Check out this month’s Opal Magazine for my article Writing on the Beach.

Ten Days in Summer is now available in Canada in paperback and ebook form. You can also order the book through
Amazon and your favourite independent book store.

One of my favourites, Owl’s Nest Bookstore, will be hosting the Ten Days in Summer Book Launch on Tuesday, March 14, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Britannia Shopping Plaza on Elbow Drive at 49th Avenue. 815A 49th Avenue SW, Calgary

I’m busy sending out invitations to the launch and arranging book signings at other Calgary stores. So far, I’ve lined up:

Chapters Shawnessy, 16061 Macleod Trail SE, Saturday, March 25, 2017, 11:00 am – 5 pm

Chapters Chinook, Chinook Mall, 6455 Macleod Trail, Suite L1, Friday, March 31, 2017 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Chapters Macleod Trail, 9631 Macleod Trail SW, and Indigo Shepard Regional Centre, #170 – 4916 – 130th Ave, SE, Calgary will set dates when they receive their book orders.

Crime Writers of Canada asked me to write a teaser and 50-60 word blurb for their next issue of Cool Canadian Crime. Here’s what I came up with:

Teaser:  While Calgary, Alberta, celebrates its ten-day Stampede festival, insurance adjuster Paula Savard investigates a suspicious building fire that caused the death of a hoarder.

The blurb continues with: The case turns personal when Paula’s daughter becomes involved with a suspect. To ensure her daughter’s safety, Paula must dig through the hoarder’s messy life. She unearths betrayal, family secrets and murder.

Ten Days is on its way!

The Launch is set to go.

Owl’s Nest Bookstore March 14, 2017, 7-8:30 pm. Susan Calder launches her second novel, Ten Days in Summer, a murder mystery set in Calgary, Alberta, during The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth– Calgary’s 10-day Exhibition and Stampede. Everyone welcome.

Ten Days in Summer

Calgary, Alberta, gears up for its ten-day Stampede festival. When a hoarder dies in a suspicious house fire, adjuster Paula Savard sets the revelry aside to handle the property insurance claim. But Paula’s interviews with the hoarder’s bickering heirs raise questions. What are they hiding from each other and the police? Are they trying to help or to sabotage the investigation? Did one of them set the blaze to kill a relative and hasten an inheritance?

The case turns personal when Paula’s daughter becomes involved with a suspect and moves into his home. If Paula learns the truth, she can ensure her daughter’s safety. While the police are occupied with keeping order during the Stampede, Paula digs through the hoarder’s life. She unearths betrayal, murder and a long-ago secret that led to his death. Exposing the truth would put Paula at risk, but free a troubled family.

Ten Days in Summer is the sequel to Deadly Fall. I hope these reviews of Deadly Fall bode well for the series:

“A pointedly nuanced debut novel, …sparkles with tone and energy that set the pace, a concise storyline, and edgy dialogue that moves the story forward…a debut worth reading and a possible series with insurance claims providing a minefield of potential stories.” — Don Graves, Hamilton Spectator

“Paula is an intelligent, determined, often critical (though in a good way) yet still compassionate sleuth, who is front and center in this mystery debut. She’s a solidly developed character, one readers will want to get to know better, with an interesting supporting cast, which should serve her well in subsequent books. With possibly a new profession in hand, and her first case behind her, readers will look forward to seeing how she fares.” — Mysterious Reviews

Here’s the back cover blurb for my new novel Ten Days in Summer:

Calgary, Alberta, gears up for its ten-day Stampede festival. When a hoarder dies in a suspicious house fire, adjuster Paula Savard sets the revelry aside to handle the property insurance claim. But Paula’s interviews with the hoarder’s bickering heirs raise questions. What are they hiding from each other and the police? Are they trying to help or to sabotage the investigation? Did one of them set the blaze to kill a relative and hasten an inheritance?

The case turns personal when Paula’s daughter becomes involved with a suspect and moves into his home. If Paula learns the truth, she can ensure her daughter’s safety. While the police are occupied with keeping order during the Stampede, Paula digs through the hoarder’s life. She unearths betrayal, murder and a long-ago secret that led to his death. Exposing the truth would put Paula at risk, but free a troubled family.

Ten Days in Summer is the sequel to Deadly Fall. I hope these reviews of Deadly Fall bode well for the series:

“A pointedly nuanced debut novel, …sparkles with tone and energy that set the pace, a concise storyline, and edgy dialogue that moves the story forward…a debut worth reading and a possible series with insurance claims providing a minefield of potential stories.” — Don Graves, Hamilton Spectator

“Paula is an intelligent, determined, often critical (though in a good way) yet still compassionate sleuth, who is front and center in this mystery debut. She’s a solidly developed character, one readers will want to get to know better, with an interesting supporting cast, which should serve her well in subsequent books. With possibly a new profession in hand, and her first case behind her, readers will look forward to seeing how she fares.” — Mysterious Reviews

Yesterday, I created a Facebook page for my new novel, scheduled for release this spring.

Friday, I was at Loft 112 to celebrate the arrival of the Long Lunch/Quick Reads Anthology of short stories and poems about Calgary. One story or poetry sequence was featured at the Loft each month of the past year. My story was Ms. October. We enjoyed a lovely home-made lunch with mulled wine, mingled with fellow Calgary writers and readers and toasted the new book with champagne.

Today is my birthday. I’m hoping for a banner year. Here is the banner for my future books with my new publisher. The banner will appear at the front of each book.

I really enjoyed my Long Lunch Quick Reads event at Loft 112 last Friday afternoon. Delicious food, great company, sharp questions after my reading that followed our hearty meal. Many thanks to Lisa Murphy-Lamb for giving my short story a home and hosting this fun happening. It even inspired me to come up with a new short story idea that I hope to get down to writing soon.

How exciting to see this collage of the chapbooks featuring my short story “When a Warm Wind Blows Off the Mountains.” Those who come to the Loft Lunch this Friday will choose one of these little books to take home. During the lunch, from noon-2:00 PM, I’ll read from the story and we’ll chat about writing and more, while enjoying lunch, either the one we brought or the one we ordered from The Loft.  To learn more and/or to order lunch phone 403-455-1120 or check www.loft112.org.

Friday, October 21, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Loft 112
#112, 535 8 Ave SE – in the East Village

I’m thrilled to have my short story selected for this month’s Long Lunch Quick Reads, at Loft 112, 535-8 Avenue # 112, in the East Village. The event takes places Friday, Oct 21, noon-2:00 PM.

Never been before? Here’s what to expect:
1) a beautiful chapbook to read on site and then to take home
2) a chance to sit and read in a cozy, light filled space with other readers reading the same story
3) opportunity to discuss the story
4) insight into this new writing
5)Lunch! Your own or pre-order from us @ loftonetwelve@gmail.com $10 gets you fed and contributes to the Loft’s Pay-A-Writer Fund
6) Coffee, tea and Village beer

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Loft 112 is commercial space + loft apartment that serves as a centre for writers and artists of all kinds from the Calgary literary, arts, creative and academic community; a creative hive where ideas are given space to develop, a place where established and emerging writers, readers and artists are supported, a place where unheard voices are given a platform and a place of collaboration.

I hope you’ll join us on Oct 21 for a fun lunch and chat.