I can’t believe today is the day – we’ve reached the end of Season 1 of the Literally, Katrina podcast! It’s been an incredible ride reading amazing books and chatting with extremely talented writers over the past year, and I’ve loved putting together these bi-weekly episodes. I hope you’ve enjoyed them, too!

In this week’s episode, I chat with budding local author Murat Ates. Murat and I met a few years ago, while we were both working at post-secondary institutions as recruiters (we were friendly rivals!). We’ve kept in touch over the past few years and I’ve had the pleasure of seeing his passion for writing grow from short stories on Facebook to full-on print projects. Things are only getting more exciting! Listen in as I chat with Murat about his most recent project, Life Fire Prose, and what he plans on doing next.

Now that we’re at the finale, I’d love your feedback. What have you liked about the podcast? Which author interview did you enjoy the most? What would you like to see more of? What would you change? Fill out this super quick survey (there are only 10 questions!) and let me know your thoughts!

You’ve all been such huge supporters of this podcast and I’m so grateful for you! This wraps up Season 1 of the Literally, Katrina podcast – thanks again for subscribing and listening in every two weeks!

Until next time, happy reading!
Katrina

Yann Martel, author of brilliant award-winning novel Life of Pi (if you didn’t read the book, you may have seen the Oscar-winning film) was in Winnipeg last week promoting his new book The High Mountains of Portugal. A novel made up of three related-yet-unrelated stories – Homeless, Homeward, Home – tied together by geography, The High Mountains of Portugal is “gleefully bizarre and genuinely thrilling,” according to The Globe & Mail.

I really enjoyed this book and had the chance to sit in on a conversation Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson of the Winnipeg Free Press had with Martel at the Winnipeg Free Press News Café last Monday. Listen in!

What a great interview! Shout out to the Winnipeg Free Press for hosting Yann Martel and supporting the Canadian arts scene, and big thanks to the News Café for organizing a lovely morning. You can pick up a copy of The High Mountains of Portugal at all major booksellers in-store and online.

I’m also excited to announce that the winner of last episode’s book giveaway is Alixe Edwards, who won a copy of Jane Johnson’s Pillars of Light – congrats!! It’s such a great book and I can’t wait to hear what you think about it.

You’ve all been such amazing supporters of this podcast and I’m so grateful for you. It’s been so fun putting these episodes together and talking to different authors and literary guests. I’ll be back in two weeks with another episode – I’ve got a really cool guest coming up and you won’t want to miss it!

Thanks so much for listening to this week’s episode of the Literally, Katrina podcast! To stay up-to-date on all things Literally, Katrina and books, subscribe to the Literally, Katrina podcast on iTunes or the Apple podcast app, like the Literally, Katrina Facebook page and Pinterest board, and follow me on Twitter and Insta @LitKatrina.

Until next time, happy reading!
Katrina

On this week’s episode, I have the absolute pleasure of interviewing Charlotte Penner, contributor to the bestselling cookbook, Mennonite Girls Can Cook. Charlotte and I chat about the origins of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook group, and how this wonderful cookbook, which includes both traditional Mennonite and modern non-Mennonite recipes (all of them equally delicious!), has had an incredible impact on a community in need in Ukraine.

Listen in on our conversation!

You can find Mennonite Girls Can Cook and Mennonite Girls Can Cook: Celebrations at major booksellers in Winnipeg, as well as online. Pick up your copies today! They also make excellent gifts. A new devotional book, Bread for the Journey, is expected to be released this year as well. Thank you to Charlotte for sitting down to chat with me about what’s next for the MGCC crew.

Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of Jane Johnson’s stunning novel Pillars of Light, a book I reviewed for the Winnipeg Free Press a little while ago – keep your eyes on Instagram for your chance to win! I loved this book and hope you will, too.

Thanks so much for listening to this week’s episode of the Literally, Katrina podcast! I’ll be back in two weeks with another episode. To stay up-to-date on all things Literally, Katrina and books, subscribe to the Literally, Katrina podcast on iTunes or the Apple podcast app, like the Literally, Katrina Facebook pageand Pinterest board, and follow me on Twitter and Insta @LitKatrina.

