Well, here we are again. Another year is nearly over heralded by the coming of Christmas in a few days. Let’s take a step back and look at what is supposed to be a joyous time of the year. First, let me look at “shopping” which often turns out to be more of a chore than enjoyment. Watching folks rush around overcrowded shopping malls after driving around a half hour… Read More »CHRISTMAS 2022
Feeling rather philosophical lately. In a few weeks I will reach four score. I now completely understand when ‘old folks’ say, “how did I get this old this fast?” That cold draft I felt blowing across my shoulders was time! Time used to be an abstract but as the years flew by, the word ‘time’ took on an almost physical presence. As we age, we slowly begin to notice changes… Read More »A COLD DRAFT
Why not you? Why not me? If you think about it, many of us have experiences in our lives that are fascinating, scary or moments in time that teach us lessons. Often, these events are shared with those closest to us. For some folks, writing about them is a way of remembering. For many of us, unless we write things down, they disappear into the ozone layer never to be… Read More »WRITE? WHO? ME?
Several weeks ago I returned to “Newcombe” to visit the old village which was the background for both Emissary books. During the long Covid isolation, I began reading The Emissary and the Emissary’s Endgame and decided I needed to return to the village of all those childhood memories. We drove through “Newcombe” down the village’s main street and across the old steel bridge, before turning back. The old saying of… Read More »YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK — or can you?
As you can see by the titles of three of my novels: The Emissary, The Emissary’s Endgame and The Interloper, I have an interest in the supernatural or, perhaps in less dramatic terms, events that are unexplainable. My terrified characters are unwitting players in events not of their own making. In my novels, there are episodes that defy human logic and experience. Characters are forced to acknowledge the challenge to… Read More »The Supernatural
As I write this, the sun is shining and the temperature is a balmy 4C. Wind is picking up. We all know weather can change quickly and we will be plunged into cold wind, freezing temperatures (winter coat, hat and scarf, fuzzy gloves and warm boots weather!). Grey, scudding clouds suddenly cover the sun. But, no matter, we are used to winters. Many of us will bundle up and go… Read More »DECEMBER, AH BEAUTIFUL, UNPREDICTABLE DECEMBER
After writing The Emissary, I took another look at the character of Tony Charelle and his ability to travel through time. If evil could travel through time, why not the ordinary spirit? I began thinking about beliefs that encourage a belief in the soul/spirit being transported to another dimension upon death to a paradise, of sorts, I suppose, assuring people their soul/spirit never dies. These souls/spirits simply morph thereby giving… Read More »THOUGHTS ON WRITING THE INTERLOPER
Just a quick peek on the back of the cover of The Emissary and then I will go into a bit more background. So…. here I go. The Emissary takes place during WW2 and spans several generations. It is a supernatural/thriller/mystery. An emissary of Satan (Tony Charelle) visits the small village of Newcombe in south-western Ontario. His mission is to capture the soul of its minister, the Reverend Robert Whitehead.… Read More »THOUGHTS ON WRITING THE EMISSARY
We are still battling COVID and now are in our fourth wave of this pandemic. BIG SIGH! Really, what is there to say? Well, as it so happens, plenty! Let’s look at our leadership. COVID has pointed out the inability of our elected officials (leaders) to cope, or acknowledge the possibility of, a coming Canada-wide medical emergency. Despite events happening in countries around the world and scientists warning of a… Read More »MUSINGS DURING COVID – 4
CITIZENSHIP Citizenship, to me, means more than belonging to a country (and the benefits that go along with citizenship). I believe not only does a country have a duty to its citizens but we have a duty to our country and to people who live within our country. One aspect of citizenship is taking responsibility for our behaviour: our personal responsibility toward the health and welfare of others. Citizenship bestows… Read More »MUSINGS DURING COVID – 3