Interview day with R.J.Harlick

A warm welcome to R.J.Harlick (Robin) for our Monday Interview. As its summer we will be sure to find her at her log cabin in the wilderness of West Quebec dealing with a myriad of wild animals and domestic ones as well. Two beautiful standard poodles, Sterling and new pup Molly, keep her company when she is not taking pictures of an assortment of woodland creatures.

   For a city girl she sure likes roughing it.

Pam:

Canoeing, snowshoeing and hiking in the forests where you live a good part of the year play a big part in your writing of the Meg Harris stories.  The wilderness setting and your knowledge of the First Nations culture contribute a wonderful insight into aboriginal lore. How did you go about researching for this series?

Robin:

 Let me say how thrilled I am, Pam, to be doing an interview for your blog.  Thanks for inviting me.

They always say write what you know, so I set my series in a place I know and love, the West Quebec wilderness where my cottage is. I also wanted to populate this setting with the people who traditionally live there, English Canadians, Quebecois and Algonquin First Nations. I initially only intended that my Algonquin characters have a walk-on appearance, but as the writing of the first book, Death’s Golden Whisper, progressed, I became very attached to them. And so First Nations people and their stories became an integral part of my Meg Harris series. 

However, my knowledge of their customs was minimal, so I relied on the internet and library for my research. I also wanted to ensure I reflected their culture as accurately as the story would permit, so I consulted with several members of Kitigan Zibi, the closest Algonquin reserve to Ottawa.

When Meg Harris travels to other Native communities, I consult with members of those communities too.  Since I am not as familiar with these settings as I am with the Meg’s West Quebec home of Three Deer Point, I travel to these fare flung places myself and invariably come back filled with story ideas that I never would’ve gleaned from the internet.

Pam:

 Your sixth book in the Meg Harris mysteries, ‘Silver Totem of Shame’ is in the publisher’s hands and is due for release in 2014. Do you see yourself running out of stories to tell about Meg? Can you tell us a little about it?

Robin:

 I had great fun writing Silver Totem of Shame. Once again Meg gets to travel, as did I, this time to Canada’s west coast, to Vancouver and Haida Gwaii, the home of the Haida.  I’d grown up with stories about these fabled islands from my father who’d worked in one of the logging camps as a student before WWII. So when the time came to send Meg on another trip, I leapt at the opportunity to explore them and came back bubbling over with inspiration.

As the title suggests the plot revolves around totem pole carving. Meg Harris and her new husband are staying in a houseboat on Granville Island. While out exploring the island, Meg comes across a crime scene where a young Haida carver was murdered. This sets off a chain of events that sends Meg to Haida Gwaii in search of his killer.

During my trip to the islands, I learned that the many crests carved into a totem pole are not haphazard, but are meant to tell a story. So I have interwoven into the plot the unfolding of an ancient Haida story through the carving of a totem pole. Needless to say,it all comes together with a surprise at the end.

I wish I had a copy of the new cover for you to post, but unfortunately it’s still in the drafting stage.

To answer your first question, Pam, I have too many stories about Meg in my head to ever run out. In fact, I am busy plotting the seventh Meg Harris mystery.

Shortlisted for the 2010 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel! -

Pam:

Your fourth book ‘Arctic Blue Death’ is a favourite of mine. You travelled to the Arctic to experience life in the frozen north. Tell us about your experiences there?

Robin:

I have always wanted to visit Canada’s Far North, so when it came time to write the 4^th Meg Harris mystery, I decided to send Meg to Baffin Island, so I could go too. Although so much information about the Arctic is available on the internet and in magazines and books, I felt I had to experience it first hand to get a real sense of this mysterious, barren and hostile land. So during the longest days of the year, I visited Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut and Pangnirtung, an art centre, where I learned about Inuit print making, which became a central theme of ‘Arctic Blue Death’.  I met many people, from a young Inuk RCMP constable to a retired teacher who’d spent over 30 years living in the north. I came away with story ideas that couldn’t have come from the internet or books. Many found their way into the plot.

I also learned that though it was a fascinating land to visit, it was a place where I couldn’t live. As I result I couldn’t write about it with rose-coloured glasses. Many readers familiar with the north have told me how accurately they felt I had portrayed it. I have even had a couple of readers use it as a travel guide on their first visit to Iqaluit. Thanks goodness, I had everything in their right place.

               Robin and I at the Chapters .

Pam:

In ‘Green Place for Dying’ Meg is a crusader and rails against injustice and the indifference she finds with the authorities when native women go missing.  Are you a crusader Robin? Could you or would you confront the police into more action on these missing women?

