Snow Day in Whistler

Just back from Whistler. I have to say -- deepest sympathies to anyone who has to make that drive with any regularity. It is truly brutal to do the full Sea to Sky Highway. The trip to Lions Bay is fraught with many stops and trecherous sections these days, but the Whistler and Pemberton North gang certainly have the worst of it right now. Let's send all our collective good karma out to Peter Keiwit Sons so they can get the job done expediently and safely.

Whistler Secondary was a blast. They had their first big snow last night, and I brought Seamus along for the ride, so we spent the lunch hour on a quick walk with him alternately frolicking merrily or rolling ecstatically. A born snow dog.

In the school, I worked with the Comparative Civilizations class (grade 11s and 12s), a grade 8 CAPP class, a grade 10 English class and the Creative Writing club after school. Fantastic kids plus great teachers added up to a fun day. Thanks for having me!

Book tour starts Saturday. Received my itinerary today and will be blogging where I can. I think I have thirteen presentations over five days. Will bring my running gear to help keep my brains in my head...

~kc

Hycroft

A yearly event that allows the members of CWILL BC to showcase new titles to teachers and members of the Vancouver Children's Literary Roundtable...tonight. It's a privilege to be in the company of such a fine group of writers and illustrators. Each author/illustrator was limited to a two-minute discussion of his or her latest work. Dashing Dan Bar-El (whose amazing Alphabetter Book has just been put, via the BC government, into the hands of every child entering kindergarten in the province this year) dressed up as an old Yiddish faerie, to the vast amusement of all present. Ann Walsh came down from the Cariboo with her hat and drum (but without her book). Author Kari Lynn Winters and audacious illustrator Cynthia Nugent both sang their way into our hearts. In all, 30 BC authors and illustrators strutted their stuff, followed by a smashing speech by Nan Gregory on the subject of her varied and unique writing career. Stage-managing the event with great aplomb behind the scenes and in front of the mike was illustrator (and graphic novelist) Kathie Shoemaker.

A good time was had by all.

Tomorrow I am off to Whistler to commune with the denizens of the local high school. Have to miss yoga for this -- so I plan to align my chakras and get me some mountain Zen while I am there.

Namaste.

~kc

Past, Present, Future and Not Tense

First of all, as promised -- PORCUPINE, by Meg Tilly. An exquisite read. It felt very much like reading a contemporary WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND. The story of Jack, a 12 year old girl with an old soul. I enjoyed it immensely.

Past Tense -- Writing.Wise event, now over and done with. Most excellent panel, a discussion that could have easily gone on all night and a great crowd. Congratulations to Maryse de la Giroday for a job well done!

Present Tense -- so many things are making me tense at the moment, I can hardly bear to think of them, let alone write them down. Tension is the new zen. Tenz...the acronym.

Future Tense -- most immediately, Hycroft tomorrow night. Then on to the next!

And finally -- let me leave you with this fine example of Seamus in repose -- definitely NOT tense.

(This picture is courtesy of the fact that I could not get Meg's cover pic for Porcupine to post. Will try another day.)

~kc

On the Queen, Water Bodies and Blogging in the Dark...

I am sitting in a small hotel room on the Saanich Penninsula -- near Victoria. Hence the Queen. The true Queen is asleep behind me in her bed, replenishing and readying herself for excellence at a swim meet tomorrow. She is here to swim (and socialize, of course) and I am here to write in my usual, hermit-like fashion.

I am the world's worst swim parent. I emerge from my cocoon only long enough to cheer on my own child and she races the clock, and then it's back to head buried in current wip. No team spirit at all, actually. Horrifying.

I have just been weeping, a little, reading Meg Tilly's blog. I first met Meg in the flesh at Book Expo earlier this year in Toronto, and we run into each other rather more often these days. I am about one chapter away from finishing her latest book, PORCUPINE, which I will review here shortly. But tonight was my first experience with her blogging persona. And I can tell you -- what you see is what you get with this writer. I LOVED reading her blog. Meg is a most interesting person, with a quite remarkable (and somewhat public) history, but what she is best at, hands down -- is writing. The Meg she writes is the Meg she is -- or as close to it as the one I've met, anyway.

All this by way of saying, if you'd like to add a beautiful read to your blog list, google yourself The Official Meg Tilly.com and it will take you to her website. Add her blog to your RSS feed or your Reader or whatever. Really a joy to read.

Oh, and not at all weepy...it's just that Meg's youngest son is the same age as my daughter, and we are both facing the weird reality of the Impending Launch of of one's offspring into the great unknown of the real world. A truly startling phenomena, in much the way a knife neatly slicing out a piece of one's heart must be. An astonishingly sudden event, considering 18 full years have passed in what feels like a heart beat, or a hair's breadth, or wahtever space of time is faster than an instant. This is, of course, complicated by the standard social nicety one faces encompassing the general unacceptibility of bursting into tears in public places for no apparent reason, particularly in front of said offspring, now fully grown but not beyond the humiliation of parental embarrassment.

Perhaps that is what I will cling to -- she may be all grown up, but no one can embarrass her the way her mother can.

Anyway -- you must read Meg's blog. She clearly rocks not only as a writer but as a parent. And is more eloquant, to boot. (She, for example, would never use the expression -- to boot. I am quite sure of that.)

~kc

Lots Doin'

Smack in the middle of insanity season -- just bolting from one thing to the next and hoping it all holds together.

McKee was...uh -- well, I really like his book. And it was a good time for me to take the seminar -- just in time to help tie a few things up for the submission draft of DEADLINE. Let's just say old Bob is not recommended for the faint of heart. This week is more re-plotting, twisting and getting ready for the approaching onslaught.

