Computer dependence

I seem to be experiencing a great variety of computer problems in the last little while.  The most recent bug is with my email.  I can receive email but my computer will not send although it gives a very sincere appearance of being able to do so.

There are times when I want to forget that there is such a thing as a computer.   As much as I need a computer to complete my tasks I get tired of the frustration that goes along with computer ownership when the computer chooses not to behave itself and do what it is told.

Computer dependence is a pain.......but a reality of life; mine anyway.

Tomorrow I will call my server and hope there is help available to solve my sending email problem.

As for today -- enough said.

To be in the moment..........

It is not always easy to remain in the moment.   When something happens in life that we define as negative our minds bounce back to what we could have said, done or been in the past.  And then our mind jumps ahead to what will result or be a consequence.  We wonder and we worry.

To simply accept, to let it be what it is and to stay centred in the now sounds like a simple thing to do but it is not always easy to be simple.

We may ask ourselves, why did that person have to do or say what he did or said.  We may wonder, what effect, what impact will this have on my plans and my goals.

We sometimes forget that there is purpose in all things and that all that takes place is a learning if we are open to accept the lesson.

To dare to be a Daniel, as we used to sing in the old Sunday School song, and to be strong enough to stand alone, to be real, to be vulnerable and authentic can feel scary.  To feel the fear and do it anyway is empowering.

I have a small picture frame here in my office that contains a simple yet powerful affirmation.  The three words are  Yes You Can.

There will always be someone who wants to criticize, judge, and make your life more difficult than it needs to be.   Stay in your power.   Let their words roll away from you like water off a duck's back. 

The words of another do not define who you are. Those same words say much about the person who wrote or said them.

You can be your own best friend. 

Enjoy this day and dance in the rain.  Happy Saturday!

A beautiful morning..........

Good morning and what a beautiful spring morning this is.  I would be pleased to tell you I am outdoors enjoying the sun's warmth but, alas, my time all morning was consumed in trying to restore my lost email folders.

We took a pleasant break after lunch and this afternoon we did a lot of window shopping in preparation for our basement reno which will be happening soon.   I fell in love with some of the new bathroom fittings available; very smart!  I'm excited about having the basement finished and plan to move my office into the space. 

I hope by then my computer will be better behaved.

Enjoy this beautiful day!  Rain is in the forecast again.

Computer problems .......

Computer problems yesterday caused me to lose all my email folders starting with the letter "D" and forward.

Of course this includes all email folders pertaining to Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival.

The bulk of today is being spent in trying to retrieve essential information from all possible sources.

Computers, when they work well, are wonderful things.

Computers, when they play up, are -- No, I cannot use that kind of language on this blog.   So I will say computers, when they play up, are frustrating. (to say the least)

Fortunately I did not lose the logos of the most generous supporters of Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival:  Ontario Arts Council,  Community Futures Development Corporation; Elliot Lake Retirement Living and ELNOS.

Elliot Lake Writers' Fall  Festival will take place Saturday, October 22nd, 2011 at the Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  followed by Gala Dinner

at the Renaissance Centre, Elliot Lake

with keynote speaker, Dr. Ross Pennie.

This and that ....

It is a beautiful sunny day in Elliot Lake.  The sunshine is welcome after several rainy days. 

My promise to myself to post daily comments in my blog is not always an easy one to keep nevertheless I persevere to try to find something that will be of interest to you, the reader.

Elliot Lake Writers' Fall  Festival planning consumes much of my time.  As a consequence I have been doing precious little creative writing.  However I do enjoy entering the WynLit 24 writing competitions hosted by Wynterblue Publishing Canada.  Last month my story was short-listed.  I hope my more recent submission shares its fate. The next contest will be coming up soon in early June.

I'm currently reading a book titled Raised by the River written by Canadian author Jake MacDonald.  It's a good read and I'm encouraged to check out other books written by said writer.

Promoting and marketing Elliot Lake Writers'  Fall Festival is now high up on the agenda of things to do.  Soon we will be working with graphics designer to put together posters which will attract people to the Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre where we will join together to celebrate the joy of writing.

