Island Life Archives - Page 10 of 12

In Praise of Indie Bookstores

April 24, 2014 By JPMcLean Leave a Comment

Indie bookstores rock! Here’s a sight dear to my heart and one I never imagined I’d see: All three of my books on the shelf at Abraxas Books, an indie bookstore here on Denman Island. I took this photo after the third book came out and must confess to popping into Abraxas Books far too often just to sigh and smile at the sight of them perched there.

I’m fortunate to live in a community so well served by a supportive bookstore and wanted to give them a well-earned shout out. Juan Barker is one of the owners and he has not only provided me with much needed guidance when I was new to the business, but he continues to go out of his way to promote local writers.

Juan Barker

That’s him behind the counter in this photo taken at one of the book signings he organized.

And it’s not just Juan who makes you feel welcome. All of the partners and staff at Abraxas Books are knowledgeable and user-friendly. If you can’t find the book you’re looking for on the shelves at Abraxas, they’ll order it in for you . . . at a competitive price! That’s saying something in these days of mega stores and on-line retailers.

Buy local means something at Abraxas Books

They not only support local and indie authors, they also carry a selection of pottery, paintings and other crafts made by local artists. We really are quite a creative bunch here on Denman Island. (Likely has something to do with the winter rains that keep us indoors and the ferries that stymie our escape!)

So if you find yourself on Denman Island, turn left at the top of the ferry hill. You’ll find Abraxas Books at 1071 Northwest Road. Juan, Leslie, Corinne or Shaun will be happy to serve you.

Abraxas by phone: 250.335.2731 ~ Abraxas by Email: abraxas9@telus.net

Look who else thinks that Abraxas Books rocks! Here’s a five-star review I found on Yelp, written by a customer from Seattle! And if you’d like to support this indie writer, check out the buy direct from author links on her Bookstore tab.

Spring Fever Melt-down

February 24, 2014 By JPMcLean 9 Comments

Each year around this time, I suffer Spring Fever melt-down. It starts when the snowdrops and aconites break through the cold winter soil to show their bright, sunny faces, and quickly ramps up with the return of the robins.

The fever hit hard last week and drew me outside in shirtsleeves to turn soil, yank weeds and cut down a sea of dead stalks that should have been composted months ago. When the fever’s in full stride, it’s easy to push away thoughts of unwritten chapters and hunker down over a garden fork.

With fresh dirt under my fingernails, I felt a renewed commitment to get my neglected gardens back in shape, but that first day’s work had my back reminding me to take it easy.

The weather cooled, my fever subsided and a few days later I’m in town with a friend, running errands. She suggests a stop at the nursery.

Why not, I think? I’ll just have a wee look-see.

But the moment I walk through the doors, the fever sets in. I inhale the heady scent of forced blooms and my pupils dilate. A garden centre in February is like a crack house to the bloom-starved, flower-addicted gardener.

I wander wide-eyed up and down the aisles touching lush foliage and cooing. Before I know it, I’ve gathered an armful of the little darlings and I make a break for the till.

Later on, safely home, I set my drugs…err…flowers out on the lawn to admire, and contemplate where I’ll plant them. They’ll be fine left outside, I reason, after all, the crocuses are already blooming.

I should know by now that a trip to the garden centre this early in the year never ends well.

For now, the hot flash of spring fever is under control, snuffed out under a blanket of winter snow. But it’ll be back. It always comes back!

If you’re snowed in today, why not curl up with a good book and escape the cold. You can order Secret Sky for Kindle with one simple click here. Go on…your adventure awaits. And if ebooks aren’t your preference, click on the Bookstore tab, or the covers below for more options.

Dishing up Frustration

January 19, 2014 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

Moments ago I signed out of Twitter in a fit of frustration. Not with Twitter—with our Internet connection, which is dishing up frustration. I couldn’t open a link to save my life. As much as I love living on a small island, it has its drawbacks.

We live in one of those rare pockets of civilization not serviced by high-speed land lines. Satellite service is the next best thing, and the dish is usually sufficient, but every once in a while…urghhh!

Just a few days ago, the adjacent neighbours and I had a discussion about how far we’d all come since the dial-up days. Remember that? The phone line was tied up all the time and it took all night to download your email. Large attachments were a nightmare and forget about streaming anything.

I don’t know how it happened, but sometime between dial-up and the dish, access to the Internet became indispensable. Like appliances and power tools, it’s become a time-saving device that makes short work of chores. Especially research—remember card catalogues? I miss those about as much as I miss dial-up.

There are talented artisans who eschew modern technologies and still manage to create masterpieces; sadly, I’m not one of them. I’m not that writer who could turn out a book on an old Underwood or even a Selectric. Without my word processor, I’d be a tree’s worst nightmare.

My apologies for whining and moaning about our Internet service. I’m just venting. I couldn’t manage with it and I wouldn’t trade our worst day of service here for better service elsewhere. So I’ll shut up now and go see if the dish is behaving yet.

If your Internet service is working, you can order Secret Sky on Amazon with one simple click here.

For other retailers click here.

Your adventure awaits…buckle up.

Tiny Office…Great View

November 14, 2013 By JPMcLean 10 Comments

My office may be tiny, but there’s a great view!

A few weeks ago, I attended a workshop about income tax and the self-employed. It was perhaps a bit premature; after all, you need an income to write expenses off against, but I’m nothing if not optimistic. In attendance were a diverse group of islanders with small businesses ranging from jewelry making to gardening.

The “Use of Home” subject came up raising all kinds of questions about how to properly measure and report the space we use for conducting our business. Some artists use their entire home to store, display and create their art. Gardeners and potters use outdoor space. Some have dedicated offices and others use multi-purpose areas, like kitchen counters and spare bedrooms.

The spaces I use to write

It made me think about the space I use to write. We have an office at the back of the house. It has a wrap-around desk, a comfortable chair, a large desk-top computer, a printer, and every other “office” supply ready at hand.

I never use it. I feel isolated there. Stymied.

Instead, I’ve commandeered a corner of the dining room. I use my grandmother’s old sewing machine cabinet as a table and on dark days I turn on an old lamp of hers to light my little nook. I set my bevies on the cabinet by the dictionary, put my feet up on the ottoman and pull my computer into my lap.

Each day’s view is different. Some days it’s so bright I have to roll out of the glare. On other days, the fog creeps right up to the edge of the deck, obliterating everything. On stormy days, the windows are spattered with salt spray and tree debris from the incredible winds. Is it any wonder the beach and the storms find their way onto the pages of my books?

As I write this post, it’s sunny and I’m smiling to myself as two thoughts occur to me. 1. This tiny office with the great view is far too small to warrant the paperwork necessary to “claim” it on my taxes. And 2. How did I ever get so lucky?