tinkerings

Bucket List

Northern Lights. Iceberg. Two "bucket list" items ticked in one month! In May, the Aurora Borealis was visible in much of Canada and the US. I set my alarm for midnight, and the skies were cloudy. I saw nothing. But then I woke up suddenly around 4 AM, and thought it was morning, because the sky was aglow. And guess what? I went outside, and there it was. Though not the bright green and pinks you see in photographs, there was a huge starburst of light colour in the sky. It was dancing and pulsing and I was in awe. 

Then, only a week or so later, I went on a planned vacation to Newfoundland. Though the icebergs had not yet travelled down to Twillingate where I was staying, there was one reported in a little place called Brighton, a 3.5 hour drive away. I decided it was worth the drive and I was not wrong. I've driven that far for a work meeting, so why would I not drive that far for an iceberg? It was amazing. It was huge - taller than any buildings in Brighton for sure. And I even got to pick up a chunk of the iceberg which had broken off and landed on shore. And I'll tell you a secret. I picked that chunk up and tasted it. Why wouldnt I taste a hunk of 10,000 year-old ice? Would you? 

So, May 2024 has turned out to be a Bucket List month. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket. 

November already? 

You've probably heard it many times. How can it be November already? I've said it a few times, out loud to other humans. And also to my cat. But here we are, at the penulitmate month of the year. In a few weeks I'm heading to Jampolis Cottage for a writing retreat, and I've given myself a few assignments for that week. I'm taking a workshop online the week before, so I should have plenty to keep me busy. The answer to the book question which I keep getting asked is yes, I'm still working on it and that week at Jampolis is my time to really hunker down and get some work done. 

The longer answer is: I've done the First Draft, and have been revising for a few months. I've been listening to a great podcast, which has given me some inspiration and more assignments. I've been reading and working through a couple of books which have been really helpful, like taking a self-directed writing course. Those are The Last Draft by Sandra Scofield and The Magic Words by Cheryl Klein. 

And lastly, a writing tip I got on Twitter of all places, from Gennifer Choldenko:  Make ONE THING better in your manuscript every day. Even if you don't have a lot of time, you can change a word or a sentence or an idea or something, and make it better. This has been getting me through the guilt I feel over not working on the book (because I'm finishing a quilt and making gifts for people). 

Also! I dropped signed copies of Threshold off at Bees Knees in Lawrencetown. See, I can promote my book and support my writing habit. Please go buy some copies so I can buy more ink and a fancy pen.  Also the owners are really nice and they make excellent tahini brownies. Go check them out! 

Hoping to report in after Jampolis...  

Read by the Sea

On July 8 I got to do a fun yet nerve-wracking thing. I was accepted to "Pitch the Publisher" at Read by the Sea in River John.  If you don't know about this, it is a summer literary festival held, well, by the sea in Nova Scotia. It is a fun festival with workshops and author readings, and an excellent part of NS to explore. Thanks again to the RbtS folks and the publishers for this opportunity! 

Back to the pitch... seven hopeful authors stood before 3 Nova Scotia publishers and had 3 minutes each to "pitch" their work. Kind of like a Dragons Den for writers. I spent a lot of time writing my pitch, which really helped me fine-tune what my WIP is about, and the feedback and questions from the publishers has sent me back to the research trenches to make sure I am getting it right. (Also, shout out to Andy and Lauren for reading my pitch and helping me make it so much better). 

Oh, you want to know what this middle-grade speculative fiction is about? Well, here's the current "few sentence" description! I don't have an actual title for it yet, but right now I'm calling it "Brigid's Key" though that will likely change (it was previously Moose Bones but that didn't work either). I've completed the first draft, have had a few beta readers (Thanks Troy, Pam, & Caleb!) Second draft is in the works. 

Brigid's Key ... Work in Progress by Angela J. Reynolds

     After eleven year-old Greylen Fitzgerald relocates to an outport village in Newfoundland, she’s accepted as a legacy member in an exclusive society for girls. Reeling from the guilt she feels over the recent death of her best friend, she longs for a fresh start, yet intensely misses her home back in Portland, Oregon. 

