tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31047977448397524222024-03-08T06:33:17.921-05:00Alison Bruce, Author, Editor, Graphic DesignEveryone has to start somewhere. I start with coffee.Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.comBlogger383125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-92181567737205764672023-09-15T21:08:00.001-04:002023-09-15T21:08:32.181-04:00Romantic Suspense and a Proceedural too (sort of)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7NHIo8IsbQhguG_dF_e5bsJC3Zs5ikr5qfk72Gc_2fD5Ycbp_YSK_yYCf4Pg5aZWL4WlHP1_Y-txi13o0gGloOflQr5otci9myyEtzSyKqRwwUCGpzQwub8UsvxFr6y1lJiBDnUiI9PXC4VoYoMj9DZ_qXiDX27tCqTTtCsKExitqxR0WMgALj4LsLM/s940/2023%20Sept%20FB%20Blast%20Animated%20-%20A%20Bodyguard%20to%20Remember.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7NHIo8IsbQhguG_dF_e5bsJC3Zs5ikr5qfk72Gc_2fD5Ycbp_YSK_yYCf4Pg5aZWL4WlHP1_Y-txi13o0gGloOflQr5otci9myyEtzSyKqRwwUCGpzQwub8UsvxFr6y1lJiBDnUiI9PXC4VoYoMj9DZ_qXiDX27tCqTTtCsKExitqxR0WMgALj4LsLM/w400-h335/2023%20Sept%20FB%20Blast%20Animated%20-%20A%20Bodyguard%20to%20Remember.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><div style="padding-bottom: 10.0px; text-align: Left; text-transform: uppercase;">Romantic Suspense</div><div style="color: #033bdb; font-family: Arial , Helvetica , sans-serif; font-size: 26.0px; padding-bottom: 10.0px; text-align: Left;"><strong>$0.99</strong></div><div style="padding-bottom: 10.0px; text-align: Left;"><a href="https://link.bargainbooksy.com/click/32723207.6664/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9kcC9CMDBSV0dWRjdDP3RhZz1iYnN5ZW1haWx3d20tMjA/5ced94c2fc942d3ada605c08Cf4351cde" target="_blank"><span style="color: #128abc; font-size: 19.0px;"><strong><u>A Bodyguard to Remember (Men in Uniform Book 1)</u></strong></span></a></div><div style="color: #435259; padding-bottom: 10.0px; text-align: Left;"><i>by Alison Bruce</i></div><div style="padding-bottom: 15.0px; text-align: Left;">Pru’s
problems become a lot more dangerous when she finds a dead man in her
house. Or a dead spy to be exact. Suddenly, a federal agent named David
Merrick shows up and whisks her and her kids into protective custody.
Pru has so many questions spinning through her brain she doesn’t know
where to begin. And why does Merrick have to be so damn sexy and
protective? </div><p>Romantic euspense is the best description of <b>A Bodyguard to Remember.</b> There romance, suspense, spies, children in danger, a heroine feeling like she's in the middle of a "Perils of Pauline" movie* and is trying to hold onto her sanity... so some humour too. All great ingredients of a Romantic Suspense.</p><p>Because of research I did for an earlier detective series (<b>Deadly Legacy</b> and <b>Deadly Season</b>), there is also an element of police procedural -- seen from the point of view of the victim of the crime. I won't say I didn't take a few liberties, especially when it came to national security, but even if they (CSIS and the RCMP) shared information with me, I would have had to fudge it. </p><p>In the end though, it's a romantic suspense.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>*I have never seen "The Perils of Pauline." I'm not THAT old. If you don't know the reference, Pauline would get into dire straights in her serialized movies. She'd be rescued by a hero, only to be left hanging from a cliff at the end of the episode so viewers would have to return to find out what happened. "Perils of Pauline" was one of, if not the first source of the term "cliff-hanger".</i><br /></p>Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-58645258775796207812023-03-13T00:06:00.002-04:002023-03-13T00:06:25.985-04:00Mark Break Breakdown<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiux2Q0VUh2tfaeDECyNBleLQ2DpiNv0GiYkwOaeW6zTQwGxpG0S0S96APA2Xwx7UAMNefHbE2zf2PWXXOQO4q9XINI99Jv0go_tOuFO1eTMV30aBLoBqOi1bzh59Iy31F6YzLkgWJ8t9wKFp6hFU4t-NKjN_lp1BX223jz7U6gqhTWsDMQoxWyrX-/s1800/2023-03-March-Break.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiux2Q0VUh2tfaeDECyNBleLQ2DpiNv0GiYkwOaeW6zTQwGxpG0S0S96APA2Xwx7UAMNefHbE2zf2PWXXOQO4q9XINI99Jv0go_tOuFO1eTMV30aBLoBqOi1bzh59Iy31F6YzLkgWJ8t9wKFp6hFU4t-NKjN_lp1BX223jz7U6gqhTWsDMQoxWyrX-/w640-h266/2023-03-March-Break.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p> March Break, 2023. My kids are grown so it only applies to me as I'm still working as a Crossing Guard. Only me in the house, that is. I shared the joy of school being out for a week with the kids going home on Friday.</p><p>Not having to get up early for a week gives me time to get over my annual grump about Daylight Savings Time. That's not easy. I was finally starting to get up in a bit of daylight and now it will be dark when my alarm goes off next Monday morning. My heart goes out to the commuters this week. <3</p><p>March Break is also a good time to do my taxes. I probably won't though. Or if I do, I'll leave it to the weekend. </p><p>To do my taxes I have to go through my paperwork. That isn't easy. I have two tiers to my desk, the work tier, where papers are organized into pocket folders and are mostly backed up digitally on my computer, and my personal tier. That consists of a bunch of envelopes roughly sorted by category, and a stack of papers to be filed. Who wants to face that during March Break?</p><p>What I should be doing is writing. That's the proper pursuit of an author who has had a rather long dry spell. So here I am. </p><p>It's a start.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-37003453407604248352022-09-08T00:26:00.001-04:002022-09-08T00:26:30.241-04:00Not My Baby Returns<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Yo0-8uescK1U5o52lPZVuI-2jrf75I3RiyvrRKxYg9BxwF-7xMqst3OGc_3VUVVih9qk2ZziZdOjufX_gvfAyp5qSUsN3sWpDcOqqdpSynHK-lbPLmANQvGHDXmeIAcplsBnLCD8Dr4/s1600/MS-Garden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Yo0-8uescK1U5o52lPZVuI-2jrf75I3RiyvrRKxYg9BxwF-7xMqst3OGc_3VUVVih9qk2ZziZdOjufX_gvfAyp5qSUsN3sWpDcOqqdpSynHK-lbPLmANQvGHDXmeIAcplsBnLCD8Dr4/s640/MS-Garden.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>
<i>Facebook suggested I share this link from 2019 so I thought I'd check it out since I couldn't remember what it was about. As it turns out, it's about me being quite insightful, I think. So, I'm rerunning the post. It's timely as I've been going through my forlorn Works In Progress with metaphorical pruning shears and, in some cases a leather gardening gloves to avoid the thorns. (Note that, I'm keeping in my unsolicited promotion of the CWC Awards of Excellence. It's that time of year.)</i><br /> </p><p>You'll often hear authors compare their books to their babies. I've done
it myself. Recently I gave a new writer a piece of editing advice that
put that notion out of my head.<br />
<br />
Think about the editorial process. Do we really want to compare that to
parenting? When our kids are young we might cut their hair, but we don't
rearrange their limbs or remove anything that can't grow back. We don't
mark them up with red pen...although sometimes we have to scrub off
whatever they've marked themselves up with. We love our children
unconditionally (or should) but that's an unhealthy relationship to have
with one's writing.<br />
<br />
Writing a novel is like planting a garden. Maybe you start with a plan,
or maybe you plant willy nilly. Either way, eventually you need to weed
and prune. You have to stand back and see if there are gaps that need
to be filled, or areas that need thinning out. And, even the most
beautiful flower might be in the wrong place. Maybe it can be moved, but
maybe it just has to be set aside for another garden.<br />
<br />
To be honest, I'm pretty laissez-faire about my actual garden. I try to
keep the noxious weeds out but, by this time of year, things have pretty
much gone wild. I save my ruthless culling (and some ruthless cunning)
for my writing. Later, if my editor wants me to cut more, I'm better
prepared. I don't take it as a personal attack (most of the time),
because the manuscript isn't my baby. It's my work. And I want my work
to be the best I can do.<br />
<br />
<i>Question: If writing a novel is like planting a garden, is a hanging planter the equivalent to a short story?</i></p><p><i> </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PlhvgY41kLwQ3qf-eCJc0ObPntB5b2-yesb_Gko4hv-pNCIwFjI67wOHaUP75FhAUDFCvHzJDmlumUAyiA5ueuDPoMtnr7FbTIYnUUnoRGSScSn0FNXq7lsS5d3l4s-bAQtpQ4oLBcnVkY-yFwFG0gWXC6zuTtyARhAh80sm3ucfJ0nzY-WUtL1O/s900/CWC-AE-Make-Your-Mark-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PlhvgY41kLwQ3qf-eCJc0ObPntB5b2-yesb_Gko4hv-pNCIwFjI67wOHaUP75FhAUDFCvHzJDmlumUAyiA5ueuDPoMtnr7FbTIYnUUnoRGSScSn0FNXq7lsS5d3l4s-bAQtpQ4oLBcnVkY-yFwFG0gWXC6zuTtyARhAh80sm3ucfJ0nzY-WUtL1O/s320/CWC-AE-Make-Your-Mark-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i> </i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Everything you need to know is here: </span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/awards/submissionrules"><b>www.crimewriterscanada.com/awards/submissionrules</b></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
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<br /><br />Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-3487871007345396192022-07-16T19:18:00.002-04:002022-07-16T19:18:31.674-04:00Memories of a Coffee Drinker<p> </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwr00lKODubwx8Fd4IorjG6eg4JpmQcNR2yebi_pNyM1P89UjPQ7tvFwIOVWTiYFYAOvjY-VzTj72hI8tIZUhSXKkjnzWC7g72YCFlcWAXdntfbYLtoL6yvVQoH5tZmpOo3Qsn2iWySzm8NvfVpH-mhUAO-VOZR6gKOSmNHziPvcYyq0KFDYBUGhX9/s1080/2022-07-CoffeeTales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1080" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwr00lKODubwx8Fd4IorjG6eg4JpmQcNR2yebi_pNyM1P89UjPQ7tvFwIOVWTiYFYAOvjY-VzTj72hI8tIZUhSXKkjnzWC7g72YCFlcWAXdntfbYLtoL6yvVQoH5tZmpOo3Qsn2iWySzm8NvfVpH-mhUAO-VOZR6gKOSmNHziPvcYyq0KFDYBUGhX9/w640-h446/2022-07-CoffeeTales.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I didn't start drinking coffee until I left home.</p><p>My mother would have been the first to admit that brewing coffee wasn't her forte. She only pulled out the percolator for parties when, by the time coffee was being served, the guests were too drunk to care.</p><p>Day to day, Mum and Dad drank instant.</p><p>Weak instant.</p><p>I didn't start drinking coffee until a friend brewed up camp coffee you could practically stick a spoon up in. Did I enjoy it? Not really. But it hit a spot, on a cold north Alberta night, that needed hitting.</p><p> But there's another reason I might have been hesitant to drink coffee.</p><p>When I was growing up, we had a station wagon that had a mattress fitted to the back for my sister and I to lie out on. I do mean fitted. It was shaped around the wheel wells. Dad made it for a camping trip to Mexico the winter my sister and I had Whooping Cough. Later we'd use the mattress to go on long trips and to go to the drive-in.</p><p>Back then you paid per car and there were no seat belt laws. To save more money, Mum would pack a picnic dinner, soft drinks for my sister and I, and a thermos of coffee for Dad and herself. If we were REALLY lucky, we'd be allowed to go to the snack bar for an ice cream sandwich.</p><p>My sister would fall asleep before the main attraction started. I usually stayed awake, but my father often dozed off. There was always one cup of coffee saved for the trip home to wake him up.</p><p>Now Dad never had much of a sense of taste until he stopped smoking. When we took hot drinks on the road, he could drink half my tea before passing me back a cooled mug of his coffee. Even so, he noticed that this coffee was a bit off. </p><p>"Did you notice the coffee tasted a bit funny, Jo?"</p><p>I don't know what the answer was. I only know the question because that's how Mum related the story later. We got home. Mum rinsed out the thermos and a dead mouse fell into the sink. Mum says she screamed and I believe her.<br /></p><p>Later, when I became a coffee drinker, I'd offer to make brew the coffee in the morning when I went home to visit. </p><p>"No really, Mum. I don't mind at all."<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-63182772107479537942021-09-25T20:08:00.000-04:002021-09-25T20:08:04.617-04:00Coming Out of Hibernation<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee7CwEqH_LzfKBUdWaRUHMQpFjkhUGuXuwIXv5g2MNBF19DOH_xZmCpwfppxat0bjxfmbSXClemgiOEZFlJ57m9EVBQgBdKqVbZjl85gAblRUImRdsp3jDwRYQKGrAa1fx2uM3oeH7NA/s1801/2021-Hibernation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="763" data-original-width="1801" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee7CwEqH_LzfKBUdWaRUHMQpFjkhUGuXuwIXv5g2MNBF19DOH_xZmCpwfppxat0bjxfmbSXClemgiOEZFlJ57m9EVBQgBdKqVbZjl85gAblRUImRdsp3jDwRYQKGrAa1fx2uM3oeH7NA/w640-h272/2021-Hibernation.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> 25 September 2021<p></p><p>I feel like I've been in hibernation all summer. Between the COVID and the wildfires, I haven't been able to go out much. If the air quality didn't keep me in, the heat did. And COVID kept me away form the places I would normally have gone to cool off outdoors.<br /></p><p>After Labour Day, I had to come out of my cave. </p><p>As well as being an author and Executive Director of Crime Writers of
