Partridge Island Publishing.

 

 

Working Title: In the Fog Anthology

 

 

Synopsis: Weactually have 2 in the fogs to talk about

Monsters in the Fog is our 5th entry in the In the Fog series, and asthe name suggests, it is full of monsters.

Monsterscome in many forms and we have collected some of the best from AtlanticCanadian Authors to share with our readers in what turned out to be the darkestof our books so far.

Lost in the Fog is our current open call, and like the previous 5 books, anyauthor in the Atlantic Provinces is welcome to submit stories for considerationuntil January 31st, 2024. The story does have to make use of thetheme of being ‘lost’.

 

                                                                                            From PIP website.

 

The Story Behind the Story: The story behind the In the Fogseries is the story of Partridge Island Publishing.

Aswe previously said, Write Now Saint John was just getting started in early 2019and we set a goal as a group to write a book. We knew we wanted it to be ananthology so everyone would get to see something in print, and we knew that wewanted it to be something that we would do every year so we could see theimprovement and bring in new authors.

Becauseit’s Saint John and always foggy we decided that the title would reflect ourlifestyle so we chose the ‘In the Fog’ anthology series. We knew we did notwant to exclude any authors based on what they wrote, so rather than choosing agenre each year, we would choose a theme and the authors could spin that themehowever they wanted.

Wetried to find a publisher in Saint John that would take us on and print thisbook. There was no one, so we talked to a lawyer who thought our story wasinteresting and agreed to get us incorporated.

Althoughwe have grown and a lot has changed, we are still community-oriented, and everyyear we get the community to take part in helping us choose our new theme. For Lostin the Fog we had well over 200 votes to help us make that choice!

 

 

 

Website: Partridge IslandPublishing

 

Acouple questions before you go:

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?

Shannon always has to have music playing whenever she writes, andshe’s mostly a pantser, although she does create Pinterest boards for eachstory.

Amanda never cares if it’s quiet or loud, when the urge to writehits, it hits. She’s a plotter by nature, but you just never know.

 

 

Scribbler: What’s next?

Shannon is working on 2 more novels in her Baxter’s Lake Boys series.

Amanda has no idea.

 

 

 Thank you ladies for being our guests this week. 

              Wishing you a tonof success.

 

 

And a HUGE thank you to our visitorsand readers.

The Story Behind the Story with Jill MacLean of Nova Scotia, Canada.

 

It’s a real pleasureto have Jill as our guest this week.

 

Her latest novelis making lots of waves and receiving wonderful reviews.

 

She kindlyaccepted our invitation to tell us about it.

 

Read on my friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jill MacLean’s first story for youngreaders was written at the request of her then nine-year-old grandson, whoinsisted it include hockey and skidoos...where, she wonders, is the blue line? There’sno question he changed the direction of her life: three novels formiddle-graders and two for young adults, and of the five, three won the AnnConnor Brimer Award for Atlantic Canadian Children’s Literature and a fourththe Red Cedar Award. The novels received numerous nominations, four of whichwere international, and two of the books are in Nova Scotia’s school system.

 

Wanting a new challenge – and an adultaudience – she delved into her abiding fascination with medieval England. Shewas born in Berkshire, the setting for The Arrows of Mercy, and revisiting it,in reality in the 21st century and in imagination in the 14th,has given her much pleasure. An avid gardener, reader and canoeist, she livesin Bedford near her family.

 

https://jillmaclean.mywriting.network

 

Working Title:  The Arrows of Mercy

 

Synopsis: Theyear is 1348. Haunted by the blood on his hands, an archer named Edmund returnshome from the French wars to a life of serfdom.

Hisbrutal elder brother doesn’t want a hero on his doorstep. The priest denounceshis mercy killings. The woman he loves yearns for a wider world, the ambitiouswise-woman challenges him in ways he deplores, and an abused servant-girl is athorn to his flesh. Yet, as the days pass, he is impelled to fight for theimpossible: love and redemption.

Thenplague arrives in the village and everything changes.

 

 

The Story behind the Story: My five novels for young readers were all contemporary, fourwere set in Newfoundland (where my family lived for seventeen years), and fourdealt overtly with bullying. I became convinced I was falling into a literaryrut.

Howto get out of it? The way I chose was not easy: to follow my longtime interestin medieval history and write a novel for adults set in the 14thcentury. I read extensively about rural England during that period (luckilyDalhousie University has a copious medieval collection). And then I started towrite. If the learning curve was steep for my first middle-grade novel, it wasprecipitous for what eventually became TheArrows of Mercy. I felt like a raw beginner. I floundered amongst piles ofresearch. Characters and plots – far too many of each – trundled across thepages. The upshot? You guessed it: a sprawling, unmanageable mess of a novel.

Ittook me – literally – years to pare the story to the length it needed to be,and for me to feel ready to release Edmund, my protagonist, to today’s world.

AmI glad I wrote this book? Absolutely. Any writerly suggestions? Stretch yourimagination, give your characters the freedom they need, and then write beyondyour reach.

 

The Arrows of Mercy is one of three finalistsin the fiction category of the nation-wide Whistler Independent Book Awards,sponsored by The Writers’ Union of Canada “to recognize excellence in Canadianself-publishing.”

Youcan find a great review of The Arrows ofMercy in The Miramichi Reader:

https://miramichireader.ca/2023/07/the-arrows-of-mercy-by-jill-maclean/

 

 

Cavan (as medieval archer) & Jill MacLean reading at the Book Launch

Acouple questions before you go, Jill:

 

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?

