Need a book for the beach? A CD for the road trip? Here are two selections for summer that you'll enjoy as much as I did.
Sechelt author Patricia V. Carswell takes us into the world of show jumping in her murder mystery, Jumping to Conclusions (Trafford). Dick Francis better move over.
As the renowned British mystery writer knows, tales of horses and those infatuated with them cast a magic over readers. Fortunes and careers rest in the saddles of these beauties. Scandals abound and rivalries fester on the show circuit. No one knows that more clearly than the book's no guff horse trader Millie Rubiksen who runs the Anawaki Equestrian Centre in rural eastern Ontario along with one of her clever daughters. Millie is no longer excited by her car salesman husband and wants to take a new lover. Of course, that special someone must appreciate horses, too.
No one is more affected by the magic of the circuit than sweet, young Tina Chown, an Olympic champion in the making riding her steed, Muscraat. That is, until a horrible accident changes her life. That event is recorded in ghastly detail through the camera lens of handsome Piers Fitzgerald, the photographer. Though Tina lives to ride again, it seems that fate is stalking her. And whenever fate deals her a blow, Piers always seems to be there as well.
In the end, it is Tina's high school friends, Rachel, the rider turned fashion model, and Mitch, her lawyer boyfriend, who unravel the secret of a mysterious death.
Though Carswell has been a fan of show jumping ever since she attended the Montreal Olympics, she is not a rider herself. Her story was sparked by living in a small town near Ottawa and observing the local characters and intrigues. A friend arranged for her to go behind the scenes at a show jumping event in Manitoba.
"I hung out like a fly on the wall," Carswell said. "It was the craziest thing. Whenever I met somebody who worked with horses I found a version of a person from my book. The characters were bang on."
As well, her veterinarian husband helped to further her knowledge of animal health.
This is Carswell's first novel, although while she and her husband lived in China in 2002, she submitted regularly to expatriate magazines. Her writings from China, the book and horse related gifts are available through her website: www.pvcarswell.com. Jumping to Conclusions is also available from Coast Princess Books, Talewind Books and Ashley's Books.
Lowry Olafson's latest CD is a tad different than his usual original material. My Dog Ate My Homework is a collection of 18 tunes with lyrics written by kids with the assistance of Olafson during his many tours of western Canada's schools. His educational program, From the Page to the Stage in One Day, a fun exercise in song-writing, visited 200 schools and was obviously enjoyed by both students and Olafson alike.
The title song, written by the students of Tahayghen Elementary in Masset, has a kind of Elvis groove. The young culprit laments that even though his homework was all finished, the dog thought it was spinach and "chewed it up in a ball."
The themes are of interest to kids; they're fresh and funny, often from the heart. The students of Roberts Creek Elementary School warn, with tongues firmly in their cheeks, that The Lemons are Coming. "Beware the invasion of the sourest fruit."
We must be fond of our desserts here on the Coast, because the students of Kinnikinnick Elementary School in Sechelt also sing about food. Any Kind of Pie makes these kids happy.
Adults will be singing along, too, on many of the songs. How can you resist Friends are Like Noodles, written by students in Prince George, or the catchy tune on Kids Forever by Port Edward students? More complex themes are presented in the proud Home of the Nisga'a Nation, a song from New Aiyansh, B.C., or in the words of Castlegar students: "All of the world longs for peace / There's money for guns but not enough for food."
This CD is a gem. Olafson thrives on eliciting these grass roots lyrics and he's good at it. It was produced with the help of many Coast musicians and a children's choir of students from Roberts Creek and Cedar Grove including Olafson's daughter, Jillian. Acacia Slingerland sings harmonies on one tune and the Kinnikinnick kids perform on their own track. You can hear more on www.songsbykids.ca or buy the CD for $15 (River Records) at Coast Books or Sunshine Faire at the Langdale ferry terminal.
