24 Dec Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve 2022. This is my favourite day as we prepare for a special evening meal, wrap the last of the gifts, and light a fire. It’s a peaceful time — time to slow down and spend time with loved ones. A winter storm blew through the last few days, leaving more snow in its wake, so the world is white and fresh. We’d been warned to hunker down, but the winds weren’t as terrible as forecast in our area, and I have to say that while the meteorologists were calling this the storm of the century, I’ve seen a lot worse. I remember one time in Terrace Bay, my mother sent the three of us off to school and we couldn’t even make it to the corner of our street, the wind was whipping the snow so hard. We made it home to find school had been cancelled.
Just a couple of things to report. Blind Date made The Rap Sheet‘s favourite crime novels for the year as reviewed by Jim Napier. He writes: Never at a loss to weave a spellbinding story, Chapman draws on her considerable skills to weave a credible, well-crafted story that will keep readers turning the page and when finished, thirsting for more.
I’m on track to have When Last Seen, book two in the Hunter and Tate mysteries, up on Amazon for pre-order early in 2023. The release date is April 1st. To this end, I’ve spent a good part of the week re-reading it for errors and final, fiddly revisions – I’ll be happy to finally put this one to bed. Fellow author Alex Brett read the manuscript and gave her assessment: A wonderful book, beautifully written and engrossing. I was drawn in and carried along from the first chapter right through to the last page. I’m excited for you to read this one!
I know everyone’s busy today, preparing a lovely dinner this evening or getting set for tomorrow. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa, I wish you peace, hope and love this holiday season. May you have a restful time with friends and family with delicious meals, a few cups of cheer, and many, many Christmas cookies.