In a Tub, Reading That Summer in Franklin

Lots of times I read my friends' books and it's a way of staying in touch with them or getting to know them better.  My writing buddies are all Canadian so often I enjoy a fairly local setting too.  Here I'm reading That Summer in Franklin by Linda Hutsell-Manning.  Franklin seems a shoe-in for Cobourg where Linda really lives (and so does my brother).

The two main characters are struggling with failing aging parents, one a father and one a mother. I can identify with that.  They both share a history that involves a death in a hotel during their summer job.
Three-quarters of the way through...must read on to find out what happens or happened in the case of that murder.

In a tree The McGillicuddy Book of Personal Records (Colleen Sydor)

Today I snagged a guest reader, 10 year-old Hunter McNicoll, who was enjoying The McGillicuddy Book of  Personal Records (Red Deer Press)in a tree near the library.  "I like that what happens is unexpected," says Hunter.  He also enjoys the interesting quotes from random famous people at the beginnings of chapters.

From Chapter Seven:  Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover.  (Mark Twain)

I had the pleasure of driving author Colleen Sydor from a Mississauga school to Paris (yeah I wish the Eiffel tower one) Ontario.  Immediately I asked the Canadian Children's Book Centre which books she'd written and when I heard about the personal records story thought it might be for Hunter.  Why?  Because he likes the Guinness Book of Records.

Even during her tour for Children's Book Week not one Chapters or Indigo had a copy on hand,
so I crossed my fingers that she had brought some and would autograph a copy in time for Hunter's birthday the next day.  Hurray!  She had!

Now I was warned the book was perhaps for advanced 10 year old readers.  Hunter is a lively enthusiastic sports a holic and I passed the warning along to him, not as a comment on his own reading habits, more in case he found it slow slugging.

My honesty worked like some kind of  reverse psychology and he snatched it up as a challenge, calling out to me during the good parts.

I can't wait to read it myself.  We're lucky that nowadays we can just order books like these online, we don't have to depend on the boxstores' buyers' decisions.

My email is sylvia.mcnicoll@cogeco.ca if you want to show/tell me what you're reading, where and why.

The perfect passtime for summer, reading.  Ahhh!!

Reading Karma on the Deck

This is one of my favourite spots to read, on my back deck overlooking an overgrown garden, Brant Hills and in the distance a sliver of blue, Lake Ontario.  I met  the Calgary author, Cathy Ostlere, at The Writers' Union AGM and also while writing an article on book trailers.

You don't have to read Karma (Puffin Canada) in a sari but I was attending an East Indian/Asian themed wedding shower and was dressed this way for the event.  The 500 or so pages are in verse and follow Mata as she travels to India with her (Sikh) dad to bury her (Hindu) mom's ashes at the time when Indira Gandhi is assassinated.

There's a passionate yet innocent love story and in fact Mata's sari gets unravelled at least twice.
My friend who showed me how to wrap mine promised me that this NEVER happens.
While at the shower, however, I suddenly found myself unravelling. I had to do some quick tucking.

This summer find yourself a beautiful spot and read a wonderful book like Karma.  Send me a photo and an email and I'll post it on my blog.

What I'm reading and where and why

For Death Goes Viral, my character 16 year-old Paige Barta gets hit by a train when she walks along a track listening to an Ipod in a snowstorm. She gets another chance to relive the last week of her life and she visits BodyWorlds as she did first time through; this is an exhibit hosted by the Ontario Science Centre which features plasticized bodies, real cadavers mumified with polymar. (Oh yes I have been there for Today's Parent Toronto.)  In researching details for the exhibit as well as the character who wanted to work in biological research of some kind I emailed Sarah Miyata, a research doctoral student who is author Cathy Miyata's daughter.  Turned out she had volunteered at the heart, lungs, and liver table where visitors actually get to pick up a real plasticized organ.  She told me exactly what the organs looked and felt like and she also suggested I read Stiff by Mary Roach.  

It's fascinating stuff.  The author has a wicked sense of humour in writing about all the different ways in which a dead body can be reduced, reused and recycled.  I didn't realize that plastic surgeons sometimes practise on cadaver heads (picture them in an aluminum roasting pan on a rolling wagon with a white table cloth) or that crash test bodies (not dummies) save 147 lives a piece.  There's a chapter that talks about how scientists grafted a head of a puppy on another dog--made me feel the same way as when I was reading Arthur Slade's Hunchback and the dogs were partially mechanized.  