Robin:

 I will make a lot of noise and rail against this or that, but I’m afraid I’m not as brave as Meg.  And although I may carry on about it with my husband, I’m afraid that is usually as far as it goes. Perhaps Meg is my way of dealing with injustice.

Pam:

You are able to weave city life with the wilderness and two different cultures to blend into a story we can get our teeth into.  Does storytelling come naturally to you?

Robin:

I find this whole process of storytelling fascinating. It doesn’t come naturally to me. Ask me to fully plot out a story before writing it and I wouldn’t be able to. But put a pen in my hand or more accurately a keyboard under my fingers and the story seems to flow through the writing of the words. Sure I have my moments when I’ll hit a wall and wonder what in the world Meg should do next, but invariably she makes her way through a crack and carries on, often taking a completely different direction from the one I thought we were following.

Pam:

Without giving too much away we learn that Meg has many human frailties. She battles alcoholism, feels guilty and makes many wrong decisions regarding her relationships. Yet she is a fighter. Is Meg someone you have known or is she truly a fictitious character?

Robin:

 Meg was spawned in my mind and has taken on a life of her own.  I feel I’ve had little control  in the kind of person she has become and I rather enjoy journeying with her through each successive book. If you were to ask me to describe her, I probably wouldn’t be able to. But I know what she is all about, her likes and dislikes, her reactions to events, to people. Occasionally my editor will suggest a change related to Meg and I will instinctively know that it is something Meg wouldn’t do.

Pam:

You worked in the corporate world for many years. How hard was it to make the transition to novel writing?

Robin:

When I decided to write my first novel, I had pretty well finished with the corporate world. It wasn’t something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Writing was. Writing had been one of the activities I had enjoyed most while working. But it was business writing, which I quickly learned was very different from creative writing. So with the writing of my first book, Death’s Golden Whisper, I learned how to write fiction. I rewrote that book four times until I finally mastered it.

Pam:

As the president of Crime Writers of Canada http://crimewriterscanada.com/  can you use your crystal ball and tell us how healthy or not Crime/mystery writing is in Canada?

Robin:

It is a very exciting time for Canadian crime writing. Twenty years ago, there were only a dozen or so crime writers, many of them languishing undiscovered in the back book shelves. Today we have over 250 published members in Crime Writers of Canada with a number hitting the best seller lists not only within Canada but also internationally as more and more readers discover our uniquely Canadian voice. I like to think that the next big wave in popularity will be the Canadians.  Watch out Scandinavians, here we come!

Pam:

Who has influenced your writing the most?

Robin:

 Pam, I am not sure if any one writer has influenced me. But I do love reading mysteries and have done so since a child, starting with Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie. I have always enjoyed British mysteries and the way they are subtly crafted. Writers like, P.D. James and Ruth Rendell. I also have my favourite American writers, like Michael Connelly and Elizabeth George, who is really writing along the British tradition, and Elliot Pattison.  I particularly enjoy reading Canadian authors and do have my favourites to numerous to list.

Pam:

What are you reading right now and is your next book in the works?

Robin:

I am currently enjoying the post Great War period of Mel Bradshaw’s latest book, Fire on the Runway. While I haven’t yet put pen to paper, my mind is a whirl of plot ideas for the seventh Meg Harris mystery. Meg will return to her beloved Three Deer Point, and she will find herself cut off from the rest of the world by a major blizzard.  With Eric away, her only companion will be Adjidamo, the boy Sergei saved in Red Ice for a Shroud. And she just might have a new puppy….

Thanks Robin for spending the time with us today. We wish you much success with your series and we look forward to ‘Silver Totem of Shame’ due in 2014.

RJ Harlick is an escapee from the high tech jungle. After working for over twenty-five years in the computer industry, first for major computer corporations such as IBM and DMR Group, then with her own management consultancy practice, she decided that pursuing killers by pen would be more fun than chasing the elusive computer bug.

Originally from Toronto, R.J., along with her husband, Jim, and their standard poodles, Sterling and Miss Molly now bides her time between her home in Ottawa and log cabin in West Quebec. A lover of the outdoors, she spends much of her time roaming the forests of the Outaouais. Because of this love for the untamed wilds, she decided that she would bring its seductive allure alive in her writings. This she has done in her Meg Harris mystery series, where the wilderness setting plays almost as large a role as the main character, Meg Harris. There are currently 5 books in the series, with the sixth, Silver Totem of Shame, due for release in June 2014. The 4^th book, Arctic Blue Death, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.

