Written Words, a blog for readers

The Vampire Machine

Here’s a little treat for your Haunting Season enjoyment, reprised from a few years back. The power went out with drawn-out squeaks from every electronic device in the house. Rodney noticed the full moon shining through the window. “Glad I didn’t close the blinds earlier,” he muttered. Then he swore as the soapy plate slipped […]

Get to know an author: Barry Finlay

The series on independent authors continues with this fellow Ottawa author. I met him some years ago at a book fair in Ottawa, and now we are both members of the Ottawa Independent Writers group. Born and raised in Manitoba, he was awarded a Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal for his fundraising efforts to help […]

Why I write

This is a question that writers get a lot, right up there with “Where do you get your ideas from?”  Both questions have the same answer: I write because I think of new stories all the time. The ideas just come to me. What’s going on in the world around me sparks many stories, but […]

Thanks for your support

Together, we crushed it!  Through August, I joined thousands of cyclists across Canada in the Great Cycle Challenge Canada. We biked to raise money for the Hospital for Sick Children’s campaign for research into improved treatments and cures for children’s cancers.  I originally planned to cycle 200 km, and raise $500. Well, I was getting close to […]

Sunday sample: Activist

Enjoy this excerpt for the long weekend, from Torn Roots Hawaiian Storm Mystery #1 Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. Rowan paused her tirade to let the members behind her take up a chant. “Maui shores for Maui! We don’t want offshore cash. Maui shores for Maui! We don’t need offshore land grabbers.” A good crowd had gathered. […]

Get to know an author: Patricia Logan

How well do you know writers? Even if you’re close to several, the next one will surprise you. Every one is so different. This week, get to know Patricia Logan, author of erotic romances and mysteries. How would you describe your books? I have written almost 70 books, so I’ll concentrate on the last five […]

Get to know an author: Mike Wells

Independent writers are a diverse bunch. More than diverse. Every one is so different from all the others, so particular, so bewildering … To understand what makes writers tick, we need to learn more about them. I’m attempting that, one writer at a time. This week, let’s get to know Mike Wells. First, tell us […]

Meet an author: Lucy Appadoo

I’m starting a new occasional series on the blog today: interviews with other authors about their journey as artists. And these will be authors with styles very different from my own. We will start with an author of contemporary literature, stories about women, from Australia: Lucy Appadoo. Full disclosure: I recently edited her soon-to-be released […]

A look-ahead sample of a work in progress Fractured States of America, or The Woman from the Prairie Bank Leona’s second message came in as Josh was driving to Kansas City. He pulled it up on the heads-up display so that it showed in white text that overlapped the view of the truck in front […]