Magic Happens When Words Collide

I appreciate the written statement ‘When Words Collide.’ It juxtaposes an immediate impression on the listener of molecules clamoring together to form a new compound. ‘Mark Leslie Lebfebre of Kobo Reading Life’ neologized the quote at a recent readers’ and writers’ festival in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (WWC, When Words Collide). I love quotes for the immediacy they offer to their audience, so I especially enjoyed this one.

Magic happens: When Words Collide.

I write fantasy; as well as contemporary and historical romantic fiction. When my words collide, creating fictional accounts of characters in action, I hope my stories torture the root of something clever.  Conceivably, the brilliance that an imaginative mind might coerce onto the written page.

I’m taken back to my fantasy series where I portrayed the subject matter of my first book, The Scarlett Mark, a MedEvil Romantasy. I thought the spelling of the new word clever. Now, I’m not so sure… but after two books published in this series, I don’t believe the word can be changed. (I can almost hear C.C. Humphreys enunciating the strangeness of the MedEvil word, his expression bewildered, perhaps stressing the e-vowel before delivering the final ⏤vil.) He has a talent for acting, but I digress.

The festival will prevail in my memory as one to cherish. I loved racing to various sessions, between the tower and the atrium building (insert sigh), among readers and writers. As an author, there’s something empowering about walking amongst creative individuals, so for those that have not experienced “When Words Collide, a festival for readers and writers,” I recommend that you attend next year.

Advice from Key-Note Speakers Include:

  1. I attended an all-day master class with C.C. Humphreys. His key advice was to: ‘keep the reader reading.’ Through his teachings/technique, and the numerous workshops offered, I gained invaluable knowledge and best practices, which may assist in keeping my reader’s reading. Plus, and this a shameless plug for Mr. Humphreys… I am dying to read: Vlad: The Last Confession. The printed edition, gorgeously bound in ebony with a scarlet embellished paper-edge, is not available in Canada. Why? I might need to take a trip to an exotic country to find this beautiful and likely scary book! Transylvania, perhaps?
  2. Guy Gavriel Kay shared an opinion about social media, entering into a more earnest dialogue with festival attendees to have balance in their marketing live’s. This wouldn’t only apply to writers. I appreciated it when he said:

“Sometimes, the changes in society carry a stealth element…”

So true! Authors⏤traditionally or independently published⏤know that social-media marketing has become an ever-increasing burden, regardless of platform, which can stealthily rob words from a written-page, potentially a written-work. A novel! I believe true fans want the written word. Namely books. True reading-fans won’t be disappointed by one less tweet or post on social media if it means that their favorite author will deliver their reading pleasure. (I’m thinking of George R.R. Martin, my favorite author. Be kind, have faith, the long winter will eventually come to an end, and oh how beautiful, when that spring finally blossoms.)

It all comes back to Mark Leslie Lefebre’s quote and a recent writing festival, “Magic Happens When Words Collide.” He’s right! A boon for readers and writers as flashes of insight encourage readers to read and writers to write. I extend my thanks to When Words Collide, the board, and the many festival volunteers. I had a fabulous experience! My knowledge enriched, my mind aches from the learning… and yes, I’ll be back next year!

Now with a flash of my magic wand… I write!

Two year’s later, I’m about to attend the festival for the third time. WWC meant so much to me, I joined the Board of Directors in the finance portfolio. This year, I’m also participating as a moderator on the panel: Everything you always wanted to know about romance, but were afraid to ask. Join me, Sunday at 2 pm. See you there!

 

An introduction to my latest Release

A Sacrifice for Love was written years ago when I was a member of a Protestant congregation. I don’t remember the exact reason that the story premise took hold, but the seeds must have been weed-like as I laid down nearly 100,000 words.

The story relates the fictional telling of a priest falling in love during a period of religious conflict, a time when Father Martin Luther challenged principles of the Roman Catholic Church, such as indulgences. In the ensuing years, he was instrumental in writing a German translation of the Bible, and ultimately the birth of the Lutheran religion. This was the perfect period to set my story.

I had taken an avid interest in the clergy, in particular, priests not being able to marry, especially given that prior to the year AD 1139, priests were able to marry and many had wives and families.

I’m sure there are many reasons why the celibate rule became clerical law. Although in the 2017 year, it’s surprising to me that the rule still exists, forcing priests to choose between their vocation and the love of a partner. Some priests have left the church for this reason.

I felt that spirituality had to form a part of the written work of this book. I’ve tried to temper the religious oratory as while I once wrote inspirational romance, that’s not my focus now. Not wanting this story to become a sermon, I revised the text to keep the focus on the romance. Oh my goodness, I feel like I had to cut the weeds to permit the flowers to shine through!

I don’t mean to offend anyone with a faith background. I hope if you choose to read this book, you’ll see Mathias as I do: a hero compelled to the ministry, who offers his compassion and service for the betterment of the community. Why shouldn’t he find the love of a good woman, too?

