Mark Leslie's Blog

Avid Book Buyer

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:52:14 PST

I was reading an interesting article based on a recent Verso survey (which I'll see in more detail next week at Digital Book World) which seems to reveal there is room for an "Indie-branded" e-reader.

From my own recent experience at Titles Bookstore McMaster University, bookstore shoppers DO want the ability to purchase ereaders from bookstores. At Titles, we sold a decent volume of Sony and Kobo readers.

Of course, the old thought that the minute you sell your customer an ereader you lose them as a customer is still present. That being said, there are now more ways to purchase ebooks via your local bookstore, with a few more options still on the horizon. I even caught people whom I know owned ereaders buying physical books in my store, and I'm still guilty of buying books even though I adore my Kobo Touch. So booksellers selling ereaders might not be as cannibalized as was once thought. (This discussion could go back and forth for hours, but that's not what this post is about)

So even though this debate still rages, what particularly caught my interest was a particularly interesting definition of "avid book buyers" as those who buy ten or more book purchases a year.

If someone who buys 10 books a year is considered an avid book buyer, what the heck would someone like me, who easily buys five times that amount, be called?

Reading Challenge 2012

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:22:32 PST

I've been using Goodreads for a while now and am delighted with the fact that Goodreads reviews are now linked to the book listings on Kobo -- so when you're looking at a book on an item page at Kobo, you're able to see the latest reviews posted on Goodreads.

Because of this, I was touring around making sure my own books were listed on Goodreads, when I found this cool widget/experience.

The Reading Challenge 2012

Since I've been entering books I've read on Goodreads, I can allow this to auto track to see how I'm doing with my goal of reading 52 books in 2012 - the equivalent of a book a week. (For this slow reader, that would be an amazing accomplishment -- of course, given how much more time I spend commuting in to work, I'm taking full advantage and listening to audio books, so that helps pad the odds in my favour)

I know these stats won't last, but so far 110,094 people are participating, for a total of 6,819,879 books pledged to read. The average number of books in a person's challenge are 61 and so far 35 of the challenges are completed (likely by folks who either set ridiculously low goals or who added books to their library (from past reads) and didn't notice it was setting the "date read" to that day's date.

The book nerd in me LOVES these stats - people not only reading, but celebrating reading. Gosh, it's enough to put a big stupid grin on my face.

There are awesome widgets for this too . . .

I like the basic one that shows where you are percentage-wise . . .

2012 Reading Challenge

Mark has read 5 books toward his goal of 52 books.

hide

5 of 52 (9%)

view books

But there are other cool ones too . . . like this one that is an RSS feed of the latest updates you make on Goodreads . . .

Love it!

Post HNT - Being Silly With My Son

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:48:18 PST

It's Thursday.

Again.

Still feeling the HNT withdrawl.

On the computer monitor at home, the screensaver randomly flashes photos from the archives.

I tend to see a lot of pictures of Alexander and I being silly.

That makes me smile.

And feel good.

Here are a few from this past summer at a dinosaur themed miniput on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls.

I'm not at all fond of the spring-like conditions we're experiencing in mid January (it SHOULD be snowing) - but I'm certainly fond of remembering the fun we had this past summer.

Magical Bookstore Experience

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:47:44 PST

A video that has captured the hearts and minds of book lovers comes from a small bookstore in Toronto - Type Books.

It's a stop-motion film called "The Joy of Books" and depicts what magic might happen when the owners lock up the store for the night.

It's based upon a similar video depicting a self re-organizing bookcase that they had done.

It's a great video, but if you want to see real magic, check out one of the two locations for Type Books and head into their store and interact with the staff. They'll find a way not only to move a book from the shelf and into your heads, but also transport that book and the author into your mind; and likely in a way that nether you nor the bookseller could have anticipated before you both meet.

Type Books - 883 Queen Street West (where this was shot) and 427 Spadina Road.

Overcoming Visual Distraction

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:47:56 PST

When I don't have a lot of time to run, I find it easier to pop downstairs and get on the treadmill. It is particularly attractive in the cold months, especially since my running clothes are geared more towards the summer season.

And I enjoy listening to audio books and podcasts while running. But standing on the treadmill (which is in our furnace room) and staring at the wall only lasts so long in terms of keeping my mind stimulated.

Which means that I rarely run more than 5K in a single session.

But this past weekend, I thought I'd try to find some visual distractions that would allow me to "remain amused" while on the treadmill for a longer period. Yes, listening to books or podcasts keeps part of my mind occupied, but I needed something different visually as part of the experience.

So I checked out a few iPad apps.

On Saturday, I downloaded and tried TreadmillVR max. There's a free version with limited routes and a $2.99 version with extended routes. After toying with the free version for a few minutes, I bought the pro version to give it a whirl.

It allows you to pick a route and run it and puts you in the POV of the route itself, with the option of picking the speed. You can also chose from a variety of running companions, and download more as well as download more free scenes. While running, you can listen to music from your iPad.

I must admit that the visual distractions worked quite nicely. It was great to get some visual imagery rolling past as I ran. And, running for more than 1 hour, I was able to see many different scenes, run through various locales such as a beachfront, a wooded park, a forest path and even through a department store (which was, admittedly, the most fun and distracting - seeing so many overweight WalMart shoppers is plenty of motivating to keep running and stay in shape)

There was an additional route (computer generated) that takes you on a roller coaster, through a cgi city and through subway tunnels. It was fun and decidedly interesting.

This app also features something called "Mental Boost" which is geared towards mind and soul conditioning - music, motivational blah blah and subliminal messages. Blah, as you can tell that didn't interest me.

This was an amusing and distracting app to use - however, I was frustrated that most of the routes didn't feature a single end to end experience. Rather, as you ran, perhaps after even as little as 30 seconds, the scene would blur and fade to a different spot on the exact same trail. That was frustrating, because I would have preferred the sense of getting from point A to point B without the "time-lapse" fades involved. That was my biggest disappointment. That, and the fact that no single run allowed me to go more than a few kilometers.

This meant that for the 10 K that I ran on Saturday, I repeated the same route multiple times (started to get boring) and went through half a dozen different routes.

The other one is called Fun Run Trainer. There's a free and Pro version available.

It basically stimulates a GPS and allows you to run one of hundreds of pre-set courses or to even map out your own route. You set the pace on the device to match the pace you're running on the treadmill and it tracks you along the route. It even tells you the incline you're running so you can adjust the treadmill accordingly. While running you can listen to the music stored on your iPhone or iPad, and get audio feedback at 1, 2, 5 minute or longer intervals that tell you your average pace, the current pace and how long until the end of the race.

