the quiet before the storm

windy, rainy day - temps 24

Five days to the official World Launch of A TRICK OF THE LIGHT!!!

Pre-launch party this Saturday at Brome Lake Books in Knowlton. the book won't be on sale or on the shelves, but if you buy a ticket to the party (which starts at 2pm) then you get a copy of the book on Saturday. And I'll be very happy to sign it! then, in toronto on Monday at 6pm, I'll be at the new location for Sleuth of Baker Street for another pre-launch party.

But the official - books on the shelves - launch is in Concord, New Hampshire at Gibson's Bookstore. 7pm. I might have mentioned this before (and might again!)

We're watching Hurricane Irene, as are most people along the East Coast. If you're in the area, I hope you're safe. Unbelievable winds. I was slightly nervous that I'd have difficulty flying from Toronto to Boston on Tuesday because of Irene - but seems it will hit Sunday/Monday in that area. so while I'm somewhat relieved for the tour schedule, I continue concerned for those people and communities in the path.

Closer to home, we're in the last two days of rest before the tour - and enjoying every minute.

we're in the cottage now - and loving it!! Feels like a real vacation. so now the main house is ready for the renovations. Really more reparation....but it means kitchen disappears. and so do we. Lise, Donna and Deanna came on Tuesday and packed up. tony helped move furniture. Del and his guys were also there, removing three trees. Then Wayne showed up to cut the grass.

It would have been bedlam - except we all knew what we had to do and did it. It turned out to be hugely fun. Who'd have thought it? Honestly, thank God for Lise and Donna and Deanna.

Sent untold numbers of boxes to the church for their sale...to be honest, I'm not certain which church, but if there's one called Our Lady of Bad Taste, then that's where the stuff ended up. Amazing the things we found at the back of cupboards. And then to have Lise or Donna pull it out and hold it up. I insisted the worst of the stuff were gifts - but I think they knew better.

By four that afternoon Michael and Trudy and I were in the cottage next door. It was like sneaking away and finding a bit of peace and quiet. As I said, like a vacation. We sat on the balcony, had a ginger ale, and took a photo for you. This is our new view. Hard not to relax.

This cottage has another advantage...or at least did...there was no internet. I was shocked how serene it felt. We could still get emails on the blackberry, but couldn't access the internet. Now, just before going on tour isn't really the best time to lose internet, so Michael arranged for something called the Hub from Rogers. And magically, we're back on line. But it taught me that being without internet is not one bit stressful. Just the opposite.

However, having found the high road, I am now skidding back down and happily playing in the land of Wireless.

Had friends Margaret and David over here to the cottage for dinner last night. Felt like a house-warming. Tony lit the fire for us (I was afraid squirrels or birds might have made a nest in the chimney, but it was all clear) - had mushroom soup, confit de canard, wild rice, and banana cream pie. Yummy.

Hoping to have a couple of quiet days - then off on book tour. Hoping to see you. It's a very exciting, but enervating, period in my life. Just before the new book comes out. Life is filled with potential. Anything can happen with the book. I'm free to dream. Imagine all sorts of wild successes. Fabulous reviews. Wonderful events. To imagine your reaction.

But my fears can also slip out and grow.

Mostly though I'm just very excited A Trick of the Light is almost in your hands. I sure hope you like it. Between us? I think you might.

Thank you!

mostly sunny, mild, temps 12

A perfect spring day, on the eve of spring.

Yesterday was great fun. No biting or making strange...not even me. The students were respectful and full of questions. Wish I could remember what they asked, but I've forgotten I'm afraid. They were good questions though - about characters, and how long the stories are. Lots of groans when they heard my books are generally 120-thousand words. But I took your advice about telling them I have all these imaginary friends in my head, and village. We talked about what they like to read.

More than one said - especially the boys - that the book Diary of a Wimpy Kid really turned them on to reading.

I have to say, I was deeply impressed. I had them write first lines to a murder mystery, advising them the body generally shows up there. And they went to town. I actually thought there'd be loads of gore and midnight shrieks. But they were actually atmospheric without being cartoonish.

It was fun. Thank you so much for your help, and the advice to ask them questions and draw them out. That was brilliant, very useful.

When I'd finished Michael was waiting outside with Trudy - and the news we had to return to Montreal. We'd left an important bag at Chez Nick, where we have breakfast! Thank God someone found it and turned it in. Didn't steal it. Phew!

So off we went. We got very lucky again. it was only 2pm - so we hit the Champlain into Montreal just before rush hour...and got to Nick's. Picked up the bag...and scooted across the bridge just as it was beginning to get congested.

We were back home by 5:30.