Mathias and Sophia’s story is worthy of being told, and in fairness to my characters, their love story has been collecting dust since 1994! Not fair to keep a story under my bed for so long!

A Sacrifice for Love is on sale for the next few days, so it’s a great time to purchase my fourth novel. It’s available exclusively at Amazon (The US only).

A letter from a Friend

I received an email from a colleague of my husband’s, who has become a dedicated reader of my novels. He shared his opinion of my novel, A Sacrifice for Love, which is available exclusively on Amazon.  His review touched me so I’m sharing it with you.

We just got back from a great time in France and Belgium. I read “A Sacrifice for Love” on the way over and you did it again. I did notice that you referred to Jesus as Jesu and assume that was on purpose. The story was well told and, as usual, your prose was spot on. The priest practicing what he heard in confession was an interesting tact. The story is probably an expression of what celibate men go through since priests are were not allowed to marry and you told it wonderfully. As I read your books, I am impressed the way you leave early on hints and the fact that you do not add a lot of “fill” only putting down what is relevant to the story. I forward your books to my reader relatives and to date all have enjoyed your books. We are all waiting for the next installment of the Odin series. Let me know when your next book is available.

I thank Pat for being my champion reader and for believing in my writing. They say it only takes one person’s support to encourage success. In part, it’s this man who keeps me writing!

For readers waiting for my next book, I’m hoping the first draft of Madeleine’s story will be finished by the end of summer. I plan to write the next installment of The Odin Saga come September, and as a little teaser… The high priestess/mage will figure prominently!

 

The Dreaded Colonoscopy

When I first wrote this post, I had just experienced my first colonoscopy. I’m a romance author and I least expected that “The dreaded Colonoscopy” would be the most viewed and most read blog post. I’ve since experienced my second colonoscopy. I’ve revised the information somewhat for anyone having the procedure, to let patient’s know what to expect, hoping my medical journey may help others.

A colonoscopy can save lives by screening for colon cancer. It may have saved my life. Read on to discover why.

At my yearly medical appointment, my GP shared that I was of that age where screening for cancer of the colon was important. At that medical appointment I remember not being overly impressed, immediately thinking of my personals. But my doctor filled out the necessary paperwork, telling me not to worry, it might take two years for the appointment to come. Oh joy, six months later…and now again in 2022.

Preliminary Appointment

My journey began with a preliminary appointment to explain such things as the reasons for having a colonoscopy, the diet prior to the procedure, the prep the day before, and finally the day of the colonoscopy. If you’re not scared away at this point, you’ll discuss any medical concerns with a nurse, and then you’ll book the procedure.

Four days Before

Four days before the colonoscopy, you’ll begin a low-fiber diet. This was no great difficulty. The purpose is to eat foods that will not bulk or linger inside the colon as some foods, such as seeds or nuts, can get trapped in the lining of the colon, making it more difficult for the doctor to see any issues. Among other things, the doctor is searching for polyps, small growths that can lead to cancer, so removing these little demons is important. Eating a low-fiber diet was the easy part. I’ve included the following image, borrowed from www.YouandColonoscopy.com.

Colonoscopy pic

Colonoscopy Prep

Preparation for the colonoscopy begins the day before the procedure with a light breakfast. I had a plain bagel and yogurt without fruit.

  • OK to drink? Fluids such as Gatorade or Powerade, coconut water, apple juice, white grape juice, white cranberry juice, Kool-Aid, Iced Tea, Lemonade, Ginger Ale, 7-Up, Sprite, Jell-O, Popsicles, Tea and Coffee, and clear broths. (Do not add milk/cream/soy milk/almond milk, etc. to your hot drink.)
  • Avoid fluids red in color (can stain the colon), pulp, juice with pulp (pulp can coat or hide inside the colon), orange juice, milk or milk substitutes (dairy can coat the colon).

This was a tough day. My advice? Drink fluids you really enjoy. Buy a Slurpee! Don’t worry about the sugar content as you’ll need this energy. I drank a combination of water, white grape juice, clear broths, Jell-O and Ginger Ale. Ginger Ale was my friend. This fluid got me through!

Note: I drank similar fluids for the second colonoscopy, drinking lots of pop. I didn’t feel hungry.

At 8:00 pm, the worst began. I drank eight, 8-ounce glasses of Colyte through a straw. You want the straw to avoid liquid contact with your tongue. Within two hours, I drank the liquid, but by the last glass, I barely tolerated the taste. My son had warned me that the ‘taste’ was horrible. The first glass wasn’t terrible, but after consuming eight glasses, I was really aware that something chemical was entering my stomach. The purpose? The Colyte assists in drawing liquid into the colon, permitting the body to flush waste from the colon. This is an important factor so the colon’s lining will be clean. Stay at home. Within an hour or so, you’ll be in the bathroom frequently. You might also feel cold from drinking so much liquid. Wrap up in a blanket. Have a bath. Stay warm.

