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EmailWhat makes you happy?
Posted Oct 16 2020 in About Jen, Back Home at Firefly Lake, Community, Covid-19, Family, Firefly Lake, Friendship
In the continued and often described “dumpster fire” that is 2020, there are many things that aren’t making me happy. From the pandemic and other world events through to a myriad of concerns in my own life, it’s far easier to focus on stress than joy. Yet, and especially in this particular year, I need […]
Read More...A medical emergency, a birthday, back to school & preparing for a book launch
Posted Sep 4 2020 in A Wish in Irish Falls, About Jen, Books, Family, Friendship, Motherhood, Writing
“May you live in interesting times” says that old adage (curse?) and while 2020 has certainly been an “interesting” (insert other words of your choice!) year, in my family the past few weeks have been even more “interesting” than usual. A medical emergency If you follow me on social media, you may remember that we […]
Read More...When tragedy strikes close to home
Posted Jun 26 2020 in About Jen, Community, England, Family, Friendship
I’ve now lived in Canada for almost five years and although England will always be one of my ‘homes,’ my English and Canadian lives rarely intersect. Last weekend was different, though, and I was reminded that despite being geographically distant, my English ‘home’ is, and always will be, close in heart. In England, we lived near […]
Read More...Life and writing in lockdown
Posted Apr 3 2020 in About Jen, Covid-19, Family, Friendship, Home, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, Writing
When this is all over… I hear that phrase often these days as everyone, me included, wants life in 2020 to go back to ‘normal’ as soon as possible, whatever that ‘new normal’ will be. For the moment, though, life (and for me, writing), have to go on in lockdown. As such, I’m finding new ways […]
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...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...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...Community, connections and crisscrossing a continent
Posted Oct 4 2019 in About Jen, Friendship, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, Travel, WFWA, Writing
As many of you know, I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico last week attending my first Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) retreat. Held annually, it offers independent writing time, but also includes workshops, discussion and working groups, and social events to help writers foster new connections and community. This year’s retreat focused on the writing […]
Read More...A time of losses and gains
Posted Aug 23 2019 in About Jen, Family, Friendship, Home, Reading
One of my favourite series of books, loved in childhood and which I still return to as ‘comfort reads’ as an adult, is the Little House stories by American author Laura Ingalls Wilder. Those books taught me about resilience, cheerfulness in the face of difficulties, and finding a silver lining, no matter how grey the […]
Read More...The Latest News
- Nov 06, 2020: Guest post for Writers First: Why Work with a Writing Coach?
- Oct 30, 2020: Interview with North Grenville Writers Circle for Ontario Public Library Week 2020 (YouTube video)
- Oct 27, 2020: Interview with The Writer’s Pet about my dog, animals in my fiction & ‘A Wish in Irish Falls’
- Oct 22, 2020: Author interview: Chatting with Ruby Moone on the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) blog about ‘A Wish in Irish Falls’
- Oct 13, 2020: Finding Your Writing Voice: Guest Post for Frost Magazine
- Aug 07, 2020: Friday Night Drinks with A Little Book Problem: Chatting about writing,books & life
- Aug 06, 2020: New book news: ‘A Wish in Irish Falls’ releases September 16 & is now available for pre-order
- May 01, 2020: Reading (and Writing) for Hope, Comfort & Happy Ever After: Guest post for Women Writers, Women’s Books
- Apr 22, 2020: Author Q&A: Chatting with Anita Kushwaha about ‘The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls,’ favourite authors, lockdown life & more
- Mar 10, 2020: Penguin Verlag buys German rights to The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls