1. I am the Friday Feature author on Writing 4 Two, where I'm also giving away a signed copy of Violins of Autumn.

2. I'm starting to crave spring weather. We have beautiful parks around here, and I desperately want to go for a long walk surrounded by colour, and warmth, and flowers.

3. On the Family Day long weekend we celebrated my sister-in-law's 40th b-day at a chalet in Blue Mountains, Ontario. My vacations usually involve sleeping in a tent and cooking outdoors, so a chalet with the comforts of home was a nice change of pace! And I'd never been there before, so it was great to go somewhere new. Blue Mountains/Collingwood is only a 3 hour drive north of where we live, but the kids and I were shocked by how much colder that area is than what we're used to. The kind of bitter cold that immediately seeps to your bones, straight through multiple layers of clothes. But, it was just so beautiful. I pushed myself to bundle up and get out to the ski resort two days in a row.

4. Day 1 at the resort, I watched my teens attempt to ski for the first time. That was... amusing. And the tiny little skiers (seriously, they looked about 2-3 years old!) zipping down the hills like pros were amazing to watch. Day 2, I skated on a pond for the first time! Apparently in the twenty years since I last wore my skates my feet have become even more hobbit-like. Determined to skate, I crammed my broad flippers into those narrow skates and off I went. Talk about pain. But I did it! And I didn't fall once! We also explored the shops and restaurants in the resort's Village, which was fun. You can't beat lunch at an Irish Pub after spending hours outside in the cold!

5. This was our view from the chalet's living room. My oldest daughter and I could have stood by the windows and watched skiers and snowboarders whiz down the double black diamond runs for hours. I don't know why we found it so entertaining. Maybe because that level of talent and athletic ability astounds us--it was like watching real-life superheroes or something.

Will we go back to Blue Mountains again? Definitely!

Surprise! I celebrated my 40th birthday with a very fun party. My oldest daughter dragged me to the mall to keep me out of the house, which almost backfired because I'm not really a shopper or a fan of malls. Everyone hid on our upper deck, and when I came outside they shouted and threw balloons down at me. (Despite knowing that I hate balloons!)

 

Violins of Autumn celebrated its pub day on June 19th.

We visited my hometown, Kincardine, for the annual Scottish Festival.

     

In my husband's hometown, we saw Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden in concert. Billion Dollar Babies was one of the albums I loved to put on my parents' turntable when I was in 1st grade. It was freaky to actually see Alice in person, standing right in front of me.

      

We camped at Inverhuron Park, one of my favourite places. The weather was great for the most part, but on the day we left it rained all night and all morning. Packing up a tent campsite in a torrential downpour... fun!

      

My husband and daughter saw Bruce Springsteen. 16th row! Are you as jealous as I was?

      

I don't have photos, but this summer we grew a vegetable garden. I didn't realize how cool it would be to run outside and cut off some broccoli or pick tomatoes and peppers when I ran out! I also rode my bike, but not nearly as much as I wanted to, travelled to visit family, floated around the pool with cocktails, and did a tonne of yard work. And that's it. Summer's over for another year!

Today is Violins of Autumn's pub day. I can't believe it's finally here! Debbi Michiko Florence very kindly interviewed me about the book, and I'm excited to be in the spotlight at DEBtastic Reads! I talk about where the initial spark for the book came from, the journey to publication, and real-life women of the SOE. You can also enter a giveaway to win a signed copy of Violins of Autumn and a charm bookmark!

amygreenfield asked, What is fall like where you live?

Where do I live? I live in London, Ontario, Canada.



I love autumn where I live. To me, fall means pumpkins, tart McIntosh apples, comfort food, and a welcome return to long pants and sweaters. Monarch butterflies are everywhere, about to make their long migration. The daily temperatures swing, sometimes wildly, between the sizzling heat of summer and the frigid cold of winter. London is known as The Forest City, and in October, when our trees turn vivid shades of yellow, orange, and red it really is something to see. When my kids were small, autumn meant trips to the local orchards and maple sugar bush. And, like most other places, fall means back-to-school. ;-)

The leaves have just started to change. The photos below were taken on my bike ride yesterday.

