A Cold, Cold Night...

...with promise of little better in the morning. My car was an ice cube this morning, and we missed the school bus due to taking so long to get the doors opened and the thing warmed up.

And then I heard on CBC that it was -50 with the windchill in Calgary today...suddenly minus 4 didn't seem so bad, somehow.

(The raspberries are now a lusciously jammed and jarred reminder of last summer...)

Safely tucked inside away from the cold with my still crepuscular computer, I have been busily focused on behind-the-scenes activity for the 2008 version of the Surrey International Writers' Conference. The Board of Directors meets tomorrow for the first time this year, and all kinds of derring-do is to be expected. Invitation acceptances are coming in from all over the globe, and I am almost to the point of sending out a mailing list update. If you want to keep up with the latest, make sure to hie on over to http://www.siwc.ca/ and sign up. (If you hate being on a listserv, then you can read all the latest missives under the News & Notes section.)

I've also been spending a bit of energy communing with DEADLINE, but more on that another time.

And finally, a word on the decrepit piece of furniture pictured. It forms but one part of a master plan to rejuvinate the most well-worn (and heavily used) room in the house. (This is the job that is currently standing between me and my new computer, so it can't be finished soon enough.)

Here's a little game I offer as a respite from a cold, winter day. Delve into the interior of a couch that is about to be hauled off for reupholstering. If the couch is over two decades old, all the more fun. Dig deep into the recesses at the sides, the seams at the back. Forget all the bonus money you'll come up with -- a mere trifle.

No -- I challenge you to count the number of pieces of cutlery you find. See if you can beat my record. One old couch = 9 pieces of cutlery -- 1 knife (butter), 5 forks (one salad, the rest dinner) and 3 spoons (all teaspoons). Also one chopstick, but as I'm pretty sure it was being used as a Harry Potter wand a few years back, it doesn't up the cutlery count.

This disgusting moment brought to you by two proud teenagers, who have spent their lives amassing treasures deep inside the dark reaches of the comfy couch. Now head off and look inside your own...if you dare.

~kc

Cyber-Frustration...

My computer continues to drive me crazy. My wireless only works for the single wired computer in the house, my server is freezing or crashing several times a day, as is my email. All will be well soon enough, but for now the frustration is mounting. That aside, there's lots to report, so on with it.






First, in weather news (for a writing blog, I have a remarkable number of people who tune in just to check out the weather and environmental conditions here on the Wild West Coast...) -- flash snowstorms are ravaging the city and region this weekend. Bizarre pockets of snow all around the Lower Mainland -- a foot in Burnaby, for example, while the sun shone in Howe Sound. A firetruck rolled in Maple Ridge yesterday, according to the CBC website. This struck fear into my heart -- what happened to all the firemen? I didn't hear of any fatalities, but still -- if it's that snowy, stay home if you can. This after a week of sunshine, and the most remarkable full moon that hung in the sky well into the morning for a couple of days. This first picture is a shot of the moon, shining through the trees around 7 am. Not a great shot -- hard to pick up the contrast. But when I mess with the colour saturation a bit -- a better sense of what it looked like emerges.





Okay, so the sky wasn't really that colour, but the moon was truly beautiful, peering through the branches...

Next up, just heard of the advent of a new conference for children's and Y/A writers to be held in Calgary this year.

The Kaleidoscope Conference (http://www.kaleidoscopeconference.ca/index.html ) will be held November 6- 8, 2008.

From the site: "The Kaleidoscope Conference celebrates literature created for children and young adults and the interpretation of this literature through media, performance and illustration. This celebration aims to heighten the awareness and appreciation of the creative processes through interaction with authors, illustrators, publishers, producers and performers. "

Looks kinda cool -- check it out!

And speaking of kinda cool -- this just in over the weekend:

Canadian author (and my buddy) Marsha Skrypuch has just been given notice that she has been awarded the Order of Princess Olha, class III by Victor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine. According to the announcement, the state awards of Ukraine are the highest form of civilian honour of for outstanding achievements in development of economy, science, culture, social sphere, defense of Motherland, protection of man's constitutional rights and freedoms, state building and public activity, for other services before Ukraine.

