Back to My Desk; Living in My Imagination
The Open Book, Williams Lake, BC The research trip to Williams Lake was an expedition. I woke in the morning to an unusual snow fall that covered my driveway. No…
Off to the Cariboo
Skiing on the Ranch Typically, I’m juggling several things at once—but not skiing. My next book after Always Pack a Candle needs research, so I am flying to the Cariboo…
Winding Down to the End of the Year
My deck after a huge snowfall. The west coast is in shock from unusually cold (weather-12 Celcius/10 F) Time for longjohns, crampons on boots, ski mitts and multiple scarves for…
Enthusiastic readers. Love it!
Hallowe’en is magical around my house. My street is only two blocks long and most people get into the spirit of the day with decorations. When…
What is the collective term for authors?
The collective term for authors: a tribe? a pack? a creation? This post-restrictions business takes some getting used to. Did I really do all this before the pandemic? It…
Looking to Socialize
Photo Diane Hill Even the seals are looking for social interaction. A Word and Art Festivals, a crime writers conference, educational webinars interspersed with sun, beach, visitors and summer…
Working in the Heat
Summer Photos Diane Hill I am enjoying the attention I’m getting for willing the 2022 Lieutenant Governor’s Community History Award. I’m still thrilled or, as Rose one…
A Surprising Honour
Photo Diane Hill Summer is here. I won the 2022 Lieutenant-Governor’s Community History Award. How surprising. I didn’t even know my publishers had submitted it for consideration. I was…
Winner of Lieutenant-Governor’s Community History Award
Always Pack a Candle: A Nurse in the Cariboo-Chilcotin (Heritage House Publishing) won the 2022 Lieutenant Governor’s Community History Award and the $500 accompanying prize. Heritage House submitted…
May in Britain
I have been to England and enjoyed every minute. Book 5 is set in Rye, Sussex and Kent and Book 6 is set in Cirencester in the Cotswolds. May is…
Working in spite of the glorious spring
I am surrounded by blossoms as spring on the Sunshine Coast is lavish. the camellias are giving up, the crabapple and plum blossoms are in full glory while the rhododendrons…
More writing. More books.
December brings its usual rush toward Christmas but without the social and musical engagements that usually crowd the days. My social life has been severely restricted; my musical life cut…
Dealing with November
There is no escaping from the November darkness this year. No Hawaii. No trips of any kind. It seems that my community has decided that the best way…
Awaiting Delivery
October brings a great deal of celebration with it, in spite of Covid. The publishers have managed to continue their busy production and released Crime in Cornwall on October 13th.…
The Disappearance of “H”
The Disappearance of the “H” Verandah has lost its ‘h’. The editor for Heritage House Publishing pointed this out to me and, darn it, she’s right. When did that happen?…
A Brief Report. It is Summer, After All
City of Edinburgh, Scotland. Night view of Cannonball House at top of the Royal Mile, with Edinburgh Castle in the background. I am coming up to the end…
Busy, in spite of the turmoil
Summer is a juggling act at my house. My study is reserved for writing, but the rest of the house is taken over by family who enjoy life…
Revisions, re-writing and creating
I am again busy with revisions of one book and the creation of another. I once attempted to create a book in the morning and revise a different book…
Bouncing Down the Rabbit Holes
Bouncing Down the Rabbit Holes I’m on a first draft of the next book, in the Cotswolds, stopping every few minutes to research what my characters decide to talk…
What a Spring!
What a spring! Definitely here as attested to by this wild choke cherry across my street. Hunkering down at home is the normal course of events for a writer.…
Still No Daffodils
This is the view from my bedroom window and there is nothing springlike about it. The renovations and de-cluttering of my house slows down as the writing increases. I have…
The Grey Days of January
In the grey days of January here on the west coast of Canada, I find my myself tempted to hibernate. Then I look at the energy and activity of authors…
Plans for the New Year
I admit it, I bolted immediately after Christmas. I spent a week in the sunshine of Hawaii in the rural area on the southern tip of the Big Island. The…
Tea in the Library, much cozier
The book launch For Hazards in Hampshire The British Book Tour Mysteries held at Gibsons Public Library last Saturday was a lot of fun. The audience was enthusiastic and, after…
It’s Still a Little Wild
(Photo Diane Hill) Not the seals. They are certainly wild, but keeping up with the Virtual Tour is a little wild. Of course, having my computer die and going through…