I could only read a chapter a night--as you can see I like to read it in bed.  Afterwards I had to read something fictional to cleanse my mental palate as it were.  Still I do recommend Stiff.

What are you reading and where and why?

CANSCAIP: Bob Barton Makes Fifty Kids' Authors Free Write

Me without my camera!  For CANSCAIP's last meeting before the summer break, Bob Barton came to introduce his new historical fiction Trouble on the Voyage with Napoleon now turned Dundurn. His introduction was also intended to show authors how to introduce their work to kids in an interactive way.

It was a dark and stormy night.  Bob shakes a thunder drum (what it most resembles) to draw his audience back when he needs to give further instructions--practical point number one: finding a way besides shouting to get kids' attention again when you need it.

But it really did thunder and lightning throughout his talk, proof that the higher powers agreed with him.

At one point he asked some fifty CANSCAIPers to write for two minutes on what they felt about being in the room.  "I've been writing all day and now I HATE having to write again for free," is what I suspect many of us were writing.  At least I and my elbow buddy Teresa Toten were "free writing" about that.

However, it was great of fun with some fabulous tips just in time for the outdoor literary kid festival gigs.
(You know the kind where there's no place to plug in a screen and projector for a Powerpoint presentation.)   Besides the pressure switches off when you're not giving the workshop and kids' authors try everything when roles are reversed, from reading scripts, to giving imaginary lectures and interrupting with imaginary questions.  So competitive too!

The writers even bought-out Bob's supply of Trouble on the Voyage and they didn't use loonies and toonies in ziplock bags either.

Social Media is not this much fun

A lot of writers are struggling between the demands of Twitter, Facebook and Blogging so that when a fun event comes up, well, I suspect they stay at home and Twitter, Facebook and Blog.

The Writers Union of Canada hosts some of the best dance parties in the world.  Writers who have argued bitterly against each other all day jump up the moment the band strikes up. I wouldn't say they are classical ballroom steppers either.  And the bands the Union comes up with!  Whoa!  Who knew Alison Gordon, the wonderful baseball mystery writer, was such a fabulous tambourine diva.

Here I am with BC's fab Chocolate Lily winning author Norma Charles.  In November she'll be back in Toronto touring for her new winner Run Marco Run. This is an author who understands the power of boogie.

Dinner Before Margaret Laurence

The real fun of The Writers Union AGM, or perhaps any day of workshops, is the people you meet over dinner.  Sadly in a bid to save money for writers, there is no forced breaking of bread at current meetings. Except for the banquet which is very, very fun (no one dances quite like a writer) but pricey.

But through the magic of social networking, 17 of some of my closest buddies from across Toronto and Canada got together at Jack Astor's before the Margaret Laurence Address.  Ah, you have to love Facebook sometimes cause it helps us meet up face to face.  Let's see if I can name the writers, Jo-Ellen Bogart, Della Buford, Ann Walsh, Norma Charles, Barbara, Ellen Jaffe, Sylvia McNicoll(me)
Gisela Sherman, Andrea Wayne von Koningslow, Jocelyn Shipley,  Deb Loughead and Jack.
Tucked away at the other table are a few more friends, but the waiter didn't include them in the shot.
Maybe they were late.  Feel free to fill in the last names I'm missing.

Do they laugh? Ontario Arts Council Part Deux

When I wrap a package, I feel like Ms Bean (Mr. Bean's feminine counterpart).  I often have to re-open it to see if I've lost my watch in it or a chicken part.  Or if that extra draft lying around was meant to go in.  I understand my last Artist in Education application did not include a book list. (Even though the jury took note that you were an accomplished writer) Oh come on.  Really? Or enough creative process in how I teach kids.  Or enough detail in how I go about getting schools.  "We regret to inform you..."

Sigh.  This is after making piles of papers on my bed and checking off a list (and mailing said list)
and wrappings the dread parcel.

What adds to the fun part of the process is that the gatekeeper sounds a bit like Inspector Clouseau.
He must be sick of answering my same question every granting season.  "When do you open?"
I imagine him sighing in a Parisian accent. (Quelle idiote)
I just can't believe they only fling the doors open at 9:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m. would be so much more convenient.