1. My son started ninth grade this week. I don't remember being this nervous when my girls went to high school. All week I've worried about bullies and the major intersection the kids have to cross. And the school is massive. What if he gets lost? What if he forgets his locker combination? I know I can't baby him. He'll do fine. But... I guess it's just harder when it's your youngest.

2. I'm revising my WWII novel. As I go through the marked-up manuscript, I'm tackling all the easy fixes first. The changes that need more thought/work get a sticky note. Here's a photo of what I've accomplished (?) so far, and it scares me.



3. So much for Southern Ontario's heat-wave. Day after day, our backyard thermometer shot up to a whopping 40 degrees. Now summer seems to have completely disappeared.

4. This kind of weather makes me want to bake cookies.

5. During my husband's two weeks of vacation we renovated our dining room to open it up to the kitchen. We moved one wall back almost a foot, cut the other wall in half to create a butcher block-topped peninsula with bar-stools, ripped out old carpet and installed new flooring, painted the kitchen & dining room, and replaced our old furniture. We were very sore by the end of the reno (plus, we had a camping trip in the middle of those two weeks). I am so in love with our new room, but my favourite part is my new workstation. I don't have to write at the dining room table anymore!!!

JUMPING OFF SWINGS, by joknowles is the kind of book that pulls you in from the first page. The kind of book you can't put down, because you are so invested in the characters you must find out what happens to them. I've often heard Jo mention her mantra of, "Is it true yet?" And that search for "true" is evident in the writing, the dialogue, the characters. This is a book that seems so... real.

Unfortunately, although this is the kind of book you feel you can't put down, I never seem to have time to read a book straight through. So, I grabbed time to read JUMPING OFF SWINGS every chance I could. While waiting for my daughter outside campground showers. During car trips when it wasn't my turn to drive. At my son's Ortho app't--and, of course, at a point when my eyes flooded with tears, the hygienist came into the waiting room to collect my son.

I finally finished the book yesterday. And, Jo, I loved it. I will dig deeper in my own writing now because I've read it.

Jeepers, my blog is dusty and full of cobwebs. I haven't updated it in more than a year! But, I have book news to share that I'm pretty excited about.

From Publishers Lunch Deluxe:

Amy McAuley's THE VIOLINS IN AUTUMN, after a teenager's uncle is killed in the London Blitz during World War II, she joins the war effort as a spy and soon finds herself parachuting into France for the allies, to Mary Kate Castellani at Walker, by Steven Chudney at The Chudney Agency.

I started working on this book at the end of 2004, and I've been through the wringer with it since then. I'm *thrilled* that it has sold to Walker.

1. I updated the What's New portion of my website with an entry about the parks we've camped at over the years. My mom just emailed to tell me how much she liked it. I could have a second career as a reviewer, she said. Aw, thanks, Mom! If that second career pays as well as my first career... watch out dollar store!

2. I'm sick with a sore throat, aching everything, and laryngitis. With the kids at the tail-end of their week off school and me without a voice, I've had to resort to the wide-eyed "Zip it, pronto" and the narrow-eyed "That's enough, knock it off" looks in public more than normal.

3. We've lived in our house for ten years and my husband and I are finally getting around to renovating the '70s out of our bedroom. I believe the previous owners of our house must have used a substance similar to Krazy Glue to attach a wallpaper border around the room. I now dislike the previous owners of our house.

4. We've baked two products from our cross-border shopping trip loot. Duncan Hines Peanut Butter Cup brownies and the Toll House Easter Swirled Choco Chip Cookies. Both were delicious, but I give the edge to the brownies.

5. Now that it's officially Spring, I only have two months to try and fit myself into Summer clothes. That's a scary epiphany.

1. Next week, kids are out of school for March Break. My girls and I took a trip across the border to buy all the amazing Pilsbury, Duncan Hines, and Toll House products we can't get here (ohhhh, the choices you guys have in the States--when the doors open at Meijer, my girls and I feel like we're stepping into a food paradise! lol). We're going to bake like crazy next week.

