About

Who is Norma Budden?

I am a woman with many talents who makes my home in Arctic Canada. Though I live further north than many of my friends and acquaintances, I'll be quick to point out that I am really located a little further south of the geographical center of Canada (Baker Lake) - so I am nowhere near the North Pole.
I am a mother of three and grandmother to three. In each case, there are two girls and a boy. My youngest daughter and her daughter, as well as my son, live with me while my oldest daughter and her two children live in Manitoba while she attends college. I see them every chance I can and we take a mini-vacation whenever I have an opportunity to fly to the city.
I spend five days each week working with The Northwest Company, a company I've been working with since November, 1992. For the most part, I've been in one community. However, now that I am pursuing other interests within the company, I shall see more of the northern communities and, perhaps, meet a few new friends and acquire new fans.
I'm a nature freak but I am in no way referring to insects. I enjoy spending time in the great outdoors, especially chasing sunsets, large bodies of water and waterfalls. If a range of mountains happens to be nearby, the experience becomes so much richer.
When I see a photo I must take, everything else comes to a halt. I will lie on the ground, get too close to the water, and do other silly things such as sliding my body part way beneath a fence to capture the perfect angle.
I cherish my friends perhaps more than the average person because, from an early age, I had to let them go whenever my family and I moved to another town or province. Now, I will do whatever is in my power to maintain a friendship - even if it means driving across several provinces or states just to sit down and have a meal or spend part of a day together. In fact, some of those friends feel more like my lifeblood.

Winter Vacation 2019

Photo Copyright Norma Budden 2019

Spring Vacation 2019

In A Dream World

In a dream world, I would spend more time writing than the hour or two I get most nights - when time permits. Even so, I wouldn't want to be sitting at my computer nearly every hour of the day.

I hope, even pray, that one day I will productively spend (at least) 6 hours each day involved in the business of writing while still having the energy to live my life, read, take photos and enjoy more time with family and friends.

Will it come to pass? Of course it will! In this area, I will not take no for an answer. I already have my dream house born inside of my mind so it just has to come to pass. Meanwhile, as I wait, I dedicate most of my spare time to writing stories which have written themselves upon my heart.

Writing ... and Reading

During the autumn of 2011, I published the first book of my Freedom in Love Series titled, An Affair to Remember. December, 2011, brought the second book, When Love Abides, to readers' bookshelves, later followed by Soul Confessions, Divided Loyalties and The Promise. The sixth title, tentatively titled, Sunflower Meadows, will be released in 2020.

I've also written short stories/novellas titled, Hershey Falls and Written on the Stars. There are a couple of stand- alone titles in the mix: If Only and Coming Unglued: A Mother's Journey into Hell, as well as a title written with the late Michael S. Ingram titled, As Angels Watch - previously titled, Finding Tracey.

Recently, I published The Prayer which was supposed to be a stand-alone title called The Gift. Well, my characters took me for a surprise and turned it into a trilogy but, at least, the series will have a beginning and end, unlike my Freedom in Love series which shows no signs of slowing down. All in all, I look forward to a promising future filled with new characters, stories and finding other outlets for my creativity.

Author Interviews - Spotlights

Editorial Recommendations Lit World Interviews - David Janssen - Michael Phelps
Serious Reading - Interview with Author of If Only
Lit World Interviews
Characters in 60 Seconds
Elizabeth Blogs About it All
Book Lemur Author Spotlight
Tim Greaton Forum

I also enjoy writing poetry, especially poems which whisper to the soul on some level. At some point, I may be able to find time to feature them on a website. I've written over 30 songs and have created melodies for them. I've been tempted to send some to country and gospel singers to see if they are interested in creating their own melodies, but that remains an idea germinating in the back of my mind.

