Wednesday, October 7, 2026

IWSG Day, Photo Contest, Rest in Peace

C

ontest!

I entered the photos below in a photo contest, all of the villages around, Nyon, Founex,Tannay, Versoix, Coppet. I don't expect to win, but it's still fun. Look at everyone's gorgeous photos in the gallery!

Today is Insecure Writer's Support Group Day!


Insecure Writer's Support Group

Today is Insecure Writer's Support Group Day!
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the October 7 posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Liza at Middle Passages, JH Moncrieff, and Jemima Pett!


Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

October 7 question - Many people are calling for writers who use AI to disclose it. Most who employ ghostwriters do not admit it - do you think authors who use ghostwriters should have to disclose that, too? (Thanks Melissa Maygrove for the question!)

 
I definitely think that authors should disclose ghostwriters!

Two of my favourite series, Animorphs and the Babysitters Club, used ghostwriters in the later books of the series. I think it's unfair for the ghostwriters themselves, and to the readers, to not be upfront about the practice.

In the case of Animorphs, it didn't stop me from devouring all the books. In the case of the Babysitters Club, it gives me a good reason to stop reading around book 50, and not buy another 50 or so books! For the former, it was obviously an issue of time, but for the latter, it was too evidently the publisher trying to keep making money off the brand.

As a reader, it's nice to be able to make informed choices!


I found out yesterday that singer Sass Jordan and author Brian May have passed away. Sass Jordan was a Montreal fixture while I was growing up. I have a handful of her songs always stuck in my head.
 
She's in my Canadiana playlist and in the playlist for Goldenheart, the fan fiction I wrote set in Montreal in 2002.





I read a lot of Peter May after I discovered his stories set on Lewis and Harris, while I was writing my own novels set there. Then I went on to read many of his other books and I was looking forward to more.

I'd recommend them all!

Here's the playlist for one of those novels, A Stitch in Time, where my characters travel from Switzerland to Scotland...



(Yet another job for my intern is to deal with all the videos that keep disappearing off these playlists without a trace, it's so frustrating!)

Here are the photos (I've been having trouble posting them on the contest site, so I may not enter them after all. Sigh.)


In other news, for the past week or so, I've been devouring the Dungeon Crawler Carl books. They're so fun and detailed and intricate! As an aside, the way Carl copies and pastes every description and message into his own notes is totally something I would do, ha ha!

Do you have story playlists?

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Hodge Podge No. 17

Fun times!

I guess you could call this a hodge podge post, but I lost track of the numbering of those a while ago. No, wait, I seem to have organised myself last year, with Hodge Podge 16.

Here we go...

Kiddo designed two crossword puzzles last week!

An Animorphs crossword

and a Rhys Darby crossword

Then we have...

A t-shirt from the Crowded House forum!

Swan!

I have this book! I need to look at this...

I love this "...my God what is that thing"

Chekov!


And yes, I read Eats, Shoots and Leaves for the first time!


Meanwhile... It's Rhys Darby as Pabu-chan!









All drawings by the seven-year-old!

Signing a wish for peace

Gorgeous cards by Monica Byrne

Last swim of the season!
A funny line from Montgomery Schnauzer book 2!

Snail! Cornu aspersum

The best grapes I've ever tasted

A funny bit from The Last Kids on Earth series

Art cards of my Our Flag Means Death crosswords!

Gorgeous crochet octopi! Octopodes! Octopuses!

Jeff's Inn by the Sea

OurFlag Means Death designs in Lego by the 11-year-old

Chinese art from the 18th Century



Canadian art from the 19th Century, by C Gagnon

This title isn't correct! It's actually called Village dans les Laurentides

Editing my short story!

I found my annotated copy of The Seafarer while packing for the move...

...and the Tolkien shelves were the last to be packed! Here they are in our new library

The Puffin Quiz Book; no publication date but it seems to be from c. 1949. Some of it is outdated, some of it is silly, some of it is quite interesting.

I always forget what boxing the compass means!


Have you enjoyed any comics or graphic novels recently, or designed any craft projects?

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Canada Day and Insecure Writer's Support Group Day and Crochet!

O, Canada!

Last week, I posted about Canada Fiction Fest (still going on!) and today is Canada Day!

It's also Insecure Writer's Support Group Day!


Insecure Writer's Support Group

Today is Insecure Writer's Support Group Day!
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the July 1 posting of the IWSG are
are Rebecca Douglass
, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Cathrina Constantine, and Jacqui Murray!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

July 1 question - Is there anything you'd like to see changed, added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry?

I wish there was more of a budget to promote all authors! I wish more of the publicity was handled by publishing companies, especially for us introvert authors!

And I really wish there was extra money so that we could all go around to book fairs and conventions and other events, and hang out together!


And now...a few random photos from my brief visit to Canada last month!

Cool spider at the train station

Sunny airport in Switzerland...

Go Habs Go! A Montreal bus in the rain... The playoffs were still going on!

Watching Our Flag Means Death on the flight

Geraniums!

Pub joke!

The Cheshire Cat







Dessert!

Crochet!



Telling our fortunes with Turkish coffee

What do you see in mine?









Summer at the cottage...



View of the line between Ontario and Quebec



Montreal airport!


Have you visited anywhere in Canada recently?