She has also published short stories with the latest When the Red, Red Robin… appearing in the Ladies Killing Circle Anthology, Bone Dance. One of her stories, Lady Luck, was a winner of the 2002 Bony Pete award and appears in the Bloody Words Anthology.

 http://www.rjharlick.ca/

I hope you are all enjoying these interviews as much as I enjoy doing them. The next author interview is to be posted Friday, August 2^nd. Vicki Delaney is in the hot seat.

Keep cool where you are.

Talk soon,

Slainte,

Pam

Mid July Weekend

Tools of the Trade

Another very productive writing day for Jamie Tremain.  Pam arrived right on the dot at 9:30.  After a few minutes spent catching up over the first coffee of the day, we got down to it.  Being able to sit outside and work made the day that much more enjoyable and perhaps even contributed to the amount of work we covered.  I think this was probably one of our most successful days in a long time.  We’re excited to be working on a new project, building characters and a back story before we actually start writing.   We’re hoping to spend a day at a nearby ********* farm for some research – don’t want to give away the type of farming activities yet   :-)

We also discussed our upcoming weekend away in a few weeks to Scene of the Crime on Wolfe Island and are excited to be going.  It means a trek east across Toronto late on a Friday afternoon, but we plan on bypassing the 401 and using the 407 – I’d rather pay a toll than be sitting in stop and go traffic for hours.  The day promises to be full of interesting and fun activities!

A Light Summer Lunch to Keep Us Going

Later this week I’ll be spending a couple of days with my daughter as she recovers from some surgery – hope she doesn't mind that I bring my netbook to be working on JT business for some of the time.  But it will be nice to have that time with her – probably not since she was still living at home.  Time speeds by and opportunities to be together don’t come up very often.  Looking ahead to the weather forecast for this week, I'm very happy she has air conditioning!

Pam and I have now realized the advantage of Google docs!  We’d been using Google Drive for a while to store our shared documents, but only recently discovered its ability to edit in real time when we’re both online.  Terrific tool for us when we do our collaborating electronically – just another reason to love Google.

Stay cool, read a book, and come back tomorrow for Pam’s interview with R.J. (Robin) Harlick – you won’t want to miss it!

Cheers!

Liz

Am I a farmer yet?

Growing one’s own veggies to supplement the bought groceries from the store has always been, not so much a dream as a passing fancy over the years.

When my children were small, about thirty five years ago, I had the notion to do just that. I held down a day job, and the youngest of my three children was not even in school when I had this notion. I am known for having notions.

Our abode at the time was a high rise condo apartment on the twentieth floor in North York. Not exactly conducive to any kind of plantings. I had window boxes of petunias and a few pots of geraniums, but they did not get enough sun or it was too windy to attempt anything horticultural.

My notion came to fruition when the city of North York placed an ad in the local paper. “Allotments for rent from the City”. For twenty five dollars a year I could rent a 20x20ft plot that was located near the hydro right of way at Victoria Park and Eglinton Ave. The city would supply the water; you supplied the labour to plant what you wished. My application was in the next day.

My husband worked shifts and commuted from the airport so was not on hand to watch me gather up the kids, borrowed shovel and rake and a zillion packets of seeds. We only had the one car so it was the bus for us as it was too far to walk.

The kids were excited as I had promised them they would have their own garden to look after. I borrowed some string from another gardener and staked out my lot. I felt like a pioneer. Loads of advice from the neighbors who obviously had been doing this for a while, but it fell on deaf ears. If I just read on the packets how to plant these little beauties I would be fine. I’m not very good at reading instructions.

Was I ambitious? Carrots,lettuce- lots of different lettuce. Zucchini, squash, cabbage and tomatoes. My thinking was if I had lots of lettuce I would need lots of tomatoes but...25 plants!

Seeds take such little room. Plants will take over your life. The kids had a small corner, and they grew runner beans that we planted beside the fence for them to climb on.

It was a long hot summer. Many evenings the kid’s enthusiasm was on the wane. They would rather play at the pool or with their friends. My gardening buddies would water my plot if I did not show up by six o’clock. Some evenings I was just too tired to make it and fretted about how my Garden of Eden was faring. On w/e’s my husband joined us and I was spared going by bus with my hoe and all my equipment. There was nowhere to store our equipment.

By August the area was a sea of green. Before me was row upon row of my fellow gardener’s beans and tomatoes and everything in between. Then I came to my dominion.

