animals of The Write Spot 2

The Write Spot began in July of 2015 with a simple question: Where do writers write? Since then, I've had the pleasure of meeting two dozen talented authors who've generously invited us into their personal writing spaces and shared their stories. It's been great fun getting to know the women behind the books.

Beyond our mutual love of reading and writing, I've discovered we also share a deep love and respect for animals. Some of us share our homes with companion pets, others bring animals to life as story characters, while still others take inspiration from animal encounters in the wild. I've invited all twenty-four authors back to celebrate this common thread in our lives with a three-part anniversary series called Animals of The Write Spot. Part one featured a splendid batch of dogs, cats, and even a few pelicans! Click through if you missed it. But first, please enjoy Animals of The Write Spot, Part Two:

Meet Trooper and George, handsome grand-dogs of Canadian mystery author Brenda Chapman. (If there's an award for cutest ears ever, my vote goes to Trooper!)

Brenda says, "While I do not have a dog myself, I’m lucky to have two daughters who do. I’ve become the puppy-sitter, happily helping out now and then in my daughters’ busy lives. Lisa’s pup Trooper is a four-month old Corgi and I currently mind him two days a week. Julia’s dog George is mainly Maltese but I don’t see him as often since they both moved to Toronto last year. The two dogs have not had a chance to meet yet and I’m looking forward to the day!" Check out Brenda's lovely Write Spot.

Mystery author Sandra Carey Cody gets a bit misty-eyed when remembering the many pets her family has loved over the years. "They’re all special in their own way," she says, "and they’ve all added something special to our lives." Now that Sandy and her husband are empty nesters, this fierce beauty is the love of their lives. Missy is a rescued road-drop cat, who obviously considers herself a mighty hunter. (She's really a sweetie, not fierce at all!) Visit Sandra's Write Spot.

This gorgeous boy with the heart-melting eyes is Monty, who makes his home with author Louisa Treger. She says, "Monty lies on the floor of my study while I write, or under my desk; he is the sweetest and most undemanding of companions. Through his constant presence, he has become almost part of my creative process." See Monty in glorious colour and check out the awesome South African view from Louisa's Write Spot.

Meet Nixon, a sweet girl who's very lucky indeed to have mystery author Anne Cleeland as her grandma. Just look at that doggy birthday treat! Anne tells me Nixon was a very small puppy in a Mexican pet shop when her daughter Aidan rescued her, many years ago. Since Aidan was living in a dorm at the time, the doggie-grandma had to step up and take her in, and now that Aidan has her own family, they share custody. "Nixon is named after the surf wear company, not the former president," says Anne. "It’s a generational thing." Apparently Nixon never takes a good picture, because she always views the camera with extreme misgiving. (I know how you feel, Nixon.) Visit Anne's Write Spot.

Romance author Sheila Seabrook shares her spacious backyard in Alberta, Canada with an assortment of ducks, bunnies, moose, deer, and a cute wee chipmunk that races around the yard. Moose have been known to wander right up to her veranda and several deer show up (mostly at night) to munch on the cedars. This mama duck came to visit in the spring and stayed to build her nest. She seemed to enjoy peeking through the family room window – keeping an eye on her humans, I guess… or maybe wondering where writers write! Once mama's eight ducklings hatched, the little family paddled around Sheila's pond for a few days before moving on. "We have another duck that we think is sitting on a batch of eggs," says Sheila, "so hopefully we'll see more ducklings soon." Sheila was my first guest at The Write Spot.

Mystery author Vicki Delany travels a lot and doesn't have a pet right now – her beloved dog, Shenzi, passed away a few years ago. But Vicki's love for animals shines through in her writing. Whether it's Charles the opinionated library cat in the Lighthouse Library series (written as Eva Gates); Norman the hard-working RCMP tracker dog in the Constable Molly Smith mysteries; or Matty, the loveable St. Bernard puppy in the new Year-Round Christmas cozy series, Vicki writes about dogs with humor and compassion – and readers fall in love. That's Mattie, up to his puppy-style mischief under the Christmas tree on the cover of We Wish You a Murderous Christmas. Visit Vicki's Write Spot.

Kathye Quick sent me this photo of a handsome trio, named Webster, Duffy, and Peggy. The only trouble? Kathye is not an animal person. Don't worry, though, Webster is on the job.

"I certainly don't wish any ill will," says Kathye. "I'm just not willing to take care of any animals. Selfish, I know, but you have to give me points for honesty. As the gods would have it, all of my sons love animals and have several. I would politely pat each one on the head and go into another room when visiting. Then came Webster. He's the biggest dog in the picture. He followed me everywhere and slobbered on everything I owned, but for some reason I didn't mind. For some reason l could not resist his tongue-hanging-out greeting, folded ear, and doofy walk. Don't know why, but I like him. Maybe there is hope for me yet. Now, as the sign on my car proudly proclaims – I Love My Grand Dogs!  Visit Kathye's Write Spot.

