tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-103911762011-11-22T08:12:09.182-08:00My ramblings about writing, reviewing fiction and whatever else comes to mind.Tessnoreply@blogger.comBlogger8731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-45450156625922176372011-07-17T21:59:00.000-07:002011-07-17T21:59:36.584-07:00

Well, not that it's actually summer here *g*. Anyways, I figured it was time to take a deep breath and raise my head from the school work to drop by and update this blog. Starting in January I've been nose to the grindstone at school. In spring term I took three courses and since May I've been doing a course on Business in Canada (a required support course for my diploma). As in-depth financial

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-10682533660389283802011-04-12T21:45:00.001-07:002011-04-12T21:47:15.340-07:00

One of the reasons I love Jill Mansell's book so much is her characters. She really makes you care about them and  Daisy MacLean is no exception in Mansell's latest Sourcebooks release, Staying at Daisy's. A young widow who runs a hotel owned by her father, Daisy fights her attraction to a guest at a recent wedding reception, the charming rugby star, Dev Tyzack. The development of their

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-51650903801940835502011-03-20T22:49:00.008-07:002011-08-26T13:39:43.152-07:00

Each and every time I read a book by Elizabeth Chadwick I am certain she has written the perfect book that cannot be topped. And each and every time I read her next book, I find I am wrong. Such is the case, once again, with To Defy a King, published this month by Sourcebooks Landmark. Twenty years ago, Ms. Chadwick won the Betty Trask award and launched her historical fiction career. Since then

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-74389391180494647072011-02-17T10:58:00.001-08:002011-02-17T10:58:32.662-08:00

Yes, it's been a while. What's been going on with me lately, you ask? Well, first, from Octobert through early December of last year, I was working at the library almost full-time, involved in a project to convert our library to RFID technology. What that means is I spent two + months sticking RFID tags in the majority of our library's collection. Fortunately I was working with someone I liked...

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-9859824488165945902010-11-30T20:21:00.001-08:002010-11-30T20:22:38.150-08:00

For years, Ms. Kearsley has enthralled readers with her tales of love set in the past and the present, in which her characters experience time travel through a variety of means. Her most recent book, The Winter Sea, published in the US by Sourcebooks in December, first appeared in the UK two years ago under the title Sophia's Secret. It is another fine example of her talent for transporting her

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-91972735807323973992010-10-10T12:27:00.005-07:002010-10-11T20:02:02.637-07:00

The Making of a Gentleman is the second in Shana Galen's Sons of the Revolution series and picks up the story a few months after Book One, The Making of a Duchess (which I reviewed in June) concluded. Readers of Book One will remember that Julien needed to rescue his brother Armand, who'd been locked away in a French prison for twelve years. As a result of his imprisonment, he has lost the

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-72382396530317593602010-10-10T08:02:00.027-07:002010-10-13T20:49:08.640-07:00

Melissa over at Writing with Style asked her readers to post about where they write - here's my response: To the left you can see my office. It's where I write when I can find the time these days. The lamp is a very recent addition and I love it! My office is very cozy and has everything I need, including a bookcase with loads of research books and binders with information on my characters, a

Tessnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-19971121572685442542010-10-05T22:26:00.000-07:002010-10-05T22:26:16.780-07:00

I've been assigned to a special project at work which will take up lots of my time...any spare time goes to my husband and my studies...I'll return with the Book Meme once the project is complete. Watch for a book review of Shana Galen's upcoming release from Sourcebooks later this week... Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-71406896301167550552010-09-28T22:25:00.000-07:002010-09-28T22:25:59.774-07:00

Day 10 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. Normally it's not my kind of thing at all, but after seeing the movie, I decided to give it a try and Wow! Did I love it! The way Wells captured the period and locale, her characters and their complicated relationships just sucked me right in. I couldn't put it down and had

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-81464043515734619102010-09-26T11:33:00.000-07:002010-09-26T11:33:26.486-07:00

Day 09 - Best scene ever: The reunion scene in Sharon Kay Penman's Here be Dragons. Please be advised - there are spoilers in this blog post, so if you still haven't read Here Be Dragons and intend to do so, you might not want to read any further. Ok - that said, my favourite scene ever in a book is the reunion between Llewelyn and Joanna, close to the end. Though their marriage was for the most

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-57052093517312610162010-09-24T11:51:00.000-07:002010-09-24T11:51:01.763-07:00

Day 08 - A book everyone should read at least once The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. I think it's really an important book for everyone to read - to understand one of the most heinous crimes of the 20th Century. As we get further and further into the 21st Century and the war fades from memory, I truly believe that everyone should read this book during their teens - or even later, to help

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-31807642971429108372010-09-23T09:09:00.000-07:002010-09-23T09:09:30.798-07:00

Day 07 - Least favorite plot device employed by way too many books you actually enjoyed otherwise The Big Misunderstanding...I hate when writers include a misunderstanding that can be cleared up easily if two characters just talk to each other. I literally cringe when I read the scene and hope against hope that the author will clear it up quickly. Some do, but most don't, preferring to use that

