First of the month, first of July and HAPPY CANADA DAY!

In case you hadn't figured out by now, I have this amazing love affair with Canada. Don't remember exactly when it started, but I can give you the below:


( Top Reasons I <3 Canada...in no particular order )

On that note and without further ado (drumroll and bagpipes, please)...Comment below and tell my one thing you think is fabulous, cool or brilliant about our neighbour to the north and one of you few, you lucky few, you band of (ahem, never mind)...will win an advanced copy of my newest book (out in November), Blood Kin, third in the Blood Lines series and takes place primarily in Vancouver, BC. Winner will be chosen via random number generator.

Good Luck et bonne chance, mes amis!

ETA: If you don't have a LiveJournal or Open ID account, please comment anonymously, but leave your first name and some way to ID you if you should win ("Pam" alone won't work, but "Pam D" would). THANKS!

Tags: book contest, canada
Spirits: Canadian

Home.

Exhausted.

More later.

Tags: canada, rl, travel
Spirits: exhausted

I'm very behind on LJ, but I did just pimp myself out at livelongnmarry , fandom support for marriage equality. I'm offering 2 signed books (each of the 2 books in my Blood Lines series).

Stop by, tell your friends, help us pimp this great community and this cause. You don't have to have a LiveJournal account to bid, just make sure to post your contact information should you win.

Information on bidding and such is at the user info page for the community. Also, HAPPY CANADA DAY. (Yesterday now!)

UPDATED! A very kind person has chosen the "Buy it Now" option so I'm upping the stakes (as it were) and offering 2 more sets of autographed books. Please come bid!

Tags: canada, holiday, livelongnmarry
Spirits: busy

Of the amusing from CBC News:

Inuktituk Old Testament Nears Completion

Back to work, now.

Tags: amusing, canada
Spirits: amused

Despite the fact that it's like walking through a sweat bath outside, my evening couldn't have gone better.

Left work early (always a plus!) to meet beledibabe and her hubby for a quick dinner at Harry's, a small restaurant/bar in DC. Walked over to the Smithsonian in the aforementioned sweat soupy air (the words "I'm melting" did actually get spoken by moi). We arrived at the Ripley Center lecture hall at the precise hour, seating ourselves in time to see the three Mounties (2 men, 1 woman) dressed in red serge clomp across the stage, their high browns echoing on the wooden floor. Their hats, already in place, sat side by side downstage, perched at the edge--a brilliant stage setting.

It was true love for beledibabe and me, as a slide show presentation unfolded, each of the Mounties in turn stepping up to the lectern and giving their part of the history and duties of the RCMP. The presentation itself was interesting. I loved some of the photos they used, but itched to correct some of the misspellings in the slide show. Both C and I laughed when it turned out that only a handful of the folk in attendance had heard of the Musical Ride, and of those, several of them were officials representing Alberta. (This was all part of a series of events celebrating Alberta, in conjunction with the Folklife Festival and part of the Resident Associates programming.)

I was beside myself when I realized that I could identify much of the insignia on their uniforms. OMG, I am SUCH a Mountie groupie!

I'm utterly in the need for some due South re-immersion and some Fraser love.

All in all, a successful night.

Tags: canada, events, life
Spirits: happy