Think this blossom, taken yesterday in my back yard, looks surreally beautiful.
Surreal orange poppy
Archive for the ‘Epubbing General’ Category
Fab Orange Poppy Blossom Heralds Island Spring
Monday, May 21st, 2012Early Garden Delight: First Poached Eggs
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012Spring is rockin’ here on southern Van Isle with our first poached eggs sizzling on the back step.
Poached Eggs
Church Choir Mysteries Showcased at Sidney/North Saanich Library
Wednesday, February 29th, 2012
Church Choir Mysteries display
Just a quickie note to thank my friends and co-workers at the Sidney/North Saanich Library for showcasing my Church Choir Mysteries series in their display window this month.
How cool is that?
Church Choir Mysteries series
Great little library…why not visit us?
Special Invite: Readings by Van Isle Mystery Authors Jan. 26, 2012
Monday, January 9th, 2012Hey Mystery Fans,
Winter and gloomier days are upon us. Life’s duller now, perhaps boring so brighten it up with a fun outing!
Why not join me and three other local mystery authors for Dead of Winter: 4 Mystery Writers in Search of an Audience?
Lou Allin, M. Miles Gray, Denise Dietz and moi will be reading from some of our work at the Sidney/North Saanich Regional Library, Thursday, January 26th from 7-8:30 pm. Address 10091 Resthaven Drive, Sidney. Phone 250-656-0944.
Yeah, yeah, you’ll have to go out into the dark but once you get through the Library’s doors, you’ll be enveloped in a warm and mysterious possibly criminal glow.
And it’s free! 
And we’re nice!
And there’s gonna be treats!
More info here. Hope to see you!
Epubbing Summer Break
Sunday, July 24th, 2011Taking a little time off to…
- ponder an historical series,
- try out a new biz concept,
- get dirty in the jardin,
- spin along our rural bike trails and…
- indulge in fudge, bien sur!
Enjoy your summer. You can still check out my previous posts, especially if you’re interested in:
- how to write a mystery novel
- my garden
- podcast interviews with published authors
- self-publishing your ebook
- my novels.
Cheers!
Himalayan Blue Poppy Blossom
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011As I’ve said in the past, life’s not all about writing and words.
For me, it’s also about the love of gardening: the grit of the earth, the snap of secateurs, the fragrance of bluebells.
Well, yesterday I reached another bloomin’ milestone: the opening of my first grown-from-seed Himalayan Blue Poppy. Fabulous!
The pics say it all. Enjoy.
Himalayan Blue Poppy Blossoming
Himalayan Blue Poppy Blossom
Himalayan Blue Poppy Stem
How to Create Memorable Characters, Writers’ Workshop, Victoria, BC
Monday, February 21st, 2011Creating memorable characters for your genre fiction can be both challenging and rewarding. It ain’t easy but it can be done. And if you’re in Victoria, BC, in May, check out my course which is being offered by Camosun College on Saturday, February 26th from 1:30 – 4:40 pm.
You don’t have to have weird and wacky types like you’d find in Dickens (but bully for you if you do); however, you do want personalities that stand out, that resonate with your readers.
After all, think of any good book or movie. Do you remember the intricacies of the plot? Or do you remember the players?
How about The Sculptress, by Minette Walters, as an example. It’s an award winning mystery novel with a terrific twisty turny plot but what I remember most is the titular character, Olive Martin, as she sat in prison carving human figurines out of wax. Let’s just say she stuck with me.
The Niki Awards: Top Ten Creative Endeavours of 2010
Friday, December 31st, 2010Happy New Year and best wishes for a healthy, prosperous and inventive 2011.
Last year at this time, I created my own little awards, The Nikis, to honour the best of 2009.
So, continuing this tradition, I’ve nominated a new top ten for 2010.
My categories are mostly related to creative endeavours, are arbitrarily chosen and listed in no particular order.
So, drum roll, please; a Niki nod to each of the following:
1. Top Technology of the Year: E-readers
2. Top Multimedia Company of the Year: enkHouse Transmedia Storytellers
3. Top Cool Thing of the Year: iPad
4. Top Food of the Year: my sister’s Microwavable Chocolate Fudge
5. Top Song of the Year: Missing by Glynne Turner
6. Top Plant of the Year: My Phyllostachus Vivax Bamboo
My Vivax Bamboo
7. Top Radio Play of the Year: BBC Radio 4 Short Story Contest
8. Top Photo of the Year: Our new Yorkshire pup, Geordie
Our new pup, Geordie
9. Top E-Book Publisher/Distributor of the Year: Smashwords
10. Top Fun New Effort of the Year: The Novel Experience Podcast
So…what’re your top ten?
Digging in the Garden for Writing Ideas
Monday, September 27th, 2010
Sweet peas
Fall’s here on southern Vancouver Island and the air’s cooler, the ground wetter and my cottage garden’s beginning to fade.
Garden pots
Passion flower
As I strolled around yesterday, deadheading and pondering a new non-fiction book idea, I was struck and delighted at how much blooming colour still exists.
Front garden
I’m spoiled; I get to see it changing every day.
Garden Jewel
One season down, another to come…and with it some Himalayan blue poppies, I hope!
Poached eggs
Using E-Riches 2.0 by Scott Fox to Improve Book Marketing
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
e-Riches 2.0: Next-Generation Marketing Strategies for Making Millions Online by Scott Fox
Am always keen to improve my marketing opportunities for my fiction and non-fiction list and finding this book of interest re SEO, blogging strategies and using feeds and email lists.
You may buy E-Riches 2.0 at
Amazon.com
