Darby Speaks

Something to Crow About...

2010-12-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

Hi Gang,

Okay, here are the final winners from my massive blog-tour.

So, today, books are going out to: Anne-Marie Petros, via Diana Gabaldon's blog; Joanne Kumar, via Jacqueline Pearce's blog; Lisa DeWolf, via Helene Boudreau's blog; Rory Smith, via Lee Edward Fodi's blog; Claudia Osmond via Mahtab Narsimhan's blog, Karen Bass via Marsha Skrypuch's blog, Kathy H via The Book Pixie's blog;

Folks we haven't heard from yet are Sam from Jan Markley's blog and SaskMom from Deborah Anderson's blog.

Please send your mailing address to
kc dyer at
author.kcdyer@gmail.com
so she can send you your winnings!

Thanks so much to all these wonderful bloggers for taking me in on my travels!

~Darby

More Mega Blog Tour Winners!

2010-11-23T21:23:00.000-08:00

Hey, lots of winners tonight...this Mega-Blog tour has been a bountiful one!

Deep in the land of Een, over Between the Cracks of Here and There, Rory Smith was triumphant! I heard Rory has been feeling under the weather, so hopefully a new book will cheer him up. Congratulations!

And across the mountains and into the beautiful Kootenays, Deb Anderson's Prose Positive winner of Facing Fire is SaskMom!

Way across the country in Toronto, Ontari-ari-ari-o at Mahtab Narsimhin's Moonlight Musings, Claudia Osmond came up triumphant. Way to go, Claudia!

And finally for tonight, across the Rockies and into the one house in Calgary where there are Three Dead Moths in the Mailbox, Jan Markley announces Samantha as the winner. Yay, Sam!

Congrats to all the winners. Your books will be winging their way to you this week!

~Darby

MOAR Winnaz!

2010-11-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

Hey gang -- a few more names to add to the winners list. Lucky you! Copies of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW and/or FACING FIRE will be jetting to you shortly, depending on the contest result.

Check out the winning blogs here:
From Marsha Skrypuch's Calla.Com blog, the winner is Karen Willsey Bass.

From Helene Boudreau's blog, Lisa triumphs!

Joanne is the winner on Jacquie Pearce's Wild Ink blog.

Still more winners...and more travel to come in the next little while. Stay tuned!

~kc

In Which I Hit The Road ...and give a few updates

2010-11-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

Hola Darby Readers! I'm back on tour, and have a few other tidbits to share.

First -- if you'd like to win a book or two, make sure to check out the lovely Laura Bradbury's blog The Grape Journal.

This is a shot of Laura and her husband Franck, and their Bevy, consisting of Charlotte, Camille and Clementine.

Additionally, you may want to skip on over to The Book Pixie, who is doing a double book giveaway to celebrate her upcoming 18th birthday.

This is Briana, doing what she does best, supported by the local paper supplier.

Laura lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and Briana the Book Pixie is in the beautiful state of Georgia, USA, so...as you can see, I am still on the road!

In the morning, I'll put up a post of some of the winners' names from other stops along my virtual tour. Why not join the many winners and leave a comment on The Grape Journal or The Book Pixie?

And to finish, here's one of the best costumes I've seen recently, featured on boingboing -- Skater Impaled On His Own Board. A little bloodthirsty, perhaps...but still skateboard cool....!

~Darby

Back on Tour -- to the Kootenays!

2010-11-10T20:39:00.000-08:00

The blog tour continues...

Leapt across the province -- along with my scribe, kc dyer -- for a chat with writer, uber-mom and extremely cool dude Deb Anderson. Deb's blog, Prose Positive, can always be counted on for an inspirational read. And if you hop on over there RIGHT now, you can leave a comment and win, win, win!

See you there!

~Darby

More Winnahs...!

2010-11-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

Holy crow...it's like all celebration, all of the time around this joint. I have more winners of FACING FIRE to report. From Helene Boudreau's blog, we have Lisa from New Brunswick. Rachelle Delaney reports Jana from Vancouver is the winner on her site. And Karla from Cape Coral, Florida is the big winner on Linda Grimes' Visiting Reality blog.

Woo HOO! Congrats to all. Books are winging their way to you all.

And to celebrate, here's a little taste of skateboard deck cool for ya...

[Image via George Strombolopolis. Thanks, George!]

These are examples of the art made from broken skate decks, by designer Beto Janz. You can read more at George's blog HERE.

Cool, eh?

More blog tour soon -- see you out there on the internets!

~Darby

Winners!

2010-11-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Okay -- after a brief pause to re-tie my laces and tighten my helmet, I'm back on the road again, this time with the names of some of the winners of my books. Let's start with A Novel Woman, who is currently NaNoWriMo'ing her way through November -- she announced Francie as her winner. Over on Tanya Lloyd Kyi's blog, Stacy is the winner. And at Write Here, Write Now, Ev Bishop's blog, we have a double winner-- Deniz Bevin and Laura Best!

So Francie, Stacy, Deniz and Laura -- I'll have my 'people' get your books in the mail today. Congratulations!!!

More winners to come!

~Darby

Launch Madness...

2010-10-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

...continues. My scribe, kc dyer, had a wonderful celebration at the Surrey International Writers' Conference this weekend for FACING FIRE, and I continue to time travel through the ether visiting new websites.

But before anything else, I have winners to announce. So stay tuned -- tomorrow we'll do a re-cap of where things stand now.

More soon!

~Darby

While I am busy touring...

2010-10-22T01:15:00.000-07:00

...author kc dyer is at the Surrey International Writers' Conference. Best conference on the continent...according to many!

Loads of news and winners coming about my tour, plus an at-conference lunch-launch tomorrow [today, really]. More on all of this soon -- pix, too!

~Darby

Visiting Bow....James, Bow.

2010-10-20T00:49:00.000-07:00

Woo-Hoo! Back across the country at the speed of thought!

This time I've ended up visiting James Bow's blog. James is the author of The Unwritten Girl, Fathom Five and The Young City, plus a whole bunch of others. He lives in Ontario [just like me!] but in a smaller city.

You can check out his blog HERE, and leap in on the chance to win a book.

See you over there!

~Darby

Driving with Deborah Kerbel

2010-10-18T00:39:00.000-07:00

Well, you know -- I certainly am getting around! Today I hopped into the hyper-car to drive along with Deborah Kerbel as she toured through Alberta.

Deborah is on the road promoting her new ghost story LURE. En route to Lake Louise, she stopped and I had a chance to add a few words to her blog.

Is this not the scariest cover EVAH?

It's only right, then, that Deb and I talked about ghosts...

Want to read more? Go HERE.
And don't miss out on a chance to win a book!

~Darby

Haiku Hello...

2010-10-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

...to writer Jacqueline Pearce, [here disguised as a pirate!] who has very kindly invited me to visit her blog! Jacquie is the author of many wonderful books for kids and teens, including Manga Touch, the Truth About Rats and Dogs, Doghouse Blues and Discovering Emily.

Now, when Jacquie is not dressed like a pirate, she often spends time on her blog Wild Ink, and that's where you'll find me next. You can still comment to win a book or two -- if you hurry.

See you over there!

~Darby

Dead Frogs Ahead...!

2010-10-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

The fine author pictured here is Jan Markley, from Calgary, Alberta. Jan's very kindly invitd me across the Rockies for a brief visit to talk about FACING FIRE.

She's also put up all kinds of weird pictures of kc dyer on her site, along with my guest post.

You can find all the craziness HERE, along with links to Jan's book DEAD FROG ON THE PORCH.

Zip on over and have a look!

~Darby

Who Is this Mysterious Man...?

2010-10-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

He swshbuckles with the best of them -- an actor, an author, a bon vivant... It's Chris Humphreys, also known as CC Humphreys, and I'm visiting his blog today!

Chris is most recently the author of VLAD: The Last Confession, but he's also written all the Jack Absolute books and many others.

I believe I hold the honour of being his first guest blogger EVAH, so you should scamper on over there and leave a comment.

Just click HERE, and you'll find yourself THERE.

Maybe you'll win a copy of my new book, FACING FIRE...

See you there -- and thanks for having me, Chris!

~Darby

Today's Destination -- stopping to smell the lilies!

2010-10-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Whew -- what a whirlwind! Today, I've jetted through the ether to land in Branford, Ontario -- the home of prolific, award-winning author Marsha Skrypuch.

Marsha is the author of a whole bunch of books for kids and teens -- I have a WHOLE shelf of her titles! -- most recently Stolen Child.

This was a pretty special blog post, because we talk about Marsha's role as a friend and mentor of kc dyer -- and what it's like to face a whole lot of rejections before getting published. A must-read, I'd venture to say...

You can find Marsha's website at www.calla.com and the blog post HERE.
See you there!

~Darby

Hangin' at Hélène's

2010-10-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

Look at that smile! Is that not welcoming? I feel very at home hanging with Hélène Boudreau -- and that's where I am today.

Hélène is the author of ACADIAN STAR [nominated for a Hackmatack Children's Book Award in 2009] and her most recent book is KEEP OUT.

Not only that...but she's the first to admit that Mermaid's can't wear toe-rings...and something tells me we'll be hearing more about that in the near future.

Anyway, I'm guesting on her blog today.

Check it OUT!

~Darby

Rockin' Rachelle

2010-10-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

Shooshing through the ether again, this time I washed up on the sandy shores of Rachelle Delaney's blog. Rachelle is the author most recently of Lost Souls of Island X, and a pirate lass at heart -- just like me!

[Not to mention that she shares a name with a certain time-travelling dog I know...!]

Join me over at Rachelle's blog and grab another chance to win a book or two!

~Darby

Wowza! It's Linda Grimes...!

2010-10-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hey -- today I got to visit reality! And it's pretty weird, I have to say...

Kidding! Well, sorta. I actually spent the day hanging with Linda Grimes at her blog 'Visiting Reality'. Linda is one funny writer. She lives in Virginia, and we began things with a little cross-border discussion.

Hop on over HERE to read more. And be sure to check back a few posts -- you'll see Linda's fabulous toes on display. [You don't keep a pedicure like that if you are serious about skateboarding....]

See ya over there!

~Darby

Where We're Going...

2010-10-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

...and where we've been. Let's start there, shall we?

Whew! What a crazy first week of the Darby Blog-odyessy! HUGE thanks go out to all the generous bloggers who have shared their space with me as these first seven days have rolled on.

A Novel Woman started the ball rolling with a trip to her cottage on Lake Louisa in le Belle Province, escorted, of course, by the gentle and welcoming Boris the Cat.

Next, I shot through cyberspace to visit Flying Feet author James McCann's site while he was off chasing down zombies. Fun -- and just a little scary.

Following hot on the heels of the zombie-man, I spent some time at the blog of Lee Edward Fodi, author and illustrator, and creator of Kendra Kandlestar.

Back from the land of Een, I schooshed across to talk 'fire' with author Tanya Kyi. Must have had a good influence on her, since she's apparently just finished a book on UNDERWEAR!

Next, I hit the ether all the way up to Terrace, BC to spend some time with author, editor and journalist Ev Bishop.

My most recent visit has been with author and illustrator Kirsti-Anne Wakelin, where we talked about secret elephants ...and looked at dragonflys.

At every single one of these stops we are doing a book draw, with a chance to win a copy of FACING FIRE and even a shot to win BOTH of my books, if you tweet about the post. So if you've missed one along the way -- show a little click love to my friends and check them out!

Looking ahead to the rest of October -- what does the future hold? A whole month of splendors awaits, with visits to the blogs of authors CC Humphreys, Diana Gabaldon, Arthur Slade, Marsha Skrypuch, Rachelle Delaney, James Bow, Helene Boudreau and many, many more.

And don't forget your chance to win BIG prizes in the 'Make a better book-trailer than kc dyer' contest.

Things are hopping here at Darby Central. Come back tomorrow to see where I'm off to next!

~Darby

Darby Communes with the Secret Elephant

2010-10-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

This is amazing. Today I get to visit with another author-illustrator -- this one named Kirsti-Anne Wakelin. Kirsti's got THE most beautiful blog I've ever seen. [Check out that dragonfly!]

She usually posts pictures of her illustrations and the process of making picture books, but today she very generously invited me to visit.

I hope you take the time for a good look around while you are there -- it is a beautiful place, and if you look really hard, you may even find a secret elephant!

~Darby

Today's stop...Ev Bishop!

2010-10-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

The things I do for this blog. Today I flew all the way up to Terrace, British Columbia, and boy are my pixels tired...

Okay, okay -- it was a virtual flight. But I'm excited because I got to chat with the wonderful writer Ev Bishop. She confesses about how her journals shape her work, and we've got contest entries already.

Go check it out!

Ev's Blog is HERE.

More tomorrow!

~Darby

Tanya Lloyd Kyi offers up space...

2010-10-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

...for a few of my more burning questions!

Today I get to visit Tanya's blog space as a part of the on-going celebration of the arrival of FACING FIRE. Now this is a special day, because FACING FIRE actually hit the shelves of bookstores all over the nation [and beyond!].

Tanya is the author of a whole pile of non-fiction books [including her most recent title, 50 BURNING QUESTIONS, above, from Annick Press], along with a couple of fiction titles, as well. She's doing an experiment these days called 'Crowsnest', which is a serialized novel that she is putting up directly on her site -- very cool!

I'm hoping you'll share the fun and take your chance to win on Tanya's site! See you there!

~Darby

Darby Creeps into Een...

2010-10-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

And shares space with Kendra Kandlestar for a bit!

Pop on over there and see just how cool a wee Een with seven [yeah, count 'em -- SEVEN] braids in her hair can be!

