Jessica Natale Woollard — writer & communications professional
 
Picture
I am pleased to announce that one of my stories has been published in a new book, The Beginner's Guide to Chick Night, written by my dear friend and award-winning writer, Colleen Kleven.

Six years ago, Colleen approached me about an idea she had for a book—a collection of stories celebrating the time women spend together and emphasizing how important it is to get out and enjoy life with friends, and specifically, your girl friends.

In the very early days of my writing career, I wrote a version of the my story "Up with Fun," which appears in the book. Thankfully, Colleen gave me the chance to edit it last year—the story benefited from a few more years of experience (both writing and personal)!

The book is now available in hard and soft covers on Amazon and Chapters or from the publisher, IUniverse, where an E-book is also available. The collection of inspiring stories speaks to the importance of friendship, having fun, and taking time for yourself. It offers insight into relationships; inspiration for rainy days; and a healthy dose of comedy to put life in perspective. Chick Night will make life better!

Since starting the book, Colleen has founded Chick Night International, devoted to inspiring women to get out and play with their girl friends, which she sees as an integral part of a healthy life. Chick Night is run in a monthly club format, much like Toastmasters—only it's dedicated to having fun, not public speaking. (Although—having fun increases self-confidence, which can ultimately lead to ease while public speaking... Interesting.) No doubt, Chick Night chapters will pop up all over the nation!

My sincerest congratulations to Colleen! What an accomplishment!

Now, enough reading my blog—go curl up with a copy of Chick Night and prepare to laugh, cry, and crave chocolate.
 
 
One of the things I love most about being a writer is learning about new things.
One day, I'm researching wedding cakes for Weddingful; the next, I'm learning about UN Security Council Resolution 1325 when profiling a writer from the Women PeaceMakers Program; and today, I'm studying fine cuisine as I work on Prince Rupert's Crest Hotel's cookbook, due out this fall in celebration of the hotel's 50th anniversary.

The cookbook is my first foray into recipe writing, and, despite being perpetually hungry while working on it, I'm loving it!

What makes this cookbook special is that it not only documents the hotel's top-selling plates over the last 50 years, but it provides insight into the history and culture of Prince Rupert. The recipes have been handed down for generations! Some feature delicacies like abalone, which is now on a protected species list and is currently not available, but the recipe is included for historical purposes.

Many of the dishes feature seafood, fished fresh off the shores of Prince Rupert. Among the absolutely divine recipes, you'll find succulent swimming scallops, flavourful beet salad with Parmesan crackling, and perfect cajun-dusted oysters, harvested locally. Now you can see why it's so difficult to work on this book—for hours at a time, I sit in agony going over these mouthwatering recipes, searching for the perfect adjectives to describe these heavenly plates!
Sigh. Live and learn: only write about food after I've already eaten!