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EmailStaying apart but joining together: The rise of ‘caremongering’
Posted Mar 20 2020 in About Jen, Ballet, Community, Family, Home, Reading, Small town life
With the rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, in only a few weeks life as we know it has changed almost beyond recognition—and in ways unprecedented in my lifetime—so we’re all adapting to a new normal. Yet, as I stay apart from others (and social distancing is one of the many new expressions I’ve learned […]
Read More...Celebrating women who have gone before
Posted Mar 6 2020 in About Jen, Family, Friendship, Womens Fiction, Womens History, Writing
To mark women’s history month (celebrated in March in the United States, UK and Australia), I’m this month’s featured author on my friend Mel Greenberg’s ‘Notes from the Nest’ blog. I’ve written a personal piece about what ‘women who have gone before’ mean in my own life, and how their example has helped me become […]
Read More...Falling down, getting up and moving forward
Posted Feb 21 2020 in About Jen, Family, Motherhood, Small town life, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, Writing
Several weeks ago, while walking in my small town I slipped and fell on a patch of ice that lurked under a blanket of fresh snow. Since three generations of women in my mother’s family broke their hips, one when she was not much older me, that ‘legacy’ flashed across my mind as my feet […]
Read More...Four things about “real me” that shape “author me”
Posted Jan 24 2020 in About Jen, Family, Music, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, Writing
Every so often, I spot posts on social media asking people to share things about themselves that others may not know. In the case of friends, it’s a fun exercise because even when I think I know someone well, I also usually learn something new about them. And for an author or other public figure, […]
Read More...Looking back and moving forward
Posted Jan 10 2020 in About Jen, Family, Word for the year, Word of the year
For me, 2019 wasn’t a wonderful year. Although it had happy moments (my trip to England in July was a special highlight), there were many more months when life was stressful and difficult in both my writing and personal lives. As such, scrolling through recent annual highlight reels posted on social media (many of which […]
Read More...A different kind of Christmas
Posted Dec 13 2019 in About Jen, Christmas, Family, Friendship, Holiday, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls
With less than two weeks until Christmas 2019, the few presents I’ve bought are still in a drawer, unwrapped. My holiday cards remain in their packaging and apart from a vintage Santa candle and musical angel, my cherished Christmas decorations are still tucked away in boxes. I’ve seen plenty of holiday decorations and heard non-stop […]
Read More...Grit, passion and more: How my hometown shaped my life and writing
Posted Nov 29 2019 in About Jen, Community, Home, Small town life, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, Writing
Last weekend, something extraordinary happened for my hometown (American) football team. After twenty-nine long years, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers won the Grey Cup, the Canadian Football League (CFL) championship. Unlike my late mom, I’m not a football fan. I gleaned the little I know of the game from glimpsing my high school team practicing […]
Read More...In praise of ‘virtual’ friends
Posted Nov 15 2019 in About Jen, Friendship, Social Media, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, Writing
While I’m blessed with many friends in my ‘real’ life (including one who goes back to my high school years and often reads this blog), my author life means I also have many ‘virtual’ friends—people I’ve connected with via social media who, at the click of a mouse, have been a source of encouragement, inspiration, […]
Read More...Finishing a book, ‘nesting’ for winter, and celebrating writing milestones
Posted Nov 1 2019 in About Jen, Books, Family, Firefly Lake, Friendship, Reading, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, Writing
Last week, I finished writing the sequel to The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls. For those of you who have read the first book in this series, the sequel is Annie’s sister Tara’s story. It will be my fifth published book (or eighth including the German editions of my Firefly Lake series) and together with the […]
Read More...Asking ‘what if’ and building a book: ‘The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls’
Posted Oct 18 2019 in About Jen, Community, Family, Small town life, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, Writing, Writing craft
My new book (and first in a new series), The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, came out last week. I’m heartened by how many of you are excited to read the story and touched by the lovely things early readers have said about it. If you’ve already posted a review on Amazon, Goodreads or elsewhere, […]
Read More...The Latest News
- Mar 10, 2020: Penguin Verlag buys German rights to The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls
- Mar 06, 2020: Celebrating Women’s History Month & ‘Women who have gone before’: Guest post on Mel Greenberg’s ‘Notes from the Nest’
- Mar 05, 2020: Paperback of The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls releases April 12, 2020 & now available for pre-order
- Feb 26, 2020: Meet me at the Local Author Showcase, North Grenville Public Library, February 29, 2020
- Dec 20, 2019: Talking about life & writing on Arabella’s Blog and Chit-Chat
- Nov 18, 2019: Chatting with author Maggie Blackbird about my writing life & ‘The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls’
- Nov 15, 2019: Interview with author Susan B. James about ‘The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls’
- Oct 30, 2019: Asking ‘what if’ and building a book: The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls
- Oct 24, 2019: Harlequin Junkie Spotlight: The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls
- Sep 22, 2019: The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls is on tour with Suzy Approved Book Tours (October 14 to November 29, 2019)