Holy cow. I won.

I guess it’s official. They announced it on YouTube and everything. I won the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for my short story, “Cold Wave.”

Forgive me for bragging a little. The judges called “Cold Wave” a “mini masterpiece,” and said the story had “pitch-perfect pacing” and that “the humour is delightful.”

To say I’m pleased is an understatement.

The best part is that the story was published in Sisters in Crime – Canada West’s inaugural anthology, Crime Wave. And not only that, one of my chapter sisters, Winona Kent, was also nominated for her novella, “Salty Dog Blues.” Now that’s a feather in our cap.

Thank you all for your kind congratulations. It’s much appreciated. I would like to congratulate the winners in the other categories. You will find them all listed in the Crime Writers of Canada news release.

BUY LINKS: Amazon | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | Apple

Does that mean I’m a tourist attraction now?

Image

Travel Yukon, the Government of Yukon’s official tourism arm, started the Yukon Book Club for people who can’t physically travel to the Yukon because of Covid-19. It features fiction and non-fiction books, classics and new releases, all of which connect to the Yukon in one way or another.

And now they’re featuring The Shoeless Kid, the first of my Mendenhall Mystery series. While Shoeless is set in the fictional town of Mendenhall, Manitoba, it was born in the Yukon—from the inspiration for the book to the name of the town, all Yukon.

amazon.com | amazon.ca | kobo | universal link

I’m thrilled that they wanted to include Shoeless, and I’m honored to be among these top Yukon writers! Here are the other books featured so far:

Cold Spell: Cocktails and Savouries for a Northern Winder by Michele Genest and Jennifer Tyldesley

From the Klondike to Berlin: The Yukon in World War I by Michael Gates

Gold Diggers: Striking it rich in the Klondike by Charlotte Gray

Nerve by Eva Holland

Strange Things Done by Elle Wild

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

The Caribou Hotel: Hauntings, hospitality, a hunter and the parrot by John Firth

Christmas readings

I love Christmas, even this year. I love it so much that I’ve actually written a few romantic Christmas short stories over the years. If you’re in the mood for some light (mostly light) reading, here are some short stories that might warm your heart.

A Yukon Christmas

Christmas Magic

McKell’s Christmas (A short Mendenhall mystery)

Running Away from Christmas

Trepalli’s Christmas (A short Mendenhall mystery)

Worlds Beyond Disaster

Well, it’s been a while, eh? I have a good excuse. Since I last posted here, I’ve sold my house, moved out of the Yukon and into Alberta! I bought a house and have been busy setting it up. I never thought I would leave the Yukon but a brand-new grandchild changed my mind. Although I’ve lived in many parts of Canada–and visited everywhere else–I’d never lived in Alberta. Turns out Alberta is absolutely beautiful and Albertans are a lot like Yukoners: warm, welcoming, and funny.

I’m going to like it here.

Now that I have my computer set up, I can tell you about a book bundle I’m in. Worlds Beyond Disaster features two short stories, one novelette and four novels by seven fine, fine writers (at the risk of being immodest). The bundle includes Backli’s Ford, which is the first in my A’lle Chronicles Mysteries series. All that for $4.99. It’s available everywhere ebooks are sold, but it’s super easy to get it directly from BundleRabbit.

Amazon | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | Apple

Here’s the write-up for Worlds Beyond Disaster:

Corrupt governments, secret societies, mutated creatures, and post-apocalypse Earth meet strong-willed characters, unexpected hope, and gripping action.

For fans of Suzanne Collins, James Dashner, and George Orwell, a new dystopian ebook bundle is here! Filled with seven action-packed stories that pose the questions: What would you do in the face of disaster? And how far would you go to save the world?

And here’s the table of contents:

1. “Platypus” by J. D. Brink

2. “Scavengers” by Russ Crossley

3. “Slow Walk” by Charley Marsh

4. “Backli’s Ford” by Marcelle Dubé

5. “Terra Incognita” by Karen L. Abrahamson

6. “Fear of Rain” by Robert Jeschonek

7. “The High Edge” by Dean Wesley Smith

Out with the old…

…and in with the new.

Home Run and Troll Country are no longer free. Instead, I offer The Saffron Curse:

“…a great romp set in a Vancouver restaurant. This was good fun.” (SF Crowsnest)

Chef Eddie and his partner Amanda luck into a cheap site for the new restaurant they want to build. The old man they buy it from warns them that the site is cursed and makes them promise never to use saffron in their restaurant. But Eddie isn’t superstitious, and when a career-making critic shows up asking for his famous Badaboom monkfish dish—which contains saffron—well, what’s an ambitious chef to do?

This story was featured in Tangent Online’s 2018 Recommended Reading List.

“The story’s pace and prose bristle with the energy of a crowded kitchen.” (Tangent Online)

This one will be available for free for about a week.

Nook/Apple | Kobo | Smashwords