An End of the Year Letter from Jamieson Wolf

I find it hard to believe that another year is about to come to its close.

However, the calendar indicates that a New Year is about to begin, so I guess it’s true. I also find it hard to believe that it’s going to be 2010. I remember when the year 2000 rolled around, rearing its Y2K face with a bright and somewhat sardonic smile. It’s hard to believe that ten years have already passed since then.

At the end of 2008, I had said that I was going to slow down. Instead, the opposite seems to have happened and I went full speed ahead, all pistons moving, into 2009. It has been an incredible year for me, personally and professionally. Taking a look back over the year, it’s a wonder I had time to stop and smell the roses, figuratively speaking.

The year started off with a bang. The Written Word Book Two: Silent Communication was published in April of 2009 with The Written Word Book Three: Demons following in May, The Other Book One: Tempting Darkness in June and The Written Word Book Four: The Silence of Sound in July of 2009, all from Cobblestone Press.

But I wasn’t finished yet. Oh, no. Far from it. You’d think I would have learned to slow down after 2008 where I had nine books published, but apparently not.

Cupids Delight was published in August of 2009 from Breathless Press and garnered me some of the best reviews of my career. Then one of my pieces was included in Book: The Sequel in May of 2009. Following on the heels of those two books, I wrote a novella for the Three Day Novel Competition during Labour Day weekend in August of 2009.

Now, a normal author would stop there. That would be enough to fill up a year right? But oh, no, it seemed I was only warming up.

After taking part in the Muse Online Writers Conference, I decided to self publish all of my previous workshops in ebook format so that they would be available for writers or aspiring writers who wanted to try their hand at the craft of writing. So, in September of 2009, I self published Write Now, The Muse, Serial Lives-Serial Stories, Short Stories-Tall Tales and How To Promote When You Don’t Know How. I even offer them for free on my web site. Gotta help people save a little money in this rough economy, right?

In October 2009, I self published a book that I am incredibly proud of. I had always wanted to do a book that was a compilation of my book reviews. Books have always played a bit part in my life, obviously, and I had wanted to do a book of book reviews for quite some time. So I went ahead and did it. The book consists of over one hundred reviews and I’m still chuffed that I’ve written that many reviews and more.

I figured that was it for my year, but the year had other ideas for me. In November of 2009, Breathless Press published Starlight Starbright and The Awakening. I also took part in National Novel Writing Month, where you pledge to write 50, 000 words of a novel in thirty days. My books don’t run anywhere near that length and the longest novel I had ever written was just under 30, 000 words. However, I persevered and I actually did it! I won NaNoWriMo with 53, 000 words and I’m still writing the novel. I can’t believe that it’s not done yet! It’s now over 55, 000 words and climbing. I hope to finish and edit it in 2010.

December of 2009 has been an incredible month. Cobblestone Press published Chasing Beauty and Breathless Press published Hard. Hard has been an incredible experience for me. Breathless Press published it as their first m/m romance and it is the first book to be published in their new m/m line. I had never had a book lead a whole line before and am incredibly honoured.

Even better, it’s a best seller! It’s now sold just over three hundred copies and has climbed from the Number Ten to the Number Six spot in the All Romance EBooks Best Sellers list! A fantastic way to end out the year, don’t you think? Even better, I turned in Harder, the sequel, to Breathless Press and it’ll be coming out in January of 2010! Woohooo!

In total, that’s a staggering seventeen books published in 2009, not including my NaNoWriMo titled Witchcraft and Anchovies or the Holiday novella Yuletide Magic that I wrote for friends and family this year.

I have never had such a productive year and I hope I don’t have another one like that. Though incredibly satisfying and gratifying, I didn’t have a moment to breathe. Between writing, editing, working on book trailers for Night Wolf Design, writing articles for The American Chronicle and The Examiner and working full time, I didn’t have a moment to spare.

Most people who interview me ask me how I’m able to accomplish everything I do. The truth is, I don’t know. I just do it and keep doing it. But I mean it this time: I’m taking 2010 to write. I have a few ideas that I want to work out on paper and I want to take the time to breathe, to appreciate everything I have.

That may not happen, and I know that, but hopefully I’ll get a little breathing time. Right?

Personally, the year has been full of ups and downs. My husband, Robert, and I celebrated our third year wedding anniversary on June 9th, 2009. It really doesn’t feel like we’ve been together that long (and trust me, in the gay community, three years is like forever). But you know what they say: when you’re with the right person, every day feels like the first day.

