Cold Mourning by Brenda Chapman

I just finished reading Cold Mourning, the first Brenda Chapman book I've read and the first in her Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery Series.

It’s a week before Christmas when wealthy businessman Tom Underwood disappears into thin air — with more than enough people wanting him dead. 

New police recruit Kala Stonechild, who has left her northern Ontario detachment to join a specialized Ottawa crime unit, is tasked with returning Underwood home in time for the holidays. Stonechild, who is from a First Nations reserve, is a lone wolf who is used to surviving on her wits. Her new boss, Detective Jacques Rouleau, has his hands full controlling her, his team, and an investigation that keeps threatening to go off track. 

Old betrayals and complicated family relationships brutally collide when love turns to hate and murder stalks a family.

I thought Cold Mourning was a compelling read. I'm unsure if this was originally written as a one off or as a planned series. My thoughts are that this was originally written as a stand alone novel but with Kala Stonechild and Jacque Rouleau being such interesting characters, they begged for more to be written about them. Chapman is a descriptive writer but never overdoes it, which can bog down a story. 

Cold Mourning made the final 5 shortlist for the Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel of the year written by a Canadian Author. I can see why.

When I purchased the book, I did it as an e-book containing the first three of the six books in the series. I'm glad I did as this book makes me want to read the rest of the books in the series.

About Brenda Chapman

Brenda Chapman is a Canadian crime fiction author with over twenty published novels. In addition to short stories and standalones, she has written the lauded Stonechild and Rouleau police procedural series, the Anna Sweet mystery novellas, and the Jennifer Bannon mysteries for middle grade. 

Her work has been shortlisted for several awards including three Arthur Ellis awards. Brenda studied English literature at Lakehead and Carleton universities and earned a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. 

She taught for fifteen years in the field of special education followed by a Communications career in the federal government. She currently writes full-time and makes her home in Ottawa.

Member of the Annual Canadian Book Challenge

Rabbit Foot Bill by Helen Humphreys

This morning I finished reading Rabbit Foot Bill. It's the second Helen Humphreys novel that I've read, the first being Leaving Earth.

Canwood, Saskatchewan, 1947. Leonard Flint, a lonely boy in a small farming town befriends the local tramp, a man known as Rabbit Foot Bill. Bill doesn’t talk much, but he allows Leonard to accompany him as he sets rabbit snares and to visit his small, secluded dwelling.

Being with Bill is everything to young Leonard—an escape from school, bullies and a hard father. So his shock is absolute when he witnesses Bill commit a sudden violent act and loses him to prison.

Fifteen years on, as a newly graduated doctor of psychiatry, Leonard arrives at the Weyburn Mental Hospital, both excited and intimidated by the massive institution known for its experimental LSD trials. To Leonard’s great surprise, at the Weyburn he is reunited with Bill and soon becomes fixated on discovering what happened on that fateful day in 1947.

Based on a true story, this page-turning novel from a master stylist examines the frailty and resilience of the human mind.

Rabbit Foot Bill is an intense and powerful read. I really enjoyed Humphreys style of writing. Not only is it stylish and the story well laid out, but she does an excellent job of  describing scenes and char actors. Just enough to allow me to paint the picture in my head, without overdoing it. I didn't realize the novel was based on a true story until the Author's Note at the end.

Having now read two of her books, I look forward to reading a third!

About Helen Humphreys

Helen Humphreys is the author of four books of poetry, five novels, and one work of creative non-fiction. She was born in Kingston-on-Thames, England, and now lives in Kingston, Ontario with her dog, Hazel. Her first novel, Leaving Earth (1997), won the 1998 City of Toronto Book Award and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. 

Her second novel, Afterimage (2000), won the 2000 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, was nominated for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her third novel, The Lost Garden (2002), was a 2003 Canada Reads selection, a national bestseller, and was also a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Wild Dogs (2004) won the 2005 Lambda Prize for fiction, has been optioned for film, and was produced as a stage play at CanStage in Toronto in the fall of 2008. Coventry (2008) was a #1 national bestseller, was chosen as one of the top 100 books of the year by the Globe & Mail, and was chosen one of the top ten books of the year by both the Ottawa Citizen and NOW Magazine. Humphreys's work of creative non-fiction, The Frozen Thames (2007), was a #1 national bestseller. Her collections of poetry include Gods and Other Mortals (1986); Nuns Looking Anxious, Listening to Radios (1990); and, The Perils of Geography (1995). Her latest collection, Anthem (1999), won the 2000 Canadian Authors Association Award for Poetry. 

Humphreys's work has been translated into many languages.

That's Why I'm a Journalist by Mark Bulgutch

 

Journalists live fascinating lives, many being fortunate with being witness to some of the biggest stories of our times. It's one of the reasons I wanted to read Mark Bulgutch's That's Why I'm a Journalist.

