Deborah Hodge's Blog

Rules for Writers

2012-02-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

I just came across Henry Miller's Commandments for Writers. Excellent advice for those of us who apply pencil to paper (or fingers to keyboard) every day. For your viewing pleasure, here they are.

Cheers!

What Writers Read

2012-01-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

Our local children's writers association (CWILL BC) asked its members to answer a questionnaire about what we are reading. Today, they posted my answers on their blog. If you are interested, you can check it out here. Scroll back to read other writer's answers, too.

And, another blog you might like to check out is the SCWBI Conference blog with posts written by various people who attended the New York Winter Conference this past weekend. I followed along, wishing all the while that I was there. To read this blog, go here. You can scroll back to read an exciting weekend's worth of posts.

Happy Reading! (What books are on your end table?)

First pages: Hooray!

2012-01-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

I've been spending the last couple of weeks going over the first pages of a book that will come out next fall. I love this stage. It's the time when I get to see if my idea worked. (I think it did!)

The text and images are artfully put into place by the designer. And then a lot of tweaking begins. Other than coming up with the initial idea, this fine-tuning stage may be my favourite part of the publishing process. I love figuring out ways to make a book look and sound better.

What is the book? More to come on that later. I'll wait until I have a cover to show you.

For now, I hope all is well in your world. Maybe there's something you are fine-tuning.

Cheers!

New format?

2012-01-23T16:50:00.000-08:00

Hmm... I see that Blogger has changed its format. Will I be able to figure out how to post? Let's find out. This is a test run.

Cheers!

The Joys of Tweeting

2012-01-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

I recently opened a Twitter account and have had fun learning how to "tweet" or write bits of info and thoughts in 140 characters or less. It's a challenge to be concise, and serves as an excellent writing exercise for a children's writer, whose job it is to say cogent things in very few words.

Besides writing tweets, I'm reading a lot of them and especially enjoying those posted by other writers and folks in the publishing industry. Lots of them are funny and clever, and give great ideas on books to read.

Here's a tidbit I found today:

Just read a great tip from agent Michael Larsen on how to make a small fortune from writing: start with a large fortune and write full time.

See what you can learn?

Cheers!

New Year's Resolutions...

2012-01-09T15:44:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year when we take stock and ponder our future.

Although I can easily think of a host of worthy resolutions (eat more vegetables, join a gym, dust the house on a regular basis), I am very bad at fulfilling such plans. So this year, instead, I will endeavour to:

Many ways to read...

2012-01-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2012! I trust you had a happy holiday season and that the year ahead looks promising and bright.

Aside from cheery gatherings with family and friends, I spent a lot of the holidays reading. I poured over some great books and some not-so-good ones, but they all got me thinking about writing and the future of publishing.

I read in the traditional paper format, but also tried out e-books on a Kindle and an iPad. It was interesting to compare those experiences. What did I find out?

- An iPad lets you read at night with the lights out because it's backlit (great for folks who want to read when their roommates are fast asleep). The iPad also lets you look up anything you have a question about as you are reading (both a good and a bad thing since you can easily get distracted from your book). The books aren't too expensive, but there doesn't seem to be a wide choice (or not as wide as I would like). Still, it's a convenient way to read.

- Using a Kindle is similar to reading a traditional book (you can't check the internet), but it's light-weight and very portable. You can carry around many volumes on this device, which makes a welcome change for folks who are used to schlepping armloads of heavy books back and forth from the library or onto an airplane. There is no touch screen, though, so it feels a bit old-fashioned after the iPad. On the plus side, there seems to be a wider selection of books to choose from (although one I purchased cost almost as much as a hardcover volume). I also hear that I can borrow Kindle books from the library, which is excellent news.

My daughter, also an avid reader, has noticed that since I became an e-book fan, I have fewer paper books to pass on to her. That is an interesting dilemma. (I'm always happy to purchase books if I know that she and others in the family will also read them.) I can see my ability to share books will change with e-books. Hmm...

Which of the three (traditional books, iPad or Kindle) do I prefer? The jury is still out. But it's great fun trying them all. I will keep you posted.

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is upon us, and this blogger is taking a break. I wish you all a happy, relaxing time with family and friends — and many good books, too!

I'll be back in the New Year. Until then...

Cheers!

Interview with P.D. James

2011-12-12T17:09:00.001-08:00

It's been a long time since I read a P.D. James novel, but I'm going to pick one up again very soon. I heard Ms. James interviewed by Jian Ghomeshi on CBC radio this morning, and she was gracious, wise and very articulate. Every writer can learn something from her. (You can listen to the interview here.)

Even after all her success and many books, Ms. James (Phyllis) still has moments of self-doubt and relies on people around her to tell her if a piece of work is any good. Imagine that, at 91 years of age!

I appreciated her vitality, humility and perseverance. What a great role model! Now, I'm off to find one of her books. (I hope I'm still writing at 91.)

Holiday Gifts for Writers

2011-12-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

Not that I'm asking...

Yesterday, I read a funny article in Publisher's Weekly called, Holiday Gifts That Writers Will Actually Use, by Hannah Gersen. If you're stuck for ideas, check out her post for some great gift-giving tips. My personal favourite:

4. John Cheever famously donned a suit every morning in order to write. But as Ann Beattie recently revealed, and as a generation of bloggers already knows, most writers wear awful clothing while they are working. Help your writer friend out by giving her a beautiful robe to cover up her bizarre ensembles. Even if she already has one, she probably hasn’t washed it in a long time, and could use another.

And while I'm on the seasonal theme, I have been checking out Christmas/Winter books for the youngest book lovers in my life, and have come to the conclusion there are very few that I would consider buying. Perhaps it's time to write one myself. (Will ponder that idea over the holidays.)

Cheers!

Dreaming of Desolation Sound...

2011-12-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

I have been hearing about Desolation Sound for years. It's the most northerly community on BC's Sunshine Coast and, from all reports (in spite of the gloomy name), it is a stunningly beautiful area. I had hoped to get there last summer, but never actually made it. So, imagine my thrill to find a new book about the place. (I can live vicariously.)

The book is Adventures In Solitude: What Not to Wear to a Nude Potluck and Other Stories from Desolation Sound by CBC Radio host, Grant Lawrence. It is funny, poignant, well written and filled to the brim with tales of interesting and quirky people who have lived in or passed through Desolation Sound over the years.

The stories span several decades and comprise an eclectic blend of writing that includes larger-than-life characters, wild frontier escapades, a reverence for nature, and an abiding love for family and friends. What more could we want?!!!

It was a book that surprised and delighted me, and convinced me I must get to Desolation Sound very soon.

To find out more about Adventures in Solitude, go here. You'll be dreaming, too.

Titanic Reading

2011-11-28T15:58:00.001-08:00

The one hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is fast approaching and we are seeing the release of new books on the subject of this epic tragedy. As you know, the Titanic was billed as the "Unsinkable Ship," yet it went down and hundreds of people lost their lives. And, even though much has been written about the ship over the years, there continues to be huge interest in reading about it today.

For a list of recent Canadian books on the Titanic, check out the current edition of Book News, by the Canadian Children's Book Centre and see their section on maritime disasters.

What can we learn from these books? That no ship is unsinkable, that history is full of fascinating stories, and that kids are always keen to learn about them.

The Future of Books...

2011-11-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

As a writer, I am more than curious about how e-books and other electronic technologies are changing the reading experience. I am especially interested in how today's young children are approaching reading.

On this note, I was fascinated to read a recent Globe and Mail article that included the sentence, "For some kids, an iPad is a book that doesn't work." If you'd like to read the article for yourself, go here.

It's a brave new world!

Canadian Teacher Magazine

2011-11-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Margriet Ruurs for making me her interview subject for the current issue of Canadian Teacher Magazine! (And also for asking hard questions that made me think.)

If you'd like to read the article, please go here.

