Thursday 26 October 2017



Off Highway now available on Amazon
 
Off Highway: Journeys of Nova Scotia Writers is now available as paperback and e-book from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. You should be able to find them by typing Off Highway Journeys of Nova Scotia Writers into the search bar in the books section of either website, or by clicking on these links:

Off Highway: Journeys of Nova Scotia Writers is a 200-page trade paperback with 30 short stories and poems written by 13 members of the Evergreen Writers Group. It contains pieces about journeys real and imagined, many based on events in Nova Scotia. There are historical stories, personal memoirs, fictional stories sparked by personal experiences, and purely speculative ones.

Here is what Lesley Choyce, a prominent Nova Scotia novelist and poet, said about our book.
"This anthology of Nova Scotia authors is a collection of spirited prose and poetry written by a range of writers with diverse and intriguing backgrounds. Here you will find history, poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction by men and women who have been TV writers, animators, genealogists, teachers, playwrights, museum curators, scientists, and more. Many of these writers have travelled far and wide, but they have strong ties and fondness for this province."

Wednesday 18 October 2017


(re)nvisions, where n is an integer

My tendency to revise my manuscripts over and over again is out of control. For the novel I’m currently working on, n, in the mathematical expression in the header, has reached eleven. Eleven complete revisions of the manuscript with many more-focused rewrites of individual chapters.
I fear I am now making pointless changes to a manuscript that is as good as I can make it. Why am I doing this? Sadly, the answer is I am reluctant to take the next step.
It is time to bite the bullet! Should I submit it to a publisher or join the modern world and self-publish? Or should I just delete all the files from my computer and be done with the damn thing?
Tom Robson, a colleague in the Evergreen Writers Group (https://evergreenwritersgroup.wordpress.com) has just published his first novel. It’s a romance involving two forty something lovers and their spouses, ex-spouses and various offspring. If you are interested, his book can be found on Amazon by searching for Tom Robson or the title - “Wait and See”. I’m sure he made two or three extensive revisions, and I am starting on #12. I mean what’s with me?

Friday 22 September 2017

New Evergreen Writers Group anthology

It's been three years since the Evergreen Writers Group published our first anthology, a collection of ghost stories that we titled Out of the Mist. It was an interesting and educational experience for all members that has covered our costs and is poised to make a modest profit.
We are now set to publish our second book. Off Highway: Journeys of Nova Scotia Writers is an eclectic collection of travel stories, some real, some imaginary. Also a few poems. Hopefully, readers will find them interesting.
Here is a picture of the front and back covers.
 It should be available soon on Amazon and other e-book sites. I'll post the links once we have them. In the meantime, we do have a facebook page for the new book. If interested, you should be able to find it by typing Off Highway into the facebook search bar.

Thursday 20 July 2017

Does anyone understand Amazon bestseller rankings? 
Out of the Mist, our (Evergreen Writers Group) anthology of ghost stories had spikes in its e-book bestseller ranking on Amazon.ca on May 5, May 31 when it reached #4 in the short story grouping, and June 8. We also had a spike in our paperback sales on May 22, but I think I understand that one.
During that period we had no e-book sales, nor any free book promotions or anything else that might have generated 'sales' and improved rankings without bringing in any revenue.
So how did we get to number four on the rankings for short stories ahead of Carol Shields, Madeleine Thein, Margaret Atwood and Alice Monroe? I know it was only a few days, but it felt good to be momentarily ahead of those well-known authors.
I just wish I knew how the rankings worked.