Showing posts with label CBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CBC. Show all posts

Tuesday, 25 August 2009

maybe it's a moose? A wombat? A trout?

mainly sunny, cooler, temps 20

Nice sleeping weather.

the Mounts left the guest cottage - so sad to see them go! Wrote the September newsletter this morning as well as a guest blog spot for the wonderful Elaine Viets over at The Lipstick Chronicles. She's such a terrific person - and fabulous writer.

Then Michael and I hopped in the car and headed into the village for lunch (chicken wraps) and off to the local construction company to choose a new siding for the cottage. Thank God we thought to call Kirk, who was cutting his lawn on his tractor - to ask which colour he'd recommend...and thank God we ran into Gary in the shop too...he told us which siding to select and how much we needed, since he'll be doing the job. God knows what a balls-up we could have made of it on our own.

Before they left the Mounts found some animal with a den close to the home, and photographed it. But none of us can figure out what it might be. They thought maybe a Marten, but looking at photos of Martens I'm not sure. It looked more like a Fisher. But they're quite rare, so I'm not convinced of that either.

Perhaps it was a stuffed toy they put out, photographed, and now have us chasing around trying to ID it!

Did the last CBC Radio interview this morning for Canada Reads, though just heard CBC Arts would like to do an interview regarding the Quick REads book for literacy I'll be writing. And have an interview tomorrow at noon with the Halifax newspaper.

Have to take the car in tomorrow morning...some warning light has appeared. Apparently it's not serious until the countdown begins. 10-9-8-...

Speak tomorrow - hope you're well.

Thursday, 25 June 2009

Home Today

Mainly sunny, temps 80

Going to be a gorgeous day in NYC...but we`re heading home. We were initially going to stay until Friday, but decided to return early - missing home...missing the roses and peony. Missing Trudy. And it was such a perfect respite in New York. And now it`s time to go home.

Had a lovely message from Dolores Gordon Smith...who tried to leave it on the `comment`section of the blog but was stymied. So she sent this message privately, and I decided to put it ùp`.

Thanks for the nice things you said about “As If By Magic” Louise. It’s a bit of a new move for my beloved Jack Haldean – he’s investigating some very dark doings round the Thames in the early 1920’s, but there’s some fun stuff on the way.
It’s been great to follow your NY trip. The Frick Collection sounds great – I did a “virtual” internet trip following your comments. When you think of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas More, the lies, the power-struggles, the cheating and the bravery, all for the favour of a King, it’s stunning to think of the two portraits looking silently at each other across a room.
Love
Dolores

Dolores really is a superb writer.

One of the very nice things about returning home early is that we now have a day completely to ourselves at home...except I`ve ended up scheduling a conversation with a CBC producer tomorrow at 10am - The network has chosen The Murder Stone (A Rule Against Murder) as the CBC Reads book for August, which is huge for the book since it means tens of thousands of readers across the country and some really thoughtful discussion. So we need to co-ordinate some things with Ann, from the CBC. Fortunately we were planning on spending the month at home, so we needn`t juggle the schedule too much.

Take care - be well...and will talk tomorrow.

Wednesday, 18 March 2009

Perking away

overcast, showers off and on, temps plus 7

Well, seems Spring wasn't kidding. Normally we can expect a couple of crippling snow storms in March, but this year, it's many sunny and warm. We'll take it! I can see the daffodils peeking out already...just little green sprouts...but there. Also out are the house flies and lady bugs, and these huge bugs that look like something out of Starship Troopers. Armoured, long, thick legs. they make a buzzing sound - very loud - when they fly around. Happily they don't bite. It's more an emotional attack. They scare you to death.

We had Bal, Linda and Bethany over last night for dinner. Tony had set up the barbeque and Michael did us steak. Wonderful. perfectly cooked. Bal and Linda are like family so it was pretty relaxed. I did little potatoes, asperagus, salad and frozen yoghurt and chocolate sauce for dessert. We talked a lot about writing since Bal's writing a book and 13 year-old Bethany writes amazing, creative, short stories - when she isn't daydreaming about Joe Jonas. I'll tell you, Joe can do worse - though he might want to wait 5 years.

I don't think Bethany's impressed by the bug population at the guest cottage.

Eric, his partner Erin - from Montreal - and Joanni from the Yamaska Literacy Council came by this afternoon, after I'd done the writing for the day - to record some more narrative for the film on literacy. That was easy - and fun to see them again. They set up the studio in the dining room...and if you ever see the film you might hear Trudy mumbling for attention in the background.

