Trying to remember..

Trying to remember what I know once was—

Life was not heavy, things weren’t wrong.

It didn’t even strike me that I needed to be strong

Trying to remember when such things as this were not

The centre of thought.

Trying to remember when love was stronger than fears

Laughter louder than tears

Anticipation outweighed regrets

And I could forget

The dark things that happened.

Trying to remember when I knew that I could,

Had no doubt that I would.

And that if I didn’t, I’d not be crying

Because, by gum, I’d had fun trying.

But I can’t find those memories

I can’t, I don’t, I won’t, not sure...

I wonder if those days just never were.

Snow-Melting Contest Update

As this is supposedly the first day of spring (in St. Paul, Alberta, Canada we're experiencing a full-fledged blizzard at this very moment), entries to my Snow-melting Contest are now closed.

Thanks to all who entered, commented, shared, retweeted, etc.

Here are the entries in date order:
Lizzie Lamb:        21 April 2013
Jenee Thompson: 26 April 2013
Todd Bar:             29 April 2013
Jessie B Tyson:      1 May 2013
Jonathan Holeton:12 June 2013

The one who has the closest guess to the date the snow pile in my front yard completely melts, without going past, will win a choice of my books in eBook or print format (also the guesser's choice).

Jonathan lives in my area; I wonder if he knows something the rest of us don't. June 12th? Oh, I sooo hope that snow's gone long before that!

The snow pile

 Due to the current miserable weather conditions, I did not go outside to take an updated photo of the snow-pile in question, but did snap some shots through my dining room window this morning. Rest assured, the snow pile in question is still there and, in fact, is growing. It is the snow piled between the two spruce trees that's the subject of our guessing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW CONTEST!

One contest ends and another opens! I'm sponsoring the Famous Five Plus "Hug-a-Book" contest this weekend. Up for grabs is a copy of THE TRAZ. 

Famous Five Plus is an international group of indie authors, of which I am a member. 

On Saturday, 23 March 2013, visit the Famous Five Plus website for information on how to enter. As well, I will be posting more about this on my social networks as the weekend nears.

Happy Spring to those in the Northern Hemisphere and a wonderful autumn to those in the South.


Eileen Schuh, Author
FATAL ERROR
Schrödinger's Cat
THE TRAZ

SUBMERGED and drowning...

 The fear of being

SUBMERGED

and drowning

Today's special guest is international bestselling author Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of the must-read thriller of 2013, SUBMERGED. Today Cheryl is going to share some information on her writing career.

When did you become a published author?

I’ve been a published writer since I was 14. I was a journalist for a small BC newspaper back then, but my passion was always writing fiction―in particular, suspense and horror.

Tell us a bit about your life before your first novel was released.

When I graduated high school, I went into cosmetology, since it was easier to accomplish than becoming a published author. I went on to become one of BC’s youngest salon owners. I married a military man and we moved around Canada, and I decided to give up my career as it was too difficult to maintain when we were moving every 3 years or so. That’s when I went back to writing fiction on the side. And since that doesn’t pay until you get published, I threw myself into a number of careers—telemarketing, sales, promotion, advertising and motivational speaking―each of them benefiting me later on in my current career as a published novelist.

What are some of the unique successes you've achieved in your writing career?

In 2004, I was nominated for the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award. In 2006, I was a contestant in ‘A Total Write-Off!’, a reality TV game show for writers. I’ve been a guest on numerous TV and radio shows, and I’ve been featured in newspapers and magazines across Canada and the US. I also present at writers’ conferences on the topics of publishing options and all aspects of book marketing (physical book signings, virtual book tours, internet and more).

In your new release, SUBMERGED, you explore the terrifying theme of being trapped in a submerged vehicle. Do you personally have this fear? How difficult was it writing those scenes?

I have traveled a lot by car, even coast to coast across Canada, more than once. I've also lived near water, whether the ocean or a river or lake. Ever since I was young, I would grow tense if our vehicle drifted to close to an embankment that separated us from a body of water. Drowning has been a deep fear of mine and I have often wondered how I'd get out if I found myself in that situation.

Writing Rebecca's scenes in SUBMERGED was very intense. I often found I had to remind myself to breathe. Even now, writing this and thinking about this poor mother trapped in a car with her kids in the back seat, and water slowly rising around them, makes me hold my breath.

Please share with us the description of SUBMERGED.

From Cheryl Kaye Tardif, the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG, comes a terrifying new thriller that will leave you breathless…

SUBMERGED

"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl."

—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds

Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate…

After a tragic car accident claims the lives of his wife, Jane, and son, Ryan, Marcus Taylor is immersed in grief. But his family isn't the only thing he has lost. An addiction to painkillers has taken away his career as a paramedic. Working as a 911 operator is now the closest he gets to redemption—until he gets a call from a woman trapped in a car.