The Festival takes place Saturday, October 22, 2011.  Mark your calendar early.  This will be a day to remember!

Sailing the Great Lakes

Another rainy day in Elliot Lake ...

Nothing better than curling up with a good book on a rainy day.... Check out these four ..

Fretta and Thin by Susan Krupp

The following three books are my babies.

To order your copy of any of the above books just email.

2011 Drummond Poetry Contest ...

Audrey: Here is info on this years contest.Haven't set deadline date yet for next year but poets can check out the general rules etc by going to http://www.springpulsepoetryfestival.com/ and clicking on drummond poetry contest.  thanks dave

Established in Cobalt in 1970, the Spring Pulse Poetry Festival has been successfull in ensuring that the memory of Dr. Drummond, the 19^th century’s most popular and successfull poet has been kept alive.

We wish to Congratulate all the individual winners of the 2011 Drummond Poetry Contest. This year’s contest saw entries from right across Canada and our judge Bianca Lakoseljac from Toronto found her task most challenging. An excerpt of an email concludes: “. “I’ve taken on the impossible task. We have 149 poems, and we could easily give away that many prizes. The poems are so good, sooo good...This is definitely is the year of poetry!!!”

The committee wishes to congratulate all of the poets who made this competition so competitive.

Further we wish to express appreciation to the following poetry organizations whose members participated and won specifically; The League of Canadian Poets, Ontario Poetry Society, Canadian Federation of Poets, Canadian Authors Association, and the Stroll of Poets Edmonton.

The committee would especially wish to recognize the following local poets; Poet Laureate Ann Margetson, of Cobalt Lorne Larocque of Kirkland Lake, Don Bennet of Haileybury, and Barbara Irvine of New Liskeard. These poets all excelled in competition with poets from across Canada. The first place winning poet was Greg Laurenceson of Elliot Lake also from Northern Ontario.

Congratulations Greg Laurenceson, ELWW's resident poet ....

Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest

Winners from the 2011 Contest:

DR. WILLIAM HENRY DRUMMOND POETRY CONTEST WINNERS LIST 2011
Spring Pulse Poetry Festival proudly hosted for the fourth year this national poetry contest. Helping keep alive the memory of Dr. Drummond the 19th century’s most popular and successful poet. Congratulations to all winners of the 2011 Drummond Poetry Contest. We had 149 entries from all across Canada. Our judge Bianca Lakoseljac from Toronto received just the poems and found it most challenging. Here is an excerpt of an email. “. “I’ve taken on the impossible task. We have 149 poems, and we could easily give away that many prizes. The poems are so good, sooo good...This is definitely is the year of poetry!!!”
Normally we only award 8 honourable mentions but have included one more plus 12 judges’ choices. Listed below are the winning titles and poets.
A special thanks to all those poets who participated making the contest so competitive.
FIRST: Black Tea and Brandy for Jim-GREG LAURENCESON-
SECOND: Walking Through Morning Web II-ROBYN M. BUTT
THIRD: Turning Tide-SUZANNE HUNTER
HONOURABLE MENTION:

1. 1. A Note from Mom-BARBARA WEILER
2. The Visitant-DOROTHY STOTT-
3. The Red Boathouse-JOAN RIPPEL
4. Under the Circumstances- AUDREY SEEHAGEN
5. Raven Has My Number- BETH SKALA
6. Two Barns-DOROTHY STOTT
7. Beaver Dam, Bruce Trail, Caledon-JENNIFER FOOTMAN
8. The Door Leading Nowhere-ANN MARGETSON
9. Cold Water Feed-KEITH INMAN

JUDGES’ CHOICE:
1.   My Life in Shoes-BARBARA WEILER
2.   Herstory- PATRICIA NARYNSKI
3.   Once or Twice-JOHN CORVESE
4.   Spring Fever- LORNE LAROCQUE
5.   Grandmother Moon-BARBARA IRVINE
6.    Dawn- DON BENNETT
7.    On a Night Such as This-GREG LAURENCESON
8.    Statue-KATE MARSHALL FLAHERTY

Thank you to Lifelong Reader for being first to review Kindle version of Sara, a Canadian Saga

I want to say thank you to Lifelong Reader for being the first to write a review on the Ebook Kindle version of my first novel, Sara, a Canadian Saga  published by Wynterblue Publishing Canada, North Bay.   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YDQXZK  

The book is not 190 pages or less as he states in his review.  Rather it comprises 207 pages.

