ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

My latest book "Death on The Canal Boat," is out there in e-format ready to download on your e-reader or your laptop (I think) 

On to other things. I'm writing the sequal to "Death On The Canal Boat." Bringing in one of the secondary characters. He is a well known stamp collector

He is on holiday in th village where Lady Mary lives. They are second cousins, once removed (whatever that means) He has a blonde woman friend whom he has left behind in the town where he has stored  his stamp collection in a bank vault. A simple tale until a dark haired woman arrives on the scene. I shall leave you there because the sun has set and the sky is darkening and I feel calm and free to sit down and have a glass of sherry.

What happens tomorrow?

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

Anita Birt - Story Teller

I know you are buying my book, "Death on the Canal Boat." It's a page turner and I say that bcause I wrote it and would not give you bad advie.

In the meantime, my thoughts seek someting new and interesting about which to write. I've decided that FEET are worth spending time with.

Do you think about your feet? If not, you should. I've been walking on my feet since I began walking when I was one year old! Think about that! I am now 93 years old so my feet are a very important part of me. Do I pay attention to them? Only when they hurt otherwise my feet do their thing - they keep on going. I get up in the morning, shower and get dressed. I put on my shoes and start my day.

FEET, unllike my heart, lungs, kidneys, bowels and bladder they go about their daily business of walking and keeping  me upright. I expect a lot from my feet and don't tell them how much they mean to me. Right now I am wiggling them in my shoes and they feel good  - and then I foret about them.

How often to you think about your feet and what they mean to you? Take a few seconds and think about them. Let your feet know how important they are to your general health. When your feet hurt they can spoil your day and make you cranky and out of sorts.So make this day, November 19 feet appreciation day.

FEET APPRECIATION DAY! If my feet could smile they would as I am smiling now.

Anita Birt

DEATH ON THE CANAL BOAT

My latest book, DEATH ON THE CANAL BOAT - is ready for you to purchase as an e-book. One day in the future I'd like to see it in print but you can enjoy it now as an e-book to down load on what ever device you use.

It's a break out novel for me,  it's a Mystery with twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. So make me happy and buy my book! It's a bargain and you will love it.

I'm at work on a sequal to DEATH ON THE CANAL BOAT.

Writing is an addiction! I don't know how to stop.  And my readers must keep on buying.

I wish you all a happy November. Rest before the madness of the Christmas season arrives. Time flies by and soon I'll celebrate my birthday in February 2017. Looks good so far

Anita

ANITA BIRT - A Spinner of Tales

DEATH ON THE CANAL BOAT  

This is my latest  book and am very pleased with it! It is different from the other books I have written so think how much you'll enjoy reading it. My character Lady Mary Carstairs is trying to find the owner of a dirty, hungry dog that wandered into her garden. She is not a dog lover but she can't let a dog go hungry and she is determined to find the owners who abandoned the animal.

. She finds the canal boat the owners had rented. The owners have disappeared. Mary is determined to find the ownership papers for the dog. She opens the hatch on the canal boat and is sickened by the smell of a decaying body.

A police officer is watching the boat waiting for the arrival of detectives to search for clues about the missing renters. Mary wants to go home but the constable on duty insists she stays to make a statement. The last thing she wants is to get involved in the dead man on the canal boat. But she has disturbed the evidence and the detectives who arrive are angry at her for disturbing the crime scene.

And that is how Lady Mary got involved in a murder investigation.  Buy my book,"DEATH ON THE CANAL BOAT." And get involved.

AnitaBirt
www.anitabirt.com

STORY TELER - ANITA BIRT

ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

 A couple of days ago I took a taxi down town, it dropped me off at the curb of the building where I had a meeting regarding money matters. I stepped out of the taxi on to the road. I am 93 years old and have to step up to the sidewalk. A simple task,  not to me. I thought I'd have to ask the taxi driver to assist me to step up

 Two young men were walking along. One came right over to me, he slid his arm under mine and lifted me up on to the sidewalk and without a word joind his friend. I thanked him! I weigh 133 lbs.yet it seemed like nothing to to him.. I was impressed by his kindness. He and his friend wore long sleeved, plae blue shirts and jeans.