Upcoming Events:

Writing.wise -- looks to be a fantastic evening with an amazing panel discussing all things writing. (Sue Thomas, a new media expert from the UK; Shari Ulrich, singer-songwriter; Mira Sundara Rajan, musician and Canada Chair in Intellectual Property Law at UBC; Ian Verchere, founder of Radical Entertainment, games developer and Whistler ski dude; Kaare Andrews, comic book writer and artist.) November 13, 7 pm Radha Yoga, 728 Main Street in Vancouver. You can register for this event on-line at sec@westcoast.ca Check the previous post or email me for details.

Hycroft -- This year's CWILL BC / Vancouver Children's Roundtable Annual Event, filled with all the new and exciting books for kids and teens produced by BC authors and illustrators. November 14, 6:30 pm, Hycroft House on McRae St. in Vancouver (just near 16th and Granville).

Then on Thursday, I'll be heading up to Whistler to hand out at the high school for the day. Can't wait -- Libby McKeever the assistant librarian has all kinds of fun stuff planned.

On Saturday the 17th, I'm off on my CCBC Book Tour of Ontario. My slice of the province will be mostly in and around Toronto -- Brampton, King City and Lindsay are also on the agenda. I'll be doing a number of public library readings and school visits. You can check out the Canadian Children's Book Centre site at http://www.bookcentre.ca/ for more details.

I'm bringing my trusty laptop, so I will try to keep a bit of a running commentary going.

And to close, in the spirit of Hallowe'en, or perhaps Samhain might be a better reference -- this is my friend Delia, a Cornish Rex by breed, though a trifle (one might venture to say, out of her hearing, of course) demonic by nature. I took this picture a couple of weeks ago when she wasn't really in the mood. At least 19 years old, she's not in the mood for much of anything but sleeping these days. Delia will feature (respectfully fictionalized, of course) in the upcoming Ceilidh stories, the first of which will be set in Edinburgh. I can't wait to get to work on them -- I'm ready for a little magic.

~kc

Spending the weekend with McKee...

Robert McKee, screenwriting guru. His seminar is back in Vancouver, and I am going, in spite of the fact that I have a million other things (including the last few words of DEADLINE) screaming for my attention.

This has left me a little crabby, along with the thought of having to sit still for so long -- the seminar lasts from 9:00 am to 8:30 pm three days in a row. This means juggling kids, dog and aforementioned other million items.

I`m hoping you`re worth it, Bob.

Scattered around these words are pictures from the various venues that hosted the `Chocolate & Chat` teacher appreciation events James McCann and I were a part of last month. We covered four municipalities in two days and had an amazing time at each and every stop. A big shout out to the warm welcome we received in the Strawberry Hill (Surrey), Langley and Vancouver (Granville & West Hastings) Chapters stores and the West Vancouver Indigo store. We`ll come back and visit any time -- you guys were fantastic hosts!

Looks like there might be another mini-tour in the works. More when I have further details to share.

*kc (this is NOT a typo --my tilde just died...)

Writing.wise

Here is the press release for Writing.wise, an event that is coming up November 13th. It sounds like great fun, and I am looking forward to meeting this eclectic group.

The event is being organized by Maryse de la Giroday of FrogHeart Communications. Come out and join us!

Writing.wise—a rip roaring, rip snorting, profane, world shaking, rabble rousing...event for writers in Vancouver is being presented by the Society for Technical Communication Canada West Coast Chapter, Masters of Digital Media at Great Northern Way Campus, Vancouver Comicon, The Shebeen Club, Simon Fraser University Writing & Publishing Program, and FrogHeart Communications.

Meet a diverse panel of writers and engage in a lively discussion about stories and narrative in games, comic books, new media, books (fiction and non fiction), and song.
· Kaare Andrews is a writer and artist who has worked on comic books such as the Incredible Hulk, Ultimate X-Men, Amazing Spider-Man, Gen13 and the Matrix. He won "Outstanding Comic Book Artist" at the Joe Shuster Awards in 2005. And, as a filmmaker, he's directed a number of award-winning short films.
· Mira Sundara Rajan, is a musician, author of "Copyright and Creative Freedom," and the Canada Research Chair in Intellectual Property Law at the University of British Columbia. She has consulted on copyright matters in the United States, United Kingdom, India, European Union, and Russia.
· Sue Thomas, a UK expert in new media, is the author of the book "Hello World travels in virtuality" and others. She is the program leader for the Online MA in Creative Writing and New Media (at De Montfort University). Her students collaborated with Penguin Books on 'A Million Penguins'. She'll explain how that blockbusting experimental wikinovel produced some surprising results.
· Shari Ulrich recently released her latest solo album. A member of the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, a Juno award winner, and a fixture on the Vancouver music scene, Ulrich has performed with Pied Pumkin, Ulrich Henderson Forbes, and Valdy & the Hometown Band. When she's in town, Ulrich teaches songwriting locally.
· Ian Verchere is known as the developer of over 30 game titles including two million-selling titles for Electronic Arts, SSX Tricky and NBA Street V2. He's also a founder of Radical Entertainment; an author, "V0N 1B0; General Delivery, Whistler, BC; a creative consultant for Roald Dahl's literary estate, and a scriptwriter (with Douglas Coupland) who's sold his work to Disney.
Moderator
· kc dyer is the author of four contemporary and historical young adult novels which have been published in Canada, the US, the UK, and Thailand. The conference and the writing contest coordinator for the Surrey International Writers' Conference, dyer is a skilled, capable moderator with experience in and opinions on all aspects of the writing scene.

Logistics
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Radha Yoga and Eatery (728 Main St., yoga on the edge and above the Brickhouse Bar)…
Door opens at 6:30 pm, and the event starts at 7 pm.
Tickets are $15/$20 and available through http://www.stcwestcoast.ca/

~kc

A Quick Review...

The notebook show the best and worst of everyone, and make it fascinating reading. What I found really unusual is that the title character (Ms. Zephyr) is not in the story, she is only seen through the eyes of the 3 teens/tweens.