Lifelong Reader termed the book semi-autobiographical which, of course, it is not.......I'm neither old enough nor wise enough to have been alive in the days of the Great Depression.     However the story is definitely based on some seeds of truth as they were told to me by family members and friends.

I'm happy that Lifelong Reader found the story moving.  And this reader gave my story 3 stars.  SARA was my first novel and  for the 3 stars I say thank you to Lifelong Reader whoever you may be.

Lifelong Reader correctly describes the writing as unpolished.   This description is interesting and telling .... the writing style is deliberately unpolished.  The style is simplistic and is there to tell the story of simple folk who are unpolished, ordinary and unknown. Yet if a reader would take the time to look into this mirror he would see himself and his "ordinaryness" reflected

I will say I have had wonderful feedback from readers of Sara, a Canadian Saga in its paperback form and, of course, I value all feedback be it positive or otherwise because it is all helpful and serves good purpose when it is offered in a constructive manner.

 I hope this first review will not deter you from wanting to read this warm, touching story which comes from the heart.

The Ebook Kindle edition of Sara, a Canadian Saga  is published by Wynterblue Publishing Canada which is a non-profit company.  Wynterblue is invaluable because of its support to northern writers.  A special thank you goes out to them for all that they do to help emerging authors. 

Here are more positive reviews of Sara, a Canadian Saga.

"Your well-written  book brought memories of actual places and people to me.  I was a child growing up on Prince Edward Island in the dirty thirties." K. Austin

"I've read your book already and loved the story. It reminded me of the stories my parents and grandparents used to relate about the 20's and 30's, Your story will sell very well with the older audience and educate the younger ones.  They were not easy days for anyone." Judy Donovan-McDonald.

"I received SARA on Tuesday and cóuldn't wait to read it.  I couldn't put it down.  I really enjoyed the story especially the streets in Toronto.  It brought back a lot of memories.  It is good for the soul to remember the past.  Could that be why we call them the good old days?  Looking forward to a sequel.   Maureen Jones-Motchan.

"I truly enjoyed reading SARA.  At times I laughed and at other times I felt tears welling up.  It was such a good story, well written and I loved it." Eleanor Lambert.

I just finished reading "Sara."  

I took the book to work with me where I was teaching a grade 7 class.  The children were directed to write about a time when they or someone they knew, demonstrated perseverance.  I held up the book and used "Sara" as an example of a woman who demonstrated perseverance.  I also spoke to the fact that the author demonstrated this quality in her determination to have her story published.  You would not believe the response from these kids - many wanted to know if they could get it at Chapters.  This story is uniquely Canadian and should be marketed to adolescents as part of their Canadian heritage.  "Sara" is a narrative that figures in the histories of Canadian families everywhere.  I will be passing this on to my son!

The line that cracked me up and drew me in for good: 

"Their mother set the steaming bowls of vegetables in the centre of the large, old, wooden table that no amount of wax and polish could dignify." (p. 11) 

I won't over-analyze why this struck me as hilarious, it just did.  What sad, sad state Rebecca was in over her table.    This table is a silent witness to generations of love, hope, fear, strife, courage, ignorance and finally, understanding. What a beautiful metaphor for an old scratched up, banged around history that none of us can escape and our fear of endlessly repeating it. 

Thank-you for inviting us to the table.

Karen Preson.

Black flies .........

The blackflies have done a great job on yours truly.  My right eye does not want to open and my head pounds.  Of course the Benadryl used last year has an expiry date of December, 2010.  I took one anyway. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."  Must discover the source of said quotation.

Planned church attendance now seems an unlikely event this morning.