And for those of you who woke up to very chilly Vancouver temperatures this morning, stay warm. Grab a book, a warm cup of something and cozy up to a fireplace.

Cheers!

Seymour Elementary School

2011-11-15T15:14:00.001-08:00

If you live in Vancouver, chances are you've heard of Seymour Elementary School and the primary teacher, Carrie Gelson, who spoke out recently about the needs of her students. (You can read Carrie's letter here.)

I had the privilege of meeting Carrie and her students today. I took my wildlife books and a collection of animal furs and skulls, and spoke to the children about local animals and how I write my nonfiction books. The children were brimming with questions and comments. I received an enormous hug from one of the boys, both on my arrival and my leaving.

I was so impressed with the school and am glad to have had the opportunity to see what a compassionate and caring community it is for the children who attend. Thank you to Carrie, and all the people at Seymour Elementary who have made the school a wonderful place to be!

If you'd like to read about their ongoing work, please go here.

What Writers Read

2011-11-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

Our local writing association, CWILL BC, has begun a new series of interviews asking writers what they read. You can read the first interview, featuring Margriet Ruurs, here.

It's always interesting to see what books are on everyone else's bedside table.

Happy Reading!

Surrey Library Visits

2011-11-02T20:25:00.001-07:00

I'm looking forward to visiting with children at two Surrey Libraries this week: Newton and Strawberry Hill Branches.

Thank you to Jennie Castleton for inviting me.

See you all soon!

Fall, Glorious, Fall!

2011-10-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

Part of my writing routine is to take a long walk every day. I find that the fresh air and exercise clears my head and helps me think. Imagine my delight today to see these gorgeous autumn leaves against the backdrop of bright sunshine and clear blue sky. I am lucky to live in a part of the city that has so many big old trees.

And, while I'm feeling lucky, I'd like to say a sincere thank you to the people who invited me to present at their events and schools last week. Thank you to: Hal Wake and Lizette Fischer, from the Vancouver International Writers Festival; Lucy Skipper and Ilona Beiks for setting up my visit at Britannia Elementary School; to the Writers Festival for sponsoring the school visit; and finally, to Wendy Ames and her team from the BC Teacher-Librarians Association for the invitation to speak at their conference. It was a wonderful week, full of book talk and book lovers. Thank you to everyone who made it possible!

Cheers!

Literary Season

2011-10-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

The fall literary season is upon us and there are many wonderful events taking place in my fair city.

I attended a book launch at Barbara Jo's Book to Cooks the other night, where my friend Ellen Schwartz was introducing her new book, The Case of the Missing Deed. Her book is full of recipes contributed by her daughter, Merri Schwartz, a talented young pastry chef. We got to watch Merri cook, listen to Ellen read, and then sample the goodies. Yum!

On Saturday morning, I attended the Children's Literature Roundtable annual breakfast meeting, where Barbara Reid and Jo-Ellen Bogart were the guest speakers. On top of that, we heard book-talks for the 5 finalists for the Information Book Award of Canada. (May I ever so quietly mention that my book, Up We Grow, was one of them?)

This week, there are even more events. I am looking forward to speaking at the Vancouver Writers Festival, Britannia Elementary School (hi everyone!), and the annual BC Teacher-Librarian Conference. I am rushing around doing last-minute tweaks to my presentations and crossing my fingers that all will go well (or at least that I don't fail miserably).

I hope your fall is an excellent one, and that you are well-stocked with great books to read, or have a calendar full of bookish events to attend.

Cheers!

Farewell and Thank You, Steve Jobs

2011-10-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs made my life better.

I didn't know him, but I use his innovations daily. My computer, phone, electronic reader, and music player are in constant rotation as I write, read, listen and communicate throughout the day.

I owe a lot to Steve Jobs. He was a true visionary. I will miss him.

Great Quote!

2011-10-05T08:18:00.001-07:00

I'm currently reading a very good children's book called Lives of the Writers: Comedy, Tragedies (and What the Neighbours Thought) by Kathryn Krull and Kathryn Hewitt.

It opens with this quote by Gustav Flaubert (famous French writer):

"Writing is a dog's life, but the only life worth living."

What do I think about that?

Woof!

Fall Reading...

2011-10-02T15:07:00.001-07:00

I just finished re-reading a wonderful book called, Passages: Welcome Home to Canada. It is a collection of thoughtful and inspiring essays by Canadian writers who were born in other countries. It includes articles by Shyam Selvadurai, Anna Porter, M.G. Vassanji and Moses Znaimer to name a few.

The first time I read Passages (a few years ago), I was writing my own thoughts on the topic: The Kids Book of Canadian Immigration. At that time, I read Passages (and many other books) strictly for research. On this second reading, I savoured the book and turned each page with enjoyment and contemplation. It is a lovely piece of work!

Another collection I am reading is a set of short stories titled, The Empty Family, by Colm Toibin — someone I had not read before but have heard about for a long time. These are beautifully written stories, set in Ireland, and full of poignancy, longing, melancholy and regret. I look forward to reading many more books by this writer. (He writes in a range of genres apparently — poetry, novels, essays and more.)

What are you reading this fall? Feel free to send your recommendations. I will gladly follow your lead.

Happy Reading!

Vancouver Writers Festival

2011-09-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver Writers & Readers Festival is quickly approaching and I'm thrilled to be a speaker this year!

I'm presenting in an event titled, Magic Between the Covers, featuring picture books for children in Grades K-3. On stage with me will be Margriet Ruurs, author of Amazing Animals (and many other books), and Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark, creators of the famous Franklin books. I will be speaking about Watch Me Grow! To read up on our event, please go here.

On a related note, the teachers in our province are in a job action situation and, sadly, ticket sales to the Writers Festival are not as robust as usual. (Teachers and students make up a big part of the audience.) I received a message from Artistic Director, Hal Wake, letting me know that the BCTF has confirmed that field trips to the Writers Festival are still permitted during the job action. Hooray! I am posting part of Hal's message (see below) to help get the word out.

I look forward to the festival and hope to see you there!

Message from Hal Wake:

The Writers Festival Spreading the Word school events inspire students to read by introducing them to exciting writers from around the world.

The BCTF have confirmed that field trips to Writers Festival events are still permitted during the job action. Suggestions regarding the handling of money from Richard Hoover, Director of the Field Service Division at the BCTF are as follows:

Principals, if willing, would be able to handle the collection of students' money.
If not principals, there may be PAC representatives who would be willing to collect the money.
If neither the principal nor parents can collect the students' money, let the Festival know and we will make arrangements to accept payment for the tickets after the job action has ended, when the money can be collected some other way.
If all else fails, students would be able to pay for tickets themselves at the event, as long as the Festival has advance notice.

The Writers Festival still has lots of great events with tickets available. Please see below a full list of events with ticket availability. Visit www.writersfest.bc.ca for more information.

For more info, call or email Box Office Manager Allison Sullivan on 604 681 6330 x107 or boxoff@writersfest.bc.ca

Primary

Oct 18 (Tues) 10:00 AM Gr. K to 3 Franklin's Birthday Party

Oct 19 (Wed) 1:00 PM Gr. K to 3 Magic Between the Covers

Intermediate

Oct 18 (Tues) 1:00 PM Gr. 3 to 5 Fitting into the Family

Oct 20 (Thurs) 10:00 AM Gr. 3 to 5 Animals Big and Small

Oct 20 (Thurs) 10:00 AM Gr. 3 to 6 Family Follies, Family Love

Oct 19 (Wed) 10:00 AM Gr. 4 to 6 One Third of the World's Population

Word on the Street 2011

2011-09-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, when literary events fill the calendar. This Sunday (Sept. 25) is the annual celebration of books, Word on the Street. In Vancouver, we never know if we are going to have blazing sunshine or rain and wind for this celebration. I've been there during both kinds of weather, and my fingers are crossed for warmer temperatures. (It can get pretty chilly with the wind whistling around the tents at Library Square.)

