Monday, January 14, 2019

Journey to Churchill

By guest Laurie Wood



           People have asked me if Northern Deception is the “book of my heart” and it is in the sense that since I began writing for the CBA market, I’ve felt a calling to write books set in Canada. This was the hardest book I’ve ever written up till now. It’s also the first book I’ve written for the CBA market, and I’m sure that's why it was so hard to write.


            The idea for Northern Deception came in stages. I didn’t want to make my first hero the “standard” Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer–or “Mountie”–even if the red-serge uniform is a Canadian icon. I kept joking to my husband that when people think of Canadian men, they think of RCMP officers on horseback or lumberjacks in red flannel shirts!


             One weekend we took our kids to the local Zoo and their favorite part is the extensive polar bear exhibit. We have six rescued polar bears from Churchill, Manitoba which is 1000 kilometers north of Winnipeg. These bears were orphaned, or they came into a human/bear interaction and then didn’t stay away from town after being flown further up north by helicopter, so our Zoo brought them down. And as we were enjoying watching the bears, it hit me: what’s another famous Canadian icon? Our frozen Arctic with our polar bears! And my hero who owns a wilderness guiding tour company in Churchill, Manitoba stepped into my mind, full blown and ready to tell his story. 


            So, I had a hero who owned a wilderness touring company and a heroine who was a polar bear scientist - now the problem was what to do with them? Churchill is home to an international science center where scientists come from around the world, along with university and high school students, to study the arctic ecosystem, and do various research projects. It took a while for me to figure out what to do with this rich location because science is NOT my strong suit! Eventually with research I developed a suspense story based on what could go wrong with a pristine environment that’s already under stress from climate change.
             Churchill, Manitoba is just on the edge of the parallel where the sub-arctic turns into the arctic in Canada so I’m hoping people will enjoy learning about Canada. It sits on the same parallel as Juneau, Alaska and Inverness, Scotland, and yet we still have another 2,794 kilometres of partially inhabited Arctic north of it that reaches to the North Pole.


            For my love story, I did a reunion storyline because it’s one of my favorite romance tropes.I think people with some baggage deserve a second chance at working things out! I also wanted to cover a serious issue in a Christian book in a way that a non-Christian might pick it up and read it and say, “I didn’t think Christians thought that way”, or “I didn’t realize things like that happened to Christians”. And I was fortunate that Anaiah Press agreed with my take on the issue and let me run with it. 
            And the hero also has an adorable three-year-old toddler who has special needs. She’s based on my own daughter at that age. So, if you know of anyone who’s got family or friends with someone with special needs, you’ll love little Sophie. It was a joy to include a character with a disability.
            Weaving all the romance, suspense, back story, and faith threads together was challenging because my other novels were secular. They flowed out of me with ease, and yet none of them sold. I felt as though every word had to be ground out of granite with this book. And yet, I’m humbled by the positive response it’s gotten. The hard work and heartaches have paid off and I hope people will enjoy the suspense and love story and the takeaway of forgiveness for yourself and others. And I hope readers will gain an appreciation for my home country of Canada!
*****
Laurie will be giving away a PDF copy of her book today! In the comments, please let us know you'd like to be entered. Now let's celebrate Laurie's debut!


Reunions can be deadly.

After a savage attack in university, Kira Summers fled to the safety of northern Canada and her work as a polar bear scientist. But when her whistleblower brother dies in a mysterious car crash, she must return home to bury him and pack his belongings. Unaware she’s carrying explosive evidence someone’s willing to kill for, she has no choice but to rely on the one person she never thought she’d see again.

Lukas Tanner, a widowed single father of a special needs toddler, moved to Churchill five years ago. As the proud owner of Guiding Star Enterprises, a wilderness tour company, he and his daughter lead a simple life. But when Kira comes crashing back into his world, he realizes God has other plans. Now, Lukas and Kira must confront a merciless killer as their past and present collide in a deadly race—a race they must win if they have any hope of a future together.

About the Author:

Laurie Wood is a military wife who’s lived across Canada and visited six of its ten provinces. She and her husband have raised two wonderful children with Down Syndrome to adulthood, and their son and daughter are a wonderful blessing to their lives. Over the years, Laurie’s books have finaled in prestigious contests such as the Daphne du Maurier (twice), the TARA, the Jasmine, and the Genesis. Her family lives in central Canada with a menagerie of rescue dogs and cats. If the house were bigger, no doubt they’d have more.



