Vivian’s View From Here: Window Cats

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Vivian K. Perry here, back for another guest blog on Jennifer’s Journal. I have new photos to share today!

We had snowy, blowy weather last night, which gave us pretty windows to look through when we woke up. As much as Maisie and I don’t like it when it gets too cold, sometimes snow can add an aesthetic appeal to our long winters.

The first pic shows some of Jennifer’s other cats.

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Now on to us real kitties…

img_2419-832x1280At first, I thought I would like it outdoors today.
img_2417-1280x941I quickly changed my mind.
img_2418-1271x946Maisie seems oblivious to my discomfort. (Please disregard the high-tech reading lamp)
img_2422-1280x574I am quickly let back inside, and then…
img_2427-1066x1280…the shoe is on the other paw!
img_2432Ha! Snow on her nose 🙂
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Thanks for taking a look through the window on our world.
See you next time!

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How is your winter going?
Do you have snow where you live?

Book News

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I have several book-related announcements this week you may be interested in.

1. Calmer Secrets Cover Reveal – Tuesday, January 24

 On January 24th, two weeks from today, the cover for my new book, Calmer Secrets, will be unveiled here on my Author Website/Blog. This title is Book Two in the Calmer Girls series.*

The Cover Reveal will also include a teaser from the back cover blurb. I can’t wait to share it with you! UPDATE: I will be sharing the entire back cover blurb on Cover Reveal Day.

2. Calmer Secrets Book Release – Tuesday, March 21

On Tuesday, March 21st, Calmer Secrets will be released on Amazon as an e-book and in paperback form. Find out what happens to all the characters you met and got to know in Book One!

Check back here on my blog for a special promotional price on the e-book for the first week, or subscribe here to have that announcement delivered to your inbox.

 

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3. If you haven’t read the first book yet:

Enter the new Goodreads Giveaway for a chance to win one of FIVE signed paperback editions of CALMER GIRLS. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the United States only at this time. Goodreads collects the info and sends me the names and addresses of the five winners. To enter, click on the link below.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Calmer Girls by Jennifer Kelland Perry

Calmer Girls by Jennifer Kelland Perry

Enter Giveaway

 

Rather not wait for the end of the month-long contest?
Get your copy at Amazon now, so you are caught up
before the March release of the compelling New Adult sequel.

 

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Not interested in these promotions but like my blog?

Here’s a picture of Vivian:

Vivian K. Perry

 

 

*Released in 2016, Calmer Girls is Book One of a Two-Book Series.

Season’s Greetings from Vivian & Maisie

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Vivian K. Perry here with my sister Maisie, to tell you my face is ALL BETTER!!!
Just in time for the holidays.

Jennifer also asked me to tell you there’s only one day left to enter her $25 Amazon gift card draw. Click on the card to subscribe to her email list for a chance to win. Subscribers will receive an email tomorrow announcing the winner. Good luck!

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Stay safe, and we’ll see you all again in the New Year!

Arrival of Winter & New Horizons

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? 

Winter came early to our corner of the world, and so far it has packed a heavy punch in most areas. These photos were taken a week ago, after our first significant snowfall. We’ve had more since then.

Inspiration can come to the artist in us in many ways. I hope to expand my own horizons in the coming new year, and I wish the same for you.

Here are a few new horizons from Perry’s Point to inspire creativity through the frosty months ahead.

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We live on Snowy Beach Avenue now!  🙂

004-1280x841 006-1280x1061 010-1280x813 019-1280x852 025-1280x807 035-1280x850 I must give credit where credit is due: Paul “helped” with these next three. They were taken in the last couple of hours before sunset. 

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“The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” ~ Christopher McCandless

WPC: New Horizon

What do you see on your horizon for 2017?

Getaway to Twillingate – Part Two

Yesterday’s forecast had been accurate. We woke up to a brilliantly sunny morning, though it was a little on the chilly side.

After breakfast, I zipped up my hoodie, grabbed my camera and took a stroll around the area we were staying. Won’t you come along with me?

This theatre is busy all summer long.

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 Plenty of B&B's, cottages and inns in Twillingate, mostly deserted in the off-season.
Plenty of B&B’s, cottages and inns in Twillingate, mostly deserted in the off-season.

As usual, I couldn’t resist the pull of the ocean, so I took a walk down along the coastline to get these last few shots:

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His work finished, for now, on the new winery, my guy is ready to go.
His work finished for now, my guy is ready to go as soon as I get back.

Maybe the next time we visit Twillingate, we’ll come in late spring during iceberg season.

Thanks for tagging along! I hope you enjoyed it. 🙂

Getaway to Twillingate

Just as I had almost given up hope on an autumn getaway, my guy came through with a road trip in early November to Twillingate.

Being a working trip for him, I didn’t expect it to be much more, for me, than a chance to grab a few scenery photos in yet another part of Newfoundland I hadn’t had the pleasure to visit yet. Known as the Iceberg Capital of the World, Twillingate is a lovely little town that draws many tourists, and although this is not the time of year for icebergs, it is still a pretty location to drop in and take a look around.

The place we booked, the Sunshine Inn, had only opened in August after major renovations, and as it turned out, we were the only guests there that night. That meant we had the entire main floor common area to ourselves.