A brief clip from the latest internet-based review of Ms. Z. It can be found in its entirety by clicking: http://www.ourgaggleofgirls.com/books/

~kc

Reading on the Corner...

This is the press release for a series of gigs, one of which I am hieing over to participate in this afternoon:

The Cornerstone Cafe and the Canadian Authors Association are pleased to present:
Readings on the Corner
Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 2pm.
Bernice Lever, reading from her new book of poetry, Never a Straight Line
Margaret Anne Hume, reading from her recent biography, Just Mary: The Life of Mary Evelyn Grannan

Saturday, Oct. 13, at 3pm
Sandra Harper, reading from her new young adult novel, Breaking Out
Patrick Taylor, reading from his popular novel, An Irish Country Doctor

Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 3:30pm
Lois Peterson, reading from her new novel for young readers, Tansy Here and Now
kc dyer, reading from her new young adult novel, Ms. Zephyr's Notebook

Saturday, Oct. 27, at 3pm
Anthony Dalton, reading from his new adventure book, Alone Against the Arctic
Ben Nuttall-Smith, reading from his memoir, The Chameleon Sings -- Surviving and Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse

All events will be held at the Cornerstone Cafe, 3003 Burlington Drive, Coquitlam (at the corner of Pinetree & Burlington). Free admission. Information: mahume@telus.net or 604-806-0471.

See you this afternoon in Coquitlam!

~kc

Ms. Z Gets Reviewed by Roundtable

Rebecca Wire of Roundtable Reviews has a few words to say about Ms. Zephyr and her notebook here:

http://www.roundtablereviews.com/dyerkc101907.htm

And, yes -- you might recognize the posterior on the front page of the SiWC site (www.siwc.ca ). The champagne bottle was empty at the time, I assure you, but as a parting gift from Don and Lisa Maass, it had been enjoyed by all.

The blogosphere is abuzz with comments about the conference. Let me know if you see a new one, and I'll post a link to it here.

~kc

A Conference to Remember

SiWC 2007 is now history.




An amazing, memorable event, with a roster of stellar presenters and nearly 800 attendees.

This shot shows an apparently delerious conference coordinator with her astounding group of co-chairs: Bonnie D., Tara H. and Carmen M.

It is the volunteers who make this thing happen.

The three ladies pictured make the big decisions.

Ursula M. (treasurer), Carrie H. (bookstore liaison), Sue G. (transportation), Estelle S. (Trade Show), Camille N.(Volunteers), Mary R. (Bookfair and so much more) and Dale McGladdery (of Digital Doodles, Webmaster extraordinaire) all lend an expert hand to make the event a success. And with 60+ volunteers this year, things generally went pretty well.

More than 70 workshops and panels. More than 1000 Blue Pencil and Editor/Agent/Publisher/Producer interviews. Six keynote speeches. Five Master Classes. Four Writing Awards. Three Day Trade Show. Two merit awards -- the SiWC Surrey Board of Trade Award and the Griffin Award. Book Fair/Author Signing. A Silent AND Deadly Auction.

Countless cups of coffee and more than a few martinis swilled.

We'll be putting up some of this year's conference info on the website shortly. It's at www.siwc.ca , in case you haven't been there before. If you do go -- make sure to add your name to our mailing list.

The next conference is a mere 367 days away.

Surrey International Writers' Conference -- October 24 - 26, 2008.

~kc

DONE!

That's it.

The travel is all booked -- the scheds are all duled. Many, many little jobs remain (including clearing off some 600 + emails from my poor, over-loaded server), but SiWC 2007 is clearing it's throat, ready to sing.

I'm feeling pretty good. Evilly good, actually.

James McCann and I wrapped up our Chocolate & Chat Travelling Teacher Appreciation Road Show with four bookstore appearances in two days.

Will try to post a few pictures when I get them -- my camera died at the pivotal moment, sadly, and refused to regain consciousness, even with the infusion of new batteries.

It was hectic -- it was crazy. But it was FUN!

You know what I will remember? Not the sales or even the chocolate (since I forgot to eat any of it...) Nope. I will remember the lady of the broken glass.

On Sunday, as we dashed out into the downpour in Surrey to head to the Langley location, I zigged when I should have zagged and I dropped and shattered a glass plate on the road right in front of Chapters. Shards of glass EVERYWHERE. James stood guard, protecting with his life the tires belonging to the miscreants who shook their fists at this interloper (how DARE he stand in the middle of the road?) and tried to drive over him anyway. I ran for a box to collect the glass. As I started to pick it up, a woman ran out from the shelter of the bookstore.

"My parents used to tell me when I was a little girl in India," she said, "that broken glass is good luck." She proceeded to help me pick up the glass, all the while getting soaking wet and risking life and limb in the middle of the road with us. "They said that broken glass meant that the bad thing had already happened, so the rest of the day would be filled with good luck," she said.

Then she took the box of broken glass and put it in the garbage bin for us, while we stared after her, rain dripping down our glasses.

She was right, of course. We had a marvellous day after that.

Two more featured presenters from the conference -- this time the married Speculative Fiction Super-team of Diane Duane and Peter Morwood.

Diane Duane is author of numerous books, both on her own and with her husband as co-author, but she is held in the highest esteem in my family for her Young Wizards series. The combined facts that a new book in the series is due out this fall AND the author is coming to town have my girl in a state of nervous frenzy that somehow still can't manage to render her speechless. We are both looking forward to meeting this remarkable author when she comes to speak at the conference.

Diane Duane will jet from the home she shares in Ireland with her husband, Peter Morwood, who will himself be discussing speculative fiction at the conference. He'll talk about creating realistic heroes and spectacular villains, as well as his take on speculative fiction on the screen and on the page.

You can find out much more by checking out www.petermorwood.com and www.dianeduane.com

~kc

Shhhhh.....

I know a secret.

