December 9th, 2009
Another threshold crossed in my unexpected literary journey. I was directed to the Random House/Knopf Canada website today where I found Drew Hayden Taylor’s new novel listed. It’s due out in March. Drew is a very funny guy and an accomplished writer. I’ve shared the stage with him several times in the last year at various readings and authors festivals and I’ve always enjoyed our time together. The folks at Knopf Canada, his publisher, contacted me earlier in the fall to see if I would read Drew’s manuscript for his new novel, Motorcycles and Sweetgrass, and provide a suitably supportive sentence or two. I was thrilled to be asked. They sent me the manuscript and I thoroughly enjoyed his brilliant new novel.
A few weeks ago, I sent in my “blurb.” When I reached the website today, I saw that my comment is sandwiched between wonderful quotations from Joseph Boyden (last year’s Giller winner) and Ian Ferguson (2004 Leacock Medal winner). What amazing literary company I’m somehow now keeping. Very cool. As I read Drew’s manuscript, I couldn’t help thinking about a line my friend and fellow writer Mike Tanner kindly wrote to help promote TBLP before it was published. It seemed to fit how I felt about Drew’s writing. So I modified the sentiment but felt I owed Mike at least a footnote.
Posted in CanLit, Canadian political novel, Drew Hayden Taylor, Ian Ferguson, Joseph Boyden, Leacock Medal, Terry Fallis, podcast novel |
December 25th, 2008
Exactly twelve months ago today, I wrote a post on this blog entitled “One year later…“ The year before that, on December 26, 2006, I keyed in my Visa card number in the appropriate spaces on the iUniverse website and signed up to publish TBLP. So in my post one year ago, I was reflecting on what an eventful year 2007 had been for me in my nascent life as a weekend writer, which culminated in the release of TBLP in September 2007. Here’s a brief excerpt from that post exactly twelve months ago:
December 25th, 2007
“…One year later, my novel is widely available online. One year later, TBLP has won the (iUniverse) Editor’s Choice and the Publisher’s Choice honours. One year later, my podcast audience is still growing, and by the comments, still loving the story. One year later, I’ve had a successful Toronto launch and my first book signing. One year later, TBLP has aired on Radioropa, a leading European satellite radio network. One year later, every reader review, and the more formal published reviews have been so positive that most days, I tend to walk a few feet off the ground. One year later, more people have bought TBLP than I could ever have dreamed.”
I was clearly very happy one year ago as you can read. Who knew that this year would be even better? I had no idea that 2008 would bring such wonderful developments for me on the literary front. Let me pick up where last year’s post left off:
December 25th, 2008
Two years later I was shocked and honoured to win the 2008 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Two years later I was thrilled to join the group of authors represented by the Beverley Slopen Literary Agency. Two years later, Doug Gibson and McClelland & Stewart have published TBLP making it available in bookstores across Canada. Two years later I’ve had the thrill of doing readings and speaking gigs at writers festivals with some of Canada’s finest writers including Joseph Boyden, Fred Stenson, Andrew Davidson and Bill Gaston. Two years later, I’m nearly finished outlining the sequel to TBLP and almost ready to start writing again in earnest.
I certainly don’t mean for this to sound self-congratulatory in any way. In fact, this is not a litany of accomplishments but rather a counting of blessings. I write this with an almost overpowering sense of gratitude and a heaping helping of disbelief at my own good fortune.
Two years later, I’m drawn inexorably back to a phrase I blurted out in my impromptu Leacock acceptance speech last April, to describe how I felt about my surprise win. It remains for me the most apt description, not just of the Leacock shock, but of the whole year. 2008 has been a head-on collision of shock and joy.
