THE REVIEW

BOOK REPORT


Jason, Ellie, Bob, Jim and I were all at Wednesday’s meeting. Margaret hurt her back and was unable to attend. Gemma couldn’t make it, either. And we don’t know where Anne Berrie is these days. If Bob signs up with his wife to take a course in playing Bridge, he will miss the next three meetings.

I started by recommending that everyone read “Sunray: The Death And Life of Captain Nichola Goddard”, in honour of our upcoming Remembrance Day. And I strongly believe it should be required reading for all Canadian high school students. My reasons are several. As I writer, I found the book easy to read and very informative about the military setting here and in Afghanistan. As a Canadian, I think Nichola Goddard has more than earned status as a true Canadian hero we should all be familiar with and be proud of. And because Major Sonny Hatton and his wife Chantal Hatton, both pictured and mentioned in the book, are my son and daughter-in-law. I know they were close friends with Nichola and her husband, Jay, and Nichola’s death was devastating to them.
The book is a new release and is authored by Valerie Fortney, a journalist with the Calgary Herald, and is published by Key Porter Books. I borrowed the book from the Murrayville branch of the FVRL. My brother has purchased a copy from Hemmingway’s Book Store in Abbotsford. Unfortunately, Chapter’s Langley did not have a single copy in their store as of today’s date.

Jason is working on his novel’s rewrite with his wife, and says they are on a roll with it. He thinks reading bits and pieces to the group is too disrupting for his writing process. There aren’t enough meetings to keep up with all the chapters.

Ellie read a personal story about kayaking off Crescent Beach early one morning and encountering two grey whales. She had heard they pass that way migrating north and was astounded at how lucky she was to see them, one only 4 feet away from her kayak. She found the experience surreal and felt blessed by the encounter.

Bob re-read a piece he had written in 2003. It was from his history of jewellery manufacturing in B.C. The first manufacturer appeared in 1893, and Jacoby Bros. was established in 1909. We learn about the early processes of making jewellery and that some equipment came from New York, by ship, down around the Cape of Good Hope.

I read a short story titled “Busted!” about a teenaged girl with a crush on her school’s star basketball player. He embarrasses her at school at the beginning of grade 10. She applies herself to her studies but still thinks about him. In April he invites her to a party at another friend’s house. She attends, but is horrified at the wanton behavior of her peers and leaves just before the police show up. Years later she remembers that night as she flicks through her Yearbook and realizes that’s why she never became a party girl with the in crowd. The men who listened to me read this thought the descriptive detail I used could have been eliminated, but Ellie thought it worked with the story. Men and women want different things when they read, apparently.

Jim read Chapter 12 of “Coventry Ghosts” where Leanne and Sara, the cat, are at the coffee shop with other ghosts, cleaning up the mess after the explosion. Leanne sees that John, who works there, has a gambling problem, and Sara agrees to follow him and try to keep him out of trouble. Jim told us he’s received several rejections on this novel from multiple submissions to agents that he had sent out. But they all wished him good luck in placing his work.

Margaret’s book “Blow Up The Castle”, being published by West Pro Publishing, is almost ready for release. Her publisher has asked Margaret to do a book signing at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference on Saturday, October 23rd, 5:30 – 7:00p.m. Isn’t that exciting? So if you’re there, be sure to drop by and support Margaret that day.

Next Meeting will be Wednesday, October 6th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Look forward to seeing you then.

Lisa

THE REVIEW

BACK TO CLASS?


August gave us a nice break, so out meeting on September 1st felt like the beginning of school again. Ellie Halcrow joined us for the first time and she said she enjoyed herself and we certainly enjoyed having her here.

Bob read first, a personal piece called “Summer Time”, about the summers he spent as a child during the late ’30s and early ‘40s. There was a lot of rich detail about Boundary Bay and Crescent Beach during those years.

Ellie had two unique pieces to read. Her “Lips Of The Spider” was a piece in first person telling of a sensual first date that has the mood shattered when she ends up with a dead fly on her lips from the wine she was drinking. There was fantastic setting of mood here, and we all chuckled at the ending. Ellie’s second reading was a powerful poem called “Good Loua Be With You Child”. It’s a vivid description of the devastation from the earthquake in Haiti as seen by a young child.

Margaret read the next chapter in “Coffin And Dye”. We see Coffin at the grand piano in Handel House playing “Jesus Loves Me” with one finger, when he hears a muffled voice saying “I am Sam and want to come down.” Coffin runs away, but the voice was from Sam the handyman who was stuck in the attic. Coffin writes his report and says the ghost turning the pages of music was Handel, and there were other apparitions of noted individuals there as well. The result of this is that the Handel Society is pleased to have such renowned ghosts and they decide not to have them exterminated and consequently do not hire Coffin & Dye.

