On the Homefront

Carol and I are taking a little vacation down to the Niagara Region this weekend. Of course, we’ll include the lights at night in Niagara Falls, but our main purpose is to visit the Shaw Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

As I’ve shared in past newsletters, we enjoy watching plays, but this is our first time visiting this theatre. We’re looking forward to watching White Christmas and A Christmas Carol, then enjoying the area's ambiance.

Meanwhile, back home, we have friends dog-sitting Daisy and Tilly, so they should also be having fun.

I’ll be sure to tell you all about our adventures next week!

Interview with an author (Me)

Based on feedback from social media and newsletter enquiries, we’ve decided to record a series of videos answering and discussing (sometimes in depth) various questions readers ask me. These videos are available on most of my social media in an abridged format, but the full-length discussions are only on YouTube. 

The videos are very much in a ‘talk show’ style, with Carol asking the questions and both of us discussing the answers. I warn you, though, I sometimes get off-topic, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy going down the rabbit hole with us.

If you want to learn more about where my stories come from or what my writing process is like, head over to the link below and let us know what you think. And if you have any further questions you’d like to see answered, feel free to send an email.

If you would like to see it on TikTok, click here

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Congrats to Maria for winning last week's giveaway. Dogs won out, but only barely. Remember to answer the question below to be entered in to the eBook giveaway.

The Eyes of the Fleet

This week, I’ve been reading an old book I found in a used book store called The Eyes of the Fleet by Anthony Price. It details the careers of several British frigate captains during the Napoleonic wars and the fictional history of Horatio Hornblower. He begins by explaining a few basic ideas concerning the time period, then dives into Edward Pellew's career, who features quite prominently in the Hornblower stories by C.S. Forester.

Admittedly, it was a little hard to get into, but it got a lot more interesting once I was past the first chapter. The author does a great job of explaining what naval life was like then, as well as revealing fascinating insights into the politics of the time.

It’s a good source book for the naval enthusiast, especially if you like to read novels from the period, whether it be C.S.Forester, Patrick O’Brian, Julian Stockwin, or a host of other authors. 

Favourite 5-Star Review of the Week:

Work In Progress Update

Work on Temple Commander slowed down a little this week as I needed to adjust my original outline, adding some things that weren’t originally there. I won’t say what they are at this point, but they will be important going forward, particularly for Temple General.

The book currently sits lightly shy of 80,000 words, which is over 55 percent complete. The middle act ramps up the action as the situation grows more dire for the main characters,  but there are some interesting developments in there as well, so all is not lost.

Now, the world of Eiddenwerthe awaits my attention, so I must go!

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