Until next time, happy reading!
Katrina

This week’s episode takes us away from fiction and into the world of policing in Canada. I interview Winnipeg’s own Bob Chrismas, a staff sergeant with the Winnipeg Police Service, and we talk about his book Canadian Policing in the 21st Century: A Frontline Officer on Challenges and Changes. We also chat about his current research – which will probably turn into a second book for Bob! Listen in on our interview:

There are some great local literary events coming up at the end of this week and the beginning of March – here’s an updated list of what’s going on in the city so that you don’t miss out!

Coming Home: Book Launch
Emily Janssens’ novella Coming Home is launching on February 25 at 7:30 p.m. at McNally Robinson – Travel Alcove. The evening will include an author reading, interview, and Q+A session. Emily will also be signing books, so be sure to purchase a copy while at the launch! To learn more about this historical fiction story, check out our chat back in December.

Cataclysm
CreComm student Rachel Carlson is launching her climate change-centred novel on Saturday, February 27 at The Handsome Daughter on Sherbrook Street. Cover is $10 and you’re invited to dress up and dance the night away. To learn more about Rachel’s book, check out our chat in Episode 7.

2016 Annual Governor General’s Literary Awards Gala
Held at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on Monday, February 29, the gala welcomes Dr. Mark Winston, recent winner of a nonfiction Governor General’s Literary Award for Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive, as well artist Aganetha Dyck. McNally Robinson will be on hand to sell books. A reception with a cash bar and refreshments will round out the evening. Tickets are $12 ($10 for seniors and students), available now at  McNally Robinson Booksellers.

Winterpeg Book Launch at After Dark Lounge
Matt Dyck, a fellow Creative Communications student, is launching his graphic novel, Winterpeg, on Tuesday, March 1 at 8pm at After Dark Lounge (121 Osborne Avenue). This graphic sci-fi Western imagines Winnipeg 100 years in the future. Check out Matt’s Instagram for a sneak peak – it looks pretty incredible! Copies will be for sale at the event for $10.

A Book of Word Paintings: Book Launch at Style Bar Boutique
Tannis Miller, another one of our student panelists from Episode 7, is releasing her poetry book A Book of Word Paintings at Style Bar Boutique (470 River Avenue) on Thursday, March 3. Come by between 6-9pm for dessert provided by Laugh Love Cakes and prizes provided by Coal and Canary candles – there will also be an author reading at 8pm. Learn more by visiting A Book of Word Paintings on Instagram.

These events are sure to keep me busy – I can’t wait to read all of these amazing new books. Keep your eyes here for updates on more book launches and events coming up this Spring!

Thanks so much for listening to this week’s episode of the Literally, Katrina podcast! I’ll be back in two weeks with another episode. To stay up-to-date on all things Literally, Katrina and books, subscribe to the Literally, Katrina podcast on iTunes or the Apple podcast app, like the Literally, Katrina Facebook pageand Pinterest board, and follow me on Twitter and Insta @LitKatrina.

In today’s episode, I chat with local author Gerald Sliva about his compilation of short stories and musings, Barking from the Front Porch. We talk small towns, being Ukrainian, and good farm-grown Prairie food – Gerald’s book also includes a few great recipes! Gerald also reads a hilarious excerpt from his book – listen in on the fun!

There are some great local literary events coming up at the end of February – here’s a list of what’s going on in the city so that you don’t miss out!

Coming Home: Book Launch
Emily Janssen’s novella Coming Home is launching on February 25 at 7:30 p.m. at McNally Robinson – Travel Alcove. To learn more about this historical fiction story, check out our chat back in December.

Cataclysm
CreComm student Rachel Carlson is launching her climate change-centred novel on Saturday, February 27 at The Handsome Daughter on Sherbrook Street. Cover is $10 and you’re invited to dress up and dance the night away. To learn more about Rachel’s book, check out our chat in Episode 7.

2016 Annual Governor General’s Literary Awards Gala
Held at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on Monday, February 29, the gala welcomes Dr. Mark Winston, recent winner of a nonfiction Governor General’s Literary Award for Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive, as well artist Aganetha Dyck. McNally Robinson will be on hand to sell books. A reception with a cash bar and refreshments will round out the evening. Tickets are $12 ($10 for seniors and students), available now at  McNally Robinson Booksellers.

