I'm a Boo Hoo Bird

I can't believe I'm so forgetful! I even had it in my calendar, but I missed Jeremy Tankard last night. I'm a boo hoo bird for sure. He was in Victoria for the Victoria Children's Literature Roundtable which I chaired for many years. Roundtables bring in speakers, for parents, teachers, and librarians, support a Canadian Information Book Award, and do lots of literacy work. I'm so sad that I missed Jeremy because his presentations rock and his books are fabulous. He's hardly ever out here on the west coast, so who knows when I'll catch up with him again...sigh. Hope you had a great turnout Jeremy, and I hope you sold a ton of books.

2010 BC BOOK PRIZES

Last night was the BC Book Prize gala. It was awesome, and the food was sooo good, but the best thing of all was being in a huge room full of people where everyone there loves books as much as you do.

I was honored to be asked to announce one of the awards. Several people asked me to post my comments. Here they are.

I'm honored to have been asked to present the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize, supported by Kate Walker & Co. and awarded to author & Illustrator of picture books, picture book stories, illustrated non-fiction books. This is a relatively recent prize, and is particularly important because it divides the awards into two categories whereas previously there was only one; meaning books for babies were weighed against books for teens. Harris, considered the matriarch of Canadian Children's Literature in English, knew how important stories were for children. In her 94 years she wrote 20 books for young people & I am fortunate to have been able to call her a friend. She often began her stories with "I bide the time..."

One of the best ways to support books for children is to buy a book for a child. If you don't have children in your life, you can always donate a book to a school in your community.

Here are the nominees in the category Of illustrated books for children.

Bubble Homes and Fish Farts by Fiona Bayrock, illustrated by Carolyn Conahan, published by Charlesbridge is a creative, innovative and entertaining take on thematic science for young children supported by illustrations that illuminate and compliment the text. Read it for a whole new take on gas.

Ella’s Umbrellas 
by Jennifer Lloyd, illustrated by Ashley Spires and published by Simply Read Books is delightful and the perfect picture book to cheer up young readers on a drizzly day with a rhythmic text, bright illustrations and a message that speaks of good turns rewarded.

Maggie Can’t Wait by Frieda Wishinsky, illustrated by our own Dean Griffiths from here on The Island and published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside is a child centric story built around the conflicting emotions children sometimes experience when a new sibling arrives. The illustrations admirably capture the emotional range of the characters in a way that make them jump off the page.

On My Walk 
by Kari-Lynn Winters, illustrated by Christina Leist
 and published by Tradewind Books is a celebration of sounds heard by a boy, his mom and his dog on a walk. It’s told with onomatopoeic flare with the story complimented and extended by the illustrations.

Vanishing Habitats by Robert Bateman with Nancy Kovacs, illustrated by Robert Bateman and published by Scholastic Canada / Madison Press is a hopeful, engaging environmental science book for the young that does not sugarcoat the extent or significance of habitat loss. It is visually stunning, making it all the more powerful in it's message.

...and the winner is Maggie Can't Wait by Frieda Wishinski and Dean Griffins. Frieda was unable to attend but Dean is here to accept.

I only wish I could share Dean's acceptance speech here with you. It was very very moving.

Happy Earth Day plus and update

Earth Day update: Here's another great title that I missed. Check out Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals.

Hey it's Earth Day, so do something for our planet with the help of books...eat locally, walk or take the bus instead of driving...bring cloth bags to the grocery store...carry a reusable water bottle...anything to help our planet...and pass the word along.