Meet Sugar the Bichon Frise and her sidekick Vanilla the Cockapoo. Heidi Ashworth tells me these two sweeties are an integral part of her family. "Sugar keeps all of us on schedule, waking us up each morning with a shake of her collar. She comes to me when I am writing at my computer and nudges me in the thigh when it is time to pick up kids from school. She seems to know how everyone is feeling and is always on hand to lick tears from your face or to crawl into your lap. Vanilla's human is Sugar, which irritates Sugar to no end. Vanilla's job is to sleep by the side of my disabled son each night and to accompany me when I bring him his medicine each morning. She is a drama queen with big, floppy ears which she comically flings from side to side when she is nervous or excited. The two of them are much more fun than the sum of their parts and we are so lucky to be their humans."

Readers, did you spot the violin in that photo of Sugar? Talk about a talented dog! True, it only has one string, but Heidi says we ought to cut Sugar some slack because she's just a beginner. ;-) Visit Heidi's Regency-romantic Write Spot.

Oh, and my own dear Sam the Cat says you should be sure to come back for Animals of The Write Spot, Part Three… Watch for it here on August 17th.

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About The Write Spot:
I've always been fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes. Whether it's backstage photos from my favourite play, a peek into the kitchen where a chef is working her culinary magic, or simply a glimpse through an uncurtained window into a stranger's private world, there's an undeniable thrill of discovery, a sense of secrets shared. It's no surprise, then, that I'm immensely curious about where other writers do their work. I've blogged about it before in this post about my own 'write spot' and so enjoyed the comments, I was inspired to launch a regular feature here at stillpoint. Watch for The Write Spot every other Wednesday and join me as I discover the many and varied places where writers write.

stillpoint is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington

The Write Spot: Vicki Delany, Eva Gates

The most difficult thing about hosting The Write Spot is trying to keep my inner fangirl under control when meeting authors who've given me so much reading pleasure. This week, my fangirl is having double the trouble as I welcome "one woman crime wave" Vicki Delany, aka Eva Gates. Vicki is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and the current President of Crime Writers of Canada.

As Eva Gates, she's the author of the Lighthouse Library cozy series from Penguin Obsidian, set in a historic lighthouse on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, featuring Boston-transplant librarian, and highly reluctant sleuth, Lucy Richardson. By Book or By Crook, the first in the series, was released in February of last year and followed by Booked for Trouble in September. The third book in the series, Reading up a Storm, will be released on April 5, 2016. (And I, for one, can hardly wait to see what Lucy is up to now.)

Vicki Delany began her writing career as a Sunday writer: a single mother of three high-spirited daughters with a full-time job as a computer programmer. Sunday afternoon was often the only time she had to spend all by herself, with a single candle on her desk for a bit of atmosphere, a Bruce Springsteen tape in the tape deck, and a nice cup of tea or perhaps a glass of wine at her elbow.

The years passed and her three grown daughters left home, allowing Vicki more time to devote to her writing.  She completed three novels of suspense, set in Ontario, two of which, Scare the Light Away and Burden of Memory (Delany) were published to critical acclaim by Poisoned Pen Press.

In 2007, Vicki took early retirement from her job as a systems analyst with a major bank and sold her house in Oakville, Ontario.  It was then that In the Shadow of the Glacier (Delany), the first book in the Smith and Winters police procedural series set in the British Columbia Interior was published. After travelling around North America for a year with her dog, Shenzi, Vicki bought a home in bucolic, rural Prince Edward County, Ontario, where she rarely wears a watch and can write whenever she feels like it.

Since settling in Prince Edward County, Vicki has continued with her writing career, publishing books in several different sub-genres as well as a book for adults with low literacy skills. 

Her new series of Year Round Christmas Mysteries (Delany) from Penguin Random House launched in November 2015 with Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen. Book two in this fun, cozy series is coming later this year.

Welcome, Vicki/Eva to the eighteenth edition of The Write Spot, a bi-weekly author series spotlighting the many and varied places where writers write.

Please tell us a bit about your own Write Spot.

Several years ago, I read an article on how bad for you sitting all day is.  And so I decided to give standing up at the computer a try.  And I haven't sat down since.

What makes this spot perfect is the height of the counter. A standing up 'desk' has to be perfect. Too low and you'll strain your back; too high and you'll strain your shoulders.

Not only do I now write standing up for my health, but I also believe it really helps with the creative process. If I need a minute to think, I walk around the living room or stand at the window.

