From the Writer’s Desk

From the Writer’s Desk

Short articles on new projects, books I’ve read and reflections on the writer’s life.

  • LDBSS Author Visit, February 28, 2024
    From the Writer’s Desk LDBSS Author Visit, February 28, 2024 March 3, 2024 This past Wednesday, I went for an author visit at the Lac du Bonnet Senior School, my former high school. The librarian had invited me in to speak with students who are just discovering fiction writing. They asked questions for nearly an… Read more: LDBSS Author Visit, February 28, 2024
  • Looking Ahead to 2024
    From the Writer’s Desk Looking Ahead to 2024 January 19, 2024 2024 follows my best writing year yet: five fiction short stories printed in Dragon Soul Press anthologies and one historical non-fiction published through the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum and three more Window on Our Past history articles. I started 2024 by giving my website… Read more: Looking Ahead to 2024
  • 2023: A Good Year for Writing
    From the Writer’s Desk 2023: A Good Year for Writing January 19, 2024 Nearly one year ago, my short story “The Cartographer’s Daughter” was published in the Dragon Soul Press Reign of Fire anthology. “The Cartographer’s Daughter” was the story that got me back into writing fiction. It was my first publication after a five… Read more: 2023: A Good Year for Writing
  • Do I Have That Book Challenge
    From the Writer’s Desk Do I Have That Book Challenge April 9, 2022 Throughout February & into March on my social media pages, I completed the Do I Have That Book Challenge.
  • New Year, New Projects
    From the Writer’s Desk New Year, New Projects January 7, 2022 Even though the new year is looking very much like a repeat of the last one, I’m starting out ahead for once.
  • 2021 Reading List: The Last Half of the Year
    From the Writer’s Desk 2021 Reading List: The Last Half of the Year January 6, 2022 For the books I read in the first half of the year, read this article: Four Months of Books: January to April The books I read in the last half of 2021 can all be traced back to what… Read more: 2021 Reading List: The Last Half of the Year
  • Four Months of Books: January to April
    From the Writer’s Desk Four Months of Books: January to April May 8, 2021 One thing I can say about the past four months: I’ve had no time to be bored. Between research, writing, revising, and getting things ready for my summer backcountry escapes (all while trying to get through this pandemic unscathed), there are… Read more: Four Months of Books: January to April
  • Troubled Blood
    From the Writer’s Desk Troubled Blood December 29, 2020 Troubled Blood is the fifth novel by Robert Galbraith to feature the British private investigator, Cormoran Strike, and his agency partner, Robin Ellacott. One glance at one of these mysteries and it is clear why J.K. Rowling writes under this Galbraith pen name: these books are… Read more: Troubled Blood
  • Into Boreal Wild
    From the Writer’s Desk Into Boreal Wild November 2, 2020 Almost three years ago, I saw an ad in the Winnipeg Free Press. A small Manitoba press, Schreyer Ink Publishing, based near Steinbach, put a call out for stories featuring uniquely Canadian creatures in a Canadian landscape. I was immediately interested.
  • Come From Away
    From the Writer’s Desk Come From Away October 28, 2020 When I’m writing, I don’t read as many books as I want to because those stories and my own start to jumble in my head. Recently, I needed a break, so I picked up Come From Away by Genevieve Graham.
  • Bird Watching
    From the Writer’s Desk Bird Watching July 2, 2020 Doing research is a lot like bird watching: I never know what will appear. Both require hours of searching and a little bit of luck.
  • The Flight Girls
    From the Writer’s Desk The Flight Girls May 1, 2020 I just finished reading The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar. This book, vivid in both character and setting, combines two things I enjoy most: history and aviation.
  • Dark Age
    From the Writer’s Desk Dark Age February 16, 2020 My January read was the massive 752-page Dark Age by Pierce Brown.
  • Hibernation
    From the Writer’s Desk Hibernation February 12, 2020 Winter hibernation and writing go perfectly together.
  • Favorite Reads of 2019
    I read a lot of books in 2019. Over the years, I have found that I cannot walk past a bookstore without going in. And, even if I don’t plan to, I will come out with at least one book that caught my eye. Some of these books were discovered by chance.