Were they off duty police officers? Fire fighters? Soldiers? Did the young man have a grandmother? Or was he used to rescuing people?

I wrote my story to my family living in various parts of Canada and England. My niece, Allison, said I had made her day. The young man made  my day for sure. I felt wonderful for the rest of the day,

I have been backsliding to-day and really must get back to writing another Lady Mary story.

Do purchase my romance novels. A VERY DIFFICULT MAN. ISABELLE'S DIARY. ISABELLE'S STORY. RING AROUND THE MOON AND TOO YOUNG TO DIE. They are a bargain as e-books.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

What to do now I have finished writing my mystery, "Lady Mary - Death on the Canal Boat."
Enough with murder, enough with sorting out people's lives.

So, Lady Mary is expecting her uncle by marriage, Sebastion Jordan, come for a visit. His daughter, is worried about him. He has taken up with a blonde (!) lady recently moved into their neighbourhood. Uncle Sebastion is wealthy and his daughter fears he may be tempted to change his will and cut out his family.
A good start to a story. No murders in this yarn.but lots of problems. Sorting out people's lives is the lot of a writer.
My publisher has written to me. She will no longer be publishing, "Ring Around The Moon" and "Too Young To Die." I urge you to order your copies from you local book store or from Amazong.com. Both books are so different. "Ring Around The Moon," is a time travel set in magical Cornwall England where anything can happen and does! He comes from two hundred years in the past. She is an American on holiday.

Too Young to Die is a contempary murder/mystery set in and around the moutnains and roads of Washington. Fleeing from thugs bent on killing her and the three month old infant she cares for. She bravely  heads out at mignight in to the forest surrounding the the manson owned by the infant's parents. Alone where bears and cougars are a constant threat. She strugglles on until daylight stops to catch her breath. But two large dogs run at her. She shelters the babe in her arms.

RING AROUND THE MOON and TOO YOUNG TO DIE - order them now from Amazon.com or from your favourite book store.

Anita Birt
www.anitabirt.com

ANITA BIRT - ON AGING

I think I've touched on this topic before but I can't remember! What is that a sign of? Aging? Forgetting? What the hell so I forgot what I've written. In the Don Marquis stories of Archie and Mehitabel, one of her favourite saying was "What the hell, Archie, what the hell." when she'd been out on the tiles all night or down the alley with disreputable cats with torn ears and a bad attitude.

What does it feel like being ninety-three?  It feels like any age. As long as I stay healthy and my brain is still functioning I could be forty-three or sixty-three.

Age is not a number. Age is who I am. What I"m doing. How do I keep going? It's a matter of getting up in the morning, showering and getting dressed. I could be any age as long as I don't have terrible pains or a serious illness or have  lost a loved one.

In January 2001 my daughter died, unexpectedly. A parent never gets over the loss of a child even a child who is middle-aged. My daughter lived next to my heart for nine and half months before she was born. A precious child.

To-day the sun is shining where I live and the sun is sparkling on the sea. The air is fresh. Altogether a fine place fo live and I am blessed to be here. I can see a field of camus lillies from my window.

Buy my romance novels. A VERY DIFFICULT MAN. ISABELLE'S DIARY. ISABELLE'S STORY. RING AROUND THE MOON.  TOO YOUNG TO DIE. The last two books will soon be out of print  Buy your copies now! www.anitabirt.com

Anita

ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

To Blog or not to Blog, that is the question, whether it is nobler in the mind - I leave the rest to Shakespear. I have an excuse for not blogging! I am editing  my book, "Lady Mary - Death in the Canal Boat," and that is time consuming. A friend went through the book with "a fine tooth comb," and did the editing. 

Writing is fun, interesting and challenging but editing is sort of exciting but basically it is "dog" work that has to be done or my book will not sell. Will it sell? I haven't a clue. It would be lovely if it did but I don't count on it for income. Nice to see those royalty cheques in my mail box. I still get them from the publisher of my romance novels.

