Diane

Sneak Peak at My Next Project: The Salvation of Mary Lola Barnes

September 15, 2020September 10, 2020 by Diane, posted in News Flash

I’m brainstorming to find a catch-phrase to capture the essence of The Salvation of Mary Lola Barnes, my next book. Here are the ones I’ve written so far.

She’d sacrificed everything for her family, including her identity
She didn’t recognise the person in the mirror
Who she was had disappeared with the years
The stranger in the mirror begged for more from life
She equally had it all and nothing after decades of marriage
Sometimes we tell ourselves the biggest lies
She reserved the most convenient lies for herself

More on The Salvation of Mary Lola Barnes soon.

Flight of the Graveyard Fairy

September 11, 2020December 29, 2020 by Diane, posted in Essay

The heat from the grass and forest permeated the still air in the small clearing and when I breathed in, nature’s energy filled my lungs. Closing my eyes, I heard a slight rustling of leaves high in the trees and a distant cry of an unknown bird. Here, far from the city, people and motor vehicles, the earth relaxed, time stood still and the body felt at home.

As I made my way towards the headstones dotting the burial ground, I wondered if I had enough time to capture images of every marker. The kids were eager to get to the blueberry field and didn’t want to linger at yet another graveyard. They followed close behind, asking if that person was related, or what did the little lamb on the stone indicate and how much longer was this going to take?

To be honest, my kids didn’t often complain when visiting cemeteries even after they’d been dragged through several dozen. Something always appeared to entertain them even if it was just a hapless toad hopping across our path.

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Quote from “Northern Survival” – Sleeping in a Tomb

September 10, 2020September 9, 2020 by Diane, posted in Book Launch

On the second night of being lost in the wilderness, Johnathan complained about the noise of the forest. Olive tells him he’ll miss these sounds when he returns to the city. He disagrees, and she says…

“You don’t believe me now but wait. You’ll see. The first night you lay in bed surrounded by four walls with the window closed, you’ll wonder where those sounds are. You’ll start to wonder if everything on the planet is dead. It will be so quiet, so void of life you’ll feel like your sleeping in a tomb.”

Have you ever slept for a long period outside in a space that allowed you to hear all the sounds surrounding you in nature? I have. One summer, my kids and I slept in the pop-up trailer in the backyard from May until October. I grew accustomed to every sound: the ducks quacking, the wind through the trees, the peepers, the chickens, the goats, the distant neighbour’s dog barking, their cows, and the coyotes and foxes yelping.

After months of falling asleep to these sounds, I spent my first night in the house on a cool October night with the windows closed. It was silent. It felt like everything was dead, and I slept in a tomb.

LAST DAY OF HALF PRICE SALE

Grab your copy of Northern Survival today. Sale ends at Midnight. Only at Amazon

Download it to your Kindle today.

If you are a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read it for free.

For the Love of Boats

September 9, 2020September 9, 2020 by Diane, posted in Book Launch

I’ve been in boats all my life. I’ve travelled rivers, lakes but mostly the ocean in all sorts of vessels. The smallest was a homemade raft and kayak. The largest was the car ferry to Newfoundland. I’ve been in small whale-watching boats, canoes, war canoes, paddle boats, small sailboats, dories, aluminum motor boats and wooden boats. These smaller boats range from 8 to 12 feet.

Currently, I have a 12-foot bevin skiff. There’s something about wooden boats that are more appealing than aluminium. For one, aluminium is cold on the feet and since I boat barefoot, this matters to me.

Continue reading “For the Love of Boats” →

Water Bottle Used in “Northern Survival”

September 8, 2020 by Diane, posted in Non-fiction

Shortly after the plane crash, Olive tells Johnathan ‘John’ Stone: “I have a refillable bottle that self-filters. I can drink from any water source.”