In further researching this, I was struck by the incredible life of the award's bestower, Viktor Yuschenko. The survivor of a dastardly (and likely politically motivated poisoning) AND being hit by lightning whilst mountain climbing, remains on active duty as the President of the Ukraine.

Marsha's award (pictured above) is specifically to honour women for distinguished services in state, production, public, scientific, educational, cultural, charity and other spheres of public activity.

An incredible honour.

~kc

A Man For All Seasons

Just in from the final preview of this terrific play, put on by Pacific Theatre and Midnight Theatre Collective.

It's a must-see if you are in the Vancouver area during its January 24 - February 23 run.

More details tomorrow -- check out www.pacifictheatre.org

~kc

Bright News for a Sunny Day

The sun is shining today in Vancouver, and that is reason enough for a lift in spirits. Let's ignore the latest stock market news and turn to something interesting, shall we?

Now that the new year is well underway, things are getting rolling for 2008 in the Lower Mainland writing community. A number of upcoming events are out there for the picking -- here's a sampling for you to think about today. Have a look to see which might strike your fancy...

The Vancouver Children's Literary Roundtable has a couple of exciting events coming up:

Authorfest on Wednesday, February 5th, 2008 will be a celebration of local writing talent in the form of four local writers who will discuss their craft.

Also, the Roundtable's annual Serendipity event this year celebrates First Nations writers and artists, and will take place at the First Nations Longhouse on Saturday, February 23.

Find out more information on both by checking out the VCLR's website at:
http://www.library.ubc.ca/edlib/table/events/events.htm




Also on the 22nd and 23rd, Northern Voice will take wing once more -- a very cool blogging and social media event at UBC for the fourth year in a row. It's taking place at UBC in the Forestry Centre. For more details, check out http://2008.northernvoice.ca/

An embarrassment of riches to help pass a dreary February in Vancouver for those who like to read, write AND blog. Take your pick.

In other news, I'd like to send out a big thank you to the Richmond Teacher Librarian Association for hosting writers James McCann, Pam Withers and myself at their meeting this month. It was great to get a chance to talk with this terrific group and spread the word about CWILL as an organization and the writers and illustrators who make their living in this province.

Special congratulations go out to Pam Withers, as her final novel of the 'Take it to the Extreme' series is hot off the press. MOUNTAINBOARD MANIACS is (remarkably!) prolific Pam's 13th novel, and as adrenaline-filled as all the rest. You can find out about all of Pam's books at http://www.takeittotheextreme.com/

Watched STARDUST this weekend with my girl, when she wasn't racking up new swim times at the Hyack Ice Breaker meet. LOVED this movie -- a sweet fairy tale with a stellar cast. It managed to have more than a little originality, and culminated in a happy ending that wasn't cloying. Very true to Neil Gaiman's story (in no small part due, I'm sure, to the fact he was one of the producers. SO satisfying to see a writer able to take on that role when his story moves to the screen...)

Highly recommended.

~kc

Shocking News from Raincoast Books

Just heard that Raincoast Books will be closing down the publishing arm of their business to "focus on the core business of distribution and wholesaling". I can't seem to pull the press release off the website, but the link to the CBC story is here:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/01/08/raincoast-cut-publish.html

This truly does feel like the amputation of an arm -- or many arms, in the form of Canadian writers who have been published by this fine company for many years. I remember when Raincoast picked up the Canadian rights to an obscure little novel from the UK about a boy wizard. I know the success of Harry Potter meant a great deal financially to Raincoast, and from that success (and others) sprang a truly wonderful opportunity for Canadian voices to be heard.

Raincoast is laying the blame at the feet of the strong Canadian dollar and the resulting implications for the publishing industry here. I know many authors and illustrators whose back-lists stand to be lost with this closure. A terrible situation.