Getting to crunch time with the Surrey International Writers' Conference, and lately there's not time for much but head down -- push forward. We've been working on the contest lately, and now I've heard back from all the judges and the results are in...

But I'm not telling.

Friday night, October 19th, all will be revealed. Four winners of four categories. $1000 each. At least one honourable mention in each category, $150 each. And everyone gets published in the SiWC 2007 Anthology.

A pretty exciting night, October 19th. Will you be there?

Tomorrow the 'Teacher Appreciation Travelling Road Show' starts up again with our Chocolate & Chat events at Chapters. James McCann and I are going to brave the wilds between Surrey and Langley and visit the Chapters stores there. (Last week when we did a trial run, we got lost for more than an hour -- but less than two -- trying to find the Langley story.) This time we have Google directions AND a map book to help us out. We'd love to see you -- we have chocolate and books to spare, AND Chapters is showing their appreciation of teachers by offering a 20% discount.

A quick look at two more of the amazing line-up of presenters this year. For those for whom non-fiction is their thing, we have a couple of great choices. Conference favourite Elizabeth Lyon is returning this year. In addition to being the author of five great books about writing, Elizabeth has been an independant editor for many years. [And speaking of secrets, as one of the judges for the Non-fiction Writing Contest, she knows a secret or two herself!] This year at the conference, Elizabeth will offer a workshop on the subject of giving your fictional story an Extreme Make-over -- but she's also a great resource for selling a non-fiction manuscript.

Another star on the non-fiction scene is Daniel Wood. One of Canada's best known magazine writers, Daniel has also produced fourteen books over the years. He'll tell you everything you need to know about how to make freelance writing a career -- and he should know, he's done it himself!

If you'd like to learn more about either of these two amazing writer-teachers, check out the conference website at http://www.siwc.ca/

And you'd better book your spot fast. The conference has sold out for the last two years running.

~kc

Holy Autumn Leaves, Batman!

Autumn leaves -- me breathless.

This one in particular.

Not the picture -- the season. Between book launches (4 more coming up September 30th and October 1st), Word on the Street, the Surrey International Writers' Conference, a book tour through Ontario, a McKee seminar -- well, let's just say that there is a whole lot to blog about.

Right now I am working with Kathleen at Carlson-Wagonlit to book travel arrangements for the folks coming to SiWC. With more than 60 presenters this year, scheduling the group is quite an interesting challenge!

Letters, schedules and e-tickets are flying through the ether as the last-minute details of the conference take shape.

Jack Whyte has made his selections for his Master Class -- and now he's busy (with Diana Gabaldon) judging entries for the writing contest. His decisions and those of the other judges will become evident on Friday, October 19th, as they are announced on the first evening of the conference.

And speaking of the conference -- for our two featured authors tonight, I've picked The Adventurer and The Showgirl.

The Adventurer is one Anthony Dalton, current president of the Vancouver branch of the Canadian Authors Association and the best man to have behind you in a tiger hunt. (Note: As a vegetarian, I do not regularly hunt tigers, however, since they might consider me a tasty, corn-fed morsel if I was in their neighbourhood, I wouldn't mind having Anthony watching my back...)

I've known Anthony for many years, but only in civilization. Before he settled to his life of bliss in White Rock, he's been around the planet a time or two. Here's just a _smidgen_ of his bio:

A British-born Canadian adventurer and author he is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Fellow of the Explorers Club. His expeditions have taken him across the Sahara many times, through the deserts of the Middle East, into the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan, on dangerous Arctic waters, and canoeing wilderness rivers in northern Canada. He was the organizer and leader of a CBC-TV filming expedition to the Saharan salt mines of Taoudenit in northern Mali, and participated in a television documentary on great Canadian rivers for the Discovery Channel. Magazine assignments have taken him to the Australian Outback, the Falkland Islands, Namibia, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, among others.

And I didn't even get to the tigers...

You can come and listen to Anthony Dalton tell his stories and talk about writing at SiWC this year.

Anthony might be a great raconteur, but even if you are into the bearded male look, he is no showgirl. You want a showgirl? I've got one for you.

This showgirl comes with brains, beauty and a best seller or two. Vicki Pettersson has had a whirlwind of a year. Her first two novels launched within mere weeks of each other, only to find their way, almost immediately, onto best seller lists across the US and Canada.

Her books THE SCENT OF SHADOWS and THE TASTE OF NIGHT are rockets in the Urban Fantasy genre, and Vicki will be talking about them and the processes that led to this self-described 'ten-year overnight sensation' at the conference this fall.

Less than a month away -- check out more details at http://www.siwc.ca/

And now -- at a minute to midnight -- adieu.

~kc

Things are Changing...

...by the minute, it seems, with regard to the upcoming Surrey conference. I'll be sending out a new email note to the mailing list in the next day or two, detailing all the exciting new developments for the conference. We are anticipating selling out again this year -- if you're still on the fence, better make the leap soon. I'm just saying...

Interested in great crime fiction? Author Patricia Smiley will be one of our guests this year at the conference. The latest book in her Tucker Sinclair series (the third, as a matter of fact) was just released in July. Patty loves a good ride-along with the LAPD -- in fact, she is a special reserve officer with the police force in Los Angeles. That's taking your research seriously!

When Patty is not working on her latest Sinclair novel, you can find her participating in the crime writing blog: http://www.nakedauthors.com/

For a crime tale of a different sort, have a peek at local writer Wendy Roberts's mysteries. Wendy is an SiWC poster child, who started attending the conference before she'd published a word. Her second 'Ghost Dusters' novel is due out this year.

When she's not busy writing or blogging, this mother of four specializes in driving her kids around. You can read all about what Wendy is up to these days on her blog at http://wendyroberts.blogspot.com or on her website (with a very cool new trailer for her upcoming book) at www.wendyroberts.com

And once again -- I've missed the midnight deadline for my blog. Suddenly it's tomorrow, again. I seem to have this problem a lot lately...