Lee Edward Fodi is the amazing author AND illustrator of the Kendra series, as well as a number of other books. It was awesome to share some time with he and Kendra on my blog-odyssey. If you leave a comment behind over there, you'll be eligible to win!

See you there!

~Darby

In Which Zombies are Chased...

2010-10-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

...but not by me!

I've been invited to James McCann's blog, while he, apparently, does what he does best -- ninja-stalking zombies. James is the author of a whole bunch of amazing books: RANCOUR, PYRE and most recently FLYING FEET.

He's an awesome writer, teacher and ninja, and I look forward to hanging out with him for the day.

See you over there!

~Darby

P. S. Have you entered the Contest yet? Do it!

FACING FIRE Blog Tour Begins!

2010-10-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

This is Boris.

[Not to be confused with my Nan's cat Maurice.]

He is a relative of the incomparable A Novel Woman. I'm visiting her blog today -- check it out HERE!
[Hint: Prizes to be won...!]

Have you entered the Book Trailer CONTEST yet? Better get on it!

~kc

FACING FIRE CONTEST!!!

2010-10-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

So, have a look at this...

Pretty lame, eh?

That's what you get when you let an author who only got a B- in her university art class put together a book trailer.

Can YOU do better?

Here's the challenge...

Make a book trailer for FACING FIRE [or for both of Darby's adventures in FACING FIRE and A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW]. The trailer needs to be family-friendly [a bit scary is okay], between 15 and 30 seconds long, and postable on-line. Bonus points if you work in some fire or a stone window...

Then just send a link to me here at Darby Speaks, along with your contact information, and you're IN!

EVERY SINGLE ENTRY to the contest will win a signed copy of FACING FIRE. And on Hallowe'en night, kc dyer will bring her judges together [ghosts and ghouls and a few zombies, likely] and hand out the BIG prizes.

Now, we are going to add prizes as the month goes along, but for today, I'll tell you that one of the prizes is a $100 gift card to Chapters.ca or Amazon.com!

You can enter as often as you like. Spread the word -- let's send do a better job than kc did of sending my new book out into the world in style!

~Darby

I'm back....!

2010-09-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

Hey guys -- great to see you again!

Summer's over and I'm back with a new story. We'll be starting a celebration of the launch of FACING FIRE all month here on Darby Speaks, with a blog tour all around the internets, launch events galore and an AMAZING contest with some really fantastic prizes.

Check back here tomorrow for contest details, and daily for links to the places on the web where you can win copies of BOTH my books -- A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, and FACING FIRE.

Nice to see you again!

~Darby

Attention Winners!

2009-09-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Gang,

Back after a brief hiatus. We'll be starting interviews again next week -- yeah! But for now...some unfinished business. We've got some winners who are missing their prizes!

Make sure to check back to see if you have been a winner of a contest in the past few months. Some of the winners haven't sent in their addresses, and without your addresses, we can't send you off the books. Maurice may be a genius, but he's not psychic...

So, hollering out to a few winners here. If your name is on the list below, send your address by email to my scribe: kcdyer[at]telus[dot]net.

And your prize will be winging its way to your door.

Right now we're looking for:

Bunny B and Llehn -- for THE RUNAWAY DRAGON by Kate Coombs

and

Beautyxinsanity [also tweeting as @tegan19] -- for Kelley Armstrong's THE SUMMONING.

We'll give you a couple of weeks and if we haven't heard back, we'll do a re-draw from the remaining list of entrants. So check in soon!

~Darby [and an impatient Maurice, paw tapping....]

Winnahs -- Lightning Strikes!

2009-09-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

My scribe kc dyer is posting from Toronto tonight. She's had a busy week with her job as contest coordinator at the Surrey International Writers' Confererence, so this post is going to be a brief one.

Our comments were low for this contest, so Maurice and I are breaking with tradition and giving a book to all the commenters. Take that those who forgot to read and enter this week! Lucky lightning strikes for the winners!

So congrats to both Bunny B and Llehn! Send an email to my scribe HERE and your prizes will be off to you before you know it!

And stay tuned for a special Labour Day re-drawing for our Kelley Armstrong book.

~Darby

Darby Speaks...with Meg

2009-09-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

And we celebrate together! Today is the launch day for THE RUNAWAY DRAGON, the second in a rocking funky-fairy tale series of stories by Kate Coombs. I was lucky enough to be able to pin main character Princess Meg down for a moment on her busy day, and get her to answer a few questions.

That's Meg in the picture to the left, riding her magic carpet beside the ferocious Laddy the Dragon!

Here's our interview:

Darby C: Hey Meg -- You are some rocking princess! With your busy life, have you ever considered taking up skateboarding?

Princess Meg: We don't skateboard much because the castle has too many stairs, plus the stone floors are kind of bumpy. And the cobblestones in Crown are bumpy. So are the dirt roads in the countryside, and then in the enchanted forest, you have to watch out for tree roots. I think maybe a dirt bike would work better. I'll have to ask my friend Lex if he can make up a spell for a dirt bike!

DC: Hey, a dirt bike would be really cool! Now, my story [A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW] is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Tell me a little about where you grew up and where you live now.

Meg: I'm the only daughter of the king and queen of Greeve. I was born in the castle, and I've lived there ever since. But it's not as boring as it sounds because there's a forest nearby with a witch living in it. Her name is Gorba and she's very good at turning princes into frogs. Then on my quest to get Laddy back, I came across an even better forest. It's enchanted, and it's full of surprises. You have to be careful about drinking from the streams, though, or you might end up craving acorns and living in a tree.

DC: What is your family like? Besides Laddy, do you have any pets or siblings?

My parents worry too much about me getting into trouble, just because of the bandits and that one prince last year. I think my mother is a little smarter than my father, but he's in charge of everything. I sort of have a pet. Well, not anymore. I had a pet dragon named Laddy, but he grew up a little and got mad at me, so he flew off. First he scared everybody in the castle, which upset my father. (I secretly thought it was kind of funny!) I just got back from a quest to find Laddy.

DC: Cool -- a quest! Now, I've read your story THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS, and you certainly have a lot going on in your life. What has been the scariest thing you have ever faced so far?

Meg: It was scary when I thought Prince Evilness was going to hurt my parents, but that was last year. This year, I went looking for Laddy and ran into a real giant, also a teenage sorceress with black fingernail polish and a vile castle where she kept a lot of people prisoner. The giant wasn't as scary as Malison. There was this time when everything was really, really bad. But it turned out okay. No thanks to Bain!

DC: Grrr. I remember that Bain! So can you tell me what has been your most favourite, greatest adventure?

Meg: I finally got to go on a quest! The boring part is that my parents sent all these guardsmen with me to keep me safe. But they drank the water in the enchanted forest, and then Lex and I got lost, so that changed things. I LOVED going on a quest! Even if Malison kept trying to conquer everybody.

DC: Okay, so apart from questing, do you have a special skill or talent you’d like to share? Especially if it's secret -- spill the beans!

Meg: Ha! Ask my friends if I'm any good at magic! Well, what I'm best at is statesmanship, but it doesn't work every single time. I'm really kind of bad at magic, but sometimes bad is good, you know? Secretly? Oh. I can do that thing where you make armpit farts. Cam taught me how.

DC: Hey, I can do those, too! Aside from Cam, who would you say is YOUR favourite fictional character?

Meg: My mom used to tell me stories, and there was this one about a prince who was trying to kill a humongous dragon so he could rescue a girl, the kind who flutters her eyelashes a lot. But I liked the dragon best. I have a soft spot for dragons, even though everyone I meet tells me their favorite food is princesses.

DC: I've heard that THE RUNAWAY DRAGON is the second in a series of novels written by Kate Coombs. Can you tell me something about her?

Meg: Kate Coombs? She writes stories and poems, and sometimes she writes book reviews in a notebook she calls Blog. Kate likes fairy tales, so she keeps making them into books. When she's not writing, she goes off and teaches sick kids. But the classes she teaches aren't like mine. No swordplay, not even dancing and statesmanship! (Let's not talk about etiquette lessons. Blech.)

DC: She sounds pretty interesting, actually. After THE RUNAWAY DRAGON ...can you tell me a bit about what's next?

Meg: I wouldn't mind going on another quest. I could go east instead of south! But I'd find a way to go without taking any guards. Just my friends this time, definitely. Only first I have to wait for Kate to finish the new book she's writing. It has a witch, too, but the witch is young, not like Gorba. And she's not nice. (Gorba is very nice, unless you're a prince.)

DC: Okay, so now I really want to read the new witch book! If I want to learn more about you (or Kate Coombs) on-line, where can I look?

Meg: Kate's always talking about a magical place called the Internet, is that what you mean? She says her address is www.katecoombs.com, but personally, I think that just sounds like her name. Maybe it's a spell for opening the magic Internet door. Kate says tell you to read a story called "Half the Kingdom," it's really funny. She put it in her Internet house.

DC: Awesome. I'll go look for it right away. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me on your busy launch day, Meg!

And to celebrate Meg's new novel, I think it's time for a contest. If you'd like to win a signed copy of her latest novel, THE RUNAWAY DRAGON, leave your name in the comment section. This time -- how 'bout telling me which you'd rather be -- a Funky Princess like Meg or a Wild Dragon like Laddy...or maybe you like one of the other characters best. Tell me why and you'll be in the draw to win a prize!

As usual, if you tweet or blog about our contest, your name will go in an extra time. Because this interview went up on a Tuesday instead of the usual Monday, Maurice and I will give you an extra day to enter. So deadline will be this Saturday night. We'll draw the prize winner and announce it on Sunday. Until then...keep reading!

~Darby

Winnah!

2009-08-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

Yipes -- busy day. Will have to type fast to get this posted before midnight!

Maurice dipped his paw in the hat, and...

The winner of the first Caitlin Decter book, aka WAKE, by Robert. J. Sawyer, as well as a copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is....

Lou Prosperi!

Congratulations, Lou!

Email my minion: kc dyer at telus dot net and claim your prize! (It'll help if you include your mailing address...)

Thanks to all for playing along! And a huge thank you to Caitlin and her own minion of choice, Robert J. Sawyer, for their collective good sportsmanship.

We'll have a teaser up tomorrow for this week's interview and contest -- be sure to check in and see who's up to chat with me next!

~Darby

Winner...soon!

2009-08-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

Author kc dyer is off to read my story today at Summer Dream Literary Arts Festival in Vancouver's Stanley Park today. [She'll be reading at 4:30 if you are able to swing by...!].

Read more about it on her blog HERE.

And when she returns -- Maurice and I will announce the winner of the Robert J. Sawyer / kc dyer prize package!

See you tonight.

~Darby

Darby Speaks...with Caitlin

2009-08-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

Did you guess?

This cryptic hint comes from the cover of the Very Cool Story...

WAKE, by Robert J. Sawyer.

Now, I interviewed Mr. Sawyer himself earlier this year, and I have to say that the accompanying contest was one of the more popular ones here at Darby Speaks. So, just for fun, we're going to run another one!

This time, I'll be interviewing Caitlin Decter, the main character in WAKE. And if you want to win this week's prize pack, consisting of a signed copy of WAKE, and a signed copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, just leave a comment below.

Caitlin's creator is one of the most prolific Science Fiction writers in Canada, so to win a prize, leave a comment with the name of your favourite Robert J. Sawyer character.

Contest closes this Friday, August 21, 2009 at midnight. On Saturday, Maurice and I will throw all the names in a hat and draw the lucky winner.

Want to double your chances? Link to the spot where you've tweeted or blogged about this contest.

And now...let's welcome Caitlin Decter!

Darby Christopher: Hey, Caitlin - You grew up with a challenge out of most people's worst nightmares -- you've been blind since birth. But reading your story, it seems there's nothing you can't do. Have you ever considered taking up skateboarding?

Caitlin Decter: Hah! Maybe I will now. I do feel like I can do just about anything. I've never liked the word "handicapped." I may be blind, but I'm not going to let that, or anything else, stand in my way.

Darby: Go you! If you ever need an expert helper, I am SO there. Now, my story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Tell me a little about where you grew up and where you live now.

Caitlin: My dad is a theoretical physicist. He used to teach at the University of Texas in Austin, but then he got offered a job at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It was his dream job, and he has a hard time being happy, so it made sense for us to move here. I miss hearing people speak Spanish, I miss really hot water, and I miss my old friends at the Texas School for the Blind -- but I'm looking forward to seeing snow!

Darby: If you end up in Waterloo, I bet you'll have all the snow you could ask for! Can you tell us a bit about what your family is like? Do you have any pets or siblings?

Caitlin: My parents only had one kid -- me! I guess the figured that be no way to top that, hah hah. I do have a cat, though: his name is Schrodinger, 'cause the physicist Erwin Schrodinger had a famous thought experiment about a cat. I like having a cat -- he likes to be petted, and I like the way he feels.

Darby: I bet you Schrodinger and Maurice would really get along. Or maybe not -- you can never tell with cats, eh? Now, I've read your story WAKE, and you certainly have a lot going on in your life. What has been the scariest thing you have ever faced so far?

Caitlin: Honestly, I think it was the school dance. Boys! They can be SUCH jerks. :) But I'm getting used to handling them -- just so long as they don't try to handle me! I sometimes think my friend Bashira has it easier than me, 'cause her parents won't let her date.

Darby: Yeah, I know my fair share of weird boys, too. But some of them are okay, I guess. So in all your experiences, what has been your most favorite, greatest adventure?

Caitlin: Going to Japan! OMG, that was amazing. I couldn't see it, of course, but I could hear it and smell it and taste it, and it was wonderful. So many people! I've never been anywhere that crowded in my life! But I'd love to go back. I miss it, and I miss my friend Dr. Kuroda, who lives in Tokyo.