I also imagine him shaking his head when he opens my oversized package.  And then while removing the watch and chicken part.
Still maybe this time I'll be lucky. Maybe everything will be there as it should.  All the checky boxes checked.   My "peers" will find me worthy.  Or worthier than the other
peers that applied.

Still hoping for a postal strike to help the odds.

Do Not Photocopy this page--Grant Me Less Confusion

Today I'm writing from the conference of the Courtyart Mariott during the Writers' Union AGM lunch break.  On the way here, as it was close, I delivered a grant application to Ontario Arts Council.

It's a sweaty process.  From finding the correct box in which to mail five copies of 40 pages, to deciding whether your manuscript is (tick the box off) Literature or Young Adult.  Also I'm confused by the instructions to "Not Photocopy" certain pages  What if I do?  I'm supposed to keep a complete copy of the application afterall.  How would "they" know.  It's like removing the White Material tag from a stuffed animal.

We're supposed to use a 12 pt font, put name and address on one title page and use a header with the title of the work exactly as it appears on the application form (the one you can't photocopy)  AND  use  both sides of the page.  That was a new one on me.  Too late.  I think it's an environmental move so redoing the 200 pages to comply would be counter productive.

No matter.  At least I delivered it by hand.  I almost hope for a postal strike so mine will be one of only a few applications.  Then they won't throw me away over the photocopying issue or the one side of the page usage.

A lunch date with writers--the best kind of social media of all.

It takes a lot to pry writers from their offices but once a year I make the trek to Marilyn Helmer's in Bellwood for a potluck lunch. The drive involves a winding country road with lots of horses gamboling on the side in the fields. The food is delicious as this gang (Marilyn, myself, Deb Loughead, Liane Goodall, and Gisela Sherman are all great cooks.  We enjoyed cranberry meatballs, grilled vegetable orzo salad, smoked salmon carrot souflee, wild leek and potato casserole and a coleslaw with brocolli and walnuts that defies the very label.  Plus we had great conversation, discussing the dilemma of how much of our time should be spent blogging, twittering, face booking and creating book trailers when we'd rather be writing...or eating for that matter.  We decided that some minimal public effort needed to be made for the publisher's viewing but after that it was whatever we enjoyed because who knows if anything really works.  Writing the best book we know how is what we're really in it for.  Problems solved for another year we drove home.

A dream day at R.H. Lagerquist Senior Public School

A brilliant writer herself, Amy Corbin, a teacher

from R.H. Lagerquist Senior Public School, arranged a day of writing workshops for the students who wrote to tell her why they wanted to work with a published author.

I lead four short workshops to groups of about 20 students in the library. Look how attentive and hardworking they were. The last group liked computer writing and as we had a little extra time, we wrote scripts, one of the choices being, a student tells his parent (father in this case) that he's in trouble. In turn the ending has to be a resolution of some sorts where his dad metes out punishment or deals with the situation. I don't know how it got to that point, but striped shirt boy plays the part of the gun wielding dad who helps red hoodie son wipe out some other dudes. This is the last scene in which father and son get handcuffed and taken to jail.

Strange developments and hilarious creations. The future writers of Canada.

Beauty Guide Dog Novel Series Trailer

The Beauty Series: Bringing Up Beauty, A Different Kind of Beauty and Beauty Returns, represents the books for which I'm best known. Essentially they follow Elizabeth as she fosters first a black Lab, Beauty I, then a Chocolate Lab, Beauty II, and finally a golden retriever, Magic.

In the second book, the view point splits to hers and that of sixteen year old Kyle's who gets a white cane instead of a driver's license. In the third, they go out. No dogs every die.

Over the course of creating Kyle, I met and chatted with many people with visual impairments.

I also wrote the lyrics for a song because I wanted him to sing a lullabye but darned if I wanted to track down rights. Angela McKay, one of the women I interviewed, is a singer songwriter and she and her husband Brian helped me set the words to music.

This trailer gives snippits of all three novels with Angela singing Kyle's Lullabye.