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-83436540987941533342010-09-22T15:00:00.000-07:002010-09-22T15:00:01.613-07:00

Day 06 - Favorite book of your favorite series OR your favorite book of all time The Chalet School in Exile is my favourite book in the entire Chalet School series. It touches on so many important things - the war, the horrid prejudices that drove it and most especially, the fact that so many people from both sides were stuck on opposing sides, people who had been friends. As war approaches, the

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-26169843455043149052010-09-21T11:05:00.000-07:002010-09-21T11:05:39.981-07:00

Day 05 - A book or series you hate Hating any book is beyond a true book lover like me, but I will confess that I did not enjoy reading Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. It was required reading for my first year English course at university, many years ago now. Though only around 100 pages, for me, the book might as well have been 1000 pages. Nothing about the story interested me remotely and

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-14382863848112389452010-09-19T13:12:00.009-07:002010-09-19T13:23:59.844-07:00

Day 04 - Your favorite book or series ever This is easy...The Chalet School Series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. I own more than half the 60-odd books in the series and when I need a true comfort read, I pull one out. For those of you not familiar with it, this set of school stories was written by Ms. Brent-Dyer (herself a school teacher/headmistress) from the 20s through to the 60s. The story starts

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-23121622988339724852010-09-17T11:11:00.001-07:002010-09-17T12:33:05.108-07:00

Please note that on Saturdays and Mondays, I won't be posting entries for this meme. Day 03 - The best book you've read in the last 12 months: Another really difficult one. For this one, I'm going to go with Rain Before Morning by Michael Poole. Most of you won't have heard of this book as it was written by an author here on the Sunshine Coast and published Harbour Publishing, a small publisher

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-6987085394490840532010-09-16T10:06:00.001-07:002010-09-16T10:08:54.617-07:00

Day 02 - A book or series you wish more people were reading and talking about Tracy Chevalier's Remarkable Creatures. It's her latest book and just wonderful, focussing as it does on Mary Anning, the young woman who made major fossil discoveries on the South Coast of England in the early 19th century. It also deals with her friendship with her patron, Elizabeth Philpot, a woman who shared her

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-74016640162825123562010-09-15T20:09:00.001-07:002010-09-15T20:10:08.089-07:00

I found this at Cate's Bookshelves and have decided that this is one way I can keep my blog updated without taking too much time away from my school work. The topics are right there for me and very specific...Cate found this meme at another blog, Christina Reads! Feel free to join in :) And now, as they say, on with the sh--- er, meme. Day 01 - A book series you wish had gone on longer OR a book

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-19707769333452102252010-09-09T21:54:00.001-07:002010-09-09T21:54:50.155-07:00

I can't believe we're down to the last official weeks of summer! Granted, here on the BC Coast, the weather didn't even get decent till the first full week of July and I was in school from May till early August, but still... Regardless, we had a wonderful season :) In May, Sean and I took our camper to Harrison Hot Springs in the Fraser Valley and had a fantastic time, despite a flat tire on the

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-78922856030976167792010-07-08T11:41:00.006-07:002010-07-08T22:44:11.141-07:00

While reading this second book in the Morland Dynasty saga, I remembered why I got hooked on the series the first time I read it almost thirty years ago - the characters. The Dark Rose carries on the story of Robert and Eleanor's brood, focussing on their great-grandson Paul and great-great grand-daughter, Anne, know as Nanette. Paul is married to a woman he does not love and finds happiness in

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-41108701156442419392010-06-01T14:24:00.006-07:002010-07-08T11:42:04.534-07:00

It's always refreshing to read a historical romance set in a slightly different time period. Published this month by Sourcebooks, Shana Galen's The Making of a Duchess is set in 1801 England, after the Treaty of Amiens that saw a temporary cessation of the Napoleonic Wars. Sarah Smith, a governess, is horrified when her employer proposes she spy for England, but when he threatens to turn her out

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-9402688234185451032010-04-28T14:11:00.004-07:002010-05-01T08:16:08.326-07:00

Are you looking for a good beach read this summer? If so, you can do no better than Jill Mansell's Rumor has it (Sourcebooks Landmark), in which the heroine, Tilly Cole learns that what you hear isn't always the truth. Having been dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to up sticks and move from London to rural Gloucestershire to be near her best friend, consignment shop owner, Erin. To support

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-37769054715179232952010-04-22T15:16:00.003-07:002010-04-22T15:26:06.315-07:00

Yes, spring term is now over and I'm back in the blogosphere for a while. I had so much work over the past fourteen weeks, I pretty much had no time for much else. And when I did manage to snatch a few hours here and there, I did a lot of reading. No writing, alas. My brain was pretty much completely dedicated to school stuff. That's not to say my characters haven't been trying to get my

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-40632056380569488182010-03-25T21:18:00.011-07:002010-07-08T11:38:38.156-07:00

This classic in the historical fiction genre, the first in a series ranging from the 15th through the 20th centuries, is being re-released by Sourcebooks thirty years after it was first published in the UK. I read at least the first 10 books in the series during my teens, so was eager to revisit it when given the chance to review the Sourcebooks edition.It was all I remembered. Rich in historical

