Sugueing into 2026

Happy New Year! I offer this greeting with sincere good wishes, for what can be better than a new beginning -- a chance for a do-over, a magic eraser, a fistful of plans, and renewed hope? Some might claim it's just another day, and to them I say, "Ppllllllllpp!" (Not sure how to spell the sound of a raspberry, but I'm sure you get my drift.)

It's time to put the disappointments of 2025 behind us, gather up the parts we wish to carry forward, and venture into the unexplored territory of 2026 possibilities.

They say a new broom sweeps clean, so as the old year came to a close, I looked at my accumulated writing projects and tried to put a bow on them. I sent Those Lawler Girls off to a few publishers, and with a plan to market The Sentinel of Mabry Moor as an adult novella instead of a YA read, I sent it off to an appropriate publisher too. I don't have a bucket list, but if I did, there would be only two things on it -- learning to moon walk and getting a picture book published. That's why I recently took part in a picture book critique event offered by CANSCAIP, and based on the responses of other participants, I cut the story I was working on from 1100 words to 600, and sent it off to a publisher I discovered who puts out beautiful books. Those efforts alone stirred up hope in me, because I now have stories out there searching for homes instead of languishing on my computer.

Bran is the story of how a Druid boy becomes a sorcerer. This is my take on what the cover should look like, though I suspect a publisher is unlikely to share my opinion.

Another part of my 2025 wrap-up was clearing out files on my computer. It was time to get rid of stuff. (I'm not a pack rat, but writing seems to accumulate somehow.) In the process I stumbled on an idea for a picture book I'd outlined so long ago, I had no memory of it. The thing is I really like the concept behind it, so I've decided to dust it off and write the story in 2026. What a gift!

I also plan to finish Lady of Bethnal Green, a novel based on my great grandmother's life. (I offered you a snippet a couple of months ago.) I imagine this will take me all year, if not longer. And then I tripped on Bran. This is a prequel novel to my Seer Trilogy. I read it through again, and I still think it's good. The middle-grade story can stand alone, but I have yet to find a publisher. So that's another goal for 2026. And finally, there's Finding William, a novel based on my grandfather's experiences as a Bernardo boy and a Canadian home child. My daughter said she loved the story but feels it's better-suited to adults. The more I think about it, the more I think she might be right. But making that change would involve a boatload more writing -- which is a daunting thought since I already considered the story complete. But I'm a writer, right? Writing's kind of what I do.

And because it's also nice to sell books and meet readers, I've signed up for the Spring Book Fest in Ladysmith on April 11th. The wonderful Martha Attema told me about it and we shall be sharing a table at the event. I'm looking forward to it.

How it started

One of my undertakings last year involved acquiring some digital art skills. That meant a hefty financial investment in an iPad, an Apple pencil, and a drawing program, and since I don't spend money recklessly, I was determined to make a go of it. There are still many aspects of the process I've yet to explore, but for the type of art I like to make, I've mastered the basics. I plan to further develop these skills in 2026.

How it's going.

For the past 3 1/2 years, I've led classes at ElderCollege, and in the spring I shall be teaching another. This one is focused on landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes. I seldom create 'scape' art, so I figured I should probably experiment a bit before the class begins, so that I can pretend I know what I'm doing. Here are a couple of my recent efforts. The forest is done in oil pastel (clumsy to work with -- like trying to play pickup sticks with oven mitts on -- and so dirty!) and the wonky seaside village illustration is in watercolour and ink. If time permits, I'll try another in pencil and maybe a digital one as well. We'll see.

In November, I visited my sister. Like me, she dabbles in art. Our work is completely different, but we both appreciate each other's style. No visit is complete without time spent in her studio, talking technique and tricks of the trade. I always enjoy seeing what she's working on and poking through the pieces scattered throughout the room. This time, I stumbled upon a portrait I'd painted when I began my watercolour journey. Colour me surprised. It was a painting of Blue Jays' pitcher, Juan Guzman, way back in the 90s. I remember being pleased with it at the time, and I even remember giving it to my sister. But I hadn't seen the painting since then, and I was amazed that I didn't now think it was terrible. Back then, I wasn't confident creating shapes and shadows with paint, so I enhanced my paintings with pencil work. I realize the image isn't the best likeness, but neither is it the worst. I like to think my skills have improved over the years, but I'm not embarrassed to admit I'm the artist.

My husband's parents on their wedding day in Hudson Bay Junction, Saskatchewan. (June 7, 1932)

And finally, on New Year's Eve I received an email from my husband's second cousin, who, like me, is into genealogy. He sent me a few old pictures he'd had restored and colourized. So, of course, I immediately began thinking that I needed to get back to work on the family tree. Perhaps 2026 will be the year I break through a couple of frustrating brick walls. Unfortunately, the thing with genealogy is that once I start poking around, the next thing I know the entire day is gone! And as you can probably guess, there aren't enough days for me as it is. Maybe this year will have a few more.

Yes, 2026 promises to keep me very busy, but as Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing."

Thanks for reading. See you next month.