Welcome to Stitch Read Cook's weekly feature!!
A Day in the Life of.....
After her first heartbreak, Tori found solace in two things: reading romance novels and listening to an after-dark radio program called Lovers and Other Strangers. Throughout the summer and fall of 1990, the new kid in town found reading fiction and writing her own short stories gave her a much needed creative outlet. Determined to become a published author, Tori amassed stacks of notebooks and boxes of filed-away stories, most only half-finished before another idea would overtake her and demand to be written down. Then, while on parental leave with her second baby, one story formed and refused to be packed away. Between teaching full-time, parenting, and life in general, it would take almost seven years before the first novel in her first trilogy would be completed. In the process, Tori finally found her stride as a writer.
At present, on her off-time, Tori not only enjoys reading, but also listening to an eclectic mix of music as she walks the family dog (Skittles), attempts to turn her thumb green, or makes needlework gifts for her friends and family members. She loves to travel, collect and make miniature furniture, and a good cup of tea during a thunderstorm or a blizzard. Under it all, she is always intrigued by history, the supernatural, vampire and shapeshifter mythology, romance, and other dangers.
Connect with Tori: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Amazon
A Day In The Life of Tori L. Ridgewood
6:00 am -- The gradual-light alarm starts brightening.
6:15 am -- The secondary alarm goes off at 6:15.
6:30 am -- The clock-radio starts at 6:30.
Resignation. Here we go, then.
7:00 am -- Let the dog out.
Put the kettle on. Darn, should have put water in it last night. Fill the kettle, put waffles and bread in the toaster. Go wake up the kids.
Whoops! Forgot the dog outside. Sorry, Skittles! (photo 3)
7:45 am -- Help the almost 8-year-old finish getting dressed.
8:05 am -- One child on the bus, the other waits for his ride to school. Thankfully he goes to the same institution at which I work!
8:15 am -- Pick up a tea and a hot chocolate at Tim Horton’s on the way. It’s out of the way, actually, but the hot cups are particularly comforting on cold mornings.
8:25 am -- Bid adieu to my elder child as we part ways in the hall at school, he toward the grade 7/8 area and myself to the staff room to leave my coat and change my shoes.
8:30 am -- In my classroom, setting up for first period. Did I remember to do my photocopying?
8:45 am to 3:30 pm -- Teaching:
-Introduce / review Learning Goals
-Take attendance while students get busy on assignment
-Circulate, offer assistance and feedback, redirect attention, allow washroom breaks, confiscate cellphones, etc., etc.
-supervise student activities: Anime Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, play rehearsals
-grab a quick salad or a sandwich
-Monitor the halls for thirty minutes OR cover a colleague’s class OR take 15 minutes to decompress (play Candycrush, check social media and personal email, read a book) before planning the next day, marking, and making phone calls, OR attending staff meetings, organizing field trips and fundraisers
3:35 pm -- Younger child gets off her bus at the high school to meet me in the office
4:00 pm -- Collapse on my couch. Attempt to do some writing. Fall asleep.
Sometime later... Eat supper. Attempt to do some writing. Throw laundry in the machine.
7:00 pm -- Chat with friends on social media, talk to mom on the phone, help kids with homework, listen to hubby’s day, do cross-stitching, or play games online. Search for chocolatey treat to enjoy. Watch favourite shows together (Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, How It’s Made, etc.) Have a cup of tea.
8:00 pm -- Start the process of putting the kids to bed.
9:30 pm -- The kids are finally in bed. Another cup of tea. Wish the kitchen had more chocolatey treats. Hubby goes to bed. Put on current favourite show and dive into work in progress, with short breaks to chat online, plan promos, package books for reviewers and prize winners, or make candles or cross-stitch.
12:00 pm -- In bed too late again.
Thanks so much for having me on Stitch, Read, Cook!
Tori L. Ridgewood’s paranormal romance book Wind and Shadow: Book One of the Talbot Trilogy, published by Melange Books, was released on June 20, 2013.
After a series of misadventures including being accused of attempted murder in high school, Rayvin Woods, a photographer and natural witch, left her hometown of Talbot in Northeastern Ontario, hoping to start her life over and never return. Ten years later, circumstances force her back to face her past and her former crush Grant Michaels.
Malcolm de Sade, a cunning vampire, escapes from an underground prison looking for vengeance. His accidental release unleashes his hunger and ambition on a small, sleepy town. Rayvin’s power is all that stands between de Sade and his domination of Talbot, and beyond.
Grant Michaels, a police officer, thought Rayvin was a murderer. He will do whatever it takes to protect the community he loves from danger... but will he learn to trust his heart, and the word of a witch, before it's too late?
Rayvin didn't count on rekindling a lost love or battling a malevolent vampire and his coven for her life when she came home to Talbot. Facing the past can be a nightmare… It’s worse when a vampire is stalking you.
I love all of your "A Day In The Life Of.." features. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to get a glimpse into Tori's life. Thanks for sharing!
Your day looks very similar to mine.
ReplyDelete