Three Pies

overcast, cool, rain, heavy at times temps 17

Sat by the fire and did one more smoothing of the manuscript before sending it out. Phew.

And now...it's gone. Off. Out of my grip. Yikes. But actually, a huge relief. for a few days. and then I start to worry how the first readers like it. And then I become convinced it's crap. All part of the territory. But I have to admit, with each book I feel less frightened. More confident. A little less crazy. I'm not completely convinced Michael would agree that I'm less wacky now than with other books. I think the key to a good relationship is that either I get less crazy, or he becomes more crazy.

A friend recently wrote me an email about the books that included a typo. She called the village, Three Pies. I thought, Damn - that would have been a GREAT name for the village!

We're off to Montreal tomorrow - some appointments....then on Friday I have an interview and tour of a place I'm thinking of setting the next book. It'll be set at about this time of year, so I'd like to see it now, speak to people, take photos....and after some back and forthing the very nice people there say Friday would work well. Great timing from my POV - finish one, begin work on the next, especially before heading out on tour for Bury Your Dead.

I'm obviously being coy about where we're going - but I don't want to give too much away.

Mostly, though, my excitement about the launch of Bury Your Dead grows. That's what I'm concentrating on. that and En plein coeur. Very, very fun. Have two more interviews coming up. CBC radio national show, C'est La Vie and the Journal de Quebec.

But a huge relief to have sent off the manuscript. Wow.

Library

sunny, breezy, temps minus 8

Feels a little colder today thanks to the wind - but still pleasant. What a mess in Britain - all that snow. And, on the other extreme, I've heard from some readers in Melbourne, Australia that it was 44 degrres celcius which is roughly a million degrees fahrenheit. You could roast a marshmallow in that temperature.

We're not in danger of that here.

Had a great time scheming some more. Michael and I did breakfast yesterday and plotted how the murder happened - why - the clues, the red herrings...the place of history. Then we came home and I made notes all afternoon on our conversation. I have a 'master' notebook, divided in to sections - Characters, Plot, Descriptions and atmosphere, Quotes and Poetry. And, uniquely for this book, History.

As the research progresses I keep notes. Crucial not to forget any details. This is proving both complex and huge fun! I need to sprinkle enough clues that you can figure it out...enough red herrings so it isn't clear which clues are important. Enough mis-direction to make it a fun read, but not so much that it becomes confusing. That's it really. I need it to be rich in purpose and character - complex in plot - but not confusing.

So I need to figure out what happened...now and in the past. And how if effects what people do today. And how Gamache unravels the clues. Or maybe this will be the one he doesn't solve. Maybe this will be the one no one solves. That rare beast in detective fiction - an unresolved case. Hmmm.

Spent a few peaceful minutes (about an hour) in the Literary and Historical society today, making notes. I had a couple of ideas and needed to check some research. Turns out my ideas won't work - but fortunately I found something that will work even better, and tie up another loose end. Such fun. And people are unbelievably helpful and accomodating.

I was slightly concerned before coming to Quebec City that the English community wouldn't take kindly to my ideas - or to my thoughts about Quebec history. My theories, really. But they've proven unbelievably flexible and helpful. Even suggesting each other as the murderers!

Such a beautiful library, the Lit and His. If and when you come to Quebec City I'd encourage you to visit. I'm presuming you're reading this because you, like me, love books. And probably love libraries. This is one not to be missed. Not because it's big - it isn't, quite the opposite. Not because it has a unique collection - it doesn't. But it is simply peaceful and old and light and feels both thoughtful and welcoming.

Writing this I got to thinking of the wonderful library on Mackinac Island we visited for an event this past summer. It too is tiny. But perfect. With views out into the great lake, and a huge stone fireplace. And books, too.

And I also think of the lovely old community library in Staatsburg I visited when STILL LIFE first came out and no one knew about it, or cared. Except Anne Jordan - the head of the library in Staatsburg.

I didn't realize until this moment that one of the biggest gifts my writing has given me is a chance to enter so many beautiful libraries. And meet people who work for pittance - often for nothing - because they love books.

MORE me

sunny, mild, temps 18

It started out cloudy and misty. The mountain beyond our field had disappeared. But as we drove to Cowansville the mist burned off. It was so gorgeous we had to stop the car, get out, and stare. The mountains covered in red, yellow, amber trees, coming out of the mists. Honestly, it made my heart ache.

Then we got in the car, drove to Cowansville and had endless cups of coffee and a stack of french toast (called pain dore here) covered in bananas and strawberries, with bacon - and maple syrup.

Almost as wonderful as the view. An edible view. Yum.

The mountain behind our home, when not shrouded in mist, is stunning. Not a home on it, not a building, ski run, antenna, road. No lights shine from it at night. It's perfect. In spring we watch as the light, young, green creeps up its slopes and doesn't reach the top until mid-June. Then in September it goes in the other direction. We watch as the very tip of the mountain turns red, orange, yellow. Then it crawls down the slope until now the entire thing looks like it's burst into flame. I wish I could capture all this in a photo for you. Michael tried, but our camera isn't good enough.

You'll have to imagine it.

Picked up a couple of magazines in Cowansville while Michael had his eye exam. MORE Magazine - the Canadian edition. It has Celine Dion on the cover (cover hog) and me inside. Not, it must be admitted, the entire contents. Some was given over to lesser lights. do you remember my telling you about the photo-shoot mid-summer? When they came with the 4,000 dollar Armani jacket? Well, if you get the latest copy of More you get a chance to see a worried looking author, and an Armani jacket. The next page has a photo of me looking doughy and vacuous. fortunately, the article is interesting.

The other magazine was Chateleine. The November issue. With Michael Buble on the cover. (cover Hog) and me inside. Granted, yet again I was forced to share it. But that was a fun article by a woman named Flannery Dean. It's a series she writes on people's perfect weekends.

The woman at the checkout must have thought I had a 'thing' for Celine and Mr. Buble. she pointed out that I had more than one copy of each. I agreed. But didn't tell her why. Better she think I had a thing for them, than the truth. I have a thing for myself.

Spent most of the afternoon editing. Then decided to do some fact checking on what I'd just edited...made some calls and discovered I had to go back and re-write some of it. But not much. I love research, though my books don't call for much. Such fun finding out about other parts of the world, or how people do things, and why.

Need to go. Found some great recipes in the Chateleine! And plan to run a bath and read both magazine...skipping that Penny woman, who insinuates herself everywhere.

We've also spent quite a bit of time watching BBC, CBS and even CNN...but I think you don't need to hear my take on things.

Be well - talk to you tomorrow.