In writing and in life, “caveat emptor”

Recently I’ve come across a number of Facebook and blog posts sharing information of questionable accuracy. Some of it was definitely erroneous while other bits were extrapolated from a shaky premise. Those who shared, unknowingly believed they were doing others a favour. I’m not sure why I let it bother me, but it makes me

Writing ‘ho-hum’ fiction

Vancouver is the city of my birth. Its population today is much larger than it was all those years ago, but even then I considered it big. Still, my parents never hesitated to let me roam our neighbourhood to play with friends in the evening darkness, or as a young teenager to take a city

Can writing fiction change reality?

. Anger hurts. Anger reacts and retaliates. Anger consumes like fire among tinder. Anger rages in so many parts of our world. Wars and political uprisings, invasions, murder and brutality spill from one country to another and onto our own city streets. An ostrich approach is tempting except we know anger won’t disappear just because

EYES OF ELISHA: A Book Review and Giveaway

Author Jeanette Levellie and I made a deal. She had committed to reviewing EYES OF ELISHA for Brandilyn Collins but then discovered it wasn’t her “cup of Starbucks”. What to do? It was a dilemma solved by finding someone else who met the same criteria that had initially won her the book, and I ended

Discussing (Not Smoking) Marijuana

If you don’t want to get into trouble at a social gathering I’m told you should avoid discussing politics and religion. Try tossing in the subject of legalizing marijuana!  Now that’s controversial.   All drug laws in Canada are under federal jurisdiction, which means the provinces can’t change them. But don’t tell that to the

Real Life Murder Story

Guns and gangs, murder and mayhem — it sounds like the makings of another great murder mystery, except this time it’s real life in the Fraser Valley during the past two weeks.   Three infamous gangster brothers, Jonathan, Jarrod and Jamie Bacon, are linked to a drug gang known as the Red Scorpions. They live