Back Home

Back from a great trip to Calgary and the Young Author's Conference. The writing groups I had were great, and it was good to hear Michael Kusugak give the keynote. I haven't seen him for ages, and aside from being a little grayer, he was as charming as ever. He told a couple of stories I'd heard him tell before, but the highlight was his string stories. He has a new book out which has gotten great reviews so check it out. One of the things I love about this conference is running into old friends like Michael, Dennis Foon (check out the trailer to his new family movie, A Shining of Rainbows), author John Wilson, and author/illustrator Deborah Turney Zagwin.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

So, I was trying to decide what to bring this afternoon to read on the plane to Calgary where I'll be doing a couple of Young Author workshops. I was considering the second in the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, but when I went looking through my "to be read" pile, which, by the way, has grown into a pile plus a whole bookshelf...all I could find was the third book. (:

I'll just have to let romance go until I can hit one of my fav. independent bookstores to pick up the second book. While looking, I did run across a fantasy title that my friend's son gave me for Xmas. It isn't new, but The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss did win the Quill Award, and I noticed that Ursula LeGuin blurbed it and I love her books, so I think I'll give it shot and let you know how it goes when I get back.

Eric Walters and Impossible 2 Possible

So this morning I was going through my email and heard from friend and fellow author Eric Walters. Now Eric always has something crazy on the go; sometimes it involves tigers at book launches, or a press release in New York with NBA players, or building schools in Africa, so I opened up his message with interest. "I wonder what Eric's up to these days," I asked myself. But even from a guy whose been full of surprises over the years, Eric's news was a bit of a shocker. It seems he's hooked up with high performance athlete Ray Zahab and the Impossible 2 Possible Team. The plan is to run 250 kilometers across sand dunes and hard pack of the Sahara Desert in Tunisia to raise funds for Ryan's Well Foundation. Now I have to tell you that Eric is no elite athlete; I'm not saying he's in terrible shape. It's just that he's an average guy my age who lives in the suburbs, has kids, and plays a little recreational sports when he has time...But there is something just a little bit different about Eric and you only need to have a short conversation with him to know what that is...the guy is crazy committed to making the world a better place for kids. An even more obvious thing about Eric is that his commitment is infectious. So, this brings me to back to his latest venture. All I can say is I'm glad it's you Eric and not me pitting yourself against an unforgiving environment while trying to keep up with much younger elite athletes. I'll be watching the video feeds and following the blogs that will be broadcast to schools across North America though Eric. And I know a whole lot of other people will be too. The well of funds that this crazy venture brings in is gonna cost you in aches and pains that you've never imagined buddy. But then I'm guessing you know that. I'm also guessing that wild horses wouldn't be able to stop you from doing it. Way to go Eric and good luck.

You or your school can help Eric out by raising funds and donating online at the above website.

Yeah Calgary Young Authors' Festival

Calgary Young Authors' Festival is coming up this weekend. I love going to this festival. It's a district-wide one day program for kids from grades 4-10 who love writing or illustrating. The teachers are fantastic, and so are the 1200 or so kids who attend every year. While I'll only see about 50 in two separate workshops, they'll pack the high school gym for the keynote speech. This year my workshop, Rock Your Writing, is going to be on editing. Sound boring?...No way! Editing is the heart and soul of any creative profession. I've asked kids to bring in a first page and will take them through a couple of different ways to edit. We'll be ditching the passive voice, blasting boring verbs out of existence, and trolling for the perfect hook to reel in readers. We'll be cutting and pasting and building characters that jump off the page. I'm so excited.

I'm just hoping that any and all snow storms hold off until after I've come and gone. Now that I think about it, a chinook wouldn't hurt either!

In the meantime though, the rest of the week is work work work on the new novel.

Shine of Rainbows

Thought I'd pass along this bit of news from my film-maker friend Dennis Foon. His new family movie, Shine of Rainbows will be opening this weekend in Vancouver, Langley and Victoria. It's based on the Lillian Beckwith novel of the same name. Go see it if you get the chance.

Cinemark Tinseltown in Vancouver

Cineplex Colossus in Langley

Empire University 4 in Victoria

Here's the link for the trailer.

Easter Weekend

Had a lovely few days with my lady friends and a fantastic few days of writing. Woke up this morning to a tree down over my front walkway. I'm headed to Vancouver right after work to see my lovely three daughters; hopefully the ferries will be running and we won't encounter any other trees down on route. I have the chocolate eggs for the easter egg hunt (yes my girls still want an easter egg hunt every year even though they're in their 20's) and I have the turkey roast pan packed for our turkey dinner on Sunday. I think I'm expected to make apple pies on Saturday as the other baker in the family is putting in a 12 hour nursing shift at Vancouver Children's Hospital. Still, it will be fun to see everyone, and of course the ferry always gives me a few hours of reading time. I've got a pile of books I'm whittling away at. I just finished The Earth, My Butt, & Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler and I'm hoping to get through Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught. Hope all of you have a lovely easter weekend.

