stillpoint

musings from Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington ... home of The Write Spot

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

cat wisdom...


Sam the Cat found me nearly fifteen years ago in a PetSmart store. I was there to buy birdseed. He was all alone in the cat enclosure. A yearling boycat with strange markings and a scarred ear, he was the only moggy still homeless after a week-long Humane Society adoption fest.

Our eyes met.

I smiled.

He meowed.

I crouched to say hello.

Yowling, he launched himself into my arms, his message crystal clear: "Get me out of here!"

I've been doing Sam's bidding ever since, and he has repaid me by sharing nuggets of catly wisdom. Here are just a few of the many lessons I've learned.


1. Be curious.

















2. Curiouser and curiouser.

















3. Eat healthy.

















4. Don't over-indulge. (Everything is good in moderation.)

















5. Comfortable shoes are best.

















6. Friends appreciate a helping hand. (They may not know it, but they do.)

















7. Be persistent.  (Persistence often pays off with a treat.)




















8. Get plenty of sleep.

















9. Remember to wash your behind your ears.

















10. Go outside!

















11. Stay warm.



12. We all need a little personal time. Savour it.

















13. Ponder the great mysteries of life.


14. Practice patience. It's not easy being green, but count to ten before you freak out over the stupid Kermit hat. (Then go ahead and freak out. People remember and will never try such a silly thing again.)

















15. Stretch often.

















16. Read widely.

















17. Appreciate your friends. (Hi, Jay!)


18. Play!


19. Think outside the box. Because, of course, the cat is in the box, so there's no room for you there. (This applies to all boxes.) (Also, always recycle.)


20. Enjoy life. Every little sunbeam is a gift.




















stillpoint is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington

  

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Wednesday, February 17, 2016

The Write Spot: Anne Cleeland


Welcome to the fifteenth edition of The Write Spot, a bi-weekly author series spotlighting the many and varied places where writers write.

My guest this week is author Anne Cleeland, who has generously offered to send a very special prize to one lucky reader of The Write Spot. Read on for details.

Anne Cleeland is a lifelong Southern California resident, and currently makes her home in Newport Beach. An attorney by trade, she's been reading mystery and romantic suspense since her Nancy Drew days, and especially loves Agatha Christie and the other Golden Age British mystery writers.  Her Acton and Doyle mystery series features two Scotland Yard detectives, and if you're a fan of Masterpiece Mystery, I think you'll enjoy this series.

Anne also writes historical fiction because she loves historical novels, too. Being a romantic at heart, all her stories have a strong romantic element.

She has four grown children, three wonderful grandchildren, and one nutty dog. This is Anne's Write Spot:


Tell us what makes this 'The Write Spot' for you.

I love sunlight!  I think I'm at my best when there's a lot of light in the room, so my desk is right against a large window that gets a lot of morning sun.   I love flowers, too, so I plant some flowers in the stand outside and change it up, depending on the season. (And note there is a pelican, too.)

Love the pelican! Other than your computer or laptop, what's the one thing you couldn't be without in your Write Spot?

Here's my Regency clock. When I'm not writing mysteries, I write historicals set in the Regency period (early 1800s) and when I was on a trip to London about four years ago, I walked past a clock shop, and saw this clock in the window. I had to use my "emergency" credit card to buy it, but it was worth every penny.  I love to think that I have something that dates all the way back to the era I write about.

What are you working on now?

I am serializing a historical on my website (for free!) and posting one chapter per week – I think we're up to chapter 26, now.  It's called The Bengal Bridegift.  Take a look: annecleeland.com.

I am also finishing up the fifth book in my Scotland Yard mystery series; it's called Murder in All Honour.  Hopefully, soon I will have a publish date for the fourth book, Murder in Containment.  I've had to change publishers, and so that's goofed up the schedule. I hear from a lot of impatient fans – sorry-sorry, everyone! 

Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

Please contact me on my website, I love to hear from readers! And I'm on Facebook and Twitter. For those of you interested in looking at sample chapters, here’s a link to my Amazon Author Central page.