Of course, most writers enjoy reading and I am no exception, making time for it most days especially before going to bed. Staying in the staff room during lunch hour - especially when the winter temperatures are frigid cold - provides a great opportunity to get ahead with my reading. Absorbing every word, I escape into another world which enables me to relax. Of course, when I read a book and thoroughly enjoy it, I promote it at Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and eventually it turns up at Budden Book Reviews.

Recommended Books ~ Christian Fiction

Recommended Books ~ Drama

Recommended Books ~ Romance

Traveling and Photography

Taking road trips and experiencing a little of different places along the way is something I find an immense amount of pleasure in doing. I enjoy meeting new people, taking in local attractions and experiencing various types of cuisine. I thoroughly enjoy landscapes and seascapes, especially walking along a sandy beach or climbing rocks on a rocky shoreline. I enjoy being on horseback when the opportunity presents itself as well as taking a trek into the Rocky Mountains.
That being said, I'm sure I wouldn't enjoy these activities nearly as much if I couldn't take photos along the way. I have a fascination for recording moments which my soul has captured forever. This way, my eyes continue to have a visual delight whenever I choose to take a journey into parts of the past I've been able to document through photos or videos.

Coral Harbour, Nunavut - June 2019

Until June, 2019, for me, Coral Harbour was just the name of a town located in Nunavut. I didn't know anything about the people or town. When I mentioned to a few people that I was going there for a work assignment, I was told I would love it there. It filled me with a sense of optimism especially since I would be leaving my family back home for the couple of weeks I would be away.
An interesting thing to note about my plane trip to Coral Harbour was that the first leg of the flight - from Arviat to Rankin Inlet - I was filled with curiosity about what my duties would be at work. I had an idea of how I would be occupying my time but wasn't quite sure of the full capacity in which I would be working. Never one to turn away from a challenge, I merely looked forward with anticipation.
However, something happened on the second leg of the flight, from Rankin Inlet to Coral Harbour. The plane had been in the air for about 10 minutes when my heart started to slam. I looked through the window and marveled at the land of ice, water and snow beneath me - though I was no stranger to such sights. What surprised me was the urgency to which I felt I was flying toward my destiny. I felt as every part of my chest cavitity expanded to enable me to find room to embrace all that I would discover.
I was in the little town of less than 1,000 people for 23 days. I went for walks and outings alone and I went with newfound friends. I saw scenery I had never imagined I would see, photographed sunsets which filled every crevice of my soul with peace. I stepped barefoot into a river and was surprised that the water wasn't as cold as I presumed. I got up close and personal to a waterfall, feeling such power surge within me as I listened to the water rumble and roar.
This bears repeating: I was in the little town of less than 1,000 people for 23 days. By the time I had to leave, my soul thought it would drown from all of the tears I had shed, tears no one could see. Never again will Coral Harbour just be the name of a town to me. Now, when I think of Coral Harbour, I will remember it as a place in which I had experienced the greatest sense of peace I had ever known.
Enjoy the photos below. I planned to stick to nature photos but ended up including some photos of June, the young girl who decided she wanted to keep me company on a walk. The sky is the limit to what I would do for this newfound child of my heart.

Clear Lake, Riding Mountain National Park

The Other Stuff

In truth, I enjoy so many things. When I find time, I enjoy sitting at a sewing machine bringing articles and clothing to life. I enjoy cross stitch, creating scrapbooks, sewing or painting quilts, among other things. There seems to be no end to my creative outlets - except for drawing and painting.
I enjoy fixing things around the house whether it involves re-arranging rooms to make them more accommodating, or working with tools.
I enjoy playing the piano keyboard and guitar though must admit it's been a while since I've been able to do either.
I know there are numerous things I enjoy which have not made their way to this list, but I'm sure you get the picture that my life is all-encompassing. I have so many things I enjoy that, to spend adequate time on each of them, I'd need another lifetime - possibly, two.

I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into my world. Please feel free to browse the site to learn more information about the books I've published and how you may contact me. Thanks so much for visiting and I hope to see you again!