Canada, I'm an Adult School Crossing Guard. In the last two years I've
spent more time off the corner than on. Usually the hard part about returning to the corner after summer is getting used to holding my arms out and walking back and forth and back and forth. This year that was easy. This year it was being out in the sun that was tough. It was exhausting.<br /></p><p>Now I can handle the sun (for an hour at a time) but I'm not sure about stores. I haven't been in a store bigger than our local pharmacy in eighteen months.</p><p>That will be my next hurdle.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-17098008491399496432020-04-28T03:02:00.000-04:002020-04-28T03:02:25.703-04:00Are you bored yet?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdW_S8vot_7bUwCEOLilardrhDN6uoPm9Nq0hDCw5HXeqYtKNiKuEuuUdofh5tLAvyJDRedtPqLhKnPjBgNQmOb125yEh_5eRkJi4xJZdUjeF75Pc3uF0P554eErrUY17XfiWFc4_hlw/s1600/2020-R3-A+Course.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdW_S8vot_7bUwCEOLilardrhDN6uoPm9Nq0hDCw5HXeqYtKNiKuEuuUdofh5tLAvyJDRedtPqLhKnPjBgNQmOb125yEh_5eRkJi4xJZdUjeF75Pc3uF0P554eErrUY17XfiWFc4_hlw/s640/2020-R3-A+Course.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
We can save lives by staying home and following the health guidelines. But how do we stay sane?</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
Well, I was talking about this very subject with my good friend Melodie Campbell. We were on the phone, of course. These days we only get to see each other via Zoom. But that's okay because neither of us wants to be a COVID-19 statistic. </div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
Melodie is the author of the bestselling Goddaughter series. <i><b>The Goddaughter in Vegas</b></i> has just been shortlisted for an Arthur Ellis Award. Her other job is teaching. Without further ado, I'll turn this over to her:</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
Got time on your hands? CRAFTING A
NOVEL at Sheridan College is ONLINE for this term only! You can
take it from anywhere in Canada. Starts week of May 12.<br />
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
This is a 14 week writing bootcamp for
people who are serious about writing popular novels. We cover
plot, conflict, viewpoint, characterization, motivation, dialogue,
openings, endings, show not tell, weaving in backstory, and all
the basics of novel writing. Learn what a novel *is*, what the
requirements are for all the genres, and lots more, including
building tension and atmosphere. We also cover how to write your
elevator pitch, query letter, synopsis, and the business of
writing.</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
<br />
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
Prof: Melodie Campbell, award-winning
author of 16 books and over 50 short stories.<br />
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
<br />
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
Link:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://caps.sheridancollege.ca/products/LITT70001__CraftingANovel.aspx">https://caps.sheridancollege.ca/products/LITT70001__CraftingANovel.aspx</a><br />
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">
<br />
</div>
Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-51261043368373209492020-04-04T16:40:00.002-04:002020-04-04T16:40:33.993-04:00Twenty seconds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvouvTdFBTgce0Ey8V3xv4v55O01-VAnnouzseMbyQfme5WszNveB1Z21sSR7eDErzNwhb3UnY8EvA97SRN-CvkzDTRDcykG7HHr8oDLUhjCjNeWoU9V15sxWMN_TC3UVHuQvg3bT7gHE/s1600/2020-Double-double.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvouvTdFBTgce0Ey8V3xv4v55O01-VAnnouzseMbyQfme5WszNveB1Z21sSR7eDErzNwhb3UnY8EvA97SRN-CvkzDTRDcykG7HHr8oDLUhjCjNeWoU9V15sxWMN_TC3UVHuQvg3bT7gHE/s640/2020-Double-double.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Are you tired of singing "Happy Birthday" twice, every time you wash your hands? </span></b><br />
<br />
For me, that got old pretty fast.<br />
<br />
I've been humming the "Chicken Song". Then, last night, another timing rhyme came to mind (see above). The problem was, I wasn't firm on the words after "In the cauldron boil and bake."<br />
<br />
Naturally, I Googled it. Then an image sprang to mind and you can see the result.<br />
<br />
So, how do you time yourself when you wash your hands?<br />
<br />
Stay healthy. Stay Safe.<br />
AlisonAlison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-47787082486318460202020-03-20T00:27:00.003-04:002020-03-20T00:28:53.259-04:00Keep Your Stick on the Ice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJNdVf-JiV4wE0i4b9PEW0lRa4QCJ9oUio5RxIkgVmbkvMXnNWVZu44NMIXUA6FS3nnh_u60J3LVKUmYebCFi5qPn3lP7dt1TC-DVF5_mhSjdHdMUiUlHmdehs_kJFbPsGTRv4ToQDLY/s1600/2020-COVID-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJNdVf-JiV4wE0i4b9PEW0lRa4QCJ9oUio5RxIkgVmbkvMXnNWVZu44NMIXUA6FS3nnh_u60J3LVKUmYebCFi5qPn3lP7dt1TC-DVF5_mhSjdHdMUiUlHmdehs_kJFbPsGTRv4ToQDLY/s640/2020-COVID-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
According to the Urban Dictionary, the phrase "Keep your stick on the ice" has two meanings: <br />
<ul>
<li>"First, be ready for anything. Hockey is fast and the difference in a one-goal game could be the result of your stick placement (applies to everyone, goalies included). </li>
<li>"Second, chill out; keep it simple. It can be easy to over-complicate things and to try too hard when you get into a slump. Don’t over-think it; just keep your stick on the ice and things will work themselves out."</li>
</ul>
I only played ice hockey once as a child. I learned another meaning of the phrase.<br />
<ul>
<li>"Keep your stick on the ice so you don't hit me in the shin again!"</li>
</ul>
<br />
In this current emergency, I think all three meanings apply. We have to be ready for anything. But we also have to chill out and not over-complicate things. And we have to look out for each other, even if we have to do it at a distance.<br />
<br />
Our health system is doing what it can and the best thing the rest of us can do is follow their directives and let them get on with it. Hording toilet paper doesn't help. Stockpiling hand-sanitizer and face masks that are needed by front line health professionals is making the situation worse. And, though thankfully I've haven't heard much of this going on in Canada, buying up guns and ammunition, as if the Zombie Apocalypse is upon us, is down right scary.<br />
<br />
I like to believe that people are more good than bad and, even those of us who aren't as good as we could be, rise to the occasion in a crisis. I worry more about human stupidity than I do about anything else including COVID-19. Stupidity is highly contagious and often deadly, especially when combined with greed. If we could find a vaccination for that, it would help solve a lot of the world's problems including this latest emergency.<br />
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Wishing us all health and prosperity,<br />
<br />
Alison<br />
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<br />
PS: I can handle staying at home. I'm getting almost professional in my hand washing. But I still have problems not touching my face. It's a work in progress.<br />
<br />Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-5136221115243899232020-01-12T18:20:00.000-05:002020-01-12T18:20:09.478-05:00Rats Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">2020 Year of the Rats...Fancy Rats</span><br />
<br />
This weekend we made two additions to the household: Cola (black and white) and Milky (brown and white).<br />
<br />
We had a family cat when the kids were babies. Georgette (named for Georgette Heyer) was my sister's cat but she let me borrow George on and off to handle our mouse problems. Joey had George while she was pregnant with her two children, I had George through both of my pregnancies. George then came to spend her twilight years with us. She was used to visiting both households and decided to stay with us. I think my sister's new puppy contributed to this decision.<br />
<br />
When George died it wasn't practical for us to get a cat. The only time I wasn't allergic was when I was pregnant and I wasn't about to get pregnant again so my kids could have a cat. Instead, we tried a hamster.<br />
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Hamsters are not very social. Worse, Ronny was a biter. Still, we took care of him until he passed.<br />
<br />
Next time we went pet shopping, we got talked into a rat. Tiffany was a darling. When the kids were at school, she hung out with me at my desk. Puck, Pook, Peaches and Nicki followed. We tried to keep two at a time. Rats, unlike hamsters, are very social. The last two were males and that was a mistake. Male rats really triggered my allergies.<br />
<br />
It's sad, but I can't even remember the names of the male rats. I couldn't go near them.<br />
<br />
Pet owning went on hiatus after that. Then Kit and I started watching National Geographic shows about vets. Given the choice, I'd love a macaw or green parrot (one of the smaller breeds) but aside from the expense, I'm also allergic to feathers. A poodle would have been great, but also very expensive and my kids weren't enamoured with the idea. So, it was rats again.<br />
<br />
I'm all for adopting older dogs and cats, but if you get rats, get them as babies. If they socialize with you, they are loving pets. If not, they'll only really appreciate the company of other rats. My oldest has a leg up there. Kit was born in the year of the rat.<br />
<br />
I guess I've always loved rats.<br />