I also moved around a lot in my work. I started out the year working for Public Works and Government Services, moving to The Treasury Board Secretariat, then on to Citizenship and Immigration. From there, I went to work for Elections Canada again, and then to where I find myself now working for Health Canada. Oh the joys of contract work. But I’ve been able to work on some lovely projects, achieve some incredible things and work for and with some wonderful people.

The Husband left a job he hated and moved on to something he loved, which is lovely. In the end, if this year has taught me anything, it’s that it’s not the money that matters; it’s whether or not you’re happy doing what you’re doing.

My memoir, One Step at a Time, was supposed to be published in November by Bluechrome but it seems they went belly up and disappeared. I do hope to have it published in the future, but that really took a lot out of me. I do hope to see it published some day, but I do know that things happen for a reason, whether I like it or not.

Thankfully I love what I do and I love that I get to write. Even better, there are people out there that love what I write, which is the greatest gift a writer could receive. I have a family that is supportive, a loving Husband, a flourishing writing career. So in the end, I have lots to be thankful for.

This makes the bad stuff of 2009 seem all that much less difficult, thank goodness. Here is hoping that 2010 brings new highs, new happiness and new things to cheer about!

Happy New Year!

Jamieson

Harry Potter and the...Dangerous Wand?

Saw this today and thought it was hillarious. Had to share. Enjoy!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

A Grateful Resolution

Hey Everyone!

What with New Years Eve coming up shortly, it’s time to start thinking of that dreaded New Years Resolution.

Every year I think of one only to have it fall by the wayside somewhere towards the end of January.

I’ve tried resolutions like I’m going to be nicer to people, I’m going to be kinder, I’m going to not lose my patience, I’m going to stop eating so many sweets, I’m going to go on a diet, I’m going to stop buying so many books…etc.

You can see the problem with these. No matter how kind we try to be, no matter how patient and gentle, there will always be someone who pisses us off. No matter how many diets we go on, we have to be happy with our bodies instead of trying to change them. And not buying so many books? Who the heck was I kidding?

This year though, I have the perfect resolution. I’m going to remember to be Thankful.

Sounds simple, but it’s not really. Too often in this fast paced world, I tend to lose sight of what really matters in life. Trying to be a good person is one thing; trying to remember the good things is a whole different matter.

It’s hard to remember the good things, though; to stop and appreciate the simple things that make life so good and wonderful. So in the new year, I’m going to do something to remind me that great things are all around me, if only I stop to look for them.

I’m going to keep a Grateful Journal. The idea is simple: Every day, at the end of the day, I’m going to write down three things that I’m grateful for that happened during that day. It can be something like “I’m thankful for world peace” or even “I’m thankful that my rubber duckie makes me smile.” Or perhaps you might prefer “I’m thankful to that person who held the door open for me” or “I’m thankful for the person I talked to on the bus this morning.”

See? It doesn’t have to be earth shattering. As long as I’m thankful for it, as long as it’s something that sticks out from the day, in it goes. I’ve tried this before and have stopped after only a few weeks of doing it. But I promise (cross fingers) to try and write three things every day that I am grateful for.

That way, if I’m having a blue day, I can go back and look at all the great things that the world around me offered up. And hopefully I won’t feel so blue.

The True Spirit of Christmas?

Hey Everyone!

Well, Christmas is over for another year.

It’s always a bit of a weird time for me, the days after Christmas. I mean, we spend pretty much the entire year working towards Christmas and then it ends so quickly.

The last six months of the year are a blur of planning, presents and people and Christmas is over in one shot, like a fire cracker that goes pops with bright colour only to fade to darkness.

Most believe that Christmas is somewhat anticlimactic. I’m not one of them. Every year, I try to remember the true meaning of the season:

I’m thankful for what I have, for the family that surrounds me and for the friends I’m lucky enough to have. I try to remember the joy, try to hold the ideals of goodness in their stead. Even though a bit of naughtiness always finds its way in somehow.

For some reason, Christmas this year seemed a little bit more special. I was less grumpy than usual; normally Christmas puts me in a bit of a fowl temper.

But this year I was raring to go and singing Christmas carols after December 1st. There was something this year that brought me more joy, more happiness, than any Christmas or Holiday Season before it.

I’m still not quite sure what it was but it could have had something to do with the fact that we didn’t have a bus strike this year. Or that I had the money to buy presents. Or that I was able to actually afford gifts for other people.

But I’d like to think it was more than that. I’d like to think that, for once, I was able to remember the true Spirit of Christmas.

And for that, I am thankful.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope that all of you have a wonderful Christmas and Festive Holiday Season.

May it be full of bright lights, magic and joy.