 

Jill: I’m going to reveal how old-fashioned I am. I write only in my study athome, on my laptop, and it never leaves my study. Write in a coffee shop? Waytoo many distractions, I’d be so busy eavesdropping and people-watching that Iwouldn’t tap a single key. Plus I need my research, be it books or notes orphotocopies, to be near at hand (or foot – piles on the carpet.)

I begin each day by reading and revising the pages I wrote the day before,because this gets me back “inside” the story. And when I am inside it (such afine place to be), the characters talk to me and do things I wasn’t expecting,24/7. In consequence, I never go anywhere without pencil and paper, and when Isuddenly stop dead on the sidewalk to write something utterly brilliant in mynotebook, passers-by must think I’m nuts.

I’m fortunate to live in a building with quiet neighbours. I don’t listento music when I’m working, I stay away from tequila and caffeine because thestory that is – I hope – unfolding is stimulation enough.

I think of writing as a balancing act between technique and intuition. Variedand interesting sentences are always the goal and I’m willing to wait for and/orwork towards the best word, the phrase that captures – almost! – somethingineffable. And luckily I’m old enough to have a solid grounding in grammar.

But intuition – there I’m on boggy ground and words like trust and faithcome to mind. I suppose I’m telling fictional lies in the hope of happeningupon some truth or other new to me – and, perhaps, to you too.

 

 

Scribbler: What’s next for Jill MacLean, the Author?

Jill: Asequel. I have 80 pages. Onwards, ever onwards.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for being our guest thisweek, Jill. Thanks for the terrific story. Wishing you tons of success.

And thanks to our visitors andreaders.

The Story Behind the Story with Luc Desroches of Moncton, NB, Canada.

 

It’s a pleasure to have Luc as our guest thisweek.

He’s got something to tell us.

 He too wasa participant in the GMRD Book Fair, as was our previous guest, Jan Hull.

What a fun time.

Read on my friends and discover his book.

 

 

LucDesroches was born in Edmundston, NB (Wolastoqey territory) and lived most hislife in Moncton, NB ( Sikniktuk) where he studied and was calledto the New Brunswick Bar Association as a lawyer, although not currentlypracticing.  Luc has worked with theCanadian federal government since 2004, building and maintaining positiverelationships with Indigenous communities. Working from his home office since 2016 has allowed a more harmoniouslife with his lovely wife (Nathalie), three daughters and Labradorretriever.  Luc is a strong advocate forteleworking by adamantly writing and speaking about the subject.  Luc also enjoys running, motorcycling andspending quality time with family and friends.

 

Title:  WorkingFrom Home for a Harmonious Life

 

 

Synopsis: I am delighted to have authored a book that

can help people find more harmony in their

lives with our current ways of working. 

Since I began working from my home office in

2016, I have been writing about how the move

has allowed me to create a more harmonious

life for both me and my family. This book was

mostly written pre-COVID-19, when working

from home was more the exception than the

rule. I delve deep into my personal experience

and reflect on the values and teachings of the

Mi’kmaq people who have worked from their

homes for over ten thousand years.

 

The deeper messages of my book are perennial,

which is what we need as we face

unprecedented challenges.

 

The Story Behind the Story: After graduating from law school in 2003, I worked in a law firm and became a lawyer, worked with the federal government, and had all kinds of ambition, promotions and had no intention of working from home. Without those first years in office environments and superb colleagues, I almost certainly would not have been ready to be on my scary own self. It took many years of inner work to get to a point of being “alone but not lonely”.

After 13 years ofcubicle work, I realized that the intensity and flow needed for my best work doesnot require commuting, preparing a daily lunch and unnecessary distractions.  My very early morning journaling helped memake sense of why working from home was working for me, and I knew other peoplecould relate to this same experience.  Ihave a very predictable start to my day with minimal decisions to deplete thepsychic energy to perform at my best, to be “in the zone”.

I am an avid readerof nourishing books of all kinds of genres and topics.  I was particularly attracted to self-help, spiritual,health, leadership and philosophy.  I hadmajor realizations reading “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari from Robin Sharma”in 2004 and was inspired by Eckhart Tolle’s deep spiritual messages in his book“The Power of Now”. 

I have a libraryof over 200 books that have nourished me. Without this reading, I would almost certainly not have written a book,and it would definitely not have the same depth and favorite quotes.  Reading helps to write and live with moremeaning, I even read books-on-how-to-write-books including “The Artist’s Way”by Julia Cameron which I highly recommend to spark creativity, which is oftenjust a matter of creating the habit of doing whatever artistic magic calls you. 

 

 

Website: Luc Desroches

A couple ofquestions before you go, Luc.

 

Can you tell usabout the perfect setting you have, or desire, for your writing? Music orquiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or noteseverywhere?

 

My most inspired and deep writinghappens in a quieter and more isolated environment.  I developed ahabit/ritual of waking very early before everyone else in my household (andmost of my community), usually at about 5am. I prepare my clothes in theevening and try to get 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep.  I aim to do 10 to 20minutes of exercise (includes planks, push-ups, stretches) to get a sweat goingand all the good body hormones like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin andendorphins.  I then meditate a fewminutes before diving into my 1 to 3 pages of writing in my designated journal.I have my favorite quiet place, which is sometimes where the warm rising sun canshine on my face.  I then finish my morning routine with 30 to 60 minutesof reading a nourishing book.  At 5am, myenvironment is serene and there’s no coffee or tequila, but definitely someOolong Tea later in the day!

 

 

What’s next forLuc Desroches, the Author?

 

I continue to journal and enjoywriting what wants to come through.  There is no compelling subject thesedays like the subject of my book.  I mostly write my experiences, insightsand some poetic/philosophical pieces.

