You’ve seen the new front cover already in an earlier post here but here’s a first look at how the spine and back cover will appear when the M&S edition of TBLP is released on September 23rd, 2008.  I really like what award-winning book designer (and novelist!) Scott Richardson has developed, and renowned publisher/editor Doug Gibson has writen for the backcover .  Very exciting.

My friend and editor/publisher Doug Gibson dropped by unexpectedly tonight bearing the first copy of the M&S edition of TBLP.  What a thrill it is to hold it.  It’s much thicker than the original iUniverse version.  A much better “package” in every respect.  I’m over the moon.  If the forces that be at M&S are happy with it, they’ll start shipping to bookstores in the coming days.

I posted when my author copies of the original version of TBLP arrived almost exactly one year ago.  Here’s the post from September 6th, 2007.  My how my writerly life has changed in twelve short months.  What a ride.

Here’s a shot of Douglas Gibson and me, neither of us really looking our best, minutes after he arrived to deliver the first copy.

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:

• Wednesday, September 24, 2008: Harbourfront Reading Series, a reading at 7:30 in the Brigantine Room at Harbourfront. I’m honoured to have TBLP share the stage with Andrew Davidson and his debut blockbuster The Gargoyle, and Fred Stenson and his new novel The Great Karoo.

• Sunday, September 28, 2008: Word on the Street - Toronto, a reading at 11:00 a.m. in the Great Books Marquee.

• Friday, October 3, 2008: Headwaters Arts Festival, a reading as part of the 4th annual Armchairs, Authors, and Art event, at 6:30 p.m. in Caledon, Ontario.  I’ll be sharing the program with Joseph Boyden and Drew Hayden Taylor.

• Sunday, October 26, 2008: Ottawa International Writers Festival (scroll down until you hit the Sunday, October 26th schedule), a reading at 2:00 p.m. (I think) and on-stage panel discussion on The State of Our Literary Culture (yikes!) with Stephen Henighan, and Bill Gaston, moderated by Sarah Dearing.

• Monday, October 27, 2008: Ottawa Public Library,  a free lunchtime public reading at the Main Branch that I assume will start around noon.

• Wednesday, October 29, 2008: McMaster University Alumni Book Club, a reading and discussion starting at 7:00.

• Thursday, November 6, 2008: A private luncheon address at Borden Ladner Gervais’ Labour and Employment Symposium at the Old Mill in Toronto. (I assume I’ll be the comic relief!)

• Tuesday, November 11, 2008: Gryphon Theatre Annual Authors’ Night, an evening reading in Barrie along with Ted Barris, author of many books on Canada’s storied military heritage.

• Saturday, November 15, 2008: Breakfast talk at the Writers & Editors Network as part of their Speakers Series, at the Canadiana Restaurant in Toronto.

• Tuesday, November 18, 2008: A reading and talk at a McMaster Alumni “Coffee and Conversation” evening event in Toronto.

• Spring 2009 (March or April): The prestigious Grimsby Author Series held at the Casablanca Winery Inn.  A reading alongside one of my literary heroes, Paul Quarrington who will be reading from his latest novel, The Ravine.

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.

Frances Bedford, the wonderful PR pro at M&S with whom I’ve been working has managed to land me a reading on the Great Books Marquee stage at Toronto’s amazing Word on the Street festival. I’ve attended the event for years as an ardent reader and never thought I’d ever be appearing on the program as a writer. The M&S edition of TBLP will be on bookstore shelves by that day so the timing is perfect. Thanks for everything Frances and keep those gigs coming!

This past Friday night I joined two great Canadian writers for a public reading as part of the Leacock Summer Festival in Orillia.  The festival is Ontario’s largest summer literary gathering and this year’s edition was another great success.

The Friday night program was held at Swanmore Hall, just steps away from the home of Stephen Leacock.  Scott Gardiner, who was shortlisted for this year’s Leacock Medal, opened the program with a reading from his hilarious political satire, King John.  This is a wonderful book made even better by Scott’s outstanding reading.  Reading aloud is not easy but when it’s done well, the story comes alive.  Next on the bill was Drew Hayden Taylor, a very funny aboriginal writer who certainly knows how to handle himself at the microphone.  He had the audience in stitches reading from a selection of his works including his newest book Me Sexy.