Darby: I've never been to Japan, but I've heard it's awesome. But when you're back home, do you have a special skill or talent you'd like to tell us about? Especially if it's secret -- spill the beans!

Caitlin: Um, well, I haven't told anyone this -- not even Bashira! -- but, actually, I can see the World Wide Web. Something went wrong when Dr. Kuroda wired up the implant he put behind my retina, in hopes of curing my blindness, and instead it shows me this view of webspace, of what all the interconnections look like. It's awesome! And it makes me happy being the only one who can see it -- it's like it's my special place.

Darby: Holy crow, Caitlin -- that is SO cool! I wish I could see it, too. Listen, I know you sometimes read with talking books or braille. Who is YOUR favourite fictional character?

Caitlin: Sherlock Holmes! I love reading about him, and his ability to solve mysteries. He's so intelligent! I wish he'd use more math, but he's still really cool. But, you know, truth is stranger than fiction, and my favorite book is THE STORY OF MY LIFE by Helen Keller -- she's my hero!

Darby: So you like fiction AND non-fiction, eh? Speaking of fiction, I've heard that WAKE is just the first in a series of novels written by Robert J. Sawyer. Can you tell me something about him?

Caitlin: Rob is awesome! He's pretty old, but he really seems to understand what it's like to be a teenage girl -- and I hear he was blind for six days when he was a kid, so maybe that's helped him understand me a bit. I wish he'd lay off the corny puns, though. Puh-leeze!

Darby: After WAKE ...can you tell me a bit about what's next? What plans have you and Rob been hatching?

Caitlin: After WAKE, it's WATCH -- featuring more of the adventures of yours truly, Caitlin Decter, aka Calculass! And after WATCH, there's WONDER, which Rob is supposed to be working hard on right now *looks at Rob*. I'm in all three, but so is Dr. Kuroda, my mom and dad, and Hobo -- who is amazing! He's an ape who paints pictures of people. I can't wait to meet him!

Darby: If I want to learn more about you (or Robert J. Sawyer) on-line, where can I look?

Caitlin: Rob's all over the place: Facebook, Twitter (as RobertJSawyer), the web (http://sfwriter.com), his blog (http://sfwriter.com/blog.htm), and there's a good entry on him on Wikipedia, too. Me, I'm on Facebook and LiveJournals (as Calculass) -- friend me there! Oh, and check out http://WakeWatchWonder.com for some cool stuff about me!

Darby: Wow -- that's amazing, Caitlin. I can't wait until the new WATCH book arrives and I can read more about your adventures. Thanks for chatting with me today!

Well, Caitlin fans....there you have it. All the secrets you never thought you'd know about Caitlin and Rob Sawyer, too! So now it's your turn. Spread the word -- blog and tweet about this contest, and enter yourself, by leaving the name of your favourite Robert J. Sawyer character in the comments below. Contest closes Friday night -- ready, set....GO!

~Darby

Wee Teaser....

2009-08-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

I've got a new interviewee all lined up for tomorrow's blog...

Who in the World Will it be?

Heh heh.

See you tomorrow!

~Darby

Winnah!

2009-08-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here is the beaming, enthusiastic face of Maurice, my Nan's cat.

[Neither beaming, nor enthusiastic, actually. More like brooding and mysterious.]

Nevertheless, Maurice is prepared to announce a winnah of the Linda Gerber /Aphra Connolly summer six=pack prize package!

And the winner is... A Flight of Minds!

YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Congratulations, Flight. Send my staff [aka kc dyer] an email with your mailing address, and the prize will be on its way to you, asap.

You can reach her here: kc dyer @ telus . net. Just take out the spaces and there you have it!

You can read kc's blog HERE, if you're interested.

Many, many thanks to Aphra Connolly and HER staff writer Linda Gerber for granting us the interview and donating a book to our draw.

Stay tuned for another interview and contest, coming on Monday! We're getting into the rhythm of a contest a week here at Darby Speaks -- so if you didn't win this week -- try, try again. And remember, your name goes in the draw a second time if you blog or tweet about our contests.

See you Monday -- and congrats again to A Flight of Minds!

~Darby

Contest Closes at Midnight tonight!

2009-08-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

Which gives you one more hour to enter your comment to win a Linda Gerber novel -- DEATH BY BIKINI. Check out my interview with the Amazing Aphra!

~Darby

Darby Speaks...with Aphra

2009-08-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hey, hey hey -- it's interview day!

I'm actually posting at a reasonable hour, too -- before midnight, dontchaknow. So after announcing our amazing contest last night, I am all ready to sit down and have a heart to heart with Aphra Connolly. Aphra is the star of a series of novels by Linda Gerber: Death by...Bikini, Latte and Denim. These adventures have taken Aphra all over the world, and I'm anxious to hear all about it.

So without further ado...welcome Aphra!

Darby Christopher: Hey Aphra -- You grew up on a tropical island, and lately it seems you are on the run a LOT. Have you ever considered taking up skateboarding?

Aphra Connolly: Someday. Might come in handy for a fast getaway. I've never tried a skateboard yet, but I have surfed. Same general concept, right? (Ha!)

Darby: Yeah, well I've never ridden a surfboard, so I guess we're even. aphra, my story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Tell me a little about where you grew up and where you live now.

AC: For a while I lived in South Carolina, before my dad and I moved to a private island resort where I lived for four years. I'm not allowed to say where I'm living now. Not good for the whole undercover thing...

Darby: Oh, yeah -- we can't have you blowing your cover! But can you tell us a little bit about what your family is like? Do you have any pets or siblings?

AC: It's just my mom, my dad and I. Not always together, though.

Darby: Yeah -- that's got to be hard for you. I've read your stories and you certainly have a lot going on in your life. What has been the scariest thing you have ever faced so far?

AC: Probably being shot at by an on our island. Or, wait. The plane crash. That was pretty intense. But so was being chased by double agents. And... well, I can't tell you the rest.

Darby: Yikes! What has been your most favourite, greatest adventure?

Looking back, it was probably being stuck in the cave with Seth. I know, it doesn't sound like much fun - especially the crawling through bat guano part - but that's where I really knew I liked Seth, and that he liked me, so looking back, I wouldn't give up a second of that night.

Darby: Even with the bat guano it was pretty romantic, I have to admit. Do you have a special skill or talent you’d like to share? Especially if it's secret -- spill the beans!

AC: I don't know about talent, but I do speak a lot of languages. The Finns have a name for someone who can learn languages quickly; they call that person a kielipaa. It means language head, and it's considered a special skill, so I guess it could qualify.

Darby: A language-head, eh? Maybe you could help me with my French homework... By the way, who is YOUR favourite fictional character?

AC: There are too many to choose from! I can relate to Cami Morgan from the Gallagher Girls series, so I'll go with her, although I really have a lot of other faves.

Darby: Hey, I like Cami, too! Now, Aphra, I've heard all of your 'Death by...' books are written by Linda Gerber. Can you tell me something about her?

AC: She's a kind of frazzled mom-type who lives in Ohio. I don't see her much recently, mostly in spurts because she's got, like, four kids and a dog and she does a lot of traveling around. I like the traveling part because then she can give me some really interesting locations to hang out in.

Darby: After Bikinis, Lattes and Denim ...can you tell me a bit of an idea about what's next?

AC: For me? I'm taking a breather (except that all three books will be making the rounds of the Scholastic Book Fairs this year.) Linda's working on another project before she can spend more time with me (*pout*). It's a paranormal YA called TRANCE and it's about a couple of sisters who reluctantly receive premonitions through trance writing, and what goes wrong when one of them misses a message. It comes out next spring.

Darby: Whoa -- the TRANCE book sounds pretty cool! If I want to learn more about you on-line, where can I look?

AC: You can check out Linda's website at lindagerber.com. You can also find Linda's blog: lindagerber.blogspot.com or follow her on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Linda-Gerber/518643863 or on twitter: http://twitter.com/gerbsan

Thanks so much, Aphra. It's been great getting to know you a little better!

And for those readers out there who'd like to find out about Aphra's latest adventures, now's your chance. The contest is officially open! Just enter your suggestion for another of Aphra's DEATH BY.... adventures, and maybe give us a little plot description. If you tweet or blog about the contest let us know and we'll throw your name into the draw an extra time -- more chances to win.

The prize pack consists of a signed copy of DEATH BY DENIM, a signed copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW and a summer cooler for a six pack of your favourite root beer. Who can resist a summer prize pack like that?

Maurice the cat and I will do the draw next Friday night after midnight [his favourite time of the day....]. We'll announce a winner on Saturday, August 15th.

Ready...set...GO!

~Darby

CONTEST! Win a Linda Gerber novel!

2009-08-11T00:20:00.001-07:00

Time slipped away from me today, a little, and I'm posting in the wee hours of Tuesday morning...but let's all just pretend it's still Monday night, shall we?

Because Monday is the day to announce our next contest! This one's a summer six-pack special.

No, no -- not THAT kind of six pack!

This week I'll be interviewing Aphra Connolly, star of DEATH BY BIKINI, DEATH BY LATTE and DEATH BY DENIM. This girl's got a lot of death in her life!

To celebrate the interview which will take place right HERE tomorrow (actually...today...Tuesday!) let's do something a little different. You may have read some of Aphra's adventures already...or you may have been waiting for this very opportunity to win one of her books. For the purposes of our contest, it doesn't matter a bit.

In order to win, all you have to do is suggest a title for Aphra's next adventure. If you feel like it...give us an idea of what you think she should get up to.

Maybe...DEATH BY TWITTER, where Aphra gets sucked into the evil world of 140-character messages. Or perhaps DEATH BY CHOPSTICKS, where Aphra and her mom solve a mystery in San Francisco's Chinatown.

You pick the title, enter it in the comment section of this posting, or the post of the actual Aphra interview and you'll be entered to win! The prize package this week? A summer six-pack cooler (perfect for toting that Diet Coke down to the beach), a copy of Aphra's latest adventure DEATH BY DENIM , and a copy of my own latest book, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW.

As usual, if you blog or tweet a link to the contest post, we'll put your name in the draw an extra time. More chances to win!

Okay -- I'd better get off to bed so I can be fresh as a daisy for interviewing Aphra tomorrow. And YOU need to be thinking up book titles. Ready? Go!

~Darby

From Chloe...to Aphra!

2009-08-09T21:44:00.001-07:00

Great week last week, first having a chance to chat with Chloe Saunders, and then watch the fun of vying for Chloe's first book THE SUMMONING [plus my latest book, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, too].

Congratulations again to the winner!

And now, onto this week's interview. Tomorrow, Aphra Connolly will be in the house! Those of you who are fans of Linda Gerber's DEATH BY... series are in for a treat!

Of course, they'll be a contest as well. Sit tight and we'll see you right here tomorrow night!

~Darby

We have a Winnah!

2009-08-08T23:02:00.001-07:00

This is Maurice. Remember him? He's my lucky cat, and he's someone else's lucky cat, tonight, too, because...

we have a winner of the Kelley Armstrong/kcdyer book package!

Maurice carefully numbered all the entries, giving a double chance to those who tweeted or blogged about the contest, and after many hours of hard labour, his paw was pointing at...

beautyxinsainty (who also tweets as Tegan19)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Now, if you send kc dyer an email here: [kcdyer at telus dot com], and include your address, she'll make sure that SIGNED copies of the books are winging your way sooner than soonish.

Huge thanks again to Chloe Saunders for the fantastic interview and to Kelley Armstrong for letting Chloe come out to play, AND donating a signed book to our prize package.

And spread the word -- we'll have a new interview and contest up on Monday! See you then.

~Darby

Check out kc dyer's blog HERE. She also tweets sweetly @kcdyer

Darby Speaks with...Chloe Saunders

2009-08-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

Chloe Saunders has a problem. She sees dead people. And they see her back.

So when I had a chance to interview this amazing character from Kelley Armstrong's DARKEST POWERS series...I jumped at it! I mean, come ON! This girl knows her way around a zombie!

Before I introduce Chloe, a reminder that if you leave a comment on today's post, you'll be eligible to win our grand prize package -- a copy of Chloe's first book THE SUMMONING, and a copy of my latest story A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW. You can read all about the (very few and easy) rules of the contest HERE. And don't forget to tweet or blog about it for an extra chance to win!

And now, without further ado...please welcome the amazing Chloe!

Darby Christopher: Hey Chloe -- I know you are trying like mad to fit in as a regular high school kid. Have you ever considered taking up skateboarding?

Chloe Saunders: Rae is the skateboarder in our group. I tried it once at one of my new schools, and fell flat on my face. Really didn't help me fit in.

DC: Well, it does take practice, that's for sure. So, my story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Tell me a little about where you live.

CS: I live in Buffalo, New York. That's where I was born and I've never left. Never stayed in one neighborhood long either, though--Dad likes to keep moving. I like Buffalo well enough, I guess. It's kind of rundown in parts, but people passing through always see just those parts, and it has some really cool spots too.

DC: Hey -- Buffalo, NY is just across Lake Ontario from Toronto, where I live! Cool. So, aside from moving around a lot, what's your family like? Do you have any pets or siblings?

CS: No pets or siblings. I'd like a pet. Not so sure about brothers and sisters. It's just me and my dad, and he's not around that much. His job takes him all over the world, so I'm stuck home with the housekeeper.

DC: That's got to be a bit lonely for you. But I guess you've got other things on your mind! I've read your story and you certainly have a lot going on in your life. What has been the scariest thing you have ever faced so far?

CS: The scariest thing I've faced? Definitely waking up with a zombie crawling over me. I knew I could raise the dead if I was summoning close to a body, but this time I was just dreaming about summoning! Now I'm afraid to go asleep, in case there are any dead animals nearby. Not a power I ever wanted, that's for sure.

