28 Dec My Writing Year in Review – 2024
And that’s a wrap for 2024 and time for a brief recap of the writing year that was.
I started off January with visits to a couple of book clubs, one in a home and the other in Alta Vista Library, with a few more book club visits in March. I’d raffled off a book club visit for Blues for Youth (a charity connected to the Royal Ottawa for youth suicide prevention) and in March, the winning book club took me to the Rideau Tennis Club for brunch. Another book club that I’d visited a year or so before asked me back and took me for lunch at Ashton Brew Pub, a locale in Fatal Harvest. All different venues and each a treat.
May saw the launch of Fatal Harvest, third in the Hunter and Tate series. Perfect Books hosted the event with Susan Rothery as emcee and Fred Taylor taking photographs.
I did some media around the launch of the book, including an article in the Kitchissippi Times, a review in the Glebe Report, and a spot on Daytime Ottawa, a program that I’m sad to say has been cancelled. The Ottawa Citizen also featured a chapter as part of their summer series.
Also in May and June, I took part in a couple of events, the first with John Delacourt at Octopus Books in the Glebe. We each read from our latest work before signing some copies. It was a really nice evening and I feel like I made a new friend.
I also spent some time with Don Butler, who asked me to emcee his book launch of Norman’s Conquest at Perfect Books. He had a good crowd, many reporters or retired reporters from the Citizen as Don was executive editor of the paper for the last six years of his reporting career.
The last speaking event I had in June was as guest author for a group called Coffee, Company and Conversation, which meets at a church on Fisher Avenue. It was another lovely, welcoming crowd. Below, I’m sitting with Nancy Reid, a valued supporter of Ottawa authors, who comes out to many events and signings and champions our work. She’s helping me with my books after the talk.
On the writing front, an anthology titled Larceny and Last Chances, published by Lake Superior Press and spearheaded by Judy Penz Sheluk, was released in early summer with my short story “The Pool” included.
And the summer began a series of book store signings that went on into December. I spent many Saturdays meeting new readers and signing books at (in no particular order) Books on Beechwood, Coles Carlingwood, Coles Bayshore, Chapters Innes, Chapters Gloucester, Chapters Pinecrest, Chapters Rideau, Westboro Books, Arts in the Park (Spaniel’s Tale), and Chapters South Keys. Thank you to all those who came out to any of the signings – I loved seeing you!
And this brings us to Christmas craft shows, something I’d never tried before. Peggy Blair organized a mystery writer fair called Crime for Christmas at the Barrhaven Legion in November, and it was a huge success. There was even a lineup before the door opened! Along with Don Butler, I made my first tv appearance on CTV Morning Ottawa to talk about Crime for Christmas.
Don Butler lined up two Christmas shows, the first in the Hintonburg Community Centre and the second at the Shenkman Centre where we recruited John Delacourt and Amy Tector to split the day, We agreed to perhaps try another show or two next year.
As for news on the writing front, I spent the first part of the year writing the fourth Hunter and Tate instalment, titled Who Lies in Wait. The cover reveal will be early January with the release planned for May 1st. The second half of 2024 was spent editing the manuscript as well as beginning to write a new book for Dundurn – the eighth Stonechild and Rouleau! I signed the contract in November. Also negotiations with Sullivan Entertainment resulted in a shopping agreement announcement in the summer for Cold Mourning with Marie Clements on board to be the show runner, essentially the head writer and director. An announcement was made in Quill and Quire and Publisher’s Weekly. Work continues behind the scenes and hopefully there will be more news in 2025!
All in all, 2024 was a really busy, fun year. I met lots of book lovers, signed a ton of books, and never got bored. Thanks for coming along for the ride on my weekly blog posts as we made another trip around the sun. Let’s keep the party going as we turn the corner into a new year.
Happy 2025 when we’ll make new memories and experience good times with family and friends!