My son, Craig McNicoll, did the filming and editing. There are voiceovers for Elizabeth (Jennifer Filopowicz, my daughter) Alicia (Eireann McNicoll, my daughter-n-law) and a scene with Kyle acted by Ian Garden, Eireann's brother. Many dogs acted in this video including Buster, Beauty's brother. Yes there is now a real Beauty named for the book. Also the golden retriever belongs to Amy, another young woman who fosters guide dogs because she readBringing Up Beauty.

The covers of my novels were painted by Shariff Taribay.

For me the video reminds me of a huge voyage in my life and all the wonderful docks (as well as dogs) along the way. Listen carefully to the end and you'll hear my granddaughter Violet give a cry.

If you know a dog lover, you should buy these three books. Available from the usual online sources but also at Burlington's A Different Drummer Book Store.

Baby Show for Today's Parent Toronto

To keep up with trends for babies my editing job with Today's Parent Toronto, I like to go to the various baby shows.

I dragged my son Craig (and film maker for my excellent new trailer, and his baby girl Violet. Not in the photo is beautiful Mom Eirean and Bob, my photo sidekick and partner in life.

We had a really good time testing out all kinds of equipment. Here you see me trying a Fisher Price infant chair for editors.

Sudbury Catchup Post-Coppercliff School

A writer wears many hats. Here I am wearing antlers. Visiting Sudbury to present in schools, this time Coppercliff and then the next day Walden Public School, allows me a chance to browse Science North and report on the new Wild Life Rescue exhibit. I loved the Born to be Wild 3d Imax as well. After seeing it, kids will be happy to pledge to help save the environment. In the exhibit there are several posters suggesting different commitments the children can make to help save endangered species and all animals in general. The antlers are part of the exhibit.

In the schools, I talked about different novels depending on the age group. The response was phenomenal. Kids stopped me in the hall to thank me or tell me how wonderful an author I am.

In the photo, the whipped cream on the face is a demonstration on rewriting for plausibility.

Believe it or not.

Panoramic Paul A Fisher

All of these students' parents gave permission for photos so witness protection programs weren't ruined or anything. You have to love panoramic shots because once the students noticed what I was doing they would try to sneak across to be in all of the shots. Didn't work. To my disappointment as well

Last week I had a great time with grade 5, 5/6 and 4/5 at Paul A Fisher School. Look at all my young writers hard at work, nose to the pencil. I love the sound of students writing.

The challenge this week was we divided the day in three to match the wonderful nutritional breaks. Stopping to eat twice a day, sheer brilliance I think. This made switching classes easier than what I normally do which is teach only two classes and leave mid third period to divide the time equally.

But there wasn't a lot of time for my fun little exercises such as team menu writing for the apples I hand out. Or a lesson on putting the quotation marks in and changing paragraphs (not so much fun). Or even finishing a draft of a story.

Hmm, I guess I'll have to rework my AIE lesson plans to allow for less time.

I only hope if I offer this three class day, the teachers don't insist I fit two classes in each time segment.

Arizona Libraries

Not sure if you can enjoy the great panorama of White Tank Branch Library.

You can play spot the Sylvia in the photo. Outside there's a park full of my favourite cacti, the Saguaro.

I also visited Tombstone Public Library as it was right next door to the Wild West show and we had 15 minutes to spare.

I find librarians the best source for local tourist hotspots, they can tell the truth about restaurants etc, where as government tourist people have to remain unbiased. They know the history of towns better and plus they like books and are often thrilled to meet a writer.

The librarian at Tombstone was exceptionally friendly and asked for a business card, promising to buy my book as well as my traveling buddy Gisella Sherman's.

I also visited Phoenix Pubic Library to thank the "Ask the Librarian" for all their previous e-suggestions on what books are set in Arizona. When you respond to same, there's no inbox to accept your thanks. That librarian wanted to know if I was hoping to "break into the U.S".

"No," I answered. "I've written for 25 years and lots of my books are in the U.S. Just not in this library." She took my bookmark to order Last Chance for Paris but I'm sure, as an urban librarian, she was a bit jaded, perhaps even besieged by budding (or ageing)writers.

But the library was gorgeous with a pond in the middle and wide open spaces throughout.

All three libraries were worth the mini detours.

Bringing Up Piggy

While I'm known for writing about Beauty the dog, in Arizona we went horseback riding 'cause I love horses. Mac, my steed, apparently has been on TV as bounty hunter Dog's ride.

Well, Mac, I'm a bit of a celebrity myself as I've been on Sonja Dunn's television show reading from Bringing Up Beauty.