Tomorrow I'm heading in to Montreal in the morning. Have studio time at CBC at 12:30 to record part of the pilot for the proposed national radio programme this summer. Script arrived Monday night. It sounds really fun...but CBC doesn't have much money and this might be a pricy show, so we'll see.

then scooting home for a meeting with Lise at 3:30 - and then next door for dinner with Bal, Linda and Bethany. Nice not to have to cook ourselves. And such a pleasure speaking time with them.

Writing going well. Am at 25,000 words, or so. About 1/4 or 1/5th of the way along. and I know where I'm going, which is refreshing.

Watching the Natasha Richardson situation. Hope she's all right.

Take care - not sure if I'll have time to blog tomorrow. By the way, Trudy seems to have perked up. For the first time we've allowed her up on our bed...that actually perked us up too!

Monday, 9 March 2009

Is that a bird? A plane?

snow, mild, temps freezing

Lovely day, min-blizzard this morning that has now settled into simply a gray day. But very mild. Again, a good day for gathering maple sap. We considered having our maple trees tapped, but then forgot. Might ask Michael about that. We have a small shed that we could perhaps convert into a sugar shack. You don't want to boil the stuff down to syrup in your home because you get a fine coat of sitcky, evaporated sap on everything.

Did the words for today, and my 20 gruesome minutes on the torture device. I have the delusion while ellipticating that if I go faster the 20 minutes will go by quicker. Breaking the Speed of Light seems the goal. I'm a little off that now. The Speed of Snail is the immediate target.

CBC Radio has asked me to host a national summer replacement show, this summer. A half hour weekly broadcast. I thought about it quite hard. The real problem, and only problem, was one of time, since I'll be writing the 6th book through the Spring and into the Summer. And once in the village it's terrible to leave and concentrate on something else. But the idea for the radio show is actually brilliant and I really like the woman who will be the Executive Producer. So I said yes to at least doing the pilot, and we'll see. The CBC might hate it. I'll keep you posted. We need to record the pilot before the end of this month. Though I suppose if I decide it was a mistake to agree by then I'll have broken the speed of light and can go back in time to reverse my decision.

Always comforting to have a Plan B.

The Globe and Mail has asked me to be their Ask An Author author for this week. If you have any questions just go to the Globe's website, find the feature and ask a question. My answers will appear in next Saturday's Globe.

Off to Cowansville for breakfast, then a bunch of running around, and a meeting with my wonderful assistant Lise, who has hurt her back. So we'll go to her place...force her to work from her sickbed. Yes, I'm that sort of employer. Dreadful. then a meeting in Knowlton with the restaurant that will be hosting Michael's 75th birthday party - choosing the menu. Stand back!

And now? I'm hopping in the bath, then Dom and Fabian (staying in the guest cottage) will be coming over. Seems our days get filled up.

Be well.

Wednesday, 8 October 2008

Literacy Video

sunny, mild, temps 14

Again, another cold morning. Minus 2. But warmed up to 14. Beautiful day. Drove in to Montreal. Did a taped interview for All in a Weekend, with Dave Bronstetter, on CBC Radio One. Met a bunch of friends...Catherine, Anna, Shawn and Mike. It always feels a little odd being back - but a relief not to have to be on air doing a daily show. Had had enough of that. For everything there really is a season.

Got back in time to meet the man producing the literacy video. We set up a make-shift studio in our dining room and recorded. I hadn't had a chance to read the script, and it's quite hard to read something out loud, cold. A few stops and stops, but it went quite quickly. About an hour of script. Took about 1 1/2 hours. The hardest part, I found, was keeping up my energy level. You can really tell when a person isn't really 'there'.

Then responded to a bunch of emails. Poor UK publishers have been trying to send me flowers to celebrate the publication of THE MURDER STONE and the florists seem challenged. We actually stayed home - one of us - for two days, waiting. And now the florists have told the publishers they tried to call and deliver, but no one was here.

Quite maddening. There is actually a wonderful florist in Sutton who does spectacxular arrangements - just a little shop but a very gifted woman. Have suggested perhaps they could use her in the future. But it seemed heavy-handed to micro-manage the delivery of my own flowers.

But, this might be for the best, with Thanksgiving coming we'll have fresh flowers. If they can find us. I can't believe they've even tried. Between Michael waiting and the dogs who bark when a car even passes... but still.

Drive to Burlington Vermont airport tomorrow, (about 2 hours) then fly to Baltimore. Not far..about 1 1/2 hrs. Have a signing at the Mystery News desk at Bouchercon at 4pm tomorrow...and have given myself the evening off. Will order up room service, and read. Heaven.

Hope you enjoy our trip to Baltimore. Take your party frock.