I'm off

I'm excited to be spending the next few days with a group of women that I have been going away once a year with for the last 22 years. What a treat it will be to have some down time with these women from near and far to catch up on what everyone has been reading, where they've travelled, how their families are doing, and what they are up to professionally and socially. Our group began as a weekend get-a-way for a loosely connected group of professional women who were raising children and never seemed to have time for themselves. This was some "just us time." Over the years, some of us have retired, some have changed professions and some have lost loved ones. We've shared sad times and happy times, grown grayer, and I like to think a little wiser. The thing that has always been the one constant in our little group is the mutual support and respect we give each other. I suppose as long as that happens, I'll be heading out to see these wonderful women year after year.

Canadian Children's Book Centre announces a change in dates for Canadian Children's Bookweek.

The Canadian Children's Book Centre has announced that Canadian Children's Bookweek will be moved from the fall to the spring. This is great news as touring in November can sometimes being a little dicey; especially if you happen to be touring in the north and get caught in a snowstorm...something that's happened to a few of us.

Sadly, that means this year there won't be a touring program this year since it will take CCBC a little time to make switch things over. But don't fear, Canadian Children's Book Week will be up and running by next spring (2011). To find out more, visit the Canadian Children's Book Centre.

New York Times article about reading.

Here's a link to a New York Times article about a dad and daughter who read together from grade 4 until she moved into a dorm for her first year of university. It brings me back to the years when I read aloud to my girls and has me wishing I'd carried on a little longer. It really speaks to the power of sharing books.

Sad news about Sid Fleischman

Sad news. Sid Fleischman, who has been ill for some time, passed away March 17 in his home. His humor has been a light in the life for so many young people. Although he was 90, he will still be missed. Here is a link to an article about one of children's literature's favorite sons.

New review of Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls posted on my teen blog

Not much news aside from gutter cleaning and a few more pages done on my novel.

I've just posted a new teen review of Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls so check it out.

Off to Vancouver

I'm off to Vancouver today. So excited to see my girls although I'll be doing a fair bit of schlepping scrubbing and painting since one of them is moving. Before I go though, a couple of the girls I met at Pueblo Ingles in Spain last year are showing up for a weekend in Victoria, so we are going to rendezvous downtown. And I have to keep my commitment to my running buddy for the upcoming 10K, so I have to fit in a 25 minute run this morning on top of a dog walk. But, the sun is peeking out between the clouds, so it's all good. I'll even have time to read a book on the ferry. The trouble is, that when I popped into Cadboro Bay Books the other day I picked up 6 new young adult titles and I have to figure out which to bring. I think Wintergirls by Laurie Hals Anderson might win out because I've really been wanting to read it. For all you Halse Anderson fans out there, the cover is fabulous. Here's a peek. There's also a pretty cool trailer that you can see at Amazon, but I'm not sure how to download it, but do check it out because the author talks about her approach to writing and it's quite interesting.

BC BOOK PRIZE SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED

BC BOOK PRIZE shortlists were announced today:

Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize
- Counting on Hope by Sylvia Olsen, Sono Nis Press
- The Gryphon Project by Carrie Mac, Penguin Group Canada
- Inferno by Robin Stevenson, Orca Book Publishers
- Return to Bone Tree Hill by Kristin Butcher, Thistledown Press
- The Ship of Lost Souls by Rachelle Delaney, HarperTrophyCanada

Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize
- Bubble Homes and Fish Farts by Fiona Bayrock
Illustrated by Carolyn Conahan, Charlesbridge
- Ella’s Umbrellas by Jennifer Lloyd
Illustrated by Ashley Spires, Simply Read Books
- Maggie Can’t Wait by Frieda Wishinsky
Illustrated by Dean Griffiths, Fitzhenry & Whiteside
- On My Walk by Kari-Lynn Winters
Illustrated by Christina Leist, Tradewind Books
- Vanishing Habitats by Robert Bateman,
Scholastic Canada Ltd.