Take a look at our accommodations:
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Our room was the only bedroom suite on the main floor.
Our room was the only bedroom suite on the main floor.

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Pretty artwork in the common area:

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Taking in Twillingate Harbour as dusk settled in and lights winked on, I found myself looking forward to morning. The forecast called for sunshine, which would be perfect for a walk with my camera. Come back for Part Two of this post to see what I came up with!

A Murder on Perry’s Point!

A murder of crows, that is.

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There is already a meme going around similar to this next one, but when I saw crows on Perry’s Point the other day, I couldn’t resist making my own.

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In other news:

Add yourself to my email list for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card. A winner will be randomly drawn on December 23rd. Click on the card to sign up.

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Thanks for entering, and good luck! 🙂

***

In the continuing saga of Vivian K. Perry:

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You will be pretty again, Viv ❤

Tomorrow will be our fourth trip to the vet to get more meds for Vivian’s allergic dermatitis. The side of her face has still not healed, so they are prescribing a higher dose of this second prescribed medication. At least she doesn’t have to go along this time, and we are super thankful for that.

Speaking of being thankful,

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American followers and blogger friends!

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Come From Away – A Review

In September, I blogged about how excited I was to have tickets to a local showing in concert of Come From Away, a musical that is heading to Broadway in the new year. You can read that post here.

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We attended the Gander show on Saturday afternoon, and it was INCREDIBLE!

Both shows in Gander on Saturday were sold out.
Both shows in Gander on Saturday were sold out and received standing ovations.

Flawlessly executed.

Overflowing with energy, talent, and professionalism.

And generating such love and pride for the citizens of Gander and surrounding communities – who most certainly deserved it – it was truly a moving experience.

“The Come From Away musical was written to show the compassionate response by Newfoundlanders when air space closed over North America after the Twin Towers fell —diverting dozens of planes to Gander. The community took in more than 6,000 passengers for several days while planes were grounded.” – Local CBC story on Come From Away

Can you imagine if the population of your town had nearly doubled on 9/11?

The show tells the tale through the eyes of local mayors, residents, a pilot, and stranded passengers, 100 minutes of heartfelt musical numbers that show how Newfoundlanders went above and beyond with their own special brand of hospitality.

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To paraphrase Canadian playwright Irene Sankoff, cowriter of the musical:

Not only did the {citizens of Gander} let people off of the planes who were {strangers} to them, but they let them into their community buildings. They canceled school for the entire time that “the plane people” were there, devoting all of their energy to taking care of them.

They put them up in their schools and community buildings, and then began inviting people home for dinner, inviting them to stay the night, cleaning their clothes, and giving them anything that they could ask for over the time that they were stranded.

Countless times during the show, we laughed out loud. And many other times we wiped away our tears. And boy, did we ever applaud! I had chills several times, and it had nothing to do with the fact we were in a hockey arena.

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I could go on and on about it, but just let me say, if you have the opportunity to see the show in Toronto or New York, you should. I know I’m biased, being a Newfoundlander and all, but I think anyone would enjoy such a positive showing of humanity in the face of crisis and disaster. With all the negativity in the media these days, it was a welcome change. 

The cherry on top? All proceeds from the Gander shows were donated to local charities.

The Love Story. On the left, the actors who played the real-life couple on the right. One from Texas and one from England, they met during 9/11 in Gander, eventually marrying and honeymooning back in Newfoundland!
The Love Story. On the left, the actors who played the real-life couple on the right, a woman from Texas and a man from England. They met during 9/11 in Gander, eventually married, and honeymooned back here in Newfoundland!
At a special dinner held in Gander, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman unveiled a new plaque thanking the people of this province.
At a special dinner held in Gander over the weekend, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman, unveiled a new plaque thanking the people of this province.

I think our little province and its people made quite an impression on those affected that week. To illustrate, near the end of the show, one of the “plane people” from the U.S. told her new Gander friend that Newfoundlanders can’t tell knock-knock jokes.

“Why not?” her friend asked.

“Okay, I’ll be the Newfoundlander,” said the American. “You say knock knock.”

“Knock knock.”

“Come on in – the door is open!”

This is a shining example of Newfoundland hospitality and our way of life being brought to the Broadway stage. Did I mention I was proud?

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For more info, here is the Official Come From Away Website.

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada

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*Travel theme: Enlightened

Book Club Brunch

What an absolutely heavenly October day it is out there! The gale of wind we experienced over the last half of the week has finally abated, and the sun is warm and glorious. When you can sit outside sleeveless and barefoot to enjoy your morning coffee, that is my favourite kind of fall weather.

A couple of Sundays ago when we held our latest book club meeting, it was a beautiful day too. We combined it with a potluck brunch at Janet and Duke’s house. Unfortunately, all our members couldn’t attend, but we had a lovely time anyway discussing our latest book, enjoying the scrumptious fare, and sharing many laughs.

We are a diverse group, with members including a visual artist, a chef, a French teacher, and a retired flight attendant (4o years!), to name just a few. I’ve posted a small gallery of the event below, where Paul took most of the pics with an iPhone 6. You can click on them to read those with captions.

October will see the first edition of my Author Newsletter arriving in your in-boxes, which I am working on. Updates on what’s going on in my writerly life will be monthly or less. If you haven’t signed up for it yet and would like to, you can do so here.

Have an inspiring week, everyone!