New book: Martinis and Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe & WTF?! by Shannon Day and Tara Wilson

Hello, Brian. 

It has been a while since I've attended one of your classes! Since I last saw you, in 2014, I have self-published a book called Martinis and Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe & WTF?!

I have also been doing some work as a freelance writer and have even been lucky enough to land a few regular writing gigs with some online magazines. 

I can honestly say attending your writing classes led me to where I am now. I have always enjoyed writing but had never given any thought to spending much time doing it nor had I considered starting a blog. I have to admit, I barely even knew what a blog was. But, I wrote a piece to share during your class and a fellow student suggested I start a blog with it.

So I did, just for fun. From there, I was able to connect with other writers, and then find my place in the online writing and blogging community. I no longer blog much anymore but I am very happy that I get paid to do something I love to do. 

Shannon

P.S. I’m signing up for your Tuesday afternoon Intensive course – see you there!

Martinis and Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe & WTF?!

Shannon

by Shannon Day, Tara Wilson (and nine other authors)

Stories that inspire, entertain, and make you laugh ’til you pee. Plus martinis! And not just any old martinis – these were designed just for moms! 

These tales of wonder, woe and WTF?! share a little glimpse into the lives of other moms, who are a lot like you. Through their tales, we’re reminded to savour the little things (like capturing extra morning snuggles), to let go of the stresses (they won’t be in that unfortunate phase forever), and to be grateful for the laughs that the unexpected brings (because laughing is better than crying and it may be the only workout our abs get!)

Tara

So shake up an easy-to-make martini, put your feet up (quickly, before the kids find you) and join us on our journey as we toast to the many clink-worthy moments that motherhood brings.

Shannon Day is a former bartender-turned-teacher. She’s now a story-maker, martini-shaker, and fun-times project undertaker. Find her online here. 

Tara Wilson writes about autism and ADHD in between knocking things over at the grocery store and chasing the squirrels in her head. Find her online here.   

To order your copy of Martinis and Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe & WTF?! visit Amazon here.

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker, reviewed by Connie Taylor

I just wanted some peace, but Ted’s soft-spoken message on my voicemail ensured I wouldn’t have it. “Hi. I guess you’re still on your way home from work, so I’m heading over now. I’m surprised you’re not there yet.”

This message might sound affectionate: a man hoping to spend time with his partner. The problem was, I wasn’t Ted’s partner. Never really was. We went out a few times but had broken up months earlier. He didn’t accept that. Which was why I was carefully monitoring my calls. As soon as I heard his voice, my heart started pumping harder. My insides constricted. I had to get out of the house before he arrived.

As I gathered up what I needed for the night, two questions blasted through my brain: How can I make him stop? When exactly will I get my Ted-free life back?

In his nonfiction book the Gift of Fear, professional security consultant Gavin De Becker addresses not only my personal “Ted” experience, but many other situations related to personal safety. He empowers the reader to prevent and overcome violence.  I initially read De Becker’s book when researching the topic of stalking for a fictional work. I had no idea that years later, I would become intimately familiar with the material.

De Becker is considered an authority on predicting violence. Since founding the firm Gavin De Becker & Associates, he has worked with all levels of government, enforcement agencies and celebrities to evaluate threats of violence and find ways to prevent those threats from becoming reality. He has also worked with victims of domestic abuse and stalking.

His credibility is immediately evident to the reader. Early in the book, De Becker describes a domestic violence situation in which a woman aims a gun at her husband in front of her two children. “I was standing off to the side … watching the scene unfold. As before … and ... many times again, I would be responsible for predicting whether or not a murder would occur.”

The scene goes on to detail his observations of “pre-incident indicators,” which led him to believe that the woman’s actions were no longer futile threats. This time violence would occur.  This time, the wife would kill the husband. He was right. This time, she did. What made this scene even more poignant was the fact that De Becker was one of the children who witnessed the event. The killer was his mother.

De Becker himself attests to the fact that growing up in an environment where violence could erupt at any time provided him with the fundamental understanding that fear was a gift. It also provided him with the drive to help others embrace their fear so they would not be victimized by it. To that end, De Becker cites real-life cases from his work, then dissects and analyzes each incident to reveal violence indicators. In this way, he teaches the reader to recognize these same indicators and avoid violence in their own lives.

An especially poignant scene occurs when the books opens, immediately grabbing the reader’s attention. De Becker recounts the events that led up to a young woman’s rape, including specific techniques the rapist used to encourage trust. One such technique, “forced teaming,” occurred when the rapist insinuated that he and the victim were in the same boat by both needing to go to the fourth floor of her building. It was this lie that gave him access to her apartment.

