#somewhat grumpy press

Time is creeping closer to the big book launch of Bib & Tucker, the second in my “White Stockings” series, about a Kingston General Hospital nursing student in the late 1940’s. It’s happening June 18th at 5:30 at the Museum of Health Care in Kingston. There will be drinkies and snacks, and a view of the museum, too. And, of course, some syringe pens for everyone…;-) Because EVERYONE needs a…

May 3rd is the birthday of my youngest son, who I adore and generally fawn over whenever I can. He’s far away though and that’s sad. He was a planned C-section (my doc refused to allow me to try labour after two previous c-sections) and so I could pick the day, kindof, around the stage of my pregnancy and the doctor’s schedule (of course). Summerhill at Queen’s University, where I was told I was…

SGP, the press I started in 2020 and passed on to the much more capable hands of Tim Covell, is turning five! I can’t believe this much time has passed – but you can see it on their webpage – the press has grown from a humble two books to over 20 books either published or on the way! I know all we SGP authors are thrilled at its success, but now you can be excited, too, because they are offering…

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com I just can’t. I am too close to rage about the state of women’s rights in the world today. It’s all cheery to say “Yay, Women!”, but hey, why are we still not being paid the correct rate? Why do republican candidates in the US think it’s okay to play Stepford Wives and talk in mealy-mouthed voices and fight reproductive choice? Why do women and men both…

The last couple of days I’ve been disabled with back pain. This is new for me as my multiple sclerosis means most of the time I rarely feel any pain. Anywhere. Which can make for missing some essential things going on in my body. Right now I am wondering if it is a kidney stone or a bulging disc or I’m just generally falling apart but I have places to go and things to do and I haven’t got time…

Dear old Flo (as she would have hated to be called) wasn’t necessarily someone you would want to sit beside at a formal dinner. You’d be trapped forever next to her as she waxed poetic or fierce about the need for nursing to be valued, for health care to be less custodial and more caring. I don’t think she had much of a sense of humour about it, either. Of course, it was the 1800’s, and maybe…

My lovely publisher at Somewhat Grumpy Press has assembled my book and we are creeping closer to the actual official publication date. I’m at the point of sending out “advance reading copies”, which for me is a very scary thing. (PS: this is not the final version of the cover – we all know the back looks cut off…) See, when we write, we’re alone. We wrestle with words, shape them up, get them…