Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Everyone.

I’m a proud descendant of Irish immigrants who arrived in this wonderful country, Canada, in 1882 hoping to make a better life for themselves.

My great grandparents traveled by boat, bringing their personal possessions packed in trunks and large boxes, and landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  They continued across Canada by train and eventually arrived in Brandon, Manitoba.  Land was obtained for a registration fee of $10 and the commitment to live on the land for six months of the year for three consecutive years and break at least 10 acres a year.  Thus began their dream of a homestead in southern Manitoba.

My grandfather married the daughter of another Irish immigrant family and raised nine children, all of them born at home. My grandmother was never admitted to a hospital until age eighty-two and lived until age ninety.  My parents raised me and my brother on the land originally homesteaded by our grandfather in 1885.

The term ‘sturdy Irish stock’ certainly applies to my ancestors who, like so many immigrants from other countries, helped to build this country. I proudly celebrate my heritage and honour my ancestors’ sacrifices and dogged determination to forge a better future for generations to follow, including the lives of my grandchildren – sixth generation Canadians.

When I tip back the annual green beer this March 17th, I’ll take a moment to silently thank those wonderful pioneers who helped make this day possible for all of us.

                           Always A Lady (Historical)

                             March 15, 2012

                                                                       by Victoria Chatham

Lady Serena Buxton follows her husband from   England to Bandit Creek, Montana. Randolph is a partner in the Ellis gold mine, but when she arrives, she is horrified to find that Randolph is missing.

Sheriff Wilson seems to be keeping a watchful eye on her. Why? Douglas King, the mine manager, treats her as if she is already a widow. What does he know? The bank manager refuses her request for access to Randolph’s account. With no husband and no money, what is a girl to do?

Serena has an unsuspected and quite shocking talent. She can belly dance. With the help of two enterprising local ladies, Serena prepares for a public performance. But when the news leaks out, she finds the only venue she can secure is in the Men’s Club owned by King. Like it or not, she has no option but to ask him regardless of what terms he may insist on. Billed as Ayesha, Oriental Dancer Extraordinaire, she prepares for her show which she hopes will make enough money for her to stay in Bandit Creek until Randolph is found.

The whole town, as well as a train full of people from nearby Missoula, turns out for her performance. The Club is packed. But who is in the crowd, watching? Will King insist on exacting his fees? And will Serena be reunited with the husband she loves?

Another wonderful Bandit Creek Book!    Check out www.banditcreekbooks.com

Listening

Authors love to sit back, relax, and observe people. Writers listen in, discreetly of course, to your conversations while observing your body language and jotting down notes!

Ever find yourself glancing around the coffee shop convinced someone is watching you? They probably are. But don’t feel frightened or nervous. Chances are you’re not being stalked, but you could be contributing to the next bestseller.

In my opinion, the great conversationalists are those who listen, and then toss in their opinions at the end. Like any good friend, I believe listening is as important as talking and I try to do that in social situations.

But we all know sometimes you just want to blurt out every dang thing that pops into your head, believing it is an absolutely brilliant observation that should be shared. Wrong. In all likelihood the other person might not care to hear all of it…unless he or she is an exceptionally good conversationalist.

Listening to your teens and pre-teens could be the most important listening of all. These young people’s ideas and opinions matter. And their heads overflow with unasked questions. Think of them as youngsters standing on the narrow ledge of life, preparing either to walk to safety through a window of opportunity or to plunge into a pool of poor choices usually fuelled by peer pressure and low self-esteem. Listen to your child or grandchild, you might be surprised by their astute observations and interesting opinions.

There are steps to being a good listener – 1. Pay attention, 2. Show that you are listening, 3. Provide feedback, 4. Defer judgment, and 5. Respond appropriately. Check out this website http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm to hone your listening skills.

Keep reading and keep enjoying life. And remember…keep listening.

Excuse me, ma’am, could I please order a large French Vanilla coffee? I’ll be seated over there by the window.

Writers love to weave a tale of secrets, lies, betrayals, murder and      mayhem.  Characters faced with challenges and conflict in their shattered lives, men and women overcoming heartaches and hardships through inner strength, resourcefulness, and assistance from others.

During the thirty days of secrets revealed on the Bandit Creek Books website      http://www.banditcreekbooks.com some very interesting secrets came to light.  Some days tears were shed and other days my side ached from laughing, but I, like many others, enjoyed these tidbits.

Michele Hauf revealed her secret on February 5^th – I like to exercise.  My, I didn’t see that one coming.  Congratulations, Michele, for reinventing yourself through a healthy diet and daily exercise.  Could you benefit from shifting your thinking like Michele did?

I, too, reinvented myself by joining TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), losing weight to goal, and maintaining that weight loss for six years.  As a KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly) I continue to exercise (not daily like Michele) at least three days every week.  I find as a writer that after several hours at the computer my shoulders ache and my behind goes to sleep.  To overcome writer’s butt I love nothing better than walking. If there is two feet of snow on the front lawn, then I head to the treadmill.  Or I pop a Leslie Sansone Walking DVD into the player.

Check out Leslie’s DVDs at http://www.walkathome.com and begin the walking habit.

Whether you’re strolling along a paved city path, jogging to the corner store for a carton of milk, or manoeuvring around ruts on a country lane, there’s nothing more relaxing than listening to nature while admiring the scenery.

                 Only four more days until another wonderful 

                           Bandit Creek Book is released.

                 Coming on February 15th from Roxy Boroughs

                                        is A Stranger’s Kiss.

                      Check out www.banditcreekbooks.com for

                     Carla Roma’s interview with Roxy and go to

                                     www.amazon.com to buy. 

SAM HUTCHINSON was once motivated by power and money.  But after his son’s murder, he alternates between losing himself in a bottle of scotch and researching James Ryan Morley, the still-at-large killer of the boy Sam never had time for in life.  Broken and desperate, Sam traces Morley’s roots to Bandit Creek, Montana and an addict who once sheltered him.

There, against a serene mountain backdrop, he finds the woman’s resourceful daughter, Amy Tesher, and her eleven-year-old child, Renee. Lies are Amy’s camouflage—her age, her name, even the identity of her child’s father—all fabricated to escape the secrets of her past.

Unaware of Sam’s real mission, she takes him into her boarding house. Just as Morley returns to take possession of Amy…and her daughter.