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literary arts by Peggy Stortz Michele Carter: All She's Cracked Up To Be c o l l e c t i v e history. C a r t e r has c r e a t e d a rich v a r i e t y of h o n e s t c h a r a c t e r s in The Last Enemy and a l l o w e d t h e m t o play o u t the events of t h e i r lives w i t h little i n t e r f e r e n c e f r o m her. In a c o m p l e t e l y different vein, h e r s e c o n d b o o k , Four Legs and a Tale, also self-published, is a c o m i c a l and informative g u i d e b o o k a b o u t c o p i n g w i t h animal c o m p a n i o n s . C a r t e r draws from her o w n experiences with her Siamese cat, Misha. and h e r standard p o o d l e . Jazz, offering training tips and creative solutions t o the challenges of o w n i n g a p e t . T h e b o o k is illustrated and makes a lovely gift for c h i l d r e n o r adults. C a r t e r is w o r k i n g o n a t h i r d b o o k , set during t h e D e p r e s s i o n years. It is 1933 in H o l l y w o o d and W i l l i a m Powell's chauffeur, an Irishman, is f o r c e d t o leave t o w n quickly after a " d a l l i a n c e " w i t h Powell's wife, C a r o l e L o m b a r d . H e b e c o m e s a h o b o and rides t h e rails east t o M a i n e , w h e r e he begins a n e w life. T h i s t i m e C a r t e r intends t o find a p u b l i s h e r and d i s t r i b u t o r f o r t h e b o o k . Besides self-publishing h e r t w o b o o k s , she s o l d o v e r 8 0 0 of t h e m d o o r t o d o o r . "I l e a r n e d s o m u c h f r o m my e x p e r i e n c e s , but n o w I w a n t t o be able t o d e v o t e my t i m e t o my w r i t i n g and s e m i n a r s and let s o m e o n e else d o t h e o t h e r work." first F o u r Legs and a Tale is available Kidsbooks at W hen I was f o u r years o l d , I slid d o w n a banister, landed o n a c o n c r e t e sidewalk, and c r a c k e d o p e n my head. M y family j o k e d that all my brains fell o u t w h e n I hit t h e pave- m e n t , but my m o t h e r believes that that w a s t h e day I b e c a m e a w r i t e r . T h e c r a c k m a d e it possible f o r s t o ries t o e n t e r my head fully f o r m e d . " A f t e r a stint of teaching English at the U n i v e r s i t y o f British C o l u m b i a , M i c h e l e C a r t e r d e c i d e d t o take advantage of t h e c r a c k in h e r head and began t o w r i t e full t i m e . In 1998, she self-published h e r first n o v e l , The Last Enemy. Set in a s m a l l m i n i n g t o w n in t h e K o o t e n a y s , t h e s t o r y takes place o v e r t h e E a s t e r w e e k e n d o f 1917. In E u r o p e , a b l o o d y w a r is raging, w h i l e at h o m e in B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a , w o m e n have just w o n t h e right t o v o t e . A s p e a k i n g e n g a g e m e n t brings T o r o n t o suffragist C l a r e Tate t o R o c k w a t e r , w h e r e s h e stays at t h e l o c a l h o t e l r u n by t h e B o i s s e n e a u family. H e r visit b e c o m e s e x t e n d e d w h e n a y o u n g p r o s t i t u t e is f o u n d murdered a n d o n e of t h e B o i s s e n e a u b r o t h e r s is falsely a c c u s e d o f t h e c r i m e . C l a r e o p t s t o stay a n d help w i t h t h e investigation. C a r t e r weaves many e l e m e n t s into h e r captivating s t o r y T h e t h e m e s of death and r e s u r r e c t i o n are c a r r i e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t o r y against t h e p o w e r f u l b a c k d r o p of C a t h o l i c E a s t e r t r a d i t i o n s . In E u r o p e , y o u n g C l a u d e B o i s s e n e a u is s u r r o u n d e d by death o n t h e battlefields o f F r a n c e , w h e r e C l a r e ' s h u s b a n d E d w a r d has already f a l l e n . T h e B o i s s e n e a u s pray f o r t h e safe r e t u r n of t h e i r s o n , w h i l e C l a r e struggles t o c o m e t o t e r m s w i t h h e r in Edgemont Village and at the Gift Horse Gallery at 15h and Lonsdale. T h e Last Enemy is available through the author. If you would like to contact Michele Carter to find out more Seminars? W h a t seminars? C a r t e r realized w h e n s h e was teaching English that many p e o p l e d o n ' t k n o w w h a t t o l o o k f o r w h e n they read a b o o k . T h e s e m i n a r s , w h i c h run f o r five s e s s i o n s , help explain h o w the w r i t e r uses figurative language and images t o e v o k e e m o t i o n in t h e r e a d e r . T h e s e m i n a r s also s e r v e as a valuable learning o p p o r t u n i t y for about her books, seminars, or talks, please call 904-5634. Michele (Editors note: under her next name Carter has been writing McDevitt, under the the name of Michele book will published Michele Carter.) Peggy Stortz is a North Shore-based writer and entertainer, and the art director at DRAMAWORKS. G h o s t s h o v e r all a r o u n d R o c k w a t e r . T h e y are the g h o s t s of t h o s e w h o have d i e d , t h e g h o s t s of the o l d ways that have been d e s t r o y e d by the o p e n i n g o f the m i n e s , t h e ghosts of individual e x p e r i ences as w e l l as the g h o s t s of o u r writers. C a r t e r is available f o r speaking engagements, t o o , w i t h o r w i t h o u t h e r d o g Jazz. H e r talks are delightfully c o m i c a l and insightfully instructional. She especially enjoys m e e t i n g w i t h b o o k cfubs.