On Sunday, I tried out the Free version and used it to run a leg of the New York City Marathon. I ran 11.1 K (about the 1st 1/4 of the race) and found it fun. (I loved the fact that, while running across the 2 K bridge, I didn't experience the nasty wind-chill that would normally likely occur there)

Even though I much preferred the visually appealing concept of POV scrolling scenery, the more realistic experience of the virtual GPS, the feedback and the sense of starting at point A and actually slowly making it to point B was more, to me, like a real run.

It was such a good experience that I'll likely purchase the Pro version for $3.99.

But in any case, when I might normally run perhaps 10 K on an average weekend when I make time to run, this past weekend I clocked a little more than 21 K. Seems to me these apps did the trick.

It'll be useful because Francine has signed us both up for Hamilton's Around The Bay in March, which is the oldest road race in North America, which goes 30K We're splitting it to 15 K each. (Fortunate for me, I'm taking the flat first half, and she's doing the more challenging and hilly 2nd half) I've never run more than 10 K in a real race. This should be fun. And with Fun Run trainer, I can actually map out the route I'll be doing and trying that out.

Positive Side-Effects

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:23:19 PST

I love how, sometimes, the little side-effects of a good thing offer up a completely unexpected other good thing.

We updated the fixtures in our bathrooms over the summer, but were not happy with the way the twisty energy-smart light bulbs looked. Due to the manner in which the new fixtures exposed the bulbs, the curly cost and energy efficient bulbs we used distracted from the look we were going for.

But I didn't want to go back to regular light bulbs.

So, while perusing the lighting aisle in December, I picked up some decorative EnergySaver bulbs from Philips. They were slightly more expensive than the regular energy saver bulbs, but they were shorter and rounder, wouldn't stick out as much and would complement the decorative fixtures. But they still consumed 9W to provide 450 lumens which is slightly higher than what a standard 40 Watt bulb would produce.

More like traditional fluorescent bulbs, when you first turn them on they are extremely dim. It takes a full minute to two minutes before they reach their full capacity.

It seemed annoying at first and I was wondering if we would continue to use them.

Then I discovered the great side-effect first thing in the morning.

Normally, when you get up and turn on the bathroom lights, you're blinded and unable to see because you're going from pure dark to pure light.

But THESE bulbs are perfect because they slowly increase in intensity, allowing your eyes the proper time to adjust.

I LOVE when there's a positive to negative side-effects.

Post HNT Cold Turkey

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:15:01 PST

This is the first Thursday since retiring from HNT. (HNT is short for Half-Nekkid Thursday and from 2005 until the last Thursday of 2011, it was a weekly internet community celebration of exposure started by a blogger named Osbasso.)

Some folks took the "nekkid" literally and exposed skin while others merely offered up pictures of themselves (the basic theme was a picture taken of yourself in various settings, situations, etc), while still others exposed something about their inner selves. That's one thing I lvoed about HNT - it was varied and allowed for all kinds of translation.

I tended to do a strange combination of the three and, inspired by other bloggers, thought it would be neat to try to add some humour to my posts or use the theme to tell goofy serial stories like the Darth Tater series and the "Terror in Toyland" series (that I never actually finished - fellow blogger Susie, who guest starred with me and I are still trapped in that bizarre world and have yet to escape - the last episode of "Terror in Toyland" features me getting beat up by Farmer Jones and still not able to find Susie after we were separated flying off a train table on a train . . .)

So, I had been doing weekly HNT posts since October 27, 2005.

So imagine how strange it felt this morning to wake up and realize it was Thursday and I didn't have a themed blog post to do . . .

Well I can't just quit cold-turkey now, can I?

Of course not.

So here's my first Post-HNT (or PHNT) post - a pic taken of myself this past weekend having not shaved for a couple of days - a reflection of the beginning of the realization that this cold turkey was going to be a difficult thing (yes, ironic we're talking about cold turkey and we were still eating leftover turkey from the Christmas season yesterday -- oh, for those concerned about food poisoning, we had frozen turkey a few days after Christmas, so it's not like it had been sitting around since the 25th)

So, do I look sufficiently miserable & all cold-turkey like in this pic?

Alexander spotted me taking pics and wanted in on the action

Yeah, I know, with the exception of my son in the second shot, it's NOT a pretty picture now is it? Particularly when you can see that second chin appearing in the shot (yes, I put on an additional 10 pounds over the holidays -- there, THAT sentiment fulfills part of the personal exposure that HNT was all about.....)

To to any of my HNT friends who are suffering the same cold turkey, I wish a Happy Post-HNT to them.

Podcast Walk-Through About Self-Publishing

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:06:07 PST

If you've ever considered wanting to try self-publishing your book but weren't sure where to start, why try to do it on your own? A podcast called The Dragon Page - Cover to Cover, which is now at episode #459, has long included reviews, conversations with writers of science fiction and fantasy, as well as discussions about writing, publishing and the industry in general.

But the show, which I have been enjoying for a long time thanks to a recommendation from a friend of mine from McMaster, has recently transformed itself. Starting about 3 episodes back, the show hosted by Michael Mennenga and Michael A. Stackpole, began to focus in on the whole digital books and self-publishing revolution.

Mennenga, who heads up Farpoint Media, is in the process of taking a book he originally wrote 12 years ago (and had a bad publishing experience with), and re-developing the entire work to release as a digital book. Stackpole, a New York Times Bestselling author who is successful in traditional publishing as well as in the DIY realm of ebooks, is helping to walk him through the process.

The discussion between the two of them, along with a sprinkling of answering questions from listeners and discussing some of the things taking place in the publishing industry, is fascinating to follow. And if you're curious about the process yourself, I strongly suggest you listen in.

To get started, you might want to listen to these episodes as a warm-up as the weekly journey begins.

Episode 456 (Nov 14, 2011)
- Mike M discusses regaining the rights to his novel Mistress of the Dragon and the two discuss plans on how the show will be evolving into a DIY walk-through of the entire process as Mike M prepares his novel for self-publishing.

Episode 458: Prepping and Planning A Story (Dec 12, 2011)
- As plans for the Jan 2012 rebuild of Mike M's novel begin, Mike S stresses the importance of keeping notes and particular strategies for planning the structure of the novel and characters.

Episode 459: How and Where To Get Started (Dec 26, 2011)
- Mike S itemizes where Mike M should begin and offers important steps in the creation of a novel. 1) Finish your first drafts FIRST, 2) DO NOT EDIT while working your drafts (it only slows you down), 3) Make notes as you go to fill in/add detail to later (during a future edit)

So if you've always wanted to get a book done, wanted to learn more about self-publishing, or were just curious as to how the whole process works, check out these episodes and then keep checking it out -- or, better yet, subscribe to the podcast and follow along.

Writing Resolution 2011 Recap

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:04:44 PST

Every year I try to make some sort of writing resolution. I sometimes meet the plans originally laid out.