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-3686407406487497162010-01-06T22:11:00.002-08:002010-01-06T22:15:08.408-08:00

Deborah wrote a great blog post on this topic. Speaking as one who has never perfected the art of the synopsis, I loved her advice. Hope you do too :)TeresaCurrently Reading: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-18730504427489898762010-01-03T21:46:00.007-08:002010-01-03T22:35:36.906-08:00

Yes, I'm back. Though I'm also pondering the future of this blog...these days I just don't seem to have much time for it. Between school and work, I'm hardpressed to do anything else. That said, I'd find it hard to give up all together, so maybe for now I'll continue with occasional posts and accept the fact I won't have many readers/followers or comments.In November I went to visit my sister and

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-32211357323254231732009-11-08T21:05:00.003-08:002009-11-08T21:12:08.749-08:00

Review - Pendragon's Banner by Helen HollickSourcebooks Inc, 2009 - 9781402218897Let me begin this review by saying that over the last two decades or so, I've not read much Arthurian fiction (unlike my husband) - mostly because I hate the ending of the story, however, I could not pass up the opportunity to review the middle book of Helen Hollick's Arthurian trilogy, Pendragon's Banner. And I'm

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-37413145623466178132009-10-19T09:45:00.004-07:002009-10-19T10:35:54.549-07:00

Toronto Public Library Writer in Residence - Deborah CookeAuthor extraordinaire, Deborah Cooke - aka Claire Delacroix/Claire Cross, is currently the Writer in Residence at the Toronto Public Library. This programme includes an online component in the form of a blog, where Deb posts three times a week, looking at various aspects of the romance industry and writing romance fiction. Deb is an

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-23997217398026981792009-09-24T21:59:00.004-07:002009-09-24T22:15:20.471-07:00

Sorry I've been absent again. Not only did I have to fight off a major sinus infection, but I also started school again just after Labour Day. Busy busy.That said, we did take a couple of days last weekend in Vancouver and when we arrived home Saturday evening I was tired, but really wanted something to read. However NOTHING I could find, either from the library or from my own library, appealed.

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-29243681826753187852009-09-02T10:16:00.006-07:002010-04-22T15:13:32.015-07:00

I got to thinking about this yesterday after watching several fan videos featuring Guy of Gisborne from the BBC Robin Hood series. Ok - I just read the character's background on the site and don't entirely agree with it. He is many of the things they say, but like many tortured heroes, underneath he's a good guy who has been caught up in the quest for power and position. The one person who has

Tessnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-34331149777332528872009-08-27T21:50:00.006-07:002009-08-27T22:12:29.517-07:00

since I posted here??? Wow, time sure does fly! Over the last few weeks I finished off my summer course, hosted my sister and her children here for a fantastic week of family fun, went back to work, got trained on the new software at work and enjoyed a visit with my friend Claire and her gorgeous dog, Wally.Phew! No wonder I haven't had time for blogging! The summer has gone so quickly - it's

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-70844383211444546622009-07-26T10:41:00.012-07:002009-07-27T07:57:14.703-07:00

The British Columbia government is considering cutting funding to the province's public libraries. Yep, that's right - in a time of recession when people need the library facilities even MORE, the Liberal government in its wisdom (can you hear the sarcasm?) has proposed massive cuts to funding, effectively pulling the plug on public libraries. Please remember, library patrons use the facilities

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-41277079197170695002009-07-15T09:20:00.006-07:002009-07-16T09:17:02.988-07:00

Yes, I disappeared again. Not only from here, but from Facebook and Twitter as well. My mum came to visit and we were busy most of the time. Now I'm catching up on school work!Back soon with regular posts. Here, though, are a couple of recent pics:My delphinium in bloomYellow rose on the Green Wall in Roberts CreekOur turtle domeThat's it for now. Must get out to the deck and start my school work

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-17502073374562076952009-07-01T09:24:00.005-07:002009-07-01T09:32:05.691-07:00

Today we celebrate our nation's birthday :)It's a gorgeous day here on the Coast. Sean and I started off with an all-Canadian breakfast - pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup. Yum.We don't have any specific plans for the rest of the day - Sean will do some more work on his wood shed (he's building one) and I'm going to do some more school work. But I imagine come the afternoon/evening there

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-76395507991901875802009-06-28T09:49:00.004-07:002009-06-28T09:57:39.639-07:00

you'll also like this post from Amy over at Passages to the Past. It lists a number of the books on English history being released over the next few months *sigh*. Check out the books in her sidebar too. I probably should STOP visiting PtoP *g*, but OTOH, now I work in the library I guess I should be aware of recent releases, right? (she say, blinking innocently).Happy Sunday!TeresaCurrently

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-61723394986894878672009-06-24T14:51:00.008-07:002009-06-24T15:02:11.126-07:00

Over at Amy's Passages to the Past blog is holding a Book Giveaway contest for Susan Holloway Scott's latest novel (about Charles II and the Duchess of Portsmouth), The French Mistress.There's still plenty of time to enter and Susan's books never disappoint, so be sure to surf on over for your chance to win :)TeresaCurrently Reading: The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-7076622962635497382009-06-22T21:06:00.004-07:002009-06-22T21:18:51.203-07:00