News stories are like collective memories, encapsulating the most iconic moments in recent history around the world. But to those who work in journalism, up-close involvement with these stories can also be life-changing. In That’s Why I’m a Journalist, veteran broadcaster Mark Bulgutch interviews 44 prominent Canadian journalists, who each share their behind-the-scenes accounts of some of the most memorable stories of their careers and describe the moment that made them say to themselves, "That’s why I’m a journalist." 

 Although many of the contributors' stories are related to their roles in the most high-profile events of the 20th and 21st centuries, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to 9/11, here too are reflections on quieter and more intimate moments that had a deep personal impact. Peter Mansbridge talks about a trip to Vimy Ridge on the hundredth anniversary of World War I, Adrienne Arsenault recalls bringing together old friends separated by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Terence McKenna recounts what it’s like to worry about being kidnapped as part of the job and Wendy Mesley reflects on the satisfaction of asking tough questions—and uncovering the truth.

At the beginning of each of the 44 stories in this book, Bulgutch gives a short biography of the journalist telling their story and what led up to the event which they are covering. So many of the Canadian journalists in this book, I not only have heard of have but have watched regularly over the years. Each story is written in the journalist own words and not retold by Bulgutch. 

Some will tell the story of how fascinating or horrifying it was to witness an event, but most tell their personal connections to the story in relation to the people they met during their covering it. I was surprised at the friendships they built with those people, friendships which continued long after the story. 

The stories vary. Some are large and horrific and makes you wonder how they dealt with what they saw for the rest of their lives. Others are smaller, unique, personal stories. 

That's Why I'm a Journalist is a fascinating book, one which makes me want to read his follow up to it, That’s Why I’m a Doctor.

About Mark Bulgutch

Mark Bulgutch’s own entry into journalism started with a paper route. After journalism school, he worked for the CBC News for over 35 years. He was the senior editor of The National for 11 years and retired as Senior Executive Producer of TV News, which put him in the control room for all major special events, from election nights to commemorations of Remembrance Day. He is the recipient of 14 Gemini awards, 4 RTNDA Awards, the Canadian Journalism Foundation Award of Excellence and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Gold Ribbon Award. He currently lives in Toronto, ON.

New Crime Thriller by Gordon K. Jones Now Available for Purchase

I'm excited to announce my new crime thriller, Saving Tiberius from publisher, Bookland Press, is now available for purchase. 

Morgan Watson has a problem. When word leaked that his cat, Tiberius, miraculously cured itself of diabetes and may hold the key to a cure, he is attacked in his home and almost killed in a bloody fight. 

Paula Rogers, a strong-willed dedicated police officer, has put herself in the line of fire protecting them, and for the first time is stretching the rules and hiding facts from her superiors. 

The two fiercely independent people find their romantic feelings for each other grow as they search to find who is behind the brutal attempts to get Tiberius before they find themselves intertwined with the growing list of dead bodies.

Saving Tiberius can be ordered through Chapters Indigo, Amazon or better bookstores near you.

Leaving Earth by Helen Humphreys

Today I finished reading Leaving Earth, by Helen Humphreys.

On August 1, 1933, Two Young Women, the famous aviatrix Grace O'Gorman and the inexperienced Willa Briggs, take off in a tiny Moth biplane to break the world flight endurance record. Their plan: to circle above the city of Toronto for twenty-five days.So begins Leaving Earth, a haunting evocation of an era when heroic women defied the limitations of their sex by embarking on perilous ventures. 

Sponsored by the Adventure Girl Almanac, "Air Ace Grace" and Willa soar above the city while below the Depression takes its toll and the shadows of the coming war lengthen. But as the days pass, the women's ties to humanity fall away, and the growing intensity of their connection becomes as gripping as the perils that besiege them. 

For the two pilots, there is no speech over the wind's rush, only an elaborate sign language in which they must invent the world anew. All the while, the endurance test wears on, its outcome jeopardized by fatigue, weather, mechanical breakdown, and the lethal efforts of a saboteur.

This was Humphreys first novel which not only won the won the 1998 City of Toronto Book Award, but it also was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. I can see why.

The story was interesting and suspenseful. From all which I've read and researched of the period, Humphreys did an excellent job of capturing the Toronto of 1933, both in her description of the city itself and the events which took place during the time frame of the book.

The story is not only of the flight, which is described mostly by Willa in the rear cockpit seat, but also on the family of Maddy Stewart, a young 12 year old girl who idolizes Grace O'Gorman. Maddy is the child of a Jewish mother and her Scottish father. The family runs the amusement park at Hanlan's point.

Leaving Earth is a story of endurance, growing a trusting friendship without being able to verbally communicate, the rise of Nazism in Canada and the world below the two aviators struggling with the depression.

It's a novel worth reading.

About Helen Humphreys 

Helen Humphreys is the author of four books of poetry, five novels, and one work of creative non-fiction. She was born in Kingston-on-Thames, England, and now lives in Kingston, Ontario with her dog, Hazel. Her first novel, Leaving Earth (1997), won the 1998 City of Toronto Book Award and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. 