DC: Holy crow -- that's amazing! Other than the whole zombie thing, what has been your most favourite, greatest adventure?

CS: Most of my adventures involve narrowly escaping being killed or captured for a science experiment, so they weren't exactly fun. But while it's my greatest adventure, one of my favorites was escaping the lapdog from hell. We were hiding from the Edison Group, and there was this little dog nearby. It smelled Derek--he's a werewolf--and went nuts, and we were afraid it was going to give us away, so I had Liz go in the backyard and toss a stick for the dog. The thing is, Liz is a ghost--a poltergeist. So all Derek could see was this flying stick with the dog chasing it. You should have seen the look on his face! It kept the dog quiet until we could get away, though.

DC: Really, Chloe -- you have the most INTERESTING friends! Do you have a special skill or talent you’d like to share? Especially if it's secret -- spill the beans!

CS: Does a not-so-secret talent for getting into trouble count? My greatest talent is screen-writing. I want to be an action movie writer/director when I grow up. Well, that was my greatest talent, until the whole talk-to-the-dead and raise-the-dead thing started...definitely not talents I want. I'd much rather be writing scary movies than living them!

DC: Me, too. Sometimes my life feels like a scary movie, so I agree with you completely. Who is your favourite fictional character?

CS: In books, it's Hermione from Harry Potter. I'm not that bossy, but I loved the way she could take care of herself (and take care of her friends).

DC: I like Hermione, too. That character was written by J.K. Rowling. I've heard both of your books were written by Kelley Armstrong. Can you tell me something about her?

CS: Kelley is Canadian and much older than me. Things we have in common? We both love to write, though she likes books more than screenplays. And we both stutter, which meant she knew how to write that part about me and how I feel about it. And the high school she went to was called Saunders, which explains my last name!

DC: Kelley's an incredible writer. I've heard she writes for adults and kids -- THAT takes talent! I know you've explored your Darkest Powers in THE SUMMONING and THE AWAKENING. Can you tell me a bit about what's next?

CS: Up next is the last book in the trilogy, THE RECKONING, coming out May 2010, where my story will wrap up (for now) and I'll get a bit of a break. Then Kelley's switching to a new supernatural teen for book 4, which will be about another Edison Group experiment--yep, those guys are into a lot of stuff...none of it good.

DC: Oh, I can't wait to read the next one! If I want to learn more about you on-line, where can I look?

CS: I have my own website www.ChloeSaunders.com. I also have a MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/chloesaunders) and a LiveJournal page (http://chloe-saunders.livejournal.com/ ) though right now my blog has been taken over by Derek, who's telling his story.

DC: Awesome! Lots of places to find you on-line. Thanks for joining me today, Chloe. It's been great to get to know you!

Now, all you Chloe fans out there, don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win! Tell us the name of your favourite character in a Kelley Armstrong book. It can be any book, Chloe's included. Who would you most like to meet -- or be most afraid to run into in a dark alley?

Comments accepted until midnight this Friday, August 7th. Winner to be announced by the faithful Maurice the cat on Saturday!

~Darby

CONTEST! Win a Kelley Armstrong novel!

2009-08-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

Here's your chance to win a copy of THE SUMMONING, the first in the Darkest Powers Trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Kelley's star character, Chloe Saunders, will be interviewed right HERE in this very blog tomorrow, Sunday, August 2, 2009.

To celebrate this interview, and Chloe's new book THE AWAKENING, here's your chance to win. In the comments section of today's post (or tomorrow's, if you'd rather) leave a message indicating who your favourite Kelley Armstrong character is, and why. If you'd like to do a little research, you'll find Kelley's site right HERE. Chloe has her own site, too -- right HERE.

You can get yourself a second chance to win by tweeting or blogging about the contest. Just make sure to link back to this blog so I can see you've helped spread the word, and an extra shot at winning will be yours!

Contest closes next Friday, August 7, 2009, and the winner will be announced Saturday. the winning entry (name picked at random by Maurice, the random cat) will recieve a copy of THE SUMMONING by Kelley Armstrong, AND a copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, by kc dyer.

So check out the interview with Chloe tomorrow, right here. And get your name into the contest -- before time runs out...

~Darby

Hola!!! Darby's Back.

2009-07-31T23:13:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well. Took a bit of an extended blog vacation there, but I'm back, skaters. Got a whole pile of interesting things on the go.

For tonight, though -- here's a link to a bunch of cool skate parks in the Seattle area. There are FIFTY ONE sites listed here -- amazing resource for those living, visiting and skating in the Pacific Northwest.

This list was compiled by Belva Lane, and for her efforts, we send her a round of karmic applause. Thanks, Belva!

Keep your eyes on this blog, gang. Interviews start this week with a bang...and a contest! I'll be interviewing the amazing Chloe Saunders, star of THE SUMMONING and THE RECKONING, by the incredible author Kelley Armstrong. I'll be posting the interview Sunday night...but details of the contest will go up tomorrow.

Catch you then!

~Darby...back from vacation and ready to blog!
[awesome image of skateboarders takenin China by ernop, and subject to creative commons licence for fair use]

Hey Cupcake!

2009-05-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Calling all cupcakes!

Well...actually just one Cupcake in particular.

Still haven't heard back from our last winner -- drop my assistant and all-around dogsbody kc dyer at line at kcdyer@telus.net to collect your prize, cupcake!

~Darby

Cupcakes and Chloe....FTW!

2009-05-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

For The Win (ner)... of our Kendra Contest, of course.

But first...Maurice:

With a swish of his tail, he has swept a name out of the hat. And the winner is Cupcake!

Congratulations, Cupcake. Send an email to my scribe: kcdyer at telus dot net with your address and both of Kendra's books will be winging their way to you.

In related news, Cupcake suggested 'Chloe Saunders' as a potential interview subject, and I mentioned I didn't know her name. Well, I do now! I was at the bookstore yesterday, and discovered Kelley Armstrong's new series. Now, it turns out that my scribe happens to know Chloe's scribe...so for Cupcake's sake, we'll see if we can get an interview happening.

However, prior to that, there will be a slight pause in operations, as my aforementioned scribe (kc dyer...yeah, she's the one) is off on a research jaunt to London, Edinburgh and points north in Scotland for a couple of weeks. I may pop in for a visit while she's gone, just to create a little havoc, but otherwise -- see you in June!

~Darby

Darby Digs Cool Skateboard Decks...

2009-05-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

...some real beauties to be found HERE. (via boingboing).

Have you entered to win our Kendra give-away yet? Don't forget -- Friday night's the draw, so get those entries in before 8 pm, PDT. If you blog about the contest -- your name goes in twice!

Details HERE, of course.

~Darby

Kendra Kandlestar Interview...and a taste of contemporary Tlingit Art

2009-05-10T11:44:00.001-07:00

Getting great feedback from the Kendra Kandlestar interview -- lots of good creatures from Een being suggested, as well as other interview subjects.

I'm very happy to report I have the prize for this week's draw sitting beside me on the desk -- two freshly-signed copies of Kendra's chronicles -- the Box of Whispers and the Door to Unger. Check HERE for rules to enter -- and remember, every time you blog (or tweet!) about this contest, we'll throw your name in the draw an extra time.

In news of a more Darby-related nature (it IS my blog, after all!) I found some amazing images on flickr of book-sculptures by artist Nicholas Galanin, with Tlinglit and Northwest coast-inspired imagery. Amazing! In my story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, I visit the ancestors of the people of the north, and there is some tlingit language used in the telling of the story. For more on artist Nicholas Galanin, check out his website HERE.

Don't forget to enter the contest -- deadline is this Friday!

~Darby.

Darby Interviews Kendra Kandlestar -- and a new contest is born!

2009-05-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

Okay -- here we go! Welcome to the first in a series of interviews I will be doing with characters from some of my favourite books.

Today, I have the pleasure of talking to someone who has the most amazing adventures (not to mention the coolest hair I know)

...Kendra Kandlestar.

Darby C: Yo, Kendra --welcome! I know you come from the land of Een. Do they have skateboards there -- and if they do, have you ever ridden one?

Kendra Kandlestar: Er...well I've never heard of a skateBOARD, but my friend Ratchet (he's a famous inventor in the land of Een) once built something called a skateBORED. It was this sort of plank that you stood on when you went ice skating, but because Ratchet didn't actually like ice skating, the skatebored let you doze off or daydream while it carried you about. But Ratchet's inventions sometimes have...er, problems-and the skateboreds always ended up getting so bored themselves that they would whirl around in circles and crazy figure eights at top speed, trying to find a little excitement. So lots of Eens were mad at Ratchet. He said he just needed to work the kinks out of the skatebored-but he ALWAYS says that.

DC: Ha! That sounds like a pretty cool contraption, all the same. Now my story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Tell me a little about Een -- the land you come from.

KK: The land of Een is a quiet, secret place tucked between the cracks of here and there. Professor Bumblebean says lots of folks from the outside world have tried to find it-but you can't because of the great, invisible magic curtain that seals us off. You can only pass through the magic curtain if you're an Een or Een animal. Of course, that was before Burdock Brown, the leader of our Elders, sealed the curtain altogether and now NO one can get through. We're having some interesting times these days in Een. But otherwise Een is a marvelous place with all sorts of sights. There's the Elder Stone (where the council meets), the Een library (where books grow on trees) and the Rainmaker's Rhapsody (a magic garden filled with songbells that chant limericks and other types of music).

DC: Bummer about nobody being able to get in! I would love to go to Een. Tell me, what is your family like? Do you have any siblings?

KK: It's just me and Uncle Griffinskitch. My parents and my brother disappeared when I was a baby, but no one-not even Uncle Griffinskitch-likes to talk about that. I guess they disappeared while traveling outside the magic curtain and it's all a big mystery. Of course, on my last adventure I did manage to discover what happened to my brother, but...well, I'm not supposed to talk about it. We could get in a lot of trouble from Burdock.
DC: Yeah -- we don't want that. Now, I've read your story and there's a lot going on around you. What has been the scariest thing you have ever faced so far?

KK: Well so far I have faced Rumor the Red Dragon and the Wizard Greeve (he was ghost behind the Door to Unger). You can't leave the land of Een without running into all sorts of creatures. I've met skarm and skerpent, Ungers, Goojuns, Izzards, and Krakes. And Dwarves are a pesky lot, especially Pugglemud. But I have to tell you that the most frightening thing I've ever had to face was myself.

DC: Really? I guess to understand, our blog-readers will have to take a look at your books! So what has been your greatest adventure?

KK: There was something special about first leaving the land of Een to go and search for the Box of Whispers. I was only eleven and it was my first time away from home. But when I went to seek the door to Unger, I ended up all by myself, and that was pretty high adventure. As for my greatest adventure of all, it was probably when I journeyed to the Rumble Pit.

DC: Ahh. Yeah, that was a cool adventure! Kendra, do you have a special skill or talent you'd like to share?

KK: Uncle Griffinskitch has decided to take me on as an apprentice, so now I'm going to learn the art of Een magic. But I had to wait until I turned twelve-that's the age in the land of Een when you are apprenticed to a master.
DC: An apprentice, eh? That sounds amazing! If you had to pick, who would be your favourite fictional character?

KK: I like mostly Een legends and myths, my favourite these days being the story of Anoora and Kojo, two young Eens who fell in love and wanted to marry. Anoora's father, an important Elder of Een, forbid their union, so Kojo and Anoora deciped to elope. They agreed to meet in a secret place across the River Wink in the middle of the night. But Anoora's father discovered their arrangement, and locked the girl in her chambers. Kojo waited all night for his love, but of course she did not come. Kojo was never seen again. Some say he died in the woods as he awaited Anoora, while others say that he left Een, his heart broken and his hope shattered. The place where he waited for Anoora is now known as Kojo's Hope.

DC: Eep. That's pretty sad, Kendra.

KK: Yeah. BUT, if I had to pick a book from your world, I would pick any book that discusses the land of Oz.

DC: I like those characters, too -- Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion, the Wizard and the Tin Man. I've heard all of your books are written and illustrated by Lee Edward Fodi. Can you tell me something about him?

KK: He's a bit of a wizard himself because he writes and illustrates stories that involve characters like...er, well-me! I heard that most kids call him Mr. Wiz and that when's he not busy talking about my story, he helps kids make up their own through workshops.

DC: Yeah, I've seen a picture of him in his wizard hat. I'll try and find it to add to this post. So, Kendra, I know you've explored the Box of Whispers and the Door to Unger. Can you tell me a bit about your newest adventure?

KK: I need to go find the Rumble Pit. It's this arena where that nasty Queen Krake makes all of her prisoners-different mythical creatures she's captured-fight for her amusement. Effryn Hagglehorn the Faun told me that my brother has been forced to fight there. I need to find him! I need to get him back. But I'm going to need some powerful magic to help me I think. I'm not sure my Eenwand will be enough.

DC: Oh, that sounds awesome! I can't wait to read it. If I want to learn more about you on-line, where can I look?

KK: www.kendrakandlestar.com. If you want to know more about Mr. Wiz, look at www.leefodi.com.

Thanks so much for talking to me today, Kendra. And to celebrate your visit, we're going to have a special contest.

Check it out: I happen to have signed copies of the first two books in Kendra's series -- Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers and Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger. Now, to win these books, you need to do a little bit of work. Hie yourself off to www.kendrakandlestar.com and click on the 'between the cracks of here and there' section. Find the list of creatures from Een -- and bring back the name of your favourite creature. Post it in the comment section, and Maurice and I will do a draw for the signed copies of the first two Kendra Kandlestar chronicles.