64 comments:

  1. Laurie, we're so glad you joined us today! And we're very excited to celebrate your release with you! We love debuts around here. :)

    What an interesting setting!! Sounds like it will make for a great suspense story. But I can't imagine living in that cold!! :)

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    1. It's not that cold all year 'round, Missy! :) Just in the winter. Even up north we have all four seasons. For instance, today it's -29C or -20.2F in Churchill. And while they don't get really hot temperatures in the summer time, they still can wear shorts and tshirts and enjoy kayaking on Hudson Bay and the Beluga whales come right up to the kayaks.

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  2. Hi Laurie:

    Welcome!

    Let's talk.

    First I'd like to ask if you got to Europe in your RCAF travels? I've meet many nice Canadian military personnel when I was in Wiesbaden, Germany. They sure had things much better than we G.I.s did!!! They were all really good guys even though we did envy them somewhat. :)

    I'm also a long time fan of books set in Alaska. My favorite is John Straley set in Sitka. Also Dana Stabenow and her Kate Shugak series, Sue Henry has some very good books too. My favorite long romance series is "The Alsaska Bride Rush", with nine books, three historical and six contemporary all set in the same town. All inspirational as well. Some involve wilderness tours.


    How do you see you book fitting in among these if at all? Is it going to be part of a series?

    I don't think I've read romance fiction set in Canada yet but I intend to.

    BTW: are you into Canadian football? I'm a big fan of the Montréal Alouettes. I like the rules in the CFL. I even read that a tenth team may soon come to Halifax. They are to be the Atlantic Scooners which seems a very romantic name.

    I often listen to the sports Montreal radio station. My wife and I have traveled over Canada and loved it…in the summer. Ottawa looked like someplace in Holland with all its tulips. Where is your favorite place to live in Canada?

    BTW: have you seen the comedy set in Canada called "Slings and Arrows"? It's really funny if you love Shakespeare.

    I'd love to hear more about Canada and your new book. I'll get the Kindle version for my ebook so I don't need to be in the drawing.

    Vince

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    1. Good morning, Vince! No, we've never been to Europe with the RCAF. My husband joined later and we've closed that Base in Germany. Which is too bad. Now we have a temporary one in Latvia and it hardly has the same amenities! And families aren't over there because the situation isn't quite the same. But, enough about politics! I strongly believe Canada needs a shot in the arm regarding it's romance/book culture. We have a strong literary culture, don't get me wrong. We have a wonderful history with splendid cutting edge authors I can only admire. But when it comes to romance/romantic suspense/thrillers, we're cutting our teeth. And I'm just starting out so I don't put myself up there with the likes or Loreth Anne White or Rick Mofina or Susanna Kearsley. (who are mainstream not inspirational) So, I feel that Terrie Reed, another inspy Prairie author and I have a wide open field in Canada.

      As for Canadian Football, my husband and son adore the CFL and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in particular. We're all pretty stoked that Halifax is getting their own team and yes, it's going to be called the Schooners. I'm not a fan, but there aren't many sports I like other than things like watching horse jumping or bull riding - maybe ski jumping and the Olympics. :)

      The reason Ottawa has so many tulips is because Queen Juliana of Holland decreed Ottawa would always be given in perpetuity thousands of bulbs as a thank you for the liberation of Holland in WW2. The festival draws 100,000's of people every year. I grew up there and my mom would take us to different spots each spring for family photos.

      Thanks for all your interesting questions, Vince!

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  3. Love ❤️ this awesome post ✍️ valuable & informative 👍

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  4. *waves* Hallo, Hallo, Ms Wood,

    I love finding stories set in Canada; I have had a long love affair with Canadian stories - the latest of which of course is the series Heartland; although I'm still on Series 10 rather than 12. I'm just thankful I can keep seeing it. What really resonated with me is how you said it was through research you sorted out the trickier bits of the plotting when it came to the research scientist who was based out of this towne.

    I was curious - what specifically did you seek out in your research and is there a short list of books you read to help you develop the character? I love researching myself and I love reading Science topics & subjects, so I was wondering if you had a list of recs?

    I also like how you knitted this together with climate change - did you highlight climate change in your story or was that more or less eluded too without directly broaching it? I have learnt about the polar bear territories being dicey to control as their either seeking to move outside where it is safe for them to venture or their getting into too much mischief where humans are living.

