Ishbel Moore

Ishbel Moore was born in Glasgow, Scotland and immigrated to Canada with her parents and siblings in 1967. A prolific writer, Ishbel has published more than a dozen novels through varying publishers and in several languages. The genres span time travel to medical issues to medieval fantasy romance. Her list of credits include multiple magazine articles and short stories. Ishbel has traveled across Canada hosting writing workshops and bringing writers together in rural communities. She has been the National President for the Canadian Authors Association in the past, as well as holding positions in other provincial and national writing associations. She is also a YW-YMCA Woman of Distinction and a three-time breast cancer survivor. Music is another passion. She is a trained singer, and plays the piano. Among her achievements in this area, she cites being the conductor for the Back Pew Boys Male Choir and the Octavia Ladies Choir among her greatest. A retired medical transcriptionist, she is married, with three grown children, a daughter-in-law and two grandsons. She lives on an acreage north of Winnipeg, Canada, with her beloved horses, dog, cats, chickens and sundry wildlife.

For a list of Ishbel's published books, please notice this can be found below in the 'Interview', and on the end pages of her books.

Read more of this interview.

choir    contemporary    curse    family    friendship    holy isle    homelessness    horses    ledgends    lifeboats    lonliness    love    mental illness    molaise    music    mystical    ogham    oral story telling    prairies    rance life    relic    romance    scotland    scottish    selfdiscovery    singing    sweet    trees    weather   

• Feel the Spirit of this Place on June 26, 2020
  
  Just out of high school, Norman takes a teaching position in a northern community and learns a few lessons about life and indigenous culture. He also matures. The author doesn't bog the reader down with superfluous language. The story is told in a direct, clean manner, and the reader is always rooting for Norman! A good quick uncomplicated read.
  
• After Sigga on March 08, 2021
  
  Sigga Johnson’s husband’s body is hanging from the bannister of their home when she returns from a trip to Chicago. Enter the police units and the hunt is on for why Jason might have committed suicide, although the agents are not certain that is what happened. The reader doesn’t wait long to find out that Sigga knows more than she lets on or that anyone will believe. When the heat dies down, she decides to move from Manitoba to Minnesota where she meets ex-biker chick, Susie who is being framed by her boyfriend for the murder of an FBI agent. The two women strike up a friendship, becoming like sisters, especially when Sigga provides Susie with a fake ID. They move from place to place, ending up in Texas where they are perfectly happy until Sigga is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. They relocate to Rochester to be closer to the Mayo Clinic. They switch identities, so that when Sigga dies, Susie becomes Sigga and moves to a house in Gimli (Home of the Gods), Manitoba, that the real Sigga inherited from an uncle. Susie/Sigga meets Steve, who is a “CPA but by night a dashing mystery writer”. [Steve’s pen name is Kathe Richard, which readers will note is the name of the author (which is an amalgamation of two writers).] Turns out, Steve is the real Sigga’s cousin who doesn’t recognize Susie/Sigga either. But then, the reader is introduced to the hired killer’s caregiver, and pieces begin to fall into place, loose ends start to tie up. The plot twists when one of the policemen from the initial investigation happens to now live in Gimli, too. Throughout the pages, the authors employ the FBI Cold Case Review files to show how the police investigation unfolds, until the case is fully re-opened and the reader spends time in the heads of the officers involved…and the disowned daughter, the lawyer, and the vicious vengeful biker who has been searching for Susie/Sigga. In whichever physical location the takes place, the reader is provided a true sense of setting. For instance, the beaches and stores in Gimli do exist, which is a nice touch, as is the plethora of Icelandic names. The switching of names/ID initially is confusing, until the real Sigga dies, and Susie becomes the predominant Sigga in the story. Sometimes, the characters’ thoughts are in italics, but at other times not, and this can also be confusing. At times, the reader has to work to keep up with whose head we are in at any given point. But the plot twists, excellent descriptions of setting, the broad cross-sections of humanity, and fast-paced writing keeps the reader engaged while the noose tightens around Susie-Sigga. Happy ending? Maybe. Maybe not. You’ll have to read this book to find out. This reader doesn’t think you’ll be disappointed.