I write to heal, to deconstruct,to contemplate, to meditate, to listen to what wants to come through me. The writing helps me make sense of what is happening, and when it makes senseto start sharing, the writing becomes more focused for the book writing processto begin.  One friend told me she loved my book to remind her of why shelikes working from home and to better explain it to people and her employer. Just the act of writing helps me to take the time to remember what I'm gratefulfor (I try to do this daily) and better welcome my emotions and entanglements. I really enjoy my time both alone and with people, but recharging is usually betterdone alone for me, and with lots of space.

 

Random excerpt from journal:
(…) "From a certain perspective, I would be said to be lucky. Lucky to be alive, healthy and wealthy in so many ways. In this moment, I see it. Coming back from 3 days of almost no electronics, time (both psychological time and clock time), to-do lists, arbitrary lines and other people's agendas. I come back to a me-day “off” to journal in a coffee shop at 10am and ponder, saying no to the thousand other good ideas and experiences to stick to this, this window of focus with no particular agenda”. (…)

Random excerpt from journal:

(…) "The mindset of a crisp new weekend, on this Saturday morning, is soothing, relaxing, enlivening. Once I write down my latest worries, my next weekly tasks, I feel lighter with my monkey-mind on paper. I can enjoy this moment of a whole day with plenty of unplanned space, and better yet, planned "unplanned" space. Weekends are our broader society's way of finding rest, rejuvenating." (…)

Thankyou for being our guest this week, Luc. Wishing you continued success with yourwriting.

 

 

And aHumongous thank you to all our visitors andreaders.

Don’tbe shy, tell us your thoughts.

The Story Behind the Story with Jan Fancy Hull of Lunenburg County, NS, Canada.

 

Jan was one of our participants atthe GMRD Book Fair last April and we had a ton of fun. 

She kindly accepted my invitation to be a guest today so, read onmy friends.

 

 

 Jan:

I didn’t find my writing (orthinking) voice until after retiring in my mid-fifties. I worked to soften mysharp humour, to eliminate maudlin phrases and passive sentences, and to learnhow to tell an interesting story interestingly.

My first novel was a bloated 120kwords. It’s good for parts; I’ve cannibalized it for characters, settings, andback story for the novels I’m writing now.

My advice: write your junk:nothing’s wasted. Writing is the best job ever.

 

 

Titles: Funny story: I thought I was going to write about a murder in thechoir loft, and that someone would “sing”, i.e. squeal, so the working titlewas “Sweet Singing in the Choir”. But the story didn’t go that way at all. Itwas set in January, so my new title was January:Code. On a whim (I love whims) I added “A Tim Brown Mystery” on the titlepage and sent it to the publisher (Moose House Publishing). The editor asked ifI meant it to be a series and would there be twelve in all? And that’s how ithappened. The right title matters. May: Facadeswill be released in September 2023.

 

 

Synopsis: In the current novel, April:Sweetland, Tim is bamboozled into searching for a lost cabin because he wasmis-introduced as a Private Investigator. He shilly-shallies past theopportunity to decline, so he complies, but only “for practice”. What he findsin the woods back of Sweetland is illegal, and beautiful. Can he catch a wilyculprit and satisfy his client at the same time?

 

 

 

The Story Behind theStory:

Tim Brown is publisher / editor ofthe weekly newspaper in South River, a fictitious town on Nova Scotia’s southshore. He inherited the paper from his hard-charging late mother, who raisedhim on her own and under her thumb in the newspaper office. Now forty, he hastaken this year (1999) as a sabbatical from the job.

He believes his community paperhad been coasting, taking direction from the advertisers, and skimming thesurface of goings-on in the town. He states that he will use the year “to delve”but lacks a strong concept of what he means. He is bullied into investigatingthe coded contents of a file he hasn’t seen (January), puzzles about a woman unconscious on a trail (February), is moved by a dear friend’sdeath to research his murky family history (March),inadvertently agrees to search for a missing cabin (April) and faces public misconceptions (May). In June, he supervises long overdue home and gardenimprovements and—wait for it!

Every day isa chapter in each month’s book. We must live each day as it comes, I thought,so why not have my protagonist deal with the speed of real life, too, not onlythe highlights, but also the haircuts? Consequently, we get to know Tim Brownand his unorthodox methodologies very well. Read them all so you’ll be readyfor the great December conclusion in 2027 dea volente. People do seem to like them.

 

Website: https://www.janfancyhull.com/

 

 

A questionbefore you go, Jan:

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?

 

 

Jan: At home in my chair next to the wood stove, while autumn leaves,cold rain, and snow swirl around outside my windows. (Sunshine is distracting:summer is for outdoor pursuits.) The days grow short and lengthen again whilethe hours and words fly by. My daily word count is 1500 - 3000.

I haveclassical music playing softly. If I detect something especially beautiful,I’ll take a moment to listen. It helps me ignore ambient sounds or unhelpfulthoughts.

Coffee tillnoon. Tea till 3. Water if I remember. Maybe a martini, but not while writing. Nevertequila, not since that one time…

Mostly neat.The laptop computer was invented for me. I write notes on scraps of paper,mostly reminders of things my characters or I must remember to do (which one ofus is out of milk?) or maybe a better word to go in Chapter 10. Once the taskis done, the note is tossed. I keep a “story bible” in which daily actions andnew characters are recorded, and I may tuck a note or two in there for futurestories. There’s no storyboard with colour-coded sticky notes. Seat of my pantsall the way!

 

 

Thank you for being our guest this week, Jan. Wishing youcontinued success with your stories.

 

 

And a big thank you to all our visitors and readers.

So, tell us something in the comment box below. Don’t be shy.

The Story Behind the Story with Lisette Meuse-Manuel of Moncton, NB, Canada.

