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By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF When Oakville Sheila Gale retired after more than 20 years of instructing Sheridan College business students in writing, she began a new chapter in her life. She began writing novels and now, nine years later, that labour is becoming evident in her first publication. The longtime Oakville resident has just published her debut novel, also the first of a series, titled Dottie Flowers and the Skinner Gang. Despite the longtime it took to get published, the author is thrilled it has hap- pened. Im very excited, she said. Writing the book seemed to be the hard part and then sub- mitting and trying to get it published seemed to be the hard part. In other words, its all chal- lenging, wherever youre at with it. The novel, recently published by Multi- Media Publications Inc., is about two retired women who get into a variety of troubles. One is a successful divorcee who loves fashion and motorbikes, the other is a rich widow who shops at discount clothing stores and eats junk food. Through chance circumstance they become the best of friends and get into trouble with the law. Theyre two retired women, totally differ- ent people, Gale describes the two protago- nists in the novel. Theyre not even remotely alike and they get themselves into all sorts of murder and mayhem. I just have such fun writing about them. Gale has finished three novels, and is already writing the fourth in the five-part series, which she hopes all will get published. However, she said, if the sequels are not pub- lished, the readers wont be left in the dark. Although its the first of the series, its not open ended, she said. Its a standalone book. It hints that theres more to come. The next one follows from there but you wouldnt have to read the first one. Gale has done a lot of writing in her career as an instructor at the Oakville campus, as well as outside of it, and wanted to continue beyond retirement. I decided when I retired I wanted to take my writing seriously and to start writing a novel, she said. With a finished manuscript, it was difficult to get a publisher interested until she found the Canadian publisher, which took the project on. She also gives credit to others for her pub- lication, one being her husband, and her writ- ing group of Oakville and Burlington residents who meet on a regular basis. I belong to a writers group. Were called the Fiction Highway Guild, she said We cri- tique each others work. Without them it would have been difficult. Her husband, Ted, she calls her business advisor. My husband has been patient and long suf- fering, she said jokingly. In the nine years after retirement, shes also developed her writing style. At writing groups and seminar, she was told a writer must find his or her voice. My first book was sort of stilted, she said. I was so anxious not to make mistakes, I wouldnt relax. One day, I was just relaxing, and these characters popped in my head. I Tim Hortons, 2010 Your local Tim Hortons is happy to bring you Tim Hortons Free Swim complimentary swimming time at your local pool. For a schedule of times and locations, drop by your local Oakville Tim Hortons restauraunt. 1 9 Frid ay, A u g u st 5, 2011 O A K V ILLE B E A V E R w w w .in sid eH A LTO N .co m Artscene Whats new at the Gemini Awards? For an Oakville couple, it could be argued not a whole lot. The hit police drama series Flashpoint, created by Oakville mar- ried couple of Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern, is leading the pack of nominees for this years award show with a total of 17. Last year it led with 15 and in its first year, the year before that, it received 19 nominations. Among its many nominations, Flashpoint is up for Best Dramatic Series, and the shows Enrico Colantoni (who plays Sgt. Gregory Parker) is up for Best Actor in a Drama, having won the award two years ago. The Toronto show airs on CTV in Canada and CBS in the U.S. It is cur- rently in its fourth season. The 26th annual Gemini Awards will take place in Toronto over three nights, with technical and other industry awards handed out Aug. 30 and 31, and the main gala on Sept. 7. It will be broadcast live from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on CBC. For more information on the awards show, visit www.geminiawards. ca. Flashpoint leads with 17 Gemini nods Stephanie Morgenstern and Mark Ellis Debut novel for longtime business professor BOOK LAUNCH: Oakville's Sheila Gale launched her debut novel, Dottie Flowers and the Skinner Gang with a book signing at the Chapters bookstore in Oakville last weekend. ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER See Characters page 20