2024-07-05

July 2024 Newsletter

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Life in Calgary

It’s Stampede time! For ten days every July, the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth takes over the city and turns it into a very large punch bowl.

Folks outside town tend to think of The Stampede as an excuse to wear a cowboy hat and get drunk (and they’re generally correct), but there’s also an international cultural aspect that often gets overlooked.

Take, for instance, the Mexifest located across the street from our condo in a downtown parking lot. Mariachi bands and churro vendors compete with Lucha Libre wrestlers for the admiration of thousands of Mexican people who now call Calgary home.

Until you hear La Bamba sung with a country twang, you ain’t heard nothing yet.

Coming this Fall: The Official Launch of my latest FBI Agent Jack Kenyon series takes place at Owls Nest Books in Calgary on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at 4 pm.

I’ll be doing a reading and signing paperbacks. You can also order previous books in the series on Amazon.

Book Review

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

By Holly Jackson

I love reading (and writing) murder mysteries. I enjoy everything from police procedurals (Michael Connelly’s Detective Bosch series), to ‘cozy’ murder mysteries in which an amateur sleuth finds the killer when the authorities are baffled.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder falls into the latter category. The town of Fairview is rocked when high-school sweetheart Andie Bell goes missing. Her body is never discovered, but her boyfriend Sal commits suicide, leaving behind a note confessing to murder.

The police close the file, but enough disturbing questions remain to motivate young Pippi to dig further; as her senior high-school assignment, she chooses to investigate the tragedy. Along with the help of Sal’s older brother Raji, she interviews Andie’s gang, sifting through their recollections and social media postings for inconsistencies.

Her snooping soon attracts scoundrels who threaten her with harm if she doesn’t desist. Like all good sleuths, however, she toils on, placing herself at personal risk in order to uncover the truth.

The author (pictured) has written two sequels, and the series has just been made into a TV series by the BBC. I highly recommend you check out the novel first, however; it’s a great summer read!

Recipe: Ceviche

This is the perfect summer meal, and easy to prepare!

Ingredients

1/2 lb. of raw chopped white fish (basa)

1/2 lb. raw chopped shrimp.

1 cup lime juice

1 Tsp salt

1 tomato, chopped

1 mango, diced

½ red onion, slivered

1 avocado, diced

3 Tsp cilantro, diced

½ chili pepper, diced

Tortilla chips

Directions

Mix fish, lime juice and salt. Seal in a container and marinate in fridge for at least 4 hours (this cures the raw fish).

In a bowl, mix tomato, mango, onion, avocado, cilantro and chili.

Add cured fish. Garnish with cilantro and sliced onion.

Serve with tortilla chips and lots of cold cerveza.

Enjoy!

TV Series

The Sopranos

Created by David Chase

It’s been 25 years since the launch of The Sopranos? Fuggedaboudit!

For a quarter of a century, Tony, Carmela, Christopher, Silvio and the rest of the crew have been robbing, racketeering, whacking and screwing each other with criminal abandon.

This isn’t one of the best TV series every made, it’s the best TV series ever made. The show was so faithful to the mob life that James Gandolfini, who played the patriarch of the family, noted that he was frequently complimented by real ‘wise guys’ on its authenticity.

But most of all, it was tremendously entertaining. The mix of violence, irony and slapstick keeps you constantly riveted, even when you’ve seen each episode time and time again.

Creator David Chase and HBO, of course, had no idea how much the series would change modern American culture. The set, which is available on DVD and download, contains never-before-seen clips, as well as a documentary in which the cast and crew reflect on the show.

You don’t have to be a die-hard fan to enjoy it, but if you are, then no matter how hard you try to get out, they’ll pull you back in!

2024 04 09

April 2024 Newsletter

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Life in Paris

Sigh. It’s snowing like hell in Calgary so I thought I’d dig through the vault and find a bit of happiness in Paris. This is the El Vecino Mexican Restaurant located near Place de la République. We didn’t eat there, but the sign out front caught my eye and I couldn’t resist a selfie. Fu*K your Diet is the name of their signature German ginger beer.

