THE REVIEW

YEAR END

Two new members joined us Wednesday night for a fun time with Christmas treats and lots of laughter. Leah Murray and Kristi Kostyshin were brave enough to attend for the first time and we were so pleased to see them.

Annette read first, a continuation of “A Taste Of Wormwood” where we see Alyssa applying for a job as companion to a girl with CP. The home is luxurious, but double locked to the outside world. The young girl seems needy of female companionship, but her older brother is wary of outsiders. The girl insists Alyssa stay for dinner, and tells her the job is live-in. Alyssa doesn’t want to stay in case her presence brings danger to Carrie and her brother, John. We see the humanity of these characters, but also sense dread and mystery lurking in the background.

Kristi was very brave and read next, from a horror novel she’s writing called “Jane And The Midnight Daisies”. In the beginning, we are shown a magician/wizard named Talbot who is upset because he has lost at cards to a Captain Miller. Talbot traces him to a sailing ship on the docks and gives him a box of seeds he says the Captain should plant in his garden at home. We are shown the rather nasty temperament of Captain Miller, and wonder what the seeds will turn out to be.

Jim read Chapter 38 from “Coventry Ghosts, Book II”. Launi recovers from her concussion. The mission is organized and a landing party is launched for Honywuan, in search of Jason. Before landing, Sara does a recon and comes back to tell the Lieutenant there are armed soldiers in trenches on the beach. She does more scouting and finds a safer landing spot a little to the west. Once on shore, Joel feels comforted that Sara is present as he moves inland. We can sense this scene as the build-up for a big confrontation coming.

Jason read another chapter from his new novel. The chapters are not numbered as he is writing scenes but doesn’t yet know what sequence they will appear in the book. This scene is about Gregg’s grandmother, Iris, trying to have her fire-damaged home rebuilt. She is flooded by memories of her father and grandfather and many past happy times in front of the fireplace, which is too damaged to be restored. She fumes she will live longer than the house, but then accepts reality and tells the contractor to do what he must as nothing lasts forever. We see her gather her strength in this scene, even though she’s 96 years old, she’s going to go on.

I read a personal memoir titled “Lost And Found” that I had written for a CBC contest. But I wrote it first and then read the rules and realized it didn’t qualify. It was double the accepted length and didn’t have the required photo to accompany it. The story is about my cousin, who was six like me, and her baby brother, being given up for adoption when her parents split in 1957. When we were thirteen, we ran into each other at school and she asked to get in touch with our paternal grandmother, but not her parents as they had given her away and hadn’t wanted her. It’s a very sad story, which sparked similar retellings of family members of other writers being given up for various reasons.

Had an email from Nathaniel Poole, a former member of The Rams, who now lives on Vancouver Island. His Canadian historical novel “A Dark And Promised Land” will be published next year by Dundurn Press. I remember Nathaniel working at telling this story of Scottish people arriving in Canada through Hudson Bay and following the river down into Manitoba. Congratulations to you, Nathaniel!

Wendy didn’t have anything to read. Leah had wanted to share some of her writing, but had left it at work. She promises to bring something next time.

Lorelie had planned to attend the last Meeting, but was still not well enough. Ellie is busy, busy with trips to the Island and preparing to sell her home here. We haven’t heard anything from Margaret Florczak, but hope she’s fine.

Many thanks to all who brought treats to share with us on Wednesday. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In January, we will meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in that month only, so our next Meeting will be Wednesday, January 8th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. I will send out a reminder the weekend before. Enjoy the Holidays and Happy Writing!

LISA A. HATTON
Author

Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608