Libraries

Seemingly out of nowhere, all over the world libraries have come under attack.

Libraries? What have they done to offend the powers-that-be? I think the question that must be asked, is who benefits. Who benefits from closing libraries, reducing access to books and information? Who benefits from cutting the poor, the mobility-restricted, the elderly, off from access to their community? Supposedly it's all about saving money.

Really? Seems to me there's always money for the things politicians want whether it be new fighter jets or hockey arenas.

I'm making a presentation tomorrow to my municipal council, which has suggesting closing three of our six libraries. Now, I live in a rural area that has no public transit. Here's the crux of my talk:


As a relative newcomer to the County, I was shocked to read that council is considering closing libraries in the smaller communities. This would be a serious mistake for many reasons. In a spread-out area such as Prince Edward County that does not have the luxury of public transit, libraries are an invaluable resource to those who don’t have access to a car such as parents with young children, teenagers needing help with homework, job seekers who can’t afford a computer or high-speed wireless in their homes, the elderly with mobility issues.
Libraries bind communities: they promote literacy, provide meeting spaces, help children with homework, give young people a safe and productive place to go. They welcome newcomers and provide older residents with a place to get together and keep their minds active.

Closing of the libraries in the villages as has been suggested would be tantamount to tearing the heart out of those communities. And worst of all penalizing the poorer and least fortunate of County residents.

I ask councillors to reconsider this ill-thought out plan.

The Standup Office

I’ve been reading a lot lately about how important it is to stand up. Long hours sitting in place, the jobs most of us do these days, is very bad for ones heath. We need to not only move, but also to stand. Apparently even the most active of us (a category that does not include me) is doing their health no good by sitting at a desk most of the day.

I’ve heard about standup desks and treadmill desks, and when my friend Charles Benoit posted a picture of his new stand-up office, I figured I’d give it a try.
Yesterday was the first day. I set my Netbook computer up on a half-wall between the kitchen and dining room. I decided I’d give it half an hour to start.

I worked like that for 3.5 hours.

I loved it.

Not only did I scarcely notice that I was standing, but it gave my writing a real boost. When I lifted my head to think, instead of shifting in my chair and then hitting the Facebook or e-mail key, I took a few steps, swung my arms around and came back to it.

Today I stood again. The time whizzed by almost as fast as my fingers typed. Now I’m sure the increased productivity is due more to the shift in working environment, as minimal as it is, than the actual position. No doubt things will slow down back to normal soon.

But I’m delighted that I’d tried this.

I’m lucky that the half-wall is at exactly the right height. I’d advise anyone to take care as to the position of the computer to try this. Too low and your back will feel it. Too high and you’ll strain your shoulder. You probably also want to be sure you don’t have your computer wobbling on the top of an impromptu stack of books.

The above picture shows my new set up. Nothing fancy at all.

.99c Special Continues

Amazon is still offering In the Shadow of the Glacier on Kindle for only .99. I thought the special was running just to the end of January, but whatever...

So, if you haven't read the Constable Molly Smith series yet, here's your chance to give it a try. In the Shadow of the Glacier is the first book in the series. Click here for Kindle.

The second book is titled Valley of the Lost and I had a really nice trailer made for that book. Here's the link to the trailer for Valley of the Lost. I'd forgotten how good it is.

Vacation time

I'm back from a fabulous two weeks in Turks and Caicos. Wonderful place. Words are not necessary.

Cutest Picture Ever?

I'm starting the sixth Smith and Winters book, still untitled. A woman is out walking her dog on Christmas morning. A shot rings out...

Norman, the police dog is called in and gets the scent. The chase is on.

To refresh my memory, I went to the RCMP police dog web page just to click on some pictures and read a bit about raising and training of these dogs.

And I found this:

A Winter Kill

In April, Rapid Reads will be releasing my new book for reluctant readers. It's titled A Winter Kill, and like all Rapid Read books you don't have to be a reluctant reader to enjoy it. It's short, fast paced, and I hope suspenseful.

Nicole Patterson is a young, green and very eager probationary constable with the Ontario Provincial Police. Although she spends much of her time breaking up bar fights, giving out traffic tickets and finding lost kids, she dreams of one day becoming a detective. Late one bitterly cold winter night, she comes across the body of a young woman lying on the edge of a snow-covered field on the outskirts of town. The girl appears to have been strangled. Nicole recognizes the victim as a local high school student with a somewhat sullied reputation, the daughter of the town drunk. Though both under-qualified and unauthorized, Nicole feels compelled to throw herself into the murder investigation. Was the murdered girl really as promiscuous as her classmates described or the victim of bullying? What was her relationship with the star of the football team? And what is the significance of the ring with the large blue stone found near her body? Is Nicole Patterson herself heading for trouble by pretending to be a detective?

If you're interested in this and the other books from Rapid Reads, click here for the catalogue.

To pre-order A Winter Kill from Amazon.ca, click here.Most bookstores, online and physical, will be happy to place a pre-order for you.

Safari 2011

Herewith, some pictures from my safari in Kenya. We had an unbelievable time – I think it was the best vacation I’ve ever had.

We stayed at Kicheche Camps in Laikipia and Masai Mara. The trip was arranged by Karen Oliver at Uniglobe Glen Abbey Travel in Oakville (http://uniglobeglenabbey.com/) and we were assisted on the ground by Kennsington Tours. (http://www.kensingtontours.com)

The game parks were amazing; we saw absolutely everything we wanted to see (lions, leopard, cheetah, elephants, graph, hippo, rhino, and millions of zebra, gazelle, and impala). We saw an impala being born and a lion dragging home her kill. We saw hippos fighting, enough to draw blood, and lions mating. There were no crowds at all, which impressed me no end, and most days we didn’t see one other group of tourists all day. (When we got stuck at one point, there was no point in waiting for a passer-by to come to our aid). The camps were luxurious, the food fabulous, the hosts charming, the guides super-efficient.

Here is a variation of the trip we took: highly recommended. http://www.kicheche.com/camps-bush-rates-Kicheche-Conservancy.shtm