Who knew that you had to thin out lettuce? And the cabbage..if I just leave it a while longer. And what was I going to do with the two foot Zucchini? They were a big success if I could think what I could use them for. But it was the tomatoes! All 25 plants flourished and had more tomatoes than my whole apartment building could use. That’s it! Light bulb moment. Who doesn’t like tomatoes?

So I started harvesting the cherry and stake tomatoes and every other kind on the planet. My favourite were tiny yellow grape tomatoes. We all ate more of these than I gave away. The people on the bus went home happy when one of the kids presented them with a bag of fresh picked tomatoes and a zucchini.

And the moral of the story is...less is better.

Some basil and parsley to go with my two tomato plants.Heaven.

Not quite enough to make tomato sauce but sufficient for us. When I'm not watering these lovelies I am reading. 

Books that I have finished this summer are:

The Book of Stolen Tales                      D.J Mcintosh.

Threaded for Trouble                             Janet Bolen

When the Saints go Marching in.          Anthony Bidulka

The Dead Hour                                       Denis Mina

The Christie Curse                                 Victoria Abbott

A Small Hill to Die on                              Elizabeth Duncan

The Whisper of Legends                      Barbara Fradkin

These are in no particular order and I will review them soon. I can recommend all of them.


This is the schedule and lineup for author Interviews.

Monday July 15th               R.J. Harlick  discussing her Meg Harris series.

Friday  August 2nd            Vicki Delany - tune in to hear about her new book.

September TBD                Rob Brunet

October       TBD                Anthony Bidulka

November    TBD               C.B Forrest

You will find the archived Interviews on the right hand side near the top of the page.


If you are interested in reading an interview from your favourite author please let me know.

Talk soon,
Slainte,
Pam

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA

Happy Birthday Canada – 146 Years Young Today

I can think of no other country I’d rather live.  Proud to be a Canadian and even more proud to say so!

The Centennial celebrations of 1967 I remember like it was yesterday.  Not quite a teenager, I didn't have the insight to appreciate what living in this beautiful country means and why others from around the world flock to our land.  Which, of course, can apply to the United States as well – early wishes for a spectacular and heart felt 4^th of July for my friends south of the border as well.  But I think there is something special and unique about this amazing land we live in and while it seems we have been a little more reticent about displaying our national pride publicly, it’s always been there.   

Yesterday I had to make a quick stop at a local grocery store and was tickled to see the display in their front entrance.  Made me smile because its one of those quiet, no fan-fare efforts that deepens my sense of being Canadian.  Kudos to Zehrs!   I'm so pleased to see we are becoming more visual and vocal about showing our love for this land!

Last year celebrated the war of 1812 and a pivotal event in that conflict was celebrated a few days ago on June 22 – the historic walk of Laura Secord in 1813.  I mention it because an early foray into my family’s genealogy indicated a familial connection on my father’s side.  Proud?  You bet – and nothing personal to my many online American ‘cousins’.   History shapes our present and today Canada and America are countries with much in common.  Yes, we've had, and have, our differences but still manage to maintain a heritage of shared victories and sense of purpose.   Again my pride in Canada overflows when we are quick to respond to tragedies south of the border.  A helping hand we will always lend – despite politics or grievances.

Did I mention freedoms?  My father fought in WWII, not hesitating to stand for his country of birth.  The older I get the more I appreciate the sacrifices his generation made for us.   And when I'm apt to complain about this or that, sometimes I pause to reflect that it is a gift we've been given to be able to express ourselves in pretty much any manner that suits us – because of what others have sacrificed for us. Never take it for granted.

And while I know this country has its flaws and is far from perfect, I wouldn't trade living here for anywhere else.  I love the United States and have travelled a fair bit through the eastern States, and my roots will always belong to England where my mother’s family came from – but Canada is my HOME – long may she reign as a beacon of fairness, and a haven of security to the rest of the world.

God Bless Canada!

Happy Canada Day and cheers!

Liz

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog's Tails

That’s what little boys are made of…or so the old nursery rhyme goes.  Sugar and spice and everything nice, of course, is for little girls.   Now, I have a precious granddaughter who just turned eight years old this month and I think somewhere between those two descriptions is where her character lies.  She loves to dress up as a princess and have her toenails painted, but then again….  

Take yesterday – my son sends me an attachment from his cell phone.  Just the attachment, no note or explanation.  What do I open up?  Not a cute photo, or clever quotation.  Nope, this would be an x-ray.   Of a dog?  Is it a joke?    What the heck?   Quickly requesting clarification, his response arrived -  Oh yeah..that?   That would be an x-ray of his daughter’s stomach from the night before, when she swallowed a screw.  WHAT?

He didn't know how or why she did that, but suggested that if I hadn't already purchased a birthday gift for her, perhaps a screw driver would be appropriate.

Fortunately the surgeon decided to let nature take its course and no surgery would be required.  I replied that at today’s birthday party maybe we could start a pool and take bets on when the ill-fated screw will make an appearance.  Have to love family get togethers – why be ordinary? 

On the writing front, we’ve sent out a handful of queries this past week…would love to be able send more but time and work commitments just don’t allow for much more right now.  And we’re both mulling over ideas about our next project.   A rough idea of a story line for a second adventure for Dorothy and Paul, or something completely different.  

Gardening until almost dark last evening and finally the back patio is beginning to look like a garden.  A few finishing touches remain and then it will be lovely to have an outdoor spot to read and contemplate future ideas - or just life in general.

But for now, laundry and other mundane chores await and then later this afternoon will enjoy time spent with family to celebrate my granddaughter and my daughter’s birthday, who share the month of June.   No wonder it’s one of my favourite months of the year.  Much loved family members and two of my best friends also are June babies.  Birthday wishes to Makenna, Christine, Rebecca and Cheryl.

In honour of all birthdays  - Thanks to Mother Goose

Monday's child is fair of face,

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go,

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for its living,

But the child that's born on the Sabbath day

Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

Cheers!

Liz

The Morning After The Bony Blithe

Jamie Tremain made the trek into downtown Toronto to attend the Bloody Words Bony Blithe – Gun Club and Quilting Bee - Gala at the prestigious National Club last night.  Thanks to Pam for doing the driving, but after a whopping parking fee and the stress associated with the drive, we've agreed future adventures into the big city will be done via transit and cabs!

Still it was a most enjoyable evening, good to meet up with some familiar faces, and getting to know other recognizable faces in person.  Facebook allows us to ‘friend’ so many in the writing community before actually meeting so opportunities to make these connections more real is most welcome.  Pam has posted some pictures on Facebook of the evening and I’ve put up a new one of Jamie Tremain taken last night.  See the side bar. Congratulations to Elizabeth J Duncan who took home the Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award for her novel “A Small Hill to Die On”.   Congratulations also to the other well deserved finalists -  Janet Bolin, Chris Laing, Karen Dudley, Michelle Rowen and Morley Torgov.

I was quite pleased to be one of several recipients of a door prize, a gift bag stuffed full of books to enjoy over the coming weeks. And of course will be sharing with Pam.  Thanks to all who were part of the organizing of this event – Caro Soles, Cheryl Freedman, Jane Burfield, et al.   Now we look forward to Bloody Words in 2014.

Of course, as often happens after a fun night out, there is a price to be paid. For me its very sore feet – feet that have not been subjected to high heels in many, many moons. Probably wouldn't be such a big deal except that I’ve been making numerous trips up and down stairs today – a brand new fridge supplied by the property management folks just this past September decided it had had enough, and died.  Fortunately an extra fridge in the basement has been pressed into service until a replacement arrives – hopefully early tomorrow.

Tomorrow also marks the end of my vacation time – can someone please tell me why it goes by in warp speed?  I’ve enjoyed catching up on some reading – currently reading “Cheat the Hangman” by Gloria Ferris.  Gloria was last year’s inaugural Bony Blithe winner. A page turning tale, I’m hoping to have it finished before work draws me back into its clutches on Monday  Besides, I have almost a full shelf of “to be read” books awaiting my attention. 

Pam will continue with her interview series later in June by profiling the award winning D.J. McIntosh, who has recently released “The Book of Stolen Tales”, a much anticipated sequel to “The Witch of Babylon”.  Be sure not to miss it!

And now, I must trek once again down two flights of stairs on my tender tootsies to see about supper.

Keep cool – reading is good for that.

Cheers!

Liz

Interview Monday with Mary Jane and Vicki as Victoria Abbott

Please welcome to ‘Jamie Tremain-Remember the Name’ the always funny, author Mary Jane Maffini and her daughter Victoria Maffini as Victoria Abbott www.victoria-abbott.com 

MJ: Thank you, Pam. We are really happy to be here at ‘Jamie Tremain. We will remember the Name’ and we’re looking forward to airing the family secrets.

       PAM: Thank you both for the opportunity to speak with you about your collaboration. I have read “The Christie Curse”, and without giving anything away I found the book to have seamless writing. It’s fast paced with interesting characters. There is an undercurrent of humour in all your writing Mary Jane, sometimes tongue in cheek. Victoria comes by her humour honestly. When you’re writing together, and with the knowledge that some relationships can be fraught with danger, especially mums and daughters; was there more crying than laughing? 

