Beginnings - Blog-Letter

 January 2 2022

A New Year always seem to call for a fresh start, new beginnings and the dreaded "R" word. You'll find no resolutions here, only aspirations, accomplishments and news of the write kind. 

As you can see from the banner above, Jamie Tremain is taking advantage of the New Year and new beginnings with a new Blog-Letter. A combination blog post and newsletter. We hope to do a Blog-Letter monthly, but lest this hope fall under the umbrella of failed New Year's Resolution, no more shall be said. In addition we'll still provide blogs with interviews and posts on the writing world as we have done in the past.

How did you celebrate or observe your year-end?

Year End Thoughts

Liz

Christmas 2021 has passed. How I had planned to spend it and how it actually turned out are two different things. After another frustrating year with COVID our family planned, and anticipated, a long over due Christmas gathering. There would be about 16 of us. Food contributions and gift ideas were organized and all was good until about 8 days before. Then Omicron numbers grinched our Christmas. The gathering was reduced to 8 in number. My husband and I had the day to ourselves. Although we did enjoy a fun, but all too brief, visit from my daughter and her family early Christmas Day. Greetings and love exchanged outside our apartment door. We talked with everyone throughout the day, and even though there were only two of us, we ate way too much!

A planned Christmas Eve with my sister and her husband was also nixed when three of us felt we might be coming down with something. So better safe than sorry, and another visit rain-checked until today, when it is hoped they will visit with us for a spaghetti dinner.

Although I am truly disappointed at not having the Christmas with family as hoped for, I’m still grateful that everyone is well and that I’m blessed beyond words with a close family and loyal friends.

2022 promises to be busy for Jamie Tremain and perhaps, fingers crossed, we may see a return to some book events where Pam can unleash her sales skills. She is the people person of this partnership and will keep Jamie Tremain front and forefront wherever she goes. And I'm glad she does! 

I hope 2022 is a Healthy, Happy, and safe one for all!

                               

                                       Even Mary B. Eyes came along for the brief visit.

Pam

As one half of a writing duo called Jamie Tremain, I’m more than thrilled to have a partner that is so tech-savvy. 2021 saw our jump to being Indie authors and published two new books.  In August “Beholden to None”, the third in the Dorothy Dennehy mysteries, was published and in October a new series began with “Grant's Crossing-Death on the Alder”. We have big plans for 2022 and would like you along for the ride. 

 

I have written before about change and generally, I accept what is happening around me as progress. But this year I believe we are all somewhat weary and now we have waves with this new variant. If we are to see the light at the end of the tunnel we have to accept and adapt. Some friends have been affected by Covid and I wish them a speedy recovery.

 

Ontario loosened up restrictions at the beginning of December, so I went to the theatre with my daughter-in-law to see “Come from Away” in downtown Toronto. Tickets were bought two years ago! Dinner at an Italian restaurant sitting miles from any other customers and then a dress circle seat to watch the show. Fantastic performance for the next two hours. Highly recommend it, but I gather it is now closed due to the new variant. 

 

I’ve always enjoyed Christmas. The shopping for gifts, the eating of course, and the family getting together. That was my biggest disappointment. I did see one son and his wife and her mother. No, I didn’t cook the usual turkey etc. I’m waiting on a new oven but supply chain woes mean late January. But we still had our turkey. My local supermarket did a fine job and delivered a turkey already cooked with all the veg, gravy and stuffing, (not as good as mine though) and they didn’t forget the cranberry sauce. 

 

Being at home so much during this time means getting a grip on eating. A cookie here, a cookie there. What's a girl to do? No, I don’t bake but it's all Liz’s fault as she delivered to me last month a huge tin of Belgium chocolate biscuits.

On Boxing Day, a friend from Kelowna, BC came to stay for a few days. We drove around but didn’t venture far and no crowded places. Oh yes, we managed the liquor store for replenishments. So, for three days we ate, drank and bored each other silly. But as the temperature is -31c (-22 F) in Kelowna, she liked our temperatures much better.