I was pooped so after feeding Trudy I crawled into bed with a bowl of cereal. Read and watched TV. Which is why I didn't blog yesterday. Nor did I get a chance to write.

But I did today, and discovered that I had failed to save all of chapter 8...and so lost it all! Fortunately I hadn't written all that much and knew what I had to do.

A cheap reminder to always, always save, then save again.

I must say, in seven books, this is the first time I've done that. And I hope the last. And it sure might have been worse. And I got a good start on chapter 8 today.

We have Derek and Cathie arriving to stay in the guest cottage for the weekend. We've never met Cathie, but Derek is my great friend Pat's brother. pat and I worked together in Winnipeg. And Derek and I dated briefly but quickly realized we were better as friends. He eventually left winnipeg to get his law degree. It comes as a huge surprise to realize Derek just passed his 60th birthday! I knew him when we were both so young. And haven't seen him since.

But they're coming to stay, and we've invited them for dinner tonight. Then, as we told them, they're on their own. God bless the guest cottage!

Speak to you tomorrow - thank you again for the advice re: speaking to kids.

A little dream, with a rose bush and slate roof

sunny, mild, beautiful

Finally - a perfect day. Our last here in Cambridge. We were walking back after a pub lunch yesterday (the pub's just down the street from us - Michael had bangers and mash and I had fish and chips) when we found our next home! It's on this tiny road called Orchard Street, and it's enchanting. We both stopped in our tracks and stared.

Now, as you realize, Cambridge has no shortage of staggeringly beautiful and charming streets. But this was a postcard. It's about 5 minutes walk from the colleges, just off a park called Christ's Piece. The road curves very slightly and the cottages are all in a row, connected. Row houses. Made of stone, with slate roofs. They're all alike. And tiny. Each had a front door with a small metal peaked cover. Each has a mullioned window to the left of the door. Each has a small garden out front...most with tall, fragrant, magnicent rose bushes. And each, at the back, has a modest walled garden.

I'd be surprised if, inside, it had even two bedrooms.

Most had names like Rose Cottage, Orchard Cottage etc.

Three, in the very middle of the arc, looked abandonned. Derelict.

Michael and I immediately started dreaming of buying one, and doing it up, and living here three months of the year...in our tiny 'Wind in the Willows' cottage.

None was for sale, but we'll keep checking and hoping. And if it's meant to be one day we'll sleep in our home on Orchard Street.

It's nice to dream. In the meantime, reality is pretty damn good. We visited the Milton exhibit at Christ's college again yesterday - Michael hadn't seen it. It's normally closed to the public, except for a couple of hours on Thursday afternoon...but I emailed the head librarian and she let us in.

Wonderful show. Next year Christ's is putting on an exhibition on another famous alumnus - Darwin.

It was raining and cold so we went to the pub for lunch, then came home. Did more editing on the manuscript. It's 267 pages long (single spaces) and I'm at 215 now. Hope to finish by the time the plane lands in Montreal tomorrow night.

Today we headed to the Garden House Hotel for breakfast - without a doubt the worst meal of our stay. It is now a Double Tree hotel. No one brought us coffee - finally had to ask. The linen was filthy. The buffet had rubber eggs and no plates. Customers piled up and waited and waited for plates. Finally some came, without apology. The container with the sign Fresh Orange Juice was empty. When this was pointed out the waiter went and got some more...pouring orange juice from a grocery store tin.

The coffee was watery.

At one stage a man had to ask a waitress to please serve the two elderly women at the table next to him. They'd been waiting forever and trying to catch someone's eye.

I think the waiters were doing their best, they were just woefully understaffed.

When the bill came it was for 27 pounds. 60 dollars.

The one thing this hotel has going for it is a staggering location. Right on the Cam, in the middle of Cambridge. Michael and I went into the back garden and sat at a table (wet and dirty) right beside the river. People punted by. Kayakers paddled. Across the river people bicycled. In the background were the ancient buildings. Behind us was the hotel - blessedly we don't have eyes in the back of our heads, and so didn't need to look at it. The hotel is what Prince Charles might call a carbunckle on the face of this venerable city. Breath-takingly ugly.

But a great location.

Michael did a really wonderful watercolour of the scene and I did more editing. Such fun to sit there with the man I love - him creating a glorious piece of art and me editing my book.

Then we got chilled so packed up and had a hot chocolate across the way at the University Centre. Then, feeling hungry by then, we walked to the Loch Fyne Oyster restaurant for lunch.

Then home. Through the now sunny and warm streets. We took a small detour and stared once again at our beautiful little cottage.

We catch an 11am bus back to Heathrow, then a flight home to Montreal, arriving about 9pm. Almost certainly won't blog tomorrow, but will try to do one on Monday. Wash day.

Thanks for joining me on this adventure!