Here's what I resolved on Jan 1, 2011 (as evidenced in this blog post)

Sell a non-fiction article outside of books/publishing (I'm not going to lock myself down with a "parenting" article, because along with my "food services/customer service" article, I've been kicking around a "men's health" style article (from a complete novices' POV of course). This year I'll take the shotgun approach, scatter a few and see what sticks.
Complete the re-write for I, DEATH (since that version of the manuscript is due at the publisher by the end of the summer to begin the official publication schedule)
Get my novel MORNING SON back in circulation with publishers
Work on the second draft of my novel A CANADIAN WEREWOLF IN NEW YORK
Keep between 3 and 5 stories in circulation at all times.

To recap, I didn't do so well sticking to this list, but I'll still give myself passing marks in general. (Because I'm that kind of teacher - so long as my student learned his lesson and remained productive, I think it's worth encouraging him)

I didn't sell a non-fiction article outside of books/publishing - but I DID sell a non-fiction book outside of the topic. In the summer I pitched HAUNTED HAMILTON: The Ghosts of Dundurn Castle and Other Steeltown Shivers to Dundurn Press and they loved the idea. I almost killed myself with a two month turn-around time between agreement to publish and delivery of the manuscript (particularly with all the research required to write this), but what an amazing experience! The book is coming out in August 2012.
I didn't properly complete the re-write for I, DEATH. But I did re-write. And re-write, and re-write. During one re-write I decided to make a change to the plot that had me go back through and modify bits and pieces. Sigh. It created a road map that I'm still desperately trying to connect and complete. My publisher has been VERY gracious about not releasing the hounds to hunt me down - that, or the hounds have to travel from BC, so they might already be enroute to Hamilton.
I did NOT get MORNING SON back in circulation. And for that I'll do penance. (A fitting penance would be to go and find all the negative reviews posted about my writing and read them, perhaps aloud on a street corner)
I did NOT work on the second draft of A CANADIAN WEREWOLF IN NEW YORK. Though I did start it. But starting doesn't count. Only completing counts. More penance. (Fortunately for me my work hasn't been reviewed all that much)
I believe I kept only 2 or 3 stories in circulation at all times this past year. I did always have something in circulation, but not the volume of material I'd planned on.

So in a nutshell, if you want to be technical, I scored 0 out of 5.

However, it's not that I didn't work my butt of in writing in 2011.

One of the things I had listed just below my initial resolution list was to work on a non-fiction book project - one that Francine had been pushing me to write. I had the work all planned out, and had invested some time in planning it. Then I got the idea of the book pitch for Dundurn, just prior to the time I had budgeted to work on that original non-fiction project -- when Dundurn accepted the pitch, I invested that budgeted time and energy into Haunted Hamilton - thus, that project remains on the back-burner.

So I did fail miserably in terms of meeting my resolutions as originally laid out.

But in my defense (or defence, depending on where you live), I achieved a few other un-preplanned writing accomplishments that weren't on my list:

I released a digital story (ebook) in July - Spirits (avail at Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords) - and did a virtual release launch for it. A handful of people actually attended.
I had two stories come out (part of work done back in 2010) - "Little Things" appeared in the magazine Necrotic Tissue #13 and "Nocturnal Visions" appeared in the anthology FEAR OF THE DARK
I had 4 non-fiction articles (mostly about the book and publishing industry) published on The Mark News
I released a digital story collection (in July) - ACTIVE READER & Other Cautionary Tales from the Book World which saw reprints of my stories Active Reader, Browsers & Distractions (available via Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords) - it got a heck of a lot of action via various free promotions, which did result in a few sales of my other stuff in ebook and in print. Not the raging successes you hear about, but still noteworthy from my perspective.
I released a digital story collection for Halloween (in October) entitled Tricky Treats: Three Halloween Tales - it reprinted But Once A Year, Treats & Tricky Treater. (avail via Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords)
I released a digital story collection (in December) entitled Snowmen Shivers: Scary Snowmen Tales - it reprinted Ides of March and That Old Silk Hat They Found (avail via Amazon, and Smashwords - it's not yet available via Kobo - but I'm working on that....tee hee)
I released a collection of previously published essays called Living at the Tip: Navigating the Digital Tipping Point of the Book World. It is available exclusively on Kindle right now.
[SO, HAVE YOU SENSED A THEME HERE WITH THE DIGITAL RELEASES? Yes, I have been experimenting like crazy in the digital space and still not done experimenting]
Oh yeah, one other small thing. I signed a contract with Edge Publishing to edit the next book in the Tesseracts series. I'm editing Tesseracts 16: Parnassus Unbound. It comes out later this year.

It appears like making too long of a list too early spells trouble. I already have a heck of a lot on my plate if I want to survive 2012. So, to ensure I don't fail in 2012, here's a shorter list for writing goals for this year.

Complete the Tesseracts Anthology. (IE, read submissions, select stories, get book to publisher) - okay, I'm already feeling overwhelmed. (early in 2011)
Get the latest re-write of I, DEATH over to Atomic Fez. (early in 2011)
Post live updates for the first 1/3 of the re-written I, DEATH to a blog so that people can begin following along the tale of Peter O'Mallick. (Started that yesterday by creating an I, DEATH blog - the story begins on Jan 18th - and yes, without spending a single penny you can read the complete first 1/3 of the novel, which, in and of itself, tells a complete story.
Release a new digital collection of previously published (but not previously collected) short stories.
Release an enhanced text plus audio version of ONE HAND SCREAMING.
Pitch a second book to Dundurn as a follow-up to HAUNTED HAMILTON.
Promote the hell out of the fact I have 3 books coming out in 2012.
Do a big book launch for HAUNTED HAMILTON in Hamilton and work the "local book" angle in all forms of media.
Do combined promotions for HAUNTED HAMILTON, I, DEATH & TESSERACTS 16. (There's pretty much something for everybody - non-fiction, a novel, short stories)
A little more promotion (just when I thought I wanted to rest)

There. A smaller list.

No, seriously, the list IS smaller in terms of actual writing - but this year it embraces a part of writing that writers often forget to think about - the promotional activity surrounding the release of their work -- the "let's see what we can do to get some buzz" aspect that is a tremendous part of "writing."

Yes, it's going to be a crazy year. But it'll either kill me or it'll be one heck of a year to remember.

Live large. Dream big. Write lots.

Favourite Books Read in 2011

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:41:51 PST

I have long been a slow reader. Twice I have read books about speed-reading (including a pretty decent one I read in 2011 year called “Remember Everything You Read” (Stanley Frank) - while practicing the techniques has helped me speed up my reading a bit, I’ll admit that I haven’t spent enough time practicing the techniques to be more proficient at reading faster. I sink back down to my normal slower reading rate -- which has increased a bit in the past few years, but is still not where I’d like it to be.

(Heck, I’d love to be able to polish off a 300 page book in half an hour so I can begin to consider getting caught up on the massive “to read” list that grows faster than compound interest on a gigantic loan)

But I did okay this past year, all things considered.

