CanWrite 2008

While I await the arrival of proofs, I'm gearing up for the 87th annual Canadian Authors Association national conference, taking place July 3 - 6 in Edmonton. Looks like there's going to be a great slate of presenters and workshops. Looking forward to schmoozing and mingling, and catching up with the great CAA folks in Edmonton. Here's a link to the proceedings:

http://canauthorsalberta.ca/content.php?id=97


Did I mention I'll miss the first weekend of the Stampede while I'm there? Aw.

More on the library and me

Calgary Public Library is celebrating the centenary of city council's orginal decision to build a library, with a grant from Andrew Carnegie, and they are asking Calgarians why the library is important to them. They used my story, here:

http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/100/stories.aspx?g=0

Actually, I have lots of library stories, but that one will do for now.

Love Minus Zero launch Nov. 13 / 08

It's official -- the launch for my novel Love Minus Zero will take place on Thursday, November 13th at 7:00 PM at Memorial Park Library (lower level), 1221 - 2nd St. SW, Calgary.

Very exciting! Here's something I didn't know I'd have to do -- get a liquor license. Huh. It's going to be just like a wedding. Only no cake. And no gifts. So come, bring a friend, have a glass of wine and some cheese on me. It's going to be a blast!

Mommy, where do jacket blurbs come from?

Maybe you never wondered about that kind of thing, but I do. Did, that is. I don't mean the blurbs that are quotes from your hopefully famous friends, talking about how wonderful your work is -- Oberon doesn't seem to use those (which is fine by me). I mean the thing that's the enticing little description of your book that goes on the back so people know what the thing is supposedly about. Oberon is at the stage of composing mine -- they already had some material from Mark Jarman, but asked if I could provide a little more. That threw me a little at first. I mean, it's so final. It's going to be right there in black and white on the back of the book -- what to say? I sent them the hook paragraph from my cover letter about it, and the little elevator speech that's gradually evolved. It will be very interesting to see what the final blurb looks like. I assume it will be in the proofs, maybe?

I'm supposed to be getting right after setting up that launch at the library. But I need to pick the right day, have to check social engagements, moon charts, all that stuff. Then there's this story that keeps slithering out of my grasp. And another that I was trying to revise that just seems to get worse and worse. And the website, which Bruce is almost done with, so he tells me. All this means things are rolling along as usual, I guess.