Congratulations to everyone!

Awesome news.

Got some awesome news yesterday. My grant application for Professional Writers was successful. That means less work time, and more writing time. I'm so thrilled and thankful for living in a country that supports the arts.

Bird in flight

If you're into kids' books, chances are you've read or at least heard of Besty Bird and her amazing blog, A Fuse #8 Production. Not only is Betsy prolific and quirky, she's usually right on in her reviews. As knowledgeable about kids' books as she is passionate, she's a shining light for readers, sifting through a sea of books and directing us toward the best. By day, Betsy is a librarian in New York City, but after hours she's all about her blog which she was enticed to move to the School Library Journal website a while back. Bird has been a juror for the Newbery Book Awards, tackled the issue of "review as promotion in disguise" in Amazon.com's "Vine Voices," and been involved in Blogger Awards. I'm pretty sure is a super duper speed-reader judging by the breadth of the books she can talk about intelligently. Not surprisingly, this one-woman wonder of kids' books has been flying under the radar for years. Now though, Bird is finally causing a flap outside the cosy world of children's books with the recent Forbes article. Check it out. Besty, you deserve these cu-does and more...

This is the Dog makes it's You Tube debut

Here's a You Tube Link sponsored by the Oshawa Public Library of Chrissie Wysotski reading This is The Dog; a book that I wrote and Chrissie illustrated.

Back from Hawaii

Arrived back home from Hawaii to daffodils, magnolias, and forsythias in full bloom. It was such a treat to be away, touring volcanoes, swimming with dolphins, and watching the sunset at 13,803 feet on Mauna Kea. What a wonderful place to spend a week!

I must confess that despite bringing my running gear, I didn't run once. In my defense, I did do quite a bit of walking. And yes, I did come back with some new story ideas, so it wasn't all play. Now, I'm back to work finishing up a novel that began with a trip to Spain and a 300 kilometer walk that I did more than a year ago, proving that travel and inspiration can go hand in hand.

Hawaii

So exciting. Only one more day before a week in Hawaii...sunshine, snorkeling, whale/dolphin watching, checking out the volcano and sunset and stargazing on Mauna Kea, the highest mountain in the world (if you consider the height from the sea bed that is), the conservatory which is supposed to be stunning, and of course lots of beach reading. I'm in the middle of The Astonish Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation, which is so interesting, although I'm thinking of bringing something a little lighter for the beach.

Ruby is lucky too. My dog sitter has a year old pug that she's bring along so Ruby will have lots of company.

Can't wait despite the crazy early flight. This time, I'm going to remember my camera...I'd so love to set a book there.

Connecting with collegues

Yesterday morning I had a surprise visit from Andrea and David Spalding from Pender Island. They were on their way to an appointment, so the visit was short and sweet, but so nice to see them. They were just back from The Yucatan in Mexico, and we traded travel stories before they rushed off.

After a full day of work, I took Ruby for a quick walk before I headed downtown to pick up Ann Walsh, a writer and editor from Williams Lake who is in town for a mon

th reprieve from the snow. We had a hilarious adventure trying to figure out the GPS (neither of us had our reading glasses) and arrived late at our Island CWILL meeting (CWILL being Children's Writers and Illustrators).

I so love kid's writers. No one was phased by our late arrival. Such a wonderfully supportive group. It was good to see Michelle Mulder whose social justice books for kids are really filling a void as well as Adrienne Mason, a great science writer and the editor of Know Magazine. I don't get a chance to see Adrienne often as she lives in Tofino, a five hour drive from here, but fortunately, she was on her way to a science education conference in San Diego. I also met Heather Sander, a local fantasy writer, for the first time. The evening flew by with each of us sharing news and information about recent changes in publishing as well as meaningful ways to connect given the issue of distance. All in all, a great evening.