Here are a few of the simple “rules” I consider for my list.

a) The book has to be completed within the year. So, if I started it the previous year it only counts when I actually finish reading it.

b) This is a list of books I read in 2011 - so it doesn’t matter if the book wasn’t published in 2011 - this isn’t one of those “best of 2011” lists - it’s a personal list.

c) I don’t count the tons of children’s picture books that I read to my son. Not because I don’t think of them as books - they ARE books and they’re FANTASTIC books - but, because we consume so many of them I’d not likely be able to capture all the ones read, which would make for a pretty useless list. I DO, however, count mostly text based young reader and young adult books read - usually because they’re not books that can be read in a single short sitting -- ie, they take longer to consume and thus aren’t likely to be missed on my list.

Within a few days of finishing a book, I have begun to make a few quick notes about the book in a personal notebook -- that way I can remember a little something about them later. Yes, because I’ll often forget many intricate details about a book, even a book I adored!

Before I dig through the list, here are a few stats:

I read 47 books in 2011.
Of the books I read, 20 of them were audiobooks (43%)
Of the books I read, 10 of them were ebooks (21%)
Of the books I read, 14 of them were non-fiction (30%)

Bossypants - Tina Fey

Wonderfully self-effacing biographical sketch of Fey’s childhood and her move into the spotlight. I enjoyed the behind the scenes of writing for SNL sketch comedy and 30 Rock (a show I’ve never watched but plan on watching now that I’ve read a bit about how she developed the show). I also love the fact that she’s so wonderfully NOT full of herself. I listened to an audio version of this book read by Fey -- that was a great experience, but I also love the fact that she modified the audio book slightly in certain places to acknowledge this was indeed an audio book (spots where, in the printed text, she would be referring to the experience of reading printed matter) - I love that self-reflective manner.

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

I absolutely adored this escape back into the 1980’s. In a nutshell, this near-future science fiction novel involves the desire to solve a series of riddles buried within “easter eggs” in a virtual social networking world to earn incredible riches. Much of the virtual world is inspired from countless 1980’s culture references - movies, video games, music, etc. Solving the riddles properly involves intricately knowing the 80’s. In a review I posted on my blog a few months ago, I described this as a
“bookgasm” for 80’s culture geeks like myself. I particularly enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book read by Wil Wheaton and was delighted to learn that the rock band Rush plays a prominent role in the solving of the mystery within this book

Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom

Yes, it took me 13 years to get to this much talked about book. What a wonderful introduction to this author’s writing. The book is about Albom reconnecting with a mentor from his college years, Morrie Schwartz. Schwartz is dying of ALS and the two meet on Tuesdays, just like they
did 20 years previously. It’s interesting to see how the reconnection to his mentor helps shape and improve Albom’s own approach to life. The world could certainly use more of Morrie’s incredible perspective.

The Reversal - Michael Connelly

A fantastic novel certain to be enjoyed by anyone who likes the Law & Order format. I’m a huge fan of Harry Bosch but also a fan of his half-brother Mikey Haller (The Lincoln Lawyer). This novel is a great cross-over between Connelly’s two main recurring characters and brings Mickey Haller back to the type of situation he faced in the first Lincoln Lawyer novel. This time, though, Haller crosses the aisle and sits with the prosecution. That alone offers some interesting fodder which Connelly works to the max. Simply, Connelly delivers a solid, tight and intriguing story.

Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

I’m trying to make a point of going back and reading more classic works. What a wonderful treat. I read Grapes of Wrath back in university and loved it. I also loved this incredible story about Lennie and George. I most most bemused to learn that the Abominable Snowman character on the old Bugs Bunny cartoons was inspired by Lennie -- fascinating how many reference are out that that we don’t get until we consume classic literature. I will certainly be reading more Steinbeck in my classic novel reads.

The Guardians - Andrew Pyper

Amazing novel that reminded me a bit of Stephen King’s IT - at least in terms of structure. The novel is as much about a supposed haunted house in a small town as it is about the life-long texture of male relationships. It is as much about the secrets and strangeness of a small northern town as it is about the old “haunted house” that virtually everybody remembers from their childhood. This novel not only addresses universal truths but it keeps the reader on the edge of their seat in suspenseful anticipation. Pyper, in many ways, is a wonderful “gateway drug” for those who normally only read literary contemporary fiction to escape into thrillers and suspense novels.

Far and Away - Neil Peart

I have already reviewed, in detail, what I loved about Peart’s biographical coffee table book. Of course, I first read the book as a digital ARC, and a version of which simply did NOT do it justice. Apart from the great travelogue style essays written by Peart are some wonderful photographs that accompany the stories. When the book was released I purchased the hardcover immediately because I wanted to see the book the way it was meant to be seen (ironically, the book is a collection of blog posts, so it’s not like I couldn’t go read it online - but, compiled into a book, it’s something fresh and new). I’ve since checked the book out on Kobo Vox (the new colour reader from Kobo - and it renders quite beautifully in that digital format - it looks pretty good on the regular Kobo Touch reader (black and white e-ink screen) - so I realize that the challenges I had with the ARC were related to the limited non-ePub format I had to download it and read it in

The Book of (Even More) Awesome - Neil Pasricha

I met Neil Pasricha at a CBA event this past summer and was blown away by the young man’s infectious enthusiasm and down to earth style. It’s no wonder his blog 1000 Awesome Things exploded into the stratosphere and landed him a book deal. Neil is an easy to like guy who is filled with graciousness and warmth. His small shots of positivity, his observations, which are Seinfeld-like in their manner, have a way of making the reader pause and say: “Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I love that too.” Neil’s books are perfect gifts because of the manner by which almost anyone could and should appreciate all those great little things that make like so much better.

The Accident - Linwood Barclay

Barclay has mastered the “average Joe finds self in situation well beyond normal” in this thriller. When Glen Garber’s wife doesn’t return home from a night course she was taking, Garber finds himself thrust into an underworld of intrigue, lies and deceptions. When I read one of Barclay’s books I find myself compelled to keep reading for just one more chapter to see what happens next. His latest is, as his previous books, unputdownable.

Moonwalking with Einstein - Joshua Foer

I have come to enjoy non-fiction more and more over the past few years, particularly in audio books I’ve been listening to. Foer’s book was not only a fascinating story of a journalist who finds himself compelled into a world he knew nothing about previously (the World Memory Championships), but a look at the “cultural” history of memory, the mind and the various scientific learnings and practices involved in sharpening one’s ability to remember. It is a fascinating read - I much prefer the personal journey approach to learning something about a new topic. For me this made it much more enjoyable to read than simply reading a book about learning Mnemonic techniques.

Worth Mention:
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami

I listened to most of this while running on a treadmill. Fascinating to listen to an author talk about writing and running and how the two things intermingle in his life. As a writer who is attempting to run as a method to stay in shape and help focus the mind, I found this fascinating and inspiring. Murakami also inspired me to continue on my quest to read more classic literature (as well as want to read a few of his novels, which I now have on my “to read” list.