<br />Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-39020472513925133892020-01-02T00:07:00.000-05:002020-01-12T17:20:39.731-05:00Happy 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFiipfFldXBLjh32-yosxufA76zl9t7Iuii1LXbWDtLeBn4HcGMILMMzF3RSkkZDjyncT6O0WHQAVp6FiB1IuarcGj-NFg194G2oPXfDxd5UiBai4mw509rSHGgi_IoDsRISXaENXkXgY/s1600/2020-NewYear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFiipfFldXBLjh32-yosxufA76zl9t7Iuii1LXbWDtLeBn4HcGMILMMzF3RSkkZDjyncT6O0WHQAVp6FiB1IuarcGj-NFg194G2oPXfDxd5UiBai4mw509rSHGgi_IoDsRISXaENXkXgY/s640/2020-NewYear.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2019 was a Boar. 2020 is a Rat. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I like Chinese New Year (25 January this year). It gives us a second chance for a fresh start, lasts 14 days and is based on a lunar calendar. The last just appeals to me for some reason. It's also supposed to be a great year for people born in the year of Dog...like me. No harm in believing that, right? (You can check out your forecast here: <a href="https://www.zodiacsigns-horoscope.com/chinese-zodiac">https://www.zodiacsigns-horoscope.com/chinese-zodiac</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I hope the new year brings you good luck and good health. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-85451504993921583122019-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:002019-11-11T09:00:09.153-05:00Never Forgotten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I grew up on stories about World War II. It was one of the ways I learned to find the humour in adversity. My father would tell stories about being sick every day he was at sea. I had no idea how dangerous his work was aboard a minesweeper was until I was older. My mother told us about the day her skirt flipped up during training, and only hinted at the anxiety involved in the task of spotting and tracking enemy aircraft.<br />
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My Auntie Yang (Eileen - long story) told us how they had to give up the relative comfort of their barn barracks to Italian POWs because they were protected by the Geneva Convention and the women driving ambulances were not. She also eventually told me about the more harrowing side of being an ambulance driver, inspiring me to learn more about women in uniform during the war.<br />
<br />
I never knew my grandfather, Frank Nash. He served in Egypt and contracted malaria. He survived the war, but the disease weakened his heart. He died before he got to meet any of his grandchildren.<br />
<br />
When it came to storytelling, the women of the family far outstripped the men around the dinner table. It was years later that I learned my Uncle D (Denis) served as a civilian worker in on the of ministry offices...but I still am unclear what he did. Maybe he can't say? I also didn't know much about Uncle Bernie's war in the Merchant Marine until the UK and Canadian governments finally recognized their vital service.<br />
<br />
I appreciate and respect all those who serve, but these are the people I'm thinking about on Remembrance Day.<br />
<br />
Who do you remember today?Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-24688449498685957652019-09-30T03:00:00.001-04:002022-09-08T00:10:32.784-04:00Not My Baby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Yo0-8uescK1U5o52lPZVuI-2jrf75I3RiyvrRKxYg9BxwF-7xMqst3OGc_3VUVVih9qk2ZziZdOjufX_gvfAyp5qSUsN3sWpDcOqqdpSynHK-lbPLmANQvGHDXmeIAcplsBnLCD8Dr4/s1600/MS-Garden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Yo0-8uescK1U5o52lPZVuI-2jrf75I3RiyvrRKxYg9BxwF-7xMqst3OGc_3VUVVih9qk2ZziZdOjufX_gvfAyp5qSUsN3sWpDcOqqdpSynHK-lbPLmANQvGHDXmeIAcplsBnLCD8Dr4/s640/MS-Garden.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>
<br />
You'll often hear authors compare their books to their babies. I've done it myself. Recently I gave a new writer a piece of editing advice that put that notion out of my head.<br />
<br />
Think about the editorial process. Do we really want to compare that to parenting? When our kids are young we might cut their hair, but we don't rearrange their limbs or remove anything that can't grow back. We don't mark them up with red pen...although sometimes we have to scrub off whatever they've marked themselves up with. We love our children unconditionally (or should) but that's an unhealthy relationship to have with one's writing.<br />
<br />
Writing a novel is like planting a garden. Maybe you start with a plan, or maybe you plant willy nilly. Either way, eventually you need to weed and prune. You have to stand back and see if there are gaps that need to be filled, or areas that need thinning out. And, even the most beautiful flower might be in the wrong place. Maybe it can be moved, but maybe it just has to be set aside for another garden.<br />
<br />
To be honest, I'm pretty laissez-faire about my actual garden. I try to keep the noxious weeds out but, by this time of year, things have pretty much gone wild. I save my ruthless culling (and some ruthless cunning) for my writing. Later, if my editor wants me to cut more, I'm better prepared. I don't take it as a personal attack (most of the time), because the manuscript isn't my baby. It's my work. And I want my work to be the best I can do.<br />
<br />
<i>Question: If writing a novel is like planting a garden, is a hanging planter the equivalent to a short story?</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PlhvgY41kLwQ3qf-eCJc0ObPntB5b2-yesb_Gko4hv-pNCIwFjI67wOHaUP75FhAUDFCvHzJDmlumUAyiA5ueuDPoMtnr7FbTIYnUUnoRGSScSn0FNXq7lsS5d3l4s-bAQtpQ4oLBcnVkY-yFwFG0gWXC6zuTtyARhAh80sm3ucfJ0nzY-WUtL1O/s900/CWC-AE-Make-Your-Mark-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PlhvgY41kLwQ3qf-eCJc0ObPntB5b2-yesb_Gko4hv-pNCIwFjI67wOHaUP75FhAUDFCvHzJDmlumUAyiA5ueuDPoMtnr7FbTIYnUUnoRGSScSn0FNXq7lsS5d3l4s-bAQtpQ4oLBcnVkY-yFwFG0gWXC6zuTtyARhAh80sm3ucfJ0nzY-WUtL1O/s320/CWC-AE-Make-Your-Mark-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i> </i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Everything you need to know is here: </span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/awards/submissionrules"><b>www.crimewriterscanada.com/awards/submissionrules</b></a></div>
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<br />Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-88593581004662942572019-08-15T00:25:00.000-04:002019-08-15T00:25:17.092-04:00Women in Uniform<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Over thirty years ago, I submitted my undergraduate history thesis on the topic of Women in Uniform in World War II. Forty years before that, my mother and aunt were among those women in uniform.<br />
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I grew up listening to stories about the war. My Nana guided a group of evacuees from London to Bedfordshire. Among the children were her own daughters Eileen and Joan. They settled into a village that was surrounded by air fields. My grandfather was an RAF sergeant serving in the Middle East. Nana took a job as a telephone operator in a factory. Her mother and sister stayed behind in London until the house was bombed. Then they moved into the small cottage with Nana and the girls.<br />
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When Eileen (my aunt) was old enough, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). She trained as a driver/mechanic and drove ambulances. She was one of the drivers transporting the wounded to inland hospitals after D-Day. She inspired my choice of topic for my history thesis. She was able to put me in touch with some of her old army buddies, who in turn helped me contact other British and Canadian women who had served. <br />
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When my mother was old enough, she volunteered for the Royal Observer Corps (ROC). Her stories inspired the book I am currently writing: <b>Tasha's War</b>. Not just my mother's often self-deprecating tales of her service, but the picture she built in my mind of life in an English village during the war.<br />
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Unfortunately, by the time I came up with the idea for the story, my mother wasn't around to help me with the research. Stories told around the dining room table weren't enough. Fortunately, I love research.<br />
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No surprise, I discovered that there's much more material available on women's service in wartime than there was when I started my history thesis thirty five years ago. Not that I'm going to write an academic paper. As my professor pointed out back then, I make a better storyteller than historian.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Do you have family stories to share from WWII? I'd love to hear them! </span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> RESEARCH MATERIAL OF THE DAY</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOrjF5QGusw7dQOpfBnefmB-sOSb0Ob218UHqlYqGwVJlKwtjqz3NY0RzMHT7sOT1TtdwtxCYJHawzpLgO__YikVdtt6oHybIwU049OXkfRajaIsI0cSFrFH03F-ChKH3UOvvh78bc7c/s1600/poster_no-job-for-a-woman.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="774" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOrjF5QGusw7dQOpfBnefmB-sOSb0Ob218UHqlYqGwVJlKwtjqz3NY0RzMHT7sOT1TtdwtxCYJHawzpLgO__YikVdtt6oHybIwU049OXkfRajaIsI0cSFrFH03F-ChKH3UOvvh78bc7c/s320/poster_no-job-for-a-woman.jpg" width="140" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://nojobforawoman.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">NO JOB FOR A WOMAN: The Women Who Fought to Report World War II</span></a></b></span><br />
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<br />I watched this excellent documentary via the Guelph Public Library. It's also available on DVD via the link above and seems to be shown annually on PBS for International Women's Day.<br />
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<b>WISH LIST</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/9781641600064-item.html?s_campaign=goo-Performance_AlwaysOn_Shopping_Books_EN&ds_rl=1246160&ds_rl=1254699&ds_rl=1254699&ds_rl=1254699&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4s7qBRCzARIsAImcAxZR7IMZEi4avx7Ka8OWk05HNh5A7ygJLdvAidOtS1Liv6xLZxZPCvMaArEEEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank"><b></b></a><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoDjy2VWn4_E9IQG0Fn3qQLWXMzIlYVNGHBppWLnEySVmNlP4Ib3nyzY46dtlF1Favh4umpyk-P8n5PWHbXxB3ZhkcB4DBJDDrvxUk5B9Buna9Qzi24flp-e13zzkNAzm7MSkV0jaHnQ/s1600/Atwood-Women+Heroes+of+WWII.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoDjy2VWn4_E9IQG0Fn3qQLWXMzIlYVNGHBppWLnEySVmNlP4Ib3nyzY46dtlF1Favh4umpyk-P8n5PWHbXxB3ZhkcB4DBJDDrvxUk5B9Buna9Qzi24flp-e13zzkNAzm7MSkV0jaHnQ/s200/Atwood-Women+Heroes+of+WWII.jpg" width="133" /></a>Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue </b><br />
By Kathryn J. Atwood<br />
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Like I said above, there's much more material available today than I had available to me in thirty years ago.<br />
<br />Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-20283470471781461942019-07-06T17:17:00.002-04:002019-07-06T17:17:59.160-04:00Bad Hair Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><b>June 25</b></i><br />
<br />
Decided I wanted to do something fun with my hair for the last day of school. I was in the store with my 20-something son and asked his advice.<br />
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"Pink?" I said, holding up a jar of hot pink hair mask. "It says it's vegan and fights animal cruelty."<br />
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"Purple is more your thing."<br />
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There were a couple of shades of purple to choose from. He suggested and I went for the darker one.<br />
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<i><b>June 26</b></i><br />
