Don Aker – YA Writer

CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers) (repeat that with your eyes closed) asked me if I’d write a profile of the YA writer Don Aker for the Fall/Winter issue of their magazine, CANSCAIP News.

What fun it was! I read all I could find online about Don – along with all his YA titles, he’s also written for middle readers, One on One.

We talked face to face non-stop for three hours, then I wrote the profile.

This is a new venture for me. I think it’s called non-fiction. You have to stick to the facts. But I hope I will have conveyed my admiration and respect for a fine writer.

The Space Between is my favourite of all his books, and his too.

And then there’s The First Stone.

If you haven’t yet discovered Don, you have a treat in store.

Check him out at www.donaker.com

I visited two of the Calgary Public Library branches on my trip out west – branches, so I was told by Anne O’Sullivan, who drove me to both of them, that only rarely got visits from authors. Thank you, Anne.

Glenmore Square Library

At the first, Glenmore Square, I was met by Suman Gangopadhyay, the branch supervisor – so much enthusiasm for her job and the community programs she was able to implement.

A class of grade fives arrived, some of whom had read The Nine Lives of Travis Keating.

I only had 45 minutes with them, not nearly long enough. A wonderful group of kids. In the Q/A, one girl asked me if I knew the ending of the book when I began…what a great question!

Shaganappi Library

The second day, in the Shaganappi Branch, I was greeted by Joey Sayer, also so helpful and kind. A mix of grades four, five and six.

One of the teachers had hooked the students on Nine Lives, and Joey had collected their questions for me. Somehow the conversation segued to how my grandson helps out with “techy” questions, including the intricacies of Modern Warfare, and how Stuart always beat me hands down. A lot of the boys there obviously knew about Modern Warfare, so I read the poem about it (swearword omitted) from Nix Minus One. It was really fun.

Libraries, as I must have said at least six times on this blog, are among my favourite places on earth. Where else can you be given access to so many books – and they’re free. Think on it. Free.

More on my recent visit to Calgary, courtesy of Pajama Press.

A week ago Tuesday, we spent the day with Heather Parsons, a sales rep from Michael Reynolds and Associates. Bright, energetic, great sense of humour, and very very good at her job – thanks, Heather! I signed a lot of books that day.

Pixie Hollow Books in High River, Alberta

Our first stop was Pixie Hollow Books in High River, about an hour south of Calgary. A delightful store, with the best chai latte I’ve ever had.

And guess what? While I was there I found out that Martine Leavitt, whose writing I’ve long revered, lives in High River. She was kind enough to come to the bookstore, where she signed my copy of her brilliant, grim, and very courageous free-verse novel, My Book of Life by Angel. Such a pleasure to meet her! Thank you, Martine.

Owl’s Nest in Calgary

Owl’s Nest, Shelf Life Books, and Chapters in Chinook Mall took the rest of the afternoon, then in the evening I did a reading at Monkeyshines Children’s Bookstore – and was delighted when my daughter-in-law’s brother, who lives and teaches in Calgary, walked in the door. The only thing better than having a Newfoundlander present when you read from Nix Minus One is having family there.

Window display for Nix Minus One in Monkeyshines Children’s Bookstore, Calgary

My thanks to Sue Hill of Monkeyshines for a terrific window display and lovely treats.

Reading from Nix Minus One

Signing Sue Hill’s Authors’ Wall – I was in very good company!

Pajama Press, my publishers for Nix Minus One, flew me to Calgary last week. And what a week! So much went on, that there’ll be at least two instalments to this blog.

The major event was the Calgary Children’s Literature Round Table on the evening of the 22^nd.

Supported by United Library Services, the event was billed as “Two Celebrated Canadian Authors.” I spoke first, followed by Ken Oppel – now he is a celebrated author.

I’d reread Silverwing before I left Halifax, and read Sunwing on the flight to Calgary – and enjoyed both so much. Imaginative, original, and exciting. So it was a real pleasure to meet Ken, listen to his talk, and exchange ideas on how we write.

Illustrating my talk with excerpts from Nix, I spoke about the power of experience and of imagination to shape our narratives.

Keep reading – we writers need you!

I had a wonderful morning in Bedford South School the week before last. The grade four students had each written a short book about an animal of their choice, all the way from a squid to a red-eyed tree frog.

The teacher – what a woman! – had arranged a group book launch, with parents and other classes invited. And I was invited, too. Such fun to see everyone’s wonderful writing and drawings, a very creative class. Thank you, grade fours!

