It’s shaping up to be a busy spring/summer…

With my role as resident blogger for Canada Reads winding down, I’ve started to look ahead to what’s coming up for me on the book front in the next several months. It’s going to be a very hectic, but fun, time. I’m on the road a bit (Moncton, Vancouver Island, Winnipeg, Moose Jaw, and Ottawa), which is always a bit of challenge given that I work fulltime. It means that I use a few vacation days to make it all work. It also helps that my colleagues here at Thornley Fallis are very supportive and understanding. Anyway, here’s what the sched through to the end of the summer looks like, though it changes day-to-day as new gigs come in. To see it all, click here, or on the Appearances tab up on the upper-left side of this blog. With my third novel, Up and Down, being released by McClelland & Stewart on September 16th, the autumn is filling up, too!

Coming up…

• Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 7:30 p.m.: A talk and reading at a book club in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

• Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 1:00 p.m.: Participating in an e-book signing with Wilfrid Laurier University Bookstore and Idolvine.

• Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 7:30 p.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at the Heliconian Literary Lecture Series, Toronto.

• Thursday, February 9, 2012, 12:00 noon: A luncheon talk to the Ontario Bar Association, Toronto.

• Thursday, February 9, 2012, 6:00 p.m.: Fulfilling authorial duties at The Book Lover’s Ball, Royal York Hotel, Toronto, Ontario.

• Monday, February 20, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk and reading at a private book club in Toronto.

• Monday, March 5, 2012, 4:00 p.m.: A talk to a CanLit class at Lakehead University that is studying The Best Laid Plans, Orillia, Ontario.

• Tuesday, March 6, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk and reading at a private book club in Toronto.

• Thursday, March 15, 2012, 10:00 a.m.: A talk and reading at the Twin Lakes Probus Club in Orillia, Ontario.

• Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at the L. P. Fisher Public Library, in Woodstock, New Brunswick.

• Friday, March 23 – Saturday, March 24, 2012: Talks, readings, and signings at the Words on the Water Writers’ Festival, Campbell River, Vancouver Island, B.C.

• Thursday, March 29, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk and reading at the Brantford Public Library, Brantford, Ontario.

• Saturday, April 7, 2012, Time: TBD: A talk and reading at the Listowel Public Library, Listowel, Ontario.

• Thursday, April 12, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at the Taylor Branch of the Toronto Public Library.

• Sunday, April 15, 2012, 1:00 p.m.: A reading and signing for the Writers & Friends, a fundraiser for Horizons of Friendship, Memorial Hall, Kingston City Hall, Kingston, Ontario.

• Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 11:00 a.m.: A talk and reading at the Gateway Probus Club in Collingwood, Ontario.

• Thursday, April 19, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk and reading at the Tweed Public Library, Tweed, Ontario.

• Friday, April 20, 2012, 1:30 p.m.: A talk and reading at a private book club in Bobcaygeon, Ontario.

• Friday, April 20, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at Dunsford United Church in Bobcaygeon, Ontario.

• Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 7:30 p.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at the Township of Russell Public Library, Russell, Ontario.

• Wednesday, April 25, 2012, 6:00 p.m.: Fulfilling authorial duties at the annual Writers’ Trust Politics and the Pen Gala, Ottawa, Ontario.

• Thursday, April 26, 2012, 1:00 p.m.: Talks to students at College Avenue Secondary School, as part of Woodstock Reads in Woodstock, Ontario.

• Thursday, April 26, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk, reading and signing for Woodstock Reads at the Woodstock Public Library, Woodstock, Ontario.

• Friday, April 27 – Sunday April 29, 2012, Time TBC: Talks, readings, and signings at schools and other venues as part of the Frye Festival, Moncton, New Brunswick.

• Thursday, May 3, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk, reading, and signing in Dundas for the Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale Federal Liberal Association.

• Wednesday, May 8, 2012, 10:00 a.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at the Probus Club of South Muskoka, Bracebridge, Ontario.

• Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk and reading at a private book club in Toronto.

• Monday, June 4, 2012, 10:00 a.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at the New Appleby Burlington Probus Club, Burlington, Ontario.

• Wednesday, June 6, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at the Innisfil Public Library, Cookstown, Ontario.

• Thursday, June 7, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at the Literary Evening of the annual conference of the College Association of Language and Literacy hosted by Seneca College, Toronto.

• Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 2:00 p.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at a Women’s Probus Club in Collingwood, Ontario.

• Thursday, June 14, 2012, 10:00 a.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at the Probus Club of Wasaga Beach, Wasaga Beach, Ontario.

• Monday, June 18, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at McNally Robinson Grant Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

• Tuesday, June 19, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: A talk and signing at the Canadian Engineering Education Association annual conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

• Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 12:00 noon: A talk and reading at a book club at St. Christopher’s Church, Burlington, Ontario.

• Thursday, July 5, 2012, 10:00 a.m.: A talk, reading, and signing at the Midland-Huronia Probus Club, Midland, Ontario.

• Thursday, July 19 – Sunday July 22, 2012: Talks, readings, and signings at the Saskatchewan Festival of Words, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

• Thursday, July 26, 2012, 12:00 noon: A talk and reading at a private book club in Scarborough, Ontario.

• Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 7:00 p.m.: Keynote at the annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Ottawa Convention Centre, Ottawa, Ontario.

Phew… I’m tired… but no time to rest, the new novel and a busy autumn beckon…