<br />
While my kids are playing some version of Mario on the Switch, I decided to dye my hair. When I'm using a semi-permanent dye to brighten up my natural mousiness and cover the silver in my hair that make me look like I have bald patches when it catches the light, I get my oldest son to help me. Since I was going for a funkier, streaky look, I went it alone.<br />
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The stuff comes in a jar with a security seal under the twist cap. I couldn't get a grip on it so I used my teeth. Now I had blue on my lips. I wiped it off, unworried because hair dyes often don't look like they are going to turn out. Even so, the bright blue splatter that I accidentally flicked onto the bathroom wall should have been a clue.<br />
<br />
Since I forgot to get vinyl gloves, I made do with a plastic bag over one hand. This is fine at first, but then it starts dripping dye.I managed to limit the blue splashes on the floor and counter by using my bare hands to maintain control of the goop. Vigorous scrubbing reduces the blue on my hands to a inky wash. Now I have to wait thirty minutes and hope I don't leak. <br />
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The water is like ink when I rinse my hair. When I'm done, my hair is the colour of Lois Lane's in the comic books. My kids try not to laugh when they see me.<br />
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<i><b>June 27</b></i><br />
<br />
I took my inky-blue hair to the corner where I work as a crossing guard. Despite the sun, I left my baseball cap off for the morning. Only one person commented and that's only because of my blue hands. The kids didn't notice a thing...or maybe they were just being kind and not laughing at me.<br />
<br />
That evening, my son reported that dish detergent is supposed to be good for removing temporary dye. I washed my hair in lemon-fresh Dove three times. I gave up because the water was getting cold, not because it's running clear yet. However, the dish soap and a scrubbing brush cleaned up my hands in one session.<br />
<br />
<i><b>June 28</b></i><br />
<br />
I got too much sun the day before so I was feeling tired and head-achy. After three more shampoos, I was also still a bit blue, especially where my hair is grey. Peevishly I declared that the colour swatch in front of the jar was misleading. That dye was definitely blue not purple.<br />
<br />
"It would have been purple if you bleached your hair first," said my helpful twenty-something son.<br />
<br />
"My hair is red. It should be more purple not less."<br />
<br />
"Yeah, but it's dark."<br />
<br />
This is true. Lately my unnatural hair colour has been a dark auburn.<br />
<br />
"I still say the colour was misnamed."<br />
<br />
"Right."<br />
<br />
<i><b>July 5</b></i><br />
<br />
After returning to regular shampoo, I noticed the towel I've been using for a week has a blue stain on it.<br />
<br />
"Hah! Proof it was blue." Just before taking the evidence to my son, I took another look at the dye container: SHOCK BLUE.<br />
<br />
The jar wasn't mislabelled, but it had been misplaced on the shelf. I read everything on the label at the store EXCEPT the name of the colour.<br />
<br />
Next time I'll try the non-vegan, cruelty-free (not cruelty-fighting) dye. I will read ALL of the label, especially the colour.<br />
<br />
And I think I'll go pink.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-58786597777653064282019-06-24T06:00:00.000-04:002019-06-24T06:00:14.342-04:00Happy Birthday Dad!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MpaB-TwtwCwr3mU2w_uSsyeDWdsO26LadhQuc4y2JdnDb8lkqIrSnYcZU3XS8tgkODbt-4dsJyxWSm03pTm6KOshP3Tj9ICB33Z7fyNQ1G_6IXU8LGDSJOtXXCsyEYbAtbmdPvz_5js/s1600/Dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MpaB-TwtwCwr3mU2w_uSsyeDWdsO26LadhQuc4y2JdnDb8lkqIrSnYcZU3XS8tgkODbt-4dsJyxWSm03pTm6KOshP3Tj9ICB33Z7fyNQ1G_6IXU8LGDSJOtXXCsyEYbAtbmdPvz_5js/s640/Dad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A. Nelson Bruce: 1923-2008</b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dadisms...</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">When asked for something: </span> </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">"You can have anything you want, except that."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">When asked if he did something:</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Every day and twice on Sundays." </span></blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Favourite joke: (If not his, then mine.)<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">"He was so poor, he didn't have a pot to tea in."</span> </span></span> </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b><span style="font-size: small;">Miss you Dad.</span></span>Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-83174855028220895372019-05-06T19:27:00.003-04:002019-05-06T19:27:35.445-04:00Coffee and Characters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KZFvNT9K7XaBFpXs_CSMboYU1eU0i3cNu8zzZ9fD8TZD1SifypqIBpXUWQfBTzPCWqqqVYMsaFZwWfEWsea6YURuAkD15BfnfpY4E_8Xrd7uuFHdOyfxSG4pcB2t665lbbWxs1m0sW0/s1600/MoreCoffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KZFvNT9K7XaBFpXs_CSMboYU1eU0i3cNu8zzZ9fD8TZD1SifypqIBpXUWQfBTzPCWqqqVYMsaFZwWfEWsea6YURuAkD15BfnfpY4E_8Xrd7uuFHdOyfxSG4pcB2t665lbbWxs1m0sW0/s640/MoreCoffee.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
What does your coffee preference say about you?<br />
<br />
I've read several articles on the subject and have come to the conclusion that your choice says about your depends on who is making a judgement call on your choice. Not that I was expecting any real psychological insight, any more than I do from the tests that determine which Hogwarts House I belong in (either Griffondor or Hufflepuff depending on the test).<br />
<br />
All that being said, coffee is the beverage of choice for most of my characters. So what does their coffee preference say about them?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22rJI0XSCABRhnjs9rwj564ALAuNpsQG_VbnI69bLzp0yuBiYuhw2iKeTh4ZyImDzkmFzBNzynF4WhY_d6NorGiWjAsQb5jMugIELyhtZgjVDQVL7u29oujvd7_Z7ZOQ_uoOYz7Y9L6E/s1600/Coffee-ABTR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22rJI0XSCABRhnjs9rwj564ALAuNpsQG_VbnI69bLzp0yuBiYuhw2iKeTh4ZyImDzkmFzBNzynF4WhY_d6NorGiWjAsQb5jMugIELyhtZgjVDQVL7u29oujvd7_Z7ZOQ_uoOYz7Y9L6E/s320/Coffee-ABTR.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Pru Hartley is the character most like myself, at least in her coffee preferences. At the beginning of <b><a href="http://getbook.at/Bodyguard2Remember" target="_blank">A Bodyguard to Remember</a></b>, her neighbour brings her a vanilla latte, because that's what she drinks when they have coffee at Starbucks. When she's asked if she wants something from Tim Horton's, she orders an English Toffee Cappuccino (aka an ET Cap). This dates me and the book because you can't get that at Tim's any more. At home, however, she brews drip coffee and drinks it black no sugar.<br />
<br />
According to <a href="https://www.doctoroz.com/article/what-does-your-coffee-say-about-you" target="_blank">Dr. Oz</a>: "I found that the black coffee drinkers were straight up, straightforward and no-nonsense. Whereas those double decaf, soy, extra-foamy folks tended to be more obsessive and controlling. The latte drinkers tended more to the neurotic and being people pleasers, while the instant coffee drinkers had a greater likelihood of being procrastinators. Finally, those sweet folks who order those sweet drinks (e.g. frapped up coffee drinks) were the overgrown kids who retained the taste buds and sensibilities of children." <br />
<br />
So Pru is a straightforward, no-nonsense, neurotic people pleaser. She is not obsessive, controlling, or (necessarily) a procrastinator. Come to think of it, that's not far off!<br />
<br />
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Merrick is an archetypical cop in his coffee preferences. He doesn't care much whether it's good coffee or bad coffee as long as it's hot, black and strong.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovtF4EZidxhbowOio_h5ALObuuY5_hnJPt4gqjColmUDPv4oXoYz-UJMzG1vOBnBgj9xmfD-bVw30bnEk-xOh8hGh77opTpoTo4OQ-5nuw2znAXnxqSUE2rvDUPiLVonjl3-juMbY2CA/s1600/Coffee-DL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovtF4EZidxhbowOio_h5ALObuuY5_hnJPt4gqjColmUDPv4oXoYz-UJMzG1vOBnBgj9xmfD-bVw30bnEk-xOh8hGh77opTpoTo4OQ-5nuw2znAXnxqSUE2rvDUPiLVonjl3-juMbY2CA/s320/Coffee-DL.jpg" width="213" /></a>Kate Garrett also likes her coffee strong and black, but she's a stickler for well made coffee. This is only hinted at in <b><a href="http://getbook.at/DeadlyLegacy-CG" target="_blank">Deadly Legacy</a></b>, but in <b><a href="http://getbook.at/DeadlySeason-CG" target="_blank">Deadly Season</a></b>, we see that one of her upgrades to the office has a proper coffee bar so she can make <i>cafe Americano</i> for herself and <i>cafe lattes</i> for her partner, who left to himself, would only drink cola.. <br /><br /><i><a href="https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/what-does-your-coffee-order-say-about-you/" target="_blank">The Gentleman's Journal</a></i> has this to say about Americano coffee: "This strong, no-nonsense order is for strong, no-nonsense people. Favoured by night-shift journalists and hard-boiled police detectives, this oily brew is coffee in its purest – but not tastiest – form. People know you just need a pick-me up if you order this – or that you’re trying to look hard." <br /><br />Kate doesn't try to look anything, but she isn't as hard as she seems. And Jake is far from being a laid-back softy even if he does like the lattes Kate makes him.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XwFkwfpTcCHp3llaVfDQt6Ftq3b2BfiexdchVYVs-o0ZXyVR-hNBYEUbTG32_6tE2I7jO6ztjrUmMUIu_J5tekL3lA1N3O4CgVUlo8I6dVVjf9f2FI7IB9EXSimNoGeHta0wVMzwSqY/s1600/Coffee-GW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XwFkwfpTcCHp3llaVfDQt6Ftq3b2BfiexdchVYVs-o0ZXyVR-hNBYEUbTG32_6tE2I7jO6ztjrUmMUIu_J5tekL3lA1N3O4CgVUlo8I6dVVjf9f2FI7IB9EXSimNoGeHta0wVMzwSqY/s320/Coffee-GW.jpg" width="213" /></a>Despite what everyone thinks, I'm not <i>all</i> about coffee <i>all</i> of the time. In <b><a href="http://getbook.at/GhostWriterAB" target="_blank">Ghost Writer</a></b>, Jen Kirby loves her coffee, but she also enjoys rum spiked hot chocolate with the Skipper, and a proper English tea with Captain Campbell. She is even persuaded to forego coffee for green tea to help her handle all the stress she's experiencing. (People trying to kill you is rather stressful.)<br /><br />Tea is a family connection for me. "I'll put the kettle on, shall I?" was the standard response to good times and bad. It was one of the first things my mother or aunt would say when the other one arrived and, at least in my mother's case, it was the first thing she said after family left. (Until I was ten or eleven, then it was "While you're up, can you put the kettle on?")<br /><br />What does tea drinking say about you? That's another story.</div>
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It's that time of year: the culmination of the <a href="https://www.crimewriterscanada.com/awards/arthur-ellis-awards/about" target="_blank">Arthur Ellis Awards</a>. I no longer manage the awards but as executive director of Crime Writers of Canada, I'm still heavily involved. </div>
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That's my excuse for being erratic posting to this blog and I'm sticking to it.</div>
