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EmailWhat I learned on my summer vacation: Author life meets real life
Posted Jul 26 2019 in About Jen, England, Family, Friendship, Holiday, RNA, Travel
When I was at school, the first writing assignment after the long summer holiday was usually about what I learned on vacation. While I never enjoyed that exercise—the dullness of distilling those magical eight weeks on a sole sheet of lined paper to a prescribed structure—I thought of it again recently thanks to the two […]
Read More...Counting my blessings
Posted Apr 19 2019 in About Jen, Family, Friendship, The Cottage at Firefly Lake
The past month or so has been filled with what one of my grandmothers would have called “things sent to try us.” A viral infection for the entire family topped off with strep throat for English Rose. A broken tooth for me and multiple dental appointments for necessary repairs—including three weeks and counting when I’ve […]
Read More...Celebrating grandmothers
Posted Mar 8 2019 in About Jen, Canada, England, Family, Friendship, Small town life, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls
Earlier this week, English Rose bounced into the house with the kind of teenage excitement usually reserved for a meme, ‘tea’ (gossip between friends), or afternoon at the mall. “Look what Grandma J gave me,” she said, gesturing to the colourful bracelet on her wrist. “It’s from her trip. She brought back presents for all […]
Read More...A year to cultivate
Posted Jan 11 2019 in About Jen, Cultivate, Family, Friendship, Word for the year
In the past few weeks, my social media feeds have been dotted with posts from those who have chosen a particular word to guide them through 2019. I’ve chosen a ‘word for the year’ since 2014 (read more here), and because I don’t usually make resolutions (and never in January), choosing a special word to […]
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...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...Love is…a few of my favourite things
Posted Feb 16 2018 in About Jen, Family, Friendship, Gratitude, Home, Reading, Small town life, Writing
Since February is the month of love, it’s a chance to celebrate a few of my favourite things and remind myself to be grateful for blessings big and small. 1. My family Tech Guy buys me chocolate “just because.” And when I’m on deadline, English Rose makes sure I remember to eat. In these and so […]
Read More...Meet me at the diner: Kate Field author of “The Magic of Ramblings”
Posted Apr 21 2017 in About Jen, Authors, England, Friendship, Kate Field, Meet me at the diner, The Magic of Ramblings
In the second of this occasional series on my blog, I’m chatting with my friend Kate Field whose first book, The Magic of Ramblings, was published in September 2016 by Accent Press. Like me, Kate is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) in the UK. She lives with her husband and daughter in […]
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...Thank you…
Posted Dec 30 2016 in About Jen, Back Home at Firefly Lake, Friendship, Gratitude, New beginnings, Summer on Firefly Lake, The Cottage at Firefly Lake, Word for the year
The week between Christmas and New Year is a punctuation mark at the end of the year. For me, it’s a lull before launching headlong into the blank calendar pages to come. In a year that’s been more surreal (dictionary company Merriam-Webster’s word for 2016) than sparkly, I’m ending it with a different kind of […]
Read More...The Latest News
- Jun 04, 2019: ‘What libraries mean to me,’ North Grenville Public Library, ‘An Evening at the Library,’ June 22, 2019
- Mar 29, 2019: Ein herzliches Willkommen an die deutschen Leser!
- Mar 29, 2019: Welcome to German readers!
- Feb 15, 2019: Penguin Verlag acquires German rights to Firefly Lake series
- Dec 11, 2018: Take Two Characters: Jen Gilroy chooses two of her favourite fictional people — Guest post, author Susanna Bavin’s blog
- Oct 12, 2018: Writing workshop for North Grenville Writers Circle
- 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
