April 2021 Recommendations
Happy Spring!
I’m pleased to report that my characters are behaving (or misbehaving) themselves again, even though Covid-19 news is grim in our little mountain town. Whistler Blackcomb has closed but Whistler Olympic Park is still open for cross country skiing and large doses of sunshine and beautiful mountain views are helping Kaytoo and Al (the characters in my current project) find their funny bones.
Upcoming Events
On April 8 at 6:00 pm I'll be having an online conversation with Rebecca Wood Barrett about her new middle-grade novel, My Best Friend is Extinct. Earlier that day Rebecca will lead a one-hour writing workshop for young writers on how to build an invented world. Sign up to RSVP and get your event link for either of these free events at: youthservices@whistlerlibrary.ca.
Children’s book recommendation
El Deafo by Cece Bell
This is a heartwarming autobiographical graphic novel. After contracting meningitis at a young age, Cece loses most of her hearing. The book chronicles her journey through elementary school as she learns to cope with hearing aids, making friends and dealing with the reactions of her peers to her deafness.
Adult Book Recommendation
The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
I’ve been reading a lot of mysteries over the last few months, and the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths is one of my favourites. In this book, the first in the series, Ruth, a university lecturer in forensic archaeology is called out to investigate bones found in the saltmarshes of the Norfolk coast. I love the description of Norfolk and the coast, and the character development throughout this series.
Behind the Scenes
Mountain Machines
I was inspired to write Mountain Machines when my son was two. The Sea to Sky highway was under construction to prepare for the Olympics. The road construction started twenty minutes south of our house, and it was perfect timing—just as Ben began to get cranky on the drive to Vancouver, we’d have a good ten minutes of viewing to entertain him. He’d identify all the machines as we passed: “Road roller! Excavator! Grader! Backhoe!” After realizing just how much little kids loved big machines, I decided to write about the machines in a place I knew very well—the ski hill.
Resource for Writers
Thomas Umstattd Jr. runs a podcast called Novel Marketing, which you can access through his Author Media site. He’s full of tips for authors, whether you are just beginning your journey or are an established author. It tends to skew a bit towards the self-publishing world and also has some crossover with his Christian publishing podcast, but I have found it very useful for my own marketing even though it doesn’t always directly relate to my own writing. One of the suggestions of his I really like is to not publish your first novel. Consider it your learning experience. Your second book will be much better.
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If you’d like to purchase any of these books, you can visit your local independent bookstore, or click on the image for an affiliate link to amazon.ca.