Also Worth Mention:
Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer

I originally read this novel a few years back - but because I was asked to lead a local book club discussion about the book, I gave it another read. This time I listened to an audio version of the novel. I was reminded of the joys of re-reading a book I quite enjoyed. I have long recommended this book to people who think they wouldn’t like science fiction, and that worked wonders when the book club took that suggestion - they quite enjoyed the experience, and many of them have now opened their minds to science fiction and what it can be for the average reader. Sawyer is a wonderfully storyteller and I was glad I took the time to go back and re-experience one of his novels - this is a reminder that re-reading a book you loved is a worthwhile experience.

Navigating the Digital Tipping Point of the Book World

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 06:18:08 PST

I collected a group of essays I wrote which were originally published on The Mark News website. I've been writing a series of articles there which are mostly reflections on the publishing industry from a bookseller's perspective.

I recently made the book (Living at the Tip) available via Amazon - it's actually exclusive to Amazon. I know, I know - how ironic considering that many of the articles criticize the behemoth and that I mostly work in rivalry to them. But such is this grey world we live in.

In any case, the ebook, which normally retails for $1.99, is free for the next couple of days.

Living at the Tip: Navigating the Digital Tipping Point of the Book World

We’ve been at the tipping point between traditionally printed and digital books for well over 10 years. Looking around the industry, at one end you’ll find naysayers who continue to stick their heads in the sand, believing that digitization couldn’t possibly change a centuries-old industry, and at the other those who believe "The End is Nigh!" and all traditional players should just pack it in.

These articles, published on The Mark News between Nov 2009 and Oct 2011 outline one bookseller's perspective on the changes facing the industry and the possibilities that exist when exploring bold new collaboration between legacy traditions and new technology.

The Final HNT

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:39:56 PST

Every Thursday for the past six years I have been posting half nekkid pictures of myself as part of a world-wide blogger phenomenon. No, the pictures weren't always risque nor did they always involve some sort of half-naked state; but the posts were often about revealing myself in some way shape or form even when no additional skin was being revealed.

That has been part of the wonder of HNT. People participating in it have continued to interpret the HN in HNT in various ways.

For me, it has been a great thing to be forced to post a single themed blog post each week. Even on "blog dry" weeks where I wasn't able to chisel out some time to toss some thoughts into the blogosphere, I always found time to HNT.

I'll miss it. I'll miss the people. Yes, part of the weekly ritual was visiting as many other HNTers as you could to see what they were revealing. In that manner it was an incredible community building experience. Through HNT, I developed many friendships that continue to last, and I've even had the great fortune of meeting some folks I met through HNT in person. I'm pretty sure that, as time passes, I'll meet more friends that I originally connected with through HNT.

Why?

Because, it might have started between a small handful of blogger friends back in May 2005, but Osbasso has created a truly remarkable phenomenon that will last well beyond this "Final HNT" post.

Osbasso collected together a special "Farewell HNT" in which he asked a group of us, many of whom have been in HNT from the early days, to either come out of retirement for one last horrah, or to offer up a pre-scripted HNT post. They all appear at HNT Finale for history's sake.

My final HNT post, the official one, appears there.

For that post, I used one of my favourite HNT pictures (the ad hoc "unmasking of Darth Tater" that turned into an entire series of a goofy adventure in which my son and I battled Darth Tater and his Clone army) - In the last year, I returned to a "re-write" of the original tale, and it was almost as much fun the second time around -- though, admittedly, I was in "edit" mode, trying to fix some of the previous storyline and make improvements on my prose and some of the bad attempts at humour.

You can read the whole zany storyline by starting here. Or if you prefer unrevised history, it was originally posted on Jan 12, 2006.

I also included my very first HNT post - a shot of my "Spooky Eyes" boxers. This was originally posted on October 27, 2005. In it, yes, I flash a bit of skin, but I also do something I'm rather fond of doing (and have done shamelessly on this blog for years) - I mention a forthcoming book signing - yes, it's often about the self-promotion for me, isn't it?

But I'll tell you the reason I went with these old classics is that I had trouble trying to picture what my LAST HNT picture would be.

Maybe because I wasn't quite ready for HNT to end . . . maybe because I didn't want it to end.

And, being the constant rule-breaker that I have been, I'm not entirely sure this will be my last HNT post.

Who knows. We'll see.

To all the friends I have made, to the entire community of HNTers, I wish you one last fond Happy Half-Nekkid Thursday. Hope to see you around the blogoshere and elsewhere.

Beautiful Animated Christmas Card

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 06:19:05 PST

I recently received an animated Christmas card from a friend in the UK.

It was made by Jacquie Lawson called Christmas at Chudwell's. It featured a lovely little magical Christmas moment featuring a bird flying a star down to a small bookshop in a village and waking up the animals hanging out there as the store lights up for Christmas.

It was a wonderfully heart-warming little card.

It called back the incredible feeling of warmth that comes from a truly personable and intimate shopping experience. Okay, and the fact that it was a lovely little boutique bookshop made it that much more enjoyable to this book nerd.

Merry Christmas

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 20:54:28 PST

As another Christmas Eve begins to slip away, and, the annual family snuggle-read of Twas the Night Before Christmas is done, the magic reindeer dust has been spread outside and the chocolate milk and cookies have been left out for Santa, I bask in the moment and cherish all the things I hold dear.

Alexander reading How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Alexander about to start spreading magic reindeer dust

The spreading begins - too fast to catch without a blur

Alexander moves at lightning speed, spreading reindeer dust

As we settle down and wait for Santa to come while we sleep, warm thoughts flow through my heart.

May you, dear reader, find that same sort of peace and love and warmth -- if not on Christmas Day, then in the New Year which is almost upon us. This is my simple wish.

May Peace and Love be with you.

Merry Christmas.

And, God bless us, everyone!

Blue Christmas (Porky Pig Style)

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:11:47 PST

One of my favourite short Christmas songs is the "Porky Pig" version of Blue Christmas (written by Billy Hayes & Jay W. Johnson and made popular by Elvis).

Apparently it was originally recorded by a New Jersey DJ who later changed the credits from "Porky Pig" to "Seymour Swine & The Squealers"

I love to sing this version of the song whenever the real song comes on the radio. Francine and Alexander (who are typically trapped in the car when I am doing this) begin excessive eye rolling and a chorus of "Stop! For the love of all things holy, please just Stop!"

That makes me want to sing louder, of course.

Here's the video.

Enjoy.

HNT - Three Wishes 2011

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:40:15 PST

This being the final "Three Wishes" themed HNT, I thought I'd do what I normally do during a "structured" HNT post. I'd break the rules and do my own thing. Why mess with the old Mark Leslie Tradition of doing that.

