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EmailFinding baking memories
Posted Oct 2 2020 in A Wish in Irish Falls, About Jen, Baking, Christmas, Community, Family, Small town life, The Cottage at Firefly Lake
As summer’s warmth becomes a distant memory, I’m doing more baking, a favourite pastime but one I haven’t had much time for in the last few years. To bake, though, I needed to sort through my overflowing kitchen cupboards and the boxes stacked at the foot of the basement stairs, a legacy of clearing out […]
Read More...Wishing on a wishing tree
Posted Jul 10 2020 in About Jen, Small town life, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, Writers Life, Writing
“There’s a wishing tree in Irish Falls. The bits of paper tied to its gnarled branches hold the hopes and dreams of everyone in town…” That’s from the blurb for my most recent book, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, a story about wishes come true, even for those who have given up on wishes. […]
Read More...Walking my way through lockdown
Posted May 15 2020 in About Jen, Covid-19, Family, Small town life, Writing
Like many of you, and although certain restrictions have eased a bit, I live in an area where we’re still sheltering in place and ‘normal life’ remains in almost complete lockdown. As such, and with gyms, my dance studio and other fitness facilities closed, walking is even more of a lifeline for me than usual. […]
Read More...Staying 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...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...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...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...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...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...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...The Latest News
- Mar 20, 2021: I’m one of twelve women writers contributing to “What is the One Thing the Pandemic Has Taught You About Writing?,” an essay by Sweta Vikram in Brevity Magazine
- Mar 02, 2021: I’m a contributor to “Lockdown Writing,” a blog post by romance author, Emma Bennet
- Jan 04, 2021: Check out my contribution to “3 Goals Every Writer Should Make in the New Year!,” an essay by Sweta Vikram in Brevity Magazine
- 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