MJ:  There was a certain amount of crying from laughing too hard, but no real weeping. Of course, we kept the tissues close by in case. As we’re sure you know, it is an adjustment to write together, but there was no lasting emotional trauma from the experience. 

Pam: What do you like most about the writing life? Is it the plotting, the first draft, the rewriting and revising, the marketing? Or being your own boss?

Victoria: I hope one day to be promoted to “the boss of me’.

MJ: I really love not getting up early in the morning. Plus I get very excited about the idea for the plot of a new book. The worst part is sweating out the first draft. I love rewriting and revising. Hate (not too strong a word) proofreading. And really, there’s nothing like the thrill of holding the finished book in your hand.

Pam: When starting a new book- Character or plot driven?

Victoria: It’s fifty-fifty for me. What would these characters do in this horrible situation I’m about to drop them into?

MJ: I enjoy a good plot (reading or writing), but my first love is character. The right characters can make any situation interesting – say, a trip to the mailbox, opening the fridge, you name it.

Pam: As this experience was a learning curve for both of you what did you learn most about the other that you will treasure?

Victoria:  She's my Mom, so I would like to think I already treasured quite a lot about her.  I've always loved reading her books, but it's nice to have her guidance while writing my first.

Mary Jane: I learned that Victoria is even funnier than I realized (although I’ve known her for ages) and very quick with ideas even under difficult circumstances. She’s a bit wicked too. Shhh.

Pam:  Many authors use music as a theme throughout their books. Cooking and recipes, and food in general play a big part in yours. Who is the better cook?

MJ, Victoria: MJ really loves to cook. Check out her recipes every second Saturday on www.mysteryloverskitchen.com

Victoria would rather grow the food and eat it. She’s in charge of all greenery in the book collector mysteries.

Pam:  Jamie Tremain is also a collaboration; can you give us some insight into your writing process?

MJ:  So far it’s been whatever works whenever we can fit it in. There’s been a certain amount of drama in the last couple of years and we’ve had to be flexible to get the job done. The main thing is that the book doesn’t belong to either one of us, so it’s key to listen, accommodate and compromise.  What works best is sitting across the table from each other (or on speaker phone) and working through scenes, plot points and character development together. We each have our domains: Victoria does all the research on antiques, vintage wear, locations, and big old houses. MJ reads the biographies of the author we’re focusing on (Christie, Sayers) and rereads their books. Well, maybe not all the Christies!

Although we create many scenes together, Victoria writes the action with Jordan’s friends, Lance, Tiffany, and, of course, Walter the Pug. MJ writes the literary fantasy scenes, the meals, and (for her sins) scenes with Vera Van Alst.

Our process is a work in progress and who knows what we’ll do in book three.

Pam:  Your next book in the series is coming out this December. Does this mean you have started on the third? 

MJ:   Yes! The Sayers Swindle will hit the shelves (and e-readers) in December 2013. We’ve just seen the cover. What do you think? Hint: we love it.

We have started on the third book collector mystery. The Wolfe Widow (an outing for Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin) is scheduled for September 2014.

Thank you both for being our guests today. We wish you well with your new series.

Victoria Abbott is a collaboration between the always very funny and creative artist, photographer and short story author, Victoria Maffini and her mother, Mary Jane Maffini, award-winning author of three mystery series and two dozen short stories. Their miniature dachshunds are understandably outraged that a pug and some Siamese cats have wiggled their way into the series.

The first in their new book collector series is The Christie Curse, March 2013 and The Sayers Swindle, the second in the series, is due out in December 2013.

You can find them at www.victoria-abbott.com or www.maryjanemaffini.com

They have regular slots on www.killercharacters.com and www.mysteryloverskitchen.com

Find Victoria on Facebook www.facebook.com/bookcollectormysteries

Or follow them on twitter @abbottmysteries  They’re dying to tweet you. 

If you've enjoyed this interview please subscribe to the blog by leaving your email address at the top of the page. Stay tuned for next months surprise author interview.

Talk soon,
Slainte,

Pam and Liz

The Bandit strikes again.

Birthdays come around every year like clockwork but still I agonize over a gift to celebrate this momentous occasion for my husband. Birthdays are important. It’s your special day even if you do share it with billions of others in the world. As we have both been around since the year dot and married almost as long there is not much that he needs. (I always need something).