 

Let’s welcome Lisette to theScribbler.

She is excited to have her new bookin her hands and is ready to share her story with everyone.

Watch for her debut book signing atChapters in Dieppe, NB in October.

Read on, my friends.

 

 

Lisette is originally from BaieSte-Anne, NB and now resides in Moncton, NB where she has been working in thebeauty and wellness industry for over 35 years. She owns a skin care clinicthat specializes in advanced facial treatments, reconstructive tattooing,menopausal skin concerns and nutrition coaching.

 

 

 

Working Title:    Prepare to Pause. A wellness guide for women.

 

 

Synopsis: This is an informative self- help book written to help andempower women to stay strong, healthy and confident at middle age. By the year2025, there will be over 1 billion women going through the menopause.Nutrition, sleep, skin care and stress are some of the subjects covered in thisbook as well as mindset and motivation to help women understand and preparetheir mind of body for this hormonal transition.

 

 

The Story behind the Story: This book was not planned at all! Itjust kind of happened as I was preparing a draft for a printable pamphlet togive out to my clients during consultations. As I started writing, my own storystarted to unfold and write itself as I experienced a very difficult menopause.Daily conversations with female clients going through the same thing made merealize how thirsty for knowledge, support and solutions we all are. I starteddoing tons of research and compiled my knowledge and experience on varioussubjects and suddenly chapters started appearing. I soon realized this was nolonger a bullet form pamphlet... haha. I started feeling out the territory to seeif women would be interested in such a book as it is a bit of a taboo subject.The response was phenomenal, so here I am.

 

 

Website:   www.dermakaesthetics.com

 

 

A question before you go, Lisette:

Canyou tell us about the perfect setting you have, or desire, for your writing?Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neator notes everywhere?

 

Definitely Coffee. Preferably organic dark roast with a splash of almond milk in my favorite ceramicmug that was gifted to me years ago. This is my first book and I wrote itduring my work day in between clients as a lot of the content ideas came fromconversations that happened in my treatment room. I usually have soft, ambientmusic playing that puts me in a kind of zen state of high focus.  I wrote this mostly on my laptop, but alsoused a voice recording app on my phone to quickly capture ideas before they slippedaway. But honestly, I am a pen and paper girl. I love the feel and sound of aheavy pen on a crisp, blank piece of paper. For the next book, I am imaginingmyself sitting on my comfy couch staring out the window on a stormy day, with afancy notebook, a good pen and a steaming cup of coffee. I have no idea whatthe next book will be about or when that will happen, but it definitely will.

 

 

Excerpt:

 

We live in a time where ageism is real andthe search for the eternal fountain of youth is alive and kicking. Women aftera certain age often feel, and sometimes do, become invisible. This happens inthe workplace and even on the big screen where famous actresses just suddenlydisappear. A certain very competent woman news anchor comes to mind. Not longafter letting her natural silver hair grow out, she was quickly replaced. Oursociety celebrates youth, which has become synonymous with competence andsexiness.

However, in many cultures around theworld, matriarchs are celebrated and revered. They do not try to change theirappearance and hide their age. They are looked up to by the younger women fortheir wisdom, knowledge, and life experience. They have rights of passageceremonies and special herbs and remedies for various symptoms, informationwhich is passed on through generations. Older women teach and guide youngerwomen, so they know what to expect when changes start happening. Here in NorthAmerica, we pretend this middle phase of life does not exist. It is like a bigsecret that no one feels comfortable talking about. Throughout my life, I havedone a lot of reading and observing of older women for cues on what I should beexperiencing and how to prepare my mind and body during this life stage. Ourbodies go through an incredible change physically and mentally, and not many ofus are prepared for it. We are taught about puberty in school and learn verybasic skills to deal with that. But when menopause hits like a hot freighttrain, we are often left confused, sweaty, dizzy, and utterly exhausted.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for being our guest thisweek Lisette. Wishing you all the success you deserve.

 

 

And a big thank you to our visitorsand readers. Don’t be shy, leave a comment below.

The Story Behind the Story with Lisette M-Manuel of Moncton, NB, Canada.

 

Let’s welcome Lisette to theScribbler.

She is excited to have her new bookin her hands and is ready to share her story with everyone.

Watch for her debut book signing atChapters in Dieppe, NB in October.

Read on, my friends.

 

 

Lisette is originally from BaieSte-Anne, NB and now resides in Moncton, NB where she has been working in thebeauty and wellness industry for over 35 years. She owns a skin care clinicthat specializes in advanced facial treatments, reconstructive tattooing,menopausal skin concerns and nutrition coaching.

 

 

 

Working Title:    Prepare to Pause. A wellness guide for women.

 

 

Synopsis: This is an informative self- help book written to help andempower women to stay strong, healthy and confident at middle age. By the year2025, there will be over 1 billion women going through the menopause.Nutrition, sleep, skin care and stress are some of the subjects covered in thisbook as well as mindset and motivation to help women understand and preparetheir mind of body for this hormonal transition.

 

 

The Story behind the Story: This book was not planned at all! Itjust kind of happened as I was preparing a draft for a printable pamphlet togive out to my clients during consultations. As I started writing, my own storystarted to unfold and write itself as I experienced a very difficult menopause.Daily conversations with female clients going through the same thing made merealize how thirsty for knowledge, support and solutions we all are. I starteddoing tons of research and compiled my knowledge and experience on varioussubjects and suddenly chapters started appearing. I soon realized this was nolonger a bullet form pamphlet... haha. I started feeling out the territory to seeif women would be interested in such a book as it is a bit of a taboo subject.The response was phenomenal, so here I am.