Brian Harris, creative partner and photographer for my most recent books, will be talking about Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City. Find him at the Raise-a-Reader Corner at 2:20 pm and hear about his ideas on photography, sustainability and using his talent for good works. Best of all, see his amazing photos! (To learn more about Brian, check out his website here. To learn more about Watch Me Grow!, go here.)

I often present at WOTS, but am glad to be a spectator this year and have the chance to wander among the wonderful gathering of books, families, authors and readings.

Hope to see you there!

Happy To Be in the Top Ten!

2011-09-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

A recent article, The Ten Happiest Jobs, by Steve Denning reports the findings that authors rank fourth highest in a survey of who is happiest with their jobs. In the listing for fourth place, it says, "For most authors, the pay is ridiculously low or non-existent, but the autonomy of writing down the contents of your own mind apparently leads to happiness."

I have to concur that I am very happy with my job! (In spite of the ridiculously low pay, with which I also concur.)

Who rates happier than authors? Clergy, firefighters and physical therapists. All very good people in my books.

If you'd like to read the full text of the article, go here. (Meanwhile, I will go back to writing down the contents of my brain.)

Cheers!

Back to School...

2011-09-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining brightly in Vancouver, making up for a cold and rainy July. The tomatoes are ripening in the garden and it still feels like summer!

But for children and teachers in my part of the world, the vacation season has passed and it's back to school time.

I wish you all a happy and productive school year! And many great books to fill your days!

(For tips on what to read, check out Best Books for Kids and Teens, published by the Canadian Children's Book Centre.)

May the Muse Be With You!

2011-09-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

The weekend is upon us and for all of those amazing speed-demon writers, it is time for the annual 3 Day Novel Contest. I can hear the sharpening of pencils across the continent. Tonight at midnight, the contest begins.

I am not a fast writer, rather a very slow one, in fact. But I have huge admiration for those writers who can pen an entire novel in a single weekend. My Dad is one of them. Yay, Dad!

My weekend is a busy one, so I can't say much now, but I will direct you to an earlier post from another year, celebrating the 3-Day-Novelists and, especially, those who are related to me.

May the muse be with you!

Who Lives Here? in China!

2011-08-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

I recently received a letter from my publisher at Kids Can Press informing me of the happy news that my series, Who Lives Here? has been sold to Shanghai Xiron for Simplified Chinese rights. Hooray!

I am thrilled to know that young children in China will be able to turn the pages of these books and learn all about animals and their habitats.

I visited Shanghai a couple of years ago and had so much fun meeting elementary school students who were keen to say hello and practice their English. Maybe some of them will read these books. :-)

Cheers!

Hooray for Dr. Seuss!

2011-08-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

Dr. Seuss, world-famous children's author, has a new book out: The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories. It contains 7 stories that were published in Redbook Magazine in 1950 and 1951. I wonder if they stand the test of time? You can read about the new book here.

Did you know that Dr. Seuss's first book, And To Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 times before it finally found a home at Random House?

At the time of Theodore Seuss Geisel's death, in 1991, he had sold more than 200 million copies of his books (numbered then at 46). Impressive!

Shows the value of perseverance.

Cheers!

This Weekend at SCBWI

2011-08-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

The huge SCBWI (Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators) summer conference is on in L.A. this weekend. Lots of my friends are there and I wish I were, too!

The next best thing to being there is following along with the live blogging and tweeting that is taking place. And that's what I'm doing! If you'd like to follow along, too, here are the links for the conference blog and tweets.

We can live vicariously. :-)

Cheers!

Authors on Tour

2011-08-04T08:04:00.001-07:00

Publishers don't have a lot of $$$ for PR these days and it's often up to an author to be a self-promoter. Lots of authors are building websites, writing blogs, creating trailers and twitter-feed, all in the hopes of attracting people to their books.

Here's a story about three authors who are doing even more — they have joined forces to set up their own author tour. Hooray for them!

Meanwhile, I'm hunkered down in my office, working hard on revisions. (There's a certain irony that while I'm busy with this project, the sun has finally come out in Vancouver, and I'm missing all the beach fun. Ah, the charmed life of a writer...)

Cheers!

Writer's Retreat

2011-07-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

All I have to say is: I am jealous. Very, very jealous.

Check out where BC author, Chris Humphreys, spends his writing hours, here.

Need I say more?

Happy Long Weekend, all!

Children's Writers Conference in L.A.

2011-07-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

In a week or so, the annual SCBWI conference in L.A. begins and I would love to be attending. Sadly, it wasn't in the cards this time.

The Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators is a great organization that has chapters worldwide and does their best to support and encourage writers and illustrators, both published and aspiring. The last time I went to the L.A. summer conference, I was amazed by the number and star-power of speakers they had. I was also impressed by the huge size of the audience (possibly a couple of thousand people).

This year's conference is now sold out, but maybe you can try for next year. As a consolation for those of us not attending, conference organizers will provide live blog coverage from the conference floor and, new this year, a twitter feed. I know I'll be following along.

Fingers crossed I can attend next year or maybe go to the New York conference in January.

Wishing happy times and much inspiration to those heading to L.A. next weekend.

Cheers!

Long Beach Inspiration

2011-07-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

I'm just back from five days at Long Beach, where I go each year to get my annual dose of writing inspiration. We packed up the family and dogs and stayed in cabins on the ocean. Here's a photo of our last night at the beach. It was an amazing sunset after several days of rain. What a treasure!

More to come soon. Cheers!

"World in a Garden" Summer Programs

2011-07-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

When I was researching my recent books on small, local farms and urban gardens, I visited a wonderful community garden called, World in a Garden Project. Like many of the gardens in the Vancouver area, they use earth-friendly practices to grow their food, and believe in showing children the growing process "from seed to table."

If you are in the area and have children who might enjoy some gardening activities, you can check out a couple of their summer programs here.

This photo is from my book, Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City. It was shot by photographer, Brian Harris, and shows a boy harvesting rye at the World in a Garden community project in Kerrisdale.

Happy Growing!

All Quiet Here...

2011-07-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

It's quiet on the blog front and there aren't many happenings to report. School's out and there are no imminent speaking commitments. My latest manuscript has been turned in and I'm awaiting the editor's comments. I should be anxious (as most writers are when their manuscripts are under scrutiny), but I am feeling remarkably relaxed. I have no idea why!

What am I doing? I'm attending to severely neglected household chores, including cleaning out my office for the first time in ten years — wow! that was a lot of stuff to clear away — and catching up on my book reading and movie watching. I'm taking some time to "fill the well" and it's a good feeling.

I just saw Midnight in Paris and am ready to move there NOW. The movie was a love letter to that wonderful city, and exquisitely photographed. Just dreamy!

I've also read a few great books including the the Woefield Poultry Collective by Susan Juby, Irma Voth by Miriam Toews and State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. All of these women are such excellent writers and I thoroughly enjoyed their books. I wish I could write like they do. Sigh. Maybe if I keep reading, I'll learn something.

How's your reading going? Feel free to send me your recommendations.

I wish you a happy summer of good books and fun times (and maybe a clean office to boot).

Cheers!

Sunshine — and a Nomination!

2011-07-04T08:04:00.001-07:00

I think summer may have arrived in Vancouver. Hooray! The past few days have been sunny and warm, leading me to believe I can finally pack away my winter sweaters.

Besides the sun, I have another reason to celebrate: Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm has been selected as one of the five finalists for the Information Book Award of Canada. Hooray again! I'm thrilled with the nomination, and delighted to be named in the company of such wonderful books: 50 Burning Questions: A Sizzling History of Fire by my friend and talented author, Tanya Lloyd Kyi; Fatty Legs by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton; Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot and Ian Wallace; and Canada's Wars: An Illustrated History by Jonathon Webb. Congratulations, all! And a sincere thank you to the Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada for my nomination.

If you'd like to read more about the award, go here or here.

