DeMontigny 1995-2009

A cherished member of our small family went up to that big doggy kennel in the sky yesterday. For 14 years deMontigny was an integral part of our lives. He moved in with Jim and I when he was a tiny, (well not so tiny, since he was a standard poodle) black, curly fur ball of 9 weeks. He grew quickly, ate ravenously and had a mind of his own, which required 2 years of dog obedience training to master. Although we never really did master him. It was more like he mastered us.

He loved his walks. He spent many hours with Jim and I tramping the many trails through the forests surrounding our cottage. And in the winter he would race behind us as we skied. In fact sometimes he was so close to my skis, I could feel his furry snout between my knees.

He grew to be a magnificent standard poodle, with those long, long legs for which they are known. His movements were poetry in motion. I used to call him the Wayne Gretsky of dogs. He had the high-stepping, prancing gait of a horse and probably would have done very well in agility training, except I never exposed him to it.

And he was smart, like poodles are. I figured he had a vocabulary of at least a few hundred words. When he wanted something he would dig his snout into my thigh. I would then go through a series of questions, Do you want a walk, food, water, etc.? When I hit the right one, he would do a little hoppy skip and toss his head.

When people ask if any characters in my Meg Harris series are based on real characters, I always say only one, Meg's black standard poodle, Sergei. In fact there is a scene in 'Death's Golden Whisper' that is pure Monts. I'll let you guess which one.

DeMontigny was a great dog. Jim and I will miss him.

Upcoming Ottawa events - October & November

As with the release of any new book, I'm gearing up for lots of events in October and November in Ottawa. Plus I'm planning a tour to the Maritimes at the end of October, early November. But I'll list these when finalized in a separate blog. I hope to see you at one of these. I always enjoy meeting my fans and introducing my Meg Harris series to new readers.

In Ottawa, I'll be signing the latest Meg Harris mystery, ARCTIC BLUE DEATH and earlier books in the series on

Oct. 22, 11:30 am -1:30 pm - Billingsbridge Coles, Billingsbridge Plaza

Oct. 22, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm - Kanata Chapters, Kanata Centrum

Oct. 23, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm - Pinecrest Chapters, Pinecrest Shopping Centre

Oct. 24, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Rideau Chapters, 47 Rideau St.

Nov. 6, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm - South Keys Chapters, South Keys Shopping Centre

Nov. 7, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Ave.,

Nov. 14 - all day - I'll be participating in Capital Crime Writers 20th Anniversary Mystery Writer Event being held at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library, 120 Metcalfe St. - for more information see the CCW website

Nov. 19, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, I'll also be joining Barbara Fradkin and Mary Jane Maffini for an evening of mystery at the Nepean Centrepoint Public Library, 101 Centrepointe Rd.

Toronto Launch

Arctic Blue Death will be launched in Toronto on Friday, October 2 at 8:00 pm at the new McNally and Robinson Bookstore in Don Mills at the Shops in Don Mills at Lawrence and Don Mills Rd. I remember when this shopping centre used to be called just plain Don Mills Shopping Centre. I guess it has come up in the world since it used to be a teen hang-out.

I'm looking forward to this event which will also be with Barbara Fradkin. It will be like going home. I grew up in York Mills which is just a hop, skip and a jump down the road. I haven't been back to the area since my mother passed away a few years ago. I plan to go back down memory lane, driving through the old neighbourhood, past the old family home, although the house itself doesn't exist anymore. It was replaced by a monster home, as has happened to many of the original houses in the area. But the street name is the same 'Harrison Road'. Guess where I got Meg's last name from?

So if you live in Toronto, I'd love to see you on Oct. 2. It's going to be a real bash.