Follow
Follow
EmailLife lessons from a dog
Posted Jun 2 2017 in About Jen, Family, Floppy Ears, Small town life
When I was living a life that didn’t fit me, I thought about the one that would. The life I then imagined was bracketed by what I called “the three p’s” – porch, pooch and pickup truck. All three represented a more authentic way of living that was better aligned with the values I hold […]
Read More...Ice cream season is here!
Posted May 19 2017 in About Jen, Firefly Lake, Home, Small town life, Summer on Firefly Lake, The Cottage at Firefly Lake
As you may know, I like ice cream. Although I’ve indulged even when wearing my parka, it’s summer when ice cream comes into its own as my treat of choice. Ice cream features in my two “summer” books. Strawberry Sensation has special memories for the hero and heroine in The Cottage at Firefly Lake, and […]
Read More...Making a joyful noise
Posted Feb 24 2017 in About Jen, Friendship, Music, New beginnings, Small town life
As some of you know, I joined a choir last year. Every Thursday night, I gather with friends and neighbours at my church to sing together and prepare to lead the congregation in the musical part of the Sunday worship service. During that practice time, I’m not connected to social media. I’m not thinking about […]
Read More...Remembering my mom…and a special giveaway
Posted Nov 18 2016 in About Jen, Family, Firefly Lake, Small town life, The Cottage at Firefly Lake, Vermont, Writing
Sunday, November 20th is World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. It’s a day I’ve marked since my mother was killed crossing a street while returning home from an ordinary, afternoon shopping trip. Road death is sudden, shocking, and it forever changes the lives of loved ones left behind. Although the loss of my […]
Read More...Gratitude and new beginnings
Posted Oct 7 2016 in About Jen, Canada, Community, Family, Gratitude, Home, New beginnings, Small town life
My small town has recently welcomed a Syrian refugee family. Soon after their arrival, the newspaper ran a picture of the mom, dad and their three young children playing in the local park. It was an ordinary, yet also extraordinary scene. Our new neighbours have spent the last three years in a refugee camp not […]
Read More...Canadian repatriation: One year
Posted Jul 15 2016 in About Jen, Canada, England, Family, History, New beginnings, Small town life
On 18 July 2015 English Rose and I landed in Toronto on an Aer Lingus flight from London via Dublin. I was on my way home, but English Rose had left the only home she’d ever known. Missing England One year later, I still miss the gentle English mist, fish and chips and the “have […]
Read More...Clothes make the woman (and her heroines)
Posted Mar 25 2016 in About Jen, England, Family, New beginnings, Small town life
I’ve never owned a pair of Jimmy Choo sneakers. At prices topping US$500.00 I’m not likely to either. I’m also not likely to own an exquisite Chanel handbag of the kind I saw a white-gloved sales assistant sell in bulk to a trio of Chinese businessmen at Hong Kong’s international airport. As an author, though, […]
Read More...Lessons in community
Posted Dec 4 2015 in About Jen, Family, Friendship, Home, Small town life
The small towns I write about aren’t perfect. Neither is the one I live in. There’s hunger and deprivation and, as a result of rural poverty and unemployment, there’s disenfranchisement and loss of hope. I’m reminded, though, how gestures large and small build a community, and make it a better place to live, renewing the […]
Read More...The Latest News
- Jul 19, 2017: My Small-Town World – Guest post, Broken Teepee
- Jul 17, 2017: A Look Behind the Book with Jen Gilroy – Author interview
- Jun 24, 2017: Top 5 Ways my Fiction was Inspired by Real Life – Guest post, Books a la Mode
- Jun 20, 2017: The Cottage at Firefly Lake is on a virtual tour, June – July 2017
- May 18, 2017: North Grenville Times: Kemptville author shortlisted for new writers award
- May 09, 2017: ‘Kemptville author shortlisted for award recognizing new authors’: Inside Ottawa Valley.com
- May 09, 2017: RNA blog interview: Joan Hessayon Award contender
- May 01, 2017: ‘The Cottage at Firefly Lake’ is shortlisted for the RNA Joan Hessayon Award 2017
- Mar 06, 2017: I’m participating in BookSweeps Romantic Women’s Fiction book giveaway (March 6-13, 2017)
- Feb 01, 2017: Release blitz – The Cottage at Firefly Lake
