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Reflecting on Skipping Stones’ launch
What a whirlwind of activity it’s been in the lead up to the launch of Skipping Stones, and the actual launch week itself! Six weeks ago I was signing off on cover art and interior layouts, buying ISBN numbers, finalizing pricing and uploading files to publishers. At the same time, I was frantically building my marketing plan and trying to entice potential readers to see Skipping Stones as a book they wanted to read this summer. It’s funny. When I published Another Glass of Tea back in 2022, I was equally excited and terrified. It was my first book. What if I wasn’t… Read more…
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A lament for grammar
It’s not National Grammar Day (that’s March 4), but I can’t wait. When did people stop being able to write properly? My inbox is awash with writing containing misplaced commas, apostrophes and hyphens where they shouldn’t be, and missing where they should appear. Comma splices abound and if I have to explain the subjunctive tense (If I were…) or the difference between ‘that’ and ‘who’ (and ‘whom’ for that matter) one more time, I think I might scream. Don’t get me wrong – I know that language evolves, and situational usage means different rules. There are places where it’s absolutely right… Read more…
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My author journey – one year later
I still can’t believe it’s been almost exactly a year since I held Another Glass of Tea in my hands for the first time. It had already been uploaded to various bookseller platforms – Amazon, Kobo, AppleBooks and my publisher’s own bookstore – and it was there for people to buy it. But now it was in my hands. I was alternately filled with excitement and terror. Would people actually buy it? Woud they read it? And the even harder question -would they review it? The answer, to my delight, to the first two was a resounding “yes”. The third? It’s… Read more…
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Childhood favourites: books, books, books!
When one of my sons was small, he always had his nose in a book. In fact, an overzealous gym teacher once told his older brother that he should tell the younger that he shouldn’t be reading so much at recess. I figured if a six year old wanted to read Harry Potter at recess, I’d just let him. He’s still a voracious reader – both the boys are – much as his mother is, and it got me thinking recently about the books I loved in my childhood. I still have some of them, although I admit that others got donated when… 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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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…
