These Eyes....

Are going to show their true colours over on Darby Speaks, just moments from now.

But in the meantime, much to do, many tabs to close.

The first month of celebration is coming to an end for the arrival of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, but the fun does not end here. This Sunday I'll be doing a book signing with authors James McCann and Lee Edward Fodi at the Strawberry Hills Chapters in Surrey, BC from 1-4 pm. I'll put a copy of the poster up here tomorrow.

We're thinking up something fun to make it a special event -- hope you can make it!


I make an appearance today on Liviania's In Bed With Books blog today. Stop by and leave a comment to grab a chance to win a copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW.

And lastly, a link to the reason I am not flying Virgin Airways when I head off to the UK in May....HERE. (THE funniest airline letter ever...)

~kc

Top 8 of '08, with Guest Blogger CC Humphreys

I can always count on Chris Humphreys for a bit of swashbuckling, so here he is to add to our Top 8 of '08 event with a few of his own top moments.




And now...over to Chris:

Chris (CC) Humphreys Top 8 of '08:

Beer: Hand-pumped Harvey's Sussex Bitter (The Holly Bush, Hampstead, London, UK)

Book (Non-Fiction): The Buddha in your Mirror - Woody Hochswender.

Book: (Fiction): Three Day Road - Joseph Boyden.

Film: Tell No One.

Theatre: A Man For All Seasons (I know, I was in it!) [Editor's note: And I went to see it -- fantastic!]

Day: Wreck Beach, sometime in August. (Yes, I was. Everything.)

Drink: Cuba Libre, that day on Wreck.

Food: Caramelized Onion Tart with pimente d'espelette, (Pastis, Vancouver)

Hmmm. As a true Englishman should, you'll notice he differentiates between his favourite 'beer' and 'drink'. And there are a few entries here that I wouldn't mind hearing a bit more about....

If he cares to expand on these subjects -- I'll make sure you hear about it here first! (He didn't get that 'McSteamy of SiWC 2008' nickname for nuthin', you know...)








Sadly, Chris informs me that his computer has recently bitten the dust, which has put a crimp in his own blogging, but if you'd care to read more...his blog is HERE and his website HERE.

Thanks for taking part, Chris!

~kc

Seasonal Suggestions for Teens -- December 11th

So, here we are...two weeks until Christmas. Chanukah runs December 22 -29th this year. December 22 is also winter solstice (scene of much pagan celebration around these parts this year, I can tell you...). Kwanzaa begins December 26th.

All wonderful reasons to celebrate in a world filled with empty stockings. If part of your gift-giving ritual, whatever it may be, includes sharing with someone else, may I point you to boing boing, where Cory Doctorow has put up an excellent compendium of charitable organizations who need your help.

And don't forget the SPCA -- we've talked about them before.

Reminder of a couple of upcoming events -- my buddy CC Humphreys is doing a reading downtown in the Alma Van Dusen room of the Vancouver Public Library (main branch) this Friday, December 12th at 7:30 pm. And...

Lee Edward Fodi, James McCann and I are doing a Holiday Book Signing at Once Upon a Huckleberry Bush (4387 Main Street, Vancouver) this Sunday, December 14th from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.

Then next week, I'll be off to CWC WinterCamp, 2008, where I have a mammoth role-playing-game set up for a little holiday fun in my classes. See you there, guys!

Uh...and at some point, I'd better turn my mind to Christmas shopping... anybody have any Seasonal Suggestions for me? If you do, post 'em in the comments. I'm collecting up all the names of December commenters and putting 'em in a draw for a signed copy of MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK. I think I'll do the draw on December 22nd, in honour of all things solstice. So get your name in there -- and help me with my shopping!




~kc

Seasonal Suggestions -- December 10th, plus a little pagan sun-worship...

A pagan pause to enjoy a recent mid-day sunset in Lions Bay. (Okay, it only felt like mid-day, but it WAS before 4:30, for goodness' sake!)

Still, the fire in the sky was worth every moment. My camera battery died after I squeezed off just a couple of shots, but these pictures are straight-out-of-the-camera -- not a touch-up in sight.

I plan to do Winter Solstice up right this year, with candles and fire and anything else I can come up with to appease the Sun, and encourage his return. The dark days are so long right now....

Now, back to a few festive thoughts to chase away the dark. Time for:




Okay, so my friend artist and illustrator Kirsti Wakelin told me about this very fun, FREE program a few months back -- maybe a year ago. I didn't try it for ages, and then started messing around with it one day when I was procrastinating some piece of work that _really_ needed to get done.

The result was I got hooked. When I realized I was using the program nearly every day to adjust, goo-ify or in some way play with the pictures I was using on this blog (and the others I contribute to), I signed up for the premium package.

The program is called Picnik, and if you are a photography lover -- nay, even a PhotoShop user, I defy you to try this program and not have a blast. It's fun, it's free -- and if you like it, spend the whopping $25 a year it'll cost you to go to the premium package. Support these people -- they put a whole lot of the fun into blogging (for me, at least) and if you have anyone near as nerdish as I am in your life, a premium package of Picnik would make a great gift. See the Christmas tree, above? Picniked.

(Disclaimer....the Picnik people don't even know I exist, beyond taking my money for their product. I've no reason to endorse them beyond sharing a good thing with you, dear reader. Now click that link and give Picnik a try!)

A quick final note -- author Chris Humphreys (you may know him as CC Humphreys) is doing a reading of his recent novel new novel: 'Vlad, The Last Confession' at the VPL, Central Library downtown, Alma van Dusen Room, on December 12th at 7.30. Guaranteed to add a little bite to your season!

~kc