These self-filter water bottles can be life savers if lost or stranded in the wilderness where water quality is questionable. Because I hike, camp and boat far from civilization, I bought one of these water bottles a few years ago. I don’t use it as my water bottle; it’s there in case of emergency, when the only drinking water available is from the ground.

Olive explains how to use the water bottle a few chapters in after Johnathan asks her to refill his regular plastic water bottle.

Continue reading “Water Bottle Used in “Northern Survival”” →

The Plane Crash that Inspired “Northern Survival”

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 by Diane, posted in Book Launch

Just over a year ago, I saw a video on YouTube by a man who had crashed his small plane in the remote wilderness of Quebec on July 27, 2019. He survived because his plane had a parachute. I’d never heard of such a thing, so I did a little research on the subject and found CAPS, which stands for Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. Their website states, “The parachute system is designed to protect occupants in the event of an emergency by lowering the aircraft to the ground after deployment.”

Cool. Right? That’s what I thought.

Continue reading “The Plane Crash that Inspired “Northern Survival”” →

Quote from “Northern Survival”

September 5, 2020 by Diane, posted in Book Launch

“I understand you’re in pain because your friend died. I know you miss your wife, your kids, and you worry about them thinking you’re dead, but I can excuse only so much bad attitude before I start not caring if you live or die.”

Olive says this to John shortly after the plane crash.

Northern Survival is half price until Thursday. Only at Amazon.

Download it to your Kindle today.

If you are a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read it for free.

Official LAUNCH DAY and eBook Sale

September 4, 2020September 3, 2020 by Diane, posted in Book Launch

We’re celebrating the launch of Northern Survival this month. To kick it off, the eBook is half price from today until Thursday September 10th. That’s right! For less than the price of almost everything at the Dollar Store, you can read this fast-paced story that stars an author from Nova Scotia and a famous actor from California.

What is Northern Survival?

It’s a fictional story that doesn’t have a firm year. It might take place in 2010 or 2018. Or maybe it’s 2025. The only thing we’re sure of is it take place in September when the heat of summer is long past and the threat of frost hangs over head.

It’s a survival story, starting less than an hour before a four-seater plane crashes near Albany River near Miminska Lake, leaving two dead and two survivors in the middle of nowhere.

It’s an outdoors adventure story that sees two survivors trekking through the forest and along waterways, and building a lean-to each night for protection and a campfire for warmth.

It’s a romance story that sees two strangers come together to help each other survive the rugged Northern Ontario landscape.

It’s an inspirational story of hope and overcoming our past and what life has dealt to envision a wonderful future.

It’s a mature story starring two individuals in their early 50s, who still have a lot of life and love left to live and give. That’s right; this romance doesn’t involve individuals younger than 30, yet sometimes they reminisce about those days.

All of this for the price of 99 cents. Download it to your Kindle today.

If you are a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read it for free.

It’s the Season for Blueberry Cake

September 1, 2020 by Diane, posted in Recipe

Every year in late August, blueberries enter my house by buckets or boxes. This year was no exception, and I face the Gathering of the Bird season with 20 pounds of fresh, locally-grown blueberries in my refrigerator and freezer.

As usual, the fresh blueberries weren’t in the house one hour and I started making cake. The recipe I use has been in my family for decades. My mother made the cake for me and my siblings when I was a young girl. Where she got it and how long she had been making it before I arrived on the planet is anyone’s guess. The recipe could be 70 years old – Mom is 92. Or it may be older, a recipe made by my grandmother in the 1920s. Either way, this recipe makes excellent blueberry cake.

Continue reading “It’s the Season for Blueberry Cake” →

Hot off the Press: Northern Survival

August 27, 2020 by Diane, posted in Book Launch

Officially, Northern Survival isn’t released until September 6th, but the eBook is live now at Amazon.

The price for this fast-paced survival story is $1.99 (CAD and USD). However, for the next three months, you can read it for free with Kindle Unlimited.

If you’re waiting for the paperback version, it will be available soon.