Blog
Sightseeing, shopping snacking and more: Celebrating a mini vacation
English Rose had a school holiday earlier this month so we spent a long weekend in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, forty-five minutes by car from where we live. Although we visit Ottawa every few months, it’s usually for medical appointments, brunch with family,...
Celebrating grandmothers
Earlier this week, English Rose bounced into the house with the kind of teenage excitement usually reserved for a meme, ‘tea’ (gossip between friends), or afternoon at the mall. “Look what Grandma J gave me,” she said, gesturing to the colourful bracelet on her...
My life in laundry
As you may have seen on Twitter, Tech Guy and I got a new washing machine last week. Not only did it mark a milestone in my complicated relationship with laundry but, and in a clear indication of advancing middle age, few things in recent years have brought me so much...
Why do I write?
In a Facebook group this week, another writer asked: “Why do you write?” While the answer is different for each writer, the question made me think about the constants from when I first started my writing journey—enthusiastic and starry eyed—through to now—still...
Hunkering down for winter
I grew up in a Canadian city (profiled in a documentary “Colder Than Mars”) that is either celebrated, or depending on your perspective, reviled for the harshness of its winter weather. Now I live near a place that this week garnered the dubious distinction as the...
A year to cultivate
In the past few weeks, my social media feeds have been dotted with posts from those who have chosen a particular word to guide them through 2019. I’ve chosen a ‘word for the year’ since 2014 (read more here), and because I don’t usually make resolutions (and never in...
A world of kindness
Several weeks ago, and to celebrate the first birthday of Back Home at Firefly Lake, I offered a giveaway on my Facebook author page. For a chance to win a signed paperback and holiday ornament, I asked my readers to leave a comment about a random act of kindness...
Take two characters: From Back Home at Firefly Lake to The Blue Castle (& a giveaway too)
This week, I celebrated the first birthday of Back Home at Firefly Lake, the third book in my Firefly Lake series—books that blend contemporary romance with women's fiction and take place in a small Vermont town. As part of this celebration, I've written a guest...
Home is where you make it
From tea in my favourite mug to so much more, I'm a homebody. After many moves and other travel, I draw strength and comfort from living in a place where my roots run deep, and in a home where I'm surrounded by pictures, furniture, china, and family memories going...
Photo by Robin Spencer, Spencer Studio