Sunshine and books! Could life get any better than this?

Cheers!

Celebrating Canadian Children's Authors

2011-06-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of our imminent Canada Day celebrations, I'd like to mention the blog of Lindsey Carmichael who is featuring interviews with Canadian children's authors for the entire month of July.

Lindsey is a bookseller and writer who lives in Nova Scotia, and her blog is Ten Stories Up. You can find the schedule of interviews by going here. She'll spend a week with writers of each of the following genres: picture books, middle grade nonfiction, middle grade fiction and teen books. And, a bonus: At the end of each week is a book draw or other giveaway for readers who comment on a post.

Sounds fabulous! I can hardly wait to begin reading. What better way to celebrate Canada Day than by learning about our country's talented authors.

Cheers!

Sci/Why Blog

2011-06-20T21:27:00.001-07:00

Have you heard about the new blog written by a group of Canadian children's writers? It features discussions on "science, words and the eternal question — why?"

I posted my first entry today. I wasn't sure I qualified to be part of this group, and if you click here, you can see why.

Shortly after posting, I realized we are marking the summer solstice tomorrow. Maybe I should have written about that instead. The funny thing is, it doesn't feel like summer in Vancouver. Fingers crossed for sunshine soon!

Happy summer wherever you are. :-)

Beautiful Chesterman Beach

2011-06-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

My friend and colleague, Adrienne Mason, has the great fortune to live and work in Tofino, BC, on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island. As well as writing children’s books and being the editor of Know Magazine, she is co-owner of a small, independent publishing company, Postelsia Press. They have just released their newest work, 18 Meditations on Chesterman Beach, — a beach near Tofino, which may be one of the most beautiful places on earth.

I can hardly wait to get my hands on the book. I know it will be fabulous (almost as good as being at Chesterman beach myself).

To order your own copy, or find out more about the book, go here.

Cheers!

Farewell to Ardea Books

2011-06-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

I was in need of some weekend reading material, so I popped over to W. 4th to pick up some books from Vancouver's newest (only 9 months old) bookstore, Ardea Books. Imagine my shock and surprise to find that a clothing store now occupied Ardea's space. Gone were the shelves of books and serene browsing ambience. Replacing them were racks of clothing and music thumping at high volume.

Another independent bookstore gone. How sad!

I was there a month ago buying books and I congratulated the owner on her wonderful store. We chatted and I asked her how it felt to be the proprietor of such a fine store. She said, "It's a scary time to be a business owner." On hearing that, I felt a twinge of worry — but never suspected that she was days away from closing the doors.

Here's a Georgia Straight article about the store.

Goodbye, Ardea Books. We will miss you!

School Visits in June

2011-06-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

It's June and school will be out in a few weeks. Surprisingly, some of my writer colleagues and I are still doing school visits. I was on beautiful Saltspring Island (see above) last week visiting Fernwood Elementary. Tomorrow I will be meeting the students at Renfrew Elementary in Vancouver. And that will wrap up my school visits until next fall.

I was lucky to visit many schools this year and meet lots of wonderful students and teachers. Thanks to all of you for your warm welcome. Have a great summer vacation and see you next year.

Cheers!

Friends on the Radio

2011-05-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

I recently listened to the interviews of children's authors, Linda Bailey and Robert Heidbreder, on CBC's North by Northwest show. Sheryl McKay is a wonderful interviewer and she was able to get them to talk at length about their writing process and why they do what they do. All three of them are friends of mine, so it was a real treat to hear them speak together.

Linda is a prolific writer and her works include Stanley's Party and a number of other Stanley stories. Robert is a children's poet, and the author of many books, including Drumheller Dinosaur Dance, shown above. (Dancing dinosaurs and partying canines. What could be more fun?!!!)

If you'd like to listen to the interviews, you can check them out on podcast. Linda's interview is here (it starts about 1/3 of the way in). Robert's is here. Check out their websites, too:

North by Northwest

Linda Bailey

Robert Heidbreder

Maybe you'll be inspired to pick up your pen!

Getting Back to the Garden...

2011-05-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

It was a happy surprise this morning to open up the Globe and Mail this morning and see a review of my most recent book, Watch Me Grow! If you'd like to read the review and see the lovely photo of my young niece watering her windowsill garden, go here.

If you'd like to read more about the book, go here, and if you'd like some child-friendly gardening and growing activities for the kids in your life, go here.

Now, if only the sun would come out so that I could actually plant my garden. :-)

Happy long weekend, everyone!

Mission Visits, Final Chapter

2011-05-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Mission after visiting the last group of schools, and what lovely schools they were! Thank you to all the teachers and students who made my trip so enjoyable. It was a real treat to see the enthusiasm of the students and the dedication of the teachers.

If I were there today, I'd give you a lovely bouquet of spring flowers.

Thank you especially to Envision Financial for making it possible for a school district to hire an author to visit every school. This is a rare and worthy undertaking, and I am grateful! I know the teachers and students are, too.

Thank you, all!

Final Visit to Mission

2011-05-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

I'm gearing up for my last trip to Mission schools next week. It's been wonderful to be their visiting author this year, and a big thank you to Envision Financial for making it possible!

I'm looking forward to meeting the students and staff at Christine Morrison School, Hatzic Elementary, and Durieu and Silverdale Schools. By the end of this trip, I will have been to every elementary school in the Mission district. What an opportunity to see the operation of an entire district and the many dedicated professionals who make it work.

I'd especially like to thank Heather Rapin, district literacy teacher, for programming all of my visits and getting me from Point A to B every day. I'd be lost without her!

See you all next week. (I wonder if the sun will come out?)

Cheers!

Looking Forward...

2011-05-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

- to spring weather arriving (and staying) in our fair city

- to submitting a manuscript that I've been working on for a year

- to visiting Mission schools again (my final visit is next week)

- to thinking about what writing project I may take on next

- to planting my garden (see top item on this list)

- to making a pie from summer fresh fruit

Sometimes when you are working hard, it helps to look up from the keyboard and see what great things are on the horizon.

I'm looking up.

Cheers!

BC Book Prizes Highlights

2011-04-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

It was a grand evening at the Kay Meek Theatre in West Vancouver, with many of BC's finest writers, illustrators and publishers gathered in their finery to toast the year's best books.

Some highlights:

- meeting the Honourable Steven Point, Lieutentant Governor of BC, and Her Honour, Mrs. Gwendolyn Point, an instructor at the University of the Fraser Valley. What warm and wonderful people they are!

- bagpipes piping their Honours into the theatre

- hearing Steven Point say that he felt he had found his tribe with the BC writers

- listening to the extraordinary speech of George Bowering, winner of the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence, where he paid tribute to the BC writers who had influenced him over the years. His speech was 60 words: 30 names of writers, followed by, "Thank you all."

- seeing (again) how many excellent and socially conscious writers make their home in our province. Hooray for BC! We are a prolific bunch.

- attending the festivities with my daughter, who is a talented writer, and imagining her at the acceptance podium one of these years

- finding out at the Easter family dinner table that my dad (a prolific and long-standing author) was nominated for a book of his some years ago. Can you see heredity at work? :-)

- being a finalist for the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. That was a special nomination, indeed. Thank you to the jury! And, many congratulations to the winner, Julie Flett, who wrote and illustrated Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet. It is a beautiful book and a worthy winner. See a sample of it here.

Thank you to Rebus Creative and everyone else who works so hard to host this wonderful event each year. Well done!

I can hardly wait for next year.

BC Book Prizes Gala!

2011-04-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars! Thursday, April 21 at 7 pm is the annual celebration of local books and authors at the BC Book Prizes Gala. It's always a fun night, and great to see what authors wear when they get dressed up. (Most of us rarely leave our homes and don't often have occasion to don formal wear.)

The comedy team of Linda Cullen and Bob Robertson are the hosts for the night. There will be snacks and drinks, and lots of laughs. For details about location, tickets and more, go here.