Her second novel, Afterimage (2000), won the 2000 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, was nominated for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her third novel, The Lost Garden (2002), was a 2003 Canada Reads selection, a national bestseller, and was also a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Wild Dogs (2004) won the 2005 Lambda Prize for fiction, has been optioned for film, and was produced as a stage play at CanStage in Toronto in the fall of 2008. Coventry (2008) was a #1 national bestseller, was chosen as one of the top 100 books of the year by the Globe & Mail, and was chosen one of the top ten books of the year by both the Ottawa Citizen and NOW Magazine. Humphreys's work of creative non-fiction, The Frozen Thames (2007), was a #1 national bestseller. Her collections of poetry include Gods and Other Mortals (1986); Nuns Looking Anxious, Listening to Radios (1990); and, The Perils of Geography (1995). Her latest collection, Anthem (1999), won the 2000 Canadian Authors Association Award for Poetry. 

Humphreys's work has been translated into many languages.

  

Canadian Reading Challenge FAQS

Quantum Night by Robert J. Sawyer

I'm a fan of Robert J. Sawyer but haven't read one of his books for awhile. This week I corrected that by reading his 2016 sci-fi novel, Quantum Night.

Experimental psychologist Jim Marchuk has developed a flawless technique for identifying the previously undetected psychopaths lurking everywhere in society. But while being cross-examined about his breakthrough in court, Jim is shocked to discover that he has lost his memories of six months of his life from twenty years previously—a dark time during which he himself committed heinous acts.

Jim is reunited with Kayla Huron, his forgotten girlfriend from his lost period and now a quantum physicist who has made a stunning discovery about the nature of human consciousness. As a rising tide of violence and hate sweeps across the globe, the psychologist and the physicist combine forces in a race against time to see if they can do the impossible—change human nature—before the entire world descends into darkness.

Like many of his books, the science involved in the story is deep but well explained. There were places in the story where I was a little confused, but after pressing on, the idea would become clear. It's a well thought out story line and an interesting read.

About Robert J. Sawyer

Robert J. Sawyer is one of Canada's best known and most successful science fiction writers. He is the only Canadian (and one of only 7 writers in the world) to have won all three of the top international awards for science fiction: the 1995 Nebula Award for The Terminal Experiment, the 2003 Hugo Award for Hominids, and the 2006 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Mindscan.

Robert Sawyer grew up in Toronto, the son of two university professors. He credits two of his favourite shows from the late 1960s and early 1970s, Search and Star Trek, with teaching him some of the fundamentals of the science-fiction craft. Sawyer was obsessed with outer space from a young age and he vividly remembers watching the televised Apollo missions.

Sawyer graduated in 1982 from the Radio and Television Arts Program at Ryerson University, where he later worked as an instructor. Sawyer's first published book, Golden Fleece (1989), is an adaptation of short stories that had previously appeared in the science-fiction magazine Amazing Stories. This book won the Aurora Award for the best Canadian science-fiction novel in English.

A passionate advocate for science fiction, Sawyer teaches creative writing and appears frequently in the media to discuss his genre. He prefers the label "philosophical fiction," and in no way sees himself as a predictor of the future. His mission statement for his writing is "To combine the intimately human with the grandly cosmic."

14th Canadian Reading Challenge

The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek

I was lucky to get The Answer is ... Reflections on My Life, the autobiography of Alex Trebek, the moment it came out.

Longtime Jeopardy! host and television icon Alex Trebek reflects on his life and career. Since debuting as the host of Jeopardy! in 1984, 

Alex Trebek has been something like a family member to millions of television viewers, bringing entertainment and education into their homes five nights a week. Last year, he made the stunning announcement that he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. What followed was an incredible outpouring of love and kindness. Social media was flooded with messages of support, and the Jeopardy! studio received boxes of cards and letters offering guidance, encouragement, and prayers. 

For over three decades, Trebek had resisted countless appeals to write a book about his life. Yet he was moved so much by all the goodwill, he felt compelled to finally share his story. “I want people to know a little more about the person they have been cheering on for the past year,” he writes in The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life. 

The book combines illuminating personal anecdotes with Trebek’s thoughts on a range of topics, including marriage, parenthood, education, success, spirituality, and philanthropy. Trebek also addresses the questions he gets asked most often by Jeopardy! fans, such as what prompted him to shave his signature mustache, his insights on legendary players like Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer, and his opinion of Will Ferrell’s Saturday Night Live impersonation.

The book uses a novel structure inspired by Jeopardy!, with each chapter title in the form of a question, and features dozens of never-before-seen photos that candidly capture Trebek over the years. This wise, charming, and inspiring book is further evidence why Trebek has long been considered one of the most beloved and respected figures in entertainment.

Many times, I've started an autobiography which I've lost interest in quickly. Others I have enjoyed but this is one of the very few which I found to be excellent. It's written pretty much the way Alex talks and I could hear his voice in my head while I read.

