Happy Birthday Dad

Just giving a shout out to my awesome dad who is now...older than this time last year. In case you missed it, here's a little about him in my best thing about series.

Question of the Day

Monday's Question of the Day is hosted by Eleni at La Femme Readers.


Question: What book has made you look at life in a different light?

My Answer: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

"That which you manifest is before you." Enzo.

Narrated by the wise dog Enzo who wishes he had hands and watches the Discovery Channel. One of my favorite books.

Ready for the conference

My business cards came! The back does have a small picture of me in the corner and I think it works. I'm suddenly feeling quite professional! Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote.

To prepare for the 8 hour drive to the Ottawa conference, I've signed out a few audio books: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (well, it can't hurt) and Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich. I've read her book, How I Write, which had some great tidbits in writing for YA, but I'd never read one of her novels.

I've also been trying to sign up for the Muse Online Writers Conference. So far, having some trouble with registering, but I'm hopeful I'll be able to join this FREE chance at pitch sessions and workshops.

One last thought: over at Absolute Write, there's a group of us middle grade writers. One new blog I've discovered there is http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com
This is a great resource for any writer. Check it out.

Ottawa writers' conference

Thanks to all for the great business card suggestions. I have now closed my eyes, poked at the keyboard and ordered my very own professional-ish cards. I hope they arrive in time for the conference I've signed up for. here http://www.scbwicanada.org/east

I've decided going to a conference may help the discouraging dark cloud that's hung over my head since my book contract was cancelled. I have also bravely sent my manuscript for a critique session because I want my life to be all about moving forward. I'll give the rundown on the whole event when I return.

Also helping with the cloud - my loving parents presented me and my awesome partner with this GEM as a way of recognizing our suicidal tendencies and need for reckless adventure...wait...I mean our accomplishment. Woohoo Mom and Dad - you rock!

Business cards

Need a little help deciding on a business card. Here's the front/back of my top picks. I've been reading too many rules of what to include and what absolutely not to include and now I'm frozen with indecision. Would appreciate any comments, good, bad or ugly.

Proofs come from http://www.vistaprint.ca/vp/ns/

Spanish River/North Channel Kayak Trip

Highlights of the trip:

Someone forgot the water filter. Possible giardia may result. Will know in a week or so.

Editor's note: It wasn't Terry that forgot it.

Compared to our last expedition when we circumnavigated Manitoulin Island and froze our butts off, we were warm - in fact, a little over-toasted, for this trip.

The Spanish River was rotten with Bald Eagles. Saw five in one day.

Despite 20 years of wilderness camping and burying it without incident, Terry may have accidentally stepped in her own... with her brand new awesome kayak shoes. Which, upon further inspection, apparently have soles with lots of crevices. Don't judge.

Click on photos to enlarge. You'll be able to see the Cormorants closely!

Now on to some sad news. My inbox was indeed full, but not in a good way. The book publisher that had mailed me a contract for my middle grade novel, Dogsled Dreams, has been diagnosed with something. She is shutting down her website and cancelling all current projects, including mine. Wouldn't a writer's life be boring without the emotional ride of trying to get published?

Next kayak expedition

And we're off again paddling headlong down the Spanish River out to the North Channel and on to Bay of Islands. Can't wait to slide into my kayak again. I'll update next week with tales of windless, glistening water, sun-kissed paddling muscles and a menagerie of wildlife sightings. Er... that's what I've ordered anyway.

Oh yes, and when I get back, my inbox will floweth over with book contract offers. Actually, I'm waiting on some major developments. More later - must paddle now and clear the mind.

campin' and fishin'

Back from our family camping weekend. Our annual Labour Day weekend excursion all the way over to the next lake. Actually it was a good thing it's not far since yours truly had to paddle back home all by herself to get the tent poles that someone forgot to pack.

I'm also still in shock that Denis didn't bring his usual four-pound first-aid kit. It's always with us, except for this time when Denis slices his finger to the bone on a dried fern. Sounds sort of benign, but it was a bloody gushing event with no band-aids. Denis spent the weekend with his hankie tied around his finger. He also broke his rod, and watched his prized new lure sail off on it's own after an enthusiastic cast. He also woke up in the tent covered in no-see-um bites - with the rest of us completely bite free. Sort of reminded me of the Polysporin commercial when Dad gets his a** kicked while camping.

