Posts Tagged ‘Fredericton’
going round and round!
The third book in my Urban Mystery Series, ‘Roundabout,’ is set in Fredericton, New Brunswick. In the last fifteen years, we have been introduced gradually to the idea of the traffic circle, also known as the roundabout. As of this year, there are nine larger roundabouts and a few smaller ‘chicanes,’ to calm traffic. In general, this form of traffic control is more economical than traffic lights and safer in terms of numbers of accidents.
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In my book, ‘Roundabout,‘ an artist sets out to capture the business of a city as expressed in the daily traffic of the Victoria Circle roundabout. Various events in the city are exemplified by her observations: for example, the numbers of tractors and work trucks indicate increased construction activity. The artist realizes there are patterns to the traffic and one of those patterns may indicate nefarious activity.
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Doing research for this book was lots of fun. My husband and I parked down by the Victoria Circle and took note of the number and types of vehicles, the interactions of pedestrians and traffic, and the way people approach and use the roundabout. One cyclist, a multitasker, made it into the book in words and a drawing.
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I hope you enjoy this book. The book is illustrated and includes a map of Victoria Circle. Traffic circles are almost everywhere; my interest in traffic circles began long ago when I used the Armdale Rotary in Halifax regularly. If you live in the Fredericton area, you will recognize a little of the city’s history and demographics. If you live elsewhere, I hope I will show you some of the interesting features of our beautiful city.
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‘Roundabout’ is available in Dog Eared Books in Oromocto, or, to order, just click here.
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All my best,
Jane (a.k.a. Alexandra)
new: three Urban Mysteries
I have released three of my new books in the Urban Mysteries Series: Office Green, City Grotesque, and Roundabout. These three are set in the cities of Halifax (Nova Scotia), Saint John (New Brunswick), and Fredericton (New Brunswick). The stories are fiction, but the settings are real and illustrate the diversity of downtown Halifax, some of the interesting architecture of Saint John, and the traffic movements in Fredericton.
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Office Green is dedicated to Susan, good friend and co-worker, who operated a real business, watering plants in office buildings in a city out west. The image of her carrying her watering can through the streets inspired my story. The book is available here.
City Grotesque is dedicated to wonderful friend and author, Ana, a member of my writing group, Fictional Friends. Ana first introduced me to the ‘grotesques,’ sculptures on the Chubb’s Corner building in Saint John. The book is available here.
Roundabout is dedicated to my husband, Glen, a patient man and good friend. He sat with me for hours beside the Victoria Circle roundabout in Fredericton, to identify categories of vehicles and record possible elements for my story. The book is available here.
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All three books are available from Amazon, here.
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The next three books in the Urban Mystery Series will be released next year: Hollow Hotel, Dancing with Trees, and Hunting the Dragon.
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Enjoy the reading of these books as much as I enjoyed writing them. They are illustrated with my pencil drawings and a few personal experiences are included within the pages.
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All my best and Merry Christmas!!!!
Jane (a.k.a. Alexandra)
new mystery series
As my forth Kaye Eliot Mystery nears publication, I have begun work on another mystery series. These Urban Mysteries will feature the cities I have known, for example, Halifax and Fredericton. Each will feature a young professional woman who is thrown into a mystery not of her own choosing.
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These books will be short (novella sized, between 15,000 and 20,000 words) and illustrated. They will feature some of the folks we see every day in our cities–the police, the shop owners, the homeless, the university students. Urban climbers and lovers of parkour will also make it into some of the stories.
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These mysteries were fun to write since I have used many of my own haunts and experiences in the writing.
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This model of the Dome that once topped the building is from Pieces of Saint John.
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Another feature of these stories is that I consider them Meniscus Peripherals, in other words, they are written in the same universe as my Meniscus Science Fiction Series. They are not at all about outer space, but each story will include a short mention of an alien abduction and each story gives the circumstances around the abduction from Earth of one of the characters in my Meniscus books: Tagret the chemist (Book 5), Rist the Slain (Book 5), Belnar the Slain (Book 2), Blue-Eye-Brown (Book 11) and Aagle (Book 11).
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The first of the Urban Mysteries will come out in June, 2022.
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All my best,
Jane
“Glorious Light”
So far this winter I have read some terrific books. One of the best combines my interest in history with my love of stained glass.
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“Glorious Light — The Stained Glass of Fredericton” by John Leroux (Gaspereau Press, 2011) is a splendid photographic record of the best kept secret of Fredericton’s architecture. The book explores both sacred and secular examples of glass artistry throughout the city. With examples, it describes and provides background on specific windows, some I have seen and wondered about since I came to Fredericton almost 40 years ago.
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On Thursday evening this week, as part of our “Authors Coffee House” (Holy Trinity Anglican Church), John Leroux will give a presentation and reading of “Glorious Light”. John is a noted local architect and restoration specialist, and an engaging speaker. If you are in the Fredericton area, this would be a great way to spend a Thursday evening. Perhaps I’ll see you there!
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Copyright Jane Tims 2017
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