Merry Christmas to all of you and thank you for making my Christmas so special. I hope that Santa brings you something wonderful!

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Jamieson (Me), The Husband (Robert) and Mave (who thinks she’s people)

Best Books of 2009 - A Recap!

Hey Everyone!

So in case you missed it, here’s my list of the Top Ten Best Books of 2009!

10- The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
9- The Deadline Murders by Ron Morgans
8- Generation A by Douglas Coupland
7- Sapphire Dream by Pamela Montgomerie
6- The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
5- Choices Meant for Kings by Sandy Lender
4- Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pineiro
3- Under the Dome by Stephen King
2- The Brides Farewell by Meg Rosoff
1- 9987 by Nik Jones


You can read all about the books by clicking here:

http://jamiesonwolf.blogspot.com/search/label/Best%20Books%20of%202009

I can’t believe its Christmas Eve Day! Thankfully I’m only working a half day. Then it’s home I go to have a glass of wine and read a light and fluffy book for a bit before getting ready to go out to Robert’s families for Christmas Eve!

How did December move so quickly?! Thank goodness I’m all done!

Best Books of 2009 Number One: 9987 by Nik Jones

It’s all come down to this, hasn’t it? The best book in 2009. Well in my opinion, that book is (drum roll please…) 9987 by Nik Jones.

I read this book in February of 2009 and then read it again right after finishing it the first time. I knew that I was reading the work of a Very Talented Author and a Genius at his craft. I called it in February that 9987 was going to be a hard novel to top and I was right.

I’ve since read the novel several other times, always coming back to it with this sense of wonder, this sense of glee, knowing what bizarreness was going to confront me within 9987’s pages.

But what is the novel about? I know you want to know. Well, thankfully, I’m going to tell you. You see, 9987 begins with blood.

He (we never know his name) manages the Total Rental store. Moves are his life, they are the air he breathes, the food he eats. He knows everything about his customers and can tell you about what they rent and even list their membership number.

His world is changed by blood; and by Santino, Scarlett. For the two are intimately mixed together.

When she enters the store with 7451, Algarry, our narrators life changes forever. He wonders if he can love her, wonders if she can love him. But love, like life, is based in blood.

Blood can cleanse and it can give life. But the heart, too, can bleed…

9987 is unlike anything you’ve read before and unlike anything you will read again. It’s disturbing, engrossing, entertaining, humorous, harrowing, frightening and terrifying. In short, it’s perhaps one of the most brilliant novels I have ever read.

Part mystery, part love story, part homage to zombies and pop culture, 9987 is a novel about what happens when the darkness inside of us gets out; and what happens when we allow that darkness free reign to play.

I can’t tell you any more than that suffice to say that 9987 is, hands down, the best book I’ve read in 2009. If you haven’t read it, read it now. Read it now, read it now, read it now. I can recommend it highly enough.

Learn more about 9987 and author Nik Jones by visiting his blog here:

http://watching9987.blogspot.com/

And seriously, I can’t say it clearly enough: Read. This. Book.

I'll see you in the movies...

Best Books of 2009 Number Two: The Brides Farewell by Meg Rosoff

Meg Rosoff is one of those talented authors who never ever writes the same story twice.

In her first novel, she gave us a post apocalyptic love story. Her second novel dealt with fate fooling with one boy and that boy changing himself to avoid fate. Her third novel was really a love story between two men at a boys boarding school.

I am never sure what Meg Rosoff is going to gift us with. Because that’s what her books are; they are gifts, jewels that are bright and gorgeous and are just waiting for you to open their pages, shine their words and be dazzled by their beauty.

Though Rosoff’s books are fairly short, each word, each phrase has a purpose and nothing is out of place. She may not tell the same story twice, but her stories are always amazing and incredible.

The Bride’s Farewell is no different. In fact, it’s her best novel yet.

In the year eighteen hundred and fifty something, Pell Ridely leaves home on her wedding day. What befalls her is nothing short of a Charles Dickens novel mixed in with a bit of Edger Allen Poe for good measure.

Though bleak, there is a message of hope that runs through the book. And it shows us that what we are searching for may be with us all along.

I reviewed the book here:

http://thebookpedler.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/the-brides-farewell-by-meg-rosoff/

If you haven’t treated yourself to a Meg Rosoff novel, read this one first, and then go back and read the others. The Brides Farewell is a novel that calls out to be read and savoured and enjoyed.

One beautiful word at a time.

HAPPY YULE EVERYONE!

Today is the day that a lot of people, Pagans and Wiccans among them, celebrate Yule.

