Blog-Letter June 2022

 June 1, 2022

Well hello, June!

June - still feels like the end of a school year, holding the anticipation of summer-long freedom from books and exams. Birds chirp the loudest, the greenery is lush and the days are longer. The fragrance of  freshly mowed grass is a welcome return. (Apologies to those with allergies) Maybe a summer vacation to anticipate adds to the joy of June. And winter seems so far away!

Liz's Book Reviews - Two this month!

From Chevy Stevens  - Still Missing

One of my favourite authors! I read "That Night" several years ago and was thoroughly engaged by her style of writing. So, I recently downloaded "Still Missing", not realizing it was her debut novel. What a non-stop read!  I was hooked from the very first page and went along for the ride with Annie O'Sullivan as she relived her abduction and captivity at the hands of a psychopathic monster. A brilliant tale, which I read in two sittings. It was so hard to put down.

 

How the abduction affected not only Annie but her family and friends make this a book that touches base on all our human emotions. No wonder Chevy Stevens is a New York Times Bestseller!

This month I also reviewed "The Pure World Comes" by Rami Ungar

When I was a teenager I loved gothic horror stories. The creepier the better. And I hoped this one would deliver, but sadly, I think it fell short. While there was gothic terror combined with daring science and technology of 1894 England, in my opinion, it lacked substance.

The protagonist is a young housemaid, Shirley Dobbins, employed with the Avondale family. Content enough with her station in life, her world quickly changes when she finds herself working at The Hunting Lodge, an estate outside of London, England after a family tragedy renders the Avondale heirs orphans. A mysterious uncle, Sir Joseph Hunting, comes to take his niece and nephew to live with him at his estate - Hunting Lodge. Shirley accompanies them.

She becomes involved with the baronet’s mysterious scientific project, while at the same time contending with romantic interest from Griffin Avondale.  Terrifying visions and apparitions haunt the Lodge and Shirley must put the pieces of the puzzle together to save herself and others.

During the story, Shirley’s ties with Jack the Ripper add another layer to the ghastly and gruesome events unfolding at Hunting Lodge.

The story premise is good, but it felt rushed, with not enough time spent building the gloomy, eerie suspense I had hoped for.

Still, if you like hideous scenes of gore, and an underlying awkward romance this might be for you.

    

                                                           

Pam's thoughts on June                     

"June is bustin' out all over."

 I loved singing this song at the top of my lungs. From the Rogers and Hammerstein’s musical -Carousel . I was with an amateur theatre group in my teens and this was one of my favourites as we attempted to put on the musical. 

June is certainly bustin' out in the garden and it feels long overdue. The Magnolia and other tree blossoms are superb this year. Rhododendrons and all manner of green popping up. 

I married in June and arrived in Canada in June to see the world, but here I've lived for the last fifty-six years. Stop doing the math!

June 2007 is also a significant year. Liz and I started on our collaborative journey as Jamie Tremain that year. So what do we have in store for this June to celebrate our fifteen years of working together?

We were still blondes when we started out!

A patio for lunch overlooking Lake Ontario and making plans to publish book #6. The third in our Grant's Crossing series. Editing, rewriting, beta readers' input and formatting our new baby - Acting Off-Script - A Grant's Crossing Story. We'll also decide on a book cover design with our designer extraordinaire, Jennifer Gibson.

Stay tuned for  updates on the publication date.

May 24th-28th

I attended the virtual Maple Leaf Mystery Conference last week. Liz had other plans so we'll watch the recordings together. Always eager to learn new things and listen to my fellow authors from Crime Writers of Canada.

It was great to see both old friends from past live conferences and new authors participating. There was something for everyone so kudos to the organizers of this event. I saw many familiar faces amongst the moderators and interviewers.

 A star-studded lineup shared their writing life. Maureen Jennings of  Murdoch Mysteries fame and Ian Rankin, who hails from my hometown of Edinburgh. I'm a big fan of his REBUS books and his favourite pub the Oxford bar. That's Rebus's favourite bar, I'm not sure about Ian.

Saturday afternoon was our very own Canadian maestro, Vicki Delany, the prolific author of 40 books.  Listening to her speak about her writing process was fascinating, but daunting. Very good interview.