I love how the book is set up. Short, 2 to 3 page stories of moments and memories of his life, done in chronological order. Some are funny, some make you think or ponder. It's a great look behind the scenes, not only of Jeopardy but of his life. Alex Trebek is known pretty much everywhere in Canada and the US.

This is a great read for any fan of his.

The 14th Annual Canadian Book Challenge FAQs

"Fair" by Ed Seaward

Today, I finished reading Fair, the debut novel from author Ed Seaward.

In this spare, poetic novel, a young homeless man finds solace in friendship, falls prey to the machinations of a malevolent gang of thugs, and ultimately is swallowed up by the inevitability of consequences on the dangerous and deceptively sunny streets of L.A.

This is the story about a homeless young man, Eyan (pronounced Ian) who lives in the parks and alleys of Los Angeles. He has a learning disability and as a result is uneducated. His story is one of survival. Happy to live on his own, he has a chance meeting with a childhood friend Marc who takes him to meet a man simply called the professor, who once taught at the University of Chicago.

The professor enjoys teaching Eyan and telling him stories. Eyan's favorite is Paradise Lost written by John Milton in 1667. Seaward has included seven etchings of various scenes from that story which were created by William Strang and included in a 1896 copy of the book published in London. At the end of the book, Seaward explains the reason for their inclusion in this novel: They are presented herein to enrich the reading experience and to invite readers to engage with the story through a different means of artistic interpretation.

Fair is a literary work, descriptive and gritty which gives allows the reader to get inside Eyan's head. It's a different style of story that I usually am drawn to and I'm glad I read it.

About Ed Seaward

Ed Seaward completed his first novel, Son of Jack Nasty, in 2011 (as yet unpublished). Since then he has written a number of short stories and screenplays, including Mother Daughter Happiness, which was a screenplay finalist at the 2019 Pasadena International Film Festival. Fair will be published by The Porcupine’s Quill in April, 2020. After thirty years in the corporate world, he now spends his time cashing pension cheques, writing, and volunteering with Canadian Authors—Toronto. He and his wife Barb split their time living in Georgetown, Ontario and Santa Monica, California.

The 14th Canadian Book Challenge FAQs

Moccasin Square Gardens: Short Stories by Richard Van Camp

Today I finished a collections of short stories by Richard Van Camp in his book, Moccasin Square Gardens.

The characters of Moccasin Square Gardens inhabit Denendeh, the land of the people north of the sixtieth parallel. These stories are filled with in-laws, outlaws and common-laws. Get ready for illegal wrestling moves (“The Camel Clutch”), pinky promises, a doctored casino, extraterrestrials or “Sky People,” love, lust and prayers for peace.

While this is Van Camp’s most hilarious short story collection, it’s also haunted by the lurking presence of the Wheetago, human-devouring monsters of legend that have returned due to global warming and the greed of humanity. The stories in Moccasin Square Gardens show that medicine power always comes with a price.

To counteract this darkness, Van Camp weaves a funny and loving portrayal of the Tłı̨chǫ Dene and other communities of the North, drawing from oral history techniques to perfectly capture the character and texture of everyday small-town life. “Moccasin Square Gardens” is the nickname of a dance hall in the town of Fort Smith that serves as a meeting place for a small but diverse community. In the same way, the collection functions as a meeting place for an assortment of characters, from shamans and time-travelling goddess warriors to pop-culture-obsessed pencil pushers, to con artists, archivists and men who just need to grow up, all seeking some form of connection.

I really enjoyed the style in which all the stories were told. Done in first person, it's told as if I was sitting around a campfire at night with a group of people while the author told his stories to us. An unusual approach done excellently.

After I read this book, I saw this quote from him which explains his style. "I need oral storytelling in my life as a listener because I’m always filtering the pauses, the slang, the rockabilly of pacing, the delivery. When I listen to a master storyteller or someone just sharing a story, I’m studying how they’re talking and how they’re standing, and what the pitch is in their voice. I can sometimes take their techniques and put them into a story."

As with most collections of short stories, some are much better than others, but I thoroughly enjoyed most in this book.

There are many other novels and short story collections which Mr. Van Camp has written which I look forward to reading.

About Richard Van Camp

Richard Van Camp is a proud member of the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation from Fort Smith, NWT, Canada from Fort Smith, NWT. He is a graduate of the En'owkin International School of Writing, the University of Victoria's Creative Writing BFA Program, and the Master's Degree in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia.

He is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author. His novel, The Lesser Blessed, is now a movie with First Generation Films and premiered in September of 2012 at the Toronto International Film Festival. He is the author of four collections of short stories, Angel Wing Splash Pattern, The Moon of Letting Go, Godless but Loyal to Heaven and Night Moves, as well as two children’s books with Cree artist, George Littlechild: A Man Called Raven and What’s the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses?

