Blog - Page 2 of 3 - Nita Collins: writer, book coach, developmental editor

Book Review: The Overdue Life of Amy Byler, by Kelly Harms

Dear Vi, Summer reading season is upon us and I am all about the lighthearted, happy books right now. Why? Because lately I’m finding all the unkindness in the world is wearing me down. Angst and anger shouts at me every time I look at social media, and sometimes it’s hard to get it out…

On joining a book club and being surrounded by life experience

Dear Vi, Last October I was invited into a book club by my friend Jean. Call me a nerd, but I have always wanted to be in a book club! It was a little intimidating at first, to tell the truth. I mean, this is a super-educated, well-traveled, well-read, well-spoken circle of impressive critical thinkers…

Good Bye, Dawson City (until next year)

Dear Vi, Our Yukon summer sojourn is over. We drove away from Dawson City two days ago. Tomorrow will see the Yukon behind us for another winter. I took a lot of walks, saw two parades, read a lot of books, made my 60,000 word goal on the next novel, made some new friends, and…

The Streets of Dawson City

Dear Vi,You might have heard that the streets of Dawson City are paved with gold,but the truth is, they aren’t paved at all.Here’s evidence: boot brushes outside the door of every establishment.And miles of boardwalk.This summer has been a writing retreat for me. I left home with a sketchy idea for my next novel, and…

Dawson City, Yukon: old and new, side-by-side

Dear Vi, Dawson City sits at the place where the Klondike and Yukon Rivers merge. The Klondike River is on the left, the much larger Yukon River on the right In many ways, the town itself mirrors this merging. The rivers flow side-by-side for a ways, the line between the muddy Yukon and the (slightly)…

Dawson Blooms

Dear Vi, This morning, the radio reported that it was overcast in Dawson City when in reality the sky was blue, blue, blue with not a cloud in sight. Our weather reports come from Kelowna, BC, over a thousand miles south. And this morning we had the news feed coming in from Yellowknife, about 1,000…

Languishing Along the River in Dawson City, Yukon

Dear Vi, Last Friday Sam and walked a well-worn trail along the side of the Yukon River in Dawson City.The city was preparing for the annual Dawson City Music Festival. Facing the river, we could hear the echo of a band bouncing back at us from the opposite shore.. It sounded as though the very…

Cabin contentment

Dear Vi, I’ve turned my chair to look North, where a thunderstorm is slowly working its way down the lake. I sat knitting for an hour or so while Kelly napped in the cabin and listened to thunder rumbling in the distance, wind in the trees, the snick of my knitting needles, the pair of…

Bye, Sam! Leaving the dog at home

Dear Vi, Every time we leave the house, we have a conversation with Sam first. Sam sees us getting ready and starts his little happy dance. Sam: oh boy oh boy oh boy, we’re going somewhere! Us: Oh, Sam. Mommy and daddy are going to work and you have to stay here. (“Work” means going…

Head and Shoulders, Knees and…Elbows? Searching for ergonomic solutions in small writing spaces

Dear Vi, I hate to be a complainer, but I just have to tell you: Too much hand quilting, knitting, typing, and gripping heavy weights at the gym have given me tennis elbow in both arms and caused the arthritis in my hands to flare up. It’s my own fault. I let it go too…