     As she wrestles with her own past, Greylen soon realizes the society’s elderly tutor has information about the Fitzgerald family and their historical role in the Seal Maiden Club. More troubling, the tutor knows about Derva, the ancient spirit that has been haunting Greylen ever since she moved to Pretty Cove. Once the truth is revealed, Greylen must find a way to return Derva to the Otherworld, while coming to terms with her own internal struggles.

July 26, 2023

Great lakes! 

Did you know that the Great Lakes are ... huge? I knew this, but until I actually set foot on Lake Erie, I was not physically aware of how very huge. I mean, ocean-like huge. I'm talking "cannot see to the other side" huge. I was on an epic road trip with my BFF of over 40 years, and even though she was ready to hit the road and get home, I convinced her that driving 10 miles out of our way to the big lake was a good idea. And of course I had to stop and put my feet in. That was some icy water, colder than the Bay of Fundy. But I found some sea-glass (lake glass?) and got to have a brief moment with a large body of water. Highly recommend taking moments with Nature while on a long road trip. It restores the soul and a little walk upon the earth helps the body feel better. So now I've seen two Great Lakes (I've been to Chicago several times), but so far, of the two, Erie is my favourite (sorry, Lake Michigan).  

Speaking of road trip and BFF, she's reading my very rough first draft of Moose Bones, and I eagerly await her notes. More like holding my breath than eagerly. I've given the manuscript to a couple of people, and have that funny butterfly feeling in my stomach. Stay tuned for more on the book - the journey continues!   

Image above is Lake Erie, in western NY state.   May 2023

Moose Bones? 

I've been puttering away at my next book. The working title is Moose Bones, but that is likely to change. I started calling it that because a bone I found on the beach in Twillingate was identified by 2 locals as a moose bone. And it got me wondering, why did I find a moose bone on this isolated beach. My imagination took over and I created a rather sinister reason which never really made it into the book. But I digress. On that same trip to Twillingate I bought a seal fur bracelet at the Durrell Museum. Somehow the moose bone and the bracelet got tangled up and turned into a story that starts with an ancient spirit girl who really wants to go back home. Along came Brigid, who started nudging me to tell her story as well. And then the Good Folk of Ireland began knocking at the door. I've been reading tomes of Irish folklore, books on the sealing industry in Newfoundland, researching the pagan roots of St. Brigid, have learned to weave a 3-legged cross from grass stalks, and trying to console a fictitious child who's best friend died right in front of her. 

As of today (mid March, 2023), I am 33K words in to this strange tale, and I'm quite enjoying it. Of course my big hope is that it will become a printed book and you too can enjoy it.   March 2023

A New Chapter - 2023 begins

As of December 30, I will be retired from my job at Annapolis Valley Regional Library. I moved to Canada in 2005 to start a job there as the Youth Services Librarian. I moved "up" to Community Engagement Coordinator, and then took on the Acting CEO job for 7 months. Now it is time to turn the page (yes I am milking this metaphor). 

I've been driving 45 minutes each way to work for the past 7 years. My body is tired of that, and my mental health will improve when I do not have to drive on icy roads this winter. The past few years have taken a toll on many in the public sector, and librarians are rethinking the profession far and wide. I am happy to turn in my keys and let the younger librarians drive this bus. Ok now I am mixing metaphors. Please excuse my slightly disorganized thoughts. 

What's next, everyone asks. I have a few plans-- I promised to make a quilt for my BFF. I started another book, and now I will have time to devote to that. I really haven't had much energy or time to even think about the book in the past 7 months. The CEO job has been much More than I expected, and I am happy to let it go. 

I want to do something with children's books, especially picture books. I have ideas and am willing to be a hired Idea person. I might start a small-business consulting project. But my first plan is to read, write, drink tea, sew, and actually enjoy snow instead of dread it. I might start a newsletter. Whatever I do, it will not be driving 5 days a week to a job in an office. 

I'm ready to try a different thing. I've been working since I was 15, when I got a job as a waitress at the Wartrace Cafe. I worked in fast food, in a factory, planted tobacco, as a weaver, in bookstores, sold beadwork and bulgar burgers, and finally, in libraries. Once I got to libraries I found my Thing. And now, it is time to find a different Thing. 

Stay tuned.  More to come? We'll see what 2023 has in store.   January 2023