Today is Heritage Day here in sunny Alberta, Canada. Although this is not a national holiday, the first Monday in August is a provincial holiday in most of Canada’s ten provinces. The name of the day varies from one province to another, but the day off is a welcome diversion as we pass through the end of the dog days of summer. We had some hot days between 38 and 43 Celsius (100 to 110 Fahrenheit), but it’s cooler now….
Today was Victoria Day here in Canada, or as I and my high school friends always called it, May Two-Four. It was named in honor of England’s Queen Victoria and has been observed in this country since 1845, originally on her birthday, which was May 24, hence the nickname, although now it is always on the Monday immediately preceding May 25. The holiday is a federal statutory holiday, as well as a holiday in six of the country’s 10 provinces…
I began my writing career, such as it is, in 2017. My brother, Jann Rowland, was doing well as an author, so why couldn’t I? How hard could it be? I had always been an avid reader, so why not treat the world to my unique humor and sarcastic wit? I won’t describe the rude awakening I had upon publishing my first literary masterpiece, but the reviews were unflattering, to put it mildly. Almost every part of my storytelling was…
I have been a self publisher my entire writing career. It started with my first release back in 2013, and snowballed from there, with a few releases here and there, what I could fit around my day job, until finally I decided to leave that job and become a full time writer. Only once did I submit to a publisher, and that was not accepted. The only things I have ever done that were not self published were audiobooks, which…
The New Year is upon us and I’m sure a lot of people indulged in the time honored tradition of coming up with, then announcing to the world what they resolved to change, improve, quit, etc. in 2023. I might be a little bit late exploring this subject, but there is a method to my madness. The practice of making promises at the beginning of the new year is not a recent invention, unless one considers four thousand years in…
Christmas 2022 is a matter of history and with New Year’s celebrations coming in a few days, I decided not to tax anyone with anything that might be construed as thought provoking. If you’re like me, the post Christmas let-down has you in cruise control right now and you almost recoil at any task that requires more than a few brain cells to complete. In that vein I present an excerpt from book 5 of my Elizabeth Said, Darcy Said…
With Christmas mere days from now, I thought I’d mix the holiday with some trivia about the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York City. This might be the most recognizable Christmas tree in the world and, based on the time, effort, and money that goes into creating this magnificent display every year, the title is well deserved. Every one of these trees is massive, ranging in height from 69 to 100 feet. Decorating takes almost two weeks and the lighting…
The arrival of the Christmas season lifts my spirits every year. I love the smiles and good wishes we seem to exchange so freely and the peace I feel in my heart that honestly is not present in such quantity through much of the year. I especially love the Christmas carols that play in most stores and over the sound systems in shopping malls. There is something about them that affects me. Some of these songs are beautiful, with gorgeous…
Chapter 4 of our Christmas frolic has arrived. If you missed the previous entries, you can start here. Chapter 4 If not for Mr. Darcy and his charming sister, Elizabeth might have given in to temptation and wrapped her hands around Mr. Collins’s neck to choke some sense into the dolt. As it was, she limited herself to committing the act in her imagination and picturing her satisfaction at the sight of his crimson face and bulging eyes as…
And now it is time for chapter 3 of Merry Mischief! To start on this amusing saga, you can go here. And Merry Mischief now has a cover! Chapter 3 Christmas was a time of peace on earth, and goodwill toward men, or so the Holy Bible said. With the ubiquitous presence of a courting Mr. Collins in residence, there was no peace, and the goodwill Elizabeth felt was dying by the moment, becoming a desiccated husk of resentment. While…