Check their web pages and links for more information.

As awesome as this virtual platform is my hope is for a live conference in the future.

Chat in July.

Last Word from Liz:

And only because it's June, here's an appropriately themed quick and easy recipe - and oh..one which will NEVER be served at any Jamie Tremain function! However, if you might be a fan, do let us know!

SAUTEED JUNE BUGS

Ingredients:

• 12 (that's one dozen) live June Bugs
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Chili Powder

Easy Peasy Directions:

• Add the olive oil to a skillet and heat until the oil shimmers (is it afraid of the live bugs about to descend into it?)
• Toss in the June Bugs (because they are NOT going voluntarily)
• Saute for about 5 minutes, or until the screaming stops - mine not theirs
• Sprinkle with salt and chilli powder
• Garnish with fresh parsley
  
• Serve immediately (I suggest copious amounts of a good Cabernet Sauvignon as a wine pairing)

 

 

Honestly, this is a serious recipe but I couldn't resist some commentary.

Cheers?

Pam's having the last word...Yuck and more Yuck!

Blog-Letter April 2022

 April 1, 2022

No fooling - it's April!  But if you enjoy pranks associated with this date, keep on reading!

The Spaghetti Harvest - This classic April Fool's Joke from 1957 is still an all-time favourite.

And following in the tradition:

1986 - Le Parisien reported the Eiffel Tower was to be dismantled and re-assembled inside the new Euro Disney Park.

1965 - Denmark Parliament, as noted in a Copenhagen newspaper, passed a law decreeing that all dogs be painted white to improve road safety at night when they could be more clearly seen.

2008 - Canada's WestJet airlines advertised their most spacious overhead cargo bins, and would charge passengers an extra $12.00 to use these 'sleeper cabins'.

2009 - Germany's BMW advertised new 'magnetic tow technology'. This would allow drivers to cut their car engine, and get a free ride by locking onto the car ahead via a magnetic beam.

Liz Here: When I worked in the corporate world, I loved April Fool's Day. The best prank I pulled was when my desk was located outside the small copy room.  I always arrived at work at least an hour before anyone else, so it gave me the perfect opportunity to put my plan into action. I'd prepared signs and put them in place. Over the photocopier I posted an official document from HP, advising that new voice-activated technology had now been installed, and provided instructions on how to 'speak' to the printer.  The best part was as soon as an unsuspecting co-worker began reading the sign, I had my finger on the print button (all of us connected via a network to the printer so I could select 'print' from my own computer).  Priceless to see their face when they commanded "Print" and their copy spit out.

 

 

Pam here! I'll leave the jokes and pranks to Liz.

I promised a review of Ann Cleeves' first novel in a new series. The Long Call. This book was written in 2019 after the success of the Shetland, and  Vera television series. You may have enjoyed the TV series of Jimmy Perez in the arctic weather and the treeless terrain that is Shetland out in the North Sea, off the coast of Scotland. Or VERA, entertaining us in her quirky ways in Northumberland and Tyneside in the north of England. 

This new series takes us to North Devon. It's not an area I'm familiar with but by all accounts, it's a beautiful part of the country. It's not all cream teas and thatched cottages. The Long Call has a new Detective Inspector by the name of Mathew Venn. Cleeves' characterizations in her books are what make them so memorable. And this book doesn't disappoint.

D.I. Venn is mourning his father's death in the Two Rivers region where he grew up. He's working on his first major case since he returned and was totally focused on the body found on the beach. A man was stabbed to death sporting a tattoo of an albatross on his neck. Who is this man? Who hated him enough to end his life? What Mathew found in his investigation was a community with secrets. Deadly secrets.

You will meet the characters that surrounded this man's life. But who ended the life of Simon Walden?

Book #2 The Heron's Cry is now available. I'm looking forward to reading more about DI Mathew Venn.

The Long Call is also a new television series. Let's hope it comes to North America soon.

Liz and I had the pleasure of meeting Ann Cleeves at the Bouchercon conference in Toronto a number of years ago. Ann has been awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger and has over 30 critically acclaimed books to her credit.