I think I may FINALLY have hit on what's wrong with the opening to my completed FR story. Originally, I opened it in my heroine's pov - at some point, I changed that to my hero's. I've rewritten those first few lines COUNTLESS times since, eliciting advice, rewriting again and yet somehow it's never quite worked. And now I think I know why - because Cécile is meant to speak first and continue

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-47271269863163911752009-06-17T21:56:00.007-07:002009-06-17T22:14:02.590-07:00

Sean was home early enough from covering a local council meeting to suggest a walk down at Davis Bay :) I grabbed my camera and tripod and off we went.It was beautiful down there - tide was either on its way in our out (can't say for sure), but the water was calm and the temperature just perfect. We walked along to the first major bend, then set up the tripod, so I could take a pic of the sun

Tessnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-82572493314336912082009-06-11T11:18:00.004-07:002009-06-11T11:30:07.634-07:00

I found this link through a list for the course I'm taking this summer (Creating and Managing Digital Collections)It's the Historical Thesaurus of English, hosted at the University of Glasgow.Even writers of contemporaries may still find it useful :)In other news...I'm very busy with school right now - will be back with you as time allows.TeresaCurrently Reading: The Nine Lives of Charlotte

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-68126212970046446002009-06-04T23:12:00.003-07:002009-06-04T23:20:35.575-07:00

Here are some photos from our trip to Tofino:To see more pics and read about the trip, visit my Windshield Chronicles blog.Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-71844970980059091662009-06-03T17:10:00.006-07:002009-06-03T17:29:26.413-07:00

I remember how much time I spent in my school library, from the time I was a wee one in elementary school, through middle school, when I was a student volunteer and then in high school where I spent lots of time doing research. So this story upset me a lot. And it's happening here in Canada too. I can't believe school boards are so short-sighted they can't see that school librarians are

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-79793923022602873252009-05-24T12:06:00.003-07:002009-05-24T12:21:50.765-07:00

I highly recommend this book for all romance writers. Why? Because the life stories told in its pages are true romances - not in the HEA sense, but the "true love" sense. One in particular, that of Mary Moffatt Livingstone (wife of he of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" fame), touched me deeply. To most people she was an ugly, fat, squat woman who dressed poorly and was awkward in society, but to

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-54616565540797320302009-05-20T04:03:00.033-07:002009-05-21T09:49:52.722-07:00

I've been glomming her books over the last few months. I started with Diary of an Ordinary Woman, followed by The Memory Box and then Lady's Maid. Today I started one of her non-fiction books, Good Wives: Mary, Fanny, Jennie & Me 1845-2001.A British writer of fiction (contemporary and historical) and non-fiction, she has a keen sense of story, characterization and pacing. Her books pull me right

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-56612702760420877292009-05-19T04:29:00.017-07:002009-05-19T04:29:00.646-07:00

As most of you know, my life lately has been crazy busy. I'm still working on juggling everything. And now my characters have added yet another element to it all. I have three stories on the go right now, all in various stages. For so long my historical characters have generally won the battle for my attention, but lately my contemporary characters, Emma and Ian, have been dominating my thoughts.

Tessnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-80983987027453204952009-05-18T09:27:00.006-07:002009-05-18T10:26:30.640-07:00

I recently borrowed this book by Elizabeth Lyon, via ILL and have now ordered a copy. A necessity these days - can't just buy reference books sight unseen.BUT, wow, this book looks fantastic and extremely helpful, both to revise AND for writing an ms from the beginning. Its layout - here's the Table of Contents - is logical and makes it easy to zero in on the areas with which you need help. She

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-29975070291266934502009-04-29T14:00:00.013-07:002009-04-29T15:21:18.495-07:00

and just can't believe how little time I've had to blog lately. So much has been going on and I've barely had time to breathe.To recap:1) I finished my first two Library and Information Technology courses just over a week ago (did well, so I'm happy). My next course (Digital Collections) starts on Monday - it's the only one I'm taking this term.2) I'm still employed at the Sechelt Public Library

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-20764204823573480522009-04-19T15:49:00.002-07:002009-04-19T15:54:36.407-07:00

Just turned in my final exam for this term and am in recovery mode. Will post something new very soon. Lots to say :)TeresaCurrently Reading: The Last of the Great Romantics by Claudia Carroll

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-71589145786895683052009-04-05T21:53:00.006-07:002009-04-05T22:06:28.642-07:00

Sorry, everyone - it's been crazy busy here and blogging is the last thing on my mind right now. Here are some photos I took last weekend. My friend Claire was visiting with her lovely Irish wolfhound Wally. On Sunday morning we went down to nearby Georgia Beach (Wally loves the beach) - it was a gorgeous day, so my camera was busy:Georgia Beach looking over to the IslandFrom Best of Georgia

Tessnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-77210947597176682182009-03-14T12:48:00.002-07:002009-03-14T12:49:30.930-07:00