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Now I'm going to go put the kettle on.</div>
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<br />Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-19817016799229122652019-04-08T04:00:00.000-04:002019-04-08T04:00:01.074-04:00The Year of the Pig is Being a Boar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"2019 is going to be full of joy, a year of friendship and love for all the zodiac signs; an auspicious year because the Pig attracts success in all the spheres of life."<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thechinesezodiac.org/astrology/chinese-horoscope-2019-year-of-the-earth-pig">www.thechinesezodiac.org/astrology/chinese-horoscope-2019-year-of-the-earth-pig</a></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I suppose it's a bit late to be wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year, but the Year of the Pig has been challenging from the get-go. For the first time EVER I forgot a good friend's birthday (coincidentally around the time of the Chinese New Year) and I feel like I've had to peddle faster than ever to keep up with life.</span><br />
<br />
I only just looked up my Chinese horoscope to find out I'm destined for a year of "charm and romance" according to one website and "success only through hard work" on another. I haven't seen any charm or romance yet, but there's been plenty of hard work. Not that I mind hard work, as long as it gets me somewhere. But will it?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"They (people born in the year of the dog) have special opportunities to progress, to change their plans for the future, and to trace new directions, both in their personal and professional life."<br />
<a href="http://www.thechinesezodiac.org/dog-2019-horoscope"><span style="font-size: small;">www.thechinesezodiac.org/dog-2019-horoscope</span></a></blockquote>
<br />
I have to say, I am very suspicious of "special opportunities."<br />
<br />
Still, it's important to remain realistically optimistic, right? Of course right!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;">Deadly Legacy is back in publication!</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfuJCU9mT5zKACpFaJAzvHGfS99rGlRVWW_1QA0Y5urouGfJEEbGECVq74fKzvifmEAKLlTIGkNE2NeC45DCDSWsG4VkmP2M3J5kOE3oQXLYdd3jr9gZWLfjlVa6-pRsuKVynKQe-ync/s1600/Bruce-DeadlyLegacy-900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfuJCU9mT5zKACpFaJAzvHGfS99rGlRVWW_1QA0Y5urouGfJEEbGECVq74fKzvifmEAKLlTIGkNE2NeC45DCDSWsG4VkmP2M3J5kOE3oQXLYdd3jr9gZWLfjlVa6-pRsuKVynKQe-ync/s320/Bruce-DeadlyLegacy-900.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> Rookie detective, Kate Garrett lives in the shadow of her near-legendary father Joe. When Joe dies unexpectedly, he leaves Kate half interest in Garrett Investigations, his last case that ties to three murders, a partner she can't stand, and a legacy to live up to.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Jake Carmedy has lost a partner, mentor and friend, but grief will come later. First, he has a case to solve, one that has detoured from a simple insurance case to a murder investigation. If that isn't enough, Joe's daughter seems to want to take her father's place as his boss.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />No matter how hard they try, Carmedy and Garrett can't avoid each other and they might be next on a killer's list.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Available on Kindle: <a href="http://getbook.at/DeadlyLegacy-CG">http://getbook.at/DeadlyLegacy-CG</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">And Kobo: <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/deadly-legacy-9">https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/deadly-legacy-9</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">And soon to be available in paperback.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Deadly Season is also available...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TC7XTPIk2d2rwlCQ-HAwyglRRNWqmK0dEFFHG-eXbAhIXm6iA5M9RDJyBe3hSbUpnZMrZDP9JnKwQFupjnEr_mFqNacnKkUQOdvb1HgJ3G_Av9Ck-VX1wV5baz3f2rWKvAfznkQIVlw/s1600/Bruce-DeadlySeason-900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TC7XTPIk2d2rwlCQ-HAwyglRRNWqmK0dEFFHG-eXbAhIXm6iA5M9RDJyBe3hSbUpnZMrZDP9JnKwQFupjnEr_mFqNacnKkUQOdvb1HgJ3G_Av9Ck-VX1wV5baz3f2rWKvAfznkQIVlw/s320/Bruce-DeadlySeason-900.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Last month Kate Garrett was a Police Detective. Now she’s a Pet P.I.?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Kate recently inherited half her father’s private investigation company and a partner who is as irritating as he is attractive. Kate has been avoiding Jake Carmedy for years, but now her life might depend on him.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Kate and Jake are on the hunt for a serial cat killer who has mysterious connections to her father’s last police case. Kate’s father had been forced to retire when he was shot investigating a domestic disturbance. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Is the shooter back for revenge? And is Kate or Jake next? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Available on Kindle and in print on Amazon<br /><a href="http://getbook.at/DeadlySeason-CG">http://getbook.at/DeadlySeason-CG</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">And soon to be available on Kobo.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-41770330051013814192019-03-18T06:30:00.000-04:002019-03-18T06:30:01.665-04:00Return of Ghost Writer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Now is the winter of our discontent...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">made glorious spring by the return of Ghost Writer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">(Apologies to the Bard.)</span><br />
<br />
Okay, it's not quite spring, but it will be by the time Ghost Writer is out on the Kindle and Kobo platforms. It took me long enough. The rights reverted to me in January but there was so much going on.<br />
<br />
Then I got sick...<br />
<br />
Then I had to catch up on work after being sick...<br />
<br />
Then it was too cold. Too grey. And the dishes needed doing. At which point I realized I was putting off the task because it involved a new platform. I was suffering from anticipatory platform-related anxiety.<br />
<br />
Getting back to Shakespeare, I finally "stuck my courage to the sticking place" and it wasn't nearly all the "toil and trouble" I imagined it would be. That was yesterday. Today I managed to get the Kindle edition up along with the Kobo and Kindle editions of Deadly Season. Soon, both books will be available for pre-order.<br />
<br />
Now, where did I put the Kobo link? A memory, a memory. My kingdom for a memory.<br />
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<div class="synopsis-description">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
She has to deal with two kinds of spooks: spies and ghosts.<br />
But which one is trying to kill her?<br />
</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31YSKv73eMe5RqLqASb0-2sW0g1xqWhPxr2c0SQeEkuE7TDk1FCELBdXHoDdb_tfMt8q4bCEFtVu3xqE5Mmugqau8z7jA_D4v8V1hXtfZbpAWyZKuGMZcpznMN22vTQa6qlwmHsp8jvc/s1600/Bruce-GhostWriter-V1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31YSKv73eMe5RqLqASb0-2sW0g1xqWhPxr2c0SQeEkuE7TDk1FCELBdXHoDdb_tfMt8q4bCEFtVu3xqE5Mmugqau8z7jA_D4v8V1hXtfZbpAWyZKuGMZcpznMN22vTQa6qlwmHsp8jvc/s320/Bruce-GhostWriter-V1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Jen Kirby has seen ghosts since she was a child, but she can’t talk
to them or help them cross over. And, after a violent death in the
family, she doesn’t want to see them anymore.<br />
<br />
In her role as ghostwriter, Jen joins a Canadian Arctic expedition to
document and help solve a forty-year-old mystery involving an American
submarine station lost during the Cold War. The trouble is, there are
people—living and dead—who don't want the story told, and they’ll do
anything to stop her.<br />
<br />
Now Jen is haunted by ghosts she can’t avoid or handle alone. That
means confiding in the one man she doesn’t want to dismiss her as
“crazy.” But can he help? Or is he part of the problem?<br />
</div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/ghost-writer-23">https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/ghost-writer-23</a>Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-14320378852881510332019-03-05T20:14:00.000-05:002019-03-05T20:14:30.056-05:00Rather be Hibernating<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAAtVW_o5YEwTTqlT9oeqYSd-0pvXzfbVxk30plj7eN3xRBuryUrwYikt1VJVKcoSzFs94aZji5C_o_1RQ0Kz1LJGtSXQSlTQmIh_IOCYgPM6QXudq7-HOpaQOaLQHtNIzupWDNjLTrI/s1600/In+winter+I+plot+and+plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAAtVW_o5YEwTTqlT9oeqYSd-0pvXzfbVxk30plj7eN3xRBuryUrwYikt1VJVKcoSzFs94aZji5C_o_1RQ0Kz1LJGtSXQSlTQmIh_IOCYgPM6QXudq7-HOpaQOaLQHtNIzupWDNjLTrI/s640/In+winter+I+plot+and+plan.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Plotting and planning. Napping and dreaming. Po-tay-toe/po-tah-toe, right?<br />
<br />
Let's face it, for most of North America (if not the world) this has been a long, hard winter. It's not easy to stay motivated when the days are cold and grey. Once the essential work is out of the way, all I want to do is snuggle under a blanket with a good book or video.<br />
<br />
To keep going, I've taken to bribing myself. For instance, with the exception of first thing in the morning, I can only have coffee when I'm working.<br />
<br />
After a few sleep-impaired nights, I had to modify my rule to "I can have coffee while I'm working before dinner."<br />
<br />
I don't actually get depressed in winter...at least no more than usual. Long nights and short days are fine with me, especially since I work better at night. The cold only bothers me if I get chilled (which isn't the same thing as feeling cold). In fact, I'd rather have a cold clear day than a warmer grey one.<br />
<br />
I don't mind the snow, as long as it stays off the road and sidewalks. Snow on lawns and trees can be very pretty.<br />
<br />
It's just that winter is so exhausting. Heavy boots and multiple layers of clothing literally and figuratively weigh a body down. No wonder I crave afternoon naps at this time of year (as opposed to the siestas I take in the summer). Doesn't everyone?<br />
<br />
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some planning and plotting to do...under a warm blanket.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Hey! I almost made my March 4th deadline for this blog. Maybe I'll get even closer to Monday March 18th...which, according to my calendar, is St Patrick's Day in Newfoundland.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-506577798575849322019-02-18T23:43:00.000-05:002019-02-18T23:43:51.786-05:00The One That Got Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVOBV60ccJpiAnb9yTtRbIPVw6BhMA9UrfQXtTdGa-YAsi6GMggwg-7V0sEBCEv3Cbj1z0tX9x7Yi6yHUkbGhanrZsmXay4qmm9_QJBtbXvhvSEArwR0c-qvqug3cLE-ta173YdL5D7Y/s1600/BigFishStory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVOBV60ccJpiAnb9yTtRbIPVw6BhMA9UrfQXtTdGa-YAsi6GMggwg-7V0sEBCEv3Cbj1z0tX9x7Yi6yHUkbGhanrZsmXay4qmm9_QJBtbXvhvSEArwR0c-qvqug3cLE-ta173YdL5D7Y/s640/BigFishStory.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-size: large;">Not Quite a Fish Story</span><br />
<br />
Fishing enthusiasts seem, universally, to have a story about a mighty fish that they almost landed. I have an epic science fiction novel. I've been trying to land it, off and on, for decades.<br />