Note: For the second colonoscopy, I knew I could not manage the Colyte, so my preparation changed to a product called PICO-SALAX. At 8:00 pm, I mixed one package of powder into an eight ounce glass of water, stirred well and drank. This was followed by eight glasses of water, drinking every 15 minutes or so. I highly recommend taking PICO-SALAX. It was much easier to consume.

Day of Colonoscopy

My appointment time was at 1:00 pm. Five hours before the procedure, I drank eight more glasses of Colyte. I awoke with a headache. I tolerated the first glass, but as I didn’t feel well, I had a few sips of Gatorade. This might have been a fatal mistake. (If I was ever to do this again, I wouldn’t drink any other fluids while drinking the Colyte.) Because… fifteen minutes later, I drank my second glass of Colyte. After which, I vomited. I took Gravol to try to calm my stomach before attempting the third glass. Didn’t work, lost that, too. I called the CCS Centre for help and they recommended trying the oral purgative PICO-SALAX. Long story short, didn’t go well. I worried that I’d not be able to have the colonoscopy, after all the Colyte hell! But if you can get through the first eight glasses, you should be okay to have the procedure because what I didn’t know is that the doctor can flush ‘light matter’ from the colon while he/she is working. So if this happens to you, don’t worry. You’re likely able to proceed with the colonoscopy.

Note: After recently having a second colonoscopy, just use PICO-SALAX from the start. I had no issues this time and me and my colon were ready for the procedure.

The Colonoscopy

Don’t worry, having a colonoscopy is not terrible. Accept the sedation. It assisted in calming my anxiety and likely pain levels, too. You might experience cramping as your colon is filled with air, or as the camera travels through the colon. I felt some discomfort, but honestly, I became more drawn to the television capturing the visual drama of my colon. (Oh my!) I felt some pinching as the doc removed ‘four polyps!’

Note: For the second procedure, one polyp was removed.

The purpose of having a colonoscopy is to check for such things as inflammation, ulcers, or to remove polyps found in the lining of the colon. Polyps can live harmlessly inside the colon, but they can also become cancerous, turning into tumors. Removing them removes the possibility of coping with a worse issue⏤colon cancer⏤so for me…the procedure was worth the discomfort…both times! It was over in about twenty minutes.

After the Procedure

After the procedure, go home and rest. You might be sore. Not down there exactly, but beneath your ribcage where your colon lies. If needed, Tylenol is an acceptable drug for pain relief. My son overdosed me with two 500 mg pills. (LOL) I had a fabulous sleep and didn’t suffer any lasting effects! I say this with humor as he really meant to take care of his mom. And the best news, you can begin a regular diet again. Having had a stressful day, I ate lightly, but I enjoyed the treats my son gave me after. Red Licorice and chocolate. (My son has ulcerative colitis and has had his colon removed, so he really understands issues and procedures involving the colon.)

The take-Away

I’m glad I had the procedure, twice. I know my colon is healthier, having had four (plus one) polyps removed. What more can be said? Sometimes to have a healthier life one must brave unpleasant medical procedures. Would I have it again? Probably. But knowing my colon is free of polyps that could potentially cause cancer will help me sleep easier at night.

Now, I think I’ll get back to doing what I do best, writing books! I really hope this blog post has helped you!

The Author of my Words

I asked myself this question early in my writing career. Am I an author? My words were my own and just beginning to take shape; I hadn’t shared them yet with the reading world. My stories were waiting to be released in both a digital and physical storefront. Years later and after publishing two fantasy novels and two romantic fiction books, I think the answer is obvious to anyone that writes anything. Whether words are shared through social media or book-reading platforms… Yes. You’re an author.

That’s a startling revelation to me now, that I am and always have been the author of my own words. But I didn’t feel like an author until I had physically published my first book. (The Scarlett Mark) Admittedly, I had yet to earn the respect of being a published author.

We live in an interesting period. Given the advent of social media, I often feel muzzled and judged by the new society that frequent social media platforms. So I’m careful about what I share, conscious of the words I write, not wanting to offend my readers. Paint those with bold opinions as trolls if it makes you feel better, I know they’re real people. Authors of their words, words that could potentially harm my writing career, maybe yours, too.

I think we live in an interesting period where respect is sometimes lacking. Perhaps it’s wiser to share opinions carefully, at least in the non-fiction social world. What more can an author say? I’ll keep to my fiction, so say I, the author of my words.