To those on the East Coast, I send my thoughts on the loss of their loved ones.Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-75807392632551048712009-03-12T10:19:00.002-07:002009-03-12T11:07:42.080-07:00

A prolonged absence, I know. Just so much school work to do AND I've had lots of shifts at the library lately, with two regular p/t staff away. NOT that I'm complaining - I enjoy my work - though my feet aren't so happy about it *g*. But that's cause I insist on wearing pretty shoes.My writing these days is pretty minimal, though I do spend time thinking about my stories and making brief notes

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-6588061830194121572009-02-27T13:00:00.003-08:002009-02-27T13:07:32.126-08:00

Yep, it happened again. I was singing along to The Trouble With Love and one of my stories (the contemp, set here on the West Coast) immediately came into my mind. As I listened to the words, I knew they were perfect for my hero and just let the ideas flow, not trying to force them. The plot has been stalled for a while and I think part of the problem is I keep trying to MAKE things happen,

Tessnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-89388052390676254172009-02-26T13:45:00.003-08:002009-02-26T13:48:35.416-08:00

She was one of my childhood heroines. Very cool to see this exhibit about her, brought to my attention by the weekly newsletter of the Librarians' Internet Index:Anne Sullivan Macy: Miracle WorkerTeresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-64988221308678997322009-02-23T20:43:00.003-08:002009-02-23T20:57:37.133-08:00

This is just adorable - thanks to Laura for sharing the link :)Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-7593294185173985652009-02-22T22:00:00.004-08:002009-02-22T22:38:19.931-08:00

Back to writing topics. I'm judging a contest right now and am just so appalled by the number of out of period words and attitudes I've encountered in one of the entries. It just floors me that a writer could not even consider that possibly using very modern-sounding language will pull the reader right out of the story. The modern attitudes are a little more understandable, I guess, as some

Tessnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-53160186676307706012009-02-15T21:25:00.007-08:002009-02-15T21:48:00.797-08:00

This past week has been jam-packed. I worked Monday and Tuesday, spent Tuesday evening to Thursday afternoon with my close friend Laura, who was visiting from Ottawa (she's a travel writer and had been at a conference here on the Coast), then Thursday evening and Friday catching up on school work. Sean and I spent the weekend together, including having a lovely Valentine's celebration and going

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-34083504392541641522009-02-08T22:02:00.003-08:002009-02-08T22:16:00.536-08:00

One which saw me tied to the computer working on a major school assigment (a really cool one, so no complaints) or at the library, working. No real time this week for the ms. Somehow I HAVE to find a way to work in more time for it. It's getting quite frustrating. But I know I can't expect to perfect a system only six weeks into school, so I'm trying not to get too stressed about it.My assignment

Tessnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-56478195738330819422009-02-01T09:15:00.004-08:002009-02-01T09:32:19.129-08:00

my blog, that is :) Do you like the new theme? Hope everyone's week went well. I was battling an ear infection, but am better now since getting drops from the doctor the other day. We were also lucky enough to skate on our little pond again - even went out one evening with head lamps on. Lots of fun. Much of my week went into school work again - I had a big assignment due for one of my courses

Tessnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-43912024179477234782009-01-24T22:36:00.007-08:002009-01-24T22:51:11.296-08:00

Work, school work, a little bit of writing and as much exercise as I can fit in. That's pretty much it. I'm enjoying school so much, but it does mean many hours at the computer or reading. I did, however, find time on Wednesday evening to read over the ms I was working on for Nano and and do some preliminary editing. Figured it was a good way to reconnect with my characters and get the story

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-15948093426343860502009-01-24T22:30:00.001-08:002009-01-24T23:02:14.899-08:00

Hmmm, apparently I must use a lot of big words!Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-69548415931027254352009-01-13T15:51:00.003-08:002009-01-13T16:03:49.032-08:00

Hi everyone - so sorry for the prolonged absence. It's been a busy few weeks and not likely to get any less hectic. I'm still getting regular shifts at the library (yay!) and now am working on two online courses in my library tech programme. We have regular assignments and lots of reading, so my little nose is on the grindstone.Which brings me to the topic of balance. As writers, we all know how

Tessnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-58888194679333738912009-01-05T20:36:00.003-08:002009-01-05T20:38:02.111-08:00

It's been an eventful couple of weeks with little time to sit at the computer. Things were crazy at work today as well and I start my courses tomorrow. Hopefully I'll post more in the coming days.Happy New Year!Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-84203529666021936892008-12-25T10:53:00.003-08:002008-12-26T08:55:11.723-08:00

Some photos from our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Christmas Morning As you can see, we're DEFINITELY having a White Christmas - it's just beautiful!!Hope you're having a lovely holiday!Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-35650678554433610312008-12-24T09:22:00.002-08:002008-12-24T13:39:01.226-08:00

no matter which holiday you're celebrating :) Enjoy! Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-30704687882314005642008-12-21T08:36:00.003-08:002008-12-21T08:44:26.020-08:00