<br />
When I was twenty-one, I participated in the Katimavik, a Canadian youth program. I spent three months each in three different parts of Canada. It was a great experience. In Cape Breton we were building the stonewall foundation and preparing the logs for a log cabin. The previous group had cleared the site and gathered the stones. Future groups would finish the house.<br />
<br />
The next three months were spent in northwestern Alberta tearing down the old community hall and salvaging the material. These were the winter months. Yes, it was a dry cold, but when you’re working on a deconstruction site in 30 below weather, that’s not a big comfort. When it got too cold, we were put to work in the new community hall cleaning up. The guys got to stack chairs and fold tables. I was given a mountain of dirty ashtrays to wash.<br />
<br />
I’m not a smoker, but my parents were. At home, I would do any chore rather than clean ashtrays. The smell turns my stomach. My only recourse was to send my mind elsewhere while I worked. I imagined being visited by a tall, handsome, pointy-eared alien who needed to whisk me away to save the universe. It was dangerous work but I agreed to the task immediately...on condition that he finish my job with the ashtrays. While he washed (in my imagination) I filled in the gaps of my makeshift story.<br />
<br />
It turned into the epic novel I’ve yet to finish, but never given up on.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: black;">I missed my last post date because of Bell's Palsy, therefore I'll just say that the next post is planned for Monday 4 March and it will be about Ghost Writer's relaunch.</span>
<span style="color: black;">Meanwhile, <b>Like</b>, <b>Follow & Share</b> me on Facebook: <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books">www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books</a></b> </span><br />
I'm also on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/alisonebruce" target="_blank">@alisonebruce</a>... but not as much. Meanwhile...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Print or electronic books?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Why? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And does it make a difference where and when you are reading?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-30815394087919258412019-01-21T06:00:00.000-05:002019-01-22T10:30:12.429-05:00Never cut a tree down in winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EwxOoP_7OJtrxWc8S-2XbYtWMUDxApBmUI3LRJ0kLDDglc1BhUqg22fosN3qGHLFggP26_dlN2p7Cjwx7fuU5UCwbAEPkr941TtJyntnXS_5md1xTCmC9arhSlq_SEjp6PxMEbYBo84/s1600/Never+cut+a+tree+in+winter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EwxOoP_7OJtrxWc8S-2XbYtWMUDxApBmUI3LRJ0kLDDglc1BhUqg22fosN3qGHLFggP26_dlN2p7Cjwx7fuU5UCwbAEPkr941TtJyntnXS_5md1xTCmC9arhSlq_SEjp6PxMEbYBo84/s640/Never+cut+a+tree+in+winter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
One of my first graphic quote creations was for: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The best time to plant a tree is ten years ago. the second best time is now."</blockquote>
I had it framed on my office wall. Now I think the best time to plant a tree is twenty or more years ago, but I remind myself of the message every time I worry about how my life is going. It's never too late to make a change.<br />
<br />
I was given the gist of "Never cut a tree down in winter" as advice when my sister died. Don't make irrevocable decisions when you are mourning. However, this makes wrapping up an estate very challenging. The result is, I have boxes in the basement from my mother, sister and father that I still haven't gone through in twenty, fifteen and eleven years respectively. In other words, I deferred making decisions about these things since they died.<br />
<br />
Well, when this spring comes, some trees are going to get cut...or at least pruned. I'll let you know later how it goes. Because, the best time to clean out your basement is last year. The second best time is now.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Do you have a favourite quote? </span></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: black;">Next post will be Monday 4 February: HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! Meanwhile, <b>Like</b>, <b>Follow & Share</b> me on Facebook: <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books">www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books</a></b> </span><br />
I'm also on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/alisonebruce" target="_blank">@alisonebruce</a>... but not as much. Also check out:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTALnBFAPjntGmhX3SDi2HNwLqvQMzo3vIbVd7gMKFK3lGmZ2syRXhMMl9_hfSX1qHXrUnIfW4Mj2J85EUNxKSSRXavVZdEiHLwIZZB5VpIENfcTfyKAlhrgX1OOAav_IrpKMWmKvyZQ/s1600/ABTR-004Bk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="600" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTALnBFAPjntGmhX3SDi2HNwLqvQMzo3vIbVd7gMKFK3lGmZ2syRXhMMl9_hfSX1qHXrUnIfW4Mj2J85EUNxKSSRXavVZdEiHLwIZZB5VpIENfcTfyKAlhrgX1OOAav_IrpKMWmKvyZQ/s400/ABTR-004Bk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Prudence Hartley has the usual single mom problems: getting her kids to school on time; juggling a gazillion errands while trying to get a full day’s work done; oh, and don’t forget about dealing with the dead man in her living room and the detective trying to protect her.<br />
<br />
<br />
@LachesisPub <a href="http://ow.ly/H011R">http://ow.ly/H011R</a><br />
<a href="http://getbook.at/Bodyguard2Remember">http://getbook.at/Bodyguard2Remember</a>Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-91007862717557263902019-01-07T07:00:00.000-05:002019-01-07T07:00:07.533-05:00New Year Thoughts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTsZBrDKs3t-Qq0QPABbz-kNYIbUH2NWdgnEi-PQmOm6wSMw0MTKx62ehdjt34QGf0SVT0-tWk6sqiEB0BP61ht4lz80lqE_5whFE2xwsE9itrIbdzb60uBIxQX1Dct9dLYa0IZh-k8cE/s1600/Joy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTsZBrDKs3t-Qq0QPABbz-kNYIbUH2NWdgnEi-PQmOm6wSMw0MTKx62ehdjt34QGf0SVT0-tWk6sqiEB0BP61ht4lz80lqE_5whFE2xwsE9itrIbdzb60uBIxQX1Dct9dLYa0IZh-k8cE/s640/Joy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY NEW YEAR!</span></span></span></b></div>
<br />
For me the new year really starts today because that's when I'm back on the job as a crossing guard. That time between Boxing Day and today is The Winter Holiday...even if I have work to do...even when I was working in retail.<br />
<br />
Maybe this is why I only just started thinking of New Year's Resolutions.<br />
<br />
My new year resolution about a decade ago was to stop making new year resolutions. It hasn't stopped me thinking about them. One thing I think is that resolutions are like diets. The moment to decide on one you immediately want to break it. So, no resolutions. But inspirations are okay. My apologies if I stray into the cliche. These are the inspirations I need at the moment. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We must keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when we hurt, for we never know what is waiting for us just around the bend."<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Unknown </span></blockquote>
Of course, sometimes what's waiting for us is something tough to face. I've had times in my past when every corner turned seemed to bring fresh heartache. I have good friends who are finding that now. Sometimes the bad things keep on coming, but we still have to get through them for the sake of others as well as ourselves. The only way to do it is one step at a time.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.”<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Anne Sweeney (President of Walt Disney)</span></blockquote>
This is a life lesson I keep having to remind myself of. There are things I could have done to get ahead that I didn't because they weren't who I was. There's no point in me wishing things were otherwise, or I was otherwise. I'm a good mother, a good sister, daughter and friend. I'm neither rich nor famous, but I believe I am respected. That's no small thing.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nicolas Chamfort</span> </blockquote>
<br />
I suffer from depression. The most effective way I have of coping is laughing... often by laughing at myself. Laughter isn't frivolous. It's a survival trait. It's one of the ways we keep ourselves putting one foot in front of the other.<br />
<br />
So, as an author reaching out to fellow authors and readers, this is my wish for you for 2019:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
May you have all courage of your favourite heroes with none of the angst. May tomorrow be better than yesterday and the next day better than that. But if they aren't, may you have the strength and good humour to get through it.</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: black;">Next post will be Monday 21 January and I haven't a clue yet what the topic will be. Life is uncertain right now.</span>
<span style="color: black;">Meanwhile, <b>Like</b>, <b>Follow & Share</b> me on Facebook: <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books">www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books</a></b> </span><br />
I'm also on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/alisonebruce" target="_blank">@alisonebruce</a>... but not as much. Also check out:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleoM0fnGjtMBdP0St3qV4X7fpZReylzD4u9HY3Q2lWYVa6x7lcYAyLw7uIz08MLD9D_thHtv72D9pwTE1qxNoZErJdALX32LWRwGljRSBKBQTl3kVazP92HA6trlObaQ92ToqqY8jFkU/s1600/history-quote.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleoM0fnGjtMBdP0St3qV4X7fpZReylzD4u9HY3Q2lWYVa6x7lcYAyLw7uIz08MLD9D_thHtv72D9pwTE1qxNoZErJdALX32LWRwGljRSBKBQTl3kVazP92HA6trlObaQ92ToqqY8jFkU/s640/history-quote.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ONLY 99 CENTS ONLY UNTIL 15 JANUARY</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://getbook.at/UnderATexasStar">http://getbook.at/UnderATexasStar</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://getbook.at/HazardousUnions2">http://getbook.at/HazardousUnions2</a> </div>
Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-84811601850755745802018-12-25T06:00:00.000-05:002018-12-25T06:00:06.212-05:00Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-GuO6DEpB7VMe1_9BLgkBeiPZHlbRdCvvJnLe4rnaXwSdbZjP2s0l6MI5GmWKIO6TMqBXmFcSmwnAklK9bptB4LApMoVx7DrtzM5nqNLUwZzQ30s8DkKhDZNtacaG3Knm5N33_rWqps/s1600/Merry+Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-GuO6DEpB7VMe1_9BLgkBeiPZHlbRdCvvJnLe4rnaXwSdbZjP2s0l6MI5GmWKIO6TMqBXmFcSmwnAklK9bptB4LApMoVx7DrtzM5nqNLUwZzQ30s8DkKhDZNtacaG3Knm5N33_rWqps/s640/Merry+Christmas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I got a little behind with my blog. This was supposed to be posted last week. Life and death intervened.<br />
<br />
My oldest friend, Nancy, just lost her brother. It was sudden, like a rug being pulled out from under her, at it's also meant that her days have been taken up with the duties of executor instead of Christmas plans. I've been doing my best to help.<br />
<br />
Fifteen years ago, that was me and Nancy was helping me with the aftermath of losing my sister. Losing loved ones is always hard, but it's particularly hard near the holidays. It's an emotional roller-coaster and a practical nightmare. It's hard to get things done, but there's so much to do.<br />
<br />