Yule is celebrated on the 21st of December, during the longest night of the year. It is also known as the Winter Solstice, Yule celebrates the fact that the darkness of the year begins to recede and the light begins to return.

Starting the next morning after Yule, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer each day. Yule celebrates the coming of the light and also celebrates the bounty beneath the ground that is waiting for Spring.

In the olden days, children went from house to house with gifts of cloves, apples and oranges. Apples and oranges were laid out in baskets of evergreen boughs. The apples and oranges represented the sun and the evergreen boughs were symbolic of immortality.

The tradition of taking a tree indoors and decorated started with Yule. People would decorate their homes with holly, ivy and trees, extending an invitation to Nature Sprites to come and join the celebration and to bring forth the coming Spring. A sprig of holly was kept on the front door all year long as an invitation for good fortune to pay a visit to the houses residents.

Yule was also a time of thankfulness. People were thankful of the year that had passed and the year that was to come. So today, let us be thankful for everything we have. Let us be thankful for our family and friends and raise a cup of cider to them one and all.

Happy Yule Everyone!

Best Books of 2009 Number Three: Under the Dome by Stephen King

Most of you know by now that I love Stephen King.

When a new Stephen King book is released, it’s like Christmas and Easter and Valentine’s Day all rolled into one. And each of his books is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re going to get.

Such is the case with Under the Dome, a mammoth 1000 plus page monster of a book that is some of the best writing Stephen King has done in YEARS. Seriously. I haven’t loved a King book this much since Bag of Bones and that book was published more than ten years ago.

Though it’s over a thousand pages long, the book doesn’t feel like it; it’s plot ZOOMS by and the pages almost flip themselves. And though there are over a hundred characters you will meet inside the pages, and under the dome, it’s nearly impossible to get confused.

King manages to keep all the characters straight and gives all of them distinct voices, distinct and different personalities. In Under the Dome, King is really at the top of his game.

Up until page nine hundred and something, I figured Under the Dome would be my favourite book of the year. However, the ending killed it for me. I read 1000 plus pages and wanted closure, I wanted resolution.

Well, Stephen King doesn’t always give you what you want. Actually, he frequently will give you no resolution and leave you hanging. But after 1000 plus pages, you have to figure that there is resolution in there somewhere…

…well, yes, and no. It’s almost as if King went “Oh, perhaps I should end this”. Though I know that’s not the case, that’s what it feels like to me. However, after further consideration, I had a thought. I know, dangerous thing to do.

Under the Dome concerns the town of Chesters Mill. They wake one morning to find that their entire town is sealed off around the town limits by an invisible dome. What ensues, with members of the town trying to take over and take control, is lunacy, chaos and bloodshed.

It occurred to me two weeks after reading Under the Dome (and still being angry at the ending two weeks later) that Under the Dome wasn’t about why it happened; it was about the people it happened to.

King has given us some of his most amazing writing in Under the Dome and has created characters that live and breathe on the page. The ending still ticked me off though, regardless of why Stephen King did it.

For that reason, it gets the number three spot. However, Under the Dome really is one of the best books Stephen King has written in a long, long time. Turn to page one and find out for yourself.

You might never want to leave….

Best Books of 2009 Number Four: Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pineiro

I have been a long time fan of Caridad Pineiro’s romance novels.

She constantly delivers a great story, amazing characters and real conflict. She paints a picture so well with her words that you are there, inside the book, living along with the characters for every page.

Well, in Sins of the Flesh, Caridad Pineiro really has outdone herself. This is an incredible feat, considering that Caridad has written some of the most amazing romance novels ever written.

But in Sins of the Flesh, Caridad combines suspense, amazing characters, fantasy elements, science fiction elements and mystery with pure emotion, intense situations and a plot most writers would give their right arm for.

In short, she has written on heck of a winner.

In Sins of the Flesh, we meet Caterina Shaw. Having had to undergone experimental gene treatments to survive a terminal cancer, something is wrong with Caterina. She is able to change her skin at will, she is able to see again and she is incredibly strong.

Mick Carrera is the man hired to capture Cat. He’s told that she is on the run after committing a dangerous murder. But Mick knows that he isn’t being told the truth, he isn’t being told everything.

When they meet, sparks will fly. But they will be fighting for more than their love. They will be fighting for the chance to stay alive….

I reviews Sins of the Flesh here:

http://thebookpedler.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/sins-of-the-flesh-by-caridad-pineiro/

This is an incredible, amazing book and if you haven’t picked it up yet, I suggest you do. You’ll gulp it down in one go and be thirsty for the next sinful adventure.