It was Remmington's debut camping trip (the girl's little dog) and it took him a while to sort out what the frig was going on. While we paddled through the narrows, he decided to make a flying mad leap out of the canoe. He landed in the mud and quickly realized we weren't following. His eyeballs bugged out at me while he swam towards us, "pick me up, pick me up, pick me up!"

The weather was the nicest of the whole summer and we had a great time catching bass, roasting marshmallows (while trying to remember all those campfire songs when the girls were younger), and playing canasta in the tent. As Rebecca would say - good times, good times.

hiking adventures

FlickrCC

Thankfully, this is not my dog.

My dog, Tanzer and I, go for a hike around the lake nearly every morning. This morning I crested a hill to see Tanzer staring at an enormous porky in the middle of the trail. I yelled and the porcupine turned and waddled down the trail with my dog walking slowly behind him. I called Tanzer back and we waited for him to leave, since you really can't rush a porky. We continued over the next crest and he was still strolling along the trail. My very smart dog just walked behind him until he finally decided to climb a tree. Good dog...yes, you're such a gooood dog!

Dogs in Canada

Dogs in Canada Magazine is quickly becoming my favorite. I've just found out another of my articles, Summer Sled Dogs, has been accepted by them. Ya! They're also doing a contributor feature on me in November. Each month they do a feature with bio and picture of their writers such as a veterinarian, an award winning photographer or some other specialist. I just hope that my little paragraph won't look too much like Sesame Street's "One of these things doesn't belong here" song.

More contest news. The folks over at http://slushbusters.blogspot.com are giving away a writers notebook. Perfect for inspiring greatness.

Little secret. sshh.

I've been playing it safe and trying to stay calm about the full manuscript request I received for my middle grade novel, Dogsled Dreams. (bet you wondered what the bookjacket thing was all about - pure self-absorbed, time-wasting fun)

But safe is boring so I am going to just quickly mention it, since that's what a writer's blog is all about. Stay tuned.

Contest

Win a 10,000 Word Edit

Over at Tara McClendon's blog http://eyefeathers.blogspot.com/ she's offering an amazing contest valued at $300. She's an editor at InspirationforWriters.com which is totally awesome.

can a leopard change its spots

Meme cheater answers

Sarah's blog, A Work in Progress, http://sarah-janelehoux.blogspot.com/

has asked for a list of ten ways I know a story was written by me. There's no way I can think of ten, but I still want to play. Here's five:

1. There is an animal in it, normally a dog.

2. Some kind of outdoor adventure happens.

3. If there are dogs, they are obviously uber smart.

4. Any dogs will have suspiciously familiar personalities - sort of like some sled dog I once knew.

5. Humour, though a relative term, is smattered throughout.

Now for my own survey. Just for fun, which book jacket do ya like?

Published stories

For those who haven't seen my website, I'll include here a few links to some magazines that have come out. Nautical Mystery Quest is the 5th story in the online magazine for kids, and Mixing it up in Killarney is the adventures of my family on a canoe trip.

http://irishstoryplayhouse.com/StoryTellerTymesSample.html

http://wavelengthmagazine.com/2009/SU09/killarney.html

Sailing into Little Current

Haweater weekend on Manitoulin Island is usually a crowd-drawing event and this year was no exception. Main street was closed to traffic and the food concession stands and trinket booths lined the sidewalks. Busters, Much Music Videos, cotton candy, jumpy balloon house, cartoon characters, Indian Tacos, woodworking, windcatchers, puppies, the works. The parade of lights at dusk with the sailboats all decked out were a crowd pleaser - especially the one with the entire Manitoulin Island on a board lit up like LiteBrite. That boat had to run the length of the channel backwards on the return cruise since the lights were only on one side of the board.

It was very cool to be able to dock right on the town docks with our sailboat and have front row seats for the spectacular fireworks display. The camera's battery ran out just before the show, however, so you will have to take my word for it - they were spectacular.




We sat back on our cushioned seats and applauded ourselves for the inspired idea to dock right in the middle of the festivities. After the the fireworks, we were able to sit back stress-free and watch the giant festering grid lock of vehicles madly fleeing the scene.


And it continued to be a fantastic idea right up until 3 am. That is when the local bar closed and the party spilled out onto the docks. Apparently our particular dock is a favorite hang out in which to declare at the top of ones voice "We've got beer!" among other things. Also we truly appreciated the update on the new day when someone with an impressive set of lungs repeated three times, "GOOD MORNING LITTLE CURRENT!" You gotta love Haweater.