We'll do the draw on Friday, May 15th, so get your choices in before 8 pm and you could win! (And, as with all our contests, if you blog or tweet about this post, we'll enter your name TWICE in the draw.) What have you got to lose?

While you're leaving your comments, be sure to let me know any other fictional characters you might like me to interview. I'll do what I can to make a connection!

~Darby

A New Era Begins...

2009-05-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

Well, sorta....

I've decided to try something new. You know, when I'm not skateboarding or playing on my X-box, I have to confess I read a lot. So, now with the power of the blog at my fingertips, I've decided to take advantage, and interview some of the cool characters in the books I enjoy.

So this week, I'm heading out to meet one of my favourite citizens of Een -- Kendra Kandlestar. You can look for my interview with Kendra in the next day or two -- and I'm pretty sure you'll have a chance to win a book in the bargain.

Keep your eyes on this blog to find out more about Kendra and to get a chance to win!

~Darby

Cynthia

2009-05-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

This original artwork, commissioned for this blog, as painted by artist (and author) Lee Edward Fodi, illustrating the use of negative space.

Okay, it wasn't actually commissioned for this blog. It was borrowed, after a special presentation Lee made yesterday.

Of course, considering the subject matter, it's not likely I'll return it. The chicken is skateboarding, after all. And it's not just any chicken. It's a portrait of the artist's first pet -- a blind chicken, named Cynthia.

Cynthia never really skateboarded. But you'd never know it from the painting!

~Darby

And the Winnah.....

2009-04-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

...as drawn by the pointy claws of Maurice the cat...

....is....

Pissenlit!

Please email kc dyer at telus dot net and she can talk details.

Thanks to all for waxing poetic. A new contest next week !

~Darby

One more day -- Skateboard Haiku Contest Closes Tomorrow!

2009-04-23T22:12:00.000-07:00

I think the title of this post just about says it all.

Get your haiku in before tomorrow at 6 pm. Winner will be posted after 8 pm.

Details HERE.

Maurice and I can't WAIT to pick the winner!

~Darby

Skateboard Haiku Contest Continues...and MORE!

2009-04-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

Hmmm...

Not as good as Jacquie's!

The skateboard haiku contest is going great guns, with lots of good entries so far. Add yours to the list! You could win a copy of Jacqueline Pearce's MANGA TOUCH, a copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, and -- to celebrate seasonally -- a few chocolate-covered cherries to sweeten the prize.

You can add your haiku to the comments below, or in any post from now until Friday, April 24th when the draw will be made. And if you link to this blog with your blog -- we'll add your name to the draw again!

Now speaking of things poetic -- here's a link to another contest that may interest you...Mitali's Fire Escape is holding the 7th Annual Fire Escape Contest for teen-authored poetry and short stories. This is a special contest for Canadian and American kids who were born -- or whose parents were born -- in a country other than the US or Canada. Sounds like fun -- check for details HERE.

Lots of chances to win -- sharpen those haiku pencils!

~Darby

Skateboard Haiku Contest

2009-04-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Okay -- for those of you having trouble finding a way to put the word 'skateboard' into your haiku...here's an example from an expert.

Jacqueline Pearce is mistress of the haiku. And nothing shows a winning edge like a haiku with a skateboard in it...so let 'er rip, Jacquie!

crushed cherry blossoms
graffiti the skateboard ramp
the scented air calls

Wow. See what I mean?

So -- now it's your turn. Leave your skateboard haiku (and don't forget the seasonal reference!) in the comments section of any of the posts between now and Friday, April 24th. We'll enter your name in the draw for the prize once for every haiku you write (that meets the specs, of course: 17 syllables, 3 lines, 5/7/5 breakdown).

And if you link to this post on your blog, we'll enter your name an extra time in the draw.

The prize? A signed copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW. A copy of Jacqueline Pearce's book MANGA TOUCH (she's about to go off on a tour of Japan -- to the very city where her story is set!) AND a selection of chocolate-covered cherries, to celebrate the spring-time.

Awesome prize package -- so get writing your haiku, and spread the word!

~Darby

Pee Ess... Make sure you check out kc dyer's blog later today. She's getting involved with Operation TBD -- sounds mysterious!

NaPoMo Celebration Continues

2009-04-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, riders and readers, listen up.

National Poetry Month continues throughout April, and I've broken you in the easy way with a limerick contest.

DA was the winner, and a deserving winner she was, too.

Now is time to up the ante.

See this picture?

Cherry tree, just across the street. What does it mean to you...?

(Hint -- think spring -- think poetry...)

Why -- haiku, of course!

Now, a haiku is a lot more structured than a limerick, so don't think you're getting off easy, just because it is only 17 syllables long.

From wikipedia:

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry, consisting of 17 morae (or on), in three metrical phrases of 5, 7 and 5 morae respectively. Haiku typically contain a kigo, or seasonal reference, and a kireji or verbal caesura. In Japanese, haiku are traditionally printed in a single vertical line, while haiku in English usually appear in three lines, to parallel the three metrical phrases of Japanese haiku[2]. Previously called hokku, haiku was given its current name by the Japanese writer Masaoka Shiki at the end of the 19th century.

Here's what I'm looking for :

3 lines, seasonal reference, and (of course) the word skateboard must appear somewhere.

Think you are up to the challenge?

Contest closes April 24th. And tomorrow, I am hoping to have an expert example (written by a haiku professional) to start things off. Prizes? They'll be great!

Check in tomorrow to read the sample haiku and the list of prizes!

~Darby

Tony Hawk celebrates Easter...

2009-04-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

My hero Tony Hawk celebrates Easter in the best possible way...by giving away his kind of eggs...

(skateboard decks!!!!)

Click here to see the picture: Tony Hawk's Eggs

How cool is that?

Check in tomorrow for news of our new contest to celebrate NaPoMo!

~Darby

Fantastic Friday Skateboard Limerick Winner

2009-04-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Wow.

And Purrrr. [That's Maurice's opinion, btw...]

Did we get some AWESOME entries for this contest?

We did.

A tonne of entries, a further tonne of other blog mentions...Darby Speaks readers really ROCK!

Thanks to ALL for participating!

And if you are (sadly) not the winner this week...despair not! National Poetry Month [NaPoMo] continues, and so do the tributes to Canadian poets here on Darby Speaks. Tune into tomorrow's blog posting to find out about our NEW contest...

I'll give you a hint. This contest DOES involve a very short poetic form -- haiku. And it DOES NOT involve skateboards. But you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the details, because ...

...now it's time to announce this week's winner.

But first -- the winning limerick:

You don't know how it feels,
'Til you've skimmed along on four wheels.
Rollin' along,
Singing your song,
On your board wearing shoes with no heels.

It's funny that this one was the one that Maurice swept out of the hat with his paw, because I think it may have been the only skateboard limerick entered that didn't involve Serious Injury.

The winner is DA!

DA wins a signed copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW and also, in honour of poetry week, a signed (I hope...!) copy of Bernice Lever's amazing book NEVER A STRAIGHT LINE. Bernice is an author and poet who lives on Bowen Island, and if kc can corner her, we'll make sure we get a signature before your books get sent out, DA.

Make sure you drop kc at line (with your mailing address) at kcdyer at telus dot net.

Congratulations!!!

Remember to check in here tomorrow for the details of next week's contest.

And a Happy Easter and Passover to all!

~Darby

Shout Outs!

2009-04-08T22:44:00.000-07:00

First, to liviania and In Bed With Books for running an interview with kc dyer and a contest, featuring MY story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW.

Next, to taterbug and scottsgal, who were the winners of said contest. Books will be flying your way very soon!

And last (but not least) to Becca of Complete and Utter Poppycock for mentioning my skateboard limerick contest on her blog. Thanks, Becca -- that puts you in our Friday night draw!

Have you entered your skateboard limerick yet? Throw one into the comment section below and win yourself TWO new books!

The draw is Friday...don't miss it.

~Darby

How NOT to do an Ollie

2009-04-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Failblog.

Have you entered your skateboard limerick yet? You have until Friday, April 10th to get your entry in -- win a copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW. (And here's a hint: to get your name entered TWICE into the draw, link a blog post or a tweet on your own account back here - spread the word and increase your chances to win!)

~Darby

Erika Lynn Vlogs!

2009-04-06T15:26:00.001-07:00

One of my way-cool readers has just posted her first vlog on Kiss My Book. It looks to me like she has a BIG pile of books to read, but the first on the pile seems to be A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW.

So YAY for Erika Lynn! And because of her creativity, she gets entered into our Skateboard Limerick contest. Win a copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW and ALSO a book of Canadian poetry (in honour of NaPoMo...)

Have you entered yet? You can leave your limerick in the comment section below, or any day this week. Draw is Friday night -- April 10th.

Check out the comments for the past few days. We've got some serious limerickers around here!

~Darby

edited to add....

Thanks to Bridget for a mention of the contest on her blog West of Mars. We'll add your name to the draw an extra time, Bridget!

And BIG thanks to Steph Su for the review on her blog for Don Calame's SWIM THE FLY -- she gave it 41/2 stars out of 5!!!!!

Winner...

2009-04-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

....with apologies for the delay in posting.

Launch week activities kept Maurice too busy to help make the draw, but I poured a little milk in a saucer and it did the trick.

He slowed down long enough to declare...

BJ is the winner of a signed novel by the swashbuckling CC Humphreys.

Congratulations, BJ!

Email kcdyer@telus.net with your snail mail address and the book will be yours.

And don't forget -- our Skateboard Limerick Contest (in honour of NaPoMo -- National Poetry Month) is going strong...lots of crash-bang, smach-up entries -- just the way I like 'em!

There is still time to enter. Just drop your skateboard limerick into the comments section of this post (or any other post this week) and your name will be entered into the draw. And if you post a mention of this contest on your own blog -- we'll put your name in twice and double your chances!

Keep boarding!

~Darby

Spring Into Fantasy -- This SUNDAY!

2009-04-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

If you can make it out to kc dyer's Surrey event, she'd love to see you. She'll be featuring A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW (starring MOI, the one and only Darby C.) and will be hanging out with fellow authors James McCann and Lee Edward Fodi.

There will be games, crafts, snacks, cupcakes, book draws -- you name it!

Details....

Strawberry Hills Chapters -- 12101 72 Ave, Surrey BC
1-4 pm, Sunday, April 5th

Spread the word -- hope to see you there!

~Darby

Pee Ess

Don't forget our Poetry Contest in support of NaPoMo -- have you written your limerick yet? Book draw on Friday for the winner!

It's NaPoMo -- And No Foolin'

2009-04-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is, April first -- spring is supposed to be sproinging, but from all accounts I've heard it's still pretty...well, Canadian out there.

So to take your mind off the snow and wet and floods...how about a new contest here at Darby Central?

It's National Poetry Month, and we are going to celebrate with a book give-away each week. The winner will receive a copy of my new book A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, plus a copy of a book of Canadian poetry. (More on that title, later.)

Here's what you have to do to win this week. We're going to start with a subject near and dear to my heart -- skateboarding. Because riding a board is such a phat and phun phenomena, it needs a snappy poetic form. How about a limerick?

Here's one to get you started...

Now, it's your turn. Surely...SURELY you can do better than this...!**

Enter as often as you like -- one limerick at a time.

No illustration required, of course -- it's the poetry that feeds us, man.

We're already doing a draw on Friday, April 3 for CC Humphrey's book, so let's make this draw for next Friday... April 10th, that is. And if you post about this contest on your own blog (or give us a tweet on twitter) and link back to show us where, Maurice and I will throw your name into the hat an extra time.

Okay -- let's do it. Show us your limerick, throw in a skateboard and a new book could be yours!

And I promise we'll elevate the poetic form for the next draw. Maurice is fond of a decent sonnet...

~Darby

**
A boarder named Darby was skating
Along Yonge Street when she hit a large grating
Through the air she did fly
In the blink of an eye
Now a body-cast she's contemplating.

Mystery Eyes -- Unmasked!

2009-03-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

You may have seen these eyes somewhere....

...like maybe on kc dyer's blog?

Well, these eyes belong to the final author I'll be interviewing as a part of the launch celebration for my new book A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW.

But I think we need to see more, don't you?

Here's what he looked like at the last Surrey International Writers' Conference. Cool mask, eh?

But we still can't really see him. Let me give you a hint or two. He tells an ABSOLUTELY fine story. He is an inveterate swashbuckler -- both on the page and for real. And lately, it's not just the swordplay, but the Impaling that has interested him.

Got it yet? Let's see if you're right...

It's CC Humphreys! Or Chris Humphreys. Actually, it's both of him, depending on whether he is writing for young adults or for grown-ups. But everyone loves his stories, so let's meet him in person, shall we?

Darby: Hi Chris! Thanks for joining me today for this interview. A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to live in Canada. I know you have kind of a cool story about your own beginnings. Where were you born?

CCH: Toronto. But I grew up in London UK.

DC: Okay -- so that's why you have an English accent, then. So where do you live now?

CCH: Vancouver, BC.

DC: Do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were growing up in London?

CCH: In the Second World War, my mother was a spy in the Norwegian resistance. She had to escape when her cell was busted and ended up cycling over the border into Sweden.

DC: Wow! What a cool mum you have! But if she's anything like my mother, she might be able to ride a bike, but she's hopeless on a skateboard. Can you ride a skateboard?

CCH: Alas, no!

DC: Well, I've heard some rumours about other talents you have. Besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

CCH: I was a fencer at school and became an actor so I could leap around with bladed weaponry. I’ve killed with axes, swords and slingshots! But my main skill is that I can hang eleven spoons on my face.