    I loved how you spoke about the young girl who has special needs in the plot. I've been finding more inclusion for special needs children in INSPY Lit lately and I find it heartwarming as too often I think writers might overlook how to bring a special needs child into their story-line.

    I'm a traditional reader of print, (chronic migraines) so I'll be seeking this at my local library. I'm going to ask for them to purchase it as I really loved the sound of it!! I'm definitely a reader of Romantic Suspense novels - I can't read enough of the ones through Love Inspired & I am thankful your novel was highlighted as it is set somewhere I would love to visit!

    PS: Second chance romances are amongst my top favourites!

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    1. Hello, Jorie! I feel your pain when it comes to chronic migraines. I suffer from them myself, and have all my life. Thank you for asking your library to carry the book! That is so helpful to authors.

      Some of the facts about climate change come up in conversation between the characters in the story. The polar bears rely on the sea ice to stay intact out on Hudson Bay (you can find that on a map of Canada) and further north towards the Arctic ocean. They need it to be able to hunt ring-necked seals as that's their main source of food. But climate change is warming up the sea and causing the ice to break up earlier in the season, forcing the bears to come on land earlier in late June/July. Then they want to get back out onto the ice in late Oct/November when it freezes again. If it's slower to freeze up, that delays them getting back out onto the ice. This means they've been on land and not eating their regular food for months. A hungry bear is a dangerous bear. They'll eat anything: birds, small animals, berries, garbage, etc.

      Polar Bear International.org has an amazing website with interactive features and they have a polar bear webcam in November where you can watch the bears daily in Churchill.

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    2. Wow!!! Thanks for this informative response! I'm going to mark my calendar for November to make sure I get to see the Churchill bears!! Also, I knew the ice melting was causing a lot of different issues but when you condensed this into a recap of how this directly affects the bears themselves, I learnt something new!! I was aware of Hudson Bay previously but I love how you really brought this all front to centre! Thank you!!

      #Blessed we're two migraineurs, together! As you understand what its like without me having to explain anything at all. That's a blessing in of itself.

      It is a joy for me to request books at my library - I love being able to help the library add new authors/publishers to their catalogue as well as help fellow patrons find the new authors/stories I am wanting to read myself.

      Have a lovely day!!

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    3. You too, Jorie, and may it be migraine free! I'm just coming off a four day one myself.

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    4. Talking about migraines have you ever experienced visual or ocular migraines? I've had them for a short time and everything looked like cubist paintings only the cubes were much more regular with the objects inside the cubes and not part of them. It's very scary. They only lasted for about 30 minutes but you sure did not want to be driving at the time. They went away in a few weeks and they may have be been caused by a general anesthetic from an operation I had just had.

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    5. Hallo, Vince,

      Yes, I've had those myself - mine were caused by issues I was having with my eyes at the time and unfortunately I had more than one attack of them. Their the worst ones to get as they can lead to further problems as their a little warning sign. The migraines I have are the sledgehammers in your skull variety where you can't do anything but just deal with the migraine itself. I have been offsetting my readings in print with audiobooks for this reason for two years and am striving to listen to more this year than previously as I know it is alleviating the risk of frequency. Outside of that, I have a very active prayer life as with most chronic health issues I, for one, lean hard on my faith to get me through.

      I NEVER drive during a migraine - no matter which variety of migraine I am having. To be honest, that's just not a good situation. Generally I'm not online either - it can take me several days or a week just to re-transition back into reading if I get a nailbiter of a migraine that lasts from 4 to 6 days.

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    6. Hallo, Hallo Ms Wood,

      No, thankfully not. I had some rumblings of a migraine trying to take root but blessedly it never materialised. I sympathise with you - I've had my fair share of those kind of migraines and honestly, there are days where I wonder if it will ever abate. Very sorry we are both afflicted with the same condition... it just isn't easy to transition out of and then, sometimes afterwards, it takes awhile to re-adjust. I'll say a prayer your week goes a bit easier once it releases you.

      I'm starting to notice I'm getting released from my virus.. this past weekend was intense and the pits but this week, I'm gaining my strength back and finally food is not my enemy! Little improvements are giving me the hope I've finally exited the virus and the wrath it endured on my life.

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  5. Always fun reading stories outside of the USA. New author for me. Enter me please.

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  6. Good morning, Laurie! Congratulations on your new release. No need to enter me in the drawing. I'm a huge fan of the book and your storytelling.

    I'm looking forward to reading more suspense novels from you. Are you hard at work on book number two?

