6/20/2019

Jacqui Nelson’s North of the Border with guest Shereen Vedam

Who’s next on my North of the Border guest blog series? Today we have Shereen Vedam, author of the Harrington Bay Mysteries series and the new release, Missing You. 

Where does Shereen get her inspiration? How is Canada part of her inspiration? Read on and see...


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Trees love to toss and sway; they make such happy noises – Emily Carr

We’re within kissing distance of Canada Day, July 1st. Writing a blog about my country made me pause to consider what I love most about Canada. What comes immediately to mind are trees. Everywhere I’ve lived across this beautify country, I’ve loved the trees.


I’ve moved from Ontario (grew up in Ottawa) to Manitoba (met my two best friends there) to Saskatchewan (where I learned all about veterinary practices in a farming community) to British Columbia (I finally settled on Vancouver Island and laid claim to this spot as the home of my heart).

In every one of those provinces, I’ve adored the trees that grew there. Now, thinking back, the maple trees in Ontario remind me of school trips and my very first taste of maple syrup. Yum!!!

In Manitoba, I went on my first ever camping trip and was surrounded by oaks and spruce and Cedars. I remember a group of us carrying a canoe over our heads through the forest to go paddling on a lake.

In Saskatchewan, I remember there were miles and miles of flat country. I was lucky to see one tree as we drove down country roads. I searched for trees at every farm the vet and I visited.

By the time I arrived in British Columbia, I was surrounded by trees again. They were everywhere. Planted along the sidewalks, growing in the parks, along highways and down mountain paths. This is where I had my first taste of white-water rafting, as we sped through lush forest landscapes.


I now live in a house where I planted a spooky Weeping Sequoias at the front and back of the property and an Arbutus tree in my immediate backyard.

It’s almost time for me to move from here into a condo. I think I’ll miss the trees the most. In the back of my mind, though, there’s a plan growing for a container garden in my new balcony. It’s going to be spectacular. Though I’ll be limited in how big the plants can be there, guaranteed, there’s going to be a tree in one of those pots! Fingers crossed, the strata council isn’t reading this post.

If you’ve read this post down to here, you might have gained the impression that I like to travel as much as I love trees. In my books, you’ll encounter reflection of both these loves, as characters go from place to place exploring vast new landscapes, encountering interesting new folk and sheltering against trees.

Below is an excerpt from my newest release called Missing You, a travel mystery romance (big surprise).

Excerpt from Missing You 
Copyright Shereen Vedam, 2019

Missing You - book cover
Still a little bleary-eyed from her twenty-one-hour flight and the shift in time difference, Phoebe texted her aunt. I’m home.

She got out of the Uber, hoping Aunt Helen would come downstairs and let her in. It would save her waking up her parents or her great-grandfather Walter.

After a three-year absence, it felt odd to be back in Harrington Bay, or HB as it was known among the locals. HB was located south of Portland, Oregon, close to the coast. She stood partially shielded by the thick trunk of a white oak as she observed their closed front door. It was past midnight, so the porch light had been switched off. The moon, too, wisely hid on this cloudy spring night that vibrated with tension.

Her phone buzzed. Another text from her aunt. Finally.

Thank God you’re back, Phoebe! I’m already in. Hurry!

Phoebe ran toward her front door while thumbing back the obvious question. In where?

The next text flashed a different address than theirs. She stopped in her tracks, her astonished gaze swinging left, toward the large Victorian house next door.

She fished a flashlight from her travel duffle bag before tucking her kit behind a bush near her front door. She then cautiously headed to the neighboring property.

According to her aunt, Tucker Harrington, a retired army major, had recently returned to the town his ancestors helped build and then brought this house.

Over shoulder-high box hedges, the neighboring home’s exterior appeared to have been painted a new lighter shade. The garden had been tamed since Phoebe left home. It no longer grew wild, appearing tended and landscaped, with fresh dark mulch spread thickly on the beds.

Why was her septuagenarian aunt texting Phoebe from inside Tucker’s house? No porch lights on there either. Tucker was also in his seventies, so he could be asleep. Was her aunt in his bed? Phoebe shook off the unsettling image. Just how close was Aunt Helen to this old dude? Was his grandson home?

A light flickered in one of the downstairs windows. Her phone buzzed. Another text from her aunt. You coming? Head to the right of the front door. Don’t wake Tucker!

It was the longest note Phoebe had received since Aunt Helen first mentioned this family emergency. It set her alarm bells ringing.

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GIVEAWAY

Enter your name in the comments below for a chance to win a Kindle copy of Missing You.

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Shereen Vedam - Author Photo
Once upon a time, USA Today bestselling author Shereen Vedam read fantasy and romance novels to entertain herself. Now she writes heartwarming tales braided with threads of magic and love and mystery elements woven in for good measure.

Shereen's a fan of resourceful women, intriguing men, and happily-ever-after endings. If her stories whisk you away to a different realm for a few hours, then Shereen will have achieved one of her life goals.


Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/ShereenVedam

~ All pictures (except for the 1st) are supplied by today’s guest with their assurance of usage rights. 

14 comments:

  1. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog, Shereen, and have to agree about trees. I grew up surrounded by them. My favorite place to play as a kid was in one of the old dead trees at the edge of the woods in our backyard. It was a boat, a castle, a faery fort ;) Thanks for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, C.H. Your backyard sounds like a dream.

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    2. Hello I'm so happy sharing this, I still can’t thank you enough powerful Priest Elijah, My husband left for a younger lady because i was unable to give birth due to PCOS,I was so devastated i was lonely i cried a lot i even tried taking my life, Then my friend told me about this great man Priest Elijah who helped her made her marriage perfect, I also went online and did more research about him i was not too sure but i decided to give him a try he told me not to worry everything was going to be alright, He told me all i needed to pay which was a convenient fee and i did and he did his work and sent me video proof and told me to wait 24hrs that he will be back, The next morning to my greatest surprise it was Shawn my husband on his knees begging I'm so happy, It didn’t stop there, I'm proud to say that I'm 3 weeks pregnant thank you so much Priest Elijah I'm forever grateful contact him

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  2. Jacqui you again have brought an author that I have not read and she sounds just wonderful. I really love that you have stayed true to the blog and not dropped out like many did or they don't post on the day they were. Your blogs are just so interesting I get excited when I see that you have posted and I thank you so much for that. I know that this is a kindle giveaway but if i win maybe she has a print in her closet or somewhere. Hugs Peggy Clayton ptclayton2@aol.com

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  3. Trees and rocks and lakes -- kind of defines Canada for me. Somehow our great cities seem like they could be any where in the world, but trees and rocks and lakes -- O Canada!

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  4. cute cover
    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congratulations bn100. You've won a copy of Missing You. It's on its way from Amazon.

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  5. Your interview was so intriguing especially with the focus on trees. I guess because I'm surrounded by trees I kind of take them for granted. I lived briefly in the NWT above the tree line and that's when I truly understood how much I missed trees.
    Thanks for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. So true, Jodie. Like most things in life, we often take what's most precious for granted, until they're suddenly gone.

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  6. This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to everyone who commented.
    The winner (randomly chosen) is bn100. Amazon will email you the prize. Congratulations! Thanks for having me over, Jacqui.

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    Replies
    1. Congratulations bn100 on winning Shereen's book! Thank you everyone who commented and visited. And thank you Shereen for sharing your inspiration with us ❤️

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