Cybils Announced

Looking for a good book? It's your lucky day...The 2009 Cybils Awards were just announced. For those of you who don't know, The Cybils are a grassroots award for kids/teen books created by avid book bloggers. Lots of categories, like picture book, early reader, teen fiction, poetry, non-fiction mean that there is something for everyone. For more great books, be sure to check out the short lists too.

Lambs

Off to Galiano Island this weekend. Love it there. I can walk and think and write. My friend tells me it's lambing season and I can't wait to see them. Two more were lambs were born this morning. They are going to be so cute and cuddly. I'm definitely bringing my camera as well as my laptop, so expect pictures.

running

Not exactly book related news, but I'm so pleased that I'm now one month into training for the Times Colonist 10 Kilometer run. One month down, another couple to go. The best advice I had from one of my writer friends was to run with a buddy. I'm so glad I took her advice. It's so much easier to keep up with running 3 or 4 times a week with my buddy. We encourage each other, especially on days when one or the other of us is inclined to poop out. Maybe there's a book in here somewhere...

Wordle is so cool. Try it.

I just discovered this very cool site that plays with words. Here is a puppy poem I did this morning. Isn't it cool! So check out www.wordle.net to create your own fun poems.

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Victoria Book Fair

What fun. I love book fairs, and I especially love book people. Once a year, all the book sales reps. meet up in Victoria to showcase what's coming up for the spring season. While the event is aimed at booksellers, I usually manage to get in to have a peak at what's coming and say hi to some old friends. I made it to last night's wine & cheese, where I caught up with all sorts of people I hadn't seen for a while. Mel Bolen of Bolen Books was there celebrating 35 years of bookselling. Congratulations Mel. Sadly, so were some of the folks from Duthie's books; a Vancouver bookseller that has weather their share of hard times and recently closed it's doors. I was pleased to see that Jim Munro from Munro's Books is still going strong. I met up with the folks who rep. my books, ran into Susan Juby who will be speaking at this morning's author breakfast (wish I could have gone to that; she is so funny), and the always charming David Buchard in his buckskin jacket. All in all, a lovely night, and best of all, still home in time to read a few pages of a good book.

Yeah!

Yeah! Just got word that I've gotten the Writing Grant I applied for. Thank you thank you BC Arts Council.

The Catcher in the Rye

I was so sad to read in the paper this morning that J.D. Salinger has died. For those of you who are saying, "Who?," he was the author of The Catcher in the Rye; one of my all time favorite books. This is one of those classics about not fitting in that is well worth the read.

Celebrate Family Literacy Day

Tomorrow is Family Literacy Day. Celebrate by reading your favourite kid's books with a young person. For tips on family activities or to find out about local events, check out ABC Canada.

The Onion Spoof on Adults who love kids' books

You gotta love The Onion and their spoofs. Here's a link to a video spoof that is priceless.

using literature as a teaching tool

I love it when kids enjoy my books, but as a former teacher, I believe that literature can go above and beyond a good read. Visit my website to see how teachers and parents can use my books to extend learning. And, while your at it, check out this home-school based article that uses Jessie's Island as well as other titles as teaching tools.

Katherine Paterson adds Nation Ambassador for Young People's Lit. to her many accolades

What great news... Katherine Paterson has added the title of National Ambassador for Young People's Literature to her long list of accolades. I have loved so many of her books including: Jacob Have I Loved, Bridge to Terabithia, and The Great Gilly Hopkins and The Master Puppeteer. So for the next two years Paterson will be selling the message that books and reading are life tools that can grow a child's world.

Publisher Weekly has a great article. Check it out.

2009 Kids' Book Bash is bak

The Victoria Kids'Book Bash held at Fairfield Community Place was wonderful. Author Della Burford posted a short video that you can check out on YouTube.

Orca Book Publisher is celebrating 25 years

No excuses for the lack of news aside from "the lack of news".