~kc

Slammed...

...with a massive allergy attack over the past couple of days. It seems to be subsiding now -- but it slowed me down for a couple of days. It's remarkably difficult to think when the interior of one's head dissolves and tries to run out one's nose.

Was interviewed for Co-op Radio (102.7 FM) today by a friendly and fiesty group of seniors for the Senior's 411 Radio Show. We talked about books and about the conference and it was great fun. It will air Thursday at 2 pm, I think.

Okay -- a quick look at a couple more authors coming to Surrey. Two of my favourite Canadian writers for kids are on the agenda, so let's take a closer look...

Eric Walters is one of the most prolific writers of books for kids and teens that I know. He started off as a teacher, began writing books in his spare time, and his career as a writer took off. At last count he'd written 38 books for kids and teens, but there's probably been a couple more out since I last checked. In the interests of full disclosure, I have to add that no -- he did not write Ms. Zephyr's Notebook -- even though his name is on the cover. He did, however, scribble on the cover in a grafitti-style blurb that made me very happy.

Eric has a lot of passions in his life -- literacy for boys, literacy in Africa -- and is a mesmerizing speaker. His books reflect his passions and those of his subjects, from Canadian heroes like Terry Fox and William Stevenson, to historical adventures like The Bully Boys, to contemporary teen angst. An incredible writer, he'll be sharing his insights in his workshops at SiWC, and giving a keynote speech as well. You can read more about his life and work at www.ericwalters.net

Lee Edward Fodi is an illustrator and a writer and a guy who is not afraid to walk around in a wizard's hat. I've worked a lot with Lee in CWILL this year, and taught with him at the CWC summer camp. Lee's Kendra Kandlestar books are beautifully illustrated, wonderful stories, and this past year he collaborated with Victoria Miles to produce 'The Chocolatier's Apprentice', a run-away best-seller to celebrate Purdy's Chocolate 100 year anniversary.

Lee just came back from a stint in Seoul, teaching writing to kids at the Korean version of CWC, and he's got a bunch of other projects on the go. He'll be talking about writing books for kids and using illustrations to inspire your work as a children's writer when he comes to SiWC this fall. You can see some amazing examples of Lee's beautiful work at www.leefodi.com

~kc

More Ms. Z Reviews

MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK has received a couple of very nice reviews lately. The Globe & Mail's book section on the weekend coupled a review of Ms. Z. with VISIONS, Book 2 of Carol Matas' FREAK series. Of Ms. Z., reviewer Wendy Kitts says: "Although the concept of this young adult book is quite ingenious - from its cover design made to look like a notebook to the way the story, like an intravenous drip, is fed to us gradually through snippets of notes - the best part of this story takes place in the present tense."

The full review can be found here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070908.BKKITT08/TPStory/Entertainment

Carolyn Cooke, reviewing for SURREY NOW, says "Ms. Zephyr's Notebook is a great read -- fast-paced, engrossing with memorable characters struggling with overwhelming issues."

The full review is also online at:

http://www.canada.com/surreynow/news/leisure/story.html?id=54b07e1f-2638-4923-8e63-15460c92fec4

SiWC author profiles up soon -- have to feed the rapacious hordes first...

~kc

Attention Y/A Writers

HEY!

I just read in Nephele Tempest's (Knight Agency) blog that she is currently accepting y/a queries straight into her blog -- bypassing the usual Knight Agency protocol! This looks like a limited-time offer, but if you nip over there now, you can read the details.

Nephele Tempest's (who will also be one of our honoured guests at the Surrey International Writers' Conference this year) blog can be found here:

http://nephele.livejournal.com/

And speaking of the conference, here's another look at a couple of our featured authors -- in this case, poets, both.

The lovely and talented Bernice Lever comes to the conference as both a presenter and a judge of our SiWC poetry competition. Bernice has been a poet and author for most of her life, and in between raising her family she's also been an editor and a teacher. She has read and performed her poetry on five continents, but these days spends her time on Bowen Island, teaching, editing and continuing to write. I've known Bernice since right around the time she planted herself on Bowen, and she is, without a doubt, the most wonderful mentor for writers of anyone I know. She's been a member of the Canadian Authors Association for 30 years and is currently their grievence chair. Bernice will also be doing Blue Pencil at the conference, and this is one lady who gives some seriously good advice, so my suggestion is regardless of genre, line up quick for an appointment. Her expertise is priceless.

Bernice has just launched a new book of poetry 'NEVER A STRAIGHT LINE' with Black Moss Press. Her website is http://www.colourofwords.com/

Bernice will be sharing the stage of one of her workshops with fellow poet George McWhirter.

Vancouver's first Poet Laureate, George McWhirter, came to Canada from Belfast. He has written eight books of poetry, edited and translated countless more and has won awards for his teaching an mentoring of students throughout his career.

For more on the career and interests of this remarkable poet, check out his website at www3.telus.net/GeorgeMcWhirter

I'm looking forward to hearing what both these experts of their craft have to say.

By the bye, I checked out Christianne's Hayward's new venue last night, as promised. The Lyceum for Literature and Art is a BEAUTIFUL facility at the elegant end of 8th Avenue in Vancouver. When I got there it was packed to the gills with glittering local literati, great food and a bunch of very excited kids. This is a huge addition to the local literary scene, especially for young people. We'll be hearing more from Christianne -- no doubt at all.

Now -- I think I might just take a few minutes to work on my book. A friend of mine told me that I was cursing myself when I called the thing DEADLINE.

He was right.

~kc

Madeleine L'Engle

Madeleine L'Engle died yesterday in Connecticut at 88 years of age. Her book, A Wrinkle in Time, was my favourite as a child. She is one of my inspirations as a writer. Her legacy, of course, lives on.