Sean managed to clear a small area of a nearby pond on which we can skate. It's unusual out here for that to happen, so we were thrilled to be able to strap on the blades and glide :)From Skating on the pondFrom Skating on the pondFrom Skating on the pondHope you all have a lovely holiday season, whatever holiday you are celebrating :)TeresaCurrently Reading: Second Chance by Jane GreenLink of

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-50032513529915486982008-12-18T16:42:00.004-08:002008-12-18T17:19:56.840-08:00

Time is just flying by - can't believe Christmas is a week today! We've had a busy week, hence my relative absence in the blogosphere.Last Friday I worked at the library, then that evening we headed up to Secret Cove for Sean's office Christmas party - here's a pic of us having a good time:From November December 2008On Saturday afternoon we tromped into the woods to find a Christmas tree. We'd

Tessnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-11916074870563306692008-12-10T10:17:00.008-08:002008-12-10T12:43:20.163-08:00

I was reading a work of historical fiction yesterday evening and came very close to flinging it against the wall. But a) it is a library book b) it has a plastic cover that would make a mess if it lands on the woodstove and c) I don't want to dent the wall.It was very disappointing and what's worse is that the author started off drawing me right into her world with a great story and historical

Tessnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-9721264527602218042008-12-03T11:11:00.009-08:002008-12-03T11:47:11.092-08:00

As you can see from the badge in my sidebar, I finished with 15, 387 words. Not bad, considering I only managed to write on 8 of the 30 days. An average of 1923 words per day. I really wish I could have found more time for writing, but things were crazy over the last month. So I'm going to let go and just be happy I managed to achieve what I did :)Life is super busy overall right now, between

Tessnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-49994545468691933132008-11-27T13:11:00.006-08:002008-11-27T13:23:16.158-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!!Melissa asked about what my workspace looks like. After organizing it a bit, I managed to take this pic:It's been a busy week so far. I worked Monday and Wednesday, while on Tuesday I stayed home and did some organizing in my office, prepping for when I'll be a student again as well as some more NaNo work. This morning Sean and I took the car in to

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-38503044599227673332008-11-24T08:11:00.003-08:002008-11-24T08:25:07.658-08:00

for the link to this great post from her blog (she links to it, it's not a post she wrote).TeresaCurrently Reading: Lucy in the Sky by Paige Toon

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-36158252864474676942008-11-19T21:43:00.014-08:002008-11-19T22:25:53.165-08:00

After two days in the library (which I thoroughly enjoyed) I spent much of today enjoying some of our glorious late fall weather here on the Coast, which has done wonders for our grass: It was sunny and about 8º C, so I put on my work clothes and went out to haul pruned branches and assorted deadfall from various areas around the house: Of course, I managed to get distracted by the sun and the

Tessnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-85018355240238321452008-11-13T20:20:00.004-08:002008-11-13T21:14:13.141-08:00

I arrived home from work today to a message from Langara telling me I've been accepted into the Library Tech programme, Flexible Option - which means, I'll be doing the course work online. Yay! At first I'll likely only take one or two courses at a time, but I'll also get credit for some of my undergrad courses from Queens, which is nice.It's very exciting and a bit scary too! Still, it feels

Tessnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-5725563872766951372008-11-12T09:10:00.005-08:002008-11-12T09:31:54.175-08:00

Another 2000 words yesterday, for a grand total now of 8032. I didn't write at all on the weekend as Sean and I had plans for Saturday. Sunday I probably should have written, but was in a total funk, despite exercise and yummy birthday cake from my m-i-l (chocolate zucchini cake - just scrumptious). It took me a while to figure it out, but finally I realized that even though I don't mind the rain

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-42562473353975688052008-11-11T09:18:00.005-08:002008-11-11T21:12:56.673-08:00

Today, please join me in remembering those who served and all who are still serving to keep us safe.UPDATEDThis morning we went to the Remembrance Day ceremony in Sechelt, held at the cenotaph there:From Blog PhotosIt was a lovely service and lots of people turned out. The rain even stopped - it had been pouring up until about an hour before things started.Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-76203292211762588992008-11-07T13:05:00.008-08:002008-11-07T15:05:55.907-08:00

Not bad for three days writing. In the end, yesterday, I didn't get any writing done. I went to work, came home and talked to my mum on the phone for quite a while, then made dinner. Sean and I also watched two eps of The Tudors and by the time he went to bed (he was working the early shift this morning, waking up at 3:30 am) I was just too beat to write.But I've made up for it today and added

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-12132203189646560912008-11-05T17:48:00.007-08:002008-11-07T15:08:27.302-08:00

netted me 2184 words, for a two day total of just over 4000 words. Yay! I may even manage more tonight.The Wild is a fantastic place to write - lovely atmosphere, yummy treats (the Elvis muffin is delectable) and a wonderful selection of herbal tea (today's choice - Licorice Spice).Here's the setup I had there for a couple of hours:From November 2008Once again, the story just flowed AND my

Tessnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-17981693876260846012008-11-04T21:41:00.005-08:002008-11-04T21:48:48.458-08:00