Grief sneaks up on you. It still blindsides me from time to time. I'm at the stage where it doesn't hit me so much as gently tap me on the shoulder and remind me that it's still there. It also reminds me to cherish the family and friends I still have in my life.<br />
<br />
To all of you, my best wishes for a happy holiday and a safe, healthy and prosperous new year.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="font-size: small;">Now for the Boxing Day part...</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Deadly Press is having a sale.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3maH5MawWzy_9yrQBuiq18pbPpi1lgZIz_VI-9MKLcpdHF6mKymUEdKwiYVS4p3THPUnhNb156Y9vU_zqtcFEFLSWGZ8P7HSIYd13CnXjVV3Lcd2WpIawpkOtD5JXDUkqE2M_vNRMC24y/s1600/CodeNameGypsyMoth.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3maH5MawWzy_9yrQBuiq18pbPpi1lgZIz_VI-9MKLcpdHF6mKymUEdKwiYVS4p3THPUnhNb156Y9vU_zqtcFEFLSWGZ8P7HSIYd13CnXjVV3Lcd2WpIawpkOtD5JXDUkqE2M_vNRMC24y/s200/CodeNameGypsyMoth.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nell Romana loves two
things: running the Blue Angel Bar, and Dalamar, a notorious modern-day knight
for hire. Too bad he doesn't know she is actually an undercover
agent. </span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">99 cents</span></b></span>
https://www.amazon.com/Code-Name-Gypsy-Melodie-Campbell-ebook/dp/B07FDMG6TP/<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2F64aKxXI3ggj7j8aHuqkxn-Lmk8y1hLmShTrw5HPyRCoDgqE2EOR2U8OIaXKcBQJJFQtk4bgUSjqd3WB1Ie5WSAH3H9pNAL4d2rwOCNVdhwQU1zNJ63nvAhvTMlhipxyHo96GiU2C5i1/s1600/UATS-4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2F64aKxXI3ggj7j8aHuqkxn-Lmk8y1hLmShTrw5HPyRCoDgqE2EOR2U8OIaXKcBQJJFQtk4bgUSjqd3WB1Ie5WSAH3H9pNAL4d2rwOCNVdhwQU1zNJ63nvAhvTMlhipxyHo96GiU2C5i1/s200/UATS-4.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
When Marly Landers is fooled by con man Charlie Meese, she's determined
to bring him to justice--even if it means dressing up as a boy and
setting off across the plains to find him.<br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">99 cents</span></b></span> <br />
http://getbook.at/UnderATexasStar<br />
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<br />
When
Rowena falls through her classroom wall and lands in an alternate
world, she doesn’t count on being kidnapped ―not once, but twice,
dammit― and the stakes get higher as the men get hotter.<br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">99 cents</span></b></span><br />
https://www.amazon.com/Rowena-Through-Wall-Lands-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B07FLY2X3J<br />
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When the southern states secede, twin sisters are separated, and find themselves on opposite sides of America’s bloodiest war.<br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">99 cents</span></b></span> <br />
http://getbook.at/HazardousUnions2<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Kate recently inherited half her father’s private investigation company
and a partner who is as irritating as he is attractive. Kate has been
avoiding Jake Carmedy for years, but now her life might depend on him.<br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">99 cents</span></b></span> <br />
http://getbook.at/DeadlySeason-CG<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">On sale until 15 January!</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Next post will be Monday 7 January and the topic will be the New Year</span>
<span style="color: black;">Meanwhile, <b>Like</b>, <b>Follow & Share</b> me on Facebook: <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books">www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books</a></b> </span><br />
I'm also on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/alisonebruce" target="_blank">@alisonebruce</a>... but not as much. Also check out:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7axJN2RgSr9fcKGnPlJ2waPvnNZzCdlqibRxMA2BG3yNpXNK4733tTi9EiaOAnvSmgDEzLjQh7lGOWfQ0kQKZCtr2jolhqC5fcLMphlxYKxVV4SmzQ0sXsT6ausU3Ey8rwn-NusTvKMc/s1600/Bruce-GhostWriter-400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7axJN2RgSr9fcKGnPlJ2waPvnNZzCdlqibRxMA2BG3yNpXNK4733tTi9EiaOAnvSmgDEzLjQh7lGOWfQ0kQKZCtr2jolhqC5fcLMphlxYKxVV4SmzQ0sXsT6ausU3Ey8rwn-NusTvKMc/s200/Bruce-GhostWriter-400.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>GHOST WRITER</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>She has to deal with two kinds of spooks: spies and ghosts.<br /> </b></i><br />
<i><b>But which one is trying to kill her?</b></i><br />
<br />
Jen
Kirby has seen ghosts since she was a child, but she can’t talk to them
or help them cross over. And, after a violent death in the family, she
doesn’t want to see them anymore. <br />
<br />
In her role as
ghostwriter, Jen joins a Canadian Arctic expedition to document and help
solve a forty-year-old mystery involving an American submarine station
lost during the Cold War. The trouble is, there are people—living and
dead—who don't want the story told, and they’ll do anything to stop her.<br />
Now
Jen is haunted by ghosts she can’t avoid or handle alone. That means
confiding in the one man she doesn’t want to dismiss her as “crazy.” But
can he help? Or is he part of the problem?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://getbook.at/GhostWriterAB">http://getbook.at/GhostWriterAB</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>On sale for $1.99 until 31 December </b></span>Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-66684440159134733002018-11-26T05:00:00.000-05:002018-11-27T17:13:56.830-05:00Bonnie McCune is Obsessed with Disasters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrm-fpJG1fagfNSfBUNpyCo7XGdqktxgYqF3_gZHagxt-5CVqyrU8iQuMUh6mV1O2R0B8Pmd-AwDWO2YJNqcGTdWr14DKNOBI6BLALua_LnGOUYbK3q48aklvlb4By6xKRoJFQYK0214/s1600/2018-Bonnie-and-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrm-fpJG1fagfNSfBUNpyCo7XGdqktxgYqF3_gZHagxt-5CVqyrU8iQuMUh6mV1O2R0B8Pmd-AwDWO2YJNqcGTdWr14DKNOBI6BLALua_LnGOUYbK3q48aklvlb4By6xKRoJFQYK0214/s640/2018-Bonnie-and-book.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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TURNING DISASTER INTO OPPORTUNITY<br />
<br />
By Bonnie McCune<br />
<br />
<br />
Disasters crowd my fiction. In my most recent novel, <a href="http://getbook.at/NeverRetreat" target="_blank"><b>Never Retreat</b></a>, a massive flash flood threatens not only the heroine and hero but also an entire group from their office, up in the mountains on a corporate retreat. In other works, one heroine faces a major crisis—a malfunctioning hot water heater that floods her apartment and threatens explosion. In another, the heroine and her family are caught in an extreme winter blizzard with no heat or lights. In still another, a forest fire spreads more heat and danger than the love story. <br />
<br />
As the writer, I ask myself why I’m obsessed with disasters. I didn’t realize I relied heavily on terrible events occurring in my books until the fourth manuscript. That’s when I began wondering if something deeper than simply action for the plot underlay my manuscripts.<br />
<br />
Two reasons occur to me. The first was writing itself. A disaster allows me, the writer, to compress action into a short time to keep the story moving. It encourages characters to act their best, or worst, to reveal their personalities. The manner in which crises occur--random and uncontrolled--provides challenges readers can relate to as well as experiences characters learn from. And like humans, fictional characters learn waaaay more from struggles and failures than they do easy successes.<br />
<br />
Still in many novels, characters don’t struggle to meet physical challenges. They may fall in or out of love, seek jobs or get fired, have misunderstandings with families or boyfriends. But they don’t walk a tightrope over death. What does my obsession with disaster reveal about me?<br />
<br />
That I’m a fraidy-cat. Anything and everything scares me. Example: in the middle of the night yesterday, I woke when the furnace turned on. A strange new noise accompanied the forced air. I immediately thought the equipment was going to explode.<br />
<br />
When I take road trips, I worry not only about the car breaking down but also over the possible appearance of a murderer. (By the way, this scene appears in my third book along with the wildfire.) A rash on my kid’s arm is probably Lyme disease. A recently discovered error on my taxes means the IRS will charge me with fraud.<br />
<br />
So I have a whole load of fears. What do I do about them? I write about people who take steps to control their anxiety. I’ve learned that doing something, almost anything, positive enables me to restrain real as well as imaginary fears. Witness the recent terrorist attacks in Paris. Thousands, millions around the globe helped settle their souls by carrying “Je suis Charlie” signs, a positive action in the face of terrible possibilities.<br />
<br />
Another way to look at disaster is to view it as an opportunity. On the personal level, I try to practice what Catherine the Great preached: “I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.” My characters do the same. A disaster allows them to stretch, grow, learn about themselves and others.<br />
<br />
Including disasters in my work also provides an excuse for me to burrow for information on fascinating topics. What other reason could justify spending hours delving into transcripts from people who have battled fires or floods? Or calling up total strangers to ask personal questions?<br />
<br />
I don’t carry a list of disasters to wrap into forthcoming books. I’ve never been near a hurricane, a tsunami, or a bank holdup. So I don’t know how long I’ll be including crises like these in my work. But for now, they enable me to grow as a person as well as a writer.<br />
<br />
(Bonnie McCune’s most recent novel is <a href="http://getbook.at/NeverRetreat" target="_blank">Never Retreat</a>, Imajin Books, 2018. 978-1-77223-350-6 Kindle ebook; 978-1-77223-351-3 Trade paperback; <a href="http://getbook.at/NeverRetreat">http://getBook.at/NeverRetreat</a> or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079SY632Z Reach her at <a href="http://www.bonniemccune.com/">www.BonnieMcCune.com</a>, <a href="mailto:Bonnie@BonnieMcCune.com">Bonnie@BonnieMcCune.com</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/bonniemccune">twitter.com/bonniemccune</a>, <a href="http://facebook.com/authorBonnieMcCune">facebook.com/authorBonnieMcCune</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/BonnieMcCune">www.linkedin.com/in/BonnieMcCune</a>.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknPNkRK6yBiDSsrXGWLG_4gpeaqEinjQxJ3YXhuT4HREgr9hx-6UNgZSXN_CrV-o6ujAClf397vuYvSQ7RiUi-VlI2FwjR5mRTYTGMSsgs7YGyovd9Nz7kdZBcPl03dCfO1GTPCgiVRM/s1600/Never+Retreat+Front+Cover+rev.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknPNkRK6yBiDSsrXGWLG_4gpeaqEinjQxJ3YXhuT4HREgr9hx-6UNgZSXN_CrV-o6ujAClf397vuYvSQ7RiUi-VlI2FwjR5mRTYTGMSsgs7YGyovd9Nz7kdZBcPl03dCfO1GTPCgiVRM/s320/Never+Retreat+Front+Cover+rev.jpg" width="213" /></a>A feisty single mom clashes with an ex-military, macho corporate star at
a business retreat in the wild Colorado mountains, where only one can
win a huge prize. But when a massive flood imperils their love and
survival, they learn the meaning of true partnership.<br />
<br />
Years ago,
Ramona (‘Raye”) Soto faced harsh reality when a roving con man knocked
her up. Now at thirty-something she’s concentrating on her career in a
major telecommunications firm and funding college for her teenage son.