Life in Mexico

Years ago, the area around Club Santiago was a castor oil plantation. The beans from the plant were used to make plastics, varnishes and paints. When cheaper alternatives were found, the plantations were abandoned. But the plant itself is quite hardy, and descendants can be found growing in ditches along roads throughout the area.

Unfortunately, the beans contain ricin, one of the deadliest poisons known to mankind. Even a speck as small as a grain of sand can kill you. Casual contact with the skin can also lead to burning and blistering.

The reason I’m calling it to your attention is because the plant grows around the Club Santiago golf course; you can see them in profusion along the third and fourth fairways where they border the highway.

If the beans are inadvertently ground up and dispersed by the ground crews mowing the fairways, you can accidentally come in contact with traces of ricin.

Soviet agents have used ricin to poison their foes, so you should avoid them too. (That’s Xenia Onatopp, the deadly spy from Goldeneye, in case you’re wondering.)

Should you break out in a rash or blisters, treat it with over-the-counter cortisone cream or Calamine lotion.

TV Review

The Gentlemen

Streaming on Netflix

I’m not the biggest fan of film producer Guy Ritchie. He loves to do British crime gang movies with lots of Cockney low life and grisly shot-gun duels. So it was with trepidation that I approached The Gentlemen.

On the surface, it’s much like his usual fare. A career officer by the name of Eddie inherits a dukedom from his father Lord Halstead when the latter prefers him over his dissipated eldest son Freddy. Freddy is flamboyantly aghast at this turn of events, mainly because he owes 4 million to a nasty bit of business to whom Theo must cough up lest his brother suffer defenestration

That’s not the worst of Eddie’s problems. It turns out that a gang run by a carbuncle named Bobby Glass has established a grow-op on the estate and isn’t about to up sticks. His daughter, the delicious Susie Glass, must play intermediary as various shenanigans, including heists and murder, complicate matters.

What makes the TV series so much fun is the fast-pace, plot twists and general eccentricity that seems to permeate every character. It’s a lot of fun to watch, and I highly recommend The Gentlemen!

All my novels are available to Kindle Unlimited subscribers!

You can also buy eBooks and paperbacks on Amazon!

Movie Review

The Holdovers

Streaming on Amazon Prime

It’s a quirky premise; a cranky professor at a prestigious prep academy is forced to stay on duty over the Christmas holidays along with a stranded student and a grieving school cook.

So, why did this period piece set in 1971 receive 5 Academy award nominations, including Best Picture of the Year?

Paul Giamatti is reason number one. The award-winning actor brings his rumpled everyman persona to the role of Paul Hunhan, a life-long bachelor who has dedicated his career to nurturing the pampered spawn of America’s elites. His efforts at Barton Academy in the face of supreme apathy has completely depleted his passion for teaching, leaving a bitter husk of a man.

Angus, the student (played by Dominic Sessa), has been abandoned at the last minute after his mother and his new step-dad elope to St. Kitts.  He vows to make the holiday as miserable as only an angst-filled teenage boy can do.

Mary, the head cook (brilliantly portrayed by Da’Vine Joy Randolph), has lost her drafted son in the Vietnam War. Her grief and anger toward the deferred boys who attend Barton is palpable.

Together, the three form an unlikely alliance in an effort to survive their odious fortune. Slowly, they forge bridges between their emotional isolation. Each character grows in self-esteem and maturity, achieving the gift of Christmas that no mere present beneath the tree could achieve.

Although the only winning Oscar went to Da’Vine Joy Randolph for Supporting Actress, all of the nominees, including Giamatti as Leading Actor and David Meningson for Best Original Screenplay, are highly deserving.  This is a gem of a movie; I highly recommend The Holdovers!

Recipe: Roast Pork Belly

Cooking dinner literally doesn’t get any easier than this. You can pick up fresh pork belly at any Chinese butcher (a big shout-out to T&T market in Calgary!) and make this tender, succulent dish in under an hour.

