Quarter Castle Publishing sat down with Diane Lynn McGyver and talked with her about her upcoming release Nova Scotia – Life Near Water, her first anthology. In the coming weeks we’ll post pieces of this interview here.

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QCP: What are your current projects?

Diane Lynn McGyver: I’m editing two projects at the moment. One is my first Christmas-themed novel and my second romance: Twistmas – the Season for Love. The main character lives in Cole Harbour—the community in which I grew up and ‘home of Sydney Crosby’—and works as a manager of a camera shop. For more than two years I had worked at a similar shop, so I used the experience when crafting this story.

I’m surprised by the comfort zone I’ve slid into while writing about my former stomping grounds. It’s like taking a trip home every time I read it. The novel is scheduled for a late November 2013 release.

The other project I’m editing is the short story Blade of Truth. It’s part of the Castle Keepers Tales that provide extra stories about characters who appear in Shadows in the Stone. Book two of the Castle Keepers series—Scattered Stones—will be released next spring.

Between editing these two stories, I’m writing a short story with the working title Twenty-five Dollars of Time. I’m not sure this title will stick. I don’t feel completely satisfied with it. This is the first short story I’ve written which fits into the literary genre. It’s about Mort Bremann, a man of little action, but loads of thoughts. His visits with long-time friend Julie Parsons have never gone as he expected, but he hopes this visit will have different results.

QCP: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Diane Lynn McGyver: Certainly. This is a clip from Miss Tuttle’s Lemon Tarts, one of the stories found in Nova Scotia – Life Near Water.

“Cream, dear? Milk? Sugar? Honey? So many choices. These days we have it all: cream and milk, milk and cream. Back in my days there was nothing but cream and honey. We didn’t have the doctors we have now. No. Those doctors prescribed the cream and honey. Now, they take it away.” Miss Tuttle stopped in front of Rita holding two dishes. “Cream or milk in your tea, dear?”

Rita wanted to say, I prefer coffee, but instead said, “Cream, please.”

Miss Tuttle set the cream in front of Rita and flew off to gather spoons. “The lemon tarts are fresh. Made them only today.”

That was strange. Rita thought the tarts were amongst the groceries this morning. Maybe Miss Tuttle had forgotten she bought them.

“I prefer cream myself,” whispered Miss Tuttle and looked around as if someone was spying in the window. “But the doc wants me to use skim milk.” She laughed as she collected two napkins from the counter top.

Rita smiled. Miss Tuttle’s laugh sounded more like a sheep’s bleat.

Miss Tuttle plopped herself down on the soft cushion of her chair. She busied her hands arranging everything just right on the table. Once satisfied, she picked up the tea pot and poised it over Rita’s cup. “Tea?”

“Yes. Please.” Rita had noticed a touch of English accent in the woman’s speech, but wouldn’t have guessed she was from anywhere but Nova Scotia. Maybe it was an Eastern Shore dialect or perhaps she had family across the pond. Given her mannerisms for tea, maybe she had been born in England.

Miss Tuttle filled Rita’s cup and placed the tea pot on the cosy. Looking about, she noticed her own cup was empty. “Oh, I suppose I could have just a wee bit more.” Miss Tuttle filled her cup then reached for the cream. “Cream is the best, isn’t it, dear?”

Rita nodded and wondered if Miss Tuttle always ignored her doctor’s advice. She watched as she added a spoonful of honey, neglecting the artificial sweeten she had placed out for herself.

“It’s a fine day when one can have a sweet cup of tea, just like the doctor ordered. Tart?” Miss Tuttle gestured towards the round lemon-filled pastries.

…more about Nova Scotia – Life Near Water with Diane Lynn McGyver next week. Look for the short story collection in softcover (in both standard and OpenDyslexic font) and eBook on October 3, 2013. If you’ve missed Part I of the Interview, check it out here. Part II is found here.