But I am excited to report that my friends and fellow authors, Andrea and Dave Spalding will be in town on Friday to stay overnight. We'll all get dressed fancy to attend the 25th anniversary of Orca Book Publishers. Should be lots of fun, with their children's book covers on display and a silent auction to support literacy. I do love Orca Books, and told Times Colonist reporter Katherine Dedyna just that in a phone interview. The article won't be out until the second week in November, but hey, you can all celebrate now by going out and reading, or better yet, buying and then reading, one of Orca's titles. With classics and a great new list to choose from, how can you go wrong!

And now I'm off to my pilates class so that I can drink champagne on Friday without any guilt whatsoever about those extra calories.

Later,

S.

Ruby is a Reader

What a crazy busy week.

My new puppy Ruby has settled nicely, and although she is pint-sized, she's claimed my yard as her territory so be warned neighborhood cats! House training is going well with only a few accidents. I do have to watch my computer power cord though, because she finds it most attractive. I confess that I am a little on the tired side given that she hasn't yet figured out that night time is for sleeping and it's probably why I've come down with a cold. But, I'm thrilled to say that Ruby is a reader. Here she is checking out Gordon Korman's Born to Rock, an awesome book about a kid who discovers that his real dad is a rock star.

In non-Ruby news, I managed to get to the Cowichan School District's Young Author Conference all day yesterday and had the opportunity to work with some very fine student writers. This was the first year that grades 10-12 were included in the Conference, and they were so good that they blew me away with at least two of them writing publishable quality poetry. It's so good to connect with young writers of this calibre.

At the other end of the spectrum, I visited kindergarten and grade one classes in Oaklands Elementary School here in Victoria. I just love those kindies! I'm hoping to see a few pet stories come out of that visit!

I also want to congratulate all of the Orca Authors and Illustrators for an awesome book launch held at Bolen's Books. My dear friend Andrea Spalding has the sweetest new board book that you won't want to miss if you or someone you know has a new baby in their life.

A busy week ahead

Spring has finally arrived, and after taking a few days off to get my garden back into shape, I am back to work.

Tomorrow I head to Calgary for their wonderful Young Author's Conference where I'll be working with middle grade students. This is such a super conference, and it serves a huge number of students by bringing in dozens of writers. The organizers and kids are awesome, and I can't wait to get there although I'm really hoping the weather is good since I lack a winter coat. Last year I was not terribly lucky since Calgary was hit with a snow storm which left me stranded for more than 8 hours! I'm optimistic though since that can't possibly happen two years in a row. Or can it? Keep your fingers crossed for me and I'll keep you posted.

I'll be back to Victoria just in time for a visit to Oakland's Elementary School primary students, and hopefully, I'll have a package of pre-conference student writing waiting for me when I get home. I should have just enough time to read the work of grades 10, 11, and 12 students who are participating in the Cowichan Young Author's Conference. It's been a while since I've worked with older high school students and I'm excited about helping these promising young writers take their work to the next level. Talk about hitting all the age groups in a single week!

And to top the week off, I will be bringing my new puppy home from Saltspring Island. Somewhere in there I have to do some fencing. Yikes but life is busy. Better get back to work.

Flat Stanley spends a weekend with a children's author

I spent a lovely weekend with girl friends at French Beach this past weekend, and one of my friends brought along two versions of Flat Stanley that her twin grandchildren had sent to her. The idea is that you take Flat Stanley with you on various adventures and send back pictures which the children can share with their classmates. Hmmm. I think that Flat Stanley has done quite a bit of traveling, but I wonder if he's spent a weekend with a children's writer? Here are a few pictures of Linda and I on the deck of our rental house with the two Flat Stanleys. The sunset is gorgeous, and I can assure you that both Flat Stanleys loved the beautiful view from our balcony. So hello to Adam Seifred of Bertschi School in Seattle and to Ava Seifred of Bush School in Seattle.

Puppy update

Puppy update. I popped over to Saltspring yesterday for a little visit with my cutest ever puppy, Ruby. Can't wait until after the
Calgary Young Author's Conference because that's when I get to bring her home. Yippeeee.