Ingredients

1 kg of pork belly

Instructions

Score the top fat layer in a diamond shape pattern. Place in a shallow tin pan (I line the pan with parchment paper to make the clean-up easier).

Roast for 40 minutes at 400F.

Slice and serve with baked sweet potato and corn. Enjoy!

Book Review

Table for Two

By Amor Towles

Creating a short story is undoubtedly one of the most difficult tasks a writer can face. You have to create the main characters, setting, story and outcome to the satisfaction of the reader, all in a fraction of the space that a novel allows you. In addition, you have to include a twist in the plot, one that is both totally unexpected and, at the same time, totally believable.

I’m not an avid short story reader for that reason. I find that contemporary writers fall short of the mark when compared to O. Henry.

The exception is Amor Towles. We’ve always enjoyed his novels (A Gentleman in Moscow), so I didn’t hesitate when his latest fictional effort, Table for Two, was published. It’s a set of six short stories set in New York, and a novella set in Hollywood. The short stories are crafted like a fine Swiss watch, every word and phrase so exact that each tale captures the frailties and aspirations of the characters with exquisite precision, and each ending comes as both a surprise and a wish for the story to continue.

As an aside, people often ask me where I get my ideas. As any writer will tell you, it’s a combination of observation and inspiration. I’ll give you an example of the former. I was driving down McLeod Trail adjacent to the Stampede Grounds one evening when I glanced over and spotted a woman sitting at a bus shelter clutching a giant stuffed panda and crying her eyes out. Now you know there’s gotta be a story there.

Well I didn’t write about my observation, but Towles did. I will Survive involves a happenstance encounter that the author must have made while walking in Central Park that was so unique that it inspired him to cut a fascinating tale out of imaginary cloth. I won’t tell you and spoil it, but you’ll recognize immediately what I’m talking about when you read it. I highly recommend Table for Two!

2022-07-04-small

September 2022 Newsletter

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European Dreams

Linda and I had a wonderful journey this summer through southern France, Italy, Paris and London. There are so many wonderful memories and experiences that it would take a book to encapsulate them all!

We were amazed by the wonderful hospitality we encountered. People were happy to greet us and eager to speak English (even in Paris!). We always felt safe and welcome wherever we went; if we were in a bind, strangers on the street were eager to help.

Here are a few highlights!

Best Restaurant

Tough one to decide! The veal Milanese (pictured) in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele was to die for, but I have to go with Café les Arcades, our local in Juan Les Pins. A classic bistro, it served a daily lunch prix fixe that was inexpensive and delicious; sea bass, veal, steak in pepper sauce – all served with the best French fries! Frederique the manager was cheerful and eccentric and always made us feel like guests of honor, treating us to a cold glass of Kir whenever we arrived.

Best Museum

We went to see Pitti Palace in Florence, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and a host of other museums, but the one experience that stands out is our visit to the Leonardo3 Museum located in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. This is a pop-up museum, a private display that re-creates Leonardo’s inventions, including a full-scale version of his man-powered airplane, but the treat was an interactive show explaining his iconic Last Supper (The original, of course, is just down the street, but you have to pay a king’s ransom to see it). Not only did the exhibit detail how he painted the fresco, but it also described each element of the composition, from Christ and his disciples to the humble plates of food on the table. I was enthralled!

Most Romantic Spot

The Ponte Santa Trinita. This is the bridge directly downstream of the famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence. Every evening, we would gather with other Florentines to watch the sun set over the Arno. A wonderful way to end the day!

Best Place to Chill

We had the opportunity to stay in many wonderful places all over Europe (including the Marais in Paris), but our favorite, be far, was Juan Les Pins in Antibes. Our rental in the beachside district was a gem, a newly-renovated one-bedroom apartment one block away from the beach. The neighborhood also boasted a butcher, a baker and a wine shop where we got to know the proprietors; they made us feel part of their community. We look forward to returning next year to visit with our dear friends Rosa and Reinier!