Didn't want to wear my bug jacket or my bug hat on such a hot day while I worked in the garden yesterday and today I pay the price.

Tiny blackflies sure do pack a whallop!  Not exactly one of the jewels in the wilderness!

World without end ..........

The entirety of this beautiful spring day was spent working in the garden.  We planted a beautiful sand cherry tree and we planted a yellow rose bush; a tribute to my dear sister, Muriel.

I knelt on the earth and also on the hard concrete garden steps to hammer into the ground the fertilizer spikes for all the cedars.

I watched the bright sunlight sparkling in the water as it sprayed from the garden hose to water all the plants; the peonies, the hostas and a host of other flowering plants and bushes.

It was a glorious day.  And the world did not end.

Good morning, world ...

I woke up today to sunny blue skies and anticipation of the May 24 weekend.   We will drive over to Country Depot sometime today to buy the planting soil and we will fill all the pots in preparation for flower planting  during the next day or two.

Though thunder showers are in the forecast I am optimistic that we will achieve our goal and before Tuesday we will also have the beautiful flower baskets hanging on the verandah.

I love the spring.  The Forsythia is in flower.  The Maples are greening and Tulips are blooming. 

I hope you enjoy a safe and fun-filled Victoria Day weekend however you decide to spend your time.

Remember, don't say you are bored.  No one can feel bored when there is a good book to be read.  You don't have a good book?  Well, I do and I am just an email away. Get in touch to place your order.

Happy holiday!

Thank you to Ontario Arts Council & to Community Futures Development Corporation ..

It is with special thanks to both the East Algoma Community Futures Development Corporation and the Ontario Arts Council that the Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival will be taking place.

Mark your calendar early.  Saturday, October 22nd, 2011.  It will be a day to remember.

Yuneekpix.com

Yesterday I visited the website of the graphic artist who designed the covers for my four publications; Sara, a Canadian Saga; Reawakening; The Silent Star Plus a Dozen; and Keeping It Simple, a self-help manual the first printing of which is sold out.    Susan Krupp has also designed the cover for Ellen and the Hummingtree, my current project subject to be launched winter 2012.

Susan at Yuneekpix.com  has also designed the cover for Penpourri, Elliot Lake Writers' Anthology of Stories and Poems which will be launched at the Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival, October 22, 2011.

Yesterday when I visited the website I was blown away!   What an amazing site!  The  art which is presented in slideshows & the accompanying music are outstanding. 

Susan Krupp of Yuneekpix.com is a talent!

If you are an author seeking a designer for your book cover check it out at http://yuneekpix.com/

If you are a publishing house looking for a  cover designer check it out at http://yuneekpix.com/

If you are someone who loves great art and who enjoys music check it out at http://yuneekpix.com/

Nothing better than curling up with a good book on a rainy day.... Check out these four ..

Fretta and Thin by Susan Krupp

The following three books are my babies.

To order your copy of any of the above books just email.

Received from my brother-in-law today -- have to share it because it cracked me UP :-)

UP


Read until the end ... you'll laugh.


This two-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is'UP.'

 

It is listed in the dictionary as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].


It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?


At a meeting, why does a topic come UP?  Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?  We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. 

We lock UP the house and fix UP the old car.


At other times, this little word has real special meaning. 

 

People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.


To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.

And this UP is confusing: 

 

A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. 

 

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!


To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary. 

 

In a desk-sized dictionary,

 

it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.


If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used.  It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.


When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. 

 

When the sun comes out, we say it is clearing UP. 

 

When it rains, it soaks UP the earth. 

 

When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP. 

 

One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now . . . my time is UP!


Oh . . . one more thing:  What is the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night?


U

P!






Did that one crack you UP?


Don't screw UP. 

 

Send this on to everyone you look UPin your address book . . .

or not . . . it's UP to you.


Now I'll shut UP!

Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival .........

The Elliot Lake Writers' Fall  Festival is going to be an amazing event.

And thanks to all who are stepping up to participate and to assist us with all our early planning.

The Book Fair vendor tables are already all rented to wonderful authors from Elliot Lake; Blind River; Webbwood; and Manitoulin.