At my request, Jim read “Poached Trout”, a very funny short story he wrote about a man seeking to impress a woman he wants to bed. He offers to cook something she’d like, and she requests poached fish. Thinking poaching means stealing, the young man goes out at night in a small boat on Deer Lake and throws dynamite in the water and then collects all the dead fish. He spends the rest of the night cleaning them, grabs a quick nap and then barbecues the fish for the young lady. He does win her over when she learns of all the trouble he has taken to please her.

I read a piece called “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”, which is the beginning of a murder mystery. I don’t know at this point if the story will be a long short story, or will become a novel. And I’m not certain if I will continue writing it in first person or switch to third person, which would give me more leeway in telling the story. But everybody at the meeting liked it as it was, in first person, so will take that into consideration.

Gemma emailed that she was unable to attend on Wednesday. And Jason said he was planning on a romantic evening with his wife before a vasectomy scheduled for Thursday morning. We wish him speedy recovery. Although, as Susan can attest from conceiving her fifth child after her husband’s vasectomy, there are no guarantees!

Next Meeting will be Wednesday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. May you all be plagued with a proliferation of written words like fallen leaves on your lawn. May you gather them and contain them and let them explode on your page. And then bring them to the next meeting for the rest of us to wonder at. See you then.

Lisa

THE REVIEW

SUMMER’S HALF GONE


Five of us still met on Wednesday in spite of the heat. Sad to think that summer is half over. I can tell, because parents have started buying school supplies at Walmart. If you need any office supplies, now is the time to stock up.

Bob read “The Stove”, an account of his further problem buying electrical goods. The first stove he got was problematic, so he returned it eventually after many long discussions with out of country and off-shore call centers. He finally received a stove from another store and has been trying out the oven. Making bread, he thought it needed another couple of minutes in the oven, so he sat to watch a baseball game while he waited, but it was two hours before he remembered he had something in the oven. We told him to get a portable timer he could carry with him.

I read a short piece called “Stop The Sunset” about Honey draining the car battery checking out his plug-in cooler, and then hoping to re-charge the battery with a solar charger as the sun was setting. I am accumulating pieces for my “Honey” collection.

Margaret read of Dye telling Coffin that the Handel House Association wanted them to identify their ghost before they decided whether or not to have it eradicated. He read Coffin the note from Miss Noteworthy. Dye told Coffin to go to the Handel House and play the piano and watch to see if a ghost was turning the music pages. Coffin was reluctant as he didn’t play very well. Dye told him not to worry, there wouldn’t be anyone there to listen except the ghost.

Jim read the rest of Chapter 10 where Olivia returns to the Wired Monk from being in the ghostly realm with her sister. Olivia’s tea is still warm. Leanne’s boyfriend arrives and so does Leanne. With her ghostly eyesight, she sees a malignancy in his bones and tells him to see a doctor.

Jason didn’t read. He feels overwhelmed with how busy it is during the summer with two young children, a boy and a girl, and getting them to all their organized activities. Unfortunately, being so organized precludes spending time with friends or just playing for fun, for either them or him. Hmm…. Something to think about. I really think Jason should be writing about the trials and tribs of being a full-time parent.

We are taking a break for the rest of August, and the next Meeting will be Wednesday, September 1st at 7:00 p.m. at my place. Take your Muse on vacation with you, but be sure to drag both of you back for the next Meeting. See you then.

Lisa

THE REVIEW

ME AND THE MEN AND A BLUEBERRY FLAN


Unfortunately, Margaret was not well, and Gemma couldn’t attend, and Anne Berrie was absent, so there were just me and four men here at the meeting last Wednesday. And none of them refused the blueberry flan I had made, sans sucre.

Jim read first, part of Chapter 10 in his novel “Coventry Ghosts”. This is where Leanne is able to bring her sister, Olivia, into her ghostly world, while time stands still in the real world. Leanne has become a most powerful ghost. There is going to be a General Dissembly to choose new members for the previously decimated Ghostly Committee, and Leanne wants to see women appointed this time. This is a really fun read.

Ron attended for the first time in many months. He read Chapter 5 from his “Of Stalwart Peasants”. This chapter is from the point of view of Burkholder, the Land Agent, looking to sell Hungarian peasants on emigration to Canada. Joseph is one in the crowd, and asks a lot of questions. The Agent reads a bulletin, a glowing testimonial from previous immigrants in the Hungarian colony at Esterhazy. Joseph pays the fee for the Agent to obtain visas for all his family to emigrate, but questions the ability of the Agent to obtain them for his sons, who are of the age for military conscription. A lot of interesting history here.