His first baby book, Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns, was the official selection of the Books for BC Babies program and was given to every newborn baby in British Columbia in 2008. Richard followed this up with another board book: Nighty-Night: A Bedtime Song for Babies. His third book for babies, Little You, is now out with Orca Book Publishers. The amazing Julie Flett is the artist. Little You is published in Bush Cree, Dene and South Slavey, courtesy of the South Slave Divisional Board of Education. His new book for babies with Julie Flett is called “We Sang You Home” and it is gorgeous!

All of Richard Van Camp’s children’s books are available in Braille for free, anywhere in the world, courtesy of the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI) and Accessible Resource Centre-British Columbia (ARC-BC)

Richard has six graphic novels and comic books out: his first comic book on deterring youth away from gangs, Path of the Warrior, is published with Cree artist, Steve Sanderson, through the Healthy Aboriginal Network. His second comic book on sexual health is Kiss Me Deadly, with Haida artist Chris Auchter. His four graphic novels are Three Feathers (published in Bush Cree, Dene, South Slavey and English, illustrated by Krystal Mateus, on restorative justice; The Eisner Award Nominated A Blanket of Butterflies, on the theme of peace making, illustrated by Scott Henderson, The Blue Raven, illustrated by Steve Sanderson on mental health, and Spirit, a suicide prevention comic book illustrated by Emily Brown (which is also published in Bush Cree, Dene, and South Slavey and English).

Richard has published a second novel, “Whistle”, which is part two of The Lesser Blessed, and it’s a story exploring mental health through the eyes of Darcy, the bully in The Lesser Blessed, played by Adam Butcher in the movie.

Richard wrote for CBC's North of 60 television show for two months under their Writer Internship Program and was a script and cultural consultant with them for four seasons. He taught creative writing at the University of British Columbia, worked as a Creative Writing and Storytelling instructor with the Emily Carr Institute and was the Writer in Residence at the University of Alberta for 2011 and 2012 and at MacEwan University in 2013 and 2014.

An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores by Mark Leslie Lefebvre

Back in May I tuned into a webinar put on by the Canadian Authors Association of which I am a professional member of, called Leveraging Your IP and Maximizing Income in a Digital World, with Mark Leslie Lefebvre as the speaker. I was quite impressed, so I went of and bought his book, An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores.

An Author's Guide to Working with Bookstores and Libraries is a no-BS overview of the publishing industry, bookstores and libraries. It outlines the basics of what authors need to know when navigating their way through the complex print, eBook and distribution options available to authors. Whether you are traditionally published or self-published, this book provides guidance and insights to help you maximize your sales, your earnings, and your author brand.

As with the webinar, I learned a lot and gained quite a few ideas on how to promote my upcoming book, Saving Tiberius, (Bookland Press Publisher) through bookstores and with the Toronto Public Library. Many ideas at the moment would be on hold due to the current Covid-19 situation, but can be put into practice later.

This is a valuable guide to the industry for both traditionally published and indie authors alike.

About Mark Leslie Lefebre

Mark Leslie Lefebvre has been writing since he was thirteen years old and discovered his mother’s Underwood typewriter collecting dust in a closet. He started submitting his work for publication at the age of fifteen and had his first story published in 1992, the same year he graduated from university.

Under the name Mark Leslie, he has published more than a dozen full length books. He pens a series of non-fiction paranormal explorations for Dundurn, Canada’s largest independent publisher. He also writes fiction (typically thrillers and horror) and edits fiction anthologies, most recently as a regular editor for the WMG Publishing Fiction River anthology series. The very same year, Mark saw his first short story in print he started working in the book industry as a part-time bookseller, and was bitten by the book-selling bug.

He has worked in virtually every type of bookstore (independent, chain, large-format, online, academic and digital). He has thrived on innovation, particularly related to digital publishing, and enjoys interacting with the various people who make the book industry so dynamic.

Between 2011 and 2017, Mark worked at the Director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations for Kobo where he was the driving force behind the creation of Kobo Writing Life, a free and easy to use author/small-publisher friendly platform designed to publish directly to Kobo’s global catalog in 190 countries. By the end of 2016, Kobo Writing Life established itself as the #1 single source of weekly global unit sales for Kobo and, in primarily English language territories, responsible for 1 in every 4 eBooks sold.

Mark has spoken professionally in the United States and Canada, in the UK and across Europe, specializing in advances in digital publishing and the vast and incredible opportunities that exist for writers and publishers.

Past Presence by Nicole Bross

Today I finished Past Presence, the debut novel from author Nicole Bross.

Audrey Eames is happy living the wanderer's life. After a near-death experience in her teens, Audrey can see people's past lives whenever her skin touches theirs, and afraid of being labeled delusional, she's never stayed in one place too long or made any deep connections.

So when Audrey's estranged aunt dies and leaves her the historic Soberly Inn and Public House on the scenic Oregon coast, Audrey wants nothing to do with it. She's determined to sell the inn and leave town before someone discovers the power she's been hiding from the world, but clauses in her aunt's will seem to block her at every turn.

