Speedy Sunday

Especially when an hour of sleep is gone, due to daylight savings! Ah, well...we can always drown our sorrows through eating pie...*

Just a couple of quick notes for tonight. HERE is where you'll find a link to Belva's List...a collection of things to do in and around Seattle. It's compiled by my friend Wally Lane's wife Belva, and is a must-read for those visiting the Emerald City.

This week I ventured out to eat German pancakes and visit the Museum of Vancouver  with friends Annett Stuze and Britta Vorbach. [This is Annett, looking fetching in period gear from the 'Old Vancouver' part of the exhibit.]

We really went to see the Art of Craft exhibit at the MoV which has been curated by Kirsti Wakelin and her partner Darren Carcary of Resolve Design. It was a beautiful and amazing exhibit, and is on until mid-April. I can heartily recommend it. You can read more about the experience of curating such a diverse collection on Kirsti's blog HERE.

Also loved the nightmare-dreamscape peopled by these evil fairies.







More soon...!

~kc

*geek pun based on the fact that today is Pi Celebration Day. Now go out and find 3.14 [etc] ways to celebrate it!

Top 8 of '08, with Guest Blogger Kirsti Anne Wakelin

From the New York City agent to the Vancouver city illustrator -- Kirsti Wakelin.

Kirsti is the most tech-saavy artist I know -- she maintains at least two personal blogs, oversees the CWILL BC blog and was the guiding light behind the recent CWILL website overhaul as well. She has answered my endlessly moronic questions with a patience beyond her years. On top of her kindness to geeky authors, one look at her blog or her website will show you her incredible talent as an illustrator.

Here is just a taste -- be prepared to be blown away...

Kirsti Wakelin's Top 8 Travel Moments

I spent most of the year holed up in my studio where nothing exciting but work happens so there wasn't much 8 of 08 fodder there. I didn't have time to read even half of 8 books or venture out to 8 unique restaurants (we have our staple 2 or 3), and there aren't 8 tv shows worth mentioning. I'm sure I saw a few good movies, but I'm a very tough critic. Besides, I can't remember what I watched last week, let alone at the beginning of the year.

However, I did spend a month in Scotland, Wales and Paris this summer and it was the highlight of my year. So I decided my 8 of 08 should be some of the most memorable, enjoyable or inspiring events from my trip (in chronological order). I'll warn you though, I'm not the fun kind of traveler that gets up to all sorts of exciting and unbelievable shenanigans that make for wild and crazy stories. I'm the kind of traveler that spends part of a hike crawling around on a Welsh hillside in the sheep poo photographing sundews.

8 Painting on a cliff above crashing surf at Yesnaby

7 Watching puffins barrel in for awkward cliffside landings on the Brough of Birsay.

6 Being hit by a falling (and deceased) hedgehog while driving between Kirkwall and Finstown.

5 Walking over, around and through viking village remains, standing stones, neolithic subterranean homes and burial mounds all around Orkney.

4 Pimms on the lawn under a sunny Orkney sky and gin and tonics on the lawn in sunny Wales - both in the company of fantastic, generous and funny relatives.

3 Riding in Wales and feeling as if it were mere days rather than years since I was last on a horse.

2 Exploring Dartmouth (during a torrential downpour) to see where my grandmother grew up.

1 Painting in le Jardin du Luxembourg all afternoon while the sun slowly sank and turned everything gold.

Thanks so much for this peek into your trip, Kirsti! If you'd like to see more of Kirsti's fantastic art, you can dive into her blog HERE.

~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

When Writers (and Illustrators!) Bowl

Twinkly in the toe department, but the scores...?


...not very pretty.

~kc

Accompanied by illustrator Kirsti [my bowling hand's a bit rusty from drawing too much]Wakelin, author Dan[I can break 100] Bar-El, author James [I am not a werewolf] McCann, and author-spawn PTD [he of the giant feet]

SiWC 2008 Registration Now LIVE

Whew.

Spent the day whirling through the funnel cloud of first-day issues, but it looks like all is well, and after a few glitches, things are running smoothly.

If you have no idea what SiWC is -- check out the freshly updated website here. When I'm not gallivanting around the countryside promoting books, or writing the things, I'm usually hanging with the Surrey crowd, lending a hand with the annual conference. This year promises to be stellar, and we've had a record crowd turn out to register the first day, so it bodes well for another sell-out event. Just wrote a new e-newsletter (which will likely go out tomorrow), or if you'd like to see a blog post or two, head over here and all will become clear.