Today I managed 1875 words and I'm pretty happy with that. Much of the opening scene had written itself in my head and fortunately it flowed out when I put my fingers on the keyboard. Interestingly enough, I was able to write with the radio on in the background, so I could keep tabs on the US election. I already know I'll have editing to do on the scenes I wrote, but much of that will be word

Tessnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-60317530295037004922008-10-31T11:44:00.005-07:002008-10-31T13:48:16.145-07:00

I really wish today was November 1, so I could start with a bang, but it's not. Tomorrow we're going into Vancouver, so other than in the ferry line-up, I won't be able to write. But with me NaNo is never an every day thing, because much as I love writing, and I do, I won't give up the other things in life that make me happy, like spending the day with Sean, just to say I won. In the end, my

Tessnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-80705794187045350612008-10-29T12:16:00.018-07:002008-10-29T15:14:50.994-07:00

ok, well, not Perfect, but it certainly improves almost anything we do, including writing. Of course, we all know that, but with writing it's sometimes hard to SEE the improvement. Sometimes it takes seeing it work in other areas to believe in its efficacy.As regular readers know, I'm a big fan of Nia. This month marks two years since I began regular Nia classes. (Stay with me now, this DOES

Tessnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-16350017780580741312008-10-27T07:44:00.004-07:002008-10-27T07:51:22.766-07:00

From Chloe and Cleo - October 2008I just managed to capture this with my camera before Cleo jumped down. It's only when they tussle up there that I get really nervous!Off to work soon - I have a writing related post lined up in my head, just have to find the time to get it out and onto the blog *g*.Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-45155743251828851482008-10-23T22:25:00.007-07:002008-10-26T13:20:37.498-07:00

I worked on Monday and Tuesday. So far, I'm loving my job - so much to learn and lots of interesting people to meet :) My co-workers are all great too - next week I work three days and I'm really looking forward to getting back there.I did, however, at some point over the last few days, catch a cold. Fortunately, the symptoms didn't start till after work on Tuesday. I've spent the last couple of

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-36557263033093517682008-10-19T17:22:00.007-07:002008-10-20T08:37:10.160-07:00

The past two weekends have been gorgeous. Here's a photo I took last Sunday - you can see the grass is starting to grow:From Blog PhotosThis weekend we spent much of our time outside. On Wednesday, burning season opened (the period during which landowners can legally burn brush/deadfall - within limits *g*), so we took advantage of the glorious weather (sunny and about 10º C, to build a fire and

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-49828029575767139782008-10-15T20:17:00.017-07:002008-10-17T10:39:32.952-07:00

Last night I finished this fantastic book, written by Emma Cole (awa Susanna Kearsley). I'm a big fan of SK's books, so when I saw she'd branched out into suspense fiction, I immediately checked my library and was thrilled to find they had a copy.Journalist Kate Murray is surprised when a man approaches her on a London street, saying they need to meet and talk about a long-ago murder. She's even

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-59902780808656485052008-10-13T10:00:00.001-07:002008-10-13T10:00:46.208-07:00

to all my fellow Canucks :) Hope you're having a lovely holiday weekend.It's raining here today, but that's ok. I've lots to be thankful for.Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-85062107056501618332008-10-09T15:23:00.005-07:002008-10-09T17:41:33.466-07:00

I really, really appreciate all the comments and suggestions. Back soon with new posts. My life is busy right now as I adjust to a p/t job and preparing to submit an application to a library studies programme.TeresaCurrently Reading: Every Secret Thing by Emma ColeLink of the Day: Versailles and More

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-58195270506245180452008-10-06T10:16:00.007-07:002008-10-06T10:34:10.284-07:00

I have to admit I feel I'm at a crossroads here. Do I close down this blog or not? I'm not really clear if people are reading and not commenting, or just not coming by anymore. If it's the former, has my blogging style changed so much? Am I not talking about interesting stuff? Just curious.I fully realize that blogs probably have a natural life, and maybe this one has reached its end.OTOH, is

Tessnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-5185048548531446942008-10-03T09:18:00.005-07:002008-10-03T09:40:50.890-07:00

I don't normally discuss politics here, and won't actually get into too much detail on my personal political views, but last night I had a great time flipping between the two debates.For my American readers - Canada is in the middle of a Federal Election campaign, though, unlike yours, it's only about five weeks *g*. Our leaders debated in English last night (the French debate was on Wednesday)

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-28605614615033589232008-09-29T01:23:00.001-07:002008-09-29T10:14:21.017-07:00

Sean and I were married. Hard to believe - the time has gone so quickly.In honour of our 20 years together (we started dating in 1988) I put together this video:From MoviesClicking on it will take you to the picasaweb page where you can toggle the box in the lower right corner of the video to play around with size/smoothness. You might want to pause it after it first starts to let it load fully,

Tessnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-26868344061862616282008-09-28T10:30:00.004-07:002008-09-28T10:43:15.965-07:00

we moved into the house! Wow, how quickly time has flown. I remember the months of waiting and watching while the house was built, how slowly it seemed to go. And now we've been in for twice that time.Last weekend we finally got grass seed down, after hours of hand raking all the rocks/sticks Sean didn't get up with his dad's tractor:We're really hoping that at least some of the seed takes as it

