by Sylvia McNicoll | Apr 9, 2026 | Sylvia McNicoll
Most of the time,
There’s no reason or rhyme,
But at the end of the day
Things turn out okay.
What do I most want readers to experience from my books? First I want to take them outside themselves, away from their own life, and absorb them in a story by putting them in someone else’s. I want them to enjoy the emotions that go along with this experience and gain from them, resilience and hope. Resilience, my characters face the worst problems and somehow make it through and make peace with themselves and their life. My readers see how problems can be resolved and how to make the best of a bad situation. Hope, the inner resolution that no matter what happens, life can always get better again depending on how you face up to it.
In Blue to the Sky, Ella hopes to conquer her allergies and her fear of public speaking.
While the first is not within her power, the second she achieves through spoken word poetry. Writing poetry also becomes a helpful coping mechanism. The way she explains life to herself.
Hopefully readers will also gain empathy for their allergic friends.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Jul 2, 2023 | Sylvia McNicoll
Dogs enjoy the basics of life. Food, shelter, a walk, some play and us. My rescue terror, I mean terrier, Banjo loves me more than anyone I know. Doesn’t matter how my latest book What the Dog Knows does on the awards lists or library shelves. I am his person.  Note beside him in this video is Worf. the dog Diesel is based on. One of the little side lessons in this story is that If we pay attention to our dogs,( or even our cats) maybe we, too, can be happier with the simple things in life.
Diesel and Banjo want you to know, no dogs stay dead in this story. Whoo, big plot giveaway!
by Sylvia McNicoll | Dec 22, 2016 | Sylvia McNicoll
Authors need to acknowledge their own creations and buy themselves gifts. This is to help fortify us for the tough world out there that perhaps doesn’t celebrate our work enough. I decided to reward myself for The Great Mistake Series with a specially designed and handmade pin by Cathy Disbrow, a designer and illustrator extraordinaire. (The name of her company is Woolly Doodles, have a look at her work over at http://www.woollydoodles.com) The first stage is selecting sketches. These are of Pong, the rescue greyhound in the story, and Ping, a Jack Russell largely based on my dog Mortie. The top two are the ones I chose.
In the story the dogs are described as a miss matched wagon team, one big, silent and powerful, Pong; the other small, bark and bold, Ping. Â They are already earning me great reviews. “The descriptions of canine exuberance, however, are delightful and the best parts of this quick read and first in a promised mystery series.”
Pay no attention to the “however” which  is why I need to have this piece of art created for myself.
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