Kait Nolan's Riven, CC Humphreys' Jack Absolute, Whisky Trench Riders on CBC Songquest, and Blogging Buddy Links

uite hectic in daily life lately, and I've fallen rather far behind in blog comments. I visit everyone, but hardly seem to have the extra few minutes to log in and leave a reply.

So I thought I'd share a few interesting posts from recent days right here:

Zan Marie has a lovely Thanksgiving post and a set of links to some helpful tips for authors

Sara has a great idea for a Thanksgiving tradition and also shared the hilarious Pearls Before Swine cartoon about refreshing Amazon feeds...

Pam's got an adorable dog, great photos of Montreal's history, and a link to a new book about Laura Bradbury's adventures owning a vineyard and guest houses in France

Lara's got snuggly kitties, fun photos, a contest, and a gorgeous award from Al/Father Dragon

Lynne's got some great book quotes. My wishlist keeps growing!

Susan has a new book coming! Tunnel Vision by Susan Adrian: "A teenage boy who has a power he calls tunneling -- he can sense where anyone in the world is (and what they're seeing) by holding something they own -- comes under the uncomfortable attention of the U.S. government, and suddenly has to balance normal life with psychic-spy life."

Jo has some awesome technical tips about craft and Regency research

Finally, Will shared a video of the recent commemoration of C S Lewis in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey, featuring Doug Gresham, Michael Ward, and Walter Hooper

I've read two great books this past week:

The Blooding of Jack Absolute by C C Humphreys

I've read about the adult Jack Absolute, but discovering him in his youth somehow endears me to the character all the more. Humphreys captures the feel of the era, starting with Jack's childhood in Cornwall, then moving to his teenage years in London, and then to Canada, so well.

It's always a treat to read books set in a landscape I'm familiar with. I suppose readers who live in London or New York feel this way all the time, but I don't often get to read a book set in Montreal and Quebec! Humphreys' characters come alive on the page; you feel both immersed in the historical time period yet as if you might run into any of these characters on the street tomorrow. Loved the way Jack confronted his parents with his desire to become a poet!

Riven by Kait Nolan

A new book in the Mirus series! It was exciting to have followed Kait's progress on this book from drafting through revision hell, on her blog, and then to see it all come together. This is just the sort of romance I enjoy reading, sweet without being over the top and obvious (love it when the characters have some real tension going on), and full of twists that make me think 'I never saw that coming!' or 'now that's an intriguing choice!'

For you writers out there, this story is a great example of seamlessness - every scene flows into the next, with revelations and tender moments coming naturally out of the storyline. I hope I can pick up on this when I enter my own revision hell next month...

And yes, Kait is the creator of A Round of Words in 80 Days, and that's going to be my goal as soon as NaNoWriMo is over (I'm hoping to write the last 3,000 words tonight!) - edit the life out of Druid's Moon. My NaNo story will need at least another 30,000 words, though, so I'll keep drafting that. And I've also got to pull Captive of the Sea out of the text file I typed it up on, into Scrivener, and start shaping it into chapters. Then print it - and more editing!

Speaking of books I'm reading, I also got a lovely birthday present!

And look! Terry Lynn Johnson has a new book coming:

"Victoria Secord, a fourteen-year-old Alaskan dogsled racer, loses her way on a routine outing with her dogs. With food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods is entirely up to her.
The author Terry Lynn Johnson is a musher herself, and her crackling writing puts readers at the reins as Victoria and Chris experience setbacks, mistakes, and small triumphs in their wilderness adventure." (from Amazon)

I pre-ordered it and got a box of swag (how I love that word), including a puppy!

Cascading Swag

Voting has begun in the CBCMusic Hockey Night in Canada SongQuest!

Please vote for Whisky Trench Riders (just click on the blue 'vote for this artist' button every day from now until 11 December) to have their song chosen as the next great hockey song!

"The winner will record a studio version of your song with Canadian rocker Joel Plaskett. Then, their track will air in a prime-time montage at the beginning of a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast."

Whisky Trench Riders have already been featured as a pick of the week, and had a snip of their song played between double header games the other night, with Ron MacLean praising it!

Here's the official band video of the song:

Meanwhile, here are some 'artsy' photos my mother took. So pretty!

What's your favourite sports song?

Have you read Kait's Mirus series (she's also got a new contemporary romance out!: Be Careful, It's My Heart) or a book my Humphreys (his Constantinople is still on my wishlist!)?

Gotten any good swag lately?