 

Afternoon Tea at Venus Sophia

My busy lifestyle relaxes and eases toward bliss––every time I experience Afternoon Tea. An English tradition customarily savored in the mid-afternoon, there’s something to be said for slowing the pace of one’s life to sip tea, partake of dainty finger sandwiches, scones with Devonshire cream if you’re lucky, and delicate squares served on three-tiered porcelain plates. The presentation alone quiets the frantic heart.

I recently shared this English tradition with my youngest daughter at Venus Sophia Tea Room and Vegetarian Eatery. Located in Victoria, British Columbia, in the heart of China town, we had waited nearly a year to visit the Eatery together. This was my first visit and the experience was perfect!

My favorite part of Afternoon Tea is the scones, but I have to say, the mushroom pinwheels and strawberry mascarpone sandwiches were delicious, too. The image below displays the dainties which were set perfectly. Afternoon Tea can leave you on the fuller side, but the proportions were perfect. We ate everything!

If you’re ever in the vicinity of Venus Sophia, stop by and enjoy Afternoon Tea! (The restaurant advises making reservations ahead of time.) And allot plenty of time for a good visit with good conversation!

Mother and daughter enjoying Afternoon Tea at Venus Sophia

 

 

Available now: A Sacrifice for Love

Reeling after the death of her father, Lady Sophia can’t accept the news that she’s a bastard. Turning to the parish priest for support, she doesn’t suspect that someone has rewritten her social status. Shunned by society, and betrayed by her former fiancé, Sophia refuses to face further scandal. She depends on Mathias to see her through the nightmare her life has become, but their growing feelings cross the lines of propriety.

After a family tragedy, Mathias Rohland entered the priesthood for all the wrong reasons. When he meets Sophia, he sees the forbidden life he’s always wanted, but his commitment to the church, his vow of celibacy, and a familial promise made, seem impossible to forsake.

Can Sophia overcome the wrongs done and learn the truth? Can Mathias cast off the shackles of his past and bear out a positive future? Sacrificing all for the woman he’s come to love.

The eBook is available exclusively on Amazon.com.

The Art of Reading

The word on the street is politics and I can’t escape the conversation. No matter where I turn: television, my smart device, or social media applications; I encounter a constant verbal diarrhea of confrontational advertising. The mesmerizing posts are like a noxious drug that feed on me. I confess that some comments are entertaining.

“Wake up, Shelley. You don’t like this. The good and the bad are poisoning your reading mind.”

My creative being has always believed that the world would be a better place if we colored our social words with a thoughtful argument, kindness, and respect. Let’s face it, a democracy works better with frank and honest communication. But everyone’s right. Everyone’s wrong, and some doomsayer is probably already predicting that the world will come to an end. Oh dear! I think it’s safest not to take a side. Although I appreciate the honest passions being expressed, I’ve decided to spend less time scrolling and fewer hours watching news opinions to do something else.

I’m returning to the Art of Reading. Books, that is!

And why not? In a fictional world, I can escape to a setting where Outlanders travel through time, Lords fight over thrones, and Tudor Queens pray for a son. Hey, if it gets too shocking, I can always fling the book across the room. But I won’t fling the book because… kindle reader! (An attempt at humor.)

 

But seriously, there’s something amazing about reading a good book. Why not join me. Put the smart device down for a minute and return to the art of reading. So many genres to choose from!

 

Coming Soon

It’s my first work day of the new year and I’m excited to share the writing projects that I’ll be pursuing over the next twelve months.

Rohland’s Cross, A forbidden Love

Coming this Easter:

 

mysterious Catholic monk
Mathia Rohland succumbing to troubled thoughts.

 

Years ago, I wrote a novel about a couple’s forbidden love. Specifically, the ecclesiastical challenge a priest faces when while counselling a fallen woman, he falls in love.

I revisited this novel during the Christmas holidays and liked what I was reading so much, I began the editing and revision process. I hope to publish this book prior to Easter.

Madeleine, A King’s Daughter

Coming in June:

 

Beautiful girl wearing a medieval dress. Studio works inspired by Caravaggio. Cris. XVII
Madeleine Bourbonnais

The novel celebrates Canada’s 150th Birthday. The story of Madeleine, one woman of many, who travels to the new world of New France to seek a better future by procuring herself a husband. But will the secret she hides challenge a future with her spouse?

 

The True-Born King, A MedEvil Romantasy

Coming in December:

Depositphotos_12507644_original.jpgThis novel will be book three in the Odin Saga. Why do I wait to share this third book? The second novel in the saga, The Ebony Queen, was a complicated story to write. I felt I needed time to properly explore the third instalment to weave proper justice elements into the story.

I don’t want to give too much away, but given the title: when the queen takes ill, her advisors craft a plot to place the rightful king on the throne. But what challenges will the true-born son of King Rickard face should the ebony queen recover, or if Daemonis and his son, the former King Lowell, make their presence known in the new kingdom?

That’s all for the 2017 year. It’s an ambitious goal, I admit, but I’m looking forward to the challenge!