Happy New Year!

My computer decided to celebrate the new year by dying.  Poor thing!

We’ve been together for ten years so it was not wholly unexpected.  But one day into 2015?

We’ve been through good times and bad, written thousands of sentences together and cursed (well, I cursed.  The pc cursored…  Is that a word?) when things didn’t go as planned.

I wish I could say I’ll miss it, but the last few years have been rocky.

Today, I will start looking for a younger, sleeker model.  Sigh!  It’s going to be tough.

Stephen King

“The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”

–Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Stephen King’s On Writing is one of the best books I have read on the writing craft.  It is a must-have for any new writer, offering sage advice by a master.  Above, is one of my favourite quotes.

Fall Picnics

Picture

I love fall picnics, especially when they come at the end of a scenic hike.

I often bring loaves because they are easy to pack and taste great with my requisite thermos of coffee.  This spiced pumpkin bread with maple vanilla icing sounds like a definite must-try.

For the recipe, visit Amber St. Peter at the Fettle Vegan

http://www.fettlevegan.com/recipes/spiced-pumpkin-bread-with-maple-vanilla-icing

The Stolen: An American Faerie Tale

I received my copy of Bishop O’Connell’s new novel, The Stolen, in the mail a few days ago and I have been trying to find a moment to start reading it ever since.   This afternoon, I made the mistake of peeking at it while I was in the middle of making zucchini relish.  The pot was on the stove bubbling away.  Tired of staring out the window, waiting for the relish to thicken, I opened the novel.   One chapter later, I was hooked and scrambling to rescue my relish from becoming the consistency of tar.   The writing is good, the characters compelling.  Suspense builds quickly.   I look forward to seeing where this story goes.

About the Book

Tonight, for the first time in over a century, a mortal child will be kidnapped by faeries. When her daughter Fiona is snatched from her bed, Caitlin’s entire world crumbles. Once certain that faeries were only a fantasy, Caitlin must now accept that these supernatural creatures do exist—and that they have traded in their ancient swords and horses for modern guns and sports cars. Hopelessly outmatched, she accepts help from a trio of unlikely heroes: Eddy, a psychiatrist and novice wizard; Brendan, an outcast Fian warrior; and Dante, a Magister of the fae’s Rogue Court. Moving from the busy streets of Boston’s suburbs to the shadowy land of Tír na nÓg, Caitlin and her allies will risk everything to save Fiona. But can this disparate quartet conquer their own inner demons and outwit the dark faeries before it’s too late?

The Stolen: An American Faerie Tale