~kc

Long Day

I've spent the day at top speed -- meetings, events and much driving, driving. Let's see...I think I covered 6 municipalities today. Lions Bay (of course), Surrey and Vancouver, and drove through Burnaby, New Westminster and North Vancouver, as well.

Luckily, my yoga class started up again, so I had a chance at a little serenity before the madness took over.

Okay -- time for a little writer tid-bit or two. How 'bout something mysterious and romantic? Let's start with the mysterious side of the equation....

Phillip Margolin is one interesting guy. For a long time, he was a defense lawyer, trying cases before both the U. S. and State of Oregon Supreme Courts. He's defended many an individual charged with murder, and even a few who have faced the death penalty. In his spare time, Phillip Margolin started writing thrillers. He got so good, with a chain of best sellers behind him, that he turned to writing full time, and that's what he does now.

Close to his heart is 'Chess for Success', an organization that helps kids learn life and school strategies using chess as a guide.

When he comes to SiWC this year, he'll be talking about writing legal thrillers and sit on a mystery panel. And he's also going to give a killer keynote speech ... I can't wait. You can read more about this remarkable writer at his website -- http://www.phillipmargolin.com/

And now for that romance I promised you... Vancouver author Nancy Warren has written more than 30 novels for Harlequin and Kensington, including a racy novel or two about NASCAR. When she speaks at the SiW Conference this year, she'll let you in on the art of the love scene and also talk about building memorable female characters.

You can learn all about Nancy and her interest in fast cars and cool shoes from her website:

www.nancywarren.net

Namaste.

~kc

New and Cool in the City...

A huge supporter of the writing-for-kids community in Vancouver is embarking on a new venture. Dr. Christianne Hayward, who has worked for Vancouver Kidsbooks for years, has also headed their Book Club programs since way back in 1996. She has a dream coming true these days in the form of her new Lyceum of Literature and Art -- a new site for Book Clubs and more literary events than you can shake a stick at. She's having an open house tomorrow at the new location: 3696 West 8th Ave., Vancouver.
I'll be there.

And now -- the feature SiWC presenters of the day...

This shadowy figure belongs to the nefarious writer Michael Slade, a crafter of strange fiction and amazing tales. This man can tell a story like no other, and his voice is a welcome one in the halls of the SiWC. This year, attendees will get a special treat, for not only will Slade be pairing with Diana Gabaldon to do a workshop, but he will also make a special appearance with the even shadowier Pink Slade -- his collaborator in all things fiction.

All things Slade can be discovered at www.specialx.net

New to the conference this year is Kelley Armstrong. This amazing author is a wunderkind in the genre of paranormal suspense, and will be a natural when she pairs in a panel with the shadowy Slade to talk about putting the Fear into contemporary Fantasy. Kelley's first book BITTEN appeared in 2001, and she has produced seven more books since then -- an astounding output from a talented new voice. Check out her website at www.KelleyArmstrong.com

More on other SiWC 2007 authors and presenters coming soon to a blogspot near you.

~kc

Contest Time again...

...and I'm doing a bit of reading. This year there are fewer entries than in past years, as we fiddled with the deadline to make things easier for all involved. We'll likely change it back next year -- people just associate the fall with the SiWC writing contest, I think.

Anyway, there are a bunch of folks getting bloodshot eyes this year as each category goes through a long-list, then a short-list process before going off to the judges.

All this reading doesn't leave much time for blogging, so it's on to our feature presenters for the day.

One of the wonderful new faces who will be joining us this year for the first time is Jacqueline Mitchard. Jackie's first book THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN was a NY Times bestseller, and a featured pick on Oprah. She's had a series of other bestselling books since then, and has even written a y/a novel or two for teens. You can check out what Jackie is up to lately on her blog, which you can find at her website: http://www.jackiemitchard.com/

If you are a regular attendee at SiWC, you'll know that the board likes to keep things fresh by inviting new presenters every year. But popular demand means that invitations have to go out to some favourites as well. One of those particular favourites is the affable and laconic Don McQuinn.

Don has a special place in my heart, as a few years ago he served me up an unforgettable combination of embarrassment and pleasure, by presenting me with the SiWC /Surrey Board of Trade Special Achievement Award. Unfortunately, I happened to have just come in from a run and promptly spilled a hot chocolate down my shirt, so I stood up to accept my award looking pretty much like I always do, but perhaps not exactly as an award recipient should. However, I do believe my ensemble that day inspired board members to ensure that winners are now discretely notified enough ahead of time to allow appropriate dress for the occasion. Let's hope so, anyway.

Drawing a veil across that sorry incident in McQuinn's past, let us focus on his remarkable achievements. He's a published writer of nine novels and spends a lot of his time teaching people how to write -- and write well. Don will be teaching a beginner-level workshop this year in Surrey -- beginning writers and beginning stories. He'll also sit in on a panel or two. And I can pretty much guarantee he'll help make someone's day when he presents the Special Achievement Award this year. Hint to the winner: wear black.

~kc

99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall...

The last whole bottle of beer I drank was in Amsterdam at the Heinken factory at 9 am, sometime in July of 1983. Not much of a beer drinker, I'm afraid -- but what the heck -- this is my ninety-ninth post, so let's raise a bottle to celebrate this particular blogging habit I've picked up.

I promised I'd start to offer profiles of some of the presenters coming to visit the Surrey International Writers' Conference in October. I'm coordinating the conference this year, with the help of an able and widely experienced board of directors, and the event promises to be a special one.

So here's a chance to celebrate some of the people you'll get to meet if you come to Surrey this year...

Let's begin with the reigning Queen and King of our hearts -- and of the Storyteller's Award -- shall we?

The Storyteller's Award is the prize offered to the writer of the best fictional short story as judged every year in the SiWC Writing Contest by Diana Gabaldon and Jack Whyte.