Enter Desmond Emmett—a fast talker and smooth operator. New to the
office, the ex-serviceman possesses every negative quality for a guy
Raye should avoid.<br />
<br />
Thrown together at a corporate retreat in the
wilderness, the reluctant duo struggles to complete management’s extreme
mental and physical tests for a huge reward. But only one can win the
prize, and Des needs the money to underwrite medical treatments for his
adored younger sister.<br />
<br />
See-sawing between attraction and
antagonism, the mismatched couple, Raye and Des, face their biggest
challenge: learning the meaning of true partnership. When a massive
flash flood sweeps down the rocky canyon and threatens their love and
survival, they must put aside their difference to rescue their
colleagues—and their future as a couple.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgugi4a3sOWF10jHvenIz2_SWnYMo7JttIyizqnTwH4psQrWn2Qus2uAURgM1jsiHZ7vktIww4fKTvw0-3mAoym5C2_GZbQkM2P5qseqB2gHQ24QmyLzEtsR-RS_hc_2yDw4PLWu3Axs/s1600/B+1+edited+web.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="336" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgugi4a3sOWF10jHvenIz2_SWnYMo7JttIyizqnTwH4psQrWn2Qus2uAURgM1jsiHZ7vktIww4fKTvw0-3mAoym5C2_GZbQkM2P5qseqB2gHQ24QmyLzEtsR-RS_hc_2yDw4PLWu3Axs/s200/B+1+edited+web.jpg" width="162" /></a>Bonnie McCune has been writing since age ten, when she submitted a poem about rain rushing down the gutter to the Saturday Evening Post (it was rejected). Her interest in the written word facilitated her career in nonprofits where she concentrated on public and community relations and marketing. She’s worked for libraries, directed a small arts organization, and managed Denver's beautification program. <br />
<br />
Simultaneously, she’s been a free lance writer with articles in local, regional, and specialty publications. Her civic involvement includes grass-roots organizations, political campaigns, writers' and arts' groups, and children's literacy. For years, she entered recipe contests and was a finalist once in the Pillsbury Bake Off. A special love is live theater. Had she been nine inches taller and thirty pounds lighter, she might have been an actress <br />
<br />
Her true passion is fiction, and her stories have won several awards. Never Retreat is her third novel and her fifth book of fiction. She and her husband have two adult children, and three grandchildren. For reasons unknown (an unacknowledged optimism?), she believes one person can make a difference in this world. Visit her at <a href="http://www.bonniemccune.com/">www.BonnieMcCune.com</a>, where you also can read her blog “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives.”<br />
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<span style="color: black;">Next post will be Monday 10 December and the topic will be the holidays, of course.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black;">Meanwhile, <b>Like</b>, <b>Follow & Share</b> me on Facebook: <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books">www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books</a></b> </span><br />
I'm also on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/alisonebruce" target="_blank">@alisonebruce</a>... but not as much. Also check out:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7axJN2RgSr9fcKGnPlJ2waPvnNZzCdlqibRxMA2BG3yNpXNK4733tTi9EiaOAnvSmgDEzLjQh7lGOWfQ0kQKZCtr2jolhqC5fcLMphlxYKxVV4SmzQ0sXsT6ausU3Ey8rwn-NusTvKMc/s1600/Bruce-GhostWriter-400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7axJN2RgSr9fcKGnPlJ2waPvnNZzCdlqibRxMA2BG3yNpXNK4733tTi9EiaOAnvSmgDEzLjQh7lGOWfQ0kQKZCtr2jolhqC5fcLMphlxYKxVV4SmzQ0sXsT6ausU3Ey8rwn-NusTvKMc/s200/Bruce-GhostWriter-400.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>GHOST WRITER</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>She has to deal with two kinds of spooks: spies and ghosts.<br /> </b></i><br />
<i><b>But which one is trying to kill her?</b></i><br />
<br />
Jen
Kirby has seen ghosts since she was a child, but she can’t talk to them
or help them cross over. And, after a violent death in the family, she
doesn’t want to see them anymore. <br />
<br />
In her role as
ghostwriter, Jen joins a Canadian Arctic expedition to document and help
solve a forty-year-old mystery involving an American submarine station
lost during the Cold War. The trouble is, there are people—living and
dead—who don't want the story told, and they’ll do anything to stop her.<br />
Now
Jen is haunted by ghosts she can’t avoid or handle alone. That means
confiding in the one man she doesn’t want to dismiss her as “crazy.” But
can he help? Or is he part of the problem?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://getbook.at/GhostWriterAB">http://getbook.at/GhostWriterAB</a><br />
<br />Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104797744839752422.post-27144079439167015222018-11-12T06:00:00.000-05:002018-11-12T17:09:32.403-05:00Always Remembered<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNt0UykXUC6L-AVahhe84ZN0f6jhWY5PGC_9judc6dPL_pLGTmrB4cN8JYtbVaMqhrpbOFk6_0wGdcwPL9jv-NEMOi6QXf3S26Iq2IPnnec86bNfaoG-217Zna-fmgShHTFwdQkmoLa40/s1600/FamilyRemembrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNt0UykXUC6L-AVahhe84ZN0f6jhWY5PGC_9judc6dPL_pLGTmrB4cN8JYtbVaMqhrpbOFk6_0wGdcwPL9jv-NEMOi6QXf3S26Iq2IPnnec86bNfaoG-217Zna-fmgShHTFwdQkmoLa40/s640/FamilyRemembrance.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frank Nash RAF, Observer Corps (for Joan Nash), Eileen Nash ATS, Nelson Bruce RCN</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: Thank you to my cousin Hilary for the photo of her mum. Now I just need a photo of my mum in uniform</span></i></div>
<br />
I come from a family of great story tellers. I grew up hearing stories about my Nana's childhood, her talent at the piano, her prowess on the tennis court and how she was courted by one of her older brothers' best friends, Frank Nash. He later served in Africa, where he contracted malaria, a disease that eventually led to his death soon after the war.<br />
<br />
These stories were usually told at her kitchen table over breakfast. My sister and I visited Nana most Saturday and Sunday mornings when we were growing up. I continued the custom, long after my sister stopped, just for the stories. Nana was evacuated from London with her two daughters to the village of Clophill and Silsow. She was a civilian telephone operator at an unnamed military base, a job that sounded much more mysterious than it probably was.<br />
<br />
At the dinner table, at family gatherings, I heard stories from my mother and aunt about being evacuees. My mother would also share her misadventures in the Observer Corps. I've seen photos of the women's uniform with it's A-line, calf length skirt. I only wish I had a photo of my mother in the uniform she modified to have a knee-length pencil-line skirt, despite it being one of the duties of the Observer Corps to rescue airmen from burning cockpits...well maybe not burning at the time.<br />
<br />
After dinner, on the second or third cup of tea, my aunt might open up about her experiences in the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service). She served as a driver/mechanic, just like Princess Elizabeth. In fact, she looked so much like the future queen that I wondered why Nana had a photo of Elizabeth, in uniform, on her sideboard.<br />
<br />
My aunt's stories inspired me to research women in the military during World War I and II for my undergraduate history thesis. My aunt helped me with that research, putting my in contact with those of her former sisters in uniform, that she maintained contact with. Their stories ranged from funny to tragic, but none were as chilling as my aunt's description of being an ambulance driver after the invasion.<br />
<br />
My father was more of a joke teller than a story teller. His stories about his experience in the Royal Canadian Navy were mostly relating how he was sick every day at sea. It wasn't until my mother was gone, my father lost his license and I became his wheel-man, that he opened up on those long drives. Even then, he mostly told stories about his childhood. I learned about his experiences in the Navy from his best friend since that time.<br />
<br />
"Uncle" Reg loaned my dad a book on the Battle of the Atlantic, which he said was a pretty accurate description of what they went through. It sat on my father's night stand unread because, my father said, the print was too small. I offered to read it to him but never got past the introduction. He didn't want to go there. I read it on my own instead. Before giving the book back, I was able to talk to Uncle Reg and learn more about my father through his memories.<br />
<br />
The stories I was told and what I read about the service of the RCN that inspired me to make the crew of the HMCS Nagasawaga supporting characters in <b>Ghost Writer</b>. I gave his sea sickness, however, to my main character, Jen Kirby. The experiences of my British family members has been percolating in my mind for some time and is the inspiration for my latest work in progress.<br />
<br />
The inspiration my family's service gave me in my life, academics and creative work is considerable but as I write this, on 11/11 just after 11:11, I am most thankful that they were and are part of my life. And I think of those who didn't return.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHOflsWShmoJ9f8fgi-lsasUXvPCkBpXT4907uD0t5XnEOFbbBEJVF5cW8OElzV1PP-1-uGDxcwtfF9C56qwHrE9vwKnKLs1r3_03MOp0d2mxQVgYBZEO3-uM4vrdXfmm9IBkHbvajco/s1600/FamilyRemembrance.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHOflsWShmoJ9f8fgi-lsasUXvPCkBpXT4907uD0t5XnEOFbbBEJVF5cW8OElzV1PP-1-uGDxcwtfF9C56qwHrE9vwKnKLs1r3_03MOp0d2mxQVgYBZEO3-uM4vrdXfmm9IBkHbvajco/s320/FamilyRemembrance.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original cover with Princess Elizabeth</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;">Next post will be Monday 26 November and I will have a guest blogger, author <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBonnieMcCune" target="_blank">Bonnie McCune</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Meanwhile, <b>Like</b>, <b>Follow and Share</b> me on Facebook: <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books">www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books</a></b> </span><br />
I'm also on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/alisonebruce" target="_blank">@alisonebruce</a>... but not as much. Also check out:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7axJN2RgSr9fcKGnPlJ2waPvnNZzCdlqibRxMA2BG3yNpXNK4733tTi9EiaOAnvSmgDEzLjQh7lGOWfQ0kQKZCtr2jolhqC5fcLMphlxYKxVV4SmzQ0sXsT6ausU3Ey8rwn-NusTvKMc/s1600/Bruce-GhostWriter-400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7axJN2RgSr9fcKGnPlJ2waPvnNZzCdlqibRxMA2BG3yNpXNK4733tTi9EiaOAnvSmgDEzLjQh7lGOWfQ0kQKZCtr2jolhqC5fcLMphlxYKxVV4SmzQ0sXsT6ausU3Ey8rwn-NusTvKMc/s200/Bruce-GhostWriter-400.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>GHOST WRITER</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>She has to deal with two kinds of spooks: spies and ghosts.<br /> </b></i><br />
<i><b>But which one is trying to kill her?</b></i><br />
<br />
Jen
Kirby has seen ghosts since she was a child, but she can’t talk to them
or help them cross over. And, after a violent death in the family, she
doesn’t want to see them anymore. <br />
<br />
In her role as
ghostwriter, Jen joins a Canadian Arctic expedition to document and help
solve a forty-year-old mystery involving an American submarine station
lost during the Cold War. The trouble is, there are people—living and
dead—who don't want the story told, and they’ll do anything to stop her.<br />
Now
Jen is haunted by ghosts she can’t avoid or handle alone. That means
confiding in the one man she doesn’t want to dismiss her as “crazy.” But
can he help? Or is he part of the problem?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://getbook.at/GhostWriterAB">http://getbook.at/GhostWriterAB</a>Alison E. Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.com1