Keep your eyes here for updates on more book launches and events coming up this Spring, and I’ll be back in two weeks with another episode. Thanks so much for listening to this week’s episode of the Literally, Katrina podcast! To stay up-to-date on all things Literally, Katrina and books, subscribe to the Literally, Katrina podcast on iTunes or the Apple podcast app, like the Literally, Katrina Facebook pageand Pinterest board, and follow me on Twitter and Insta @LitKatrina.

Until next time, happy reading!
Katrina

This week’s episode is dedicated to the business of book markets. Three times a year, St. Vital Mall hosts a book sale to raise funds for the Children’s Hospital, and this is where I buy most of my books for the year! You can’t beat the deals (new hardcovers for less than $5, softcovers for $1.50 – it’s a dream) and the funds raised go directly to the Children’s Hospital Foundation, so you can feel good about your purchases, too!

In this week’s episode, I chat with Carol Irving from the Children’s Hospital Guild of Manitoba, who organizes the Children’s Hospital Book Markets each year. We talk about how the book markets got started, the work the amazing volunteers do to get everything ready for the book markets, and where the funds go. I also share my tips and tricks for tackling a book market.

In other news, to spread the word about the Literally, Katrina podcast, I’ve hidden bookmarks (for a sneak peek, see the image at left) at bookstores across the city in bestsellers, books we’ve talked about on the podcast, and all my favourites – if you pick up a book with one in it, it’s yours to keep or give away! Go forth and have fun! And don’t forget to tell your friends about the podcast.

Thanks to the Children’s Hospital Book Market organizers and volunteers for all the work you do, and thanks to Carol Irving – it was a pleasure learning more about the book markets! Don’t forget to stop by the Children’s Hospital Book Market taking place on February 4, 5, and 6 at St. Vital Mall.

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. I’ll be back in two weeks with local author Gerald Sliva. Don’t forget to subscribe to Literally, Katrina on iTunes (or the Apple Podcast App), like Literally, Katrina on Facebook and Pinterest, follow me on Twitter @LitKatrina, and add me on Insta @LitKatrina.

Until next time, happy reading!
Katrina

Happy 2016 – I’m so happy to be back with more author interviews, book reviews, and other fun book things on the Literally, Katrina podcast! In today’s episode, I talk about some fantastic books I read over the holidays and I also review The Road to Atlantis, written by Canadian author Leo Brent Robillard.

Literally, Katrina is the first stop on a blog tour to get the word out about The Road to Atlantis, a powerful novel about family, tragedy, and what it means to rebuild after you lose everything. It’s so heartbreakingly good! Listen in for my review of the book, as well my interview with Turnstone Press’s associate publisher Jamis Paulson about the blog tour.

I am also giving away a copy of The Road to Atlantis to one lucky listener!! All you have to do is follow @LitKatrina on Instagram and like the Episode 9 post to enter. I’ll be announcing the winner in one week from today, on Monday, January 18th. Good luck!

Looking for some great reads to dig into this year? Here’s a list of what I read over the break:

The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I binge-read the entire series over the holidays and I’m pretty smitten. The fourth instalment in the series, Queen of Shadows, won the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fantasy – well deserved!

Pillars of Light, written by British author Jane Johnson, is a 12^th century epic set during the Third Crusade. Chronicling the notorious Siege of Acre, this stunning adventure of a novel reveals both the brutality and beauty of humanity through the eyes of ordinary people. For fans of Philippa Gregory and Ken Follett, and reminiscent of Ridley Scott’s 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven, this irresistible and humanizing epic is sure to delight. I loved this book! Catch my review of this novel in the Winnipeg Free Press in the coming weeks.

And speaking of the Winnipeg Free Press, my review of the award-winning novel Book of Sands by Karim Alrawi was out on Boxing Day. Missed it? Check it out here.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe to Literally, Katrina on iTunes (or the Apple Podcast App), like Literally, Katrina on Facebook, follow me on Twitter @LitKatrina, and add me on Insta @LitKatrina.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2016 full of good books and good people!

Until next time, happy reading.
Katrina

Hello listeners!