 

December the 31st where I come from (Scotland) is called Hogmanay. Many traditions surround this night. But that would be harking back to the old days, and we need to look forward. A lump of coal to heat your fire, some black bun for sustenance and of course whiskey. Oh, and the Scots make the best Shortbread.

 

I’m looking forward to 2022 and Liz and I will continue to give you more of our stories. We were planning and brainstorming this morning so look for more of Grant’s Crossing and number four in the Dorothy Dennehy Mystery series.

 

Health and Happiness and a Happy New Year to all.

And now onto Jamie Tremain related items.

We are being featured on two upcoming blogs - January 7 and January 25. Details to follow.

Are you interested in being a Beta Reader for Jamie Tremain? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at jamietremainJT@yahoo.com

Can we ask a favour? If you're not already following us, would you mind giving us a follow, or like, at any of these sites? There's also a follow button at the top right hand of this page to keep in touch with us here.

Facebook    https://www.facebook.com/jamietremainwrites

Twitter    Jamie Tremain🇨🇦 (@PamLizWrites) / Twitter

Goodreads       Jamie Tremain (Author of The Silk Shroud) | Goodreads 

BookBub       Jamie Tremain Books - BookBub

Instagram       Liz and Pam (@jamietremain_mysteryauthor) • Instagram photos and videos

 And as always, you can find Jamie Tremain books here:

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Apple Books, Kobo, etc

Before we go!

We know trivia occupies far too much of our brain cells, but like jello there's always room for more - here's something to add.

Cheers!

Pam & Liz

Out with the old year and in with the new!

I have been giving this post a lot of thought. 2011 has been an exceptional year in the sense that madness appeared everywhere. Uprisings around the world and dictators dethroned. The miseries of dealing with an earthquake/tsunami; along with extreme weather everywhere. (One of my favourite towns, Goderich, on the Bruce Peninsula in southern Ontario, was decimated by a tornado last August.) Monetary woes have affected many parts of the world and if the pundits are right it is not going away anytime soon. I could go on and on about the hardships, but in my own world things were balanced by the birth of five babies to friends and family. There is nothing better than a new baby to keep everyone smiling. We attended three weddings and it was great to see that love and commitment is still alive. There was also the death of a few friends in our immediate family who will be sorely missed.

The past year was also a year of celebration. Milestone birthdays and my retirement. I am finished, I think, of my period of adjustment to this very different way of life. It is what I dreamed off. Finally having the time to concentrate on writing and doing the things I want to do. Yesterday I visited Liz at my old office for lunch and we were joined by two friends. I was going to visit my old office but I felt it was time to step away and get on with the rest of my life. Liz and I made a few dates for our get together in a few weeks.

The Bloody Words conference in June is big on our agenda. http://www.bloodywords2012.com/ also joining Crime Writers of Canada. http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/ The push to have our book Body Perfect is officially in high gear, so watch this space for news.

Santa was good to me this year as usual but receiving gift cards to Chapters is among my favourites. It took me three days to read Louise Penny’s A Trick of the Light. Brilliant! If you have not read this author I advise you to get a copy of her seventh novel. http://louisepenny.blogspot.com/ I also read The HELP. By Kathryn Stockett. Another book that was hard to put down. Look forward to seeing the movie.

On my bedside table is the third in the series of Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. As I am a knitter I picked up the first book as general interest and found the characterization was terrific. Not usually the genre I read but good writing is good writing http://www.katejacobs.com/bio.html

I also have Getting Rid of Rosie by Lynda Simmons. Lynda is my college instructor in novel writing and she has another book out I will get to shortly called Island Girl. http://www.lyndasimmons.com/

Liz and I hope to get together with another Oakville writer, the indomitable Melodie Campbell in the near future to pick her brains. Her latest book is Rowena through the Wall. http://www.melodiecampbell.com/Home_Page_2YMR.html

Thanks to everyone who has supported us in our writing efforts this past year. Jamie Tremain wishes you all the best of everything in 2012.

Happy Hogmanay. Google it if you don’t know what it means!
Talk soon,
Slainte,
Pam