Pre-Christmas Ramblings

A lull in my Christmas preparations, so thought I would make a few jottings.

I'm very excited. Just received my copy of the Christmas issue of Mystery Scene with my article about RED ICE FOR A SHROUD. Entitled 'The Ice Storm', I talk about how my experience with the 1998 Ice Storm helped shape this second Meg Harris mystery. Check it out on page 61.

Fans have asked for a photo of my black standard poodle, DeMontigny, the model for Meg Harris' Sergei. So I have included his photo in several taken a few weeks ago when I was tramping along the trails that surround my West Quebec log cabin. He is looking particularly gorgeous having just had his 'hairs cut and placed' -to coin an expression of a friend- by his favourite groomers, Jackie and Tracey. Check out the photos.


These were the woods, the trails I had in mind when I wrote the opening chapters of RED ICE FOR A SHROUD. In fact, the book's opening action is based on the trail clearing that my husband and I, along with many others do every year in the fall to ready our network of over 25 kilometers of cross country ski trails. However, our annual effort has never been as exciting nor as traumatic as Meg's turned out to be.

And speaking of skiing, I'm not sure how soon we will actually be able to shuss down our trails. Very unusual for this time in December, the trials are looking much like the photos, brown with only a few splotches of white. And the forecast doesn't augur well for skiing over the holidays, something we always look forward to. So it looks as if hiking will be become our only means for ridding the pounds gained in the Christmas festivities.

And on that note I wish you a safe and happy holiday, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


Our log cabin during a much snowier Christmas past

Coming up for air

Finally I have some time to myself. It has been one very busy fall with the release of the next Meg Harris Mystery, RED ICE FOR A SHROUD. What with 3 launches in Ottawa, Mayo QC and Toronto and a whirlwind tour of visiting, I swear, every bookstore in southern Ontario - well not quite, but it felt like it - I'm pooped.

Barbara Fradkin, Rick Blechta and I had a super time on our RendezVous Crime Spree. I put on almost 5000 kilometers on my car. But I tell you with one Chapters Book Store looking much like the next, it got a bit hard at times to remember exactly what city you were in. And I certainly won't miss the many meals of tasteless franchise food. My own cooking never tasted so good.

But it was great fun to meet people who love to read mysteries. And particularly thrilling to have someone say I loved your first book and can't wait to read this next one. I even had one woman race into the St. Catharines Chapters to buy my book after reading the terrific review Margaret Cannon had given the book in that day's Globe and Mail. Turns out she is a professor at Brook University who teaches a course on detective fiction and used my first novel, DEATH'S GOLDEN WHISPER, in one of her classes.

And while the big box bookstores provide the bread and butter, I still prefer the intimate signings at the independents, like A Mysterious Affair in Waterloo, Ont. or As The Plot Thickens in Kingston, Ont, two delightful mystery bookstores. And I'll be signing at another this coming Saturday, Prime Crime in Ottawa.

The book tour also gave me an opportunity to visit with friends and family, some of whom I'd not seen in several years, in particular my husband's cousin, Edna. We had a delightful time getting caught up with each other's lives.

I have some photos from the various events, some taken by me, some by others. Check them out.

And the reviews are starting to come in. Mike Gillespie gave RED ICE FOR A SHROUD a super review in the Ottawa Citizen. And I hear tell others are on their way.