I have to admit, I am groovin' on this new Picnik shareware. I like playing with my pictures! Thanks to Kirsti Wakelin for steering me towards it.

~kc

One thing at a time...

I'm actually so tired that I just typed 'One thong at a time' for my title, and then had to pause a moment to think about how just one letter made such a difference -- AND a better blog entry title. Perhaps another day...

Really, the title is a reference to my little over-commitment problem, but instead of harping, I think I'll just get down to it.

Friday the 13th turned out to be a pretty auspicious night this month, as we had our 'pass the baton' party for CWILL BC.


James McCann and I bid our respective positions as Prez and VP of CWILL good-bye, and we welcomed the new leadership in the form of Pam Withers and Crystal Stranaghan. A good time was had by all.





After the official event, a few of us hied off to a local establishment to finish off the evening in style. Lee Fodi, Kirsti Wakelin, Crystal Stranaghan, James McCann and self joined Kari-Lynn Winters (who took this shot) for some girding of the loins in preparation for Spring Book Hatching, 2008, which was to begin bright and early the following morning.








SBH 2008 took place on an uncharacteristically sunny Vancouver day, but the weather, somehow, didn't keep the crowds from out of the downtown branch of the Vancouver Public Library.








The place was packed, and as befit the setting, was filled with all kinds of wild and wonderful creatures,











including a crazed fairy in drag, (aka Dan Bar-El, author of SUCH A PRINCE).











With the SPCA in attendance as a sponsor, even the dogs wanted to come and be a part of the celebration. (Please note: This is a GOOD dog, who came to the event, behaved like an angel and was a total asset to the procedings. This public service announcement is intended as a break from all the usual BAD dog posts you'll find around this joint.)



And we didn't stop there for animal kingdom contributions -- we also had a couple of cute chicks on hand to help direct the crowds...












All in all it was a huge success, and a happy way for James and me to hand over the reins of CWILL to Pam and Crystal. That incredibly organized duo will spearhead the Fall Book Harvest sometime in September. As always, keep an eye on this space -- you'll read all about it here first.

Enough for tonight, I think, except to say...


Make sure to check out the latest SiWC blog post here -- a big shout-out to the dear and delightful Janet Reid, who said some mighty fine things in her blog this weekend.

CWILL BC Executive Farewell

I have been VP of the Children's Writers and Illustrators of British Columbia for two years. During that time I have worked with a hugely energetic and enthusiastic group of people and it's been a lot of fun.





Next month, I shall retire back into the shadows to allow the new members of the executive to take over. The main reason I've stuck with the job over the past couple of years, however, is the persuasive power of this man:



This is James McCann. Nice smile, eh? He's the president of CWILL, and the guy that talked me into taking the job of VP. I like to think I've brought a little vice into the workplace over the past couple of years, but I'm not the only one.

One of the reasons James and I get along so well is that we really agree on food. First of all, we both love to eat. And I may be a vegetarian to his unrepentant carnivore, but we both know what we like.

As a result, almost all of the meetings we hold involve food. We've eaten sushi all over the city, drunk hot chocolate and coffee in endless cafes and never turn down a trip to Granville Island that involves lunch.

But closest to our hearts has to be...this place.



True Confections. A dessert-lovers dream.



This particular location is in Kitsilano, on the corner of Broadway and Alma.




On the days we meet here for lunch, we don't actually eat lunch. As a matter of fact, I don't eat breakfast on those days, either.

My love is the mile-high chocolate cake. NOT quite as good as the espresso chocolate cake, of the late lamented Capers in West Van. But close.

Very close.

One piece of chocolate cake can provide more than enough calories to compensate for two, perhaps nutritionally more sound, but infinitely less fun meals.

James, (remember him?) however, lives not for chocolate cake.

His love is the pie -- banana cream, to be exact.

So, just yesterday, James and I hauled all the folks helping to organize the upcoming Spring Book Hatching down to True Confections for our final planning meeting.



Look at how keen this group is...intensely discussing their plans. Kirsti Wakelin, Jacquie Pearce, Kathie Shoemaker, Lee Fodi, Joan Stuchner. Hardworking authors and illustrators, giving up their Sunday afternoon in the sun to meet with us.





But wait! Who is that on the end?








And what is that in sitting on the table front of him?






Remember that nice smile from the beginning of this post? Let's take a closer look, shall we?



Just look at the glint in those eyes.

He might be smiling, but it is the smile of the cat about to pounce on the canary....