In today’s episode of the Literally, Katrina podcast, we listen in on a chat the It’s Literally a Book Club had with local author Melinda Friesen (see photo above!), and I also reveal the winner of the #cozychristmas Instagram contest. It’s quite exciting! Take a listen:

It was so great having Melinda join us! Hopefully we’ll get a chance to chat with her when her second book comes out in the new year! For more information about Enslavement, you can visit Melinda’s website at melindafriesen.com. Enslavement is also available in-store here in Winnipeg at McNally Robinson, Chapters, and Kite & Kaboodle in the Johnston Terminal at The Forks.

Okay, so now what you’ve all been waiting for! Here’s a recap of what’s in the #cozychristmas prize pack, which I’ve been revealing bit by bit on Instagram over the past month:

• One spectacularly cozy handmade scarf by Pebble and Dime, made right here in Winnipeg by the lovely Vivian Sawatzky. It’ll keep you warm (especially now that we actually have snow) and it’s also adorable so you’ll look good, too.
• One delightful Coal and Canary “All I Want Fir Xmas” candle, also made here in Winnipeg – if you haven’t heard of Coal and Canary, it is the local candle company taking Hollywood by storm – that’s right, last year, Coal and Canary candles were in celebrity gift bags at some major award shows, including the Grammy’s. “All I Want Fir Xmas” is a scent from the 2015 holiday collection and it smells like the perfect christmas tree – I love it so much!
• A book by Giller Prize-winning author Marina Endicott, called Close to Hugh, which was also on the 2015 Giller Prize long list. Heartwarming, heart wrenching, and full of humour, this book gives us the chance to spend a week with some of the most interesting and infuriating characters – artists, actors, and prima donnas abound in this novel about love, loss, and life. And every chapter title is a witty play on words to do with Hugh, who is the loveable main character – for example, “nothing Hugh can do”, “I only want to be with Hugh”, and “can’t buy Hugh love”. Oh the puns. I really enjoyed this one.
• And last but not least, A Whole Life, an international bestseller by Robert Seethaler. I reviewed this little gem of a book for the Winnipeg Free Press a little while back and really treasured the gentle and moving story Seethaler tells about Andreas Egger, a guy just making his way through life in the Austrian Alps. This book also features one of the most romantic wedding proposals ever, so there’s that.

Without further ado, the winner of the 2015 #cozychristmas contest is…..nadine.leila! Hooray! How exciting!

That wraps up 2015 for the Literally, Katrina podcast! I’ll be back in January with another book giveaway and much, much more. Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe to Literally, Katrina on iTunes (or the Apple Podcast App), like Literally, Katrina on Facebook, follow me on Twitter @LitKatrina, and add me on Insta @LitKatrina.

Until 2016, Merry Christmas and happy reading!
Katrina

Hello listeners!

On this week’s episode, I chat with an amazing group of fellow classmates about the writing process and what it’s like to be a first-time author. I also chat a little bit more about the #cozychristmas contest that’s going on right now. See below for how to enter – you will want this prize, it’s so awesome!

#cozychristmas contest details:
What is it? It is YOUR chance to win a fabulous prize pack, my christmas present to you. I’ve put together an amazing prize that includes a couple of books (obviously!), and then also items from local vendors that really capture the cozy vibe that I love about this season. How do you enter to win? All you have to do is follow @LitKatrina on Instagram and like all of the cozy christmas contest posts for multiple entries.

I’ll also be posting some pics of some of the prize pack items, so make sure to keep your eyes out for what you could win! There will only be one lucky winner, and I’ll be announcing the winner during Episode 8, which comes out just in time for Christmas, on December 21st. I’m actually so jealous of the winner, I want to keep all of the items for myself. They’re that good.

follow today’s guests:

Sean Perrun – follow The Fine Book of Nil on Twitter

Tannis Miller – follow A Book of Word Paintings on Instagram

Danielle Doiron – follow Mind Games on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Emily Janssens – follow Emily on Facebook to stay updated about her new book

Rachel Carlson – follow Rachel on Facebook to stay updated about her upcoming book

Thanks so much for listening to this week’s episode of the Literally, Katrina podcast! Don’t forget to add @LitKatrina on Instagram for your chance to win the #cozychristmas contest. To stay up-to-date on all things Literally, Katrina and books, subscribe to the Literally, Katrina podcast on iTunes or the Apple podcast app, like the Literally, Katrina Facebook page and Pinterest board, and follow me on Twitter and Insta @LitKatrina.

Until next time, happy reading!
Katrina