2. My daughter had a headache at lunch, so I gave her a ride back to school. Kids were filing out the doors and we suspected a fire alarm. A group started to gather at the edge of the property and I got the feeling everything wasn't all smiles and rainbows. I drove home, but now I feel guilty that I didn't call and give the school a head's up. Do you let high school kids work those kinds of things out for themselves when violence *might* occur, or do you intervene? I have a hard time removing my Safety Mom hat.

3. I read about Jenny McCarthy singing the praises of botox. It's her saviour. I thought she must be, what, forty-two, maybe forty-three? She's thirty-six, for crying out loud! Younger than me by five months. Thanks for making me feel like I need botox, Jenny McCarthy.

4. I no longer feel hopeful that my WWII novel will sell, so I'm depressed about that.

5. The sun is shining and the snow is gone. 'Nuff said. :)

The week-long vacation with my little nephews is underway. I am the mom of older kids--twelve and up. I had no idea how easy my life has gotten. Now I know. :)

Time to get out the Play-Doh... Read the rest of this post

Snagged from janetgurtler. How much *do* I remember about my first baby?

1. WAS YOUR PREGNANCY PLANNED? Ahhhh, noooo...

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Test? No. When she was born? Yes.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Shock, but surprisingly happy, too.

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? No

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 20

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? A weird old-school test with a little ball that changed from blue to green if positive. It turned green!

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? My now husband. In the college cafeteria.

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Nope, not with my first.

9. DUE DATE? August 6th

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? I felt nauseous pretty much every waking moment for three months, but I never actually threw up

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? I'm not sure...

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Leg cramps and sore hips while sleeping

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Girl! :)

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? No

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? 25

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Yes, a small one

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Not really. But she flipped over to breech at 39 1/2 weeks!

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Toronto, ON

20 HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? None! (For that baby...)

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Husband. Very early morning. We drove past a guy jogging in a bright pink and purple spandex outfit and had a laugh.

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? The regular hospital folks who watch C-sections. And my husband.

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? C-section

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Well, yes. Major surgery hurts.

25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 7 lbs 14 oz

28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? About 5 pm

29. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Katherine Elizabeth

30. HOW IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? She's a great kid who loves to bake and play guitar. I LOVE her.

I'm doing a quick read-thru of my historical fiction, Violins of Autumn. Here's the end of Chapter 21:

Within one of the rotting logs that littered the forest floor, a Deathwatch Beetle banged his head against the wood in search of a mate. Superstitious people like my aunt believed the noise, which sounded remarkably like the ticking of a watch, foretold an impending death. Her sister had passed away one night when they were children, only minutes after the family heard a Deathwatch quietly ticking in the bedroom rafters.

I thought bad omens were a load of hooey.

The rumbling of a train grew louder, drowning out the beetle. I fought the urge to stir up some action too soon.

Then, as if from a magical door in the forest, a uniformed German soldier appeared on the field, not ten feet from me. I held my breath and watched him, the man who rivaled my invisibility, with a certain amount of curiosity mixed with fear.

He cocked his head, considering a point in the distance. Noiselessly, I leaned forward.

Spying between two trees, I caught sight of a dark form, that of a woman on a bicycle, gliding alongside the tracks.

The soldier knelt to one knee. He brought out his weapon. Nestled the buttstock into the crook of his shoulder.

I had killed a man before, though purely by accident.

My hands did not need light to see. They went to their places, as if the gun were an extension of my body. The silenced barrel of my Sten rose in front of me.

I did not miss.

1. Today is a PD Day. I had insomnia the other night until 5 a.m., so I really wanted to catch up on sleep this morning. My husband, who is out of town, called me at 8:15. He let the phone ring five times, suddenly remembered that today is a day off school, and hung up at the same time I picked up.

2. I have the chattiest cat ever. She could never survive in the wild. Predators would hear her coming for miles. "HerrrOOO. Herroo?? MerrooooOO!" She can sound very whiny and sad when nobody pays attention to her at six a.m. At least she's no longer tipping over cups of water on the nightstand or turning on the clock radio to get my attention.