Diana Gabaldon is the New York Times Best Selling author of both the Outlander and the Lord John series. There are some fabulous pictures of Diana on her website at http://www.its.caltech.edu/~gatti/gabaldon/gabaldon.html but I like this one that I took of her at the conference a couple of years ago, with another writer of great renown, Pamela Patchet. Pam has won many prizes for her writing over the years, and is a multiple-awardee in the Bulwer-Lytton fiction competition, (details of which can be found here: http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/). This particular shot of Diana and Pamela was taken very late one Saturday night, after a day of much hard work and revelry. This year, Diana will be participating in panels on the subject of genre-bending and the use of history in fiction as a reflection of present-day issues. In addition, she's sharing a workshop with the effervescent (and deadly) Michael Slade on the subject of plotting stories against the turbulent events of history. Diana will also give the closing keynote speech this year -- an event not to be missed. When she is not traipsing around the globe promoting her books, or being hauled off to shine at SiWC and other conferences, Diana can be found at home in Arizona, writing her astounding and vivid stories. (I am currently in the middle of the final story in her latest Lord John collection right now -- LORD JOHN AND THE HAND OF DEVILS. The book will be available in stores this fall, and I can tell you it's a great read.)

Jack Whyte, Diana's co-sponsor (and co-judge in the contest) will also be present in fine form for this year's conference. Jack's new book on the subject of the Knights Templar has just hit the shelves --STANDARD OF HONOR. Sequel to KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK AND WHITE, this book continues the chronicles of the St. Clair family during the crusades. Like his Dream of Eagles series, these new books are filled with heart-in-the-throat adventure and are must-reads. Jack is trying something new at the conference this year. He is taking on a Master Class -- that is, a class offered to writers who have some wide experience with writing -- but with a twist. In order to attend Jack's Master Class (on the subject of learning how to best accelerate tension in your novel), you must earn a place in the class. To find out more, check out the Master Class page of the SiWC website, found at http://www.siwc.ca/ . There are those who swear they come to the conference just to hear Jack speak, but if you really do want to learn to improve your writing, this is the man to listen to. You can read more about Jack, the man and his books, at his website http://www.camulod.com/ These days, he spends his time writing (with the odd round of golf thrown in) in Kelowna, BC.

I'll try to profile a couple of presenters every day until the conference gets here. If you have a special favourite, let me know and I'll see what tidbits I can dig up. And if you want to find out more about the conference, check it out at www.siwc.ca

As for me, I have a little contest reading to catch up on...

~kc

Chocolate and Chat

I LOVE this picture.


Meaghan took this shot, on a beautiful summer day, of James McCann discussing his books (RANCOUR & PYRE) with fellow author Meg Tilly and her partner Don.


This shot was taken at the second of our Chocolate & Chat Teacher Appreciation Travelling Road Show events. The Road Show found us at Edgemont Kidsbooks in North Vancouver for this particular event, and because the day was so beautiful, we set up our books outside. Meaghan was sitting behind the book display table when she took this shot. We had a great time talking with people who dropped by, and everyone (teacher or not) got their share of chocolate and chatting.


We have four more teacher appreciation events coming up on September 30 and October 1 in the Chapters stores in Surrey, Langley; the Park Royal Indigo in West Vancouver and the Chapters at Granville and West Broadway in Vancouver.

Please come to see us! We're launching our new books, but we are also sharing ideas with teachers as to how to get authors into the classroom. (And don't forget the chocolate!)

~kc

Travel...

...booking, organizing, liaising...

for the Surrey International Writers' Conference right now.

The SiWC will be bringing in writers, editors, agents, publishers and more from all around North America for the conference in October.

But before that happens, flights have to be lined up, tickets have to be organized and many MANY emails must be sent.

This is my life at present. Starting tomorrow, I will do up a small feature on some of the presenters that will be gracing our conference here in this blog.

Will also try to get some pix up from the first two stops on the Terrific Teacher Appreciation Travelling Roadshow that happened over the course of last week. James McCann and I will be doing it all again on September 30 and October 1 in Surrey, Langley, Vancouver and West Vancouver.

Stay tuned for more details. (I can tell you this...the chocolate was luscious.)

~kc

Blueberry Season?

The interview I had with Suzanne Lieurance late last week for Book Bites for Kids showed up on the Blubrry.com podcast site today. It's a cool site -- I hadn't seen it before and had a bit of fun poking around.



MS.ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK and PYRE got off to a quiet but fun start tonight at our first Terrific Teacher Appreciation Event, held at Vancouver Kidsbooks on Broadway. Chocolate hearts courtesy of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory -- made the event complete. Anybody who is anyone in the Vancouver literary community was there, so you'll not want to miss the next event, this Sunday at Kidsbooks in Edgemont Village, North Vancouver. See you there!




~kc

Podcast of Interview now Available

I was recently interviewed by Suzanne Lieurance of The National Writing for Children Centre for one of their 'Book Bytes for Kids' segments. You can listen to a podcast of the interview here:

http://writingforchildrencenter.com/2007/08/22/book-bites-for-kids-welcome-childrens-author-kc-dyer/

The Centre is a very cool on-line resource for readers and writers. Their stated goal is to "help educate and connect aspiring and successful children’s writers, elementary school teachers and/or librarians to provide books, stories, and opportunities for literacy development for children everywhere."

You can find the home page for the site at http://www.writingforchildrencentre.com/

~kc

Rocky Mountain on Board...

Just a quick note tonight (as I am still writing, writing) that Chris from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory contacted me today -- and they are on board as a sponsor for our 'Chocolate & Chat' Teacher appreciation book launch events!

This is thrilling news, both because we are now guaranteed to have a great selection of chocolates at our first launch on Thursday night, AND because I am typing this with a bite of dark chocolate cashew cluster melting in my mouth. (Technique tip -- let the chocolate dissolve before crunching up cashew...).

