Glorious Fall!

Once again, September turned out to be one of the most beautiful months of the year (even though it unfortunately also turned out to be one of the driest on record). The long term forecast extending into October shows a continuation of the warm, dry weather. Dare I hope for some soaking rain?

September was a productive month. Maybe my enthusiasm for getting work done is a hold over from years of hitting the books at the beginning of the school year. Although I didn’t make my goal of having a first draft done of a sequel to “The Aquamarine Necklace” in August, I spent a week at the Bighorn Meadow Resort in Radium, BC, to try to get it done. I didn’t quite make it to “the end”,  but have about 60,000 words (final book length will be about 80,000) on the page.  

Radium, and neighbouring Invermere and Fairmont Hot Springs are pulsing with people during the summer, but September quietens slightly with kids going back to school. I’ve included a photo taken from the balcony of my condo unit overlooking the golf course. Beautiful, isn’t it?

Bighorn Meadows, Radium, BC.

Later in the month, I had a fantastic time presenting “The Aquamarine Necklace” to the Happy Valley Readers Book Club. Hosted by Shirley, we enjoyed snacks while discussing not only the book, but the whole publication process. Thanks to Diane, Judy, Lynda, Lynn, Sandra, Shirley, and Sharon for the lively discussion and feedback.

I will be at the wonderful Analog Books in Lethbridge on October 15! (322 6 St. S.) from 3 - 5:30. Drop by for a chat and I can sign your book at the same time! I am also setting up times to be at a couple of locations in Calgary, and at Found Books in Cochrane and will post the dates and times as soon as they are confirmed.

I will be joining fantastic author, Scott Charlton Paul, Scott Charlton Paul | Alberta Author, for the launch of his new murder mystery, "A Murder of Prose" at Analog Books in Lethbridge this month. I had the pleasure of reading an early draft of the book, and I can hardly wait to read the final result.

If September is my favourite month of the year, October is my second! It’s time to pull warm sweaters off the shelf and wrap up in cozy blankets to drink the first cup of coffee on chilly mornings. While this may be an unpopular statement, I also love the first snowfall – usually fat, wet flakes. I know. It’s wet, messy, and we’re never ready for it, but it truly signals an end to one season, and the beginning of another.

This October also marks the one-year countdown to Bouchercon 2026, to be held in Calgary at the Telus Convention Centre. www.bouchercon2026.com . Bouchercon® is an annual world mystery convention where readers, writers, publishers, editors, agents, booksellers and other lovers of crime fiction gather for a 4-day weekend of education and entertainment. Our Guests of Honour and Special Guests include Louise Penny, Kathy Reichs, Abir Mukherjee, Mark Greaney, Jennifer Hillier, Vicki Delany, Kevin Sands, and Steele Curry (posthumous). P.J. Vernon will be our Toastmaster. Sign up now!

As we move into the last quarter of 2025, I hope you're checking off the last few items on your "2025 goals" list. I'm neither going to say the C word (think Santa) or W word (think sub-zero temperatures, but they are both coming quickly.