Rebecca Kingston yearns for a quiet weekend getaway, so she can think about her impending divorce from her abusive husband. When a mysterious truck runs her off the road, she is pinned behind the steering wheel, unable to help her two children in the back seat. Her only lifeline is a cell phone with a quickly depleting battery and a stranger's calm voice on the other end telling her everything will be all right.

*SUBMERGED has a unique tie-in to Tardif`s international bestseller, CHILDREN OF THE FOG.

Get SUBMERGED today.

Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter.

Enter Cheryl’s March Giveaway – 59 Prizes! http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com

*************

Thank you, Cheryl, for visiting us today. I know your fans around the world are excited about your new release, I know I am!

In celebration of the arrival of spring in The Great White North,  I invite everybody's fans to check out my latest contest. 

 

You have until winter ends to enter my "Snow Melting Contest". This is your chance to win one of my books in eBook or print format. Just guess the date when this pile of snow in my front yard completely melts.

To help you out, here is the link to my blog about snow-melting trivia.

Leave your guess as a comment under this blog or below the photos & complete contest rules on my facebook author page

Entries end 11:05 pm March 20, 2013

To avoid confusion, please use a word or abbreviation for the month in your guess, not a numeral (i.e. 'April" not '04' or '4')


Eileen Schuh, Author
FATAL ERROR
Schrödinger's Cat
THE TRAZ

Snow melting trivia...

Visit my facebook page for information on how to enter my Melting Snow Contest and have a chance to win one of my books. It’s easy, just find the photo of the snow pile in my front yard, guess the date  that you think it will completely melt, and post that date in the comments below the picture. 

You can also enter by posting your guess as a comment below this blog post.

The snow pile 

The guess that is closest to the actual date without going past it will win a choice of any of my books in eBook or print format.

Visit my page for full details and rules.

 

To help you out with your guess, here are some fun snow facts:

How fast does snow melt? Well, it depends:

1. How much snow is there to melt? Deep snow will melt considerably slower than a ‘skiff’ of snow.
2. How compact is the snow? All other factors equal, loose snow will melt faster than snow compacted by the wind, machinery, people’s footsteps, etc.
3. Where is the snow? Well, if it’s in a glacier, or in Antarctica or the high Arctic, it might never melt. Otherwise, it is well known that snow in the shade will melt slower than that in the sun. Snow drifts on the north side of a hill can hang around for weeks after the rest of the ground is bare. Likewise, snow in the forest, shaded from the sun by trees, will melt slower than the snow in a meadow.
4. How warm  is the air? Snow melts at the same temperature as ice and the warmer the air and the longer the warm air hangs around, the faster snow will melt.  In Northern Alberta, even if the days are warm the snow might stick around for a long time if nighttime temperatures consistently dip below freezing.
5. Is it sunny out? The direct rays of the sun will speed up the melt.
6. Rain—a good warm spring rain (or even a cool rain) can wipe out snow faster than any other factor listed here except perhaps for...
7. Wind. A good Chinook* can abolish several feet of snow in a matter of hours. A cold, brisk wind, on the other hand, can cause drifting and compaction and prolong the melt.  As moving air can hold more moisture than stagnant air, a wind—no matter its temperature—will help with the melt by promoting evaporation.
8. How white is the snow? Of course snow is white, but it gets contaminated over the winter with dirt and other debris. Because white reflects light and heat, and dark colors absorb it, the more dark contaminates in a snow pile, the faster it will melt.
9. Are humans around? Eager to see green grass, people often spread a snow pile to hasten its melt. This also might be done to direct melt away from places one would prefer stayed dry.

What makes me an expert on melting snow? My 50-plus years of living in Northern Alberta.

* Chinooks, warm, strong westerly winds that blow into the prairies from across the mountains, are common winter-time occurrences on the eastern slopes of the Rockies from Boulder, Colorado on up north to Calgary, Alberta. 

In my novel, THE TRAZ, a Chinook almost results in the rescue of young Katrina.

A warm December Chinook melts all the snow, allowing The Traz bikers an opportunity to climb aboard their Harleys and go for a Christmas Day spin—a spin which almost nets the lot of them jail time and almost saves Katrina from the gang’s clutches. Almost....

 

 THE TRAZ on Amazon


Also available in paperback from all fine online bookstores.







 “I recommend this dark and compelling story”

"...each little conflict leads to the climax...It reminds me of how little white lies can turn into a crisis"

"Exciting, powerful, and tragic...young adult book for all ages" 

"... they draw her into the dark world of drugs, murder and lawlessness..."

Eileen Schuh, Author
FATAL ERROR
Schrödinger's Cat
THE TRAZ