I spoke third, which was a little intimidating given how much laughter Scott and Drew triggered.  The capacity crowd seemed to enjoy the four brief selections I read.  All in all, it was a great evening.  Thanks to Fred Addis and Bruce Meyer, the festival organizers, for inviting me.  This was a good warm up for the many other speaking and reading gigs that are being lined up for me in the fall when TBLP is re-released by McClelland & Stewart.

About a month ago, the good folks at CEO TV shot a segment about TBLP and my day job as a PR professional. They also sent a camera crew up to Orillia for the Leacock Award weekend to help round out the segment. Well, it aired nationally on Global a week or so ago and in case you need a laugh, you can watch it here…

I’ve just returned from the family cottage on Georgian Bay where I’ve just spend two weeks offline with my family. It was wonderful despite an unusually high mosquito count. I read several books, swam, slept, ate, and watched movies at night with my two sons. It was strange being completely discounted for two weeks (although my BlackBerry worked sporadically if I stood at the highest point on our property and stuck my BB in the air like the Statue of Liberty’s torch) but I managed. My in-laws arrived from Nova Scotia and we had a great visit. We saw some wildlife when we dropped off our recycling one day and my mother-in-law took this great shot.

We also took them on a day trip to Orillia to visit the Stephen Leacock Museum. Here are a couple of shots showing me sitting in Leacock’s library and the display in the Leacock Medal Room showcasing books and artifacts from the 61 year history of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour.

I’ll be back to Orillia on July 25th to do a public reading at the Summer Leacock Festival. I have to read for 30 minutes so I’ll need to decide which sections to present. My heart rate is slightly elevated already.

By the way, here’s the great Hamilton Spectator article by Mark Leslie Lefebvre that I mentioned in an earlier post. Thanks Mark!

Stay tuned for more information about all the events I’ll be doing in the fall to coincide with the release of the McClelland & Stewart edition of TBLP.

It’s nice to be back…

After a very eventful yet wonderful spring, I’m off to the cottage for two weeks with my wife and two sons for our summer vacation. I’m looking forward to reading and continuing my fledgling efforts to map out the sequel to TBLP. In the meantime, the M&S edition of TBLP is well into the production process now. The cover design is complete, cover copy is approved, and the book layout, all 314 pages or so of it, is done. I met earlier this week with the publicity team that will be doing all they can to make sure copies of TBLP fly off bookstore shelves in October. I’ll be doing a number of speaking/reading gigs to support the novel including the Ottawa International Writers Festival and the Headwaters Arts Festival in Orangeville. There’s apparently an article about, and/or review of TBLP podcast coming out this weekend in the Hamilton Spectator written by Mark Leslie Lefebvre. I hope to be able to read it just before packing up the minivan and heading up the 400 to Twelve Mile Bay.

(Update: In fact, two Mark Leslie Lefebvre articles ran.  You’ll find the TBLP podcast review article here and a second interesting piece here on how independent authors are using podcasts to build an audience adn break through into traditional publishing.  Nice job Mark and thanks!)

By the way, a segment on Global Television’s CEO TV about yours truly and TBLP will air Saturday, July 5th at 11:30 a.m. You should also be able to catch it on the CEO TV website by Monday, July 7th.

I’ll check in as soon as we’re back. (I’m not sure how I’ll survive offline for two weeks but I’m looking forward to trying…)

Here’s the new cover from Douglas Gibson and the great creative team at McClelland & Stewart. I love it. I really like the way the Globe and Mail quotation free forms its way around the cover. I also think the wordplay on “Plans” with the “s” scrunched in at the end because of bad planning, is great. I think it will be difficult for bookstore patrons to walk by this cover, and that’s the whole point. It says satire and humour more effectively than the original cover. Plus, the prominently placed Leacock Medal doesn’t hurt either. Full steam ahead…

On a whim last fall, I submitted TBLP to the Independent Publisher Book Awards in the U.S. in the regional category, Canada-East Fiction. Well many months later, the results were finally announced today. As if winning the Leacock Medal weren’t enough good news, TBLP just won the gold medal. Known as the “Ippy” awards, they recognize excellence in independent publishing, including self-publishing. Now that TBLP will be published by McClelland & Stewart in the fall, and I hope any subsequent books I may write, this may be the only independent Publisher Book Award I’ll ever win.

All of this seems too good to be true. I sure hope I’m not in for a run of bad luck…