But speaking of tradition, I love the fact that Osbasso, the founder of HNT, created this themed type of post - it was meant to be a way for HNTers to go visit other members they didn't know, read about them and get to know them through the words and images they posted on their blogs. What a beautiful village-building activity. I applaud Osbasso for creating it and I applaud those who (unlike me every year) have embraced it.

I know I have gotten to know some other HNTers through this and cherish the experience.

Here's a link to my previous "Three Wishes" based posts since 2006

2010 - 3 Wishes 2010

2009 - Three Wishes 2009 (I got pretty creative with the descriptive post names, didn't I?)

2008 - Three Wishes 2008 (fell into a pattern, didn't I? But I modified it slightly for 2010 & 2011)

2007 - Gift of the HNT 2007 (shooting for a Gift of the Magi type name methinks)

2006 - Gifts of the HNTer (again with the Magi thing - I fall back to certain patterns a lot)

This year I simplify in my own way with three simple wishes in the realm of Dicken's A Christmas Carol, looking at Past, Present and Future.

For Those From HNT of Yore (Past)
May you look back on the many years of HNT, on the joy of a community of bloggers from around the world coming together with a fun common purpose, at the friendships and laughs you shared. There are even those whom you might have known from HNT of past who are no longer with us. Either no longer blogging or who have, sadly, passed on. May you relish in the memories of the thoughts, feelings, smiles and tender moments shared. HNT was about community, about sharing, about getting to know one another (and being given a fun and playful way of doing it) May your thoughts and memories of it warm your heart.

For Those From HNT Present
You're involved in HNT at as significant a moment as the days it was first beginning and perhaps even what some refer to as The Golden Era - although Golden might be different depending on a person's perspective, because often the "gold" comes through the discovery of a great new community of like-minded people, through the discovery of the fun of sharing and the wonderful intimacy that can stem from it. Enjoy this moment, enjoy the feeling and soak in the moment. Yes, this is a simple wish for you to properly "Carpe Diem" - but not just in HNT, in all the things that you do that bring you joy. May you absorb the joy and wonder of each moment for everything you do. Those joys will become the memories you one day will cherish and reflect back on.

For Those From HNT Future
If 2011 marks the end of HNT, how can it have a future. Ah, that's the magic. Just like in the letter from a newspaper editor to Virginia, discussing how Christmas lives in your heart, the magic of HNT is in the future carried forth by all past and present participants who go forth and continue to share the love and wonder that made HNT special. You see, HNT isn't merely a weekly ritual, it's an excuse for community, a wonderful weekly reminder to share and connect. May your future bring that same sentiment to many things that you do, not just in blogging, but in your physical day to day life. Pause, take a moment to share something of yourself, to expose something and to look, listen and attend to those who are doing the same around you. That's part of what makes the world a better place. That's part of the ongoing gift you can offer. Even if you're reading this or other HNT posts from the past many years from now, remember, it wasn't just about risque half-nude pictures, it was about people forging connections, engaged in the spirit of community. Be inspired by that to do the same in your own unique way and you'll enrich the world of those you come into contact with.

And, because it's HNT, I offer up a few pictures of the Christmas ties I've been wearing. I have tried to wear a Christmas tie every day for the past couple of weeks. I like ties. I particularly like novelty ties. But what I like best is how a novelty tie can sometimes inspire a smile in those who see them. Even if I only make one person smile from seeing a fun goofy tie, it makes my day to know that a choice of the way I dress has momentarily lifted someone in some small way.

This last one is a really fun one - have a closer look at the various snowmen

Happy HNT for all those from HNTs of Past, Present and Future!

Silly Christmas Lyric Meme: Frosty The Snowman

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:13:22 PST

Back in 2006 I started a silly Christmas lyric meme where I take a song we hear countless times during the holiday season and discuss something that confuses me about it or is worth exploring if merely for the humour . . . (feel free to play along and share your own silly thoughts about Christmas lyrics on your own blog)

The Rules: Pick a Christmas lyric that inspires silly thought and discuss it. Then either tag people or simply invite your readers to chime in with their own silliness.

Feel free to use the "Cousin Eddie" image by copying the following code and replacing the '(' and ')' with '<' and '>' :

(a href="http://markleslie.blogspot.com/2006/12/mark-leslies-silly-christmas-lyric.html")(img src="http://static.flickr.com/136/321235351_90abf16624_m.jpg" alt="Mark Leslie's Silly Christmas Lyric meme" /)

The Song: Frosty the Snowman. Written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson and first recorded by Gene Autry in 1950. (Original title "Frosty the Snow Man")

Lyrics in Question: "He led them down the streets of town right to the traffic cop. He only paused a moment when he heard him holler "Stop!"

The Comment: Before I dive into the lyrics I must confess that the song has always confused me. I've often questioned why Frosty would be a jolly, happy soul. I mean, sure, if the hat had some magic in it and brought Frosty to life, what sort of life would it really be? I explored that in a dark humour story I published a long time ago called "That Old Silk Hat They Found" - the story looks at what "life" might really be like for poor Frosty . . . born to the world with no legs to romp around on and feeble twigs for arms . . . . you can listen to the story for free via a podcast or even read the ebook version in my new ebook Snowman Shivers, which contains two of my snowman horror stories. Available on Amazon and Smashwords.

But enough of the self-promotion . . . on to my "over the top" analysis of the lyrics.

I think that there's evidence Frosty is a delinquent and a bad influence. After all, the moment he is created he goes thumping around over the hills of snow - one might imagine just how wreckless he is being, the kids following him as if he's some sort of Pied Piper figure, likely mimicking him in his wanton destructive behaviour instead of spending time with their family or perhaps even studying quietly, reading, volunteering at a soup kitchen or attending mass.

Frosty even admits that he's here for a good time, not a long time.

"Let's run and we'll have some fun," he says. "Before I melt away."

In the manner of bad influence rock stars, his melting away is an obvious ode to the concept of it being better to burn out than to rust. It's all about short-term living big.

He obviously won't have to own up to the consequences of his inhibitions and can run wild, leaving the children to clean up the mess he leaves behind as he runs here and there, all around the square laughing as the children try to chase him down.

His biggest indiscretion, of course, is the example he sets for the kids when he disobeys the traffic cop in the song. Instead of following the police officer's orders, Frosty merely pauses a moment, then, obviously, continues his horseplay, showing the kids that it's okay to run wild and carefree, paying no attention to any sort of law and order.

Of course, the clincher is that, at the end of the song, you can imagine him saying, in his best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice, the line made famous in the original Terminator movie: "I'll be back! (again some day")

I say we should ban this song because of the terrible example it sets for kids.

What about you? Are you with me on just how nasty and terrible an influence Frosty can be on the kids? Perhaps it's another song. Steal this idea for your own blog or share your thoughts in a comment here. Have fun, be goofy. Go ahead, it's okay. Frosty would want you to do so . . .