(The photo above shows a couple of the contest prizes with those beautiful silver stickers on them. Is it too bold to tell you that the book on the top left is mine?)

See you there!

Thank you, Mission!

2011-04-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

I'd like to post a big thank you to the students and staff of Albert McMahon and Ecole Mission Central Elementary Schools for hosting me this week. It was great to meet you all!

I'd especially like to thank the students for being such wonderful audiences. You had excellent questions and knew so much about nature and wildlife. I'm glad that some of you had been watching the Eagle cam website. Those eggs should hatch soon!

It was a surprise to wake up to snow in Mission yesterday. Spring flowers and snow showers. :-)

Thank you for a lovely week! We'll cross our fingers for warm spring temperatures soon.

Cheers,

Deborah

Back to Mission Schools

2011-04-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Mission students and staff!

I look forward to being at Ecole Mission Central and Albert McMahon Schools and meeting you all this week.

While there, I will be talking about my EAGLES book and the timing is perfect. Did you know that there are live webcams of BC baby eagles hatching from their eggs this week? If you'd like to check it out, visit the website of Hancock Wildlife and watch the amazing nature scene unfold.

See you soon!

BC Book Prizes Soiree

2011-04-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

If you're in the Vancouver area on Tuesday, April 5, consider attending the BC Book Prizes Soiree at the Listel Hotel from 7-9 pm. It's free! Nominated authors and book-lovers alike will mingle and raise a glass to a wonderfully versatile collection of books written in our province over the past year.

For more details, go here.

I'll be there, and so will lots of other local folks. It will be fun! I promise. (We may even get a glimpse of the world-famous Mr. Generation X, Douglas Coupland.)

See you there!

Mr. Rogers and I

2011-03-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

I have been writing books for about 15 years and had all kinds of reviews (good, bad and everything in between). But never before has anyone compared me to Mr. Rogers. I take this as a total compliment! (My sweaters are almost as stylish as his.) All those years I watched him speak to my children — and many other children, of course — I admired his quiet, gentle way.

A big thank you to Jennifer of 5 Minutes for Books for thinking I was even a tiny bit like him!

If you'd like to read her review, go here.

Spring Science — Spring Break!

2011-03-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

I was in several Fraser Valley schools last week (in Mission, BC) and was delighted to see how engaged and interested the students were in life sciences — perfect for spring! Some of the students were happily planting seed potatoes for a school garden and others had just returned from releasing salmon fry (babies) into a local stream. The children were full of great information they were keen to share during my presentations there.

What a lovely week! Thank you to the students and staff at Windebank, West Heights and Cherry Hill Schools.

The birds are chirping, the cherry trees are in pink blossom and the sun is shining. What could be better?

Have a fun and well-deserved Spring Break!

Hello again, Mission!

2011-03-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

I'm back in Mission schools this week and looking forward to meeting the students and teachers at West Heights, Cherry Hill and Windebank. See you all soon!

Three Cheers for Vancouver!

2011-03-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

When I checked my Google alerts today, I was thrilled to find a delightful review of my most recent book, Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City, created in collaboration with talented photographer, Brian Harris. (It features the wonderful urban gardens we have in Vancouver.)

For your reading pleasure, please see the review here.

People will be flocking to our city. :-)

Mission Visits, Part 1

2011-02-25T14:58:00.001-08:00

Hooray for Mission students and staff!

I had the pleasure of being a visitor in 4 Mission elementary schools this week: ESRichards, Deroche, Hillside and Dewdney. Thank you to the dedicated librarians, Sherri Chalke, Sonja Zukowski, Ann Titford, and Joanne Soullier, who kindly invited me into their libraries and made me feel very welcome. Thank you to all the wonderful children who shared their ideas about books and wild animals.

Thank you also to Heather Rapin, enthusiastic reading advocate, and coordinator of my visits.

It was a real pleasure to meet you all!

Thank you!

Hello Mission!

2011-02-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, I begin my visits in the Mission School District and (barring a huge snowfall!), I look forward to meeting the students and staff at each elementary school.

See you soon, Mission students!

Primary Literacy Day! (Part 2)

2011-02-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Renee Norman, Literacy Consultant for the Vancouver School Board, for inviting me to participate in the district Primary Literacy Day. It was a wonderful day, getting to meet all of the dedicated primary teachers and to share some time talking about children and books. (Did you know that Renee, in her other life, is a poet?)

I loved hearing poet and teacher, Shannon Stewart, talk about how she gets children writing poetry. She showed us some amazing samples of student work and also read some of her own clever poetry.

Marilyn Chapman was the third speaker of the day and she discussed new developments in the Primary Program and full day Kindergarten. Most importantly, she talked about the importance of play in early learning and literacy.

To find out more about these talented folks, please check out these links: Renee's book, Martha in the Mirror; Shannon's website; and Marilyn's UBC bio.

I believe that primary teachers do some of the most important work in the world. It was great to be in their company today.

Cheers!

Primary Literacy Day

2011-02-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to meeting the Vancouver Primary Teachers on Friday at their Primary Literacy Day. What a great opportunity to celebrate the teaching and learning of our youngest students!

I'm working on my presentation and getting ready to talk about books and children. What could be better than that?

See you soon. Cheers!

Authorfest!

2011-02-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

It was a real treat to speak to education students at UBC yesterday, at the annual Authorfest celebration of books and BC authors. Thank you to everyone who came out to hear us speak! I wish you the best of luck with your practicums and in your teaching careers.

One thing I wish I had said yesterday was to remember to read to your students. Read to them every day and twice a day if you can. There is nothing more important in school or literacy education than teaching children the power of the written word. To hear you read aloud to them, sends a very strong message. So get reading! :-)

Cheers!

It's Here!

2011-01-27T20:30:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to announce my new book: Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City. It's full of beautiful Vancouver urban garden photos shot by Brian Harris. There are backyard chickens and rooftop bees, community gardens, front yard gardens, and earth-friendly tips for growing food wherever you live.

It's at Kidsbooks now. Very exciting!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

It is a sunny, crisp day here in Vancouver, and the North Shore mountains are capped with snow. At times like this, it's easy to believe that I live in the most beautiful place in the world.

It's a perfect day to contemplate the start of 2011 and the challenges of the coming year.

I hope that your year is a happy and healthy one, full of family and friends and many wonderful things.

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a happy, festive holiday season!

Fall Writing...

2010-10-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

Fall in Vancouver is an excellent time to be a writer. The skies are overcast, the rain falls and there is nowhere you'd rather be than hunkered down in your office, running your fingers across the keyboard.

I'm beginning to write a new book (one that I've been researching for a few months) and will be turning my full attention to this literary enterprise.

Blogging may be a little intermittent, as the book comes first. (But I'll squeak in a post when I can.)

Have a happy and productive fall, everyone.

Cheers!

Winter Conference — Tempting!

2010-10-06T14:39:00.001-07:00

When I opened up my email this morning, I found a notice for the SCBWI Winter Conference in New York. SCBWI is the acronym for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and they host fantastic conferences.

I attended the Winter Conference some years ago and learned a lot about the American children's book market. It's tempting to go again. Not only is it professionally a good thing to do, but you get to visit NEW YORK! I love that city.

If you're interested, check out the conference link here.

I will contemplate attending, but I have a busy schedule this year that includes a book deadline, a writer-in-residence assignment, and some travelling.

Think about it. New York! Books! Very tempting.

Beautiful Store!

2010-09-29T13:29:00.001-07:00

I made my inaugural visit to Sitka Books & Art this morning, and I was wowed! It's a beautiful store, and I love the selection of books they are carrying. I could have bought a bookcase full. (I restrained myself and only took 4 books to the checkout counter.)

I will shop there regularly and do my best to keep them in business. Now it's your turn! If you live in Vancouver, go visit. Buy a book. Show them we're happy to have a wonderful independent bookstore back in our midst.

Sitka Books & Art: 2025 West 4th Ave.

