Goodbye, loft. Thank you

partly cloudy, cool, temps 11

Perfect day for moving out of the Sutton office/loft. What a great space that's been! After writing DEAD COLD/A FATAL GRACE I really didn't want to write at home again. It was too stressful. I love my home. My environment is quite important to me. Doesn't have to be big. In fact, I adore intimate, cozy, inviting spaces. But it does need to be my nest...a safe place. Writing at home caused me to feel quite stressed about the home.

So we rented this magnificent loft space in the village. And wrote two books there. It was bliss. We'd get cafe au laits every morning, and go for lunches. See people on the street. But also have a space dedicated to writing...where I did nothing else. And Michael wrote too.

Cannot tell you how thrilling that was.

But then as the books took off we found ourselves traveling so much...and discovered that when we were home all I wanted to do was stay at home. We barely made it into the office at all for a year or more. I wrote all of book 5 at home, and realized I no longer felt antagonistic toward the space. Infact, I loved it. What could be better than sitting in front of the fireplace in my sweats or flannel pajamas, with a tea and cookies, and write? Then take a bath?

So we've decided to give up the loft. Not at all sad about that. Just deeply grateful we had that fantastic space when we needed it. And we have this fantastic space at home now.

Spent this morning with Anthony helping, schlepping boxes and some furniture. It took far less time than we expected. Yay. And now we're finished...just need to unpack. That should take about a year.

Off to meet Kirk at the loft. He's an antique dealer and friend. We have a couple of nice pieces we can't use at home and thought he could sell them on to someone. We'll see.

Canadian election last night. Conservative minority. No huge surprise. The Conservatives hoped, of course, for a majority government. They just had a minority and didn't much like it. It demands being able to build concensus.

The Canadian system is wonderful. We often have a majority government, but because we have three strong parties, it sometimes happens that no single party wins the majority of the seats. The other two parties can combine and defeat the government.

The Liberals didn't do so well last night, but the NDP (New Democratic Party) did very well. They're social democrats, with a strong bent toward social justice. I wish they were stronger on the environment - but they're not bad there. The Green Party didn't elect anyone, but they did well in the popular vote. Have a wonderful, dynamic leader named Elizabeth May. I think we'll be hearing more from her, and the party, in the future.

Now our eyes turn (never really left) to the American election.

Off for lunch...talk to you tomorrow.

Election Day in Canada

overcast, warm, temps 23

Unseasonably mild. Even warm, but the wind has been picking up all afternoon and now I see black/blue clouds heading this way. A storm, I expect.

Great day - relaxing. Heard from Sherise, the UK editor. THE MURDER STONE was reviewed in The Guardian newspaper this past weekend. here's the excerpt she sent:

'The red herrings are expertly deployed, and the solution is ingenious and unexpected’.

So that's very nice.

Had breakfast in Cowansville, dropped Michael back home so he could work on his book while I went into the loft/office to fill the car with stuff to bring home. Then to the post office - had tons of books to mail out - internationally. The went to a local cafe with the manuscript of book 5 and a red pen and went over some sections that needed a little more fine-tuning.

Heard from my brother Doug last night. He'd spent the weekend reading the manuscript and called to say it was the best yet. I know him enough to know he's very kind, but he also knows it's no kindness to not be honest at this stage. So I choose to believe him.

What an amazing thing Doug did for me. Imagine spending the whole weekend reading this manuscript because he knew I'd be worried. Like me, he's a slow reader, so it's work. I'm just so lucky to have a brother like him. Especially since I spent most of our childhood telling everyone he was adopted, and wishing he was dead. I think it was mutual. As is our love for each other now.

I'm very relieved. I'm so close to this book it's very, very hard to know if it's any good. I think it is...but then sometimes.....

So I had a cafe au lait, a raisin scone and made some changes. Then came home. Tony was bringing wood in for the winter, Gary was working on the downstairs bathroom, Michael was writing. So I unloaded the car (with Michael's help) and came upstairs to put the changes into the computer.

Then sent it off to Bob to be printed out. Will mail it to Teresa, my agent, by Friday.

Dear God. This is a terrifying part of the process. But it's also quite freeing. It is, literally, out of my hands.

This is Federal election day in Canada. We have a Conservative government - with a strong Liberal and NDP (social-democrats) opposition, and a Green party that's gaining strength. Here in Quebec there's a separatist party that has been extremely strong for many elections called the Bloc Quebecois.

We voted in an advanced poll a couple of weeks ago. As I drove past the Canadian Legion Hall in Sutton I saw the cars and the long, long line-up. So happy to have already cast a vote. Won't tell you for whom, but perhaps you can guess.

Will make a pizza for dinner and watch the poll results.

Talk to you tomorrow...be well.