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Posted Sep 14 2018 in About Jen, England, Family, Gratitude, Kindness, Motherhood, Summer on Firefly Lake
English Rose celebrated her fifteenth birthday earlier this month. Although it seems like yesterday she marked that milestone first birthday, my ‘baby girl’ is becoming a young woman and, more and more, I glimpse the person who will soon be not only my daughter but also a friend. This week, during one of our bedtime […]
Read More...Reading habits
Posted Aug 31 2018 in About Jen, Authors, Books, Lena Gregory, Reading, Writing
One of my Facebook friends, cozy mystery author Lena Gregory, recently posted a question about reading habits, asking “how many books do you read on average?” She also noted that while she “used to read between three and five books a week,” these days, her reading time isn’t nearly as plentiful. Lena’s question intrigued me, […]
Read More...Going on a road trip
Posted Aug 17 2018 in About Jen, Family, Gratitude, Travel
When I think about summer (and especially during a long, cold Canadian winter), one of the first things to come to mind is the road trip. Growing up, summer road trips were a highlight of my year. With my parents and the family dog too, I crisscrossed Canada and sometimes the US, exploring wilderness areas, […]
Read More...Going (to my second) home
Posted Jul 6 2018 in About Jen, Conferences, England, Home
If, like me, you’ve spent half your adult life living outside the country of your birth, “home” is flexible. Although “home” for me is wherever Tech Guy and English Rose are, beyond that, I often picture myself straddling a little island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, one leg stretched towards the UK, the […]
Read More...Summertime…
Posted Jun 22 2018 in About Jen, Books, Family, Friendship, Reading, Small town life, The Cottage at Firefly Lake
With temperatures topping 30 Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Rideau Valley this week, it’s indeed summertime in my small town. From the fishing spot off the town dock, to the outdoor swimming pool, and lines at local ice cream shops, everyone is savouring seasonal joys. I’m writing this blog post on my porch (to […]
Read More...Celebrating fictional heroines: My top five
Posted Jun 8 2018 in About Jen, Authors, Books, History, Reading, Writing
In each story I write, I aim to create strong, independent heroines who face real-life challenges that other women can relate to. I’ve realized, though, that the heroines and their journeys I create in my own books have much to do with my favourite fictional heroines—the girls and women who shaped me as a person, as […]
Read More...Driving English Rose
Posted May 25 2018 in About Jen, Family, Small town life, Travel
Some people like driving, and getting behind the wheel of a car and heading for the open road is one of their happy places. I’m not one of those people! As a sedentary writer, one of the things I like best about my small-town life is that I live within walking distance of essential services. […]
Read More...Advice for life after the happy ending
Posted May 11 2018 in About Jen, Family, The Cottage at Firefly Lake, Writing
In romantic fiction, happy endings are a given. However, one of the reasons I enjoy writing (and reading) epilogues, as well as books in a series, is because I can dip into the lives of characters after the main story ends and they’re living their happy ever after (HEA). In the book I’m currently writing, […]
Read More...Prayers for Humboldt
Posted Apr 13 2018 in About Jen, Back Home at Firefly Lake, Books, Canada, Community, Family, Firefly Lake, Home, Prayers for Humboldt, Small town life
A week ago, on a remote Saskatchewan highway, sixteen people were killed and thirteen others injured in a crash between a semi-trailer truck and a bus carrying players, coaches, a trainer, a local radio announcer and others associated with a Canadian junior (ice) hockey team, the Humboldt Broncos. Before then, Humboldt was a small […]
Read More...My writing life
Posted Mar 30 2018 in About Jen, Firefly Lake, Friendship, Publishing, Writing, Writing craft
I don’t often blog about writing, but in the past few months I’ve been thinking about what and why I write. Whilst these experiences are mine, I suspect that published or not, other writers will recognize bits of themselves in me. And if you’re a reader, I hope this post gives you some “inside insight” […]
Read More...The Latest News
- May 29, 2018: All About Books — Guest post on Odd Socks and Lollipops
- Dec 18, 2017: My favourite holiday books as a child — Guest post, That Artsy Reader Girl, A Bookish Little Christmas
- Dec 17, 2017: How I find writing inspiration – Guest post, ChickLit Club
- Dec 16, 2017: My favourite fireside reads for the holidays – Guest post, Fresh Fiction
- Dec 15, 2017: Having a happy (British) Christmas in Canada — Guest post, Bookish Jottings
- Dec 13, 2017: What the winter months mean to me – Guest post at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
- Dec 12, 2017: My favourite holiday traditions – Guest post, Smexy Books
- Dec 08, 2017: Interview with Suzy Approved Book Reviews: My writing life & Firefly Lake books
- Dec 07, 2017: Chatting with Debbie Mason on USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog
- Dec 04, 2017: “Back Home at Firefly Lake” chosen as one of Amazon’s best books of December 2017