 

 

Website:   www.dermakaesthetics.com

 

 

A question before you go, Lisette:

Canyou tell us about the perfect setting you have, or desire, for your writing?Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neator notes everywhere?

 

Definitely Coffee. Preferably organic dark roast with a splash of almond milk in my favorite ceramicmug that was gifted to me years ago. This is my first book and I wrote itduring my work day in between clients as a lot of the content ideas came fromconversations that happened in my treatment room. I usually have soft, ambientmusic playing that puts me in a kind of zen state of high focus.  I wrote this mostly on my laptop, but alsoused a voice recording app on my phone to quickly capture ideas before they slippedaway. But honestly, I am a pen and paper girl. I love the feel and sound of aheavy pen on a crisp, blank piece of paper. For the next book, I am imaginingmyself sitting on my comfy couch staring out the window on a stormy day, with afancy notebook, a good pen and a steaming cup of coffee. I have no idea whatthe next book will be about or when that will happen, but it definitely will.

 

 

Excerpt:

 

We live in a time where ageism is real andthe search for the eternal fountain of youth is alive and kicking. Women aftera certain age often feel, and sometimes do, become invisible. This happens inthe workplace and even on the big screen where famous actresses just suddenlydisappear. A certain very competent woman news anchor comes to mind. Not longafter letting her natural silver hair grow out, she was quickly replaced. Oursociety celebrates youth, which has become synonymous with competence andsexiness.

However, in many cultures around theworld, matriarchs are celebrated and revered. They do not try to change theirappearance and hide their age. They are looked up to by the younger women fortheir wisdom, knowledge, and life experience. They have rights of passageceremonies and special herbs and remedies for various symptoms, informationwhich is passed on through generations. Older women teach and guide youngerwomen, so they know what to expect when changes start happening. Here in NorthAmerica, we pretend this middle phase of life does not exist. It is like a bigsecret that no one feels comfortable talking about. Throughout my life, I havedone a lot of reading and observing of older women for cues on what I should beexperiencing and how to prepare my mind and body during this life stage. Ourbodies go through an incredible change physically and mentally, and not many ofus are prepared for it. We are taught about puberty in school and learn verybasic skills to deal with that. But when menopause hits like a hot freighttrain, we are often left confused, sweaty, dizzy, and utterly exhausted.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for being our guest thisweek Lisette. Wishing you all the success you deserve.

 

 

And a big thank you to our visitorsand readers. Don’t be shy, leave a comment below.

The Story Behind the Story with Jeff Kelland of Miramichi, NB, Canada.

 

Scribbler readers already have connections to Miramichi,a beautiful area of our province. Sandra Bunting, James Fisher, The Miramichi Reader,Chuck Bowie have been welcome guests. This week we can add one more.

Let’s meet Jeff.

Jeff R.Kelland is a 64-year-old Canadian who possesses a genuine concern for thewelfare of people and society as a whole, and he has a fierce passion for thewritten word. Jeff is a talented, experienced writer of innumerable essays,magazine articles, editorials, poetry and prose that have appeared in a varietyof publications over the years. He holds a first-class honours B.A. inphilosophy and German, a Master of Science in Community Health from the Schoolof Medicine at Memorial University, and he has published a ground-breakingthesis. Jeff is also a sought-after public speaker for various causes andconferences, a visual artist, and he has been a veteran singer-songwriter andentertainer for over 40 years.

Working Title: The novel: The Dying Party

The free prequel novella (available on all major platforms): Twoof All People

 

Synopsis:  The Dying Party, along with its prequel novella Two ofAll People (available for free on all major book-selling platforms),asks the question: ‘What happens when they tell us it's too late to stopclimate change; when we are forced to face a future that will be increasinglyhellish, and an horrific end that will come within our lifetimes?’ The novelanswers this question with two parallel story lines that alternate from chapterto chapter and eventually merge – one about how the poor will deal with theadvancing crisis, and one about how the rich and powerful will fare.

The former story line, starting a few years earlier in the prequel novella,focuses on two main characters. It is late in the 2040s, and Lizzie and Donnieare two of only six people left alive in a residential complex that had beenbuilt into the side of Newfoundland’s Gros Morne mountain in the 2030s, now theonly piece of habitable land left above water in all of what was once easternCanada. In the second story line we follow a group of humanity's richest andmost powerful, the super-elite, as they try to establish an off-Earth colonyfor themselves.

The Dying Party and the prequel novella explore in fascinatingdetail the complex brutality of what having to accept such a fate would meanfor human civilization; what it would look like on a global scale, in a localcontext, and from a variety of personal perspectives. The author’s extensiveresearch shows that if we stay on our present course of inaction, confusion,and complacency, such a declaration will come sooner than we think. The thrustof the novel, however, is to illustrate the under-appreciated impact thatpassing the climate change tipping point will have on the human psyche; animpact that will further complicate and accelerate what is happening on anumber of levels.

This is not fanciful speculation about the near and distant future, but ratherthe logical extension of the current course of humanity if we continue to failto up our game. The Dying Party is a courageous, unflinchingdepiction of the worst-case scenario with a measure of redemption. It is,therefore, a cautionary tale to end all cautionary tales.

 

The Story Behindthe Story: My approach towriting novels is simple and straightforward – I identify a topic that needsmore awareness on the part of the general public, research all there is to knowabout the topic, and then write a fictional story with a dynamic set ofwell-defined characters that shines a bright and revealing light on the topic.

For example, evenafter all the shocking revelations regarding the clerical child sexual abuse inthe Catholic church over the last thirty or forty years, there is still littleor nothing is being done to help these children, which made my first novel, GraceUngiven, necessary. Similarly, my research into the climate changecrisis, and into what we will need to do to successfully address the crisis,revealed that little or nothing is being done to meet the substantial challengeof climate change to date either, making it necessary for me to write andpublish my second novel, The Dying Party.

