The date is Thursday, May 3rd for CommuterLit.com

I learned this morning that my short story Abundance will be published on http://CommuterLit.com on Thursday, May 3rd.  I hope you will enjoy this excerpt from my upcoming novel Ellen and The Hummingtree which will celebrate its Elliot Lake launch sometime this fall in time for Christmas 2012 gift-giving.

Abundance on CommuterLit.com

I've just received notification that one of my short stories, which also happens to be an excerpt from my upcoming novel titled Ellen and The Hummingtree, will be published next week on CommuterLit.com

The title of this short story is Abundance; one that I enjoyed writing very much and I hope you will enjoy reading it.

I will post here again once I know which day my story will be published on CommuterLit.com

But in the meantime I do have four other stories published on this wonderful site -- I hope you will also enjoy reading them.

I also have short stories published on-line in a wonderful site called ChapterandVerse.ca   I hope you will enjoy reading them as well.

Short Story Publication and more ...

I am very pleased to share the good news that seven of my short stories written during this past year have been selected by Wynterblue Publishing Canada to be published in an anthology titled Confabulation Five which will celebrate its launch late spring/early summer of this year.

Creative writing is my joy.

Now that home renovations and exterior restoration are near to completion I hope my focus can soon return to what will be my third novel titled Ellen and The Hummingtree which is a collaboration with artist/illustrator, Susan Krupp.  We hope to have the launch of this book sometime before Christmas of this year.

Check out Susan's website at Yuneekpix.com

The Elliot Lake Trade Show is now only a couple of weeks away.  I will be there  the Friday night, Saturday and Sunday in the Elliot Lake Arena with Susan and with fellow writer Blair Sterling.  I hope you will stop by and say hello and for those who are so inclined I hope you will want to purchase a copy of one of the three books I will have available which are my first novel, Sara, a Canadian Saga; my second novel titled Reawakening and I will also have a very few copies available of my award winning short stories contained in my anthology titled The Silent Star plus a Dozen.

Elliot Lake Writers' Workshop Assignment

Another ELWW class tomorrow and I had a lot of fun with this month's assignment which was to write two very short stories using the same characters in each but changing a few words to make the stories very different one from the other.

Example:

ELWW Assignment for April 19^th class

(1)   Down the Aisle

I stand, proud, excited and blessed, at the front of the church.  When I catch my first glimpse of her my breath is taken away. I am the proverbial Cheshire Cat.

She is stunning in the long white bridal gown that kisses the church aisle with each step she takes toward me on her father’s arm.  The white lace veil hides the pretty smile that offers me her loving promise of forever.  The wild white roses hide the hand that will soon wear my ring.

The Wedding March fills the air and the happy guests stand up, turn their heads to view the wonder of her beauty as she appears to glide down the aisle toward me.

For two years we dated before I at last found the courage to propose.  “Barbara, will you do me the honour of being my wife?” I asked.   She hesitated.  I braced myself for a rejection.  And then like summer rain her soft, sure yes filled my happy heart.

And now we stand together, side by side, in this sacred place.  Vows exchanged, we kiss.  The future is an open door and with loving anticipation we cross the threshold into the mysterious adventure of a brand new life together.

(2)   Rest Eternal

I stand, sad, forlorn, and forsaken on brown grass at the side of the grave.  My Barbara is taken away.  My first glimpse of the coffin as it is lowered into the ground returns me to that moment when she breathes her last pain-filled breath.   I  am an empty shell.

She was fragile and lost in the long blue nightgown that hugged the hospital bed and with each soft word she whispers love to me over the nurse’s shoulder.  Pain reveals the tightness of her lips that seek the promise of going home. The intravenous needle punctures the small hand that wears the gold band I placed on her finger three short years ago.

Nurse leaves and the room is silent.  I sit by her bedside and turn my eyes from her hand to her once glowing face.  I stare down the evil of cancer’s triumph. As she lays tired and weak I feel helpless, useless.

For twelve months she found the courage to fight the unwelcome intruder.  Together we prayed, “God, give us the strength to win this battle.”  Braver than me, she accepts her fate.  I cannot begin to brace myself for the loss of my beautiful Barbara.

And then, like winter sleet, her “yes, Lord” tears out my broken heart.

And now I stand lost and alone in this sacred place.  We will kiss no more.  The past glows in my memory but the future is bleak.  I see no door.  And in fearful depression I cross the threshold into the agonizing blackness of a lonely life alone.

Sara, a Canadian Saga

Sara, a Canadian Saga, my first novel, is available as an E-book on Amazon.com 

Today I am thrilled to be informed that my first royalty cheque is on its way to me.

Thanks to all who have purchased a copy and for those of you who plan to do so, thank you.

Also I still have a few copies of this book in paperback form.  If you wish to purchase a copy please email me.

Cover Design by Yuneekpix.com

Other books available include:  Reawakening and The Silent Star plus a Dozen

Basement Reno complete

If you have experienced home renovation you will know what it means to have your house, your routine - your very life disrupted by noise, dirt and chaos.

For us it began several months ago with the replacement of sewer pipes which meant the digging up of our basement floor, the removal and later replacement of our front verandah, the destruction of our front patio and the loss of our beautiful old hedge. 

All this activity was followed by the restoration and renovation of our basement into a working environment where I plan to complete the writing of my third novel Ellen and The Hummingtree.  This space now also contains treadmill and stationary bike so I plan to get up from this chair and resume my daily workouts.

If I ever had a routine it was totally lost throughout the past months.   I've missed more social and learning events than I've attended.

