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The book’s a cake!
A short blog post today, because I’m still riding the high of a book party my three grownup-children (and two partners!) threw for me this afternoon. And they did. With about 24 hours to go, they swooped in – one pair from the nation’s capital, another just recently returned from Banff, and a singleton from an overnight camp job. Working together, they pulled together one of the best days I’ve ever had. The kids even turned the book into a cake! People wandered in and out all afternoon – former and current colleagues, the ladies I met in prenatal class… Read more…
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A whirlwind first month!
A month ago, Another Glass of Tea was launched to the world – and what a month it’s been! Click here to see the unboxing video A corner of my living room is full of boxes of books I hope to sell myself at local events and book signings (stay tuned soon for more information on when those will be), and to friends and acquaintances. The pile is smaller than it was then, so that’s a good sign! I even did an unboxing video when they arrived. I’ve added a page to my website to house the reviews that are starting to… Read more…
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Meet Fiona
Meet Fiona O’Reilly. Fiona is the main character of Another Glass of Tea, a feisty red-headed fireball, who gamely takes on everything life throws at her. She’s gritty and determined to make the best of the challenges and opportunities she’s handed –from living in a foreign country for a year to starting a business of her own. She somehow manages to juggle that business and four young children, raising them to be good people themselves. But Fiona’s not infallible. Sometimes she bites off more than she can chew, and it takes those around her to remind her that she is not alone.… Read more…
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Canadian landscapes
Just in time for Canada Day, I thought I’d let you in on Fiona’s Canadian homes. Once upon a time, I thought I’d like to live in north Toronto. I loved the old houses, the shade from the huge maple trees and the idea of walking to the local greengrocer and butcher shop. So when I wanted Another Glass of Tea‘s Fiona to live my dream, I invented her a house I would never have been able to afford, with room for her entire brood. Fiona and her husband Sam start their family there, close to his brother’s place. They… Read more…
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All kinds of relationships
As Pride month comes to an end (in fact, Toronto’s Pride Parade is today), I’m thinking about a pair of characters in Another Glass of Tea who were a surprise to me. I intentionally set out to ensure that my secondary and tertiary characters reflected the wide variety of backgrounds and experiences I see in people around me, and in cities near me. That means that Fiona has a group of friends in Toronto with a variety of heritages. Different writers have different processes. For me, I knew there were certain markers along the way, and definite scenes and moments that would have… Read more…
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From the cutting room floor: A little bit of onion, a little ketchup
A lot ends up on the proverbial cutting room floor in the editing process of a book. One casualty of trimming Another Glass of Tea down to an appropriate length was a scene of a concert that the main character Fiona and her friends attend. They go to hear storied singer Barış Manço in a small venue and dance and sing wildly like the teenagers they are. Barış Manço Museum In my own year, I was fortunate enough to see Barış Manço in concert. And yes, I admit that scene did bear some resemblance to my own memories. I never quite understood the… Read more…
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What do you mean, a glass of tea?
In Turkey, tea is served in these little thin-waisted – ince belli, they call it – clear glasses. You grasp them by the very top rim, so as not to burn your fingers, and you sip the piping hot black liquid. The glasses sit in little saucers to catch any spillage. In my own kitchen, I have a stack of them, with designs of ladybugs, flowers and hearts, but the ones that seem to be universally available at tea gardens have red stripes. You might drink several glasses at one sitting – with sugar if you prefer, but never with milk. Tea seems… Read more…
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Research makes the story come alive
I squeaked in some travel in the summer of 2021 that was really important. There’s a small part of Another Glass of Tea that’s set in the Turkish town of Datça on the Aegean coast. I’ve heard people talk about it, and seen photos of friends vacationing there. And for some reason I knew it had to be there. Another part takes place in the Istanbul neighbourhood of Kuzguncuk. Colourful houses of Kuzguncuk There was only one problem. I’d never actually been to either of those places. So when Canada’s COVID numbers were declining at the same time Turkey’s were, and second vaccines… Read more…