Cheers!

Great News, Vancouver Booklovers!

2010-09-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

Sitka Books and Art is Vancouver's newest independent bookstore and its doors are open now! City booklovers have been waiting all summer for this exciting event.

Stop by, browse their shelves and buy a book. Let's do our part to give them a great start. You can check out their website here, and also read about them on the Talon Books website here.

Sitka's address is: 2025 West 4th Ave, and they are open 7 days a week from 10 am - 6 pm.

Hooray! See you there.

Weekend Events

2010-09-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for something literary to do this weekend, here are two events you might like to check out:

Celebrate Science: A BC Sciencefest at the brand-new Beaty Biodiversity Museum (home of the huge blue whale skeleton) at UBC. For details, go here.

And, the cross-Canada fall book celebration: Word on the Street. The program for Vancouver is here.

And where will I be this weekend? Speaking at both events. Hope to see you there!

Cheers!

Thank you, Whitehorse Teachers!

2010-09-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to Sara Tillet and Tanis Giczi, the amazing, energetic Whitehorse teachers who organized the Yukon Teacher's Conference I attended last week.

As one of the 16 visiting authors, I have to say it was one of the best conferences I've been to. It was so well organized and everyone we met exuded that legendary Yukon friendliness. I especially enjoyed meeting the Yukon teachers who attended my sessions. Hi to all of you!

In addition to the conference, here are some of my Whitehorse highlights:

• visiting the Takhini hotsprings on a beautiful sunny afternoon

• attending a reception at the McBride Museum that had a fascinating wildlife display of local animals (see the grizzly bear photo above)

• being served wine in a mason jar at the Klondike restaurant

• seeing the brilliant yellow, fall leaves on the aspen trees

• catching up with talented colleagues from across Canada

• going to the farmer's market and discovering some of the biggest potatoes I've ever seen. (Apparently, the long hours of daylight encourage them to grow to Paul Bunyan size.)

• spending a few afternoons in the bright, warm sun under a clear, blue sky

• experiencing summer temperatures by day; freezing temperatures by night

• flying to and from the Yukon on Air North: they feed you! and serve you delicious coffee that's been roasted in Whitehorse!

• I know there's more, lots more, but I'll stop here, and simply say: It was a great couple of days!

Thanks again, Tanis and Sara. It was a real treat to be there! I can hardly wait to come back.

Cheers!

Yukon Bound!

2010-09-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

My presentation is ready and my bags are packed. I'm off to Whitehorse in a day or so to be a speaker at the Yukon Teacher's Conference.

If you'd like to see the line-up of speakers (lots of my hard-working colleagues), you can download the conference schedule here.

I'm really looking forward to meeting old friends and making new ones — Yukoners are such friendly folks! — and being in midst of the beautiful Yukon scenery.

Last time I was in Whitehorse, I went to Kathleen Lake (see photo above) and thought it was possibly the most amazing wilderness I had ever encountered.

Rumour has it that we will be visiting Takhini Hot Springs on this trip. Exciting!

Back soon, with a full report.

Cheers!

The Book I Wish I'd Written...

2010-09-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

This will come as no surprise to my parents and brothers, but I am a HUGE fan of bubble gum. I spent an inordinate amount of time as a child chewing gum and blowing big pink bubbles. (My teeth have paid the price.)

You can imagine my excitement when I read about the new book, POP: The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy. I will track down a copy to read ASAP. It's a book I really wish I had written (being somewhat of an expert on the topic).

When I first moved away from home and was teaching in a city away from my family, my Dad mailed me an entire tub of bubble gum to keep me company. What a guy!

Going to get the book now, and a package of Double Bubble. Chew, chew, blow, POP!

First Day Back

2010-09-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

School's in today for BC students and teachers. I'd like to wish all of you the best of luck. Have a happy, productive year!

Cheers!

Day 3!

2010-09-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

It's Day 3 of the 3-Day Novel Contest, and as they say on the clever 3-Day website, today is fittingly titled, "Do or Die." For more details on how to get through Day 3, check out the Survival Guide section of their website here.

For all of you hunched over your keyboards, while the rest of us are drinking tea, scanning the newspaper and enjoying the last leisurely moments of our holiday weekend, we wish you much strength on the final leg of the contest. It's the literary home stretch.

You can do it! You're almost there! Congratulations!

We're impressed.

Cheers!

3 Day Novel Contest

2010-09-04T09:15:00.001-07:00

Sharpen your pencils! The Labour Day weekend is upon us and it's time, once again, for the 3 Day Novel Contest.

Although this is a contest I will likely never enter (can't write novels, don't write fast), I have such admiration for the writers who take part in this literary marathon. It requires talent, inspiration, dedication, stamina, nerves of steel and a lot of coffee.

Good luck to all the writers who are hunkered down with their computers this morning — especially my Dad, who had planned to start writing at 12:01 am — and may have stayed up all night getting his words on paper.

If you'd like to check on the progress of some of the writers, you can follow the twitter feed here.

We non-participating writers (who are slacking off this weekend) are very, very impressed. A novel in 72 hours! You 3 Day Novel folks all deserve a medal.

May the muse be with you!

Cheers!

Dear George Clooney

2010-09-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

If you are a fan of Susin Nielsen's writing, you are going to love her latest book, Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom. I just finished reading it and thought it was sensational!

It's the story of 12 year old Violet, whose father has run off to LA with a young, blond woman and started another family. Violet is miserable now that her father has seemingly traded in his old life for a new one. And since he left, Violet's mother has had a series of unfortunate boyfriends — the latest being Dudley Weiner. (Can you read that without laughing?) Violet spends much of the novel getting into trouble and coming up with crazy schemes to snag George Clooney, desperately hoping that he will replace Dudley in her mother's affections.

It's a very funny, tightly written novel with many great characters and touching moments of poignancy. There are also lots of wonderful Vancouver references. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

If you'd like to hear Susin Nielsen in person, she's having a launch at Kidsbooks in a couple of weeks. Is George Clooney going to make an appearance? You never know! Check out Susin's website here and launch information here.

Happy Reading!

Book Launch Thanks!

2010-08-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all the kind folks who turned up at our launch last week. We know that many people are on holidays at this time of year, so it was extra-good of you to show up.

It's been a great August with many opportunities to talk about my new book, but as September approaches, it's time to get back to my regular work — which means less time talking to people and more time in front of the computer. I'm looking forward to starting the research on the next book and preparing my talks for some upcoming presentations. Suitably, the rain is back to keep me company as I work.

May you all have a happy long weekend! See you in September. (Isn't that a song?) And thank you for reading this blog. :-)

Cheers!

You Grow Kid

2010-08-25T08:47:00.001-07:00

Thank you to the wonderful folks at yoyomama for their review of Up We Grow! My daughter, the mother of young twin boys, is an avid reader of yoyomama — an online magazine "keeping moms on the go in the know." You can imagine how thrilled I was when they got in touch with me about the book. To read the review, You Grow Kid, go here. Thank you, yoyomama!

And thank you to Sheryl McKay of CBC Radio's North by Northwest for interviewing Brian Harris (photographer for Up We Grow!) and I on her recent show. To hear a podcast of the show, go here. (Our segment is a few minutes in. It runs for about 15 minutes.)

Finally, sincere thanks to you for continuing to read this little blog during the PR blitz. A return to regular programming coming soon. :-)

Cheers!

The Window!

2010-08-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

I took my daughter to see the window at Kidsbooks (a display featuring my newest book) and she took this photo. Thanks to Kidsbooks for an amazing window!

Up We Grow! on CBC Radio

2010-08-19T16:24:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to Sheryl McKay, host of CBC's show North by Northwest for interviewing photographer, Brian Harris, and I about our new book, Up We Grow! If you'd like to hear the interview, please tune in on Sunday morning (Aug. 22) just after the 7:30 am news.

If you'd like to listen at a different time, the show will be posted on the North by Northwest website as a podcast.