Gavin De Becker

After the rape, the attacker closed the bedroom window and started to make his way to the kitchen. He told the victim to stay put. She didn’t. She instinctively knew he was going to kill her. She grabbed the sheet off her bed, followed silently behind him and escaped to a neighbour’s home.

In counselling, De Becker helped her realize that by closing the window, she understood the rapist was trying to reduce noise. He was going to the kitchen to get a knife because his gun would have been too loud when he killed her. This understanding helped her heal because she realized she could trust her instincts again.

Through this example and many others in the book, De Becker clearly and logically explains the signals and signs we often ignore in our everyday lives that can lead to our own victimization. One of the most powerful concepts he discusses is the necessity of trusting our own intuition. Repeatedly, in De Becker’s book, when individuals ignored their instincts and instead trusted their logic, violence occurred.  De Becker explains this:    

What … others want to dismiss as a coincidence or a gut feeling is in fact a cognitive process, faster than we recognize and far different from the familiar step-by-step thinking we rely on so willingly. We think conscious thought is somehow better, when in fact, intuition is soaring flight compared to the plodding of logic.

Our society rewards logic and as such, we sometimes ignore the power of our intuition. The rape victim De Becker worked with didn’t like the sound of the man’s voice right from the start, but she ignored her instincts.

The Gift of Fear taught me to trust my instincts whether or not they were in-step with my logic. I’ve heeded that principle on a number of occasions. It wasn’t until years after I’d read The Gift of Fear that Ted (not his real name) came into my life.  When the stalking started, I re-read the book. It didn’t take me long to realize that I’d ignored my intuition – I’d shooed away the warning signs with my logic.

At first, I was tempted to berate myself, but quickly recognized that I had all the necessary tools to handle the situation. I followed De Becker’s advice and stopped all contact. I got a new phone number. I was eventually lucky enough to start a new job with my existing organization in a different town.  I moved. Ted never found me, so I got my life back.

I often think back to that cold winter evening when I scrambled to get out of my house and away from Ted. I drove by him as he stalked purposefully towards my home, but luckily, he didn’t see me. I avoided contact with him that night. Thanks to De Becker and The Gift of Fear, I’ve avoided contact with him every night since.

Note that Quick Brown Fox always welcomes your book reviews (or any kind of review). You can read an essay about how to write a book review here and see guidelines about submitting reviews of any kind to Quick Brown Fox here. 

QBF also welcomes essays about a favourite book or your experience of reading or writing. Read a few essays on the blog to get a taste of what other writers have done (see here and scroll down), write your own, and submit it to me at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Connie Taylor is an Operations Manger by day, a writer and reader by night. Her writing aspirations began in grade school with her heroine Pantoulia who leaped over football fields of fire. She’s contributed to the Journal of Integrated Studies and the Fifty-Word Story website. She's currently learning a lot from Brian Henry's writing classes and has started working on a novel.

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Starting soon: Introductory to Intensive Creative Writing Classes

Exploring Creative Writing

9 weeks discovering your creative side

This introductory class is o\Offered at two locales:

Thursday mornings, 9:45 – 11:45 a.m.

January 25 – March 29, 2018 (no class March 15)

Woodside Branch of the Oakville Public Library, 1274 Rebecca St, Oakville, Ontario (Map here)

And

Friday afternoons, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

February 2 – March 23, 2018

Glenview Church, Bethlehem Room, 1 Glenview Ave, Toronto, Ontario (Map here)

This is your chance to take up writing in a warm, supportive environment. We’ll explore writing short stories and writing true stories, writing in first person and in third person, writing technique and getting creative, getting down your very best writing and just for fun writing. The class has the same format as Brian's other introductory course, "Welcome to Creative Writing," but we look at different aspects of writing. With either course, you get a shot of inspiration every week and an assignment to keep you going till the next class. Best of all, this class will provide a zero-pressure, totally safe setting, where your words will grow and flower.

Read reviews of Brian's introductory creative writing course here (and scroll down.)

Fee: 176.11 + hst = $199

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Writing Personal Stories

8 weeks of sharing and writing

Thursday afternoons, 12:45 – 2:45 p.m.

January 25 – March 15, 2018

Appleby United Church, 4407 Spruce Ave, Burlington, Ontario (Map here.)