Yet once ensconced in Soberly's small town life, the people-particularly the inn's bartender, Kellen Greene-start to grow on her, and she begins to feel that maybe she's finally found a place of her own. As accepting as the townspeople seem, Audrey fears their reactions-and Kellen's rejection-and decides to keep her visions a secret. But all is not well in Soberly. Soon after Audrey arrives, people in town start dying in the same manner as in their past lives-but in this lifetime it's murder. Audrey vows to use her gift to find the murderer and protect the people she loves-before it's too late.

Wow, it's such an interesting concept. Time travel but only in the mind of the Audrey who sees peoples past lives but only in short snippets. The story is well woven and descriptive. Audrey is very easy to like, as is Kellen. It's not only told in first person but done in present tense, which is so hard to do successfully. Bross did an excellent job in doing so.

It's not hard to see why it was a finalist for the 2019 Arthur Ellis Awards Best First Crime Novel!

About Nicole Bross

Nicole Bross is an author from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where she lives with her husband, two children and one very large orange cat. When she’s not writing or working as the editor of a magazine, she can be found curled up with a book, messing around with her ever-expanding collection of manual typewriters or in the departures lounge of the airport at the beginning of another adventure. Past Presence is her debut novel.

Watershed by Doreen Vanderstoop

There is a new genre in writing now. Actually, it's probably been around for a few years but I heard it for the first time when I started reading  Watershed by Canadian author Doreen Vanderstoop. It's called Cli-Fi, short for climate fiction with stories set in the future with the world devastated from climate change.

In Watershed, water is now the most precious resource in Alberta. With the glaciers gone, the province's oil and gas pipelines are being converted to water pipelines. Tensions are high as "water terrorists" threaten to violently cut off the water supply. Against this precarious backdrop, Willa desperately tries to keep her family's failing goat farm afloat.

But when her son, Daniel, goes to work for the water corporation whose high-priced commodity is putting the farm out of business, Willa is stunned. A string of betrayals fractures the family, potentially beyond repair. Willa feels herself losing everything that she values most - her farm, her son, her past, even her very grip on reality. Is there any way to put the pieces back together?

I really enjoyed this book which had different story lines running through it. Although it currently is fiction, with the way the world is going, could in the books time frame, thirty years from now, could come true. An interesting story which makes you think of our future.

About Doreen Vanderstoop 

Doreen's short fiction has appeared in Prairie Fire Magazine and online at Montreal Serai, prairiejournal.org, epiphmag.com, and Alexandra Writers' Centre, among others. Doreen's first novel, Watershed, was published by Freehand Books and released on May 1, 2020. Doreen is a member of Alexandra Writers Centre Society, Writers' Guild of Alberta and the Canadian Authors Association.

Chasing Painted Horses by Drew Hayden Taylor

Today I finished Drew Hayden Taylor's latest novel, Chasing Painted Horses.

Chasing Painted Horses has a magical, fable-like quality. It is the story of four unlikely friends who live in Otter Lake, a reserve north of Toronto. Ralph and his sister, Shelley, live with their parents. On the cusp of becoming teenagers, they and their friend William befriend an odd little girl, from a dysfunctional family. Danielle, a timid 10 year old girl, draws an amazing, arresting image of a horse that draws her loose group of friends into her fantasy world. But those friends are not ready for what that horse may mean or represent. It represents everything that’s wrong in the girl’s life and everything she wished it could be. And the trio who meet her and witness the creation of the horse, are left trying to figure out what the horse means to the girl, and later to them. And how to help the shy little girl.

In the past I've read some of his short stories and heard him speak at author events but it didn't prepare for this fabulous work.

The story kept me completely involved and engrossed. Usually I'm a slow reader but I became so caught up this, I couldn't put it down and as a result, finished it quickly. The story bounces back and forth between the present and the past, with the past dominating the tale.

Chasing Painted Horses is so well written, I'm not surprised it made the CBC's Top books of 2019, and was shortlisted for 2019's Governor-General's, Writers' Trust and Giller awards.

About Drew Hayden Taylor

During the last thirty years of his career, Drew Hayden Taylor has done many things, most of which he is proud of. An Ojibway from the Curve Lake First Nations in Ontario, he has worn many hats in his literary career, from performing stand-up comedy at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., to being Artistic Director of Canada’s premiere Native theatre company, Native Earth Performing Arts. 

He has been an award-winning playwright, a journalist/columnist (appearing regularly in several Canadian newspapers and magazines), short-story writer, novelist, television scriptwriter, and has worked on numerous documentaries exploring the Native experience. Most notably as a filmmaker, he wrote and directed REDSKINS, TRICKSTERS AND PUPPY STEW, a documentary on Native humour for the National Film Board of Canada, and for CBC, co-created SEARCHING FOR WINNITOU, an exploration of Germany’s fascination with North American Indigenous culture.

