Diane

News Flash: I’m a Featured Author at RG2E Gifting Ebooks!

September 26, 2012 by Diane, posted in News Flash

Reader’s Guide to E-Publishing is one of those sites that if you’re a reader, you’re missing out if you don’t visit often or subscribe to the posts. A host of wonderful writers talk about their books and their writing life, and they either have their ebooks available for free, low prices or gift ebook copies to lucky readers. Sometimes, free swag gets thrown into the giftaway basket, so you never know if you’ll walk away with an ebook or an ebook, bookmarks, cards and other goodies.

Today I’m a feature author at Reader’s Guide to E-Publishing. Check out my post and get a chance to receive a gift copy of my ebook Pockets of Wildflowers, my first romance novel.

Outside the Silence

September 24, 2012September 22, 2012 by Diane, posted in Fiction

Julianne lay still, fearful any noise she’d make while adjusting her weight would be heard by others in the building. A single movement of her hand or foot sounded as if a band of bagpipers passed through on their way to battle. Each breath remained even, each inhale and exhale controlled so as not to arouse suspicion that she did not yet sleep.

She supposed as a child, sleeping in a soft, pillowed bed felt normal. Although the sounds of her childhood room went unremembered, she imagined they had comforted her on her way to dreamland. But those sounds had not touched Julianne’s ears for more than a decade.

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Rambling Dreams or a Science Fiction Story in the Making?

September 6, 2012May 25, 2020 by Diane, posted in Fiction

An earth-shaking crash and shrieks of terror behind Delia shattered the beautiful day. She whirled to find a ten-foot, silver robot blasting buildings with the weapon attached to his arm. For a moment she stood frozen in shock. Where had this mad man come from, and what was he doing on a busy street in Halifax?

The sleek machine appeared to have no specific target; it fired at buildings, vehicles and anyone who came within it’s sights. Smoke, fire, debris and bodies quickly littered the street.

A firm tug on Delia’s hand snapped her back to her senses. She looked down at her nine-year-old son Jack who stared at her with big eyes. The movement of the robot shook the ground and propelled her into motion. She tightly gripped Jack’s hand as they raced along the sidewalk.

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Foggy Morning at Moon Meadow Croft

August 27, 2012 by Diane, posted in Photographs

Late August in Nova Scotia provides cool nights (down to 12 degrees Celsius) and hot days (we reached 37 degrees today). These extreme temperatures create the perfect environment for thick morning fog and cobwebs.

Below are a two scenes captured early yesterday morning on my little homestead, Moon Meadow Croft.

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The Land of Ath-o’Lea Map

August 9, 2012September 26, 2012 by Diane, posted in Fiction

The map of Ath-o’Lea has been in the making for years. It’s changed many times since its conception, but the one thing that remains the same is my idea of what makes the land where my Shadows in the Stone characters live special to me.

After all that time spent creating the map, I still don’t feel it’s finished. I want it to look better. As an overall map for The Castle Keepers series, it’s useful because it shows Maskil in relationship to the sea and places mentioned in the first novel (Midway Keep, Ellswire, Pogwa Mountains, Petra), as well as places introduced in the second book, Scattered Stones (Tigh Na Mare, Glentosh, Titterton, Wardlow).

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Exploring the deepest part of the ocean in grade ten.

August 2, 2012August 1, 2012 by Diane, posted in Essay

In grade ten, our English teacher assigned a weekly writing assignment. I know most students didn’t embrace this intrusion to their brains, but as a budding writer, I did. A few months ago, I discovered my old writing journal from that year. Below is one of the essays I wrote.

The Old is Brand New

Would it not be exciting to travel around the world discovering all sorts of things that have been mysteries buried for thousands of years? Archaeology would definitely be a great area to be in. Just to travel all over the world into ancient tombs and long forgotten lands is enough to fill my life. But actually digging up the remains of extinct animals or exploring unexplored caves would be icing on the cake.

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Mutated Blood Lines Excerpt

July 26, 2012July 25, 2012 by Diane, posted in Fiction

Excerpt from the short story, Mutated Blood Lines…

Autumn watched the dust swirl into the air. The narrow drive to her cottage was drier than usual. Rain was expected, but hesitated to fall. As the Jeep sped toward her dwelling, she released a calming breath. She heard a thump behind her and footsteps fade into stone. Alone, she organised her thoughts and prepared her defence for when her younger sibling arrived.

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Pockets of Wildflowers Bloom

July 19, 2012July 17, 2012 by Diane, posted in Fiction

The first few paragraphs of my romance novel, Pockets of Wildflowers, scheduled for a fall 2012 release…

The temperature dropped suddenly, and I felt an urgency to escape the approaching storm. Dark, swirling clouds descended and became increasingly closer to my perch on the small hill behind the farmhouse. I glanced at the barn. All the animals were secure.

The wind whipped around my legs, and I felt the first spots of rain beat against my tanned skin. The breeze lifted my dress, shaping it like an open umbrella. I held it in place, fearing the increasing wind would lift it over my head and blind me to the path to safety. I could watch the storm no longer; I had to go!

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The Man Who Reads Obituaries Free for Three Days

July 12, 2012July 11, 2012 by Diane, posted in Fiction

Exert from The Man Who Reads Obituaries by Diane Lynn McGyer

The drone from the machinery sealed my eyelids, enticing me to linger in the weightlessness of sleep. Time passed peacefully there, with dreams that confirmed I still breathed…still lived. Urges existed in dreamland; urges to eat, urges to copulate, urges to explore…things I no longer possessed while conscious.

I missed my body’s impulse to urinate; the nurses had even denied me of that primitive need. I imagined the clear tube stretching from my limp penis to the rubber bag dangling beside the bed, and I wondered about the nurse’s reaction if I removed it to feel the urge to pee one last time.

Footsteps disrupted my thoughts, and clicking shoes entered the room. Without opening my eyes, I knew it to be young Maggie Mac…something, a young woman gifted with beauty but not tolerance for the dying. She stopped near the bed. A whiff of her perfume permeated the air as she leant forward, checking to see if the devil had claimed me yet.

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Inviting Flyers to the Garden

July 5, 2012July 4, 2012 by Diane, posted in Non-fiction

Birds in the garden offer many benefits. Their songs brighten the dullest morning, and it’s great fun to watch them grow, play and search for food. They also eat their share of pesky insects and bugs.

Bird feeders are one way to encourage birds to visit the backyard. Homemade and store-bought feeders attract birds equally as long as they can reach the seeds they’ll eagerly gobble-up. If a feeder is maintained through winter, it should be continued through summer. Birds become dependent on it while feeding hungry hatchlings.

Hummingbirds love red flowers, including red tulips and red daylilies, but not everyone can keep enough red flowers in bloom to feed these active birds. This is where feeders come in handy. Various types, including ones that stick to windows, are available.

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