Blog
Endings and new beginnings
The leaves on the maple trees are changing from green to red, yellow, and orange here in the Rideau Valley, and as another summer transitions to autumn, endings and new beginnings are much on my mind. English Rose started high school this week, a major life milestone...
Kindness
As many of you know, "kindness" is my word for 2017. All too often, though, it can seem we're living in a world where kindness is in short supply. The global news headlines are almost unceasingly grim. My social media feeds catalogue ills large and small. And in my...
Sand between my toes & memories in my heart
Tech Guy, English Rose and I have been on holiday this week. After months of bouncing between writing deadlines (me), school and medical appointments (English Rose), and work in big-city Toronto and our small-town home (Tech Guy), we all needed time to stop, reconnect...
Celebrating my second book birthday: Summer on Firefly Lake
The second book in my Firefly Lake series, Summer on Firefly Lake, was published this week. It's the sequel to The Cottage at Firefly Lake and, although connected by the setting and some recurring characters, each book also stands alone. In Summer on Firefly Lake,...
Alone time
Like most writers, I'm an introvert. Although I can extrovert when I have to (at conferences and reader events, for example), I'm happiest living inside my head and need frequent alone time, preferably at home, to recharge before facing the world again. As I write...
Meet me at the diner: Susanna Bavin author of “The Deserter’s Daughter”
In this occasional series on my blog, I'm chatting with my friend Susanna Bavin, whose debut novel, The Deserter's Daughter, was published on June 22nd. Susanna and I are both members of the Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) in the UK. We met via Twitter and...
The women in my life
One of the reasons I write romantic women's fiction is because in addition to the central (and sometimes secondary) romance(s), readers find stories of hope and healing that explore aspects of women's lives—not only a loving partnership but personal growth through...
Life lessons from a dog
When I was living a life that didn't fit me, I thought about the one that would. The life I then imagined was bracketed by what I called "the three p’s" – porch, pooch and pickup truck. All three represented a more authentic way of living that was better aligned with...
Ice cream season is here!
As you may know, I like ice cream. Although I've indulged even when wearing my parka, it's summer when ice cream comes into its own as my treat of choice. Ice cream features in my two "summer" books. Strawberry Sensation has special memories for the hero and heroine...
Photo by Robin Spencer, Spencer Studio