DC: It's hard to know where to start with that response. The bladed weaponry is tres cool. The spoons? THAT I'd have to see to believe. Now my special talent appears to be time travel. If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

CCH: Globe Theatre, 1601. Opening night of ‘Hamlet’.

DC: Ha! Once an actor, always an.... Anyone special you’d like to meet these days?

CCH: Bruce Springsteen. Love his songs and he’s a total storyteller.

DC: Hey, I like his music, too. I listen to him on my iPod when I am skateboarding and eating red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

CCH: Humbugs (Boiled sweets – mints) They are on my desk as an essential writing tool.

DC: Speaking of writing, can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

CCH:I have just written my first almost full fantasy novel about a girl and a unicorn.

DC: Wow! That sounds a little different than your last novel Vlad: The Last Confession! If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

CCH: www.cchumphreys.com

DC: Okay -- great! Thanks for joining me today, Chris. Next time, remember to bring those eleven spoons!

If you'd like to win a copy of CC Humphrey's latest book, leave your name in the comment section below. And how about answering this question: Vampire...or Unicorn?

We'll do the draw this Friday, April 4th -- after 8 pm, of course.

And stay tuned to the blog -- I've got a new series of interviews planned to begin very soon.

And don't forget -- kc dyer will be with a couple of her author friends in Surrey this weekend launching my new story...more details tomorrow!

~Darby

Maurice Purr-sents....

2009-03-28T00:18:00.000-07:00

**

The Winners!

Good old Maurice. I love to see his face -- it always means good news for someone!

Today we have four winners from new categories and one winner from an older draw who hasn't gotten in touch. Let's start there, shall we?

The winner of the exciting new novel by Micol Osterman is Nora. Now, kc dyer has sent you an email to the address you listed, Nora, but if you didn't get it, please email her back at kcdyer@telus.net and she will make sure you get your book!

This week's winners (at last!) are:

Sleepless Storyteller wins a copy of Jill Murray's new novel.
Llehn wins a copy of a Patricia Smiley novel.
katayoun is the lucky winner of a signed book by Anita Daher.
And the Word Gardner wins a copy of a Diana Gabaldon title.

The special prize winner this week of a copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW and a copy of MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK is Tracy.

Maurice sends a whisker rub of congratulations to you all! Please send an email to kcdyer@telus.net with your mailing address and the books will be winging their way to you as soon as possible.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow to read the interview with my final mystery author of Launch Celebration Month -- and to read about exciting plans for my next interviewing odyssey!

~Darby

*photo displayed with thanks, subject to creative commons agreement, shot by SkyWideDesign and displayed on Flickr.

Beneath the Butterfly...

2009-03-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

Well, after reading all the comments left here and on kc dyer's blog, I have to say no one really bought the whole butterfly mask. Or perhaps the general flamboyance of the author wearing it simply shines through?

Either way, let's see if we can find an unmasked picture, just to make things perfectly clear...

Hooray -- it IS Diana Gabaldon! I'm so glad you can be with us today, Diana.

Darby Christopher: A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Your family is from the US. Where were you born?

Diana Gabaldon: I was born in Williams, Arizona. My family actually _lived_ in Flagstaff, Arizona (thirty miles away), but the family doctor was having a feud with the local hospital, who wouldn't let him practice there, so he practiced out of the Williams hospital instead. Ergo, when my mother went into labor on January 11--traditionally the coldest day of the year--my very young parents were obliged to drive thirty miles over ice-covered roads to Williams.

My father said the car went off the road twice, and he pushed it back out of strength born of sheer terror. I was born at one minute past 6 PM, and he thereupon went out and had ham and eggs for dinner--having forgotten completely in the stress of the day that it was Friday (this being back in the day when Catholics always abstained from meat on Fridays).

Having heard this story a number of times in my youth, therefore, I'm never likely to forget either the date of my birth, the day of the week, or the time.

Darby C: That sounds like you had quite an adventurous entry into the world, and a good family story, too! Where do you live now?

Diana G: I actually live in three places at once (I mean, why limit yourself?). Our main place is in Scottsdale, Arizona, but some years ago, I inherited my old family house in Flagstaff, and still keep it as a place to escape to--whether to write, or simply to get out of the summer heat.

And last year, my husband and I bought a place in Santa Fe, where we go for a week or so every month. You just buy enough toothbrushes so that you always have one, no matter where you are.

Darby C: You live in some very warm locations. Lots of summer sun means skateboard time to me. Can you ride a skateboard?

Diana G: Heck, no. I'm terminally uncoordinated; I can't even play badminton. ("_Anybody_ can play badminton!", my unbelieving sister-in-law said, when she invited me to play with her. Ha.)

Darby C: Okay, then, besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you'd like to share?

Diana G: At the age of eight, I learned to fold paper hats out of newspaper.

Darby C: Hmm. With all the newspapers dropping like flies, I hope that is not a dying art! My own special talent seems to be one for walking through windows and getting myself into trouble and I know the characters in your books know a little something about time travel, too, don't they? If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

Diana G: Well, I think I'd leave the window propped open behind me....but I wouldn't mind seeing the Battle of Thermopylae, provided I didn't have to be _in_ it.

Darby C: Ha! That's a good idea. Anyone special you'd like to meet these days?

Diana G: I meet special people all the time. Some of them are a trifle more 'special' than others, but that's what pepper-spray is for.

Darby C: Okay -- I'll try not to get too close! So, when Gramps throws a little spare change my way, I'm personally pretty fond of red licorice. What's your favourite treat?

Diana G: Right this minute, chocolate toffee almonds and chocolate-dipped fruit, because I have a small bag of each.

Darby C: Wow -- you know how to do treats up right! Can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

Diana G: Yeah, where do you want me to stop? I'm in the final stages of writing the seventh novel in the monster OUTLANDER "saga" (that's not really the right word, but I can't think of a better one)--AN ECHO IN THE BONE. I do nothing but sit at my keyboard and make faces (at least this is what my family claims I do when writing).

Darby C: I've seen other writers who do that very thing, so I believe you! If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

Diana G: Website is at www.dianagabaldon.com, and the blogs can be found at www.voyagesoftheartemis.blogspot.com , or www.panalba.com.

Thanks so much for sharing your time with us today, Diana -- specially when your new book is just about finished!

Now, if you'd like to win a copy of one of Diana Gabaldon's books, just leave your name in the comments and you'll be entered into the draw to win. How about if you tell us what YOUR hidden talent is? We have an amazing bunch of readers here at Darby Speaks -- let's compile a talent list!

The draw for this and the other interview books of this week will take place this Friday, March 27 after 8 pm. Tell all your friends!

~Darby

Book Launch Celebration Small Print Explanation:
Darby Christopher is the main character in kc dyer's new novel A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW. To celebrate the launch of this new book, Darby will be interviewing blogging authors on her own blog here. Every day, Darby and her guest will give away a book to celebrate! To win a book, just leave a comment, either on leftwriter or on the corresponding post on Darby's Blog. Book draws will be made every Friday night throughout the month of March. There is no limit to the number of books to be won, so comment often!

Teaser Today....with a little taunt thrown in

2009-03-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

This mysteriously masked woman will be our featured interview guest tomorrow.

Care to guess her identity?

I see that kc dyer put up a clue in her latest post.

But since you are here, I will share just one more little hint to help you with her identity.

This author has more than seventeen MILLION copies of her books in print.

Yep. You read that right.

17,000,000

And if you'd like to own a signed copy of one of those books, leave your guess as to the name of the woman behind the mask along with your name in the comments section.

The interview will appear tomorrow!

~Darby

Tuesday Mystery Guest -- Naked Mystery Author Revealed!

2009-03-24T16:38:00.001-07:00

I'm very excited about this interview today -- we will be meeting a TRUE mystery author -- one who writes mysteries!

But right now it's her identity that is still pretty mysterious. Those glasses are pretty wild -- and that's not the only thing, apparently. If you take a look over at kcdyer's blog, you'll see that this author has a reputation...

for being naked!

Let's unmask her and find out more, okay?

It's Patricia Smiley! Welcome, Patricia -- thanks for joining me today.

Darby Christopher: A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to live in Canada. I know your background is American. Where were you born?

Patricia Smiley: I was born in Washington State, which borders the Canadian Province of British Columbia, in a town called Yakima, named after the Yakama Indian nation.

The city is one of the premier apple-growing areas of the world, but has recently also gained recognition for its wine. My childhood home was just outside the city limits and seems quite rural to me now. I have fond memories of wandering through the nearby apple orchards and hop fields, often stopping to sail paper boats in the irrigation ditches. Many years later, I moved to Seattle. My friends and I took frequent trips to Vancouver, a city that was oh-so cosmopolitan and exciting.

DC: I've heard that said of Vancouver, though I'm a Toronto girl, myself. Where do you live now?

PS: I live in West Los Angeles, California in the neighborhood time forgot. The streets there have no curbs or sidewalks, so it feels like a small-town oasis in the middle of a megalopolis of 3.8 million people. Most people don’t think about L.A. in provincial terms, but I’ve met many neighbors by just strolling the streets with my dog and stopping to say howdy.

DC: That sounds really nice! Do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were a kid?

PS: Once upon a time in yon years of yore, there was a five-year-old girl named Patty who loved cars—the smell of the leather, the rumble of the engine, and the creaking of the doors as they opened and closed.

One afternoon as she played in her front yard, an overwhelming desire to take a road trip overtook her. She crawled inside the family car, cranked the steering wheel to-and-fro, and made loud “vroom-vrooom” engine sounds. When she arrived at her destination, she tried but failed to open the car door. Having learned to make the best of a bad situation, she fell asleep.

Meanwhile back at the house, her parents organized a search party. Sometime later, they found her still conked out in the driver’s seat. The moral of this story? Take no road trips until you are strong enough to get out of the car.

DC: That sounds like a good moral! How about a different kind of 4-wheel vehicle -- can you ride a skateboard?

PS: I never mastered the art of skateboarding because speeding downhill without brakes is dangerous. I prefer skiing. Skis don’t come with brakes, either, but at least you can go splat into a soft snow bank rather than on a hard sidewalk.

DC: I kind of agree with that, actually. Besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

PS: No secret skills but I believe in experiencing life at all levels and will try almost anything except sky-diving. Jumping out of an airplane with a sack of flimsy cloth on my back? I think not.

DC: You have got that right! But what about if you had a chance to walk through a window into the past? Where would you go?

PS: I would go back far enough to see my beloved Westies Dottie and PJ and Tigger-boo the Wonder cat, before they speed back to heaven with the angels. I miss them terribly and would love to hug them one more time.

DC: I have seen the picture of a Westie on your website. They are so cute! Speaking of your website, can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

PS: I’m writing a police procedural based on my experiences working with the Los Angeles Police Department. Also, you can find me posting every Monday at The Naked Truth about Literature and Life (www.nakedauthors.com), a blog I share with Jacqueline Winspear, Paul Levine, James O. Born, Ridley Pearson, James Grippando, and Cornelia Read.

DC: Hmmm. I'd heard something about nakedness. I'm glad it's just about writing! So, when Gramps throws a little spare change my way, I’m personally pretty fond of red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

PS: My fourth novel, COOL CACHE, takes place in a chocolate shop so, of course, I had to do some research. The result? I’m now addicted to anything chocolate, especially the brownies in a book called The Essence of Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. Yum! But the truth is, if I have spare change I’d much rather spend it on ruby red lip gloss.

DC: Those brownies sound delicious! If I want to learn more about you or your books (or brownies!) on-line, where can I go check you out?

PS: You can find out more on my Web site www.patriciasmiley.com or if you are game for adventure, just Google Patricia Smiley and see what comes up.

DC: Thanks so much for talking to me today, Patty. I'm going to go Google you right now!

And if you'd like to win a copy of one of Patrica Smiley's very cool mystery books, be sure to leave your name in the comments. Why not give YOUR favourite type of chocolate treat?

We'll do a draw for Patty's book this Friday, March 27th. This will be the final draw of our celebration month for A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW -- but not the end of my interviews or our special draws. More on THOSE mysterious changes, soon.

In the meantime, leave your Patty Smiley chocolate-love comments below!

~Darby

Monday Mystery Guest -- Revealed!

2009-03-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Here we are again (after a brief weekend pause) to enter into our final week of celebrations for the launch of my story A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW.

Sharing our celebration today is this mysterious horsewoman, author, mother, teacher and editor. (Whew!)

Let's unmask (and in the case of the horse, unmoustache) them both, shall we?

It's Anita Daher! Anita is the author of a whole pile of books for kids and teens -- her most recent middle grade adventure story is called POACHERS IN THE PINGOS, and just last week her young adult novel SPIDER'S SONG was nominated for a Manitoba Book Prize.

Darby Christopher: Welcome, Anita! A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Where were you born?

Anita Daher: I was born in Summerside, PEI, but left there when I was five years old, and continued moving. Seventeen times thus far. I consider myself pretty lucky to have lived in some pretty amazing places growing up—Baker Lake, NU, Churchill, MB, Moose Jaw, SK.

It was tough “reinventing” myself with every move, but this probably helped make me the writer I am today…scattered, confused about where I am at any given moment, and constantly shifting personalities. Oh…did I say that out loud? Kidding!

DC: Summerside! My new story takes place very nearby, in Charlottetown, PEI. So where do you live now?

AD: Winnipeg, Manitoba. My husband was born and raised here, and early in our marriage would go on and on about how Winnipeg produces the best in Canada—best chocolate, best sausage, best artists, best speed-skaters, best politicians, best media moguls, best TV game show hosts…it went on and on and drove me crazy! Now that I’ve lived here five years I see his point.

DC: Do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were a kid? Can you tell me one?