If you've ever considered writing your personal stories, this course is for you. We’ll look at memoirs, travel writing, personal essays, family history ~ personal stories of all kinds. Plus, of course, we’ll work on creativity and writing technique and have fun doing it. 

Whether you want to write a book or just get your thoughts down on paper, this weekly course will get you going. We'll reveal the tricks and conventions of telling true stories, and we’ll show you how to use the techniques of the novel to recount actual events. Weekly writing exercises and friendly feedback from the instructor will help you move forward on this writing adventure. Whether you want to write for your family and friends or for a wider public, don't miss this course.

Read reviews of the Writing Personal Stories course here.

Fee:  $159.29 plus 13% hst = $180

Number of attendees strictly limited.

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Intensive Creative Writing

Ten weeks towards becoming a better writer

Offered at four times/locales:

Tuesday afternoons, 12:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Classes run Jan 16 – March 20
First pieces emailed Jan 9, 2018
Appleby United Church, 4407 Spruce Ave, Burlington

And

Thursday evenings, 6:45 – 9:00 p.m.,

Classes run Jan 18 – March 22
First readings emails Jan 11, 2018
Appleby United Church, 4407 Spruce Ave, Burlington

And

Friday mornings, 10:15 – 12:45

Classes run Jan 19 – March 23; first readings emailed Jan 12, 2018
Glenview Church, Bethlehem Room, 1 Glenview Ave, Toronto
And 

Wednesday afternoons, 12:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Classes run Jan 31 – March 21,  First readings emailed Jan 24, 2018
Appleby United Church, 4407 Spruce Ave, Burlington

Intensive Creative Writing isn't for beginners; it's for people who have been writing for a while or who have done a course or two before and are working on their own projects. Over the ten weeks of classes, you’ll be asked to bring in five pieces of your writing for detailed feedback (or four pieces for the eight-week course). All your pieces may be from the same work, such as a novel in progress, or they may be stand alone pieces. You bring whatever you want to work on. 

Besides critiquing pieces, the instructor will give short lectures addressing the needs of the group, and in addition to learning how to critique your own work and receiving constructive suggestions about your writing, you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and re-write. This is a challenging course, but extremely rewarding.
Note: Check out a review of the Intensive course here. 

Fee: $176.11 + 13% hst = $199

For the 8-week Wednesday afternoon course:  $159.29 plus 13% hst = $180
To register or for more information, reply to this email.

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. But his proudest boast is that he’s has helped many of his students get published.

Read reviews of Brian's classes, workshops and writing retreats here (and scroll down).

See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, St. John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Congratulations to Mary, Dave, Susan, and Rebecca on getting published; also Cliff is looking for a writing buddy

Happy New Year!

Here’s my latest 50-word story. Please feel free to click the “like” button if you do like it (and of course, not if you don’t!) – it’s completely anonymous and the site doesn’t require people to sign up or give any details.

Mary

www.marysteer.com

You can also read Mary’s story on Quick Brown Fox here.

And for information about submitting to 50-Word Stories, see here.

Hi, Brian.

I have a story featured on Commuterlit.

Dave Moores

Read Dave’s story, “A Visitor,” here.  For Dave’s author page on CommuterLit and links to all twelve of his stories there, see here.

For information on submitting to CommuterLit, see here.

Hi, Brian:

I was at your Algonquin retreat in 2015 where you critiqued one of my stories and I just wanted to let you know I have self-published my first book of fictional stories: Ireland: Snapshots in time.

I am really excited.   It is a collection of ten short stories based on a holiday I took to Ireland and historical things that interested me.  It is available on Amazon and e-books.  Thanks for your suggestions.

Susan K. Kehoe

For more details of  (and to buy a copy), check it out on Kobo here and from Amazon.ca here.

Note: Our next June in Algonquin Writing Retreat at the wonderful Arowhon Pines Resort is coming up this June. Check out the details here.

Hi, Brian.

Just a bit of an update, I have a short story titled, “Frozen Beauty” published by ID Press in their newest anthology, Allucinor. This beautiful anthology is now available on Amazon here.

In addition, I will soon be in possession of the first copies of The Stand, from Polar Expressions Publishing that includes my flash fiction piece titled, “The Promotion.”

I’m looking forward to finding out the release date for Running Wild Novella Anthology Volume 2 from Running Wild Press, as I just finalized the edits on an accepted short story titled, “Visiting Friends.”

Finally, my story titled, “Down By The Creek,” was chosen by Cressy Lakeside Books (Prince Edward County) to be included in their Spring 2018 anthology.

