July 25, 2020

"Another amazing series from an amazing author. I highly recommend this to anyone." - Heather P.

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Daisy wanted some snuggle time this week, so we posed for some snapshots!

Like many people, I have an Android phone, and I must say I quite like it. One thing that has always bothered me, however, was the difficulty in copying files between my PC and phone. I used to use something called Samsung SideSync, but apparently, that’s now been discontinued. I installed its replacement, Samsung Flow, and it seems to be working much better, allowing me to easily drag files to my phone, ideal for updating my music, which I keep on my PC.

Now the real issue for me is that I’ve ripped most of these tunes from the CD’s (yes, I still buy CD’s from time to time), and that means they do not contain the album art. I used to use a program called Album Art Grabber, a free utility available in Google Play, but it appears it has issues with the newest version of Android and keeps crashing.

I usually use the Samsung Music app to play my tunes, so I put it out to you, my newsletter readers? What program do you use, if any, to acquire the correct album cover art for your music?

Congrats to Tim for winning last week's eBook Giveaway! Many of you, like me, love The Marvel Cinematic Universe the best!

Remember, all you need to do to choose which choice you prefer, and you will automatically be entered into the Giveaway to win your choice of any of my ebooks, even the upcoming Temple Knight!

Yesterday, I was thinking of my Canadian history. There are all the usual things, of course, from the founding of the country to the world wars, but one of the more interesting stories I can recall is that of the Pig War of 1859. Now, I know what you're thinking, 1857 is prior to Canada's founding in 1867. Correct, but we don't celebrate Upper Canada Day, so here goes anyway.

This confrontation erupted due to a boundary dispute over some islands that exist between Vancouver Island (part of British Columbia) and the State of Washington. It had its roots in the 1846 Oregon Treaty that defined the US/Canada border as being along the 49^th parallel, then south through the middle of the channel separating Vancouver Island from the mainland. The only problem with this definition is that there are two straits there, something we now take for granted, but in 1847, those in the area were still using maps that were created by George Vancouver, way back in 1798. As a result, a small group of islands fell into the gap.

This wasn't helped by the American and British diplomats who, in their ignorance, did not address the issue of the unclaimed islands. Soon after, the Hudson's Bay Company began operating off of the San Juan Islands, while at the same time, American settlers appeared on the scene, thinking the land theirs.

Thirteen years after the treaty, an American farmer found a large pig in his garden. He was so upset, he shot and killed the pig (who, by the way, ended up being the only casualty of the war). The owner of the pig, being British, claimed compensation, which the American refused. This led to an escalation ending with the Americans calling for military protection from the US government.

Both sides took action, leading to the deployment of a Royal Navy Ship and the construction of an American artillery battery. The US, dealing with tensions internally that would eventually lead to their Civil War, were eager to settle the matter and sent General Winfield Scott to negotiate with the British Governor of the region (This is the same general that rose to fame in the War of 1812). In the end, it took twelve years to resolve the issue. In 1866, the colony of Vancouver merged with British Columbia, and in 1871, they both joined the Dominion of Canada. That year, the US signed the Treaty of Washington, finally settling the dispute by asking for arbitration. It was actually Kaiser Wilhelm that created a three-man arbitration commission. In the end, the Americans got the island while the British withdrew their troops.

And all this because a pig was caught eating someone's plants!

This past week I shared my process for how I prepare to write a book, including the creation of series overview, book overview, chapter breakdown, and much more. Check it out here

This week saw me making a start on The Beast of Brunhausen, a Chronicles of Cyric story. As with most of my side stories, I intended this to be more of a short story, but it's shaping up to be longer, perhaps 30-40,000 words or even a little more.

I had originally outlined the storyline for this murder mystery a few months ago, but when I read over it, I discovered I'd forgotten to add in other suspects. I took a day off, working on the outline for Fury of the Crown, then came back to it on Thursday to overhaul the outline.

Now, I'm much more satisfied with the storyline and can't wait to see what Carol thinks when she reads the first draft. I don't tell her who did it so that she can guess as she reads it. She got the suspect wrong in A Midwinter Murder, so I am hoping for the same things this time! (Shhh, don't tell her, but I also mixed up the clues and suspects, so she doesn't know who the true culprit is anymore).

Next Monday, I shall get cracking on the actual text, with an aim to finishing this one off in two or three weeks, depending on how long it ends up being. After that, it's on to Fury of the Crown. (Truth be told I'll likely be working on that at the same time as I often find it easier to outline in the late afternoon.)

Until next time, enjoy another passage from Temple Knight. Book One in the new Power Ascending series.

“Is that our new member?” asked a voice. The youthful woman stepped from the stall, a brush still in her palm. She transferred it to her left, then wiped her hand on her cassock, before extending it. “I'm Sister Danica,” she said, “I took care of your horse if you remember. She’s been rubbed down, watered, and we’ll soon get some food into her.”

“Thank you,” said Charlaine. She looked at the girl in surprise. “You look young for a Temple Knight?”

“I’m seventeen,” said Danica, defensively, “old enough to serve.”

“I meant no insult, you just surprised me.”

“She is our youngest member,” offered Cordelia.

“I find it strange that the complement here is so young,” said Charlaine. “Are there no older sisters?”

“Normally, there would be,” said Cordelia, “but no one with influence wants to be posted here, so we only get raw recruits. Still, it’s not all bad. The area is pretty peaceful, barring the odd sea raider.”

“Sea raider?”

“Yes,” said Cordelia, “we’re on the coast of the Shimmering Sea. Have you not seen it?”

“No, I’m afraid I’ve had little free time since I’ve arrived in the area.”

“Well, we’ll have to see if we can get you down to it tomorrow.”

“Is it very far? I’ve never seen the sea.”

“It’s close enough to walk to,” offered Danica, “but we usually take our horses.”

“Why is that?” asked Charlaine.

“We’re required to keep up on our riding,” explained Cordelia. “It's the captain's idea.”

“Anything else I should know about?”

Her guide laughed, “Lots, but let’s not overwhelm you.”

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