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    1. Yes, book 2 carries on a few months after the end of book 1. It'll take place in the summer time so no polar bears although there's always a few stragglers and mothers who give birth to cubs in March and April and don't get out on the sea ice with them. This time the danger will come from other areas. :)

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  7. Laurie, this looks good. I love reunion romances! My first sale is one (also secret baby). I love the idea that God can bring together two people with baggage and make them stronger.
    Canada fascinates me, such diversity.
    Off to Bible study, may be back later.

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  8. Sounds like a great read. I would love to read. Enter me please! Cheers!

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  9. Laurie, this book sounds good. Please enter me for a copy.

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  10. Hi Laurie! I'm so excited about your release! I think the premise and location is so unique. I love that you use personal experiences, as I'm sure that makes the story more real to readers. Thanks for sharing!!!! I'd love to be entered for a chance to win a copy. It's on my wishlist, but I haven't bought it yet. :)

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    1. Hi Sherrinda! We write what we know, right? :) Thanks for your encouragement today.

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  11. Congratulations, Laurie! So happy to see you here in Seekerville talking about your first book! What an interesting plot and beautiful cover. Looking forward to your next book!

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    1. Thank you, Laura! Anaiah Press did a fantastic job with my cover. thanks for your encouraging words. :)

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  12. Laurie, congratulations on your release and on being here in Seekerville with us! I brought coffee and tea.... and fixins. And I love the premise of this story, and SO FAR NORTH..... I'm in WNY and you're talking well north of me and folks think this is tough here.... but WOW.

    And a suspense is tough. When you're weaving that many threads, it's a lot of work to make sure none of them have dropped in the telling. Good for you!

    I'm having sandwiches delivered for lunch, because my well-intentioned plans for breakfast are long overdue!

    :)

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    1. Hi Ruth! It's far north but not as far as the north pole, as I said. :) People up there depend on each other and I show that in my story. And thank you all so much for having me here in Seekerville. This is my first time back as a published author and I'm honoured to be here!

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  13. Woohoo! I'm super excited about this new release! Adore romantic suspense and the Canadian setting is sweet perfection! Congratulations, Laurie! I'm another reader who has trouble with electronic books so don't enter me in the draw. I'll be sure to hunt down a copy for myself and get my library to order one as well.

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    1. Hello, Kav, that's so sweet of you! It's available on Amazon.com i print and e-book.

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  14. Your book sounds amazing! I have watched several documentaries on Churchill and their polar bears, and I love that you've woven that into an essential element of your suspense story!

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    1. Thank you, Erica. They are magnificent animals and don't belong so close to humans. We all need to play a bigger part in cutting back for climate change or our children and grandchildren will be paying a huge price.

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  15. Laurie, your book sounds wonderful. I love suspense and would like to learn more about Canada. Churchill sounds particularly interesting. I also love science! Must get your book!

    Congrats on your success! Thanks for being with us today!

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  16. Laurie, this sounds so great. Mounties, polar bears! Yes!

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  17. Congratulations, Laurie! I LOVE the premise of Northern Deception (as you know). Excited to see where your future takes you!

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  18. Congratulations, Laurie! Northern Deceptions sounds like a must read. Please enter me in the drawing.

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  19. Congratulations, Laurie! I'm so excited for you. Love the setting! Our family lived in Alaska one year...I was quite young, but I remember all the wildlife wandering into our front yard in winter and all of us kids getting together to create igloos! Haha...they were quite the snow-houses!

    Love that you included a special needs child in your story! Our granddaughter is special needs too and it's wonderful to be able to identify with a character in a book!

    I'd love to be in the drawing!

    Bless you! Wishing you continued success with your novels.

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    1. Thank you, Kathryn! A snow shelter plays a factor in the book too. :) You're in the drawing, and thank you for your encouraging words.

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  20. Hi, Laurie! I'm hoping to win a copy of Northern Deceptions!!! Please enter me in the drawing!! Sherry Welch, sherwelch@suddenlink.net

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    1. Hi Sherry! You're in the doggie dish, or whatever it is that Ruthy uses around here for the drawings! :)

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  21. Hi Laurie! Your book sounds like an exciting read. It's going on my TBR list. Please put me in for the drawing. My travel buddy and I have Canada on our bucket list. Congratulations on your new release.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words, Pat! You're in the drawing!