Back to now. The camus lillies are in full bloom and they are a treat for my eyes. I stop and look at them as I pass by. Deep Blue and a haze of bloom drifts over the flowers. They are spreading into other fields as I pass by. Another treat where I walk. Beautiful golden irises are almost ready to bloom on the sea-side  of the path. It is a protected area and is home to hundreds of species of which I know nothing.

Back to the past. I went to Huron Street Public School in Toronto. My best girlfriends were Eila and Helvi Karsikas. Does anyone know the name? They will be very OLD like me and may have passed on to wherever we go when we "pass." Their father made musical instruments. Their mother seemed to have a kettle of coffee on the go all the time. We never had coffee in my house! Tea was the favoured drink. I MUST AWAY AND GET BACK EDITING.  "Write if you get wrork..." From Bob and Ray.
Anita birt.

ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

I've witten about my published romance novels and forgot to mention my e-book, "The Ghost Writer Mystery." A great story and cheap as an e-book. Download it to your e-reader and enjoy.

Someday I hope to find a publisher for my latest offer "Lady Mary - Death on the Canal Boat." There's a nice twist on the very first page when Mary finds a dirty stray dog has found its way into her garden. Mary does not like dogs, "dirty creatures with fleas."

The poor creature is thin and hungry. Before she gets rid of it she must give it something to eat. It is starving and gobbles up the food she makes for it. Then she ties an old piece of rope for a leash around its around its neck and takes it out of her garden to search along the tow path beside the canaol to find the dog's owner.And there I must leave you. She finds more than she bargained for! I'll let you know when I find a publisher.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

Yesterday I promised to write about two of my books, RING AROUND THE MOON and TOO YOUNG TO DIE.

RING AROUND THE MOON - a Time Travel Romance. My American heroine has rented a cottage in Cornwall, England to rest and recover from her estranged husband. She is four months pregnant.When she and her husband could not get pregnant they agreed to use the sperm from an agency. But when she got pregnant her husband told her have an abortion. She refused and he began divorce proceedings.  She was stressed and decided to rent a cottage in Cornwall she'd found in a travel magazine. All went well until a strange man arrived at midnight on the day she arrived at the cottage. He had come from two hunded years in the past to the present time! You must buy my book!Cornwall is a magical place. Read on.

TOO YOUNG TO DIE - a contemporary murder/mystery. Imagine being the nanny caring for a three month old baby whose parents had gone into Seatle on business, They didn't return home as planned instead the house was invaded by a thug and his minions. They wanted access to the computers in the house and threatened to torture the nanny to force her to gain access to the computers. She managed to escape at midinight into the dense forest surrounding the house where cougars and bears  roamed.

Buy my book, TOO YOUNG TO DIE. It's a scary page turner. Hunted by the thugs, alone in the forest terrified of the evil men and hungry animals she keeps going until -

Anita Birt
www.anitabirt.com

ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

I urge you all to buy my books, they are in soft cover or download as e-books. Great reads at very low cost. Download on your e-reader or order as a BOOK. I used to read all the time on my e-reader and then changed to buying BOOKS to hold in my hands.To me there is something comforting about holding a book in my hands. I do have a problem though and will confess my sins. I order books from Munro's our world famous book store or from Amazon.ca. My aging body makes it easier to order books from Amazon.ca. My problem is,  book buying is like an addiction! I have to make sure the books are affordable and will not wreck my budget.

Having said all that, here are my books ready for you to purchase. A VERY DIFFICULT MAN (historical fiction set in England, 1850. My hero has comes home serously wounded from the Crimean War. He has become a recluse and his mother hires a young ladyto read to him. He does not want a young woman trying to change him and makes life difficult for her. At the beginning he throws a book at her and she picks it up and throws it right back. Lots of action! Read and enjoy.

ISABELLE'S DIARY a contemporry romance with a ghost - a ghost? Buy my book and enjoy the mystery of Isabelle.