Another good review for Nix Minus One, this one in the Calgary Herald.

You can find it on Nix’s home page on my website.

I’m in Calgary this week, so the timing of the review is great.

Monday, I’m at the Children’s Literary Roundtable, with Kenneth Oppel – very exciting.

On Tuesday we spend the day at bookstores in Calgary and Pixie Hollow, an hour or so south of Calgary.

On Wednesday and Thursday, library readings, with grades four, five, and six.

Home on Friday.

A busy week!

It’s supposed to snow while I’m there. So here – as an antidote – are the crocuses in my garden

Yesterday we launched Nix Minus One at the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia – I say “we,” because a great crowd of friends and family was there cheering him on.
My thanks to all of you for coming, on a typical NS spring day that started with snow flurries, moved to rain, then to heavy clouds, then back to rain.

I loved reading from Nix! After all, I lived with his voice for the better part of two years….
Having said that, I really like the photo with the painting of nudes in the background – I long ago decided that publishing a book, let alone reading from it to an audience, is a bit
like undressing in public.

All the food was homemade. Somehow this seemed to fit Nix.
Woozles Children’s Bookstore was there, and yes, we sold books.

And my grandson brought flowers. What more can I say?

This week, I received a wonderful review of Nix Minus One written by a young man, a review that’s also posted on Goodreads and on my website. But I wanted to bring attention to it because it moved me deeply.

It astonishes me that I’ve written something that touches the male psyche. I don’t start out with an “agenda” when I write a book. I write from character. But Nix, and the potential alchemy of a novel, somehow affected this particular man at this particular time – strongly enough that he took the time to write about it.

Thank you, Winston.

You’ve inspired me to post some spring photos of my perennial garden – photos from last year because the weather’s staying cold in the Maritimes and my crocuses are shivering in the wind.

Winston’s Review     review on Goodreads.com

A busy week copy-editing The Hidden Agenda of Sigrid Sugden, to be published in the fall by Fitzhenry & Whiteside.

This is the final book of the three that started with The Nine Lives of Travis Keating back in 2008.

If you’ve read the second book, The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy, you may remember Sigrid as one of the Shrikes, the three girls who bullied Prinny. At the end of the book, Prinny is terrorized by Tate and Mel, and escapes in a dory in the fog. Later, she figures out Sigrid was the one who sent for help.

I always wondered what would happen to Sigrid when Tate and Mel found out she made the phone call that got them into big trouble…

Like the other two books, Hidden Agenda is set on Newfoundland’s northern peninsula.

Four more reviews have come in for Nix Minus One, three “official” and one “unofficial.”

Quotes from all the reviews are posted on my website on Nix’s home page, and on my facebook fan page – and the entire reviews are also accessible.

To have received a good review by the Halifax Herald was very satisfying, because that’s my home town newspaper.

I used to live in Winnipeg, so I was really happy to be headlined by the Winnipeg Free Press: “Powerful, compelling teen novel written in free verse.”

Sheryl MacFarlane in her blog SherylBooks highly recommends Nix Minus One, “…a powerful and seamless narrative that doesn’t shy away from difficult issues.”

The last review I want to mention – the “unofficial” one – came from Liam C., the 17-year-old son of a writer friend of mine who lives in Bedford.

He read it in one sitting: “It’s so good. It’s a risky structure, but it works so well.” Then he ends by saying, “It’s probably the best YA novel I’ve ever read.”

What’s not to like?

Seriously, it means a lot to me that a guy in high school read and really liked Nix’s story. Thanks, Liam!

And, yep, it’s still winter.

Snowman

On Saturday Sylvia Gunnery and I met for brunch. Sylvia is a retired teacher, and believe me, her students were very lucky to have her.
She generously gave me her thoughts on how to present Nix Minus One in junior high.
Helpful thoughts.
Surprising thoughts.
Thoughts based on experience and wisdom.

Thanks again, Sylvia!
(And the eggs hollandaise were terrific.)

Then we went to the Chapters stores in Bayers Lake and MicMac Mall and signed our books. Between the two of us, it was an impressive display of books.
Thanks to the managers of the two stores for all their help.

We had some great conversations with customers.
Sylvia’s sister brought flowers for us – so kind of her.

Some writing group friends came by and chatted.
And we even sold some books…

Sylvia and I at Chapter’s Book Signing