Best Books of 2009 Number Five: Choices Meant for Kings by Sandy Lender

I am normally not enthralled by high fantasy. The genre tends to be dried, over used and boring with little to no life in it.

Thankfully there are authors who will stretch the envelope and go beyond what the genre of High Fantasy has to offer. One such author is Sandy Lender.

Her previous novel Choices Meant for Gods left me spellbound. Really. It was an incredible book that gave me a thrilling story, amazing characters, twisting plot lines, betrayal, dragons, magic…and more!

I waited anxiously for the second book in the trilogy with a little worry. What would it be like? Would it be just as good? Well, thankfully, it was better. Way better.

In Choices Meant for Kings, fantasy author Sandy Lender takes middle book trilogy filler syndrome and chucks it out the window. It is by far the better book and the storyline doesn’t let go from the first page.

In Choices Meant for Kings, Amanda Chariss, protector of the Gods, must deal with a battle she knows is coming, an evil sorcerer who is in love with her, a budding relationship with the man she loves AND protect the Gods from slaughter. She must also find a way to restore the magic of Onweald that has fled…it isn’t easy being the protector of the Gods.

I reviewed the novel here:

http://thebookpedler.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/choices-meant-for-kings-by-sandy-lender/

This is one heck of an amazing book and I loved every word and every page. Lovers of fantasy or just a darn good story will love this book. I urge you to get a copy of the first book in the trilogy AND a copy of this book. You’ll want both, trust me.

Chasing Beauty is RELEASED!

Hey Everyone!

Well, the wait is finally over! Chasing Beauty has been released by Cobblestone Press!

I think it’s one of my favourites. It’s a little naughty, a little nice and all spice! Here’s a little bit about the novel:

Owen had been fantasizing about his university psychology professor, Professor Magnus Bergman, for the entire semester. He had pictured the gorgeous Swedish professor in a multitude of different sexual positions.

What Owen doesn't know is that some of those positions are about to become very real indeed…

While undressing in the university gym's locker room, he hears someone call his name. He looks up to see Professor Magnus Bergman, completely naked. And completely hard.

When Professor Bergman kisses him, Owen knows that his fantasies were nothing compared to reality...

You can get your copy by heading over to Cobblestone Press by clicking on this link:

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/chasingbeauty.htm

While you don’t have to read the first book in The Owen Diaries Trilogy, I would suggest it. You can get your copy of Finding Beauty by clicking here:

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/findingbeauty.htm

Oh, and if you haven’t entered my Chasing Beauty Contest, there’s still time to enter! You have until midnight tonight to enter. All the details about the contest can be found here:

http://jamiesonwolf.blogspot.com/2009/12/chasing-beautiful.html

Woohoo!

Best Books of 2009 Number Six: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

I wasn’t sure what to think when I heard about The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe.

I had been sent an email ad and went to the web site and clicked around a bit. I was intrigued right off, but wondered if the book would be any good. The book had an interesting premise: Connie Goodwin has just achieved her dream; she has become eligible for PHD candidacy. Her mentor encourages her to look for a new primary source for her thesis.

Unsure of what to do or how to go about that, Connie agrees to clean out her deceased grandmothers house. While she is cleaning she finds a key. Inside the key is a slip of paper. On that slip of paper is a name: Deliverance Dane.

Thus begins Connie’s adventure in trying to figure out who Deliverance Dane is and what happened to her in her past. But things go even deeper than that when Connie finds out that she might be connected to Deliverance, a woman accused of being a Witch during the Salem Witch Trials, in ways she can’t begin to understand…

This was such an amazing book. Normally historicals read like text books but The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane reads like a literary DiVinci Code and more. It’s actually hard to believe that it’s Howe’s first novel.

It’s that good.

I reviewed it here:

http://thebookpedler.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/the-physick-book-of-deliverance-dane-by-katherine-howe/

Seriously, this book is for anyone who loves history, or anyone who just loves an incredible literary thriller. Excellent writing, characters with depth and an incredible story make The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane a winner in every way.

I HAVE A BEST SELLER!!!!!

Hey Everyone!

I want to brag for a moment. I hope that’s okay.

If you click here you’ll see why I need to brag: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/#topTen

My novel HARD is the NUMBER TEN BEST SELLER at All Romance eBooks! Even better, it’s the NUMBER ONE BEST SELLER for Breathless Press at All Romance eBooks!

How freaking awesome is that?

I’ve never had a best selling novel before, so this is HUGE news! I’m so excited that the book has been doing so well!

Even better, Harder (the second novel in the series) has a release date! HARDER will be released on January 22nd, 2010! What a great way to start off the year!

Woohoo!