[To read my previous Silly Christmas Lyric commentary, check out 2010 (Here Comes Santa Claus) 2009 (I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus), 2008 (Silent Night), 2007 (Silver Bells) and the original 2006 (The Christmas Song)]

Good, Good, Good Merchandising

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:53:22 PST

Okay, I couldn't help trying to write the title of this blog post "to the tune" of Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys (as opposed to Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, which is still a whole lotta fun in its own right)

But I have to say, I'm often impressed when a retailer can take a normally boring item (in this case, cases of soda pop) and turn it into a festive display.

The Metro on Upper James in Hamilton did it again, and I couldn't help but snap a pic of the simple magic of a good display.

Alexander high-fives the diet pepsi snowman at Metro

To the left was a gigantic "fireplace" display made from cases of assorted Pepsi branded pop. The pics I snapped of that were too blurry to use - but it certainly makes an effective display.

Christmas Light Tour 2011

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:45:06 PST

Last night we took another one of our family Christmas light tours. It consists of piling the family into the car, getting a box of donuts from Tim Horton's (ensuring we have the seasonal candy cane ones and that Alexander has his favourite hot chocolate, which is a normally made hot chocolate with a half shot of regular milk added - it cools it down because he can't handle it too hot but also can't wait to start drinking it) and doing a tour of neighbourhoods and houses that go a little Griswold.

Last night we found a new house while on route to ones we already knew about.

It's located at the corner of Dunsmure and Glendale in Hamilton. And it's pretty darn fantastic.

All the pictures below were taken at that same house (and are evidence that I'm an amateur photographer, taking quick shaky shots on my iPhone)

When asked, later in the evening, which of the houses was his favourite, Alexander said, the one with the Santa who had "Ho Ho Ho" on his underwear. A bit hard to see in the picture immediately above, but Santa did moon us, showing off a neat pair of Christmas undies that I don't yet own (and I own a lot of fun Christmas boxers.....)

HNT - Christmas Tree of Hope

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:40:53 PST

This being the final "Christmas Tree" themed HNT, I thought I'd take a quick retrospective over the various "Christmas Tree" themed HNT posts I've put up here.

Last year, I sort of went off topic, but at least it's a Christmas theme. 2010 - Christmas Vacation at Chateau Leslie.

In 2009, I was riffing on Charlie Brown in 2009 - Markie Brown Christmas Tree.

2008 was a father-son theme, with Alexander and I in front of the "boy's" Christmas tree in our rec room downstairs. Simply titled Christmas Tree 2008.

Oh Christmas Treat was my HNT post from 2007, which included my very first Christmas HNT picture (a bit risque and more of the commonly understood version of "nekkid" in this one) and returns to the themed Christmas CD that I reposted about in 2010.

In 2006, I posted a jokish HNT (yes, because all my other ones are soooo serious) called Francine's Christmas Fantasy. Yes, this one shows a bit of skin in the "traditional" HNT nekkid sort of way.

And, when I was young and foolish and first beginning HNT, I took the "Nekkid" thing seriously and posted Bare Naked for the Holidays, using a strategically placed ornament to cover up the most private of parts.

This year, I really wanted to build a Christmas tree made out of books, part of capturing some of the excitement of the viral Christmas tree picture. I ran out of time, so I thought I'd take that viral Christmas tree made out of book picture and add a fitting star to the top of it (fitting in my "slap Mark's head on something" sort of way I like to do for HNT)

Of course, I thought I'd post some random pictures of Christmas trees that I found online, just to share in the bookish love. You can find a lot more via a quick Google search. It's lots of bookish fun.

So, can you tell that I'm a person who has some books on his Christmas wish list . . . . ?

I Heard That!

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:03:54 PST

From 1999 until the late summer of 2006 I worked in downtown Toronto but lived in Hamilton. I took the GO train to work because it was an easy walk from Union Station in Toronto to the Peter Street office where I worked. The whole commute was about 3 hours per day.

I filled a good part of my commuting time on the train reading and writing. In fact, in the first year of my commute I composed the first draft of a novel. (Interestingly, as I began to make more and more friends on the GO train, my productivity decreased. Yes, chatting with friends was fun, but it had a negative impact on my writing)

I traded the 3 hour daily commute in shortly after my son turned 2 to work at Titles Bookstore McMaster University. I was barely seeing him, and the 10 minute commute to McMaster was a delightful change. It was good to return to the physical world of bookselling and fascinating to re-learn all the things I'd spent the previous fourteen years learning. Academic bookselling was an entirely different beast with rules I was simply not familiar with.

My time at McMaster was a good one.

But, after five years, it came time for another change.

I decided to leave right after the last Rush period this year. The last day of September 2011 was my last day.

It was difficult to leave a job that I quite enjoyed and was so passionate about. But I was leaving to partake in a incredible new journey, a delightful new role and for a company that I had admired since their very first days.

I started as Director of Self-Publishing & Author Relations at Kobo in October 2011. Having spent the past three years building up a self-publishing business via the Espresso Book Machine at McMaster, it was the right move at the right time for me. I got to expand upon an activity that I was incredibly passionate about and return to a similar role that I enjoyed when I was a data-wrangler before I left for McMaster.

The only down-side, it seemed, apart from being able to regularly work on the sales floor and put books directly into customer's hands and all the greatness that comes from that face to face interaction with book lovers, was a return to the commute.

And, given Kobo's location in Toronto, it wouldn't be a simple GO train ride. The passenger train route would likely add an additional half hour to 40 minutes to each way's journey (if I wanted to start as early as I like to start each day). The other option was to drive in.

Admittedly, I was worried about the daily drive in to Toronto.

But I have made the best of it.

With audio books.

Yes, even on the days where the traffic can be nail-biting, steering-wheel poundingly frustrating, I just sit back and listen to either the slew of podcasts that I subscribe to or one of the many audio books I have enjoyed since starting my job. Since the beginning of November (less than a month and a half), I have listened to 9 audio books.

For a person who values reading, and has always wanted to get more reading done but not been so good at reading quicker nor finding time to get as much reading done as possible (you see, whenever I spend a good deal of time that I could be reading writing - another passion that I hold dear), this daily commute has been a blessing.

In less than two months I turned what would have been wasted time into the consumption of books that would normally have taken me 4 or 5 months to read.

Got to love that.

So, three cheers for great audio books.

Three cheers for filling in my time with a useful, worthwhile and delightful activity.

And three cheers for an exciting new job that I adore!

If anyone is counting, that's nine cheers. The same number of audio books I've "read" so far since I've started my new job.

Searching For A Solution

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:22:03 PST

There's been a lot of chatter lately about Amazon's Dec 10th strike on independent retailers.

It has long been known that customers will walk into a bookstore (for example), browse contents, then go home and order the very same merchandise they were looking at from Amazon.