Thanks so much for having me, Cheryl!

My pleasure, Anne. Thank you!

Available now: Anne Cleeland's captivating mystery series, following the perilous exploits of two Scotland Yard detectives as they track down London's most elusive killer. Giveaway! Anne will send the first three books in the series to one lucky reader of The Write Spot – details below.


First-year detective Kathleen Doyle and Chief Inspector Michael Sinclair, Lord Acton, are a most unlikely pair. An Irish redhead of humble beginnings and modest means, Doyle is the antithesis of Acton, the British lord who has established himself as a brilliant but enigmatic figure with a knack for solving London's most high profile homicides. But Acton senses something exceptional beneath Doyle's awkward naivete and taps her to help him with his investigations. And her spot-on intuition is just what he needs to solve a chilling string of murders.

When a horse trainer is found dead at a racetrack, Doyle and Acton begin interviewing witnesses and the victim's associates, but the killer continues to strike and they're left with more questions than answers. Their investigation is further muddled by their colleagues at CID Headquarters, whose career-driven jealousies and workplace blunders could jeopardize the case – and their nosing into the nature of Doyle and Acton's after hours relationship could lay bare the most classified information of all.

Perhaps the trainer was the target of a jilted lover on a killing spree. Or maybe the victims were collateral damage in a political coup gone awry. As the murders pile up, Doyle and Acton uncover something far more sadistic than they could have imagined, and now that they know too much, they'll find themselves squarely in the crosshairs of a cold-blooded killer.


Despite their investigative prowess, Chief Inspector Michael Sinclair, Lord Acton, and rookie detective Kathleen Doyle stir more than a few feathers at CID Headquarters when their relationship comes to light. But office politics quickly become trivial when a rash of underworld murders shatters London's normally austere facade. With a growing list of successfully solved cases to her name, the ever-dauntless Doyle shakes off the gossip and sets out to investigate the escalating turf war.

As the body count climbs, Doyle uncovers a seedy world where fractious members of the Russian mafia and an Irish terrorist group are fighting for control of a lucrative underground business. But their crooked deals and volleying acts of revenge are almost too much for Scotland Yard to keep up with, and when Doyle notices that Acton seems unusually troubled by the crimes, she begins to wonder what sparked the conflict in the first place.

Perhaps there's nothing more to the murders than under-the-table business dealings gone awry. Or perhaps a single act of vigilante justice fanned the flames that ignited a vicious turf war. As Doyle and Acton fight not to become the next victims, they'll find that the truth may be best left unspoken, and retribution may be best left to fate.


While Acton and Doyle, two of Scotland Yard's finest, pursue a self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner, Acton's own questionable methods may prove their undoing…

The victims are all criminals who eluded justice – until they ran afoul of an avenger whose modus operandi is a bullet to the back of the head. The key to the vigilante's identity lies in connecting the cold cases to an event that may have triggered retribution after all these years.

Meanwhile, Doyle finds herself shadowed by a mysterious figure. After the man steps forward to rescue her from harm, she wonders why he is invested in protecting her. But when she learns he's in contact with Acton's nemesis, she fears she’s being used in a plot against her husband.

The stakes are high, and both Doyle and Acton must work independently to outwit the players – before their lives are brought crashing down like a house of cards.

Giveaway!

Here's your chance to catch up on Anne Cleeland's wonderful Scotland Yard series before book four, Murder in Containment, is published! Anne has generously offered to send copies of the first three books in the series to one lucky reader of The Write Spot.

To be entered in the random drawing, just leave a comment* and be sure to include your e-mail address so I can let you know if you've won. 

My trusty sidekick, Sam the Cat, will help choose a winner when he wakes up next Wednesday morning – and we all know cats like to wake up verrrry early, so please leave your comment before 12:01 AM Eastern Time on February 24.



Good luck!

UPDATE: The giveaway has now ended. Congratulations to the lucky winner, Prentiss G!