A good chocolate omen, wouldn't you say?

~kc

Meetings, Launches, Chocolate...

Great meeting yesterday with CWILL exec, planning for a fun year. We're going to raise the profile of this organization and have a good time doing it. Or that's the plan, anyway. Had another fun little get-together with some CWILLers today, celebrating the return of Julie Burtinshaw from the wilds of the North. Sounds like she had a terrific experience in Dawson City and other hotspots in the coolest place on earth.



James McCann and I are gathering our forces for the first of our book launches this Thursday night. If you are in the vicinity of Vancouver Kidsbooks on West Broadway around 7:30 pm, make sure you drop by. We'll do it again on Sunday in North Van. Lots of books to be had and chocolate for all.



Now I am off to finish my critique of The Jesus Booktour -- a little piece by my buddy Michael Hiebert. This one has breakout novel written all over it.



~kc

This and That

Got a lovely review of Ms. Z this week, courtesy of Marsha Skrypuch. Marsha, who founded and is currently in the throes of running the Brantford Writers' Camp, submitted a series of book reviews to her local paper, The Brantford Expositor. They did a beautiful job of laying out the page. I wish more Canadian papers would devote this kind of space to great books for kids by local authors. Go Brantford Expositor! Go Marsha!

http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=640375&catname=Books+%26+Literature&classif=

In other news, I've got two new blogs to add to my regular reads, both by excellent writers for young people. Mahtab Narsimham is a new Dundurn author and her blog can be found at http://mahtabnarsimhan.blogspot.com/

And the Most Excellent (and prolific!) author Shelley Hrdlitschka is now blogging too, at http://shelleyhrdlitschka.blogspot.com/

Be sure to check both these new sites out!

~kc

Ms. Z. Blasts Off!

Launching at last.

It's been a busy summer, but Ms. Z. is finally going to get a chance to formally make her way out into the world.

She will be joining hands with PYRE, James McCann's new novel for teens in a series of launches around the Lower Mainland.

James and I have decided to celebrate teachers as a theme for our launch, and so are welcoming all our colleagues, friends and relatives to grab their favourite teacher and bring 'em along for the celebration.

Here's our press release:

Teen Authors Launch Books with Teachers in Mind

Authors James McCann and kc dyer love teachers.

“Teachers and librarians spend a lot of time directing young readers to our books,” says McCann. “As authors of books for teens, we appreciate how important they are in getting our books into kids’ hands.”

McCann is the author of a new book for teens called PYRE, a prequel to his hugely successful debut novel RANCOUR, both published by Simply Read Books. He has teamed with fellow author kc dyer, who is launching her fourth novel for teens, MS. ZEPHYR’S NOTEBOOK, published by The Dundurn Group.

“We want to let teachers know that Canadian authors appreciate the work they do in getting our books out there for kids to read,” says dyer. “So instead of a conventional book launch with just families and friends present, James and I have created the Terrific Teacher Travelling Road Show. Our goal is to bring good chocolate and good books to the teachers out there who deserve a little appreciation for all they do.”

With books from her earlier Eagle Glen Trilogy nominated for The Chocolate Lily Award and a Canadian Children’s Book Centre Our Choice designation, dyer is no novice to the world of the book launch. “I’m looking at this Travelling Road Show as a warm up for the Children’s Book Week Tour this fall,” she says. “This is our chance to thank teachers in the Lower Mainland for sharing our books with their students.”

McCann and dyer were a part of a cross-Canada Mock Protest earlier this summer, urging readers to pick up a book by a Canadian author after closing the cover on the last Harry Potter novel.

The Chocolate & Chat – Terrific Teacher Appreciation Travelling Road Show will be making stops at both Vancouver Kidsbooks locations in August, and will move to Chapters bookstores in Vancouver, Langley, Surrey and West Vancouver in September and October.

Who: kc dyer, author of "Ms. Zephyr's Notebook" (the Dundurn Group) http://kcdyer.blogspot.com James McCann, author of "Pyre" (Simply Read Books) http://www.jamesmccann.info/Where:
Vancouver Kidsbooks, 3083 West Broadway, Vancouver, Thursday, August 23, 7:30 pm
Vancouver Kidsbooks, 3040 Edgemont Blvd, North Van, Sunday, August 26, 2:00 pm
Chapters Strawberry Hill, 12101 72 Ave., Surrey, Sunday, September 30, 1:00 pm
Chapters, Langley, 20015 Langley Bypass, Sunday, September 30, 3:00 pm
Chapters, Broadway & Granville, Vancouver, Monday, October 1, time TBA
Chapters, Park Royal South, West Vancouver, Monday, October 1, time TBA

-30-

James put together an awesome melded graphic of our two new novels, and we've turned it into a poster to celebrate the events. This particular version is aimed at our Kidsbooks launches, as they are coming up first.

Everyone is welcome -- we'd love to see you there!

~kc

Back From a Brief Hiatus...

Happy summertime to all!

Here's some news courtesy of Marsha Skrypuch, who is currently busy as a bee running her Brantford Book Camp.

Check out this new publishing resource for young writers...

Launch Pad: Where Young Authors and Illustrators Take Off! is a new print magazine devoted to publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, book reviews, and artwork by children ages 6-12. We do not charge teachers, children, or their parents any sort of publication fee.

The magazine offers children a wonderful opportunity to get published!

Children do not have to pay to submit, and we do not charge any sort of publication fee for works that get accepted. Successful contributors receive a free one-year subscription, three additional copies of the issue containing their work (also free) to share with family and friends, a free T-shirt, and a free bookmark. We also send a letter (free of charge, of course) of commendation to their school principal, favorite teacher, or other individual. At present, we do not pay successful contributors.For more information, go here:
http://www.readingrockets.org/newsletters/rrnews
http://blog.reading.org/archives/002905.html

More soon.

~kc