This week, Amazon announced that if customers used their price check app to scan an item in a retail store, it would give them up to $5 off the price of the item purchased on Amazon.

First, I should note that books aren't included in this promo and that it's not even an option in Canada.

But that being said, such as announcement will be booksellers understandable riled up. After all, Amazon has been kicking booksellers in the head for a dozen years.

ABA put out a statement yesterday, a public letter to Jeff Bezos; a beautifully written post on the Advent Book Blog called Dear Amazon: You Really, Really Suck generated a lot of buzz. And various other articles about it have appeared.

Let's face it. Even though the $5 offer isn't really all that good (just part of many different "sleight of hand" and "smoke and mirrors" effects that Amazon likes to play, it has been long known by booksellers, and now documented in a survey that 39% of people who bought books from Amazon said they first looked at the book in a local bookstore.

Let's face it. Amazon does one thing amazingly well. They have a world class search engine.

Even as a bookseller, I'll use Amazon to find the book I knew the customer is looking for so that I could drop the ISBN into my own inventory system (which has, no matter where I've been a bookseller, has ever been so robust)

So why not turn things around, make a preemptive strike and offer customers a discount off any book that they first found on Amazon, but end up buying from your store's stock? I'd suggest perhaps 20% as a good starting place, and adjust up or down to your comfort level. All they have to do is bring in a printed screen shot of the book on Amazon to your cash with the book from your store's inventory, and they get the discount, no questions asked.

The reality is (assuming most books have a 40% margin for booksellers), that if you don't sell this book by the end of December 2011, you'll be returning it to the publisher anyway. And taking a 20% hit off the margin at the retailer's most lucrative time of the year is, in my calculations, a much better prospect than the costs of returning the book during the year's most lowest volume month for book sales.

In any case, on Saturday Dec 10th I plan on doing an Amazon search and then printing off the screen shot, then bringing it to a local bookstore. As I purchase the book, I'm going to make sure I inform the cashier or bookseller that I used Amazon to find the book, but then came to buy it locally in my own community from a retailer who pays local taxes, hires local people and supports my local economy.

I'm not expecting a discount for doing this - but it'll sure feel good making the gesture.

HNT - Getting Into Christmas Spirit

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:40:53 PST

This week's HNT features a couple shots of the new Meaghan Smith CD that Francine and I got signed at her Hamilton show the other night.

In a beautiful story-tale way, it snowed in Hamilton the night before Meaghan came to town on her "It Snowed" tour. Beautiful giant flakes of the white stuff, sending a wonderful thrill through our son's heart (he already has grand visions of snow forts and sleds and shoveling).

No, the snow didn't stay, but it was still fantastic to see Meaghan perform "It Snowed" the next day, and the magic of seeing her perform certainly still lingers.

For those who don't know, the song (written by Smith) opens like this . . .

It snowed, it snowed, it snowed last night
Everything is sparkling with diamond light
The road is buried four feet high
Honey, let's play hookey 'cause it snowed last night

Francine, Alexander and I fell in love with the song a few years ago when we heard it on the radio while driving around looking at Christmas lights.

It Snowed is the title track off her new Christmas CD, a delightful addition to our Christmas music collection. I am, in particular, a fan of how she has modified some of the Christmas songs adding her own unique flair and style.

Getting to she Meaghan and her husband (Jason Mingo) perform was a special treat. It was a small, intimate tour, not one for the whole band -- but perfectly suited for the intimate space The Pearl Company and the wonderful performance by the couple. Fran and I sat with a couple of friends I used to work with at McMaster, Laura and Matt - so it was fun to see them (Matt, knowing we were fans, poked me on Facebook to let me know about the forthcoming show - thanks, Matt!)

Meaghan has such a beautiful voice, a wonderful style and it was a real treat to see her and Jason perform and interact with the audience. We lined up to get our new CD signed and chat with the personable artist who stayed to see every single person who wanted to chat with her.

So, this week's HNT features my big giant thumb showing off the signed CD.

Good times - a fun memory of a great show, and now a great new holiday CD to add into our annual mix.

I Lost My Virginity at 16

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:49:09 PST

I lost my virginity at 16. My Tesseracts virginity, that is.

Tesseracts is a long-running, award winning speculative fiction anthology series. Although I have submitted fiction to this highly competitive series (edited by a continually rotating assignment of editors) I haven't yet made it in. Thus I have thought of myself as a Tesseracts virgin.

A Tesseract is the four-dimensional analog of the cube

I suppose if I was going to lose my Tesseracts virginity, this is a delightful way to do it. So this time I get to wear my editorial hat and be involved in selecting the stories that will appear in the next incarnation. Tesseracts 16 guidelines were announced this week on Edge Publishing/Tesseract Books website.

I am tremendously proud and honoured that I am going to be the editor for this next round.

The theme for Tesseracts Sixteen is "Parnassus Unbound." The anthology will focus on art, music, literature and cultural elements which are integral to the story. And yes, Parnassus refers to the Greek mythology of the fountain Castalia (at the base of Mount Parnassus) whose waters could inspire poetic brilliance.

Tesseracts Sixteen: Parnassus Unbound will be published in the Fall of 2012.

Full submission guidelines appear here: Tesseracts Sixteen Guidelines

Submissions close: Feb 29, 2012 (yes, a whole extra day)

HNT - Author Pic for Haunted Hamilton

mark@markleslie.ca (Mark Leslie) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:45:03 PST

In late September, my buddy Peter Rainford and I spent a few hours one evening touring around Hamilton and getting some night-time shots of various locations that I covered in my forthcoming book Haunted Hamilton: The Ghosts of Dundurn Castle and Other Steeltown Shivers, which is due out from Dundurn in August 2012.

We visited several spots and when we were at McMaster Pete took a few shots of me under the McMaster Tower archway. (McMaster being significant for me given that I worked there at the bookstore from 2006 until the end of Sept 2011 -- and yes, there's a chapter in the book about the campus I love so much)

In any case, here's the author photo that Dundurn is planning on using for the back cover of the book.

I thought I should share it now - and what better time to share than on HNT.

And yes, I'm trying to look all serious and "authorly" in the photo. (But it does work much better than the terrified look on my face when I was doing the research for the book - man, some nights while I was compiling information I scared myself silly)

Not sure if they'll use a cropped version - one of the things I like are the shadows cast from the metal frame housing the light under the archway - adds a nice eerie feeling (or at least, I felt a little eerie when posing for the picture - but then again, I just at shadows - Pete had to calm me down a few times)

Speaking of forthcoming books, the reason I'm up so late and blogging is that I just read through, signed and sent back a contract for an anthology that I'm going to be editing. Details forthcoming.

2012 is going to be a busy year filled with two books coming out and at least one more being worked on. No rest for wicked writers I suppose . . .

Happy Half-Nekkid Thursday!