The smile of the pirhana, gliding above the plump perch....


The smile of the cannibal, poised above the fleshy foot of the unwary tourist...

...wouldn't you say?

(Please note decorus bottle of Diet Coke, which does NOT belong to the banana-cream-pie-devouring maniac, but to the sedate chocolate-cake-eating vegetarian. What? You see an incongruity in Diet Coke and chocolate cake? I can't think what you mean...)







Back to more important things.



Let's just take a closer peek at that slab o' pie, shall we?




That is one BIG piece of pie.







(For those who earlier objected to the Diet Coke, please note the extra-large Root Beer float that is being consumed along with the banana cream pie. Technically the float was Lee Fodi's fault, but James managed to choke it down, all the same.)



In all fairness, everybody ate something. Jacquie enjoyed a berry crumble, and Lee ate some huge confection, too, along with his own root beer float.

I think Kathie had tea.

Kathie is the _class_ of the organization.

But nonetheless, we got all the loose ends for Spring Book Hatching tied up, did a little planning for the video shoot that was to take place a bit later in the day, and...



James finished his pie.




This may have been our last executive meeting at True Confections, but since James and I are about to storm the Western provinces with our (aptly named) Chocolate & Chat tour this summer...

I think True Confections hasn't seen the last of us.

~kc

Word Gluttony -- ReDefinition Expression

The BIG Word...

So, fellow CWILLer Kirsti-Anne Wakelin blogged about The Big Word project today, and I'm afraid I have been totally hooked.

I picked a few words that I think might define what I do, like, say the

maybe with a or two,

during the Black

the

or even the ...

And, if I have to stay in the present, hanging out with cool teachers like Abbie

Or maybe taking A WALK THROUGH THE to look at in Canada's .

See what I mean? Sometimes one word just ain't enough...

~kc

Writers Who Blog ....and Once

Northern Voice 2008 continues to be an inspiration for me, so tonight, a quick shout out to all the members of CWILL BC -- authors AND illustrators who take the time to reach out through the internet and blog to (and for) their fans. Check out these amazing blogs:

Fiona Bayrock -----------------
http://fbayrock.blogspot.com/

Julie Burtinshaw --------------
http://burtinshaw.wordpress.com/

Diane Haynes ------------------ http://wildliferescueseries.com/

Shelley Hrdlitschka ------------ http://shelleyhrdlitschka.blogspot.com/

Eileen Kernaghan ------------- http://eileen-kernaghan.blogspot.com/

Tanya Kyi ------------------------- http://tanyalloydkyi.blogspot.com/

James McCann ---------------- http://jamesmccannauthor.blogspot.com/

Victoria Miles ------------------- http://www.magnifico-victoria-miles.blogspot.com/

Jacqueline Pearce -------------- http://www.wildink.wordpress.com/

Nikki Tate ------------------------ http://www.nikkitate.blogspot.com/

Meg Tilly --------------------------http://www.officialmegtilly.com/blog/

Kirsti Wakelin has 2 blogs! http://mysecretelephant.com/blog/

and ----------------------------------- http://kirsti.wordpress.com/


***



In other news, the song from ONCE, a tiny Irish movie that was my favourite flick of 2007, just won the Oscar for best song. Now, it was up against a whole load of Disney schlock, but still -- justice was served, and I am celebrating. If you haven't seen the movie yet, I recommend it. A small, gentle film with a beautiful message that isn't preachy, and one of the best endings I have seen to a movie in years. I loved it.

~kc

Ringing in the New Year...

...in the dark.

We lost power at about 10 pm, New Year's Eve, with less than a half a scene left to watch in the marvellous Canadian zombie movie FIDO. BC Hydro called it a 'fade-out', but the power clicked off and stayed that way for a little more than two hours.

Enough to enjoy an atmospheric, fireplace and candle-lit entry into 2008.

It was lovely.

Onto things bookish...

Here's a terrific interview posted by Mark Blevis on his 'Just One More Book' site, with BC authors and illustrators Lee Edward Fodi, Kirsti Wakelin and James McCann.



http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/12/31/dinner-with-james-mccann-kirsti-wakelin-and-lee-edward-fodi/

And finally...

I send out to you my fond hopes for the happiest of upcoming years. May you find the time to read your favourite books, conspire with your dearest compatriots and if you are inclined to put pen to paper, may the words that fall onto the page form themselves, with a touch of magic (and a dash of whimsy) into nothing less than a best-seller of epic proportions.

~kc