And already 15 of the 16 Reader Spots have been filled for our Podium Presentations.

The cover design for Elliot Lake's first publication titled Penpourri, Elliot Lake Writers' Anthology of Stories and Poems is beautifully complete by local artist, Susan Krupp, and has been submitted to Wynterblue Publishing Canada.

So much has been accomplished already but there is still much to be done.  Saturday, October 22nd is going to be an amazing day so please mark your calendar early.

Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival -- Calling All Writers to participate in our free Podium Presentations ..

October 22nd may seem far off but time has a way of disappearing.  I believe early planning will help to ensure the success of the Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival.

Already we have rented the 7 vendor tables in our Book Fair.

Now I am focusing on what we are calling Podium Presentations ......

If you are an author and you would like an opportunity to read from your work to the public I will slot your name into my "readers' roster" for a half hour.

Perhaps you are presenting or attending a workshop in the morning?........then maybe you would like to schedule your 1/2 hour to read in the afternoon or vice versa.

Perhaps you have a vendor's table to sell your books but want to take a half hour away from your table to read.  This reading will help promote your sales.

Perhaps you are a member of an out-of-town writers' group.  Here is your opportunity to promote your work and to hopefully sell some books.

I am hoping that our own ELWW members will want to read from their work.   I plan to talk, promote & read for half an hour and I hope you will want to as well.

The scheduling of the Readers Roster will be on a first come, first serve basis.

Readings will take place  October 22nd  from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the entire day.   Each reader is allotted a half hour to talk about, promote and read from their book. 

To participate is free of charge.

So get back to me ASAP   with your name, your story, poem or book title; and your preference for morning or afternoon reading, okay?

Keep in mind from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. comprises 16 half hours.  Already three authors have booked their time --  therefore the first 13 authors I hear from will have their names slotted into the roster.

Not only will this be an excellent opportunity for authors to present and promote their stories, poems or books.......the "Podium Presentations" will provide wonderful free entertainment to the reading public.  With this in mind all readings must contain language that is suitable for families.

The date of the Writers' Festival is October 22nd from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre.  Beside the podium there will be a table where for a half hour you can display some copies of your book to the public.

This free offer is open not only to Elliot Lake Writers but also to authors living out of town who plan to attend our Festival.

Thank you.  And again I will post this email in my blog.   And, remember, word of mouth can go a long way.

Audrey Austin,

    Co-Chair/Secretary Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival.

Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival at the Lester B.Pearson Civic Centre, 9 am to 5 pm with Gala Dinner following at the Renaissance Centre ...

Hi everyone,

At our Book Fair there will be space in the Civic Centre Lobby for 7 vendor tables where authors may sell their books at our Fall Festival Saturday, October 22nd from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Those seven tables have been booked by the following authors:

1.  Pen Pourri,  Elliot Lake Writers' Anthology of Stories and Poems

2.  Gloria Hansen

3.  Robert Kucey

4.  Anne K. Albert & Pat Lee (sharing table)

5.  Susan Krupp & Audrey Austin (sharing table)

6.  Blair Sterling (author Blind River)

7.  Manitoulin Writers' Circle

To those of you who have  booked a table please make your payment of $25.00 to ELWW Treasurer, Goldie Luckey,  ASAP.  If paying by cheque please make your cheque payable to Elliot Lake Writers' Workshop.   These monies will go toward helping to pay Festival expenses.

And if I can just say to everyone, in a beautiful town like ours word of mouth goes a long way.  Please tell your friends about the exciting ELWW Fall Festival.   Tell them we will not only have this exciting Book Fair & the launch of ELWW's  first ever Anthology titled Pen Pourri but we will also be offering an exciting morning workshop from 9 a.m. to noon presented by Dr. Ross Pennie on the topic of Memoir Writing and an afternoon workshop from 1 pm to 4 pm presented by Brian Henry on the topic of How to Get Published.  These three hour workshops cost only $25 each with a maximum of 20 participants in each  session so early registration will assure you a place in the classroom.