Millstream Elementary Rocks

I spent the day out at Millstream Elementary School and had the most wonderful time. The teachers and students at this tiny little Sooke, BC school are awesome. I had time with every one of the kindergarten to grade 6 classes. They had great questions, and were a superb audience. I can't wait to get the lovely poster the kids welcomed me with, but they will all be signing it before it gets mailed to me.

Poor me

I'm so sad. I've come down with a cold/flu bug and had to miss Susan Juby's workshop. Ah well, at least I had the chance to catch one of them.

Pender Island

Had an fabulous few days on Pender Island with writer friends Andrea and David Spalding. We explored an ancient First Nation village site and midden which was pretty cool. Here I am with my sweetie Lloyd in front of the midden. And here is the view from Andrea and Dave's front window overlooking Mayne Island.









No wonder they are so inspired as writers! I also caught a snap of this piliated woodpecker raiding the bird feeder.

Cutest puppy ever!

Here's a picture of my puppy, the cutest puppy ever! I won't get to bring her home for another month, but I am so excited. Expect another dog story!

Ann Walsh and I attended a Susan Juby workshop

After spending the morning doing a Camino de Santiago de Compostela workshop, I rushed over to pick up fellow author Ann Walsh at her hotel. Then we drove over to the Emily Carr Library where we spent two fantastic hours listening to author Susan Juby talk about writing. It was exhausting, but an interesting take on writing to keep the reader interested. Susan covered voice, character, plot, and dialogue. She is a super teacher and if you get a chance to hear her speak, go for it. If not, you can always read her books or catch an episode of the TV series, Alice, I Think. After the workshop, I drove Ann Walsh back to her hotel (through the snow!) and had glass of wine and a visit with the resident hotel seagull who hangs out on her balcony hoping for a hand-out.

Lunch with Andrea and David Spalding

Had a wonderful visit with fellow authors and friends, Andrea and David Spalding. We brainstormed new novel possibilities while eating lunch and overlooking the Sidney harbour. What fun! After lunch, Andrea and I left David to browse the bookstores while we went off to a new lavender farm. It was wonderful, and the bonus was seeing a one day old duckling.

Who knew Rochelle Strauss was a fan

I received the loveliest email from my daughter who is a sales rep. in the book publishing business in Vancouver. She writes,

"Today I was driving Rochelle Strauss ( author of Tree of Life and One Well) around, and we were chatting and I mentioned that you were my mum. She freaked out, because, it turns out, you are the reason that she started writing books!...she was super-excited, because you're basically her hero."

Most authors don't often get many opportunities to hear that you have influenced someone's life decisions. This totally made my week.

Home for the weekend, and a great read...

So good to be home for a whole weekend. On Monday I'll be visiting Braefoot Elementary School here in Victoria. I'm looking forward to it since I don't often get a lot of time in local schools. No ferries or airplanes to catch...a treat.

I finished the most wonderful book the other day called Graceling by Kristin Cashore. It's an awesome fantasy. For those of you who are Ursula LeGuin fans, I can't recommend it enough. I know more is coming from this fine young author, and I just can't wait for the next installment.

Northern Voice Conference

I'll be in Vancouver at UBC this weekend for the 2009 Northern Voice Conference, a blogging and social media conference. I'll be on a panel called "Sick and tired of blogs." Anyone who blogs regularly will get it, but what you won't get, unless you show up, is the low down on blogger burn out, and how or if you can keep it fresh. It's an awesome event and it's cheap and full of creative awesomeness. Sadly, if you're just hearing about Northern Voice now, it's probably too late for this year cuz happily, it's sold out! See you there, and if not, be sure to catch up next year. Sheryl

Powell's Books

I love book stores and visit them in whatever city I happen to be in. A recent trip to Portland for the Portland Jazz festival obviously meant a trip to Powell's Books. Taking up a city block, they are several stories with an easy layout organized by room colour. My friend and I agreed that we would meet back by the front door in two hours. He made a beeline for history, and I headed straight for the Rose Room dedicated solely to kids books. Since it was a Sunday, I had to thread my way through crowds of kids and parents; something you don't see that often in book stores these days. It isn't hard to figure out why Powell's is so successful while so many of our independent booksellers are closing their doors. Powell's has struck gold when it comes to customer ratings, and here's how:

1. they have a great website with a newsletter, staff pics, etc.
   
