UNPUBLISHED BOOK LENGTH WRITING
Scattered Memories – Family Memoir, not for publication;
Canine Connection – 96,400 words, women’s fiction, complete;
Northern Refuge - 85,000 words, faith-based romantic suspense, complete;
Unlikely Showdown – 86,250 words, cosy mystery, in revision;
Untitled - cosy mystery, work-in-progress.
~
PUBLISHED WRITING
Here are links to a random sampling of
some of my favourite published essays,
magazine articles and short stories.
~ ~ ~
THE IMMOBILE MOBILE
[RV Times, November-December 2010]
Recreational vehicles are meant to take you in comfort to holiday destinations. A vehicle, after all, is by definition a means of transportation. It’s supposed to move. So what should you do with a camper in which you can’t go camping? That was our dilemma last summer. [Read more...]
~
WISDOM AT ANY AGE
[The Tide Pool eZine, July 2009]
(YA Short Fiction published under pseudonym: Iris Whyte)
“It’s not enough to hate it. Ya gotta do something about it!” I spit a mouthful of sunflower seed husks onto the grass and get to my feet. “C’mon. Let’s go find him.”
“Not me. Not a chance.”
“You don’t do it now, you never will.” I give Michael my best big-brother look of encouragement but he stays sprawled on the lawn under the public library’s only tree. I stuff the package of seeds inside my backpack. “Look, this is your problem, not mine, but I thought you wanted my help.” [Read more...]
~
I CAN’T BELIEVE I SAID THAT!
[Dogs In Canada, July 2009]
As a professional show secretary with an insider’s view, I’ve witnessed some pretty bizarre behaviour by dog show exhibitors. For some of them participation seems to be as addictive as gambling, and it’s a deadly serious pursuit. [Read more...]
~
HOT DOGS, WET DOGS AND RV INSANITY
[RV Times, July/August 2008]
We dog owners only have three alternatives when we decide to take a vacation: board the dogs in a commercial kennel, pay someone to come into our home and dog sit, or take all the critters with us. If your budget is anything like ours, the first two choices aren’t viable options. Even if your budget isn’t like ours, you don’t want to waste hard earned cash paying someone else to tend to your beasties’ very basic needs, now do you? No, I didn’t think so. Neither do we. [Read more…]
~
WRITERS OWE IT TO THEIR READERS
['Vancouver Sun' Newspaper, September 19, 2008]
“Raise a Reader,” declares the banner across my newspaper centerfold. It’s a worthy goal: by example, instruction and inspiration to encourage literacy within families and communities. It’s a concept that appeals to me. After all, I’m a writer, and writers need readers. [Read more…]
~
THE KENNEL CLUB THAT WASN’T
[Dogs In Canada, April 2009]
When is a kennel club not a kennel club? One answer might be, “when its primary purpose isn’t to be involved in dog-related activities.” If you add, “when the majority of its members don’t have dogs and really aren’t interested in the purebred dog fancy” you begin to zero in on what made the Kiwanis Club Dog Shows and their sixty-year history unique. [Read more…]
~
SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND: THERE IS GOOD CHRISTIAN FICTION
[The Presbyterian Record, June 2007]
The Holographic Reading Club meets every Tuesday, and one evening the subject turned to Christian Fiction…
“You mean those stories that are devoid of any resemblance to real life?” someone interjected.
“They’re superficial, with stilted characters, unrealistic conflicts and predictable conclusions,” claimed another.
“Be more specific. Give us examples,” I challenged him. [Read more…]
~
GOING TO THE DOGS, RV STYLE
[RV Times, May/June 2004]
While many RV buyers squint at the specs, focusing on features such as hitch weight, size of holding tanks, and furnace BTU’s (that would be my husband), others want to know if there’s a bathtub in which to bathe dogs, and will the awning extend far enough to protect all the exercise pens and crates from the elements (yup, that’s my department). And décor? Oh, please, please may the upholstery come in something neutral that won’t show dog hair, and the carpet in a camouflaging shade of puppy piddle yellow. [Read more…]
~
BRIDGING THE CREEK: YOU WANT TO BUILD A BRIDGE WHERE?
[Cottage Magazine, July/August 2005]
Cariboo country back roads tend to meander a lot. Ranchers make reference to cow trails, but in truth many of these roads originated as game trails. If you follow one far enough you’ll invariably end up at a lake, stream or other such wildlife water source. Back in the late 1940’s that’s just what my parents did. [Read more…]
~
BEHIND THE SCENES OF “BEST IN SHOW”
[Dogs In Canada, November 2000]
Acting as a consultant during the filming of Best In Show ended up involving far more than the few meetings and phone calls I had originally envisioned when I was approached about the job. My first clue was when I was asked if I would be able to give the cast members a few lessons in show handling; then, could I find Westminster-quality dogs of at least 80 different AKC-recognized breeds to participate in the group and Best in Show scenes that would be covered in the movie, plus at least 50 people, their dogs and all their paraphernalia to populate a grooming area; and, later, would I be able to choreograph the actual dog-show scenes! [Read more...]