Tell your friends about the in-place flash writing competitions; one for children and one for adults where entries will be judged and prizes given in both categories.

There will be "Podium Presentations"  where throughout the day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. authors will be reading their stories and poems (open mic concept) to an audience.

The writing competitions and "Podium Presentations" are free to the public as is the great entertainment lined up including pianists Ken Little & Denis Morel and Mime Artist; Fran Perkins.

We will have a J. Breen coffee bar set up where people can buy a cup of coffee and this purchase will entitle them to enter a draw wherein they could win a great coffee maker.

At 5 pm the Festival will move from the Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre across the road to the Renaissance Centre where there will be a cash bar and at 6 pm a Gala Dinner will be served.   After this dinner our guest speaker, Dr. Ross Pennie; Medical Mystery Novelist, will offer a slide presentation that will be informative and entertaining.   The cost of the three course dinner plus after dinner keynote speaker presentation is $25.  Tickets will be available very soon.

The first ever Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival is going to be a day to remember.  Mark your calendar early, October 22nd and thanks for spreading the word.

Thanks very much and feel free to share this email with your friends who can share it with their friends.   Soon we will have posters and other promotional material available for distribution but It is not too early to start promoting this special event knowing word of mouth is something we can all share with friends in town and out-of-town as well.

I will also be posting this email onto my blog today.  If you have a website or a blog, will you also post this email?  Thank you.

Audrey,

  Secretary & Co/chair Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival.

Sailing the Great Lakes -- a presentation by Jurgen Braunohler will take place June 8th at City Hall ..

Thanks for the notice, and all of your kind efforts
to keep us informed!  I want to let you know that
I have finished the flyer for my June 8th. presentation
"Sailing the Great Lakes" and just e-mailed it to the
Serpent River Region Environmental Association
board for final approval, only moments ago.  As
soon as it is cleared for posting and distribution,
I will send you a copy.

Here's a little more about the presentation itself:
It is a narration of four, major, life-changing sailing
adventures I have had on the Great Lakes.  The
first one was aboard two square-rigged sail training
vessels: The Pathfinder and the Playfair (which I also
helped to build).  The rest, in order, were: an oared
navy whaler with sailing rig that I skippered for the
government to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents;
a yacht cruise with my father; and a sailing dinghy
expedition under a boomtent, during which I
encountered - and joined the Sea Hawks.

Other photos thrown in include dinghy cruising
along the North Shore, crewing (in period garb)
on a replica Royal Navy schooner, a canoe trip,
the submarine adventure, shipping and other things.
It is multi-media, with navigational charts, photos,
artwork, scenery, two short readings of my work and
several humorous anecdotes.  The history, folklore,
geography and environmental issues, as well as the
true nature of the waters at our doorstep will be
presented, from a sailor's perspective rather than the
land-based one we usually see and hear about.

The Poster for Jurgen's Presentation will be posted
soon on this blog.

I am sure this presentation will be an absolute delight
and I hope you will want to attend this event.

Love is .... by Linda Wilkins-Parker

LOVE IS…

LIVING EACH MOMENT IN AWE AND WONDER,

OPENING UP THE HEART AND SOUL WITHOUT FEAR,

VINDICATING THOSE WHO HAVE BROKEN YOUR HEART,

EVOLVING TO SIMPLE, QUIET DEVOTION.

LOVE IS…

LETTING GO OF SCORN AND PREJUDICE,

OFFERING THE HAND OF FRIENDSHIP,

VACATING DARK AND LONELY PLACES,

EXPECTING NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS THAN

          DIVINE, SOUL-SAVING LOVE.

Support our local visual artists ........

Time Thursday, June 9 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location Lester B Pearson Civic Centre, Elliot Lake

More Info:  Come and join us to celebrate the 2nd year anniversary of the co-op art gallery in Elliot Lake.

The event is FREE and will take place on Thurs June 9th at the Civic Centre at 7PM.

All the gallery artists will be in attendance to display and discuss their work. There will be a special exhibition for digital photographer Jeffrey Chi. Food and drinks will be provided FREE of cost.