As soon as Icompleted my research and realized that we have failed to make any meaningfulprogress in combating climate change, I immediately knew that the best story Icould write to raise awareness and spur action would be one that takes thecurrent reality and brings it to its logical and troubling conclusion. Idecided I would depict human life on planet Earth as the consequences of ourcomplacency and inaction unfold over the coming few decades; to show the as yetunderappreciated impact on the human psyche of passing the climate changetipping point, as individuals and as a race, and how it would only worsen andaccelerate the decline.

Aware as I amthat the contemplation of such an apocalyptic scenario for humanity will bequite challenging and unsettling, the book includes an advisory/warning at theoutset that asks readers to seriously consider their spiritual andpsychological fitness before reading the book. I would also like readers toknow that the disquieting results of my research was very difficult for me todeal with over the course of the almost two years it took to write, and livingwith this knowledge since, as I watch ongoing news reports clearly showing thatmy fictional story may well become true, is onerous. I honestly believe thatthe results of my research are accurate and, if nothing changes, human life onthis planet will unfortunately come to closely resemble what I have laid out inThe Dying Party, and this will happen sooner rather than later.

With all thatsaid, I must confess that I have never wanted so badly to be wrong aboutanything in my life.

 

Website: https://jkellandmysites.io/

 

 

A question beforeyou go, Jeff:

 

Can you tell usabout the perfect setting you have, or desire, for your writing? Music orquiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or noteseverywhere?

 

The most importantfactor in my perfect setting for writing would be having complete anduninterrupted solitude. It would also involve a lot of tea and classical musicon a low volume setting. And it would be easier to say that my workspace isanything but neat and tidy, than it would be to describe what it looks like.It’s not pretty!

 

 

AnExcerpt from The Dying Party.

 

          ElizabethAntoinette Flint was born the only child of two stereotypical hippie-types fromWashington State. Among thousands of people on the flights forced to land inGander, Newfoundland on 9/11, bright-eyed newlyweds Chet and Amelia Flint were headingto Europe for their honeymoon. Instead, they ended up making the best of itwhere fate had put them – on a rugged pristine island in the North Atlanticthey affectionately call “The Rock”.

          Asthe world was dealing with the aftermath of the terrorist attack in New YorkCity, Chet and Millie were catching the spirit of the famously friendly islandand soon set aside their disappointment about the European trip. Heartilycheered on by the boisterous, backslapping natives, prodigious drinkers all,they made matrimonial merriment with the locals for ten days and nights. Whenit was time to depart, their bittersweet sadness surprised them both – a specialseed had been planted in their bohemian hearts.

          Backto life on the Pacific coast, they tried unsuccessfully for eighteen years tohave a child. Then, inspired by a popular Broadway musical about the homespun brandof hospitality Gander residents showed the stranded travellers that day in2001, Chet and Millie returned to Newfoundland for a holiday in the summer of2019 and never went back. Their search for a place where they could live offthe grid turned up many nice spots around the province, and they finallysettled on a cozy saltbox-style house in the little seaside village of Daniel’sHarbour on the island’s west coast.

          Afew months later, justas the Covid-19 pandemic was taking hold around the globe, came an unexpectedbonus. The change of scenery had done the trick and Millie was pregnant. Asmiddle-aged flowerchildren who had all but given up on having kids of theirown, they were elated. They insisted on an all-natural home birth with a localmidwife, a harpsichord, two doves, and plenty of granola. And late in 2020, with the pandemic in fullswing, little Lizzie came to be. With the blessed arrival of their long-awaitedbaby daughter in an idyllic pastoral setting they had both been dreaming aboutsince the sixties, they were all set to start living happily ever after.

          Thatwas almost seven years before The Announcement.

 

         

Lizzie shifts around in her chair,belaboring yet another sigh as Donnie sniffs and snarks his way across a roomlittered with shadows and random pieces of trash. Barefoot, scratching his assthrough grimy gray sweatpants, shuffling through a dank stench that no longerregisters, he kicks an oil-stained cardboard box aside and stands before thewindow. Raising both arms, he slaps his palms flat on the glass and allowshimself to look out at it again. Fuck.

Over just a few days, less than amonth ago, the day sky went from bright candy apple red to a dull flat crimson,progressively more blood-like in color and texture. All that week it had beenstreaked with black clouds, scattered, stretching across the sanguinestratosphere like random lines scrawled on a bloody page. He realizes that overthe last three days it has been changing even more rapidly, and this evening ithas taken on an ominous shade of reddish purple that seems to be deepeningbefore his eyes.

          Thehorizon has been virtually imperceptible for weeks, ever since the last torridwave came through, smelting another ungodly layer of death upon death. Now itis just a fuzzy white band of sickening haze that is becoming hazier with eachpassing day. He can see it through the rippling sheets of heat rising from thetoxic soup that surrounds what is left of their shrinking, otherworldly pieceof wasteland. There is still some difference between night and day, but notenough to matter much to anyone, and it has been a long time since anybodycould go outside and expect to come back. Daytime is dark, the night slightlydarker, both somehow strangely backlit. They sleep during the day, leaving thechallenge of conscious awareness for the night when it is harder to see what’shappening outside.