It has been a busy last six weeks! 

Looking forward to seeing Quick Brown Fox’s offerings for 2018 in Toronto! 

Hope all is well. 

Kind regards,

Rebecca House

As noted on Quick Brown Fox last month, Sally Wylie and Glen Benison also had short stories published in The Stand.  Check it out and buy a copy here.

Writer to Writer

Hi, Brian.

I'm looking for a writing buddy, someone to review and critique my work and someone I can bounce ideas off of. Hopefully someone who is looking for the same.

Email me at: csstevens68@gmail.com

Cliff

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, St. John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Writing and Revising workshop, Saturday, May 26, in Oakville

From one of my favourite illustrators,
Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Writing and Revising

Saturday, May 26, 2018

10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Oakville Central Library, Auditorium, 120 Navy Street, Oakville, Ontario (Map here. Parking on Water Street, behind the library)

If you want to refine your story-telling skills and cut the time you will need to spend editing, this workshop is for you. You'll learn how to step back from a manuscript in order to find – and fix – flaws in your plot, structure, characterization and style. You'll learn how to rethink, rework and rewrite so that your manuscript will live up to your vision.

Special Option: You’re invited to bring the first 500 – 1,000 words of one of your pieces of writing. You don’t need to bring anything, but if you do, three copies could be helpful.

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published. 

You can read reviews of Brian's courses and workshops here. 

Fee: 43.36 + 13% hst = 49 paid in advance by mail or Interac

or 46.90 + 13% hst = 53 if you wait to pay at the door

To reserve a spot now, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, St. John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

How to Get Published, with literary agent Martha Webb of the CookeMcDermid Agency, Saturday, Feb 24, in Oakville

Next Year for Sure
by Zoey Leigh Peterson
represented by CookeMcDermid

How to Get Published

An editor & a literary agent tell all

Saturday, February 24, 2018

10:00 a.m. – 4:00

Oakville Central Library, 120 Navy Street, Oakville, Ontario (Map here.)

If it's past Feb 24, you can see details of upcoming "How to Get Published" workshops here (and scroll down).

If you've ever dreamed of becoming a published author, this workshop is for you. We’ll cover everything from getting started to getting an agent, from getting your short pieces published to finding a book publisher, from writing a query letter to writing what the publishers want. Bring your questions. Come and get ready to be published!

Special Option: Participants are invited to bring a draft of a query letter you might use to interest an agent or publisher in your book. You don’t need to bring anything, but if you do, three copies could be helpful.

And be sure to bring your elevator pitch! Following the end of the formal workshop at about 3:45, Brian Henry will be staying for at least half an hour and helping interested attendees, who didn’t have their queries critiqued earlier, write query letters that will get a yes, while literary agent Martha Webb will be listening to your pitches. Agents come to these events wanting to hear what you’ve got and hoping to find authors they want to represent.

Guest speaker, Martha Webb, is a literary agent and part owner of the CookeMcDermid agency, a new company formed through the amalgamation of the Cooke Agency and the McDermid agency.

CookeMcDermid represents more than 300 writers, among them Man Booker nominees, Giller and Governor General’s award–winning authors, prize-winning journalists, New York Times bestsellers and some of the literary world’s most notable names, including: Jen Agg, Omar el Akkad, Deborah Campbell, Michael Crummey, Robyn Doolittle, John Irving, Rupi Kaur, Scaachi Koul, Karen Le Billon, Geddy Lee, Robert Munsch, Jordan B. Peterson, Alison Pick, Andrew Pyper, Bob Rae, Nino Ricci, David Adams Richards, Amy Stuart, Guy Vanderhaeghe, Jeff VanderMeer, Sarah Waters, and Jesse Wente.

Martha was with the McDermid Agency for twelve years, and with CookeMcDermid, she continues to represent a wide range of books. Primarily, though, her list focuses on literary fiction, narrative nonfiction (including memoir and true crime) and ideas-driven nonfiction. She is especially drawn to approaches that are thought-provoking, controversial, change the conversation on a given subject or have a positive impact on people’s lives.

For more about the CookeMcDermid agency, see here.

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishesQuick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University, and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Charlottetown. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get their first book published and launch their careers as authors. 

See reviews of Brian's classes and workshops here.

Fee: 43.36 + 13% hst = 49 paid in advance by mail or Interac

or 46.90 + 13% hst = 53 if you wait to pay at the door

To reserve a spot now, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

                                                              

See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Happy New Year!