Life in Mexico

We arrived back as twin tropical storms battered the Manzanillo region. The moment they receded, however, we were hit by a major earthquake!

Over the course of a decade, we have experienced numerous minor shakers. This is expected, as Manzanillo is located about 80 km from a major subduction zone, a common source of seismic activity around the world.

But the quake on Monday, September 19, measured 7.4 on the Richter scale, making it several hundred times as powerful as previous events. We had just finished lunch, and were standing in the dining room cleaning up the dishes. It started slowly at first, then quickly escalated into furious shaking.

Our home is made of concrete and steel rebar, but the shaking was so violent that we immediately feared that the house might collapse. We raced outside and stood on the pool patio deck, which gyrated like a surfboard for the better part of a minute.

Fortunately, we and our neighbors were unhurt (although several people did lose their lives in the city due to falling debris). To say that were frightened, however, is an understatement; experiencing a major earthquake is a terrifying experience. We hope that we never have to go through it again!

My Latest Novel!

The much-awaited sequel to Magnus the Magnificent is about to appear! Joan the Saint officially arrives November 1; we’re just putting the finishing touches on the paperback and eBook versions, soon to be available on Amazon for pre-purchase. We’ll also be doing special promotions and book signings in the Manzanillo area, so stayed tuned for more news!

If you haven’t read Magnus the Magnificent, it’s a great book!

You can order eBook copies from Amazon HERE, or buy a paperback at the next Mujeres luncheon.

Movie Review

Bullet Train

Folks who criticize Brad Pitt’s latest movie as a brainless blood bath miss the point. This is a summer blockbuster action thriller; it makes no pretense of any connection to reality, other than the sun comes up in the morning. Trains hurtle through the air, assassins get split in two with Samurai swords and Thomas the Train achieves philosophical nirvana.

The premise is simple; down-on-his luck Ladybug (played by Brad Pitt), is hired to steal a briefcase full of cash aboard the Tokyo-Osaka bullet train.  What Ladybug doesn’t know is that someone has hired a gaggle of assassins with orders to kill one another.

Ladybug stumbles through the ensuing Kung-Fu mayhem with the help of Maria, a disembodied guru supplying advice and emotional support via cell phone. Even though the director tones down Brad’s good looks with a bucket hat and a goofy haircut, his wry charm still comes shining through as he seeks out the true meaning of life with homicidal maniacs trying to splay his guts. It’s kind of what you might expect if you mixed Sophocles with Quentin Tarantino. Not everyone’s cut of tea, but I highly recommend Bullet Train!

Book Review

The Bullet that Missed

By Richard Osman

Richard Osman clearly enjoys writing. The British-based author positively sparkles with wit in The Bullet that Missed, the third in the Thursday Murder Club series.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the series, it takes place in a bucolic old-folks home in Kent. Elizabeth, a former MI6 operative, and her pals Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron meet each Thursday to investigate cold-case murder files. They invariably end up neck deep in desperados and ne’er do wells intent on causing them bodily harm.

The latest installment focuses on an investigative reporter who dies while researching a massive tax fraud. Her car is found at the base of a cliff overlooking the English Channel, but her body is never recovered. The club soon finds themselves dealing with ruthless thugs, nefarious KGB agents, a murderous drug lord intent on revenge – and a nice cup of tea when it all gets too exhausting. I highly recommend The Bullet that Missed!

2022 08 12 small

August 2022 Newsletter

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Life in France

Every bistro in France has a dog named Hoover. The moment I walk in, they rush right over, eagerly awaiting the next errant meatball.

It’s stinking hot in Paris, which means it’s movie time! We go half an hour before the actual movie starts to watch the commercials. My favorite is the one where a man is walking home and steps in dog poop. He walks up to his apartment floor and angrily wipes his shoe on a doormat. He then turns around and enters his own apartment.

