“That must be a heckuva book,” the elderly man said. He stood before me, hand in hand with his lady friend, as they walked the boardwalk on an afternoon constitutional. “It definitely is,” I answered, emerging from my reverie. “I bet it’s a love story,” he said with a smile.
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A Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Sunday Ramble
I never did post all the photos I wanted from my last Sunday Ramble and there’s been another ramble since! (Click on any photo to enlarge.) This old Hi-Fi cabinet reminded me of my childhood though I think it pre-dates it with about 4 settings for different radio stations imprinted
Continue readingThings Are Good: Car Free Days in Caracas are a Huge Success
In Venezuela’s largest city they’re looking to make roads usable for people again. The city of Caracas is encouraging people to come out and enjoy reclaimed public spaces on specific days in the city when cars aren’t allowed on a lot roads. Not only is this good for people it’s
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Really Seeing
Anyone who follows this blog knows how much I love photography: Holding a camera makes me pay closer attention to what’s around me. I look at the ordinary—for instance a picket fence in late fall, a shriveled vine clinging to it, a single flower still blooming—with new eyes. I notice
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: How Kids Shape Parents
An excerpt from my third “special to National Post“: Now I’m doing something quite different: watching an episode of Bewitched with my younger daughter. Though it was a TV show I adored as a kid, when I saw it again a few years ago, I winced over the sexism. Before
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Sharing a Delightful Photo
This isn’t one I took, but I just have to share it with you. This is in my neighbourhood. In fact I may just walk past it this afternoon to crow (quietly of course)! Look at the picture and then I’ll point something out to you (other than the obvious).
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: About Books and Writing Space
A taste of my second guest blog at the National Post: In retrospect I’m guessing that my school library was donated. Most of the books dated back to the Victorian era, the more recent books being early twentieth century. In grades two and three, I thought these were all the
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Most Unique Interview Ever
This week I’m guest blogging for the National Post. I decided that my first post should impart some of the wisdom I’ve gained with experience. For example, years ago before my first novel was published, I had a, let us say instructive, lesson in giving interviews to media: The technician,
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Sunday Ramble
I can tell that spring promotion is winding down because a) I’m walking again; b) I’m taking pictures again; and c) I’m in the mood to blog again. It’s true that, like any writer, my experiences, for eg my neighbourhood in Web of Angels, end up in my work. But
Continue readingPaulitical Satire: Urban Jungle – Where Toronto’s Wildthings Are – Movie Monday
So, it’s another Movie Monday today and I know I say this every time…but this is the best one yet! Our friend William Mathews from www.digitalfootprint.ca has outdone himself on this one!As the weather warms, and the city starts blooming, I got thinking about Toronto and it’s greenspace or lack
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Winnipeg Web of Angels
It’s taken me all week to recover from my week of travels, and I’m off again tomorrow. Winnipeg was a whirl of media, a live TV interview early morning, and four back to back in the afternoon (print, radio, TV, radio). But I managed to get a walk in right
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Passover Dance: the Story in Silhouette
Filed under: Fun Tagged: dancing shapes
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: On the Eve of Festivities
Today there was sun and A and I walked along the railway tracks. This is what I saw (click any photo to enlarge): a kestrel and there was this… and this… So thank you to the birds and the graffiti artists for speaking to the festivals of spring and renewal,
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: From Grimsby to Winnipeg: Web of Angels Travels
If only I had a cell phone with a camera I’d have taken a shot of the view of the lake and the city skyline across from it yesterday evening. I was reading at the Casablanca Winery Inn, Grimsby, aka Ontario’s wine country. The Grimsby Author Series attracts a dedicated
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Shout-Out to Young Women
Picture the Isobel Bolton Hockey League finals, Blue team against White. Blue had been the best team from the beginning of the season. But White came from behind, improving week by week until they were facing Blue in the final game. My older daughter M was on White; a classmate
Continue readingPaulitical Satire: Paulitical is PRO Democracy!
**Look to your left…now follow me on twitter! Look to your right…now sign up to have posts emailed to you directly!** So, we’re all new to this, you and me and all our friends hanging out at www.paulbien.com. Just talking about life, politics and The Hardy Boys. It’s been good
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Web of Angels: Bestseller
This morning, after oatmeal (with maple syrup, a Sabbath treat), I was at my desk drinking coffee. Emails had arrived from my agent, editor, and publicist. After I read them, I walked downstairs to share the news with my family, weeping and scaring them in the process. “It’s good,” I
Continue readingPaulitical Satire: Looks Like Someone Has a Case of the Mondays
So, I’ve been looking over the stats on my blog and have noticed that my end of days posts with fun videos and links are fairly popular. I like to think that this is because by the end of a monotonous work day, you are ready to revel in my unique sense
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: My 5 Favourite Books
I read Emily of New Moon when I was 10. I wasn’t the first Canadian girl to love Emily because I wanted to be a writer, and I’m not the first to blame Emily for becoming a writer. But I’m not sure if anyone else did this: when I decided
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Friday Ease
I’m in my usual writing outfit: old grey sweatpants, old green tanktop, and terry bathrobe. But I know that it isn’t a writing day. For one thing I’m too revved up for interviews to settle into the interiority that writing requires. And it’s a PA day. Normally I’d be taking
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