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The long, hard road to becoming a practicing book coach, part 1
Dear Vi, Around this time back in 2021, I completed a year-long training program, passed the three required practicums, and received my certification through Author Accelerator, under the founder, Jennie Nash. Getting my certification was hard. Sure, learning curves are always steep, and the course was (and still is!) comprehensive and very robust. But that’s…
Read MoreI’m an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach!
Dear Vi, If you’ve visited the website lately, you’ll have noticed a few changes. Well, a lot of changes actually. A new URL, for one. A new business, for another! I started the Covid year by enrolling in the very robust and highly esteemed Author Accelerator book coaching program, and last month I received my…
Read MoreQuilting during Covid-19
Dear Vi, I wear a lot of hats, as you know, but the one I turn to in times of stress is quilting. I think that’s because quilting is something I can do that doesn’t involve sitting still. I’m a knitter, too, but when I’m feeling anxious, I can’t sit in one place for very…
Read MoreGood Bye, Dawson City (until next year)
Dear Vi, Our Yukon summer sojourn is over. We drove away from Dawson City two days ago. Tomorrow will see the Yukon behind us for another winter. I took a lot of walks, saw two parades, read a lot of books, made my 60,000 word goal on the next novel, made some new friends, and…
Read MoreThe Streets of Dawson City
Dear Vi,You might have heard that the streets of Dawson City are paved with gold,but the truth is, they aren’t paved at all.Here’s evidence: boot brushes outside the door of every establishment.And miles of boardwalk.This summer has been a writing retreat for me. I left home with a sketchy idea for my next novel, and…
Read MoreDawson City, Yukon: old and new, side-by-side
Dear Vi, Dawson City sits at the place where the Klondike and Yukon Rivers merge. The Klondike River is on the left, the much larger Yukon River on the right In many ways, the town itself mirrors this merging. The rivers flow side-by-side for a ways, the line between the muddy Yukon and the (slightly)…
Read MoreDawson Blooms
Dear Vi, This morning, the radio reported that it was overcast in Dawson City when in reality the sky was blue, blue, blue with not a cloud in sight. Our weather reports come from Kelowna, BC, over a thousand miles south. And this morning we had the news feed coming in from Yellowknife, about 1,000…
Read MoreBye, Sam! Leaving the dog at home
Dear Vi, Every time we leave the house, we have a conversation with Sam first. Sam sees us getting ready and starts his little happy dance. Sam: oh boy oh boy oh boy, we’re going somewhere! Us: Oh, Sam. Mommy and daddy are going to work and you have to stay here. (“Work” means going…
Read MoreHead and Shoulders, Knees and…Elbows? Searching for ergonomic solutions in small writing spaces
Dear Vi, I hate to be a complainer, but I just have to tell you: Too much hand quilting, knitting, typing, and gripping heavy weights at the gym have given me tennis elbow in both arms and caused the arthritis in my hands to flare up. It’s my own fault. I let it go too…
Read MoreFire!
Dear Vi, It’s foggy this morning. Outside my window, wisps of fog stream past like smoke from a chimney. Wait… maybe it really is smoke. I get up to check. Nope, it’s fog. Relieved, I take another sip of coffee. And then I burst into tears. A couple of months ago, I woke up in…
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