3. I enjoyed the return of Hell's Kitchen. Finally, they have some chefs on there that can actually cook. And, of course, some that can't. Chef Ramsay needs to scream at somebody.

4. Because my husband is out of town I've been writing a lot more to stave off boredom.

5. As much as I like historical fiction, I am so glad to be writing contemporary YA again. So glad.

1. My horoscope said today would be my luckiest day of the year. I got a rejection.

2. A very nice young man installed our home security system yesterday. I feel safer already.

3. I'm back into a semi-regular treadmill routine again. It is much needed. But my mp3 player has a headphone jack issue and plays sound through only one earbud. I can't run without music!

4. I am very glad it's Friday.

5. In early February, my adorable nephews--10 months and 3 1/2--are coming over for a one week vacation. I love talking to three-year-olds. They crack me up.

My year got off to a rocky start, unfortunately. While we were out of town to celebrate New Year's Eve with my husband's family, our house was broken into. This is the first time we've ever been robbed and it was a frightening experience for all of us.

New Year's Eve was so much fun that my brother-in-law suggested we stay over another night. We love his family's new home and we always have fun together, so we decided to stay. But around ten o'clock that night, our oldest daughter got an instant message from her boyfriend. While walking home, he and a friend had noticed that the lights were on at our house. He knew my daughter wasn't home, because he'd talked to her earlier. So, they came up to the house to have a look. When they saw that the front door had been kicked off it's hinges and was on the hallway floor, and that the phone had been knocked off and was also on the floor, they ran the rest of the way home to call the police.

At first, we thought maybe he was pulling a prank on us. We couldn't imagine that our front door had really been kicked down. So, I called friends who live in our neighbourhood. After what felt like an eternity, the couple called back to say that our door had definitely been kicked down. Within minutes we were packed up and on on the highway. We drove home as fast as we could. That hour-long drive, not knowing what had been stolen or if our cat was safe, was very stressful and sad. My kids were so upset about the cat that my oldest decided to call a friend on my husband's cell phone. Immediately, the friend said, "My dad and I will go check!" Although the police wouldn't let them into the house, they did pass along the news that our cat was fine.

An officer was still at our home when we arrived, but we spent the first few minutes in shock, racing throughout the house to see what was missing. Dresser drawers were dumped. My oldest daughter started to cry when she saw that her room had been ransacked. I held myself together pretty well, until I saw that my pink sapphire necklace--a gift from my husband--was gone. I broke down in front of the police officer when I told him that it was stolen (which embarrassed me afterward). The necklace was worth only a few hundred dollars, but it was the only really nice piece of jewelry I've ever owned. It was so pretty. After checking with jewelry stores we now know that the exact necklace can't be replaced.

I won't go into details about what was taken... but many of my kids' Christmas presents were stolen, in addition to birthday and Christmas gifts they've received over the last few years. What kind of person breaks into a home shortly after Christmas and steals things that obviously belong to children?? That's one of the things about all this that just blows my mind. And my kids were so shaken up the night we returned home that they insisted I stay awake with them all night. We took up places in the family room on the pull-out sofa, cushions on the floor, and a recliner. None of us got more than a few hours of sleep.

I keep reminding myself that my family and pets are okay. Doors can be fixed and, for the most part, objects can be replaced. But I'm having a hard time shaking the feeling that we need to move away, out of the city. No matter where we live, I will never be without a security system in my home again.

** In a bit of good luck, I took my laptop, which contains all my writing work and family photos, out of town with me at New Year's, so my kids could watch movies on it at their grandpa's. Just imagine if I'd left it at home! And my oldest realized that if we hadn't taken my laptop, she wouldn't have been able to receive the IM from her boyfriend.

** A big "thank-you!" to everyone who helped us out that night and in the following days.

Very Safe! Hurray! Safety is my middle name, after all.

Created by The Car Connection

This is the view from my front window this morning.



