THE REVIEW

AND THE PRIZE GOES TO?

Leah, Kristi, Jim and Margaret F. all joined me on Wednesday for another inspiring Meeting of the Rams. Jason was busy elsewhere. Lorelei was having a bad day. And Annette was attending someone’s birthday party.

Leah gave us a printout of “10 Ways to Promote Your Self-Published Book”. It covers all the basics to self-promote.

Margaret read first, two posts from her blog on caregiving. The first was “Caregiver’s New Year” where she tells us that watching another’s journey in dying is really a privilege and not something to evoke sympathy. The second post was “The Diagnosis” which tells of the shock for both the patient and the caregiver when the diagnosis is terminal, that nothing can be done. Both pieces tell of courage and heartbreak with end of life issues. You can find Margaret’s blog at www.caregiverme.com


Kristi read next, a short story called “TLC”. It is first person and tells of her going to work upset, and all the things going wrong, and then seeing that her first dental patient would be someone she detests. But when both are faced with each other’s tears, they learn they each lost a beloved dog the night before and end up uniting in their grief and consoling each other. And Kristi herself was in tears remembering the death of her dog. It’s remarkable how the printed word can elicit raw emotions from the writer, the reader, the listener. Powerfully written, for sure.

Jim read Ch. 5 of “Coventry Ghosts – Book I”. In this chapter, Leanne appears for the first time after midnight to both her mother, Patty, and her sister, Olivia. Patty faints. We teased Jim because he had her body ‘prostate’ instead of ‘prostrate’. This was a really fun chapter and should thrill young readers.

I read again from “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”; the prologue, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. This explains the death of the child, that DeeDee drowned her, that she wants Nigel to understand, and that her mother is burdened by the event and is worried about what friends from church will think. I haven’t written more yet, but am editing what I have so far, trying to get back into the flow of the story.

In a conversation with Gemma, I did learn she is now involved with a writing group in Victoria and participated in a local event and sat a table where the writers were selling their own work. She said she was able to sell another copy of her book about her dog, Heidi. Good for Gemma!

At the end of the Meeting, we decided that Kristi deserved an award from our prize box for the story that was the best tear-jerker. She chose a small journal.

The next Meeting will be Wednesday, July 8th at 7:00 p.m., here at my place. Hope to see you then, and that fathers have a wonderful Fathers’ Day, and that everyone enjoys Canada Day! Write on, Rams!!!

Lisa A. Hatton
Author