Happy Holidays!

I wish you all a happy, festive holiday season!

Fall Writing...

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!

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!

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!

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

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!

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!