This week's newsreel

January's almost done. It went by in a blur, a cold, busy blur, and I can't really say I'll miss it. So goodbye already, January.

Thanks to Laurie Fuhr at FFWD for giving my residency a boost in this week's column, as well as for running an excerpt from Nothing Sacred. It all helps.

One space left in the program I'm doing at Calgary Public Library on February 6th. Any takers? So far, it looks like the Writers Weekend is going to be a success. Looking forward to it.

Canadian Authors Association Alberta Branch website has posted details on the program we're offering on March 9th and 13th with Rona Altrows. Space is limited, so register early.

Going to hit the Literary Roundtable event at the Barley Mill tonight hosted by the Writers Guild of Alberta. Looking forward to that also.

And finally -- look, here it is in Norwegian. I can't stop.

Histamine; work, work, work; Meine Buch

Had some fun with histamine and antihistamine this week as I experienced my first (and hopefully last) food allergy. My face started to puff up and itch Saturday night and by Tuesday morning I was scaring small children in my doctor's waiting room. Remember Lon Chaney in The Hunchback of Notre Dame? Yes, that face rang a bell for me, all right. But once again, all's well that ends well as I got some heavy-duty antihistamine and cortisone on the job, and managed to identify the culprit fairly quickly. So, no more spirulina supplements for me. And I look almost normal now, so that helps. A baby even smiled at me in the doctor's waiting room this morning.

So back to work as of today. In addition to manuscript consults and meetings, I've been busy organizing a two-part workshop program, Getting Your Work Out There, featuring my good friend and colleague Rona Altrows. The first part will take place the evening of March 9th and the full-day workshop is March 13th, both at Memorial Park Library. I'll link to details as they become available, but if you can't wait to get in, you can email registrar@canauthorsalberta.ca

I am taking part in Calgary Public Library's first Writers' Weekend February 6th and 7th. My program, Ideas Into Story, is Feb. 6th from 10 - 11:30 AM and I'll also be taking part in the Blue Pencil Cafe Feb. 7th from 2 -4 PM. CPL has put together a great roster of readings and programs for this event and I'm pleased to be part of it.

I just can't resist mentioning that Nothing Sacred now shows up on Amazon.de. I hope those Germans are ordering up a whole whack of them.

Prairie Fire Review of Books review; Happy New Year

2010 seems to be off to a great start so far with this review of Nothing Sacred in the Prairie Fire Review of Books by Dave Williamson. Cool!

So the holidays are now almost officially over; Bruce returns to work tomorrow and the the boys are not far behind with school on Tuesday. And so back to work for me -- a little attention for my long-neglected second novel, preparing for my Calgary Public Library program, Ideas Into Story, on Februrary 6th and then headlong back into the residency as of Jan. 15th. Work, work, work, as they say.

For now, Happy New Year, all and I hope 2010 turns out to be as good as it looks right now!

Alberta Views review; McNally's; 2010

Great review of Nothing Sacred by Nicole Kajander in the Jan. / Feb. 2010 issue of Alberta Views. Nice way to end up what's been a pretty crazy year for me in many ways, good to go out on a good note. And once again, thanks to Alberta Views for doing such a great job spotlighting Alberta authors.

On the other hand, it seems that McNally Robinson Booksellers is going under, as reported in The Globe and Mail. Bad news once again for anyone involved with books in this country. We lost our McNally Robinson store here in Calgary in 2008, which was a real loss for the literary community.

But to close on a positive note, a new year and a new decade approaches, a time of new possibility beckons. Best wishes to all of you, and have a safe and happy new year!

Christmastime is here

And this morning I went carolling at school for the second time this week. I love carolling, as I mentioned before, but frankly am a little tired of the humorous versions of carols favoured by the carolling director at Dan's school. However, I sang, took in the sights, left with that familiar holiday feeling of joy / melancholy / guilt at sitting on my butt for an hour and singing when there's work to be done, dammit! Then I shopped for food, walked the dog, made lunch, made cookies for the better part of the afternoon, and after dinner started in on some cleaning as Mom and Sis (all the way from Burnaby!) are over for dinner tomorrow. Ah, the holidays. Sometimes I do wonder just who they are holidays for.

On the other hand I did doze on the couch by the light of the fireplace channel briefly this afternoon. I feel like I'm fighting something off, actually. No, not sloth; nor any of the other deadly sins, either (well, not right at this moment). A bug of some low grade.

So after the dinner is over tomorrow I have no events planned until the 24th, and I do hope that any news I'll have to report is good. So this will give me ample opportunity to rest and get rid of this thing. And then everything will be groovy again, right?

Gift Guide; Cold; Holidays

Nice to see Love Minus Zero included with other local books in this morning's Calgary Herald Christmas Book Gift Guide. And a really interesting selection of local books it was, too. I'd like to get my hands on a copy of Gig Posters: Rock Show Art of the 21st Century, for instance, since I used to hang around their website a fair bit while I was writing Love Minus Zero. There are a lot of great books around and we really appreciate the promo we get from The Herald -- thanks again!

I did not go carolling. Too damn cold! In fact I went out for lunch with my pal Jan Markley today and that was the first time I'd been outside since Friday morning. Now I'm back in and I may never come out again.

Discussed the preliminary details of a writing workshop that Rona Altrows has agreed to present as part of the second half of my CAA residency. We're aiming for a date in early April; more details will follow. Just have to file a report now and then I'm officially on a break from the residency until January 15th.

Now to warm up by the fireplace channel. Brrr.

Wine; Festive Season

Wednesday's Wine and Literary Pairings event was fun, in spite of the weather. We had a good turnout, good wine and got to schmooze with writers and readers from all over Alberta. Fun!

Looks to be another snowy weekend shaping up in Calgary. I'll be wrapping up the first half or my CAA residency this weekend and am looking forward to taking a break and getting into the holiday spirit (i.e., cleaning and cooking. Yay!). Tonight we go out to get a tree, which Nick and Dan are looking forward to. I may be going carolling tomorrow night (the males refuse to join me) if the weather isn't too nasty. I love to sing but hate to freeze, so we'll just see what happens.