I'll also mention that this is a totally dedicated laptop. I write novels on it, and nothing else. I don't even write blog posts, and I never access the internet or my e-mail from it. That way, I keep my writing separate from all other computer tasks.

Sounds like a great way to avoid distraction. Other than your laptop, what's the one thing you couldn't be without in your Write Spot?

My iPad and Bose Speakers. I play Mozart on the iPad when I write. And a mug of coffee, of course.

Of course! What are you working on now?

The first book in the new Sherlock Homes Bookstore and Emporium series, Elementary She Read (tentative title, but I hope we keep it) for Crooked Lane Books. The book will be out Spring 2017.

Oooh, Sherlock! Picture me rubbing my hands together with glee. (Love the title, too.)

Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

My web page for both Eva Gates and Vicki Delaney is vickidelany.com. Readers can also connect with me on social media:

Facebook: Vicki Delany and Eva Gates (evagatesauthor)

Twitter: @vickidelany and @evagatesauthor

Books by Eva Gates / Vicki Delany:

The national bestselling author of Booked for Trouble returns with another charming mystery set in the most literary lighthouse in North Carolina's Outer Banks. Order now for April 5, 2016 release!
 
Misfortune blows into North Carolina's Outer Banks when a dead body in a boat on the shore leaves local librarian Lucy Richardson racing to solve a strange new mystery....
 
After a successful party at Bodie Island's Lighthouse Library, librarian Lucy Richardson is ready to curl up with her cat, Charles, and a good book. But her R and R is cut short when she notices some mysterious lights leading a small boat to crash into the coast. 
 
The two shipwrecked seafarers survive the ordeal – but one of them shows up dead ashore a few days later. Lucy finds herself again roped into a murder investigation and navigating a sea of suspects, all of whom had motives to deep-six the deceased. And this time, she has a sinking feeling that finding the real killer won’t be so easy...

Amazon US | Amazon CA 

Barnes and Noble | Chapters-Indigo

What would it be like to return to your hometown after twenty-five years in prison for a crime you have maintained you did not commit? And why would you?

Walter Desmond is back in Trafalgar, British Columbia, having been officially exonerated when new evidence showed corruption at worst, incompetence at best, by the Trafalgar City Police conducting the investigation. His pitbull attorney is seeking five million in damages from the provincial government. But Walt has not returned to Trafalgar to pursue money or revenge. He just wants to know the why of it.

The family of the murdered girl, Sophia D'Angelo, is bitterly determined to see Walt returned to prison – or dead. But for Trafalgar's police, including Sergeant John Winters and Constable Molly Smith, the reality is: if Walter didn't kill Sophia, someone else did. 

So, case reopened. It lands on Winters' desk. The records are moldering. One investigating officer is dead, the other is retired – and not talking. The police are instructed to treat Walt as if he'd never been arrested or convicted. Someone else apparently killed Sophia, someone still walking free.

But too many minds remain closed. It's good luck for Walt that a group of women in town for the dragon boat race are staying in the B and B where he's booked, women with no local prejudices. But then a townswoman, then a boat woman, are attacked by a rapist, the media gets active, and tempers dangerously flare. 

Amazon US | Amazon CA

Barnes and Noble | Chapters-Indigo

Coming in November 2016:

A grinch is spoiling the holiday cheer and causing fear in the latest from the author of Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen...

It's Christmastime three hundred sixty-five days a year in Rudolph, New York, and as Christmas Day approaches, shop owner Merry Wilkinson is enjoying a rare evening off at the Yuletide Inn when she runs into owners Grace and Jack Olsen. With Jack's health failing, Merry is relieved to hear that his son Gord will be taking over the day-to-day running of the Inn. 

But then Gord reveals that his new plans have no room for Christmas at the Inn, and Merry and the other shopkeepers start to fret about the effect a bland franchise hotel could have on their livelihoods. 

When Gord is found stabbed to death, there's an entire town of potential suspects – and it's up to Merry to find whoever brought homicide home for the holidays...

Amazon US | Amazon CA

Barnes and Noble | Chapters-Indigo

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About The Write Spot:
I've always been fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes. Whether it's backstage photos from my favourite play, a peek into the kitchen where a chef is working her culinary magic, or simply a glimpse through an uncurtained window into a stranger's private world, there's an undeniable thrill of discovery, a sense of secrets shared. It's no surprise, then, that I'm immensely curious about where other writers do their work. I've blogged about it before in this post about my own 'write spot' and so enjoyed the comments, I was inspired to launch a regular feature here at stillpoint. Watch for The Write Spot every other Wednesday and join me as I discover the many and varied places where writers write.

stillpoint is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington