Puzzling!

I used to be a keen genealogist—addicted might be a good term to use! That all started a few years ago when I was teaching a small group seminar on writing your own life story. One of the participants happened to mention that the 1891 census of Great Britain was searchable on line on a website called Ancestry.com. Later that evening, it occurred to me that my grandparents were probably listed on that census, so I paid a small fee and began the search. I did in fact find my grandparents but I'd been hooked and couldn't stop there. In the course of my research over the following years, I discovered things about my ancestors that I never expected. I now have thousands of entries in my Legacy database and a permanent membership to Ancestry. The trick for the future is to ascertain which of my four children and nine grandchildren will take charge of all the information and continue where I left off!

So, what took its place? Well, I got into publishing my stories and that career took over all my "free" time! The first book (Conquest) led to 70+ publications! IOW, another addiction! You can find all my books on the Bookshelf page of this website.

Does that mean I don't have hobbies? On the contrary. I love doing jigsaws, usually 1000 pieces. The one in the picture below is a murder mystery and the clues aren't given on the box. So the puzzle gradually reveals the murderer's identity as you put it together. The box shows events before the murder and the puzzle the morning after when the victims are dead!

I recently bought an excellent board for doing puzzles. The side trays are great for sorting and the easel style is easier on the back muscles!

I also enjoy cryptic crosswords. The Globe and Mail newspaper has a good one on line—daily except for Sunday.

Perhaps my enjoyment of puzzles is the reason I write the way I do. My novels start out as a giant jigsaw puzzles with no picture on the box to guide me, except a backdrop of real life historical events. Gradually the pieces fit together as the characters guide me through their stories.