May 25, 2008

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY …

…. You’d better not wear disguise. For Loreth and KJ Howe will have guns … And knives.

And pens.

In the name of research, we’ll be participating in a series of courses ranging from mantracking to falconry, to trap shooting, knife throwing, rifle marksmanship, managing ‘aggressive persons’, and several things in between.

The venue is Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island, deep in the forest. And the courses are being hosted by the British Columbia Wildlife Federation – essentially a pro-hunting body, which has come up with an innovative way to grow and foster the organization’s sport and membership … by reaching out and teaching women how to love, cope with, and understand the outdoors along with the associated guns, and knives and bows and arrows, plus skills such as preparing and cooking game, navigating via map and compass, canoeing, fly fishing and handling ax and chainsaw.

The BCWF recognizes that it is woman – mothers and wives – who are more likely to introduce their children to hunting and outdoor activities — and to sustain that passion within a family unit — if they have a level of skill comfort … if they come to love the outdoors themselves. The BCWF thus initiated the BOW program – Becoming an Outdoors-Woman.

I stumbled upon this program some time last year while researching mantracking for my November SRS — MANHUNTER (My heroine is a mantracker up north who must lead my Mountie hero through unforgiving Yukon terrain after a cunning survivalist serial killer). I immediately wrote the federation, asking when they’d be putting on another series of courses, and where. I wanted to ride horses in the bush, handle a rifle and shotgun, smell gun powder and wood smoke from a fire cooking game … I want to bring that kind of veracity to my stories. So I signed up with unmitigated glee. I am also keen to meet folk from completely different walks off life, ones outside my immediate writing circles. I want to talk skills not related to POV and plot and world building.
And I was delighted when fellow RS writer Kim (KJ) Howe jumped at the chance to fly out west and join me. Kim is an ‘experience’ junkie, and it shows in her writing.

If all goes according to plan – KJ and I should emerge from the woods around June 2, and have tall tales to tell — books to write. And hopefully photos to show.

Stay tuned

May 24, 2008

HAVE POLES, WILL TRAVEL

T’was a glorious day for ‘moose hoofs’ as one of my UK Nordic Walking connections calls it — jogging with the poles, in this case up the hills to get the heart pumping. One hour. And that’s Lost Lake down there between the trees. The perfect spot to mull over my new plot.

The Canadian Olympic cross country ski team will be coming into our Callaghan Valley to train this summer (at the new venue for the Nordic events of the 2010 Winter Olympics). A section of trail through the woods has been paved, upon which they will skate with poles. I plan to find out what they use on the tips of their poles that enables them to propel forward without slipping on rain and fine dust and gravel, because the rubber feet I use on my Excel tips slide irritatingly … which is why I’ve been sticking to unpaved trails, using the naked graphite tips (I think they are graphite)

Any suggestions or tips (um… sorry) would me most welcome!!!

May 23, 2008

NATURE CALLING

The sun is calling! Not to be taking lightly in this neck of the woods let me tell ya … so I’m going to hit the trails as soon as I’ve written a few pages.

And I’m avoiding the valley bottom … and him above — one of our collared bears. Which means he’s made something of name for himself in town …

May 22, 2008

ALONG MY ROAD …

My agent Jennifer Jackson has one of the best agent blogs out there according to Writer’s Digest, which has voted hers one of the top agent blogs of 2008. Whoot! But then I’ve always known I was onto to a good thing since I stumbled across her Live Journal all those years ago :

“With the motto, ‘Saving the world, one book sale at a time,’ literary agent Jennifer Jackson shares news, notes and opinions on the industry, including a sneak peek at her query round-up.”

Also check her out her “Agent Manners” Q and A this week. Awesome stuff.

The full Writer’s Digest list can be found here.

And this for my Nordic Walking compadres around the globe. No foxes in my wood, Dave, but this was my … er…. minor obstacle yesterday. Can you see him?

My Path: 1 hour, Lost Lake trails.

My Beat: High Voltage Rock n Roll — AC/DC

My Work: Got started on a new project today. Love that buzz!

May 19, 2008

And then there was green

Just like that. Honest. And then the golfers were out. The daylight hours are increasing, well, daily, and things just GROW. Fast. I love this time of year. You can literally feel the energy in the earth, smell it, taste it. It makes you want to keep pace somehow. I can only imagine what it must be like further north at the moment.

I hope this energy carries into my new proposal

And on the writing note … a fabulous review on SEDUCING THE MERCENARY here.

Thank you to Robyn, and to Kimber An!

May 12, 2008

THE HERO’S POV

His idea of the perfect Mother’s Day — chasing bull trout — in a secret location.

***

She: “So where did you go fish?”

He: Looks at her funny. “A secret spot. Ian just showed me today.”

She: “No, serious, where did you fish?”

He: Looks at her even funnier.

She: “Oh come on, you can tell me. I’m your wife. I don’t want to go steal anyone’s fish. I don’t even like fishing. Not when you have to put them back. What’s the point?”

He: Grabs beer. Grabs remote.

She: “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

He: Cracks open beer. “You know the Knights of the Templar?

She: “Um…. yeah.”

He: “Well they had this system where not everyone knew everything. Information was compartmentalized. The whole was stronger for it.”

She: “What are you talking about?”

He: Gets that expression that says women are so weird.

She: “You’re trying to tell me that you and Ian are like the Knights of the Templar? That the fishing community is somehow stronger if you keep the secret location a secret from me?”

He: “You got it.” Smiles. Puts the hockey game on television. Life is perfect now.

She: “Men.”

He: Glances over shoulder during half time, big IDEA has struck him. “Hey, you can put the photo of me and my bull trout on your blog if you like. Just say it’s a river in British Columbia.”

***

I do love him. Even though I ended up cooking dinner for him on Mother’s Day. And it wasn’t trout.

And I guess I am secretly pleased he went fishing at a secret location …. I got to finish up my proposal.

I also realize I probably wouldn’t do well married to a secret agent. Because one way or another … I’ll get that secret out of him (sorry Ian — local Knights of the Templar ain’t got nothing on me).