Thursday, April 19, 2012

THE REVIEW

HOCKEY CAN WAIT!


Jason, Jim and Ellie all joined me for a Meeting last night in spite of the scheduled hockey game between the Canucks and the L.A. Kings. I had said I would put the game on TV and mute the volume, but Jason nixed that. He said since there were so few of us we could all read quickly and then disperse to go watch the last period. That way my living room wouldn’t be subjected to four-letter epithets or hurled objects if the Canucks were losing. So we read fast.

I read first, Chapter 8 in “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”. This was a short chapter about Nigel packing for a quick trip to Watch Lake to try and convince Dee to marry him so he wouldn’t be required to testify against her. On his way out of the apartment he runs into Hank, the father of Dee’s deceased child, who is accompanied now by another woman. Nigel tries to stay focused on the good things that he and Dee could experience in being married to each other. He refuses to acknowledge all the things that could go wrong.


Ellie read a re-write of her poem “March”. She wants to enter it in the CBC Literary contest, so had to add enough words to fit the required length. She changed the ending and we all advised that she go back to emphasizing that death means the end of winter as it seemed to be a more powerful observation.

Jason read Ch. 16, “Separation”. Damianos hears voices telling him not to kill Jody as the Nornir believed her to be precious. He was told to take her to the midlen place, but in order to find it, he first had to find the Book of the Nornir. After getting no answers from Jody, he decides he should search her home, and tries to send Ligeia to do that but she refuses as she doesn’t know what to look for. So he decides to go himself and leave Jody in the hands of Ligeia. He tells her to keep Jody safe and read her book of spells to learn about Gregg, the jivita.

Jim read Chapter 15 in the second book of the Coventry Ghosts. Jason, sprung from the Mexican prison and kidnapped by Solak, is led by him to the coast, where Solak rents a boat and then shoots the boat’s captain. They are out on the ocean for six days and have run out of food and water as they await a pre-arranged rendezvous with a foreign vessel. Jason passes out, sunburned and dehydrated. When he awakes, he is being nursed in a small compartment aboard a submarine. This chapter is a stark contrast to the light and humourous previous chapter with Sarah and another ghost playing in the library.

Wendy stayed home to watch the hockey game. Julie had a house guest. Monica was not well, and we wish her a swift return to full health.

Next Meeting will be Wednesday, May 2nd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then.

Lisa

Thursday, April 5, 2012

THE REVIEW

HAPPY EASTER!


Four of us had a good meeting last night. Jim, Ellie and Jason joined me and so we had lots of time to read and discuss things.

Jason read first, Chapter 15 entitled “Worm”. It is from the point of view of Ligeia, the winged siren. She and Damianos take Jody to a hidden camp deep in the forest. Ligeia is jealous of the way Damianos pays attention to Jody and, indeed, any of his victims. She wants his attention all to herself, like the need for a drug. Once arriving at the camp, Damianos told Ligeia to tie Jody face down to a cot, as he tore off Jody’s shirt and bra. Lots of tension and a dire threat of evil in this chapter.

Ellie read two poems. The first one was about the death of her uncle Pete, and all the questions it raised about life and death, and the soul, and what comes after death. The second poem was an observation of nature’s evidence of early spring, each tiny nuance becoming slowly visible. Ellie shared with us that nature was her path to spirituality.

Jim read Chapter 14 in the second book of the Coventry Ghosts. In it we see Karly teaching Sarah, the kitten ghost, to read. They are in the library. When Sarah tires of reading, she tells Karly they can practice manipulating physical objects by the power of thought, a skill she is teaching Karly. For a break, they both careen around, cavorting in ghostly fashion until they tire and return to the library. It was a good chapter showing ghostly development.

Jim said he had taken our advice and inserted in the first book early mentions of the antagonist Jason, to add to the suspense of the story.

I had another “Honey” story to read, “The Best Thing” which tells of my meeting Honey and some of our amusing first encounters. I am trying to collect enough of this series for a collection that might be publishable. But Jason wants me to get back to writing “Nigel Wingate Is Dead” as he wants to know what’s going to happen in that novel. Thanks for the encouragement, Jason.

Julie emailed that she was busy taking a course last night. Margaret Florczak is busy working long days and said she hoped to join us again sometime in May. Wendy wasn’t feeling well and we wish her renewed health. And there was no word from Anne or Monica.

Happy Easter to all the Rams! Next Meeting will be Wednesday, April 18th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then.

Lisa