A thunderstorm brought this last night. It's still snowing now. And trees are heavy with snow-covered leaves, so fallen branches, some of them huge, are all over yards, roads and sidewalks (and in my pool, I see, but they didn't push the cover in, thank goodness). It took my husband forever to get to work this morning, because a branch about thirty feet long had fallen across one lane of traffic at the end of our street. The giant Maple in my backyard is looking very droopy and sad, and I hope it hangs in there.

And as soon as I woke up, my first thought was: Ohmigod, I donated the kids' Winter boots! My oldest went off to school in running shoes and a hoodie, like today's just a regular Fall day, so she didn't care about the lack of boots. And, luckily, my middle kid had her boots stuffed into the back of her closet. But I feel badly that my little guy had to walk to school in his running shoes. Who knew Winter would visit out of the blue like this? Not me, apparently.

"Getting to know you"

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:30
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds. I don't have any, but I'd like some!
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Brokeback Mountain, with my SIL
4. What is your favorite TV show? The Office, 30 Rock, and I'm loving True Blood
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Fibre 1 cereal with blueberries
6. What is your middle name? Chanda
7. What food do you dislike? cucumbers and celery
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Death Magnetic, Metallica
9. What kind of car do you drive? Dodge Caravan
10. Favorite sandwich? Ham and swiss with tomatoes
11. What characteristic do you despise? selfishness
12. Favorite item of clothing? Hoodies
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Italy
14. What is your favorite way to pass the time of day? Watching TV with the family
15. Where would you retire to? Someplace on the lake in Kincardine.
16. What was your most memorable birthday? 16th-friends took me on a blind-folded scavenger hunt that ended up at the beach
17. Furthest place you are sending this ? hmmmm, doesn't apply?
18. Person you expect to send it back first? someone who's bored or procrastinating
19. When is your birthday? June 13
20. Day or night person? NIGHT!
21. What is your shoe size? 8
22. How tall are you? 5'2"
23. ?
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Unfortunately, no.
25. What did you want to be when you were little? Children's book author
26. How are you today? All over the place
27. What is your favorite flower? Tulips, preferably pink
28. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? November 13-a visit from my very cute nephews
29. What are you listening to right now? My daughter eating an after-school snack.
30. What was the last thing you ate? Leftover lasagna.
31. Do you wish on stars? Yes, sometimes.
32. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Turquoise
33. How is the weather right now? Cool and cloudy
34. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Steve
35. What is your favorite soft drink? Diet Pepsi
36. Favorite restaurant? I don't really have one
37. Hair color? Dark brown
38. What was your favorite toy as a child? Dolls
39. Summer or winter? Summer
40. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
41. Do you want your friends to email you back? Of course
42. When was the last time you cried? Who knows. I'm a cyborg. Though I did get a little teary over True Blood the other night.
43. What is under your bed? boxes of excess laminate flooring
44. What did you do last night? Watched a bit of TV and went to bed early
45. Are you afraid of Death? Yes, very.
46. Salty or sweet? Sweet
47. How many keys on your key ring? 3
48. How many years at your current job? Some people might say I don't have a job... But I'll say 9 1/2.
49. Favorite day of the week? Sunday--I usually get to just chill out.
50. Do you make friends easily? Sort of, but I don't go out of my way to do that.
51. How many people will you send this to? LJ users
52. How many will respond? Not sure.
53. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? I do!

Two hours of Survivor last night. Didn't it look amazing in HD? Well, except now everybody's bad skin is practically exploding off the screen. Ick. But the scenery sure was gorgeous. Like Marcus, for instance. Gotta love a hot doc.

Jeff Probst is blogging about this season of Survivor on Entertainment Weekly. He's very candid and funny, so if anybody would like to read his thoughts on last night, you can find them HERE.

I give you yet another meme, this one courtesy of jbknowles. And it ain't pretty!

Take a picture of yourself right now.
Don't change your clothes, don’t fix your hair...just take a picture.
Post that picture with NO editing.
Post these instructions with your picture.



At 7:50 a.m. Pre-coffee. I am so not a morning person. Can you tell?