ISABELLE'S STORY - Historical romance set in England, 1899. Twists and turns enough to bring tears to your eyes. Was she betrayed by her lover? Read my book. Who betrayed Isabelle?

TomorrowI'll write about RING AROUND THE MOON and TOO YOUNG TO DIE.
www.anitabirt.com

ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

If you haven't read, "The Lost Carving," by David Esterley, your are missing one of my favourite tbooks of all time. David is a master wood carver, he and other like him can carve leaves, large and small, tiny flowers, stems and produce magic. When Hampton Court Palace was badly damaged in a fire much of the precious wood carvings were lost but many were saved, but in terrible condition from smoke and soot.

David is an American but has a world wide reputation as a wood cover. He and many British carvers were hired to do what they could to resore the damaged pieces. They were treasures carved by Brimley a century ago. A daunty task to emulate his work. David and the other carvers spent a year at the palace restoring the precious pieces damaged by fire and smoke.

David is not only a master wood carver he is a brilliant writer. So buy his book when you can and learn about his work and the other master carvers who worked with him at the palace. I'm buying an extra copy for myself and another for my family. I think it should be part of your library - if you have a library! I wish I had a library but I don't have space in my apartment so my book cases arre full to overflowing and I keep buying books. I have a Kindle but after using for a year or so I returned to buying books with covers, some small large, some small. I like the feel of  a book in my hands. 

I have gone through a book buying spree in the past week and I have stopped! No more room! Either I go or the books go. Time a browsed through my books and give some to the library in my retiremenrt building. My romance novels are in the library! A VERY DIFFICULT MAN is very popular.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

Anita Birt - Story Teller

People ask me where story ideas come from? They turn up unexpectedly. Not as often as they used to when I was younger and my brain had room for new stories. But stories abound. Like a bee buzzing here and there searching for nectar my brain wanders hither and thither until it knocks against something - and idea or I view a scene or a story in a newspaper and it's like magic, I puzzle over one or the other and something clicks.

All writers have vivid imaginations. They can imagine a scene and see what happens if a character, male or female walks into the scene and is, let us say, frightened. About what? Off you go feeling the fear, making it real for your character and start from there. Where is she/he in a city, out in the country on a ship climbing a tree digging a hole. Have your character doing something because she is afraid and can't stand around and do nothing.

In my book, Lady Mary and Death in a Canal Boat, she is searching for information about the dog that wandered into her garden. She is knocked almost off her feet when she smells the sickening smell of a decaying  body on the rental canal boat. That's all! Help me find a publisher.

I've been away from the publishing world for years now and don't know how to prepare a manuscript in the proper way, Seach for an agent? A hopeless task. I truly need someone to guide me through the process. My book is complete. I'll seek out my published friends. I've got another Lady Mary story working its way into a book. Writing is an addiciion! Once hooked there's no letting go. The stories keep coming and coming.

Anita

ANITA BIRT - A VERY SLOPPY BLOGGER

I've written nothing since January. I've had visitors. I've forgotten to blog. Not good.

I am now ninety-three years old. Do you want to know my day to day thoughts about being ninety-three?
It's life as usual. Time rolls on and my birthday has not changed me. I still go for long walks by the sea. I watch for the wintering humming birds. I pat little dogs and smile at the owners. I walk to the 500 metre markers and home. A good walk for an old dame.

I've finished writing my book, "Lady Mary and Death in the Canal Boat." Wouldyou  like to read how it starts? Let me know and I'll post the first page. But not until I hear from you.

I can't sit down and write for hours at a time the way I did when I wrote my five romance novels. Here they are. " VERY DIFFICULT MAN." "ISABELLE'S DIARY."  "ISABELLE'S STORY." "RING AROUND THE MOON."  "TOO YOUNG TO DIE."

My e-book "The Ghost Writer Mystery." All my books are availabe as e-books. Great reads for little cost. So much to read and enjoy.