          Acrossthe globe the atmosphere is steadily breaking down, increasingly irradiated, nolonger a sufficient UV filter for earthly life. With no real polar ice capsleft to deflect the sun’s lethal rays, the Earth is superheating, and it is sohot now that its axis poles are just beginning to shift, with widespreadseismic consequences. Volcanic activity has been rising sharply, and evenlong-dormant volcanos are becoming reactivated. Earthquakes flourisheverywhere, triggering each other, setting off unprecedented chain reactions inthe equatorial regions, the so-called “Ring of Fire” around the Pacific nowliterally so and visible from space. Thick, merciless waves of impossible heat aresweeping indiscriminately across the world, and dense clouds of radiation havestarted to form and maraud around the planet, riding the wind-driven airmasses, poisoning what little there is left to poison.

Looking out on the relative calm ofwhat was once the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Donnie is starting to worry about thechanges in the horizon and sky of late. He thinks about the sickening walls of evermore toxic heat that have been passing over them in recent weeks, six now byhis count. The first five were so slow they didn’t see them approach, insteadgradually feeling them by the noticeable rise in the units’ temperature. But heremembers that the last one was moving much faster than the others; this timethey could see it coming, and it was thicker, almost opaque. He knows it isonly a matter of weeks, maybe days, before the worst of it finally gets aroundto the North Atlantic and finishes them too, taking all they’ve ever known andall they’ve ever been...

Thank you for being our guest this week, Jeff. Wishing you continued success.

And thank you to our visitors and readers. Don't be shy. We'd love to hear from you. 

The Story Behind the Story with Teresa LaBella of Nova Scotia, Canada.

 

Imet Teresa at the GMRD Book Fair in April of this year and she has kindlyaccepted my invitation to be this weeks guest.

Sheshares the SBTS and an excerpt from her newest novel. Read on, my friends.

 

 

 

Teresa LaBella grew up in Davenport, Iowa where the MississippiRiver runs east to west. The people she interviewed as a journalist and met inher work in the arts and with nonprofits coloured her future fiction writingcanvas and sharpened her love for telling a good story.  Teresa published her first contemporaryromance novel in 2013 and jumped genres with the publication of Danger Noted,her first novel in The UnMatchables romantic suspense series. The author’slatest release, Danger Revealed, published by Purple Porcupine Publishing ofHalifax, is the second case for private investigator partners Eddie Emerson andKelly Gillespie. Capital Strings, the author’s uniquely Canadian politicalthriller set in Ottawa, published in April 2021.  Teresa chose Canada in August 2019 andresides in Nova Scotia with her rescue fur baby family Rosie and Ellis.

 

 

Working Title: Danger Revealed

 

 

Synopsis: Displaced by force. Haunted by their past. Fear for the future. 

Tori Deane gets no answers from the Canadian consulate when herdiplomat lover Lucas Dominguez goes missing. Chicago police won’t help her. TheUnMatchables private investigators Eddie Emerson and Kelly Gillespie are Tori’slast hope. 

Eddie and Kelly uncover evidence that Lucas has returned to thecountry of his childhood that was ripped apart by the Dirty War. Anundeliverable money order sent to Buenos Aires from a bodega in a neighbourhoodKelly dreads may be the lead they need to heat up a cold case. 

The danger revealed points to the sordid underworld of humantrafficking ruled by a ruthless crime boss who hides his past behind an alias.Argentine refugee Rayen Vasquez is desperately seeking a way out and away fromOctavio Hernandez, aka Otto Hermann, that only Lucas can give her. 

 

Time isn’t on The UnMatchables side. 

Canada has deployed an elite law enforcement team with orders torecover their diplomat. Chicago PD has spread a wide net to snare smugglers andcripple illegal transport of guns, drugs and people.

Hermann is on the run. His reason for keeping Rayen alive is aboutto expire.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: Thetragedy of human trafficking was brought home to my Iowa hometown while I wasworking as a freelance journalist covering county government. The busiest truckstop along Interstate 80, which moves traffic across the U.S. from Boston toSan Francisco, is located in Walcott, Iowa. The series of articles I wrote frominterviews with local police, politicians, business owners and victimadvocates, as well as a documentary produced on the victims trafficked fromIowa to Chicago, inspired the story of Rayen. Reading My Father’s Ghost isClimbing in the Rain, a novel by Patricio Pron, prompted my interest andresearch into the Dirty War in Argentina. The horrors and atrocities of humanrights abuse, past and present, became linked in the layers of plot and peoplestruggling to connect and make sense of it all in Danger Revealed.

 

 

 

 

A couple questions before you go, Teresa:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfectsetting you have, or desire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee ortequila?  Neat or notes everywhere?

 

Teresa: My home office is my haven. I’vesurrounded myself with photos and personal memento reminders of my life and theloves in it. The piles are neat and the notes are many but I pride myself onbeing organized as it bothers me to waste valuable time searching for what Iwant or need to find. Quiet usually works best but if I do choose music, it’sinstrumental smooth jazz or easy listening, like Enya. To drink: coffee in themorning, herbal tea in the afternoon and a glass of wine in the evening.

 

Scribbler: What’s next for Teresa LaBella,the Author?

 

Teresa: WhileI strive to write all of my books to be read as a stand alone novel, each iscreated as an intentional part of a series. My romance novels are the McKennafamily saga that begin with the older woman/younger man romance of AlisonClarke and Darien McKenna in New York City, continue in the fictional smalltown of Harmony, Iowa and complete the trilogy with the tale of Darien’sdaughter Marisa in Scotland. The UnMatchables romantic suspense series set inChicago and the Canadian-based political thriller series are connected throughthe character of diplomat Lucas Dominguez. I’m currently writing the secondnovel in the political thriller series. Plot ideas and working titles for books3 and 4 in The UnMatchables series are in development. I enjoy building a bodyof work so that I can reveal more of the characters’ backstories and facets oftheir personalities and give readers more reasons to care about the situationsand relationships that I create.