As a playwright, Drew has proudly been a part of what he refers to as the contemporary Native Literary Renascence. An author of more than 20 plays (resulting in almost a hundred productions), his popular plays such as TORONTO AT DREAMER’S ROCK, ONLY DRUNKS AND CHILDREN TELL THE TRUTH, THE BERLIN BLUES, and COTTAGERS AND INDIANS have left their mark on the Canadian theatre scene.

In the world of prose, he enjoys spreading the boundaries of what is considered Indigenous literature. In 2007, Annick Press published his first Novel, THE NIGHT WANDERER: A Native Gothic Novel, a teen novel about an Ojibway vampire. 2010 saw the publication of his novel MOTORCYCLES & SWEETGRASS (Finalist for the Governor General’s Award for Fiction). More recently, Douglas & McIntyre published a collection of his Native themed science fiction short stories, titled TAKE US TO YOUR CHIEF AND OTHER STORIES. This fall, a new novel titled CHASING PAINTED HORSES, published by Cormorant Press, will brings his publication total to 33 books.

His success as a writer has allowed him the opportunity to travel the world, spreading the gospel of Native literature. Through many of his non-fiction books, from the four volume set titled FUNNY, YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE ONE, to the ME FUNNY, ME SEXY, ME ARTSY series, he has tried to educate and inform the world about issues that reflect, celebrate, and interfere in the lives of Canada’s First Nations.

Self-described as a contemporary story teller, his exploration of the storytelling tradition has explored many boundaries. For example, he co-created and was the head writer for MIXED BLESSINGS, a television comedy series as well as contributed scripts to four other popular Canadian television series including BEACHCOMBERS and NORTH OF 60. In 2007, a made-for-tv movie he wrote, IN A WORLD CREATED BY A DRUNKEN GOD (based on his play which was a finalist for the Governor General Award for Drama) was nominated for three Gemini Awards, including Best Movie. In 2011 and 2012, he wrote the script for the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, now known as the INDSPIRE AWARDS.

Drew Hayden TaylorThe last few years has seen him proudly serve as the Writer-In-Residence at the Berton House in Dawson City Yukon, the University of Michigan, the University of Western Ontario, University of Luneburg (Germany), Ryerson University, Wilfrid Laurier, as well as a host of Canadian theatre companies i.e. Cahoots theatre, Blyth Theatre etc.

The years of writing have brought him many accolades by his peers, including the Floyd S. Chalmers Award, Dora Mavor Moore Award and the Canadian Author’s Literary Award, He has also been the recipient of many other varied honours; an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Mount Allison University, a Plaque of Honour on the Peterborough Walk of Fame, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Award, Ontario Premier’s Award for Creative Arts and Design, and Victoria Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement in Theatre, to name a few.

Oddly enough, the thing his mother was most proud of was his ability to make spaghetti from scratch.

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay

This afternoon I finished Linwood Barclay's Elevator Pitch.

It all begins on a Monday, when four people board an elevator in a Manhattan office tower. Each presses a button for their floor, but the elevator proceeds, non-stop, to the top. Once there, it stops for a few seconds, and then plummets.

Right to the bottom of the shaft.

It appears to be a horrific, random tragedy. But then, on Tuesday, it happens again, in a different Manhattan skyscraper. And when Wednesday brings yet another high-rise catastrophe, one of the most vertical cities in the world—and the nation’s capital of media, finance, and entertainment—is plunged into chaos.

Clearly, this is anything but random. This is a cold, calculated bid to terrorize the city. And it’s working. Fearing for their lives, thousands of men in women working in offices across the city refuse leave their homes. Commerce has slowed to a trickle. Emergency calls to the top floors of apartment buildings go unanswered.

Who is behind this? Why are they doing it? What do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the fingerless body found on the High Line? Two seasoned New York detectives and a straight-shooting journalist must race against time to find the answers before the city’s newest, and tallest, residential tower has its Friday night ribbon-cutting.

Usually I find books which are 400 words or longer can drag in parts but this is not true in Elevator Pitch. Not only does it have a clever title, it's also a well-done, fast paced novel.

I enjoyed this one as much as the previous one I had read from Linwood Barclay and look forward to reading more.

About Linwood Barclay

Linwood Barclay, a New York Times bestselling author and with nearly twenty novels to his credit, spent three decades in newspapers before turning full time to writing thrillers. His books have been translated into more than two dozen language, sold millions of copies, and he counts Stephen King among his fans. 

Many of his books have been optioned for film and TV, a series has been made in France, and he wrote the screenplay for the film based on his novel Never Saw it Coming. Born in the US, his parents moved to Canada just as he was turning four, and he’s lived there ever since. He lives near Toronto with his wife, Neetha. They have two grown children.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

I read The Handmaids Tale so many years ago, then listened to it later as an audio book, only on tape. Having done the book twice, shows you how much I enjoyed it. So when Margaret Atwood released the sequel, The Testaments, 34 years later, I had to read it.

When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her--freedom, prison or death.

With The Testaments, the wait is over.