Jason read Chapter 13, where Greg and Dave are at home. We learn Greg knows about a party that Dave hasn’t told him about, and that Greg is having trouble discerning what was real and what was illusion earlier in the day. Dave admits to Greg that he’s desperately hoping to be picked up by one of the professional scouts that will be at his hockey game on Friday, so that he can leave town for good. Then Jason told us he might scrap this chapter because he didn’t think there was anything happening to move the story along.

The only writing I had done was a letter to the editor that was published in The Vancouver Sun on Wednesday. I commented that I was one who had complained the last time about the long form census, as I have lived in the same house since 1994, and we received the long form every single time it came around. It just seemed to be a little redundant collecting the same info from the same people in the same house every time.

Bob didn’t read anything, but he is still waiting for his new stove, so maybe we will have another story from him on that topic eventually. He has been without a stove for several weeks now.

Big thanks to Jim for the large bowl of ripe plums he brought from the tree in his yard. I’ve been nibbling on them since.

Next Meeting will be here at my place on Wednesday, August 4th at 7:00 p.m. Hope to see you then, and may your inspired thoughts bear the fruit of eloquent composition in the meantime. If not, make jam.

Lisa

THE REVIEW

DOWNSIZED


Our meeting last Wednesday was smaller in number, only four of us, but not in enthusiasm. Gemma, Bob and Margaret were here with me to enjoy a more leisurely get-together, and the strawberry shortcake I served as a treat. Jason said his wife was away on business and he was busy parenting that night. Jim had a previous engagement. Anne was unwell again with another cold. And Danny called Margaret and said not to pick him up to attend any more meetings.

Margaret read of Coffin going to speak at the British Society of Ghostly Encounters. Dye was wrong in his directions, and Coffin had a long walk from the train to the theater, where he was to change into his Duke of Cumberland costume. He changed and stood in the hall, waiting for his cue to go on stage, but ended up appearing as the Duke in a play instead of giving a talk about his ghostly encounters. He then missed the train home and ended up staying at the Stars Inn. The next day, Dye belatedly told him the Society cancelled their meeting.

Bob read more of his electronic difficulties. He lost his internet signal while watching a baseball game on his computer and his wife phoned the service provider where she was put on hold. Eventually she learned payments for the new PVR they had bought had not come out of their bank account automatically. Since Bob was behind in doing bank reconciliations, he was not aware they were behind on payments. Consequently, the service had been terminated on a Wednesday. Of course Bob made the necessary payments and service was eventually restored on the Saturday, in time for him to watch a 4:00 baseball game. Now we are waiting for Bob to write about his escapade buying a new stove.

Gemma read the final chapter of the gigolo Bob defrauding Barbara. He takes her to a picnic in Stanly Park, and then to Hastings racetrack. He tells her he has a sure bet on No. 2 in the 5th race. She gives him $10,000.00 to place a bet. No. 2 wins the race but is then disqualified and No. 3 is first. Bob had placed her money on No. 3, but tells her he is sorry she lost all her money. Gemma said the novel continues with Bob swindling money from other people. So we don’t know yet if he gets caught.

I have to write something under 750 words on the topic of ‘ears’. Margaret and Gemma and Bob were generous with suggestions so we will see what I come up with.

Next meeting will be here at my place on Wednesday, July 21st at 7:00 p.m. Hope to see you then.

Lisa

THE REVIEW

JUNE SCRIBES


Eight dedicated Rams met here on Wednesday to prove we can still write in spite of springtime lures of other pursuits.

Margaret read of Dye telling Coffin he was expected to do some public speaking about the ghost of the Duke of Cumberland. Dye provided him with a costume similar to what the Duke had worn during the battle of Culloden, and assured Coffin he would not have to travel in it, just don it when he arrived. And we are all waiting to hear what adventures Coffin will encounter now.

Jim told us of the Harper Collins writing contest of 1000 word entries having to contain ten of some 40 words Harper Collins had chosen from their new Canadian Dictionary. Jim’s entry was “Conversations With God” in which a male deceased agnostic discovers God is a woman and heaven is not at all what he expected. Jim had underlined all the words he had used from the list, many of which are pure Candadiana.

Danny was still slaving on his screenplay, which he said would be mailed to an agent in the next week or so. Starting on page 6, we see Danny back at his girlfriend’s where he has unhooked the gas line. Police arrive and he is handcuffed and driven away. Then there is a flashback and we see Danny as a young child, first in 1961, then 1962, getting into daring escapades, foreshadowing how problematic his life will be.