 

 

An Excerpt from Danger Revealed

 

 

The Camaro skidded sideways and jumped the curb. A front tireblew. The side of Cecily's car missed an unforgiving impact with a fire hydrantby inches. 

The black sedan copied the spin and circled back on a parallelcourse. "Get down!" Cecily grabbed Eddie's shoulders. The Camaroquivered with the shot buried in metal above the rust in the rear wheel well.The car rocked with the whoosh of squads speeding past in pursuit of the sedan. 

Cecily peeked cautiously over the dashboard and turned the key inthe ignition. The engine shut down with a shudder. 

Eddie didn't move. "Is the coast clear?" 

Cecily looked out and around into the eerie calm. Anyone who mayhave been out on the street or sidewalks had apparently taken cover. Sheholstered her sidearm and sat up. "Appears so." She jumped at the tapon the glass next to her right ear. A colored strobe flashed in the darkness.The face in the window belonged to an EMT. "Everybody OK in there?"the medic asked. 

"I am." She poked Eddie. "You OK?" 

"Yeah. I think so." He straightened and frowned."But I really need to change my boxers.”

 

 

 

 

Thanksfor being our guest this week, Teresa. The excerpt certainly caught myattention. Wishing you continued success with your writing.

 

 

Anda Humongous thank you to all our visitors andreaders.

The Story behind the Story with Author & Motivational Speaker Karen Dean of Halifax, NS, Canada.

 

I had the pleasure of meeting Karenat the Great Moncton Riverview & Dieppe Book  Fair in April of this year and she kindlyaccepted my invitation to be our guest this week.

 I’m sure you’llenjoy reading her Story Behind the Story.

Read on, my friends.

 

 

 

Resilience Expert, Inspiring Speaker, Fierce Leader, Bestselling Author,Entrepreneur, Mentor, Mom, Survivor, Advocate, Limit-Pusher

Karen is an incredible motivational speaker who brings audiences through her own personal stories of resilience and inspires with an amazing sense of positivity.

Recognized by the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards as a Nominee four times, Karen has operated successful businesses in many different industries for over 25 years. She has been a mentor to women in business throughout her career and has been mentored by some incredibly accomplished businesswomen. In 2020, she was honoured with the QueenPin Award by QueenPins Halifax for her commitment to improving her community.

Karen has published two books to date:

We Are Unbreakable: Raw, Real Stories of Resilience from Women in Nova Scotia in 2020 is a compilation book sharing inspiring stories from 22 women.

Fierce & Fabulous: A Self-Love Journal which provides readers with a daily practice to reconnect to their inner self and become even more successful.

Karen’s messages spring from a mountain of lived experience, and she is passionate about her mission to help people reboot their resilience and live their best life, personally and professionally, a purpose she lives in her own life every day.

 

Working Title: We Are Unbreakable: Raw, Real Stories of Resilience from Women in Nova Scotia in 2020

 

 

Synopsis: We Are Unbreakable: Raw, Real Stories of Resilience is a collection ofauthentic and inspiring stories about the unprecedented year of 2020 written by22 incredible women who call Nova Scotia home. 

In these powerful stories, you will findexamples of struggle, strength, togetherness and, mostly, of resilience asthese remarkable women, from many different age groups and walks of life, sharetheir experiences of living, working, running businesses and parenting througha global pandemic, along with a year of horrific tragedies that rocked theentire province of Nova Scotia in so many ways. 

A portion of the proceeds from this book will establish a bursary program aimedat women in rural Nova Scotia who have overcome adversity and barriers topursue their education and who demonstrate the qualities of resiliency andstrength that are captured in the pages of this book.  

Contributors to this book include: Amy Hill, Amy VanderHeide, AngelaMercer-Penny, Carley Gloade, Colleen O'Dea, Diane Muise, Emily Kierstead,Ifeoma Esonwune, Josie Ryan, Karen Dean, Lisa Drader-Murphy, Margaret Miller,Michele Tessier, Miriah Kearney, Mounfiq Abu, Nancy Regan, Nikki Porter, RobinLegge, Sam Madore, Sarah Stewart-Clark, Tanya Priske, Tracy Stuart

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: We Are Unbreakable was born as a distractionto take my mind off of the fact that my 19-year-old son was going throughtreatment for a rare and aggressive form of cancer.  Because he was technically considered anadult, and due to Covid restrictions, I was not permitted to go into thehospital with him for most of his appointments. As I sat in the hospital parking lot, I contacted as many women as Icould think of who might have a story to share and asked them to contribute tothis book.  Forty-one days after Ithought of the idea, I had my first self-published book, the day after my sonturned 20, which went on to become an Amazon and a Canadian bestseller.

Ithink that the stories of what we all had to deal with as we lived through thepandemic are so important to share.  Ihope that future generations read this book and gain a little perspective on howthings were for us, and I hope that they never have to experience it as we did.

 

 

Website:  www.KarenDeanSpeaks.com

 

Aquestion before you go, Karen:

Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, or desire, foryour writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or notes everywhere?

 

The perfect setting for me to write would be uninterrupted on my deckoverlooking the river in my backyard, or, better yet, a writing shed right onthe banks of the river.  The only noisewould be the sound of the river and whatever other sounds nature happened to makeat the time.  My drink of choice iseither ice water or Pepsi (I am not a coffee or an alcohol drinker).  And I would say that my writing style is acombination of neatness and notes everywhere. I think that the best description would be organized notes everywhere.

 

 

 

Thanks for being our guest this week,Karen. Wishing you continued success with your projects, writing and otherwise.

 

And another BIGthank you to our visitors and readers.