STORYWORLD

It's that time of year when you're stretched out on your deck, patio, the beach, by a lake or river or at the park taking in the sunshine. Cold drink to your right, healthy snack (chips contain Vitamin C, don't they?) to your left, and a magical book in your hands. Summer is the time for a novel you can't put down - or only put aside long enough to go for a dip to cool down or share a glass of wine and lunch or dinner with friends and family. Summer is the time when you lie in bed, windows open, warm night air blowing the curtains and the moon shining down on your book. Imagination runs wild on warm summer nights, maybe bringing back memories of some long-forgotten night in your life. Here's a few books that will thrill you in different ways - maybe even make you shiver! But they'll certainly draw you quickly into their world. A MAN CAME OUT OF A DOOR IN THE MOUNTAIN by Adrianne Harun Set in isolated British Columbia this beautifully written,...

After a short break from blogging, I'm finally back to let you know that I haven't actually gone missing in action. I'm still writing - at least trying hard to finish the first draft of my new novel, a suspense/thriller set in Minneapolis. These months of close family celebrations have made me really appreciate how fortunate I am to be part of a stable, loving family network. That isn't the case for many children. The main character in this story is a survivor of the foster care system, and while I must say that many children who go into foster care enjoy the warmth and security of some very good homes, there are far too many who endure years of abuse, neglect and impermanence which leaves them deeply traumatized and unable to form lasting relationships later on in their lives. While doing the research for this novel I read many disturbing reports, both from Canada and the US. One quote really stood out to me, from a survivor of multiple foster homes: Even tho...

Sorry for the delay in bringing you the next five great books to read, but here they are in all their glory. I've featured more mystery/suspense stories because that's exactly what I'm in the midst of writing myself. More news to follow on that later. But I certainly hope there's one here that you'll enjoy! LITERARY MYSTERY/SUSPENSE ELIZABETH IS MISSING by Emma Healey. This debut novel became an international bestseller and it's easy to see why. With a brilliantly original premise, precise and detailed characterization and lovely, perceptive language, this book is difficult to put down. Its central character is Maud. In her late eighties, she's physically mobile but forgetful, confused and suffering the onset of dementia. She makes a cup of tea and forgets to drink it, goes to the store and can't remember why she's there - usually returning with cans of tinned peaches. Daily visits from carers and her daughter allow her to live at home, but ...

Since I read on average about two books a week, I thought it was time to recommend some reads to all of you out there who enjoy a good story. I've sorted them into categories so I hope there's something for everybody. You can find these books on all the online retailers as well as the bookstores. Check them out! THRILLERS AND SUSPENSE STARTED EARLY, TOOK MY DOG by Kate Atkinson I've read some great literary novels by Kate Atkinson but had no idea she wrote crime fiction until I found this book. If you love Robert Galbraith's crime series you'll love Kate Atkinson who writes with the same humour, sly wit and unflinching eye for detail in this story featuring main characters who are basically likeable loners and quirky misfits. Tracy Waterhouse, ex-cop now head of mall security, sets out on what she thinks is a typical routine day. Along the way she makes a decision that will change the entire course of her life and turn it upside down. Witnesses to the eve...

I couldn't let this week slip by without paying tribute to Bowie. From the moment I first saw him on BBC TV in 1970 (check it out here ), I knew he was no ordinary musician. Then when he moved from one incarnation to another, I realized this guy was a trailblazer, a true rebel, a total artist. During my university years in the early 70's, Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars and Aladdin Sane were all must-have albums and Jean Genie was a dance anthem for 70's students keen for something different after the '60's diet of The Beatles, The Stones and various flower power sounds. Bowie promised something futuristic. A glimpse into bold new worlds, a blurring of gender lines, a complete and total integration of fashion, art and music. My favourite song of his was definitely Life on Mars. W ords like: See the mice in their million hordes,  From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads were  a plaintive yet truthful commentary on creeping commercialism. Check ...

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...