AD: Sure! One of the things that happens when you move around as much as we did, is you talk a lot about where you came from. There are many interesting stories, but the one that has intrigued and confounded me most is the mystery of my mom’s family name.

The story goes that many years ago during times of conscription, two brothers from Ireland were away attending school, and one day while walking down the road in Liverpool, minding their own beeswax, they were scooped up and forced to join the British Navy. They didn’t want to be there, and after docking in Nova Scotia in 1819 they jumped ship. So that they wouldn’t be easily tracked (and no doubt executed for desertion) they took the name of their oldest brother—who was still in Ireland—as their family name: Job. Over time the name morphed to “Jobe” and for my cousins, “Jobes” (mistake on the birth certificate). The original family name has been lost, though my mom’s aunt remembered hearing the name when she was a child.

Beyond family story I have a record of Nova Scotia pioneer families called Cape North and Vicinity by Rev. D. MacDonald published in 1933. In it he writes: “Donald Job Shipped on a brig in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in the spring of 1819, bound for Quebec, but calling at Sydney, C.B. (Cape Breton), on the way, he deserted, and hired for a year with James A Wilkie.” The accounting carries on with an accounting of Donald’s spouse, children, and his children’s children. It is an amazing record to have.

DC: That is a very cool mystery! In my new story, I got a taste of what it was like to immigrate to Canada from Ireland. It was NO FUN at all. But to bring us back to the present, can you ride a skateboard?

AD: I am famously uncoordinated, so no. My characters can, though!

DC: AND the characters in your story TWO FOOT PUNCH can do Parkour, too. So I guess that makes up for it. Besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

AD: Well, I am very good a baking, and not terrible at playing my guitar when no one is around to listen. My music talent is like the magic carriage that turns back into a pumpkin after midnight, except it is after midnight as soon as anyone enters a room I am playing in. I am an excellent horse groomer (the owner of the stable where my daughter and I board horses keeps offering me a job), and I’m learning to be a much better rider.

DC: I have to admit, I am a city girl, so horses make me a little nervous. But when I was in Charlottetown, I had a chance to take a peek into the past. If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

AD: Europe, early 20th century: Ezra Pound, DH Lawrence, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway…oh yeah!

DC: Anyone special you’d like to meet?

AD: I would like to sit down at a café table with James Joyce and D H Lawrence. They might not have cared for each other, but I’ll bet they could still have an interesting and stimulating conversation. I’d also like to meet Johnny Depp. Can you help me out with that, Darby?

DC: to tell you the truth, not one of the pirates I met on board The Elizabeth looked anything like Johnny Depp. Sorry about that, Anita! Can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

AD: Oh gosh, which one? I will launch the 3rd in my JCR series on April 29, am finishing a northern teen thriller, and am researching a next teen book. This last I am very excited about, as in the name of thorough research I will be helping to herd and work with free-range horses in northern BC this summer! It doesn’t get much better than that!

The next JCR book is called ON THE TRAIL OF THE BUSHMAN. JCRS Tommy, Jaz and Colly are all back, and while narrowly avoiding disaster at a summer camp south of Whitehorse, Yukon, they end up in the mountains on the trail of a bushman…who might actually be trailing them. But, is it a bushman, or is it the terrifying Windigo?

DC: WHOA! Now that sounds exciting! I'm going to have to meet Tommy, Jaz and Colly one day. So, when Gramps throws a little spare change my way, I’m personally pretty fond of red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

AD: Mmmm…nothing beats jellybeans. I LOVE jellybeans!

DC: If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

AD: http://www.anitadaher.com Actually, I’m pretty much all over the Internet. You can find out a whole lot if you just Google my name…but don’t go believing those rumours about me and Johnny Depp. They aren’t true! Well, not all of them…

DC: Okay, if you say so. I'm going to go look you both up, just in case. Thanks for being here, Anita!

And if you'd like to win a copy of one of Anita's very cool books, why not leave your name in the comment section below. How about letting me know which scares you the most -- skateboarding or horseback riding! Special bonus points for those who have tried parkour and want to tell me about it.

Back tomorrow with our Tuesday Mystery Author. See you then!

~Darby

Apologies...and Congratulations!

2009-03-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

*

Before Maurice gets to his job of picking the winners with a twitch of his calico tail, I want to apologize to Jill Murray and all my readers for the typesetting snafu of this morning's post.

The spacing has now been de-wonked and all is back to normal.

Thanks for your patience.

And now...to this week's winners!

Lucky winners please send kc dyer your address at kcdyer@telus.net and signed books will be winging their way to you soon...

James McCann's book goes to H
Vicki Pettersson's novel goes to Pissenlit (*special accolades for your handle, too...)
Micol Ostow's lucky winner is Nora
Robert J Sawyer's jumping jetpacker is A Novel Woman.
Shelley Hrdlitschka's book goes to kayla
Diane Haynes novel goes to MJ

And the grand prize winner of a copy of MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK and a copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is .... Erika Lynn!

Heartiest of congratulations to all!

Now, tomorrow's blog post may come a little late as the scribe has to work all day at a CWC camp -- but it will be up, so never fear. Check back to see our mystery guest then.

~Darby

*photo displayed with thanks, subject to creative commons agreement, shot by SkyWideDesign and displayed on Flickr.

Friday Mystery Author ...Revealed!

2009-03-19T17:20:00.001-07:00

This poor thing -- she's looking really broken up.

Any idea who this blogging author could be? She hails from the East and does a lot to keep young adults authors connected in Canada. And if you want to learn all there is to know about b-girls...read on!

But first, this skater girl needs to lift the veil on our guest:

Hey! It's Jill Murray! Welcome, Jill.

Darby Christopher: My new story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Where were you born?

Jill Murray: I was born in Toronto. My parents were Maritimers. My family on my mother's side has been in Canada for a few hundred years. I suppose they would have arrived by boat.

DC: Hey -- same as mine! You can read a bit of my family's story in my new book. So where do you live now?

JM: I live in Montreal now. The city is a part of me.

DC: Cool. I've heard it's an awesome city. Do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were growing up in Toronto?

JM: My great grandmother on my mother's side was Acadian, and as legend has it, they had a rule in their house that at the dinner table, you spoke in French, or you didn't speak at all. Consequently, dinners were silent. And if the story is true, that's how my family personally helped crush its own little parcel of Acadian culture. I guess that's a little depressing, but its the first thing that came to me.

DC: My friend Gabe is Acadian. His story shows up in my next book. So, you may not know this, but as a Toronto girl, it is my greatest ambition to skate down Yonge Street. Can you ride a skateboard?

JM: No! I cannot! I've always been a rollerblades girl, and thus I am the scorned enemy of skateboarders. You can't win 'em all.

DC: Hey -- it takes talent to ride those rollerblades. Besides writing books and rollerblading, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

JM: Baking and web code. On days when I take brownies to work and then write on my lunch hour, my life is pretty much complete.

DC: Any girl who codes is a geek after my own heart. Now my particular talent seems to lie in walking through windows. If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

JM: Since you've got me thinking about my skates: to just after I turned fifteen, but just before I took a rubber speed bump on my rollerblades and was rewarded with a face full of pavement, a knocked out tooth, a root canal, a false tooth, surgery, and stitches. We get to make different decisions when we go back, right? Otherwise... yesterday or the day before yesterday, so I can extend my vacation.

DC: You've got to talk to kc dyer about the whole knocking-out-of-teeth thing. I think you two have something in common! Other than her, anyone special you’d like to meet?

JM: I would like to meet an amazing landlord who wants to rent me a gorgeous one or two bedroom apartment in a great neighborhood in Montreal, for not too much money.

DC: Can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

JM: BREAK ON THROUGH is the world's first and only b-girl novel. A b-girl is a breakdancer, and my book follows Nadine from downtown Toronto to the outer-outer suburbs, where she has to remake her life and her breakdance crew from scratch at a time when the whole world seems to be against her.

Nadine is the kind of girl who would ride a skateboard. She can also spin on her head and intimidate you using only her posture and a well-pointed glare.

DC: She sounds like my kinda girl. I hope to get to meet her one day soon. If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

JM: I'm at JillMurray.com. Break on through is at JillMurray.com/break-on-through. I also host a Canadian YA and middle-grade book community blog at y-eh.ca.

Well, thanks a lot for talking to me today, Jill! And if you'd like to win a signed copy of Jill's book, leave a comment below. Which do you prefer -- skateboard or rollerblades? And hey -- no bias to be shown to the winner -- judging will be blind, I promise!

~Darby

Mystery Author...Archer... Revealed!

2009-03-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

The celebration of the launch of the novel A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW continues today, and I am very excited to introduce this author.

I'm not sure how she feels about skateboards, but her main character does a mean high kick and has some pretty impressive other skills, too, so it would not surprise me.

This New York Times bestselling author has three novels published and the highly anticipated fourth will be coming out this summer. Before she wrote these amazing books, she spent ten years as a showgirl in Las Vegas, so she really knows the city whereof she writes.

These days she's more of a 'message board' person than a blogger, but you can find it all on her website HERE.

Let's see what she looks like behind the archer, shall we?

It's Vicki Pettersson!

Darby Christopher: Thanks so much for joining me today, Vicki! My new book, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to live in Canada. I know you are American. Where were you born?

Vicki Pettersson: I was born in Las Vegas and have yet to escape its gaudy, capitalistic clutches.

DC: What a cool place to grow up. Not literally of course... So, growing up on the glitzy streets of Las Vegas, did you learn to ride a skateboard?

VP: No. Not a skateboard, boogie board, horse … and barely a bike. I seem to be at my best while getting around by my own volition. Even that’s dodgy.

DC: That's okay. Your main character, Joanna Archer, is pretty quick on her feet! So, besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

VP: No, and thank you for making me ruminate on exactly how talent-less I am! I can’t even bend my tongue into a four-leafed clover…and I just tried. I got nuttin’.

DC: A four-leafed clover is so yesterday, Vicki! Okay, so let's get down to some time travel talk. If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

VP: I think I’d go back and talk to myself as a teen. The ‘me’ who has learned all the life lessons would school the ‘me’ who hasn’t been there yet on how to get where I want to go, but faster.

Who to avoid, what opportunities to lunge at, but circumventing all the drama of the ambiguous and unknown. Of course, then I’d probably make such rashly different choices that my experiences would quickly outstrip any knowledge I have claim to, sending me down another ambiguous path altogether. So that’s a fun exercise too. Not.

DC: Yeah, I always wonder about that 'going back and irrevocably changing the future' issue. Personally, I try not to think about it too much. So is there anyone special you’d like to meet?

VP: I think it would be fun to meet “famous” people before they’re famous. While they’re still raw and forming. Wouldn’t to be cool to just run into Barack Obama at a cafe and chat about some possible future political aspirations? I’ve an insatiable desire to figure out what makes people tick — not what they do, but why they do it - so that’s my kind of voyeurism.

DC: You're right -- that would be SO cool. And sometimes it's hard to remember that every famous person was a kid once, making mistakes and falling down. But back to the present. Can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

VP: CITY OF SOULS, the fourth book in my Signs of the Zodiac series comes out in July. My protagonist, Joanna, doesn’t just enter a new fray in the battle between Shadow and Light, but a new world entirely, one hidden from mortal sight. I hadn’t done this kind of worldbuilding since starting the series, and it was exciting to see where my imagination led. I hope readers think so as well.

DC: Oh, man -- that sounds so cool. I can't wait to read it! So, after a long day of writing, what's your favourite treat to have? Mine is red licorice.

VP: I’ll tell you when you’re of legal drinking age.

DC: Okay, okay, I've heard that before. If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

VP: My website is the best place to indulge in All Things Zodiac: www.vickipettersson.com

If you want to talk with me and other readers about the series, though, I hang out on my message board quite a bit. The link can also be found on my site. Thanks for asking!

DC: It's been great talking to you, Vicki. Thanks for coming along to join the fun. And enjoy your own book launch in a couple of months!

If you'd like to win a copy of one of Vicki Pettersson's books, leave your name in the comment section. What is YOUR sign of the Zodiac?

We'll do the draw for one of Vicki's books this Friday, March 20th after 8 pm. Get your name in soon!

~Darby

Wicked Wednesday Writer -- Revealed!

2009-03-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

You may have spotted this mysteriously disguised writer over on kcdyer's blog. Let's just have a look at her, shall we?

Hmmm.

Mortar board. Shiny achievement plaque.

I'm thinking we might be dealing with an academic here. Perhaps even ...some kind of a Golden Girl? Aside from her academic aspirations, I can tell you that in all likelihood you have read something by this author before, as she is hugely prolific, high energy and a lot of fun. She claims her biggest fan is a french bulldog named Bridget Jones.

Figured it out yet?

Let's unmask her and find out!

It's Micol Ostow! Micol is the author of more than 40 books, and her brand new series of Bradford novels just released in January.

Darby Christopher: It's great to meet you, Micol. A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to live in Canada. You live in the US, but have a pretty interesting background yourself. Where were you born?

Micol Ostow: I was born in exotic Long Island, New York! And we moved to New Jersey when I was about a year old. So probably the "interesting" part that you're getting at is how my mother is Puerto Rican, and my father is Jewish/Eastern European. So I was raised a conservative Jew (my mother converted and we were pretty observant while I was growing up), but with a little Latina "flair." And--it must be said--a serious "Ramos family booty."

DC: That's not too far south of where my grandparents live on Prince Edward Island in Canada. Where do you live now?

MO: These days I live in NYC, in the West Village, home to many a literary heavyweight. I love my neighborhood because it's got so much personality and history...but it's a lot to live up to!

DC: That sounds like a cool neighbourhood. Do you remember any special stories about your family or your neighbourhood from when you were a kid?