Cheers!

Shameless Self-Promotion

2010-08-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

Very soon, I promise, I will be posting about great books I've read or other writers' news, but for today, I am participating in one final act of shameless self-promotion. Here goes.

You are all invited to my first-ever book launch! (After 15 years of writing, this feels like a momentous event. :-) Please check out the invitation (above) and come to see me talk about my new book, Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm.

My personal guarantee: the food will be local, in season and good!

Hope to see you there.

Cheers!

Braving the Rain!

2010-08-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to all the folks who bravely stepped out on a rainy Saturday morning to come to the Trout Lake Farmer's Market and stop by our table to pick up a copy of my new book, Up We Grow! It was great to meet you all!

I have long been a farmer's market shopper, but never before been a vendor. It was fascinating to arrive early in the morning and watch all the farmers set up their tables, unload their food and get ready for the rush of shoppers. It was such a congenial atmosphere! But, clearly, it's also so much work. It requires a real dedication to the cause of growing and selling local food.

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by! It was wonderful to chat with you. I hope to run into you at the market again. (Next time, I'll be there wandering the stalls and filling my cloth bag full of yummy, local veggies.)

Cheers!

Why a Bookstore Owner is an Author's Best Friend...

2010-08-03T21:02:00.001-07:00

Wow! A big heartfelt thank you to Phyllis Simon and Kelly McKinnon, owners of Kidsbooks in Vancouver for this amazing window display!

Join us at Kidsbooks for a launch of my new book, Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm on Aug. 26 at 7 pm.

Glen Valley Farm and My New Book

2010-07-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

In these beautiful summer days, I'm thinking about the farmers who are growing our food.

The ones I think about most often are the farmers at Glen Valley Organic Farm Cooperative in Abbotsford, BC. (See their photo above.) They are the folks I visited multiple times over the course of a year to write my newest book: Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm.

If you'd like to know more about sustainable farming and the Glen Valley farmers, check out their blog here. They are some of the nicest, hardest working people I know. A big thank you to Chris, Paige, Jeremy and everyone else at the farm! The goats!

And, if you're interested in hearing about how my book was written and seeing its beautiful photos (shot by Brian Harris), you might consider coming to our launch at the Trout Lake Farmer's Market on Aug. 7 at 10:30 am. We will be there for the entire market to chat and sign books.

If you can't make it to Trout Lake, come to Kidsbooks on W. Broadway on Aug. 26 for another launch. The time is: 7-9 pm and, besides a book talk, there will be local food and drink. Delicious! I promise!

Love to see you there!

P.S. If you can't make it to either launch and you'd like a copy of Up We Grow, ask for it at your local bookstore or check for it online.

Summer Bliss

2010-07-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

I'm glad to report that we Vancouverites are basking in the beautiful sunshine. It came later than any of us wished, but now that it is here, we are blissful!

Lest you think I'm spending all my days in a lawn chair, sunglasses on, and book in hand, I will let you know that I'm wrapping up a book with one last photo shoot tomorrow, and then — hooray! — off to the printer it goes. It's a book on urban agriculture, and in order to keep my writing in rigourous, truthful shape, I'm tending to a backyard garden. The young children in my family are helping (!) me pick raspberries, peas and strawberries as they come ripe, and we are enjoying gobbling up these bites of summer.

When I do take a moment in my lawn chair (did I mention bliss?), I'm reading a lot of wonderful books. A great one that I just finished is called C'mon Papa: Dispatches from a Dad in the Dark by the talented Ryan Knighton. It's the story of how he copes with the challenges and joys of becoming a first time dad — a handful for anyone — but on top of the usual struggles, are those imposed by his visual impairment. He's legally blind. It's a compelling story, by turns poignant and sad, and then very, very funny. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be very glad you read it. It's a masterful piece of work.

And that's my summer reading recommendation for today.

Cheers!

Excellent News!

2010-07-13T21:11:00.001-07:00

Have you heard the news? A new independent bookstore is opening in Vancouver. Hooray! It's called Sitka Books and Art and is owned by the former manager of Duthie Books, Ria Bleumer. It's going to be located two blocks away from where Duthie's resided on 4th Ave. Read more about it here.

It's been a sad time for book lovers in this city ever since Duthie's (which had been in operation for 53 years) closed last February. For the past few months, I've been slinking around trying to fulfill my book needs by sneaking into Chapters and secretly ordering from Amazon online — but I never felt good about it. (It's hard having a rabid book habit.) I upped my book requests at the Vancouver Library, but the reading material didn't come fast and furious enough for my liking.

Of course, the wonderful Kidsbooks on West Broadway has a great (possibly the greatest) selection of children's books. I will always be loyal to them.

And now Sitka Books will provide me with an excellent place to find adult books. If the store is anywhere as good as Duthie's was, I will be very, very happy.

Congratulations, Ria! I can hardly wait for the opening.

Summer Reading

2010-07-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

For those of us who read all year long, I always find it odd to hear about "summer reading." Personally, I like every season of reading. Give me more seasons and more books and I'd be very happy!

What am I reading this summer? I've just finished Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby, which I loved. It was funny and poignant and extremely well written. Highly recommended!

I also recently read Swim The Fly by Don Calame, another YA novel, and one that made me laugh so hard and so often that my family believed I had a case of temporary insanity.

In preparation for my YA book club meeting in the fall, I am about to embark on three novels based on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. The first, currently sitting on my desk, is Fairest by Newberry Honor Author, Gail Carson Levine. It looks intriguing and I can hardly wait to crack the cover.

Finally, I'm still reading up on food (my current nonfiction reading obsession) and two titles that I am halfway through are The Compassionate Carnivore: Or, How to Keep Animals Happy, Save Old MacDonald's Farm, Reduce Your Hoofprint, and Still Eat Meat by Catherine Friend. The other one is the latest book from celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain, titled, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook. Hmm... two very different approaches to food and eating, but I'm up for the challenge!

I hope your summer reading looks promising. Feel free to send me any recommendations you may have. There's a lot of days left in the season.

Cheers!

Writing Inspiration...

2010-07-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

In case you're wondering where I am next week, I'll be on the wild west coast (see above) getting my annual dose of writing inspiration. What could be better for a writer than miles and miles of beach to walk, and long hours for reading and contemplation?

Perhaps I should mention that my lovely, lively family is coming with me. There may not be quite as much reading and contemplating as I'm imagining. Aren't families grand? :-)

Happy Summer, everyone!

Choo Choo!

2010-06-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friend, Shaun, for taking this photo at Pier 21 in Halifax on his recent trip to the Maritimes. It's good to see my book is travelling around the country. All Aboard!

Martha in the Mirror

2010-06-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Renee Norman, is the talented author of a new book of poems titled, Martha in the Mirror. The subject of the poems is Martha Quest, the famous protagonist of Doris Lessing's books. Renee uses Martha in her poems to reflect upon motherhood, love and loss, and other female experiences.

Last week, I went to the launch for this book and am so pleased to have attended this event. It turned out to be one of the best launches I've been to. Not only did Renee read her poems, she invited 3 other poets to share their poems with the audience. We were able to close our eyes and spend an hour immersed in words, sounds and images.

I didn't know many people at the event, but my long-time publishing pal and children's poet, Robert Heidebreder, turned up. So we sat together and chatted about books and the publishing industry, and also about how much we loved poetry and how we seldom take the time to hear it.

I don't get to all the launches I'm invited to, but I will make a point of trying to attend more. What a great way to reflect on words and books, and toast the success of friends in the publishing world. Congratulations, Renee!

Cheers!

Quiet on the Blog

2010-06-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that my previous blog entry was weeks ago and wondered where the time went? Then I remembered...

Blog activity takes place in inverse proportion to book writing activity, and of late, book writing has been taking up a lot of my time. We are at the stage where we are writing cover copy and making small text adjustments to match the photos (also in final selection stage), and basically wrapping up all the tiny details before my most recent book heads off to the printer.