~kc

Creative Writing Weekend

As a most excellent way to end last week, I got to spend a couple of days with a bunch of really creative minds -- the kids of CWC -- Creative Writing for Children. This group, run by the esteemed Joon Park, regularly meet to practice their creative writing skills. Twice a year they get together for an intensive camp, with writers and drama teachers to help add a spark to the process. I joined the group last summer in Abbotsford, and last week we met again, this time at Simon Fraser University. My groups spent two days learning how to flesh out a character and how to become 'setting magicians', finding a way to work setting into a story so it advances the plot and enhances the reading experience. I had a wonderful time.

In other news -- I just heard from the inimitable Janet Reid of the FinePrint Agency in New York (one of the pre-eminent agents who attended the Surrey International Writers' Conference this year) that she has signed a new client from among the 2007 SiWC conference attendees. Janet's blog can be found here: http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/ (Always a great read -- Janet is one of the wittiest bloggers I know...)

The writer she signed is Susan Adrian. You can check out HER blog at http://writers-tale.blogspot.com

I'm sending my fond wishes to both for a writer-agent marriage made in heaven!

And speaking of Surrey...

Now that the new year is here, things are stirring on the SiWC front. More on that soon.

~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

Once

Drat.

No writing to speak of -- taking a little break for a few days. But tonight I watched a lovely little movie called "Once". I tried to post the cover picture here, but alas...

Will have to embed the link to the official site, instead: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/once/

The movie stars Glen Hansard, a member of the band The Frames and late of The Commitments -- another amazing music flick from Dublin. Also newcomer Marketa Irglova -- and the two stars, being both musicians in real life, combined to write most of the songs they perform.

This movie was made on a dime and could maybe have used a little bit of a tighter edit -- but eminently watchable. Loved it, in fact.

Just remembered tomorrow is New Year's Eve... more then, I think.

~kc

Wishing you a moment of peace...

...in this busy and stressful season.




We had a white Christmas and today I took my Very Happy Dog for a walk in the snowy woods. The real world with all its anxiety and joy will return soon enough, but for me, the sound of an eagle's chuckle through the trees made everything stop this afternoon.

~kc

Checking in...

James McCann and I had a couple of GREAT signing events over the weekend -- a busy time and lots of fun.

But right now I have my head bent low over a manuscript that I want to have polished by Wednesday night. I'll post an event update with pictures and description as soon as I get this baby to bed.

Am also answering only emergency emails at the moment -- will resume radio contact later in the week.

Happy last week of school before Winter Break!

~kc

Christmas Cool...

Okay, here it comes. No matter how much I try to hold it back -- fingernails rending and tearing to keep those calendar pages in place -- today marks two weeks to Christmas day.

My shopping is not done. My tree is not even bought, let alone decorated. Cards unwritten, and of course -- unsent. And worse, I received my sister's Christmas parcel today. (I'm pathetically grateful not to be celebrating Hanukkah, since it started so much earlier this year...).

When I picked up my mail today, along with the parcel came the first holiday cards. As my children built a gingerbread house (even THEY are more organized than I...) I sat down to open the cards with the guilt of things undone weighing heavily in my heart.

But the very first card I opened brought the cool right back into my Christmas. In an effort not to infringe on the artist's copyright, I am only printing a small segment of the card cover here...

How cool is that? The first card, from my talented friend Lee Edward Fodi, self-illustrated. It almost made me forget that as a male, he has totally put me to shame by getting his card to me first. (I still haven't even looked up his address, for goodness sake.)

I love that Lee designs his own cards. I love that he sent one to me. I feel very privileged to hang out in a circle that includes such amazingly talented individuals. Also upping the cool ante at the card-opening moment was my new Colin James & his Little Big Band Holiday CD playing at the time... another friend whom I watch proudly as he makes his way as a success in the arts in this community and beyond. (I'm pretty sure he had a gig with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra last night...)

How lucky are we to be doing what we love for a living. Makes a person feel like celebrating, somehow. If only there was a chance to do that anytime soon...

~kc

Exit Music

Finished Ian Rankin's latest this weekend, in which DI Rebus faces the spectre of retirement from the force. I can't quite make myself believe he's really going, but --

the final scene...is nothing less than perfectly fitting.