In addition we will be having a one-night only 20% sale of all artwork in the gallery!

Elliot Lake can be extremely proud of its local visual artists.   We will definitely be there the evening of June 9th to enjoy the celebration.

Elliot Lake literary artists have already enjoyed one collaborative event with visual artists and I hope this is something that will happen again.

20% off all artwork in the Gallery is a fantastic opportunity to have the creations of local artists in your home. 

Mark your calendar!  Check it out!   Hope to see you there.

ELWW Anthology - Penpourri

Members of Elliot Lake Writers' Workshop who are participants in the first Elliot Lake Writers' Anthology of Short Stories and Poetry titled Penpourri will be meeting this afternoon to  choose cover design created by local graphic artist, Susan Krupp.

Special thanks to the Ontario Arts Council for their support regarding the book's cover design.

The Elliot Lake Writers' Fall Festival will be happening Saturday, October 22nd, 2011

from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre, Elliot Lake.

followed by a Gala Dinner at the Renaissance Centre with after dinner

keynote speaker,

Dr. Ross Pennie; Medical Mystery Novelist

The launch of Penpourri will take place at the Festival.

Mark your calendar early.  October 22nd will be a day to remember.

Gallery at the Centre, June 9th -- I've marked my calendar & hope to see you there

Time:	Thursday, June 9 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:	Lester B Pearson Civic Centre, Elliot Lake
More Info	Come and join us to celebrate the 2nd year anniversary of the co-op art gallery in Elliot Lake. The event is FREE and will take place on Thurs June 9th at the Civic Centre at 7PM. All the gallery artists will be in attendance to display and discuss their work. Their will be a special exhibition for digital photographer Jeffrey Chi. Food and drinks will be provided FREE of cost. In addition we will be having a one-night only 20% sale of all artwork in the gallery!

Ebooks

Sara, a Canadian Saga  is now an Ebook for sale at Amazon.com

Although I've been doing my best to help promote sales by my comments on Facebook and Twitter and although Wynterblue Publishing is promoting it on their website, my first Ebook published by Wynterblue Publishing Canada has not sold a single copy yet.

If you are a writer and your books have been published as Ebooks, maybe you will be willing to share your successes and failures?   Maybe you will discuss how you & your publisher have gone about promoting your Ebook?  

I'm sure there is much more I could be doing but since the very fact of an Ebook is brand new to me I have much to experience on this new learning curve.

I wish you lots of sales and if you have helpful information to share with me on this topic it will be much appreciated by me and perhaps it will be helpful to other writers as well.

Bits & pieces

This cloudy morning in Elliot Lake leaves me with nothing but memory of the absolutely gorgeous day yesterday which we spent doing spring clean-up duties in the basement and garage.  Lots of stuff out there for the truck to pick up now though many people came by already and picked up a cupboard here, a table there or something that piqued their fancy.  One man's garbage is another man's treasure, as they say.

Another Writers' Festival Planning Meeting will take place this Thursday at the Civic Centre.  Everything is coming together nicely.  It will be an exciting time when we launch the first ever Elliot Lake Writers' Anthology of Short Stories and Poetry titled Penpourri.

And this is a WOW week for me.  I look forward to meeting with good friends at The Fireside Grill. 

My little Godchild celebrated her 1st birthday recently.  She resides with her Mom far away in Peru.  Happy birthday, Audrey.

Those are my bits & pieces for today.  

SARA, a Canadian Saga now available through Amazon.com

SARA, a Canadian Saga is now an Ebook on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YDQXZK   is the link that will take you to Amazon.com where you will find my first novel SARA, a Canadian Saga , now an Ebook, available for sale.

I've yet to purchase my own Kindle or E-reader and learning about this technology is a new adventure for me.

I know that members of the younger generation are sold on E-readers.

But I was surprised to learn that many seniors prefer the E-books too because of their light weight, ease of handling and I'm told they have the ability to provide a larger print making the reading experience a more pleasant one.  I was also told the chance of waking their sleeping partner at night with the noise of flipping pages has vanished.