For the trail ride I brought my shockproof, waterproof, dustproof camera (love it!) but sadly it is not idiot proof. I left the camera on after downloading so there was no battery left and hence no riding shots of me and my fellow cowboys.

My husband only took photos with his high-potential-for disaster camera before the ride when all the farmyard animals befriended me. As I was patting an Australian shepherd puppy, this pig came up and nuzzled me for attention. I felt like a barnyard Cinderella when the chicken came up from behind to check me out.

Animals of Arizona (the ones I've spotted anyway)

Trying to blog while on hotel internet is always a bit of a challenge. I'm trying to upload photos of the animals I've spotted on holiday so far. First was the famed javelina, which seems a lot like a wild boar only smaller. We saw a mom and her baby cross the street a car ahead of me. In an effort to alert my friend Gisela and her hubbie, driving in back of us, I honked and made Mommy Javelina rush into the bushes. No real photo only this lovely statue in tribute to her. They're usually grey coloured not pink.

At every rest stop in Arizona there's a sign warning of dangerous snakes and poisonous scorpions. I keep my eyes peeled but never spotted anything but this lovely lizard. Let's hope my photos land close to my description. No such luck. This must be what publishing children's novels was like in the early 20th century.

At the Arizona Desert Museum, we saw mountain lions, rattlers, bears and racoons. In the Grand Canyon Park, we saw these mules. You can ride these guys down Angel Trail to the bottom of the canyon if you book a couple years in advance and pay a few hundred dollars.

Then I saw this black Lab at the canyon. He was very friendly, wagging hopefully anytime anyone came within patting range. His owner told me his name was Kay-oh-

tay. "Oh, he doesn't look like a coyote," I said. "No," he explained, "Kayohtay means wolf in First Nations." Yeah, well he doesn't look like a wolf either.

Why I took his photo was Kayohtay was desperately trying to join his owner on this stone fence. Where is this fence? Overlooking the Grand Canyon. "Noooooo! Don't stand there!" I wanted to shout. "I wrote about this once and it doesn't end well, trust me."

Finally, I spotted this brave squirrel who posed for me in an effort to extract treats from me.

"No feeding the wild life!" I told him as I snapped away. His good natured scurrying about against the vastness of rocky beauty behind him still makes me smile. We should never be daunted.

Standing at the edge of my life

Here I am standing at the edge of one of the seven natural wonders of the world, The Grand Canyon.

The wind blows strong here and it's jaw droppingly beautiful. Everyone waits, camera poised, for the sunset. Then the whole sky glows and the clouds become eerie wisps but the canyon turns too dark.

You have to keep the moment perfectly in your heart instead of on your camera.

Sylvia McNicoll Public School

The other day there was a message on my answering machine. "This is Jane Doe from Halton District School Board..." (Jane Doe is being used to protect the identity of the real caller)

My first thought: Ah, Hunter, what have you done wrong. Gee I hope you're okay.

"Your name came up..."

Second thought (the authors reading this will appreciate this line of thinking): Yay, they're hiring me to talk at a professional development day. Mortgage payment, score.

"...because there's a school opening in the fall ...

third thought(still thinking like an author here): Oh a school visit, okay half a mortgage payment. Still it's nice to be asked.

"...and we want to name it after you."

What? No really. The message said to call back immediately. How long had I been gone for?

Of course when I returned the urgent call, Jane Doe was gone so I had to wait, gobsmacked, tidying 'cause you shouldn't have a messy kitchen if someone's going to name a school after you.

Crazy thoughts come into your head. You feel like you should write your memoirs and/or die fairly soon. You feel like you should be a better person. That afternoon I returned my grocery cart from the other end of the strip mall where I had originally parked to go to the bank.

Immature thoughts too: wow, think of all the cool personalized stuff that will be available.

Sylvia McNicoll mugs, Sylvia McNicoll hoodies, Sylvia McNicoll pens--I'll try to buy some of those if they come available.

Jane Doe finally called back and it seems there are three other names in the running, can't remember any others but Dundas Heights.

No I don't think I'm famous enough or all that worthy but, yes, I feel honoured. I drove by and took a photo of the potential Sylvia McNicoll Public School. No matter what it's called, in my heart it will always be mine.