A great read.

~kc

Holiday Gift Ideas

This idea is courtesy of MotherReader (http://www.motherreader.com/), and a great one it is...

Looking for a great holiday gift idea? Give a copy of MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK with a ticket to your nearest planetarium (or the Vancouver Space Centre!), so that your young reader can learn more about the world of telescopes and astrolabes and Carl Sagan.

Or how about a complete set of the Eagle Glen trilogy (SEEDS OF TIME, SECRET OF LIGHT & SHADES OF RED) along with a bag of peppermints -- sure to settle the time-travellers tummy!

Looking for more great ideas to make book-giving fun? Check out CWILL's blog this week. The link is just over there -- to the side of this posting, and when you hie yourself over there, you'll find a lot more ideas for BC book giving, courtesy of Adrienne Mason. (Thanks, Adrienne!)

If you'd like to get yourself a signed copy of any of my books, I'll be at the Park Royal Indigo store this Friday afternoon (December 14th) from 2:30 to 5 pm and at the Surrey Strawberry Hill Chapters store Sunday, December 16th, starting at 1:00 pm. As a special bonus, James McCann will be signing his books PYRE and RANCOUR right beside me. A great way to cross off a number of those difficult-to-buy-for teens on your list!

~kc

My office...

My office is a lovely room.

Really.

Just last year the very incredible talents of one Peter V. Smith were put to work, creating the masterpiece within which I sit every day.

Problem was -- I had a very busy year...

Let's just say I have a lot of empathy for the disgraced coroner from Ontario -- or for his filing skills, anyway.

Well, I'm home now, and am trying to turn my attention to all the stuff that has fallen -- abandoned and in ruins -- around me while I have been running around promoting Ms. Zephyr, dealing with SiWC issues and writing DEADLINE in between.

I do have a few more events between now and the end of the year, (more in the next post on that) but in between -- it's time to open my mail. (2.5 ' stack under arrow...)

I spent most of the day cleaning out my office, organizing, re-shelving and so on. And no, this is not the 'before' picture.

So let's just get this straight. Coroners are supposed to have tidy offices. But writers...?

~kc

PS -- Watch this space for upcoming signing events before Christmas...

The Calm after...

Storm watch seems to have settled down a bit here, thankfully. The folks in Strachan Point are back in their homes after a helicopter survey of the creek above them proved things to be less dangerous than first thought.

This is an aerial shot of the debris torrent dam above my own little village. We have two creeks -- Harvey & Alberta -- in the village proper (and another -- Magnesia Creek -- in the Brunswick Beach section of the village).

For those who asked -- a brief word or two on the nature of a debris torrent. The combination of development, poor logging practices and severe weather (in Howe Sound we had 100 mm of snow followed by 150 mm of rain on two consecutive days this week) means that debris in the form of logs, mud, snow and branches can build up high in the creeks on the mountainsides where the water flows most swiftly. If the pressure builds up sufficiently, this material can rocket down the side of the mountain like a combination tidal wave and avalanche, wiping out whatever is in its path.

In 1983, after a debris torrent tore down the creek bed, destroying five houses and and killing two boys, dams like the one pictured here were built above the village on the mountainside to prevent this from happening again. Charles Creek, above Strachan Point, has one of these too, but a debris torrent in 2006 left the emergency authorities just a little nervous about the potential for disaster this time. Thankfully, all appears to be well for the moment.

Just as happily, the fundraising event for Rockridge School at 32 Books last night seemed a big success, judging from the number of bodies crammed into the bookstore. Congratulations to Deb McVittie and her staff for putting on a great event. Special props to the student volunteers who worked so hard to make sure everything went smoothly.

~kc

24 hours on Deck...

A view from my window...yesterday morning, just before dawn.

Approximately 12 hours later... last night.

And this morning, just after sunrise...

Same section of deck rail, roughly. (In the second shot, you can see the lump made by the snow-covered brick...) Massive, heavy snowfall -- roads impassible, highway blocked. Then ....WHAM.