About The Write Spot:
I've always been fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes. Whether it's backstage photos from my favourite play, a peek into the kitchen where a chef is working her culinary magic, or simply a glimpse through an uncurtained window into a stranger's private world, there's an undeniable thrill of discovery, a sense of secrets shared. It's no surprise, then, that I'm immensely curious about where other writers do their work. I've blogged about it before in this post about my own 'write spot' and so enjoyed the comments, I was inspired to launch a regular feature here at stillpoint. Watch for The Write Spot every other Wednesday and join me as I discover the many and varied places where writers write.



stillpoint is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington
  

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Wednesday, February 10, 2016

when the hand is dust...



On a table beside my bed there's a burled walnut box full of treasures. Not jewels or gold. These treasures are all about family. In fact, the box itself is a treasure. Made for my great-grandmother as a Christmas gift in 1867, it has been passed down from mothers to daughters and, over the years, lovingly filled with little pieces of our history.


Noble Dickenson was my great-grandfather and this is his "Sundries Book". Leather-bound, with a little brass clasp, the book measures just 2 by 3-1/2 inches. Noble carried it with him from 1868 to 1870 as he travelled, worked, and saved for his future.

The earliest entries in the little journal are almost completely illegible now – time has taken its toll on the "indelible" pencil lead. Most of the readable entries are Noble's accounting records, income, expenses, and lists. But there are also moments of observation that bring his world to life. 

On March 29th, 1870, he wrote: "Noticed the first bluebirds of the year today on our way to split up an elm tree we felled in James Will's wood. Joe and I. No robins as yet observed." It must have been a long, cold winter in Norwichville, Ontario.

A month later, another interesting entry: "Notes of our journey to the States, April 22nd, 1870. Left Norwichville on the morning of the 21st. Roads in a [...] state with snow. Got into Woodstock at 1 o'clock same day. Had dinner or supper of carrots and started for Detroit in the night at 1 o'clock. Got into Windsor at 8 in the morning and crossed the river right away on the boat. Staw (sic) in Detroit until evening. Got tics. on the 5 […] for [ ....]  Willy rather cross. I thought vegetation in general was farther advanced than in Canada. From Detroit to G. Haven, from G. Haven to Muskegon, from Muskegon per [...] to Frankfort."



I believe Willy was Noble's brother William … and I'd probably be rather cross, too, if dinner after a long day of travel turned out to be carrots. Just carrots! (That can't be right, but the word sure looks like carrots to me.)

By June 25th of 1870, the brothers had arrived in the thriving metropolis of Muscantine, Iowa.

Muscantine engraving, 1865, Barber and Howe, Public Domain

Noble wrote, "Bought pants at Silvermans, Muscantine" and went on to list his purchases. Apparently I come by my love of shopping honestly – this is quite a list. It's quite a hefty expenditure, too, at a time when his earnings averaged 75 cents a day.



After his five month, 2500 km (1600 mile) journey, Great grandpa Noble Dickenson returned to Norwichville (now known as Norwich), Ontario where he served the town as Post Master until October of 1886. He married great grandma Margaret Gainfort on March 5th, 1871 and together they raised a family of nine – three boys and six girls. According to family lore, Noble and Margaret first met via telegraph, making theirs one of the world's first "online" romances.

I'm smitten. The ancestry bug has bitten and I'm feeling the pull to discover more secrets from the past. There are plenty of clues and starting places hiding in the little treasure box beside my bed, so stay tuned for more. (And, yes, I am writing a story about Noble and Margaret's telegraph romance. How could I possibly resist?)

What have you discovered about your family history?



Wondering where you've heard that before? The title of this post is a quote from My Autograph by Susanna Moodie (1803-1885):

"What—write my name!
            How vain the feeble trust,
            To be remembered
      When the hand is dust—"



stillpoint is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington
  

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Wednesday, February 03, 2016

The Write Spot: Annelies Pool



Welcome to the fourteenth edition of The Write Spot, a bi-weekly author series spotlighting the many and varied places where writers write. 

My guest this week is Annelies Pool, a writer and editor in love with the stories, people and landscape of the Canadian North.