I read “Next Sunday”, a humourous personal story about my Honey going to Value Village and buying a used guitar. I plan on entering this piece in the humour contest at SFU.

Jason read Ch. 12, where Greg wakes up in the school cafeteria to learn there is a student lockdown due to a police incident in the nearby woods. He has trouble telling the difference between his dream and reality. Later, after the all-clear, he sees Jodie leave with Sean. He wonders how his dream related to what really happened. Then he sees the unusual car with the driver with the black-rimmed hat. Jason is still keeping the suspense going.

Gemma read some more of Bob and Barbara. They dine while watching the races, and when Bob collects the money from the race Barbara bet on, he only gives her one third of her winnings. He takes her home but refuses to stay with her, and goes to spend the night with Mary instead. In the morning, he meets with Jim, the jockey, trying to collect the money Jim owes him, which Jim doesn’t have. Bob tells him to fix a race that night.

Anne read the continuation of Lilly’s story. Still playing Barbies at her friend’s house, her sister comes to get her. Her father has had a heart attack. Her sister Ingrid is crying, and her older sister, Evie, is also crying when she gets home. On the way home, she sees her Dad’s car with the doors open and somebody punching down hard on something on the seat. We were all waiting to hear what happened to Lilly’s father.

Next Meeting will be Wednesday, July 7th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. In the meantime, Happy Canada Day, and may your writing flourish like the weeds in your garden!

Lisa

THE REVIEW

WHERE’S THE SUN?


My creativity is stating to atrophy from the lack of sunshine. I just feel like curling up and sleeping, much like my stunted planter of herbs. However, there were eight of us at the last meeting, in spite of the rain.

Margaret read first, telling of how Coffin found a place to park his new bicycle that Dye gave him. Unfortunately, his neighbour, Harry, wasn’t pleased, comparing Coffin unfavourably to Sammy Chou, the previous tenant. But Coffin was also upset with Harry for spending so much time on the toilet they shared. To bother Coffin more, Harry told him his flat was haunted by Sammy Chou.

Danny brought his model flying saucer that he had made while hospitalized. It was made to 1/16 scale and actually flew. Danny is also working on a screenplay for his autobiography, which is being submitted to a Hollywood agent interested in auto racing stories. Margaret, Bob, Jim, Margaret and Danny read various parts of the first scene so we could see what Danny envisions for it. The screenplay can only be 120 pages maximum, in 12 point font, each page limited to a set amount of screentime. There’s a lot to consider writing for the screen, but Danny’s excited about the project, working on it fulltime.

Ruth-Ann read a children’s short story, about Olesia Marie, a young girl bullied at school by Steven. She tells her parents and her Dad says to tell the teacher, and her mother says to ignore Steven, that he probably likes her and wants her attention. She also complained to her girlfriend. The next day she sees Steven feed a hungry dog from his lunch. Later he pinches her arm as she walks by, and she says “I love you, too!” and kisses him. He never bothers her again.

I read a short piece that I had written from doing some clustering on the topic ‘Memories’. I had started writing a poem, but it slid into prose and is still very short, less that 200 words. It’s about visiting my parents at their country home one day to notice how lonely and deteriorated things looked, about a year after my youngest brother had died. It turned out to be a rather poignant short piece, maybe prose/poetry?

Gemma read the next chapter about Bob and Barbara, the younger gigolo and the older woman. She loves him and he just wants her money. He takes her to the races and talks her into letting him take her money to place her bet for her. Now we all want to know what happens to her $10,000.00.

Jason read Ch. 11 of his novel. Greg feels cold and confused, trapped in an alternate reality. He sees people parading to their ruin and doesn’t know what to do. There’s a dragon and Greg hears voices. He sees a man trying to grab a floating sword, then there is a flash and the sword comes straight down, almost hitting Greg. It looks like the sword that Ludwig had. Lots of tension in this chapter, left with a desire to keep turning the pages.

Jim didn’t read. He’s been working on his query letter when he has time. He was very tired having to work a lot of overtime, completing built-in furniture that people want before the HST kicks in.

Bob didn’t read either, but told us about a war book he had been reading. He did say there are some missing parts in his own personal history that he had written, so he was thinking of doing more with that piece of writing.

Further news regarding the HST July 1st: We will still pay only 5% on books, but we will then pay 12% on magazines and newspapers.

Next Meeting will be Wednesday, June 16th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then and may you be hounded by your Muse to write in spite of the rain.

Lisa