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-39611136010441103172008-09-25T13:06:00.016-07:002008-09-25T16:20:10.636-07:00

Fellow CBC listeners will recognize that name.For those who don't listen to the CBC (I know Americans do listen to it on the net), I recommend you tune in.As a writer, this radio series set in Afghanistan, is a great example of how to create and bring to life compelling, complex characters. For non-writers, it's a fantastic story of men and women fighting against the odds in a war into which they

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-25250694923172937632008-09-22T09:45:00.016-07:002008-09-25T13:36:51.724-07:00

I got this from fellow Canuck Cindy. Here's her intro - it was written so concisely, I figured I wouldn't mess with it:Seems The Big Read, sponsored by the BBC, has estimated that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books on this list. How do you fare?1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.2) Italicize those you intend to read.3) Underline the books you LOVE.1 Pride and

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-45265428074620488022008-09-19T11:52:00.008-07:002008-09-19T14:28:34.647-07:00

I'm feeling a little happier this week re my writing. Not only have I done some good research on one of my stories, but I've managed a fair amount of editing on the ms I want to submit soon. Not only that, but I've done some reading for one of my critique partners (no hardship - it's a compelling story) AND worked on one of the contest entries I'm judging right now. Phew. And the week isn't quite

Tessnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-48277059559014574562008-09-17T05:12:00.003-07:002008-09-17T08:41:29.405-07:00

I'm still here. Working on job apps and also doing research for one of my books. Not much else new to report. More soon - I'll drop by various blogs as I have time.TeresaAbout to Start Reading: The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy by Fiona NeillLink of the Day: Pleasure Gardens of Old LondonBonus link of the Day: Deborah Cooke (aka Claire Delacroix) on Setting Goals and Meeting Them

Tessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-22764120192476161952008-09-10T10:37:00.008-07:002008-09-10T10:52:44.870-07:00

Ok - so I know I said I wouldn't be blogging much, but I figured the following was easy and fun. Melissa posted this great meme on her blog the other day.What is your genre(s)?Historical, time travel and contemporary romance. I've completed two HRs, one TT and am working on a contemp.How many books are you working on now?Um, three. With several more lined up.Are you a linear or a chunk writer?

Tessnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-16887587311097214762008-09-10T09:52:00.005-07:002008-09-10T10:06:01.801-07:00

I'm posting less and even reading other blogs less frequently for a variety of reasons. The job hunt continues + I'm now considering going back to school. All this takes up time - applying for jobs, tailoring my resume for each one, researching school options and consolidating the info. All this leaves me with far less time to just play on the internet :( I do sign into Facebook at least once a

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-7667463862004385032008-09-05T09:36:00.011-07:002008-09-05T10:35:55.812-07:00

Over the last couple of years I've read a lot of women's fiction. The plots of the majority of these books revolve around friendship. At this point, I find I really enjoy reading about the ways in which people bond and how they share the good and the bad in life.In August the bonds of friendship were made more clear than ever to me when two close friends of mine visited us here on the Coast. One

Tessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-32645241343294134892008-09-05T08:05:00.004-07:002008-09-05T12:48:06.712-07:00

I'm just trying to do lots of little things right now and need to set aside specific time for my blog on friendship.Here's a video I made of our trip last month over to Vancouver Island - please be patient once you click on the link - it does take a minute or so to load once you get to the Picasaweb album:From MoviesOk - video sounds a little glamorous - it's a slideshow set to music, but I still

Tessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-10838489866126710042008-08-29T18:19:00.006-07:002008-08-29T18:32:09.048-07:00

The day didn't start so well (dark, gloomy and rainy), but then I spent time in the library working on my ms AND the sun came out :) I realized while running errands after leaving the library that my mood had lightened considerably. I pondered this for a while and it occurred to me that my doldrums (while somewhat hormonal) also must be connected to the lack of time I've taken recently to work on

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-53681992273297892022008-08-26T15:03:00.002-07:002008-08-26T15:07:04.741-07:00

As you might have noticed, I don't feel much like blogging these days. Lots going on here.Here's a pic of a recent wild visitor to our garden:I'll be back when I feel more like sharing my thoughts.Teresa

Tessnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-20665524764346249472008-08-11T15:31:00.005-07:002008-08-11T16:16:26.471-07:00

As some of you may have noticed, I've been AWOL for just over a week. Sean and I went camping at the northern tip of Vancouver Island for a few days, then entertained guests upon our return followed by a visit with family.View Larger MapThis has been my first chance to post and I spent much of my day adding photos to the blog posts I typed on Alphie while we were on the road. You can read the

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10391176.post-18490451894824319722008-08-01T20:51:00.011-07:002008-08-01T21:29:08.604-07:00

though this should more aptly be titled "A memoir of my life..." as Grace Dalrymple Elliott penned in 1801 at the request of George III upon her return to England from France.Nonetheless, it's a fascinating read, extremely biassed in its coverage of the Revolution (Ms. Elliott was a staunch Royalist). The details, though, are worth looking past the author's political viewpoint. It's the little

Tessnoreply@blogger.com2