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Category: Author Real Life

Times my pets made me question their intelligence (or mine).

Times my pets made me question their intelligence (or mine).

Meet my friends Haley, the border collie on the left and Daisy, the German shepherd mix on the right. I love them like family, but sometimes can’t help but wonder if they’re actually geniuses in disguise or just the universe’s way of keeping me humble. Whether it’s a dog that seems to have mastered the art of selective hearing or the other who stares off into space  like they’ve unlocked the secrets of the cosmos, these girls have a way…

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The joys of getting older

The joys of getting older

Image by Vilius Kukanauskas from Pixabay As my 68th birthday looms on the horizon like a cake topped with far too many candles (seriously, do fire extinguishers come as standard with those things now?), I’ve found myself reflecting on the curious passage of time. At least, I assume that’s what we’re supposed to do as a milestone birthday approaches, right? Reflect? Contemplate? Ponder the mysteries of life? I’ll get right on that… after I’ve spent an hour or two feeling sorry for myself,…

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A writer who doesn’t?

A writer who doesn’t?

Image by Steve Johnson from Pixabay I’m an author, or at least that’s what I tell people who ask what I do with myself since I retired. That’s true, if you care to stretch the definition almost beyond reason. I have published thirteen books and coauthored one, all of which are available for purchase on Amazon, in case you’re interested (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). I published my last novel, “If Not for the Entail”, October 15 of last year. With that complete and…

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What’s Up Wednesday on Thursday?

What’s Up Wednesday on Thursday?

Image by dlsd cgl from PixabayFirst, First, let me apologize for the delay in preparing my post. I let other tasks get in the way and forgot all about it. I’d like to say it won’t happen again, but I am pathetic at predicting the future. The beautiful city of Medicine Hat and, indeed, large portions of southern Alberta, are in the midst of a heat wave, with temperatures hitting 38° (100° f) yesterday and today. If not for my new efficient windows…

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Something a little more hard-core than usual.

Something a little more hard-core than usual.

Photo by Cas Holmes on Unsplash As I’ve said before, my taste in music is fairly wide- ranging. I love classical, jazz, sixties rock, early country, etc. Two of my favorite songs are “Classical Gas” by Mason Williams, and “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck. I did my best to expose all four of my children to a wide range of music, deciding before my first was born that it was in their own best interests not to limit what they heard. As it…

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Funny Friday – The Great Dane

Funny Friday – The Great Dane

Photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Borge To be honest, today’s blog would fit equally well for either Funny Friday or Tuesday Tunes. My subject today is the inimitable Victor Borge, also known as “The Clown Prince of Denmark” and “The Unmelancholy Dane”. I remember crowding around the television to watch him on The Ed Sullivan Show whenever he was scheduled to appear. His routine, that of a bumbling and confused musician of limited talent, always brought plenty of laughs as he fumbled his…

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Man’s (and dog’s) best friend

Man’s (and dog’s) best friend

Meet the newest member of my family, Daisy. She is a four-month-old German Shepherd, we adopted on Saturday as a playmate for my two-year-old Border Collie, Haley. I wanted to post a picture of her sitting, but couldn’t get her to stay still long enough. I happened to mention, totally in passing, that Haley needed someone to play with, because she was wearing me out. Don’t misunderstand, I love her, but she only has two speed- overdrive and off. Unfortunately,…

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Spring-The best season of the year

Spring-The best season of the year

Image by Nicky ❤️🌿🐞🌿❤️ from Pixabay “Spring is sprung, the grass is riz. I wonder where the flowers is?” That silly children’s rhyme is running through my head, as it always does this time of year. With the season’s official arrival last night, I wanted to extol its virtues. Spring is my favorite season, followed by autumn and summer. Winter? That accursed time of year follows a distant fourth. Although I love the warmer weather and freedom that temperatures above freezing bring, what…

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The challenge of historical fiction

The challenge of historical fiction

Image by Mystic Art Design from Pixabay As an author, my genre is Historical Romantic Fiction, specifically Pride & Prejudice variations. As I’ve said in previous posts, I went through a steep learning curve, which is only now levelling off, to a certain degree. I confess to suffering some envy regarding my brother Jann’s apparent ease when it comes to crafting stories. Of course, he’s been writing professionally for more than a decade, while I six years under my belt. Unfortunately, cancer and…

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What’s Up Wednesday – The Trouble with Outlines

What’s Up Wednesday – The Trouble with Outlines

I know I have spoken of the outlining process before, but I have recently had an experience with outlining that I feel it is worth discussing. As I have said before, outlining can be the most fickle part of the writing process. There are times when I outline like a demon, going through an entire novel’s planning in the space of a few days, while other times I can look at an outline for hours and not put a single…

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