BHV, located across the street from Paris City Hall, is the best department store in the world. Where else can you buy a plastic pond to grow frogs and Coco Chanel?

A Paris Moment available on Amazon!

 “A book that bubbles like a fine champagne and satisfies like a perfect crème brûlée.”

John Gilchrist, CBC Radio

In North America, the day is spliced into predictable, pre-packaged doses, with everyone isolated in their car, their mall, or their suburban box. In Paris, when you walk out the door, you don’t know what you’re going to encounter – cherry blossoms, riot patrols, or Chinese lanterns hanging on the lampposts. The day springs to life as a full-blown performance, and if you are not part of the audience, you are part of the cast.

Even if you’ve never been to the City of Light, you’ll enjoy reading about the wonderful year we spent in the Marais. Order A Paris Moment today!

They have the weirdest poster ads here in Paris. I think this one is for golf balls.

Book Review

Vermeer’s Hat

By Timothy Brook

This is a charming book about the 17th century, written by Canadian historian Tim Brook. It tells the story of how the Dutch, English, French and Spanish opened up the world to trade in the 1600s.

While the topic might sound a trifle dry, the author employs an innovative technique that both informs and entertains the reader. Using Officer and Laughing Girl, a painting by artist Johannes Vermeer, he uses details within the composition to illustrate how trading conglomerates like the Dutch East India Company moved silver from Peru, porcelain from China and beaver pelts from Upper Canada in the pursuit of commerce.

The latter commodity is the inspiration for the book’s title. Beaver fur proved far superior to lamb’s wool when it came to making felt. Not only was it water proof, but it held its shape.

Soldiers were soon demanding headgear with huge floppy brims, and adventurers like Samuel Champlain set up extensive trade routes with First Nation tribes throughout what is now Quebec, Ontario and New York State (where the Dutch, famously, purchased the island of Manhattan for beads).

The author goes on to detail how even something as mundane as tobacco moved goods from North America to Europe and as far away as Asia. The Chinese, we learn, were mad for pipe tobacco and would trade its weight in ceramics. When scavengers discovered the wreck of the San José in the Caribbean Sea, in addition to gold bullion, the site was littered with fine Ming dynasty porcelain, a cherished possession in Europe.

Well illustrated with maps and color plates, Brook’s historical treatise is a delightful and informative read. I highly recommend Vermeer’s Hat!

Picasso Museum

The Picasso Museum, located in a 17th century mansion in the Marais, has always been one of our favorite destinations in Paris. The multitude of paintings, sculptures and drawings of the Spanish artist are the legacy of a tax deal between his heirs and the French government that preserved his immense personal collection for public viewing.

This summer, the museum mounted an exhibition dedicated to Maya Ruiz Picasso, the love child born in 1935 between Pablo and his teenage muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter. Because Pablo was already married, her existence was kept secret for many years, but her presence was evident in the many portraits and works in which she appears. Pablo doted on Maya his entire life, and she in turn influenced much of his work until his death in 1973.

In addition, the museum has mounted a virtual tour of Picasso’s home and studio in Cannes, where he lived and worked in the 1960s. It’s an intimate stroll through his life and family that places his late work in perspective.

Picasso’s Mother-in-Law. Must have been happy with this one!

Throughout his life, Picasso was a lightning rod for criticism from the art world establishment, and it is easy to lose sight of the immense impact his opus had on world culture. I have immense respect and admiration for his creations, (although I am relieved he never painted my portrait). I highly recommend the Picasso Museum!

2022 06 01

June 2022 Newsletter

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Life in France

We’ve just arrived back in France for the summer, and are pleased to see that teenagers have discovered a new form of immolation!

Twenty years ago, when we first moved to Paris, in-line roller blades were all the rage. Every Friday evening, about 10,000 maniacs would parade en masse through the streets, terrorizing pedestrians and fracturing appendages.

No longer. The latest craze is le trottinette, an electric scooter that can effortlessly whizz about at 25 kph. Not only do they traverse the narrow streets with ease, but also sidewalks and escalators, should the whim seize.