I love this stage because it's all about fine-tuning and getting the best possible book. (I much prefer it to the first draft stage, which is just HARD.) In this stage, it's exciting to see the work of previous months come to fruition. I also know it won't be long until I am holding the new book in my hands and that makes it all very exciting!

Back to the fine-tuning now. Wish me luck.

Cheers!

Favourite Childhood Book

2010-06-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

Several times in the last couple of weeks, I have been asked what my favourite book as a child was. Although I could easily answer: All of them! (because I was an avid reader who devoured almost everything to be had in book form), there are a couple of books that stand out.

One is a novel titled: The Nine Questions by Edward Fenton. I still have my copy of this wonderful book, given to me by my grandparents on my 10th birthday.

It's the story of Willie Boy who wakes up one morning and is told he must leave the old woman who has cared for him most of his life. She gives him an ancient watch, a tattered hunting cap, a tarnished silver whistle and a warm feather bag — items she has kept for him since he was brought to her door as an infant, years ago, by a frightened young woman.

The old woman tells him it is time for him to seek his father and his fortune in the Weaver's Country, far away. Willie Boy sets off on a journey that takes him through many magical and fantastical places, where he always encounters a dark and troubling underside. At each place, he faces an evil villan who changes identity throughout the story and relentlessly tries to take Willie Boy's possessions from him.

Willie Boy makes friends with lovely Gabriella and a group of kind animals who come to his rescue when he is in danger. They travel with him to a foreboding castle in Weaver's Country, where Willy Boy must answer the Interrogator's Nine Questions that will decide his fate.

Wow! What a great story. It's a compelling mix of magic, realism and suspense — a perfect book for a 10 year old avid reader. A big thank you to my grandparents, who always knew the right gifts to give me.

Now that I've taken the book off the shelf to look at, I plan to read it again. Fingers crossed the story has held up over time.

Cheers!

Literiffic Day

2010-05-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to the students and staff, especially teacher-librarian Karen Ferguson, of Moody Middle School for inviting me to your fabulous Literiffic Day. It was good to meet you all and speak to audiences who clearly love books as much as I do.

Also presenting today were fellow authors, Glen Huser, Diane Tullson, and Dan Bar-el.

Thank you for the Moody Middle School coffee mug and pens, both of which will get extensive use in my office over the next few months. They are perfect gifts for a writer.

I would have loved to take part in your school-wide Jeopardy game today. It sounded like great fun.

Take care, have a wonderful summer and keep reading!

Cheers!

No Moon

2010-05-23T08:23:00.001-07:00

I've just finished reading No Moon, the latest novel from talented author, Irene Watts. It's the story of 16 year old Louisa Gardiner, employed as a nanny, who sails on the Titanic with her two young charges.

I won't tell you what happens but I can say that it is a lovely book with a well-told story and interesting historical detail. I know that Irene travelled to Halifax to visit the Maritime Museum and study the Titanic catastrophe. Her research clearly paid off — we learn a lot about the social order of the time and how this played out in who survived the sinking of the mammoth ship.

Even though it is a brand-new book, Irene has already received some excellent reviews, including a starred review in Quill and Quire. Well done, Irene!

If you're looking for a great read, pick up this book. I highly recommend it.

Cheers!

Sneak Preview!

2010-05-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

I opened the mail today and found an advance copy of my newest book, due to hit the stores in August. Very exciting!

To research this book, I spent a year visiting an organic, cooperative farm in the Fraser Valley. Not only did I learn a lot about sustainable farming, I came to LOVE organic butter (something of an occupational hazard for a sedentary author).

A big thank you to Brian Harris, the wonderful photographer for this book! Check out his website here.

Cheers!

More on Literacy for Life

2010-05-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Literacy for Life Conference was inspiring!

The organizers, John Barton and Judy Ostrander, newly retired school principal and vice principal, gathered together an amazing group of people to share books and ideas on literacy. It was the fifth conference they have successfully organized.

About 4000 Saskatoon students and their teachers were invited to the university campus to hear authors speak. The organizers were excellent fundraisers and managed to get the wide support of their community and business leaders in order to host the conference. This allowed all the students to attend at no cost to themselves. Wow!

I was one of the authors kindly invited to speak, and was impressed by both the organization of this massive event, as well as the genuine enthusiasm and interest we encountered from all of our audiences.

Over the courses of two days, I did 8 presentations and each of my audiences probably held 250 students and teachers. Thank goodness, I had developed a slide-show presentation and was given a microphone. Otherwise, I would have been thoroughly intimidated! There was no need for nervousness, however. Every presentation I made was received with warmth and kindness. Thank you, Saskatoon students and teachers!

Also on the program were authors: Frieda Wishinsky, Marie Louise Gay, Marsha Skrypuch and 5 others, including illustrator, Bill Slavin. It was so much fun to spend time with the other presenters, and really learn from each other (and share lots of laughs).

Our hosts provided us with the legendary hospitality that the prairies are so famous for. We dined at a huge banquet, ate a catered dinner at one of the host's homes, and had a third dinner at a wonderful "Eaton's Catalogue House" on a farm just outside the city. This was a house that was ordered out of the catalogue in the early 1900s and shipped in pieces on the train. When it got to the farm, it had to be assembled. The house was still in excellent condition and we dined on farm-fresh food, including homemade bread and butter. Mmm...

As a gift to the presenters, each of us received two pieces of beautiful art from talented Saskatoon students. One of mine was a wonderful portrait of me with a huge smile, drawn by Samantha in Grade One. The second piece of art was a detailed etching of prairie grain elevator by Benjamin in Grade Six. They are gifts that will find a place of honour in my home. Thank you, Samantha and Benjamin!

I will remember this conference fondly. I was sad to leave the people, but glad to come home to the sunshine. Even though it is mid-May, it was snowing in Saskatchewan! :-)

Cheers!

2010-05-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Saskatoon Students, Staff, Teachers and Organizers of the Literacy for Life Conference,

Thank you for an amazing week in your city! It was wonderful to be in the midst of your legendary prairie hospitality and to meet so many people who love books.

I could not have had a better time.

With my sincere thanks and best wishes,

Deborah

Hello Saskatoon!

2010-04-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Saskatoon Students,

I am really looking forward to seeing you next week at the Literacy For Life Conference in your wonderful city!

I'm busy this week getting my presentations ready and can hardly wait to talk to you about books, reading, wild animals and lots more. (For a preview, check out the wild animal sounds on the Kids Page of my website.)

When I fly into Saskatchewan, I love looking down at the long stretches of flat land, and seeing your big, beautiful sky. Did you know I was born in Moose Jaw? It's always exciting to return to my home province.

See you all very soon!

Deborah

BC Book Prizes: Congratulations All!

2010-04-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

Last night, authors and booklovers gathered in Victoria to celebrate the best BC books of the past year.

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees! In the children's categories, Dean Griffiths with Frieda Wishinsky, and Carrie Mac were the winners of the illustrated prize and the novel prize respectively. Their books are: Maggie Can't Wait and The Gryphon Project. The other nominees in those categories are to be commended also.

I was especially pleased to see that the winner of the nonfiction prize was Lorna Crozier for her book, Small Beneath the Sky: A Prairie Memoir. It was one of the best books I read this year, and being from Saskatchewan myself, one that really spoke to me. (See an earlier post on this book.)

If you'd like to read the Victoria Times Colonist article on the events of the evening and winners in other categories, please see here. For more information on all the nominated titles, go here.

I wish I'd been able to attend the Gala. It's one of my favourite book events of the year. There's something very magical about being in a huge room full of authors and people who love books. If you've never attended, consider it for next year. It's a wonderful event.

Cheers!

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

To the small children playing in the parks,

feeling the warmth of the sun,

seeing the beauty of the blossoms,

and hearing the song of the birds,

Happy Earth Day!!!