I'm waiting for spring to come to Vancouver Island! We need sunshine and warm weather to send winter flying. Winter is not AWFUL  here on the Pacific coast but the storms are WILD with seas pounding the shoreline. I don't venture out in a force eight gale! I would blow me into the sea.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

Oops on my last post I said I'd write something amusing next time. I'VE HAD FAMILY VISITING AND ALL MY GOOID INTENTIONS HAVE FLOWN OUT OF THE WINDOW.

I have a new printer and have been tidying up the bits and pieces of manuscript left behind. My old printer has to go the recycling depot - my friends, Helen and Roy will give me a big hand. I can't lift that old printer. Friends are wonderful.

Especially when you are an old person like me. I'll be celebrating my ninety-third bithday in February. How did I get to be this old? It has a lot to do with the genes I've inherited - tough Scottish women who like to stick around an keep an eye on the family - they can be bossy and I have inherited that trait, as well. I do my best to tell my famly what to do but it really is a waste of time; they smile and nodded their respective heads and go on doing what they were doing. Sigh.

As  I cleared up old stuff lying aroud I found a notebook with something written on the first page - after that nothing. Seems my husband and I were visitng the Island of Iona, the blessed Island. And found someone had written this. "We asre blessed to live on this beautiful island, no carriages, one or two motor cars and a dog or two." Then a space and this: "Oh day that I have loved." Is it a quote? I'll Google it as soon as a wrap this up. Remember to buy my books in print or e-book. A VERY DIFFICULT MAN. ISABELLE'S DIARY. ISABELLE'S STORY. RING AROUND THE MOON. TOO YOUNG TO DIE.

www.anitabirt.com

ANITABIRT - STORY TELLER

David Cameron, the Prime Minister of Great Britain asks us to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare on April 23. I am celebrating with this quote from Macbeth. He has just heard that his wife has died.." She should have died hereafterr: There would have been a time for such a word."

"Tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all  our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death.  Out, out brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets this hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more; it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

That leave me deep in thought. There is so much magic in the words Shakespeare gives us. I am a feeble player on the writing stage but stays at the task given me. My talent is a small one but I use it as best I can. I especially like amusing readers. Tomrrow I will write something that pleased and amused me.

In the meantime buy my books. I'm not Shakespeare but I do my best with what I've got.

Anita Birt
www.anitabirt.com

ANITA BIRT - STORY TELLER

I've neglected my blog over the holiday season and I've been busy writing an article for a magazine - that takes time. I am ninety-three years old and still writing and looking for the next BIG THING. To be pulished again at my age would be wonderful. I have a question - are there many writers still hard at work at my age or older? If you know please leave a comment.

I had a good Christmas. My family live too far away to pop in on Christmas Day but I received lots of great gifts. The first gift I opened - four books! Wonderful. My mother told us that the best Christmas she ever had - she received all books! I come from a reading family and read to my children and my grandchildren and great grandchildren when they visit.

I've been approached by a marketing organization to market my historical romance, A VERY DIFFICULT MAN. A charge, of course, so I turned it down. I wish there was a low cost way to market my book. It's selling okay in the UK as an e-book but it would be nice to hit the big time. As a historical romance it will never go out of date. Several readers have said it would make a good movie! Now that would be nice but I'd have to find an agent and that is the tough question. If you have an billiant ideas please let me know - comment please.

I'm winding up my "Lady Mary and Death in The Canal Boat," I really enjoyed writing the book. Things kept happening!

Make the New Years, 2016 a happy one for me when you buy my books.  Here they are: A VERY DIFFICULT MAN.  ISABELLE'S DIARY.  ISABELLE'S STORY.  RING AROUND THE MOON.
TOO YOUNG TO DIE.

TOO YOUNG TO DIE is mystery with murder afoot and a three month old baby in dire need of protection. His nanny is brave and smart but his parents have gone missing. Imagine protecing the baby,  the nanny escapes with him at midnight and has to find her way through a forest with thugs determined to find her. A good read if you're a mystery fan.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com