However, I did manage to do two online interviews, which are both out this week. Thanks to KD Easley and Linda Faulkner for the interview opportunities. They asked some good questions. Like what would I need on a desert island?

Tuesdays with Friends

Author Exchange Blog

Oh, yes, the websites that have taken up so much of my time.

The Word Guild

The Word Guild Awards

Where Two Paths Converge…connecting readers with writers 

I've also added new interviews at the Hot Apple Cider site

And, of course, Write! Canada is coming along very well. Registration is now open.

I talked about Hot Apple Cider and tried to light a fire under listeners to get them all actively involved in supporting Canadian authors. We need a fan club!!!!!!!!!!!

Watch online here.

Here are two photos taken by author Deborah Gyapong, one of me and one of the reading areas. You can see many more photos on Deb's blog here and here.

The last four photos are courtesy of author Fay Rowe.

If you put your cursor on each picture, you'll see who's in them.

On it is an endorsement by Anne McCaffrey, which begins with the words, "Georgette Heyer has met her match for intrigue and style…."  

I sit up and begin to laugh. It's midnight, and even though my husband has just fallen asleep, I wake him up. This is too good not to share!

For those who don't know, Georgette Heyer lived from 1902 to 1974. She wrote over 40 sparkling, witty regency  romances and 12 delightfully tricky contemporary mysteries. She's second only to C. S. Lewis on my all-time favourite writer list. I own all her mysteries and most of her romances. And I intentionally patterned my Manziuk and Ryan mysteries after her Hannasyde and Hemmingway ones.

Okay, now the reason for my laughter. 

During the last week, I read 14 of her historical romances, most of them for at least the 10th time. Some perhaps the 20th. Because last week i was sick. Not so sick I couldn't read anything, but so sick I needed something I loved to read. And as has happened on many other occasions since I was a teenager, I went to the shelf with Georgette's books on it. And as usual, she held my attention, made me laugh, and helped me forget I was sick.

While I was reading, it occurred to me once or twice that my son Mark might enjoy her books. Although I don't believe he's ever read an historical romance. Or would consider doing so. Mark is a financial something or other with IBM and he primarily reads and writes science fiction and fantasy and speculative fiction. Although when he was younger, he did read Owls in the Family about 40 times one year, so he does do the old favourite thing too.

Now, back to the book I was reading at midnight last night. It's I guess what would be called science fiction, although it also has elements of fantasy. It has a lot of a certain kind of intelligent humour – wit, I guess. And very complicated, ingenuous plots. Hmm. A lot of similarity to Georgette Heyer – ergo, the endorsement which blew me away. I mean, let's face it, how often do you see an endorsement comparing two wildly different authors, writing in totally different genres? Especially the day after you read 14 of the other author's books?

Now for the rest of the story.

Who introduced me to Lois McMaster Bujold? Why, my son Mark, of course. She's one of his favourite authors. He loves her humour and her intriguing plots.

I guess like mother, like son. Now all I have to do is convince Mark to read one of my Georgette Heyer historical romances….

And on Sunday I had a booth in the Artist's Alley at the Markham Classic Car Show just off Main Street.

As you can see, we had beautiful weather on both days.

The interesting this is that Silx is pretty well blind and deaf. But she still asks to go for walks by going in circles in the hallway near our front door – especially on warm days.

While it looks as though I’m pulling Silx, she’s actually on a leash that expands. So she’s going pretty well wherever she wants to go. She used to like to lead me by the full length of the leash; now she seems to prefer to walk about 3 feet behind me. If I go too slowly, she bumps into my legs, so I have to try to keep to her pace.

I also have to watch she doesn’t bump into the rocks and other barriers our neighbours seem to like.

And now, I will respond to a few questions I've been asked:

Dave asked about finding a Christian bookstore near Richmond Hill, Ontario.

The best online lists of Christian bookstores in Canada I'm aware of is that of David C. Cook Distribution. You can find it here: http://davidccook.ca/retailers.asp

Or that of Word Alive Distributors, which is here.

Several people have asked me what I'm working on (as a writer, that is).

The short answer, not much. The longer answer, I'm actually trying to put my writing first. Hoping to write something each day. Hoping to make it a habit. But the reality is that until Write! Canada is history, I likely won't get any writing done. My writing to do list includes trying to complete my edit of Princess Persnickety and figuring out what to do with it re publishing (find an agent who loves children's fantasy, look for a publisher, etc.) I'm also trying to work on an adult contemporary novel called Transforming Jesse Owen Tucker which I started writing about 15 years ago, I think. One thing you can say for me is that I don't give up on anything easily. It's probably 1/3 written. I'm hoping to finish it this summer. I'm also getting ready to put a lot of my writing workshops into some form of book, ebook, audio, video, etc. over the summer.And then I have two mysteries, 2 non-fiction books, a memoir, a new teen nvoel, and a host of other things I've already begun. Sigh.

Where am I speaking?

Right now, I'm trying to figure out what I want to do in the fall and 2010, so I'm sort of "on hold." 

I did speak recently for a Unionville Women's Group of 100 or so, and that went very well. My talk was based on my story "The Diamond Ring" in Hot Apple Cider. That story, by the way, is shortlisted for two awards in The Word Guild Canadian Christian Writing Awards. My other story in Hot Apple Cider, "My Letter to the Editor," is also shortlisted for an award. If you're interested in supporting Canadian writers, do consider coming to the Awards Gala June 17th. It's open to tbe public.

And of course, I'll be at Write! Canada (I am the co-director). I'll be teaching and facilitating, with 4 other people, the continuing class, "Everything You Need to Know about Publishing a Book in Canada." I'll also be teaching a workshop on writing fiction and moderating a panel on creating a platform. Yep, looks as though I'll be busy.

Why do I  look different?

Because over the winter, I let my hair go au naturelle, and this is the result. I hated putting chemicals on my head and only started because it looked so bad when I started going grey in my 40's (still had long hair and it came in in streaks). But now I am very happy to be "me."

If you have any other questions, on any topic, feel free to ask here.