The creak of time's wheel
I have been re-watching the English TV series New Tricks. It premiered 20 years ago (that's 2003 for those of you with a mathematical...
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Pippin
Pippin is three months old, has a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth, is loving, is curious, is easily startled, and is funny and happy. He’s...
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The soft art of selling
Well, the day has finally dawned and Death of the Limping Man has been published. This first volume in the Urquhart and MacDonald mystery...
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I'm weak-willed and easily distracted
I started out writing this blog with the very best of intentions. Take an hour or so a couple of times a week and write something of...
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A few moments in between
I have long been an admirer of the work of Michael Korda, both as an editor and as a writer. His latest book, Passing, is the story of...
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When everything is dystopic
I realized about three years ago I didn't actually have to listen to the news, watch the news, or read the news. No matter where I was or...
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The Tyro
When I was still in high school, I was asked by the publisher of my town’s newspaper to take charge of the back page of the paper. The...
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Back to the Practical Joker
Constable Hoegy becomes part of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Barrachois Police. I have an idea that he’s going to grow in...
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The clothing brothers
When I was in high school and then in university, I used to work holidays at a small-town, family-owned clothing store. On one side of...
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The land God sat on
'The land God sat on.' That's what the wonderful poet and playwright, James Reaney, said about the place I grew up. There was no denying...
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Putting your finger on it
I was a theatre director in a former life and I've also been an editor. Directing has a lot of similarities with editing written works,...
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Aging loud
I first remember my grandmother when she was around 55 years old. She looked the same to me until the day she died, aged 80. Grandma...
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Waiting for answers to questions we don't ask
We all do it: we stop ourselves from asking questions, fearing we might create an awkward situation. This is especially true if we...
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The angels creaked a bit
They were street decorations, put up by the town to make the holiday season more festive. They were supposed to make people cheerful....
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An incorrigible puppy.
When I decided that the characters in the story would span a number of books, I thought about where to start them and how to handle their...
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Stairways and Staircases
Despite a long fascination with these incredible inventions, until recently I had used the terms interchangeably. Apparently, staircases...
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Staying a hero -- the Adventure of Bald Baby
When you're working on a murder mystery, you have to deal with the victim and the perpetrator -- what do friends, family, or...
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The power of a little story
Yesterday morning, I wrote a blog about a story that has shaped who I have become. It was a story about ignoring the improbability of a...
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Never look behind
One of my favourite writers is Gregory Clark. Greg Clark was a Canadian original, a journalist and soldier, as brave in one as in the...
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The mystery of the decorated box
I bought it because I need to store old tax returns and receipts for the requisite six years. Since I do returns for a number of family...
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Character should always drive plot.
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