Monday, 17 March 2008

A World of Wonders

Clear and cold, highs minus 11 Celsius

"A writer lives, at least, in a state of astonishment. Beneath any feeling he has of the good or evil of the world lies a deeper one of wonder at it all. To transmit that feeling, he writes." William Sansom

I’m back from the US tour for The Cruelest Month! Not sure it’s fashionable to say, but I had a riot. When I was a journalist and radio host with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation I’d interview lots of writers on tour and almost without exception they whined and complained about the rigors of being on tour. Now, having done a couple myself, I’ve gain a certain sympathy for those writers. But I still wonder if they’ve taken a good look around at the jobs most people have. Basically on tour our travel is paid and organized. Someone meets us at the airport, takes us to a hotel. Everything is looked after. For me most days included a few media interviews then an event at noon, an hour or so quiet in the afternoon to get caught up on emails and business (or watch HGTV) then an event in the evening. The most difficult part was getting up at 3:30 for flights. My tour took me to New Canaan, Connecticut, New York City, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Phoenix, Houston and Burlington, Vermont this Wednesday. No 3:30 wake-up that day since it’s just down the road from my home in the Canadian province of Quebec.

I’m not a really happy flier, but after a week of flights everyday I’ve become one. It’s quite a long and convoluted form of ‘fear-of-flying’ therapy, but it works. First you write a book, spend years trying to find an agent a publisher, get it published, write two more books, then go on tour. Voila, fear-of-flying disappears. Nothing to it.

What made it easier is that I traveled with only a carry-on bag. My media escorts were astonished that I could be a week on the road and have a tiny bag. Didn’t tell them all that was really in the carry-on was underwear and gummi bears. My mantra for the book tour was, ‘Don’t dribble, don’t dribble.’ Pretty much my regular mantra anyway. One good dribble on the clothes I was wearing and I’d be reduced to speaking to the Detroit Rotary Club wearing underwear and gummi bears.

But it really was a wonderful time. The Cruelest Month is my third book so I suppose the process is new enough to me still to be a delight. All my life I’ve dreamed of writing a book, and I even dared, secretly, to see myself on a book tour. Then with the CBC when interviewing those complaining authors I wondered if they knew how lucky they were. Obviously not. Most people do jobs for little pay, long hours, without anyone looking after them or applauding. What a personal tragedy to complain. Yes, a book tour is hard. It’s long, it’s tiring, it’s stressful. It’s a little frightening – especially the fear no one will come out. Or I’ll miss the flight. Or eat my wardrobe. But, oh my God, what great good fortune gave us this career?

I must say, though, I was happy to get home Saturday night. Michael, my husband, met me at the airport and I burst into tears seeing him. Surprised us both.

I’ll write more about the tour tomorrow. Today Michael and I are in Montreal. We keep a small apartment here but live most of the time in an area known as Quebec’s Eastern Townships, by the border with Vermont. We’re heading out for breakfast, then Michael will see the accountant about the taxes and meet a friend for lunch while I nip back to the apartment to continue writing my next Chief Inspector Gamache mystery.

WAMC-FM, a National Public Radio affiliate in New England will be calling for an interview this afternoon – then we’re off to get Michael’s eyes tested. He has glaucoma, so we’re always very careful.

I’ll write again tomorrow. Be well, and thanks for reading.

Thursday, 15 November 2007

Was that the noise of an angry sheep?

Rain, snow, sleet, frogs, chickens, dinosaurs - yech

Dreadful weather. But we're at Hovey Manor, overlooking the slightly snow-obscured lake. The fireplace on - have eaten a breakfast of crepes and local maple syrup with fresh smoked bacon and strong coffee. Yum.

I want to stay. By the fire. Reading. I'm so tired.

But it's off to Sherbrooke to speak to the Canadian Club. That's about a 45 minute drive. Not too bad. And I need to remember what a real honour it is to be asked. And people are driving through the same c**p to hear me speak. And I could be going to have root canal done. Or a permanent. Or forced to buy more microban.

There - that feels better. I think part of my laziness is that Michael gets to stay behind and 'guard Hovey', as he says. 'Making sure it's still here for you.'

Lovely man.

When I get back mid afternoon Tim Belford is coming over to Hovey to have High Tea with us. He's the host of Quebec AM - the CBC Radio morning show in Quebec City. He lives nearby and is a wonderful guy. Very funny. Loves wine. And sheep. Ooops - maybe I shouldn't have said that. He'll be interviewing me for his show - but mostly the three of us will yak and get caught up. I used to host the show he's doing - and doing it so much better than I ever did. One of my big innovations for Quebec AM was a segment called 'Name That Noise.'

Yes - I was that good.

Well, I'm off. You know, I have to say I'm enjoying this blog. Keep well. 10 centimetres of snow on the way for tomorrow - we might be snowed in to Hovey! Here's hoping. I'll let you know tomorrow.