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  22. Hi Laurie:

    Do you know if American publishers require Canadian romance writers to set their stories in the states? I've read several Terri Reed books in the past and I do not remember their location being in Canada. Her K-9 book is set in Texas. Her bio says she lives in the Pacific Northwest. Is the code for Canada! I hope not!

    I also hope you can do a series of suspense romances set in Canada.

    I'm a big believer in having interesting settings in fiction. Like the Cathedral of Marie-Reine-du-Monde in Montréa which a guide told us is a 1/4 scale copy of St. Peter's in Rome. It was amazing! Not that it was small! What a shock and joy it was to walk into that church if you've been to St. Peter's.

    Then there is the Notre-Dame Basilica Of Montréal which is the most beautiful church inside I believe I've ever seen. They even hold concerts there in the summer which are world class. We went and it was truly a life long memory! These would make great settings.

    When it comes to somewhat experimental fiction I love Alice Munro from Canada who reminds me of Italo Calvino, especially his "If on a winter's night a traveler". You've got world class writers there and you really deserve to have a thriving romance tradition.

    Good luck with your efforts.

    Vince

    P.S. I couldn’t wait. I just downloaded " Northern Deception" and I like to know if you are going to write all the books in the "Hero's of the Tundra" series or will their be other authors like in Terri's K-9 series?

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    1. Bless you, Vince! No, I'm the sole author for the "Heroes of the Tundra" series. It's my "world" and series characters. Each book will have intersecting characters and Churchill will be the common setting although the characters may go back and forth to Winnipeg here and there as the story dictates.

      Terri Reed is an American author but she did participate in a Love Inspired Suspense series called "Northern Border Patrol" and one of her books took place in Niagara Falls. I didn't read them all but I did read that one. Maggie K. Black has also written some LIS books set in Canada - in Toronto and in unnamed towns north of Toronto.

      Montreal is one of our oldest cities in Canada having been settled in the late 1600's by the French and that's why the architecture is so beautiful. They wanted to replicate what they left behind in France.

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    2. Hi Laurie:

      I'm reading "Northen Deception" right now and I always like the idea in a suspense for the hero and heroine to have backstory. My biggest objection to suspense romances is that most of the time is devoted to the suspense and there is very little opportunity to develop a serious love relationship that makes the romance believable. This is especially true when the suspense lasts only a short time. If the hero and heroine once had a past relationship, then it makes the romance much better.

      If future stories take place in Winnipeg may I suggest that someone drive by Investors stadium in passing. It just adds something to a story when landmarks are mentioned (Even less known landmarks because this still makes the story more real to those who know the local area.)

      Anyway, back to reading while I'm still awake. Please be sure to let us know when the second book is released.

      Vince

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  23. Laurie! So fun to see you here iin Seekerville! You know I loved Northern Deception. Learning how the story came together for you is fascinating. Congratulations on your debut! I look forward to the next books in the Heroes of the Tundra series. Hugs!

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  24. Hi, Laurie! Congratulations on your debut novel. I have it downloaded to my Kindle, so please don't enter me in the drawing, but thank you for sharing your journey about the path of this book. I love reading about how authors get their ideas and then turn them into a book. Hugs!

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  25. Congratulations! How exciting to have your first novel. I would love to be in the drawing for a PDF copy.
    Blessings!

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  26. Congratulations on the release of your book, Laurie. It looks very interesting. Please put me in the drawing.

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  27. Congrats! Would love to be entered. Thanks.

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  28. Your novel sounds very interesting, please consider this my entry in the PDF giveaway. I'm interested in reading about a place where it gets colder than northern Wisconsin. Has to be fictional.

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  29. Hi Laurie! SO glad to see you in Seekerville (yes, I'm a day late in commenting, LOL). CONGRATULATIONS on your wonderful debut novel - - as you already know, I read it and loved it!! (And little Sophie tugged at my heart---so glad she's in the story).

    I'm so proud of you and look forward to many more Laurie Wood books! :)
    Hugs, Patti Jo

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  30. Hi Laurie, not enough books in the mainstream market are set in Canada! �� I think there are just as many intriguing and interesting places in Canada for romantic/suspense novels as any where else. Like your family, our family enjoys watching the polar bears at the Toronto Zoo. Baby Juno (adopted by the Canadian Army) was born the same year as my 3rd child so he's kind of special to us. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of your book. Lee-Ann B

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  31. Congrats on the new book! Love to be entered to win it!

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  32. Hi Laurie, Congratulations on your book! It sounds great! Please enter me in the drawing!

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