In five months I have written the first draft of two chapters -- not very much you will say and I do agree.

This morning the house is quiet -- feels strange as though it is almost too quiet.   As I sit here at my desk and look around me I feel almost as though I were in someone else's home.   But I will get used to this new space and I am already beginning to love it.

My goal remains to have the book launch of Ellen and The Hummingtree in the fall of 2012.  Wish me luck.   This is a new day.  :-)

Happy Easter!

Stories in the North -- Thessalon

Stories in the North  - -There are lots of exciting writing events lined up in 2012. 

 Hey all:

Our year at Stories in the North is coming into focus. I thought I'd share the info with you so you could mark your calendars! If these events aren't for you but you know of someone who might be interested, please pass this message along.

Our next open mike will be April 14th, 7 pm at the Thessalon Legion, behind the Main Street Pharmacy on 18 Algoma Street. This is always a great night as people compete for $50 prizes in each of four categories fiction, poetry, true stories, and words n' music. Each performer has a 5-minute time limit -- we are strict and have been known to pull laggards off the stage. In a fun way, of course! If you are interested in registering call Angie at 842-3817 or e-mail angiegallop@gmail.com. Cost is $5 to perform and admission is included in your registration fee. Audience members pay $7 at the door. Winners are decided by a secret-ballot audience vote.

Exciting news: Local author Elizabeth Creith is the Stories in the North visiting author this spring. On May 12th she'll be conducting two workshops and doing an evening reading from her newly released book, Shepherd in Residence, a collection of letters that were originally aired on CBC's former afternoon show, Richardson's Round-up. To add some musical interest to the evening show, we booked Tradition Continued, an exciting bluegrass band headed by Sault Ste. Marie teens Tyler Marshall and Brandon Ladd. These two set that banjo and mandolin on fire they are so good.

Here are the descriptions of the two workshops:

"Make 'Em Laugh"

Laughter comes, in part, from the brain's attempt to reconcile incongruous things. (Think of Fred Flintstone eating a Barneyburger.) Writing humour is the art of creating incongruity while telling the story. A lot of humour arises out of observation of an experience which may not, at the time, have been funny at all. By using point of view, comparison, simile, metaphor, detail, word choice, elision and timing, a writer can recast an incident as humour. This often works best if the incident wasn't at all funny at the time. Elizabeth will discuss and teach these principles using examples that show how humour works. Participants are asked to bring one or two brief incidents from their own lives that they're willing to share with the class as raw material to be rewritten as humour.If there is time and interest, Elizabeth will also provide some tips on performance and timing. Come prepared to write and to read what you've written. Limited to twenty participants.

The Writer's Dominatrix Versus the Grammar Ghouls

Elizabeth’s alter-ego, the Writer’s Dominatrix, will teach the technical aspects of writing. “You know what I mean” doesn’t cut it when your only means of communication is the printed word. Clean, clear, correct writing is an asset in every field from literature to technical writing to blogging. Elizabeth will discuss and explain word use, punctuation and grammar with humour, and provide memory aids to help you avoid some of the most common writing errors. Bring your own grammar, punctuation and diction questions. Where do you use "me" and where "I"? When does "it's" get an apostrophe? And is it lied, laid, lay or lain? No ghoul too big, no gremlin too small for the Dominatrix. Limit = Twenty participants.

-Workshops: Book in advance = $25 per workshop or $40 for two workshops; Pay on day = $30 per workshop or $50 for two workshops

-Workshop times: 10-12 pm; 2-4pm—these will include home-baking, coffee and tea. Workshops will take place in the basement at Thessalon's Zion United Church, 224 Main St., kitty-corner from Jones's grocery store and across from Barb's Embroidery.

To register, Angie at 842-3817 or e-mail angiegallop@gmail.com.

Evening show: Doors open 7 pm for a mix n' mingle. Show starts at 7:30 pm at the IOOF Hall 146 Main St., Thessalon, across from the post office. Tickets are $10 at the door. A fabulous buffet of snacks and a cash bar.

Oct 27th: Our visiting author will be Jamie Zeppa, who was chosen as one of Random House Canada's 2011 Fresh Faces of Fiction for her novel Every Time We Say Good-bye. Jamie grew up in the Sault and the novel is partially set in her hometown. More details to be announced in a few months.

Shout Out to the Ontario Arts Council. Believe us, with the the OAC, your tax dollars are hard at work developing the arts as a viable contribution to the economy in Northern Ontario. We feel we have a literary movement stirring in this area and we can thank the Ontario Arts Council for offering a Northern Ontario Works-in-Progress grant specifically for Northern Ontario authors and by supporting efforts like Stories in the North through its Literary Festivals and Organizations program. If you are an Ontario artist, you've got to get to know the arts council. The staff there are eager to reach out to this area. Check it out: http://www.arts.on.ca/site4.aspx.

Triumphant Trinity

A story I have written about child abuse has been published on-line today on Chapter and Verse
My original of this story titled The Second Self  took first place in a short story competition offered by Wynterblue Publishing Canada.
To condense the story in size but to retain its impact was a challenge.
My heart goes out to this story's main character and to all children around our world who suffer the sins of the fathers.  
Child abuse and animal abuse are, indeed, two topics that will get me up off my chair and into action to help put an end to the atrocities that are inflicted upon these innocents by sick and twisted humans.   Perhaps, as is the case with Steven's grandfather, the perpetrators themselves, were abused as children and continue the cycle.  There is no excuse for abuse. 
Thank you for speaking out against child and animal abuse.