And looking ahead to 2009, it’s back to late nights with my laptop, trying to do it all over again with the sequel.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…
Posted in Beverley Slopen, Bill Gaston, Canadian political novel, Doug Gibson, Joseph Boyden, Leacock Medal, McClelland & Stewart, Terry Fallis, comic novels, iUniverse, podcast novel, political novels, self-publishing |
December 15th, 2008
I’ve been keeping one eye on this cool site call BookManager since another author suggested I monitor it. It apparently tracks independent book stores’ orders of every book available in Canada. Anything ranking in the top 5,000 is considered to be in “High Demand.” As we approach the all-important holiday season, TBLP checks in at #673. (It could change tomorrow but that’s where TBLP is today.) This is the highest it’s been since I’ve been watching and I’m told that this is good news, particularly as it’s been more than three months since it was published. By way of comparison, Joseph Boyden’s Giller-winning novel, Through Black Spruce is at #7 and The Killing Circle, by Andrew Pyper (great writer, great guy) published in early August, comes in at #8766. Mind you in the big box Indigo stores, there are hundreds of copies of bestseller Pyper’s novel, many more than there are of TBLP so who knows what it all means…
Posted in Andrew Pyper, BookManager, Canadian political novel, Canadian politics, Joseph Boyden, McClelland & Stewart, podcast novel, political novels |
November 24th, 2008
For writers, it’s not always easy to know how well your book is selling. Yes, you’ll eventually get sales reports from the publisher and ultimately a royalty cheque or two. But in the interim, beyond tracking how many copies are sitting on the shelves in the many Chapters/Indigo stores across the country (which you can actually do if you have plenty of time on your hands), it’s difficult to get a handle on sales. When I was in Ottawa, another author told me about BookManager. As far as I can tell, it’s a website that tracks independent bookstores‘ demand for books. It also ranks books based on orders from the Independents. At any rate, I’m given to understand that if you get the red designation “High Demand,” all is well. There are at least a few hundred thousands books captured in this system so coming in at number 952 nearly three months after publication seems like good news to me. Just for comparison, Giller winner Joseph Boyden’s Through Black Spruce sits at number 6 while Alice Munro’s new book, Alice Munro’s Best: Selected Short Stories, published in late October comes in at number 691. What does it all mean? I have no idea but I’m feeling good about cracking the top 1,000.
Posted in Alice Munro, BookManager, Canadian political novel, Canadian politics, Indigo, Joseph Boyden, Terry Fallis, comic novels, podcast novel, political novels |
October 6th, 2008
This past Friday night, I particpated in the Headwaters Arts Festival in Caledon, Ontario. What a wonderful evening it was. Billed as Armchairs, Authors and Art, I joined two very accomplished authors, Joseph Boyden and Drew Hayden Taylor for an evening of talking and reading before an audience of over 200 book lovers. Then afterwards, our books were on sale and there was a book signing. What a wonderful group of people. Nancy Fater and the good folks at BookLore put on a great event. Here’s the ad that ran in the local magazine:
Posted in Drew Hayden Taylor, Headwaters Arts Festival, Joseph Boyden, Terry Fallis |
September 2nd, 2008
As I’ve been threatening to do, I thought I’d list the readings and other speaking events I’m doing this fall in support of the release of the McClelland & Stewart edition of TBLP. Being on the author circuit will be a new experience for me but I’m really looking forward to it. In the next couple of weeks, this blog will go through a make-over of sorts and there will be a separate “Appearances” page in case any of you have the twisted desire to know where I’ll be speaking or reading.
Upcoming Speaking and Reading Gigs
So here’s what’s happening in the coming weeks and months after TBLP arrives in bookstores across the country on Tuesday, September 23rd:
- Tuesday, November 18, 2008: A reading and talk at a McMaster Alumni “Coffee and Conversation” evening event in Toronto.
Wow! It’s going to be a busy time. But I can think of nothing else I’d rather be doing. Stay tuned for a revamped website with its own “Appearances” page where I’ll try to keep track of all of these engagements.
Posted in Canadian political novel, Harbourfront Reading Series, Headwaters Arts Festival, Joseph Boyden, McClelland & Stewart, Ottawa International Writers Festival, Ottawa Public Library, Word on the Street Festival, comic novels |
August 8th, 2008
I’m thrilled to be on the bill for a reading as part of the Headwaters Arts Festival in Caledon, Ontario on Friday, October 3rd. I’ll be sharing the stage with the award winning novelist Joseph Boyden and the seriously funny playwright and humourist Drew Hayden Taylor. The evening is called “The 4th Annual Armchairs, Authors, and Art.” I had such a great time meeting, and listening to Drew at the Summer Leacock Festival a few weeks ago, so I’m very happy to be joining him again on stage. As for Joseph Boyden, he is a comet who shot across the Canadian literary scene in 2005 with his debut novel, Three Day Road. It won a shelf-full of awards, and his new novel, Through Black Spruce, will be released in September.
It should be a great evening.
Posted in Canadian political novel, Headwaters Arts Festival, Joseph Boyden, Leacock Summer Festival, Terry Fallis, comic novels, political novels |