Naturally, French authorities have decreed children pass a mandatory competency test where they must simultaneously smoke a cigarette and dial a cellphone while in flight.

Friends ask us how we spend our days in France; do we go to museums and castles?

Hell no, we shop. Every corner has a butcher, a baker and a cheese store, each crammed with some of the most delectable chocolate cake, creamy Brie and mouth-watering steak.

Each morning we set out with our two-wheeled shopping cart (which they rather grandly call un chariot), and diligently inspect every baguette, courgette and tartlet we can find.

The fitness app on my cell phone says I walk an average of 10,000 steps each day, which would help me from swelling to the size of a hippo were it not for the several gallons of rosé, Chablis and Beaujolais  I consume daily.

Want to read more about life in France? Check out A Paris Moment, available on Amazon.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

Recipe: Croque Monsieur

Doesn’t that look just scrumptious? The name of this recipe literally translates as Mister Crunch, and it is one of France’s favorite lunchtime meals!

Ingredients (makes 4)

5 tsp of butter

8 tsp of butter

¼ cup flower

4 cups whole milk

2 egg yolks

2 tsp salt

½ tsp ground nutmeg

8 slices of ham

8 slices Gruyere cheese

8 slices Bimbo white bread

Directions;

To make the Béchamel sauce;

In a medium saucepan warm 5 tsp of butter over medium heat until melted. Gradually add flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes.

In a separate saucepot, heat 4 cups of milk to simmer. Add to the butter mixture, ½ cup at a time, constantly whisking. Cook 12 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn heat off. Slowly stir in 1 egg yolk at a time. Season with salt and nutmeg.  

Heat oven to 300°F.

Assemble the sandwich:

Generously spread four slices of bread with béchamel sauce. Top each with ham and cheese and cover with remaining bread.

Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and brush both sides of sandwiches. Fry sandwiches in a hot cast iron pan or on a griddle until golden brown.

Top sandwiches with more béchamel sauce and transfer to the oven to continue cooking until cheese bubbles, about 5-10 minutes.

My latest novel now available on Amazon!

Five star review on Amazon:

“A great historical novel!”

The year is 1944. Paris has been under German occupation for four years. The French Resistance knows that an Allied invasion is imminent.

Veronique Grenelle is growing up in an impoverished inner-city neighborhood, scrambling to feed herself and her family.

The Resistance recruits the vivacious young woman to befriend Lieutenant Gunther von Clause, an aide-de-camp to the German Army’s Military Governor. She gradually gains his trust and affection.

James Gallagher, a lieutenant in the US Army’s Military Intelligence unit, frequently parachutes behind enemy lines to deliver funds and instructions to the Resistance. He meets and befriends Veronique, who falls madly in love with the dashing American officer.

D-Day approaches, and Veronique finds herself in a bind; should she pursue her heart or her duty? In the end, her decision will not only determine the fate of Paris, it will reverberate down through her family for generations to come.

TV Series

The Lincoln Lawyer (Season 1)

By Michael Connelly

Streaming on Netflix

Crime author Michael Connelly is internationally renowned for his main character Harry (Hieronymus) Bosch, an LAPD murder detective. But he also has a series dedicated to Mickey Haller, a top-drawer criminal lawyer.

Based on The Brass Verdict, Haller (played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), inherits a front-page murder trial when its original defense attorney is brutally assassinated. The accused is tech billionaire Trevor Elliot, who is charged with murdering his wife and lover in flagrante delicto.

It doesn’t look good for Elliot; he has no alibi, and his hands were covered with gunpowder residue when arrested. Haller, along with his dogged investigator Cisco Wojciechowski, must dig hard to come up with a viable defense.

Filled with lots of side plots and twists and turns to flesh out ten episodes, The Lincoln Lawyer is tremendously entertaining. Word has it that the series has been picked up for a second season; I look forward to it with great anticipation!