Will you help me name a character in my new book? He’s a psychiatrist, fifty-five years old, and a bit shady with a rather high opinion of himself. The guy below fits the image in my head. Right now his name is Richard—a perfectly fine name—but it’s too fine for this guy. The one limiting factor is that his name has to start with R (and no, I won’t tell you why!).
Name a character
Which of the following names do you prefer? Or if you’re so inclined, add a new name suggestion in the comments.
1. Riker,
2. Roman,
3. Ryder
4. ??
Progress on Witness
The new book, which I’ve titled Witness (unless I find something more fitting), is now three-quarters written, and though I’m still struggling with the daily writing/marketing mix, I expect to finish the first draft by the end of September.
There! Putting it out there. In writing. It’s a little game I play with myself to help me hit the mark.
Denman Island Saturday Market
What else have I been up to? Again this summer, I’ve been setting up on long weekends at the Denman Island Saturday Market. It feels like a reunion every time, with neighbours dropping by to catch up in the shade of my tent. Mary Ann Clarke dropped by last time, which was a nice surprise. (For anyone who’s looking for me at the DI market on the Labour Day long weekend, my apologies, but I’ll be out of town. Instead, I’ll set up on August 24th. )
Beach header photo credit Ethan Robertson on Unsplash
Richard character photo credit Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash
If you’re looking for an addictive summer read, check out Secret Sky, Book 1 of The Gift Legacy. Get your copy from Kindle with one click right here. And if kindle or ebooks aren’t your preference, click on the bookstore tab for other purchase options, or just click on the covers below.
Out of the Smoke
Into the Steam
On to Haliburton
I’m writing this post on a warm afternoon sitting on my sister’s deck and watching the river flow by. The heat and humidity comes and goes, as does the rain, and though I never know which friends and family I’ll end up seeing when I visit, I’m so glad this trip has turned into an annual event.
The birds are sharing cherries this year. It’s a first. Most years the birds get to the red orbs ten minutes before the fruit reaches peak ripeness. But look at this beautiful bowlful we managed to pick before the birds pecked the tree clean.
I must apologize for neglecting to update you on the new-book front. The structural and copy edits on books 5 and 6 are done. On the rebranding front, I’ve been buried in the picayune details of reformatting the existing books to reflect their new ISBN numbers and titles, and the new font choice (EB Garamond). Tedious work, I’m afraid, but it needed to be done.
The cover designers, 
On the home front, thanks to Albert, Peter, and John, I’ve got a lovely new bookshelf. Finally, I can unpack some books that have been in boxes for more years than I care to admit.
A freight trained called summer is thundering by, leaving backyard parties and BBQs in the din of its wake. Thankfully, it still has a full head of steam with miles of summer track yet to travel. And what a glorious summer it’s been so far, with good company, an abundant fruit crop, and plenty of fresh salmon.
Living on Denman Island with roadside produce stands and a thriving Saturday market, we mark the passing season by which fruit crop is ripening. First came the cherries, then the loganberries and blueberries. We started picking blackberries a week ago, about the same time the transparent apples started falling from the trees, and yesterday we harvested the apricots.
Happily, the abundance doesn’t stop there. In book news, I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Karen Oberlaender. Check out our conversation in her short and snappy “