He buys his own clothes, music and books. Art supplies-that’s his department too. He hates technology so...what does that leave me. As he is a collector of anything that takes his fancy I was really stumped, then I had a brainwave. They don’t happen very often. What he needed for his perch on the deck where he spends many hours keeping out of my way is.....A bird feeder.

We went to the usual big box stores, Canadian Tire, Home Depot and a specialty store. Scottish by nature I was not prepared to spend fifty dollars on a bird feeder. Back to the drawing board. A visit to the flea market the next day and the birthday boy had found himself two very nice feeders for a total of thirty dollars.

One he filled with black oil sunflower seeds and the other a gorgeous copper affair has still to be hung.

Yesterday he spent the day watching two American red squirrels have their lunch and dinner. They are quite rare around here as we usually just have the greys and blacks. Nary a sign of a bird. A few robins showed up, and one lonely cardinal but they didn't go near the feeder. Are we supposed to put up a notice? Come and get it.

I was up at six thirty this morning sipping my coffee before I went out for my walk. Bleary eyed I did notice most of the blossom had been blown of the trees and was covering the patio in a lovely shade of pink. Out of the corner of my eye this is what I saw.

Hey, What's for breakfast?

Oh, It's a self service buffet, Yum

I suggested it was the seed as some little songbird would surely choke on these big sunflower seeds, and we would also have the healthiest racoons and the rodent population in Oakville.Hope the neighbors weren't watching. So now the feeder has been filled with songbird and finch seed and his Nibs is patiently watching with his binoculars for some action. I will keep you informed of any sightings.

On the book front I have recently finished The Poisoned Pawn by Peggy Blair. After the success of her first Inspector Ramirez novel The Beggars Opera, I found Ramirez is the kind of detective that grows on you. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.  

I attended the Toronto launch of Barbara Fradkin's new novel The Whisper of Legends. This is ninth novel in her Inspector Green stories. You will find this an exciting read and a keep you up at night kind of book.

Preston and Child's latest book in the Prendergast series Two Graves is a thriller not to be missed. Great characterization and the pacing is awesome. 

And to make a shift from crime fiction, I am presently reading Rod Stewart's autobiography. I am a big fan from way back, and I'm now immersed in the music of the sixties and seventies while I read of Rod's exploits in the UK and the U S of A. I'll blog about this later.

Enjoy the nice weather and talk soon.

Slainte,

Pam

Star Trek

Star Trek – Into Darkness was dazzling!  Stupendous!  Enormously entertaining!   Yes, I liked it…and would love to go and see it again.

My oldest son and I are Trekkies – it must be in the genes.  For several years we’ve taken in the opening night (or as close to as possible) of all things Star Trek (and Tolkien too!).    William’s not a fan of 3D – he’s truly a movie aficionado and feels its nothing but a gimmick, which I tend to agree with.  However, 3D was all that was available last night, but at least it provided for reserved seating.   The special effects combined with the 3D certainly gave you moments to jump or duck, and overall I don’t feel it detracted from the movie….but I’d love to go back and see it again, without the 3D.

And on a side note, I find Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto (Kirk and Spock respectively) very easy on the eyes too!   Seriously though, their portrayals of the original characters are brilliant, as are the ‘young’ Bones, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, and of course “Aye Captain” Scotty.   Benedict Cumberbatch as the nemesis Kirk must battle was captivating.   

So would I recommend this movie – you bet I would!   It can stand alone as an amazing summer blockbuster action movie, but oh, how much more enjoyable if you know your Star Trek history and have those “YES!” moments when watching.

It was a great way to kick of the first long weekend of the summer.

This morning I’ll head over to our local Chapters where Alison Bruce, Gloria Ferris, and Michelle Wan, all local mystery authors, will be available for “Mysterious Guelph”.  No doubt I’ll not be leaving without one or two new books to take with me for this long weekend.

After the “Mysterious Guelph” event, I’ll be heading down to the Paris area for a couple of days R & R at a friend’s trailer.  If the weather forecast holds, there will be time to relax on the deck and dive into some serious reading! 

As a bonus…my long weekend will extend for another two weeks!  My first long holiday from work in quite a few years, but with long overdue chores to catch up with, I need to ensure I also get one or two “me” days and indulge myself with serious down time.   And some much needed writing time as well.

One evening out is scheduled and that, of course, for the Bony Blithe Gala – being held downtown Toronto the evening of May 29.  Pam and are looking forward to it.  And as I'm often time constrained from attending so many writing events, I'm really happy this coincided with time off so that I can go!