If you are someone who prefers to do your reading via an E-book place your order for SARA, a Canadian Saga, via the link above which will take you to Amazon.com

SARA, a Canadian Saga is also still available in paperback. To order your copy just email  me.

Happy Mother's Day

Celebrate the Dance of Motherhood around the world!

Happy Mother's Day!

Good Saturday morning

It is a bright sunny spring morning in Elliot Lake; a perfect day to be outdoors gardening, boating, riding a bike or simply walking with the dog through the woods.

This day is an invitation to  get out the deck chairs and laze in the warmth of the sun's rays; something we have not been receiving a lot of so far this spring.

You've heard the old saying, "Do as I say; not as I do."  

These words are very applicable when I think about the things I will be doing today.   I will be vacuuming, washing, dusting, cleaning ....... you get the idea.

A writer's life can be a busy one and I can say that about my life recently.  There has rarely been a day that I could, with good conscience, set it aside for a needed old-fashioned house cleaning. 

So this is it!  

While you are out there enjoying this day remember the fools like me who are home doing what we think needs to be done.

And while you are relaxing on your deck chair if you feel the desire to read a good book I'm just an email away.  I'll drop the mop and deliver your book to your door if  you live locally.  :-)

Mother's Day is tomorrow.   If you are a last minute shopper consider giving your Mom a book on her special day.  Easy shopping -  just email and we will deliver locally.






So much for my resolve to do housework today.....I could not resist the beautiful weather.   Housework was replaced by yard work and I have the sunburn to prove it. 

Tomorrow is Mother's Day; definitely not a good day for housework.....oh, well, Monday, Monday ....

Computer problems ...........

Due to computer problems I've been unable to do my usual daily posts.   I think (hope) I'm back in business now and I will get back into my daily posting routine tomorrow.

The Silent Star plus a dozen

Thanks to readers who have shared their wonderful feedback with me about the short stories in my anthology The Silent Star plus a dozen.  

Some of the stories included in this book are:  When Bubbles Rise; The Big Book; Freddie's Athabasca;  and of course, The Silent Star.  

There are 13 stories in all and one of them titled In the Forest is a very long poem about domestic violence.

You can learn more about these stories by visiting my website.

To order your copy of The Silent Star plus a dozen I am just an email away.

Cover Design by Susan at Yuneekpix

Election Day and WynLit 24 writing competition

It is election day in Canada.   We are blessed to live in a country where our vote counts for something and where we can vote with confidence and in safety.  My vote is cast.  I hope you will do the same.

The rest of this day has been spent by me writing  a submission for the Wynterblue Publishing Canada Wyn Lit 24 monthly writing competition.   I'm definitely not a horror writer but today I gave it my best shot and had fun completing the challenge.

Election coverage will have me pinned to the TV set this evening.

Osama Bin Laden is now a memory.  Imagine how much sooner they would have caught this man had they not instead wasted time, money and lives destroying Sadam in Iraq.  What's done is done and life goes on:  for some of us anyway.

Congratulations Patricia Scott

Thanks to Darby of Sudbury (pictured above) for drawing the winning entry.  Congratulations to Patricia Scott of Elliot Lake!  She won the free draw; a copy of my first novel titled Sara, a Canadian Saga  at the Trade Show held this weekend.

We had a great weekend.  Blair Sterling, Susan Krupp and myself enjoyed ourselves and thank you to all who purchased books from us.

Last day at the Trade Show

Today is the last chance to meet three local authors at the Elliot Lake Trade Show.  Blair Sterling is there with his two wonderful anthologies of short stories.   Susan Krupp is displaying her beautiful art work and still has some copies available of her first book titled Fretta and Thin.

I'm enjoying myself at my table and have copies of my two novels, SARA, a Canadian Saga  and Reawakening available.  I also have some copies of my short story anthology titled The Silent Star plus a Dozen.

And for those of you who prefer to read Ebooks, my exciting news is that Sara, a Canadian Saga is now also available as an Ebook through Amazon.com

It's a rainy morning here in Elliot Lake.  Come on out and enjoy yourself at the Trade Show.  See you there. :-)