More Praise for 'Love and Death', and Horse Crunches! NB: BOOK LAUNCH ON SUNDAY!

Prized Spirit loves treats! Martin is feeding her carrots and there's a short clip of her crunching on mints - see below.

I follow the reminder below about the upcoming launch of Love and Death with more praise for the book by a respected author and criminal lawyer, and then you'll find a story called 'Away from the Fire'. This is another 'word challenge' I wrote for the Uxbridge Writers' Circle. The words I had to use are in italics. Happy reading!

The launch of Love and Death is fast approaching! Blue Heron, Uxbridge, Ontario is hosting the event on Sunday, November 17 between 1 and 3 pm.

Don't forget that we'll be showing a couple of horse races starting at about 1.15 pm and I will be interviewed by Lucy Black shortly after that.

There will be lots of giveaways for those who purchase books and while supplies last: canna lilies, mugs, pens, fridge magnets, and bookmarks.

And there will be nibbles!

I hope to see you there!

More Praise for Love and Death:

"Earle's Love and Death is a compelling mystery and a fun read. If you love horses and the smell of the country, Earle's novels will transport you there. And her Meg is the kind of relentless sleuth you will cheer for." Robert Rotenberg, best-selling author and criminal lawyer.

Away from the Fire

The bonfire crackled and spat glowing sparks towards the red faces encircling the makeshift firepit.

“Someone will call the fire department,” John said. He slurped the last drops of coffee he’d been given and tossed the paper cup into the fire. The men seemed to be mesmerized by the flurry of flames that quickly devoured it.

“We’ll hear the sirens,” Mick said. “Plenty of time to move on.”

“Where to?” asked Hal. He stared at his filthy Asics running shoes.

“I don’t know,” John said. “Those benches by the pond, I guess.”

“I thought they’d found you somewhere to live—a room or something,” Mick said.

“It didn’t work out.”

“Sorry to hear that, mate,” Mick said. He spread out his chapped hands and held them in front of him to catch some warmth. “What are you going to do?”

“All I know,” Hal said, “is that being homeless is scary. I’d never experienced hunger before. Not real hunger. And cold.”

“And don’t forget the damp,” Mick said. “That gets to my bones. And feeling grimy—that really bothers me. I had a routine every time I woke up that included a warm shower and hot coffee whatever country I was in.”

“Will we get our jobs back?” asked Hal.

“Don’t know,” said John. “I’m desperately hoping this new pandemic changes direction stat.”

“The vaccines aren’t even out yet.” Mick’s body slumped and he rubbed his knees.

“I’d do just about anything to get into a bloody airplane again and get the hell out of here,” Hal said.

“You always moaned about your job,” Mick said, “and you celebrated when we went on strike.”

“That was then,” Hal said. “As Joni Mitchell said, ‘you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone’.”

“I should never have bought that house on Elgin Park Drive,” John said. “I could only just manage the mortgage when I had my job. The wife’s left and the bank’s got the house.”

“Yeah,” Mick said. “We know.”

“Is that gunfire?” asked John.

“No,” Hal said, “it’s some idiot letting off fireworks far too close to houses. So, the fire department will be arriving soon—not because someone’s complained about this bit of warmth we’ve got here, but because that idiot’s set fire to his garage roof.”

“Hey, you!” A bellowing voice startled the three men, and they grabbed their meagre belongings preparing to make a hasty retreat. “No! Don’t go. I’ve come to ask for your help.”

“What do you think?” John asked as he turned to face his companions. “Friend or foe?”

“There are three of us,” Hal said, “so we could hear what he has to say.”

“I guess,” John whispered as the man emerged from the dark and the firelight caught his face. “But his eyes are as big as green gumballs and shiny too. He’s creepy.”

“Thanks for hanging around,” the man said. He bent over with his hands on his thighs as he caught his breath. The three men were like statues as they stared at the unwelcome intruder.

“I heard you guys are Air Canada pilots, right?”

“Were,” said John.

“But you’ve got your pilot licences, right?”

“I guess,” said Mick. “Why are you asking?”

“I’m with the Ministry of Natural Resources and we’re desperate for pilots. We have fires raging all over Northern Ontario and our list of eligible flight operators is too short. You know, sickness and other stuff.”

“The Ministry must be able to find pilots,” John said. “You can see we’re not in great shape.”

“Nothing a shower and a hot meal couldn’t fix, right?”

“I’m in,” Hal said. “I can’t exist like this anymore. I’ve lost all my dignity and self-respect.”

“Tell me about it,” Mick said. “Can you show us some ID? There are so many scams these days.”

“Good point, Mick,” John said. “This could be a cruel joke.” He let his backpack drop to the ground. “We’ve been laid off by Air Canada, but this pandemic can’t last forever. The planes will be back up in the air and what if that happens when we’re in some godforsaken place up north being eaten alive by black flies and getting pocket money?”

“I’m in,” Hal said. “I need to do something useful and fighting fires to protect people, their homes and our resources is something I reckon would work for me. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be back.”

Mick and John didn’t commit, however. They pocketed the man’s business card but neither would follow up.

A year later, Mick and John were called back to work on a part-time basis as the planes began to take off again. But John’s depression clung to him like a vise. Mick finally managed to persuade him to connect with a local agency and he made slow progress. But after a short stay in Markham-Stouffville Hospital, he began to make preparations to return to work.

Meanwhile, Mick whistled a joyful tune as he stepped back into the cockpit. He promised himself that he would take time to appreciate the small things in life—like coffee and showers.

During that past year, Hal had been regularly soaring above smoke and flames, dumping enormous buckets of water he’d scooped up from nearby lakes. Sometimes, he’d circle back to see what impact the drop had made and it usually brought a smile to his face. While this wasn’t a permanent job, he’d got to know the local airline and had a job offer.

So, all three eventually moved away from the bonfire, but Hal didn’t return from Northern Ontario. He never regretted the day he said ‘yes’ to the strange guy with green gumball eyes. He fell in love with life and flying in the north and settled there. He lived simply and owed nothing to anybody. He was proud of his airline business that served Northern Ontario. He had a nice contract with the Ministry of Natural Resources and was glad to be helping to put out fires rather than sitting in front of one to get warm while trying to ignore pangs of hunger.   

Vicky Earle Copyright 2024

Prized Spirit Crunching on Mints!

Prized Spirit (Mimi) loves treats. And we love to feed her them!

We hope that she will race before the end of the racing season.

She is doing well and looks happy.

Here's a short video - I hope you can hear the crunches! (they are loud when you're standing next to her!).

Thank you to those of you who can make it to the launch!

See you there!

Vicky