Margaret Atwood's sequel picks up the story more than fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.

In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades.

"Dear Readers: Everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we've been living in." --Margaret Atwood.

Having won The Man Booker Prize for fiction, says how great a book this is.

The story takes place 15 years after The Handmaids Tale. It follows the journey of three woman, two who live in Gilead, and one who grew up in Canada, which Gilead people are taught is a vile place with no morals. I found Gilead an oppressive and depressing society where it seems, nobody is happy, but accepting their life as God's will.

Men rule and dominate. Those men, higher in society plot to increase their power and their ability to choose wives. Some woman wish to marry men in powerful positions. Some do not but are forced against their will. Some become 'Aunts' who do not marry but control other woman's lives. They too plot for more power.

Handmaids are servants, slaves really, plus they are fertile woman to be impregnated by Commanders whose wives are unable to bear children. Did I saw it's an oppressive society.

The Testaments is amazing, kept me absorbed and does complete the story started in the Handmaids tale..

http://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/p/13th-canadian-book-challenge.html

Reinvention: Changing Your Life, Your Career, Your Future by Arlene Dickinson

 My wife, Teena, read Reinvention: Changing You Life, Your Career, Your Future by Arlene Dickinson. She did a review of it and recommended it to me.

At fifty-seven, Arlene Dickinson’s life was turned upside down. Her company was on the brink of disaster. Her sense of herself as a strong, confident leader was in tatters. She was overwhelmed by feelings of loss, fear, and shame. Five years later, her business is booming, she’s never been happier or more excited about the future, and she’s raised tens of millions of dollars and built a whole ecosystem to help other entrepreneurs.

How did she turn things around? By following the process she’s always used to transform underperforming companies—only this time, she used it to transform her own life. Applying business principles to her personal life helped her figure out very quickly where she wanted to go and how to get there. Having a clear set of practical steps to follow kept her on track when emotions threatened to derail her progress.

In Reinvention, Dickinson shares this blueprint for locating your sense of purpose, realistically evaluating your strengths, assessing opportunities outside your comfort zone, and charting a bold new path. Whether you have a big career dream to achieve, or you need to rebuild after a personal setback, this step-by-step plan for reinvention will help you change your own life—for the better.

I thought it was good. It's not just a self help book, but a story of how Arlene dealt with a disaster in her life. She had to change the way she thought of herself, presented herself and surprisingly, how to build and keep confidence. I really appreciated a line near the end of the book: ""Don'y deny the world the contribution that only you can make. Whether that's being a better parent, or a better executive, or a better artist ... "

My hope, when I read a book of this sort, is to be able to get something out of it. I did which made it an enjoyable and worthwhile read for me.

About Arlene Dickinson

Arlene is a venture capitalist on the hit CBC TV show Dragons' Den, the co-host of  The Business of Life Podcast and the #1 bestselling author of Persuasion. Dickinson is the owner and CEO of Venture Communications, a company she grew from a small local firm to one of the largest independent agencies in Canada, and the founder of District ventures, Canada's top accelerator for entrepreneurs in the food, beverage and health sectors.

The Dome by Suzanne Craig-Whytock

I just finished The Dome, a YA dystopian novel by Suzanne Craig-Whytock. It's a story I really enjoyed.

It is the year 2135, almost four decades since the Water Wars ended. Much of the continent is a desert wasteland, and the powerful Consortium rules Adanac, one of the few habitable areas remaining, with an iron fist.

Cee and Dee, 16-year-old twins who share a special, almost psychic bond, are runaways from a Consortium workhouse. Now living as Freeworlders in the largest tent city in Trillium province, they are determined to survive. Dee spends her days thieving with her best friend Rogan, and Cee makes a living selling his handmade woodcarvings to the Fancies, the wealthy elite. Like all Freeworlders, life is a struggle, made worse by the constant threat of The Dome, where punishments for the slightest offense are meted out by the Dome Master.

When devastating circumstances force the twins to become separated, all seems lost until the sudden appearance of Darv Bouchard, leader of an underground resistance movement, who reveals some shocking truths. Rumours become reality, enemies become friends, and old foes resurface. Dee and Cee are tested to their limits as they confront the demons of their past and try to save the future, for themselves and all of Adanac.

The story is interestingly told from two different viewpoints, Cee's and Dee's. Each chapter is told in first person and alternates between the twins. One chapter will be from Cee's viewpoint, the next from Dee's, then back again.

There are interesting twists throughout. It's a great read for anyone who enjoys dark tales from the future.

About Suzanne Craig-Whytok

Suzanne Craig-Whytok's love of literature and writing came at an early age and continued into adulthood, leading her to earn an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature from Wilfred Laurier University. She has worked in education most of her life and was a high school English teacher in Ontario for over 20 years. 

She has authored both fiction and non-fiction works from short stories and poetry to academic documents and educational resource materials. She regularly publishes humorous essays focused on city life, politics, current events, and popular culture on her website. The Dome is her second published novel.