STORYWORLD

I'd like to wish every reader a happy holiday season and I hope that wherever you are, the weather isn't too extreme, though some readers might be enjoying unseasonably balmy temperatures. Sadly that isn't the case where I live. Here's the scene from my front door this morning! It's going to be a truly white Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, I've been doing some research for my latest historical novel and I stumbled upon some really interesting info about the holiday season. I've focused specifically on the period in England after the Civil War that raged from 1642-51 between the Royalists - supporters of King Charles I - and the Parliamentarians, headed by Oliver Cromwell. The result in a nutshell? The Parliamentarians, with their "model army" led by brilliant soldier, Cromwell, prevailed and the King was arrested and subsequently beheaded on the 30th January, 1649 outside Whitehall Palace, London. Cromwell eventually became Lord Protector...

I'm delighted to let you know that I'll be releasing two new titles in the coming weeks, and just in time for the holidays. The first one is another literary/historical novel set in 1890's northern England. Only this time I've moved away from Durham and on to Cumbria and Yorkshire. A CREATURE OF FANCY, ( previously known as A Proper Lady) is set in the lovely market town of Kirkby Lonsdale with its breathtaking rural landscapes, praised by poet, John Ruskin. And the picturesque coastal town of Whitby with its brooding, ruined abbey sitting on the cliff top. The site where Bram Stoker's famous vampire, Count Dracula, landed on British soil en route from Transylvania.   Here's a quick blurb: Cumberland, England,1898. Orphaned farm girl, Bonita Salt longs for a glamorous life away from the drudgery of the pig pens. On the way to the swine market, she meets the elegant and mysterious Violetta de Vere and, lured by promises of luxury and fortune, leaves...

This year's Thin Air Writers' Festival showed yet again that there are so many talented writers in my home town of Winnipeg, Manitoba, as well as a multitude of avid readers who filled the various venues during festival week. So I thought I'd use this post to feature two nationally known local writers whose books I've recently read and enjoyed. I hope you'll be interested to read their books too or feature them as selections for your book clubs. AFTER LIGHT by  CATHERINE HUNTER Catherine Hunter I've long admired the poetry of Catherine Hunter whose anthologies, Lunar Wake and Lunar Heat, are among my all-time favourites. Now, after writing a successful string of mystery/suspense novels, Hunter, a University of Winnipeg professor, has turned her considerable talents to the creation of a lovely, compelling family saga. I n this sweeping family saga set in Ireland, New York and Winnipeg and spanning four generations of the Garrison family, Cathe...

On Sunday evening I just returned from the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Conference in Denver, Colorado. I have to say that this was one of the most inspiring conferences I've attended. The location was incredible - the Westin at Westminster - a beautiful hotel standing on the edge of a small lake with a backdrop of mountains in the distance. Writers of all types were there. From first-timers with a first novel in progress, to published authors - both indie and traditionally published. Since writing is such a solitary occupation, you can imagine how great it is to get together and finally talk with people who are in the same boat as you. Too often friends and family really can't identify with the writers' life, so it's great to get together and finally talk shop to someone who's interested! A wide array of workshops and presentations were available. It was valuable to hear first hand from agents and publishers about new trends in the publishing industr...

It seems the folks at ITV in the UK think the story of Mary Ann Cotton is as interesting as I do. They're starting to film a new 2-part period drama entitled DARK ANGEL , which will cover the story of Mary Ann Cotton and her crimes beginning at the period when she returned to the North East from Cornwall after losing the first of many children to disease or possibly at her own hand. Cotton is to be played by Joanne Froggatt of Downton Abbey fame, so this is a pretty high profile series. It's been filming in North Yorkshire and has just moved up to County Durham. I'll look forward to seeing the finished series. Joanne Froggatt looking a lot prettier than the real Mrs. Cotton After doing all the research and combing through numerous newspaper articles from the arrest and trial I feel I know this case really well. When I wrote THE SAVAGE INSTINCT, I was more interested in the impact of the case on Victorian society than to tell Cotton's actual story. That's ...

I'll have to admit I'm partial to reading stories that are scary, strange, magical or bizarre. My favourite childhood book was Alice in Wonderland . I love that off-kilter, slightly nightmarish world  that Alice discovered at the bottom of the rabbit hole and beyond the looking glass where nothing was as it seemed and weird happenings seemed suddenly logical. Or the magical world of C.S Lewis's Narnia series. After reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe I honestly hid myself in my parents' wardrobe and willed the wooden backing to dissolve and lead me to the snowy pathway where Mr. Tumnus waited by the lamp post. Later in life I discovered I wasn't a fan of hardcore horror. As a student I went to see The Exorcist and was so terrified I had to sleep on a friend's floor. I couldn't eat pea soup after that movie. When I read the book later I found it even more terrifying than the movie. I had a similar experience reading Bram Stoker's Dr...