2. they employ plenty of staff to help you find what you're looking for
3. they have special sections for award-winners
4. rooms are colour coded according to type of book such as Rose for kid's books with further designated sections with each room
   
5. every area has multiple shelf tags indicating staff picks, hot reviews, etc. making it easy to find great books no matter what section you're in
   
6. and they sell quality used books on the same shelf as new tiles, ensuring their customers get the biggest book bang for their buck (I bought 3 used books which were so inexpensive that I decided I could afford 8 new titles; by the way, I went in specifically looking for two books!)
   
7. they even have a coffee shop!

So, if you happen to be passing through Portland, run don't walk to Powell's Books. Hey, they even have a few of my titles, if you happen to be looking. Later. Sheryl

Puppy coming soon...

I'm so excited. I've been waiting for a puppy, and yesterday Nitty had her litter; 5 gorgeous balls of fluff and one of them will be mine in 2 months! I don't have pictures yet, but here is one the puppies from the last litter taken by her human family. Her name is Lucy, and her owner is a good friend. As you can see, Lucy is a reader, even if she isn't quite as literary as her owner. Of course my puppy will be a great reader too! Watch for puppy pictures; coming soon! Oh, and maybe even another dog book on the joys, or not, of puppy training! Sheryl

Happy February

It's true. I've been a total slacker in the blogging department, although, not in all things. Victoria's first white Xmas since the 1970's has come and gone, including all this snow in my front yard. With the holidays well behind me, I have begun reading stories for the Canadian Children's Book Centre's national writing contest. This year I'll be judging grade 4 stories, and so far I have read some real gems. I've kept busy with school visits to Ranch Park and Baker Drive Elementary Schools in Coquitlam, a visit organized by the wonderful Sandra Chan, the librarian of both schools. She and I manage to organized the visit while I was traveling in Spain last year. I also had the great pleasure of visiting James Bay Community School here in Victoria. Dedicated librarian Steve Marta organized the school's literacy week around my vist which included a new authographed book for every single student in the school. To top it all off, he was a super host.

Now that things have quieted down a little, I'm back to working on my next novel, and looking forward to picking out my new puppie from the litter of my friend's mixed miniature poodle cross. Right now I'm anxiously waiting for the pups to be born. Soon though I'll bet my new dog will give me plenty to write about. Until next time...Sheryl

Home sweet home

I can't believe how lovely it is to be home. I not only have wonderful memories and lots of new friends, but I'm bursting with story ideas! Unfortunately, while I was away, the one mouse who had found it's way into my house multiplied as mice tend to do, and I am battling the invasion heroically. Advice appreciated. Sheryl

Home Soon

It's been ages since I've posted, and now I'm almost ready to come back home sweet home, especially since it has been raining like all get out since I've been here in a small village near Barcelona. Yesterday we went into town to look at the Gowdy buildings which I had seen long ago, but they are even more impressive today, probably because I know better what I am looking at. The thing I am enjoying most though is visiting with my old writer friend Ellen. I have been missing the chance to talk books and writing, and am so looking forward to getting home and back to work. Last night we had a couple of bottles of the local champagne which was absolutely delicious. Wish I could bring a bottle home, but it is a little beyond my means! The next post will be from home! Yippee

Walking the Camino

Walking the last few hundred kilometers of the Camino de Santiago took about 10 days, and every one of those days was fabulous, even the one where I was sick as a dog. I love the rhythm you get into. I loved all the little villages and churches along the way. I loved the way everyone was so helpful and friendly, always wishing you a "Buen Camino." Locals would put you back on track if they happened to see you walking the wrong way. It was amazing. Once in Santiago, the trip to the cathedral to was equally awesome. I attended the pilgrim's mass, and was amazed at how much of the ceremony I remembered even thought it was done in Spanish. I won't be able to load pictures until my return as my little laptop has died. It is an experience I won't soon forget, and I'm pretty sure I'll be back here again.