Born in The Netherlands, Annelies immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age and grew up in southern Ontario. She says she stumbled into a writing career when she arrived in Hay River, Northwest Territories, at the tail end of a cross-Canada hitchhiking journey.

With all her worldly possessions in a knapsack on her back, twenty-something Annelies was broke and in need of a job. This materialized as soon as the publisher of a community weekly newspaper, the Hay River Tapwe, found out she could type — all the qualifications necessary to be a reporter.

Annelies fell in love with writing about the North and never made it back to the road. She became well known as a northern journalist and freelance writer, serving as editor for a number of publications, including the Northern News Services newspaper chain in Yellowknife, and the inflight magazine, above&beyond, Canada’s Arctic Journal. She has published stories, columns and editorials in more than 30 periodicals and anthologies, and is a member of The Writer's Union of Canada.

A warm welcome, Annelies. Please tell us about your Write Spot.

I have an official study with a computer and all the other necessary accoutrements but I think of my writing space as free-floating. I like to work on my laptop all over the house but mostly in the living room with my feet up, looking out the window.


In the summer when the mosquitoes are not too bad, I may also write on the front porch or the back deck. This is all so I can pretend that I’m not really working but just goofing around on the computer. I have a strong inner critic and when it is particularly active, writing can be fraught with angst. If I can fool myself into thinking I’m not officially WRITING, the words flow better. Of course, this only works because I live in a quiet house with only one other person: my husband, Bill, with whom I like to spend many hours in companionable silence while I goof around on the computer.

Other than your computer or laptop, what's the one thing you couldn't be without in your Write Spot?

A window through which I can see at least one tree and a place nearby to walk in the woods. Let me explain:

Up until a few years ago, Bill and I lived in off-grid in a cabin in the woods at Prelude Lake, about 30 km outside of Yellowknife. Over the years, the wilderness that surrounded us became part of my writing life (many of the stories in my first book Iceberg Tea are about our life at Prelude). I only had to look out the window at the trees, rocks or passing wildlife to soothe my sensitive (over-sensitive?) writer's soul. After 22 years, we moved into Yellowknife because we no longer wanted to do the work required to live at Prelude (like drilling through four feet of ice at forty below to pump water). I have brought the spirit of the wilderness with me in my heart and whenever I look out and see a tree, I am reminded and inspired.  When I am stuck or writer's angst strikes me, I go for a walk in the woods and this is often where the right words find me. In fact, I think of the woods as part of my writing spot.

Annelies in the woods with her dog, Princess.

What are you working on now?

I have just completed my first novel, Free Love, the story of 30-year-old Marissa as she struggles to recover from alcoholism in Yellowknife. I have been working on this book on and off for ten years and I am thrilled to now be able to hold the finished product in my hand. But another novel beckons. I am about 60 pages into a book with the working title of All I Wanted was to Write a Love Story, which explores different versions of reality. I haven’t looked at it for a long time but I'm starting to hear it call . . .

Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

Readers can visit me online at www.anneliespool.ca and connect on social media at:

Twitter:    @AnneliesPool


Free Love by Annelies Pool is available now in paperback and as an ebook.

In the dead cold of a northern Canadian winter, 30-year-old Marissa finds herself in a detox centre, every bone in her body yearning for a drink. The only thing worse than drinking would be to return to the lonely hell of alcoholism. Free Love takes us into the heart of the recovery community in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, as Marissa struggles to find hope in a town that loves to party, where temptation and the beauty and danger of the northern wilderness are never far away.

Download an excerpt and order direct from the author or purchase Free Love at:






About The Write Spot:
I've always been fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes. Whether it's backstage photos from my favourite play, a peek into the kitchen where a chef is working her culinary magic, or simply a glimpse through an uncurtained window into a stranger's private world, there's an undeniable thrill of discovery, a sense of secrets shared. It's no surprise, then, that I'm immensely curious about where other writers do their work. I've blogged about it before in this post about my own 'write spot' and so enjoyed the comments, I was inspired to launch a regular feature here at stillpoint. Watch for The Write Spot every other Wednesday and join me as I discover the many and varied places where writers write.



stillpoint is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington
  

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