Pineapple Express.

It hit last night sometime after midnight. By noon today, all the snow was gone, trees bending sideways, and flooding, flooding everywhere. The tiny community of Strachan Point, just down the road, evacuated due to debris torrent hazard. We mountain dwellers fear debris torrents -- they've taken many lives over the years.

Only lost power once today -- not bad!

Life on the coast is never dull...

In other news, be sure to drop by 32 Books in North Vancouver tomorrow night. Deb McVittie and her gang are putting on a special Rockridge Secondary School fundraiser:

Celebrate the Book: A fundraiser for Rockridge secondary school library featuring authors kc dyer, John Vaillant, Mary Novik and entertainment provided by the Rockridge student combos, Tuesday, Dec. 4, 6:30-9 p.m. at 32 Books, 3185 Edgemont Blvd., North Vancouver.

Hope to see you there!

~kc

The Power Flickers...

...so I'd best be quick. We've lost power three times today -- heavy snow on the wires, I think. At least a foot of snow has fallen during the daylight hours today -- with much resultant happiness ensuing from the local denizens.

Time then, for just a few visual memories of book tours past.

This shot is of the moon shining down on the beautiful main street of Lindsay, Ontario, after the first snowfall of the year.

A very pretty town, as was Omemee -- just down the road a few clicks. Full of most excellent kids with GREAT questions who made me feel right at home.

This shot is of old Montreal, through the window of a creperie, where a brief (but rollicking) lunch was consumed with great gusto. It was Grey Cup Sunday and the streets were fairly empty, and strangely enough it was darned tough to find a place to eat. But we managed it, and were very happy with the results.

And this is the real reason, of course, that I hied myself to Montreal for lunch and a tour of the old city in the first place...

Now just look at that face and tell me ANYONE who would pass up a chance to spend time with this woman? You'd have to be crazy...

Thanks for a great day, Pamela!

~kc

Sicko...

...not Michael Moore, though I do want to see his latest. No -- it's me this time, courtesy of (I am convinced) the generous fellow who sat in the row behind me on the plane from Toronto and coughed and sneezed into the air the entire trip.

I am hoarse, crabby and am cultivating a bit of a Darth Vadar vocal vibe.

But it is snowing, my children are cosy and warm and my dog wants to go for a romp, so I guess things could be worse. I think I'll still lobby for surgical masks on airplanes, though!

~kc

Ahhhhhhh......

The sound of home after too long away.

My arrival was a little less foggy and a little more snowy than this picture would indicate, but I haven't got a better shot for now. (Once when a tiny sow-whet owl crash landed on my deck, it was into the tree on the left that he flew as soon as he had recovered...)

I have had an incredible year. And this particular season has amounted to the busiest fall I have ever lived through.

But now I am home, and ready to catch up on the mountain of things that have waited, un-done, for my return.

The only really lousy thing that's happened this year has been my computer service. After going through crash after crash of email and various other systems, the time has come to make the big change. I'm putting the PC out to pasture and going Mac, baby.

The pasture's not _that_ far away, over on the next desk, actually, since the offspring still require ready access to all their old files etc., but the main machine will be a Mac, at last.

In the meantime, if you've sent me an email to which I haven't replied ... send again, just in case. I'm only a hundred or so behind, which compared with the thousands I was chasing at the height of SiWC madness feels like easy sailing.

Thanks again to all the amazing teachers and librarians and to the hundreds of terrific teens I met on this book tour. You all made me feel so welcome -- I had a marvellous time. For those who have ordered books -- they are on the way. (I mailed a bunch yesterday, and got a note today that some had been received already. Go Canada Post!)

Also came home to the very exciting news that Ms Zephyr has been nominated for a Cybils Award. More on that soon...

~kc

Startling New Talent...

Okay...I can only note the link here, but check out this amazing new YouTube video, (a PSA against littering) filmed and directed by the most talented crew I know...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHE7hr6UN8s

(As soon as I have an actual copy of the video, I'll upload it here -- with permission of the auteur, of course.)


~kc