UPDATE: A FATAL AFFAIR: THE MURDER OF HELEN GRIER 

Me and Amanda wearing our hunt camp gear.

Last month I told you about my latest project, A Fatal Affair: The Murder of Helen Grier, which I’ll be co-authoring with Amanda Capper, a lifelong resident of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and a fellow author and friend. The book will be published by Superior Shores Press on October 28, 2026, exactly 89 years after Helen’s death. We are grateful to have received Ontario Arts Council funding for this important project.

We are also extremely grateful to Bill, the current owner of the camp, where Helen met her death, for inviting us to spend the day and trek around this very remote property. His partner, Deanne, even prepared lunch, which included a bowl of the best homemade turkey soup I’ve ever tasted.

An opportunity to visit the scene of the crime 88 years later (almost to the day) is a rare gift indeed. Amanda and I are working on creating Facebook and Instagram profiles for this project. Stay tuned!

OUT & ABOUT

Moving hundreds of miles and leaving behind family and friends to start over in a new city can be difficult, especially as we get older. Fortunately, my golf leagues and the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library have made things a bit easier for me.

Mega thanks to the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library for inviting me to participate in their annual Author Palooza event, and to take part in a publishing panel, moderated by SSMPL’s Sarah, with Bryan Davies of Tagona Press.

The following Monday, I was honoured at their 2025 Volunteer Appreciation Reception, where I sat with a young woman from the Soo, and two volunteers from Sault College — one individual originally from Bogota, Columbia, and the other from Cancun, Mexico. I cannot begin to imagine how they’ve adapted to our Northern Ontario winters!

BUCKET LIST MOMENT

I’ve been a huge fan of Blue Rodeo since the first time I heard Jim Cuddy sing ‘Try,’ but until now, it’s just been ‘Bad Timing’ (another Blue Rodeo classic). My luck changed when this iconic Canadian band came to Sault Ste. Marie in October. The thing about bucket lists is that there’s always a chance the event/place/person won’t meet expectations. That certainly wasn’t the case this time. A great concert, and a terrific warmup act by Adam Baldwin.

PS Find out how Blue Rodeo songs are featured in some of my books (I told you I was a fan): Facts in Fiction: Blue Rodeo

2025 EVENTS (just one left)

Click on the map to enlarge

What: Bushplane Holiday Gift & Craft Show

Where: Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

My table: Vendor’s Market

When: Nov. 8 & 9, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Stop by and mention this post for a FREE pocket paperback!

ENZO UPDATE

There’s a fabulous greenhouse located in my nearby park. It’s open to the public all year and even better, it’s free. Gibbs used to love going there and so a few months ago I tried to take Enzo. It was quickly apparent that he wanted to eat the plants, so we left in a hurry. A couple of weeks ago we visited again, this time with greater success (we didn’t hang around long, no point pushing our luck). Enzo will be a year old on November 21st. Time flies and the training continues.

Until next month. Thank you for being part of my journey.