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My father's parents were born in Calabria, a southern Italian region. They immigrated to Canada via Ellis Island, New York, USA in the 1900s and settled in Northern Ontario. My late Nonna and late father were avid gardeners. According to them, Peonies represented a...

The novel is a behind-the-scenes exploration of the twists and turns drama of those involved in the production of a Los Angeles television show entitled The Benjamins. The central characters include Ann Dalloni, the sixty-two year old head of production. Aging...

Prince Township is located in the Algoma District, northwest of the city of Sault Ste. Marie, in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has a population of approximately 1,000 residents. Gros Cap is a community within Prince Township. It is situated on the shores of Lake...

A Gathering of Secrets is a crime novel taking place during the current time in Painters Mill, an Amish community in Ohio. It begins with a grisly Prologue during which Emma Miller, a seventeen year old Amish girl, hangs herself in the family barn. Chapter One occurs...

Mt. Lefroy, 1930. Oil on Canvas. Lawren S. Harris.

  The House of Kane by Barbara Casey tells the story of Aislinn Marchant; an editor, teacher and author whom Kane Publishing hires to investigate rejected submissions subsequently published by other houses, most notably its competitor, Sheldon-Talbert. In chronicling...

Hiding the Past is about Morton Farrier, a forensic genealogist on the cusp of forty, and his investigation into his client’s death. Peter Coldrick lacks details about his deceased father, James Coldrick and he hires Farrier to research his father’s birth. Hours after...

Travelling influences what I read and a recent trip through Japan made me keen to familiarize myself with Japanese writers. Yasunari Kawabata was the first Japanese author to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature and, as a result, I selected his1959 published book,...

Would you like to visit Venice? Falling In Love is book number twenty-four in Donna Leon’s crime series set in Venice, Italy featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. It is about a mysterious stalker who threatens Flavia Petrelli, a fortyish opera singer performing the...

A Boy From Botwood by Bryan Davies and Andrew Traficante A Boy From Botwood is the personal account of the World War One experiences of Private Arthur W. Manuel; a common soldier in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Born 1895 in the “impoverished rural village” of...

Full Disclosure by Beverley McLachlin Full Disclosure is a legal thriller written by Beverley McLachlin, the former Chief Justice of Canada. Set in Vancouver, Canada, it is about the murder of Laura St. John Trussardi. A forty year old woman of privilege, her husband,...

More inspirational quotes that have served as writing prompts.

Inspirational quotes also serve as writing prompts.

Highlights from a small ship cruise adventure on the Amazon River, Brazil, South America.

Food helps an author create an authentic sense of place.

I hunt for interesting locales and recently featured various places in Morocco, North Africa. This entry highlights Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

As an author, I hunt for interesting locales. Previous blogs have highlighted Essaouira, Morocco, Africa. This entry will reference St. Jacob’s Market in southern Ontario, Canada.

As an author, I hunt for interesting locales. This entry is Part Three on Essaouira, Morocco, Northern Africa. It focuses on Sok Aam, a nearby Berber village.

As an author, I hunt for interesting locales. I’ve cited Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA in a previous blog and this is Part Two on Essaouira, Morocco, Northern Africa. Batbout bread is skillet or griddled cooked and popular for sandwiches.

As an author, I hunt for interesting locales. I’ve cited Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA in a previous blog and this is Part One on Essaouira, Morocco, Northern Africa. Roses were in bloom the March I travelled there.