And now I must finish my packing and be ready to hit the road within the hour.  Enjoy your long weekend.

Cheers!

Liz

Full of Promise

Margaret Selkirk Hay & Alister William James at the Glasgow Exhibition

They were full of promise that summer. The year is nineteen thirty eight. I imagine they are on a first date. She is nineteen, and he is twenty seven.  They looked so dapper in matching trilbies.

The Empire Exhibition, Scotland 1938 (unofficially known as the British Empire Exhibition, Glasgow) was an international exposition held at Bellahouston Park Glasgow, from May to December 1938. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Exhibition,_Scotland_1938

This exhibition was a testament to Britain’s Industrial might. After the long years of the depression the British Empire was on the move again. Twelve and a half million people attended from all over the world.

One year later everything changed. Dad was in the auxiliary air force based at Turnhouse. War broke out, and he was called up. They married in December 1939, and he was sent to different training camps in England before he was eventually shipped to India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) for the duration of the war.

My older sister Rosemary was only six weeks old when he left and my mother and sister did not see him again for another four years. There were many such stories during those years of separation. Some did not make it. I am here to tell you that they came through that separation very well. Dad made it home in April,1945 and I was born in January,1946. You do the math.

Rationing of food was still prevalent in the fifties and with two boys,and another girl to feed money was scarce. Cultural activities were an important part of our growing up no matter the scarcity. Piano lessons and dance classes- visits to art galleries and libraries. Books and writing, books and writing were drummed into us. I’m not sure I appreciated those lessons at the time.

Mum was a homemaker and an occasional shopkeeper. Five children kept her very busy but still she found the time to sew and design costumes for our various endeavours on the stage.

Dad, along with working to keep a family of seven in food and clothes and our various pursuits followed many passions. He played the bagpipes, piano and thought he was a good dancer! He bought a horse and took riding lessons with my younger sister Caroline. When he was not involved in his many pastimes you could find him either reading or clicking away on his trusty typewriter.

Dad’s greatest gift was his writing. He had many poems and articles published. The website my sister made a few years ago will give you a taste for his writing. http://awjames.yolasite.com/

This is their birthday week. Mum would have been 94 on the 8^th and Dad 102 on the 11^th. They are both still missed.

Slainte,

Pam

Theatrics, Food and Sunshine

Another weekend is fast coming to a close.  Lately they all seem to be going by in a blur – so hard to believe it’s May already!   But at last Spring really seems to have taken hold.  Trees have greened overnight and the lawns are sporting their first crop of dandelions. 

And huge congratulations to Louise Penny - THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY has just won the Agatha for Best Mystery Novel in the US!

Hope you managed to catch the excellent interview Pam had with Barbara Fradkin last week – if not, be sure to check it out and see what this successful author has to say.  Another interview is in the works for later this month – the guest to be announced later.

Pam spent most of the day with me yesterday.  We had some business items to discuss and then set aside in order to concentrate on polishing up our 3500 word short story submission.  This afternoon Pam sent our newest tale away to compete with others at August’s Scene of the Crime.

Aside from working hard – and oh how we suffered sitting outside in the warmth of the afternoon – we found time to enjoy a light summery lunch and shared it with two friends as well.  Pam brought along some delicious treats for dessert.   And for break I supplied scrumptious shortbread cookies produced by Sprucewood Brands.  If you haven’t sampled any of their handmade shortbread cookies, you are missing out!

Shortly after Pam’s departure, two of my grandchildren, Makenna and Max, arrived for a sleepover.  Makenna is quite theatrical and I believe she’d do well in that area when she is a little older.  The genes go back to my mother, who was quite the amateur actress in her day.  Several photo albums attest to her various performances in England prior to her settling in Canada after WWII.

This morning, after a good night sleep, we enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast of French toast, bacon and fruit….marvellous way to start the day.

And too nice of a day to spend inside, it was off to the local park for some playtime.  My son and his wife came to pick them up just after noon, by which time they were nicely wound up after a few rounds of pretend sparring and other gymnastic activities!  Sorry about that – no not really.

Which then left a few hours with nothing specific to do – except head for the outside with a book, sunglasses and the complete intention of dozing off – mission accomplished.

And now as the afternoon lengthens and the sun’s rays sink a little lower in the Western sky, I know its time to start gearing up for the week ahead….a bright spot will be the return of a good friend at work who has been away for a few weeks.  It will be good to get caught up on all that’s been happening and even better, to have someone to share lunch with again.

Here’s hoping your week ahead will be full of sunshine and all things good.

Cheers!

Liz