MO: Apparently I was staying with my grandparents in Riverdale, NY, while my mother was in labor with my brother. When my father called to tell me that I had a baby brother, I asked if I could live with my grandparents instead of going home.

So, yeah--brother Dave and I, off to a rocky start. Good thing that's all changed! (We have a book coming out together this summer, SO PUNK ROCK (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother. So we've managed to work through the sibling rivalry drama).

DC: Ha. Luckily I have never had that problem. I fill the time other kids have to spend dealing with their sibs riding my skateboard around. Can you ride a skateboard?

MO: Never tried!

DC: Hmmm. I think that's something you need to remedy. So, besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

MO: It's been a few years, so I'm probably rusty, but I can tap dance! Also, I ran the NYC Marathon back in 2003. Although these days, I'm more likely to run for the phone when it rings than in a race.

DC: You know, I'm beginning to think tap-dancing must be a part of the writing process! Maybe it helps you come up with good story ideas. That marathon must have been wild! Speaking of wild, if you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

MO: Too many choices! I think I would have liked to be a settler on one of the early Zionist kibbutzes, to get a sense of what the real feeling of community and purpose was in founding the state of Israel. I would have liked to see Kurt Cobain perform. I would have liked to attend a writers' retreat with Virginia Woolf.

DC: Whoa -- I think you would have put your window to a lot of good use with all those choices. Is there anyone special you’d like to meet?

MO: I would love to talk to Barbara Kingsolver about the process of writing "The Poisonwood Bible." What a feat--an exercise in point of view and an epic saga. One of my favorite books of all times.

DC: Sounds like a good book -- great creepy title, for sure. Can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

MO: My very latest release is "GoldenGirl," the first book in the new Bradford Novels series. It's mean-girl lit in the same vein as many of the (amazing) privileged, private-school students books out there, but what sets Bradford apart is its staggering online universe.

We've got character blogs online that offer alternate points of view of events that took place in the book, as well as online-only story arcs and scandalous reveals. We've also got Facebook profiles, student networking pages, and real-time Twitter updates from all of our characters. Come visit us at: www.bradfordnovels.com.

DC: I've had a look around your site and it is astonishing. But it is also a whole lot of fun to go peeking around that universe. I really enjoyed it. So, when you have been working hard and need a little treat, what’s your favourite? I'm into red licorice, myself.

MO: Ooh, you're a girl after my own heart. Red Vines all the way!

DC: Yeah! Fist bump! So, other than the Bradford Novels site, if I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

MO: I'm at www.micolostow.com. Hope to see you there!

DC: You will see me, no doubt. I've got to check up on how the Golden Girl is doing! Thanks so much for joining me today, Micol.

If you'd like to win a copy of Micol's latest book, leave your name in the comment section. How about this -- pop over HERE and check out the Bradford Novels site. Then come back and leave a comment as to your Favourite Thing about the site. Is it the blogs? The real-time tweets? What appeals to you most?

We'll do the draw for Micol's book this Friday, March 20th after 8 pm. Get all your friends to enter...this is a great chance to win!

~Darby

St.Paddy's Day Mystery Guest -- Revealed!

2009-03-17T12:07:00.001-07:00

Faith and begorrah....so happy to see you here today!

Actually, I hate the whole 'fake Irish' element of St. Patrick's Day. Some of my family come from Sligo, and their story emerges in the pages of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, the new novel (starring Moi, the startling and skilled skateboarder Darby Christopher).

However, I didn't even know my name was Irish until I heard the story from my Nan, and I didn't know how bad things were on the coffin ships coming from Ireland to the new world that would be Canada, until I had a walk through a window of my own.

If you'd like to learn more, a quick peek in the pages of the novel will tell you some of what there was to be known. I hope you get a chance to read it!

But for today, we are going to decide the identity of our mystery guest -- another individual of Irish descent, if I'm not mistaken. Can you tell who he is from the picture above? Look at that pot of gold, too -- right at the end of the rainbow.

Let's cut all the Irish for today, though, and unmask him.

It's James McCann! And the pot of gold was hiding his second novel, PYRE.

Darby Christopher: Welcome, James! Now, as I mentioned, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Where were you born?

James McCann: I'm afraid there was no travel in this part of my tale, either in place or time. I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and lived in the same house in which my mother had been raised.

What I can tell you about this place, is how it shaped me into the person I became. Where I grew up, the neighbourhood was very multicultural and economically diverse. The great thing about it, was that we all got along regardless of our ethnic or economic backgrounds. I carried that with me into adulthood, and am still always very surprised when I encounter people who are not
accepting of people based on the colour of their skin or their net worth.

DC: Yeah, that's a good thing about where I grew up in Toronto, too, though I know it's not always like that. Where do you live now?

JM: I live in the Lower Mainland in British Columbia. I moved here for the weather, and also for a change in scenery. Every time I look out my window I feel as though I am seeing a giant postcard!

DC: Ha. Prince Edward Island is like that, too -- pretty as a postcard. I visited there with my weird grandparents, and had a lot of my adventures there. Do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were a kid?

JM: While I can't recall anything in detail, I do remember my grandfather telling me stories about his childhood when I was a preteen. My grandmother would always scold him for "boring" me with his tales, but truthfully I found them fascinating. It's hard to really picture how fast the world has changed due to technology, until you hear someone tell you about the things they never had when they were your age. I guess you could say that it was my own version of 'time travel'.

DC: Yeah, grandparents can be like that. In PEI I would go out and 'board to get away when mine started to tell too many stories. Can you ride a skateboard?

JM: I did have a very unfortunate incident with a skateboard after the movie, "Back To The Future" came out. I'm not really ready to talk about it yet...

DC: Heh heh. I would have liked to have seen that. So, besides writing books and swooshing on skateboards, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

JM: I was most recently a spy in a special writing camp where we studied detective novels. Discovered that I have a great talent for wearing trenchcoats and fedoras...

DC: I've seen pictures of you dressed like a spy! If you could walk through a window in time, is there anyone special you’d like to meet?

JM: C.S. Lewis. There is no author that has had as big an influence on my life as he did. In reading about the way he treated others, I saw the kind of person I wanted to become. He was more than just a great writer and philosopher, he was also very spiritual and kind-hearted.

DC: Oh, I love his books. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, in particular, though I really didn't like the way that series ended. So, James, when Gramps throws a little spare change my way, I’m personally pretty fond of red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

JM: My favourite treat is the Coffee Crisp bar. Chocolaty goodness...

DC: Maybe we could dye one green in honour of the day for you. If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go to look at spy pictures and check you out?

JM: www.jamesmccann.info

DC: Right. And I know there is a link to your blog, there, too. More spy pix to be found there! Thanks so much for sharing this interview with me today, James.

And if YOU"d like to win one of James McCann's amazing books, leave your comment below. Tell us what edible foodstuff YOU would dye green in honour of today. Green hamburgers? Erg. How about Green Eggs and Ham? Whatever you choose, leave your comment and your name will be eligible for a book draw to take place this Friday, April 20th after 8 pm.

How about a green bagel to start the day?

~Darby

Monday Mystery Guest -- Revealed!

2009-03-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

Whoa!

That's a little hard on the eyes, isn't it? But there is a particular reason I pixellated this person. Can you guess?

Well, this author has won every science fiction award out there -- Hugo, Nebula, Campbell, Aurora, Galaxy and way too many more to mention. He is known as the dean of Canadian Science Fiction. He can be seen on his own show on tv, and right now they are filming a televisionpilot for another one of his books, FLASH FORWARD in Los Angeles, California.

Have you figured out who he is yet? Let's unmask him, shall we?

It's Robert J. Sawyer! Did you know that Robert J. Sawyer is one of only seven people in history -- and the only Canadian -- to win all three of the science-fiction field's top awards for best novel of the year: the Hugo Award, which he won for Hominids, the Nebula Award, which he won for The Terminal Experiment, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, which he won for Mindscan?

Darby Christopher: Wow -- I am so happy to meet you, Rob. If anyone understands about the stress of walking through windows to the past (or the future) it's you. My new book is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Where were you born?

Robert J. Sawyer: I was born in Ottawa -- but to an American mother; a graduate student who was only temporarily resident in Canada at the time. So I started out as a dual US-Canadian citizen.

DC: Where do you live now?

RJS: Right in downtown Mississauga, a city of 750,000 adjacent to Toronto.

DC: Hey, I'm from Toronto! Do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were a kid?

RJS: My parents met at the University of Chicago, where they were both studying economics. My mom was from Berkeley, California, and my father from Toronto. They made a deal when they got married: if my father could find a good job in Canada, they'd live there; if my mother could find a good one in the United States, they'd live there -- whoever found the better job would determine where the family lived. Well, it was my dad who got the good job, in Ottawa, and that's why I'm a Canadian today.

DC: Ha! So, growing up in Canada, did you learn to ride a skateboard?

RJS: Nope. I can't rollerskate either.

DC: Well, that's okay. You can probably ride a mean jet-pack, with all the science fiction you write! Besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you'd like to share?

RJS: I am, they say, a good public speaker, and I have a sideline of giving talks at business and government conferences, and am currently hosting and narrating the TV series Supernatural Investigator on Vision TV.

DC: It's so cool that you investigate supernatural stuff! I've had a few supernatural experiences myself. This window-walking thing, for instance. If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

RJS: Back at least 65 million years to the age of the dinosaurs. I love dinosaurs, and right until my last year of high school though I was going to devote my career to studying them.

DC: Oh, me, too! Stegosaurus is my favourite. I love those back plates! Is there anyone special you'd like to meet today?

RJS: Stephen Hawking -- the brilliant physicist. He's inspiring both as a genius and as a person who has dealt with physical disabilities most of us couldn't even imagine.

DC: So, when my Gramps throws a little spare change my way, I'm personally pretty fond of red licorice. What's your favourite treat?

RJS: Pepperoni pizza. I wouldn't eat it for every meal, if I could, but I would have it every day!

DC: Hmm. Now I'm getting hungry... How about if you tell me a bit about your latest project?

RJS: I'm writing a trilogy of novels about a 15-year-old blind girl who has an operation to restore her sight -- and, in the process, discovers she can see a being that lives in the background of the World Wide Web. The first volume, Wake, comes out in April.

DC: Now THAT is a book I cannot wait to read! If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

RJS: I've got a huge web page HERE at http://sfwriter.com and both Wikipedia and The Canadian Encyclopedia have good entries about me.

DC: Wow -- there is a LOT of information there about you! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today. And I promise I'll practice my jet-pack work if you get some work in on a skateboard!

If you'd like to win a copy of one of Robert J. Sawyer's story anthologies, leave your name in the comment section. Maybe you can let us know whether you'd rather ride a skateboard or a jetpack? (Or maybe just stay safely on the ground...)

Maurice the cat and I will do the draw on Friday, March 20th for Rob's book. Get your name in soon, and stay tuned for another interview tomorrow to celebrate the launch this month of my story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW.

~Darby

Saturday Secret Author -- Revealed!

2009-03-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

Just who is this author, obscured by sun signs? If you've read any books including DISCONNECTED, DANCING NAKED and KAT'S FALL, you may have come across her before.

Let's have a clearer look, okay?

That's better! And as she's holding a copy of DANCING NAKED -- let me introduce Shelley Hrdlitschka!

Darby Christopher: Welcome, Shelley! Thanks for joining me for this interview today. My story A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to Canada. Where were you born?

Shelley Hrdlitschka: I was born in Vancouver, and still live in Vancouver! My family claims we have been in Canada for generations, yet sometimes I wonder if maybe some of my distant (and not so distant) relatives are actually aliens, outerspace-type aliens. They can be pretty strange at times....

DC: Hey I can relate to the whole extra-terrestrial element! Hmm. I wonder if aliens ride skateboards. Can you?

SH: I cannot ride a skateboard. I tried rollerblades once, but only once. I am not the most coordinated person I know. Yoga is a good fit for me as it doesn't require wheels so I can't get going too fast.

DC: Yoga sounds quite a bit safer, I have to admit. So beyond wheel-less yoga, do you have any secret or special talents you'd care to share?

SH: My special (and secret) talent ~ tap-dancing! Shh!

DC: You must chat with author Diane Haynes sometime. You two have more in common than just being authors! So if you could tap-dance through a window back in time, would you do it?

SH: I don't think I would ever go through a special window into the past. I'd be way too afraid that I'd never get back! I really really like my creature comforts, like running water, electricity, even public transit. I'm not very adventuresome. I prefer my adventures to be in my imagination.

DC: You know, there's a lot to be said for that. You can't over-rate twenty-first century toilets, either! I'm also pretty fond of modern candy. Red licorice is my favourite. Yours?

SH: My favourite treat is dark chocolate. Creamy, melt-in-your mouth chocolate. Yummm. (I think I'll go get some now.)

DC: Oh -- wow. I think you're right, it feels like the PERFECT time to eat chocolate! I'd really like to read more about you and your books. Where can I find you online?

SH: My soon-to-be updated website can be found at http://www.shelleyhrdlitschka.com/

DC: Thanks, Shelley! I look forward to seeing the updates on your website. And thanks for talking to me today!

Now, if you'd like a chance to win Shelley's wonderful book SUN SIGNS, leave your name in the comments. Do you share Shelley's worry over time-travel? Where would YOU go, if you could walk through a window? Maurice and I will do the draw for the winner next Friday, March 20th.

And I'll see you tomorrow with another mystery author interview!

~Darby

Winners!

2009-03-14T00:51:00.001-07:00

Here's Maurice* the cat, jumped down off his favourite warm spot on the windowsill, to help share the names of this week's winners.

As you may remember, I am celebrating the launch of my new book A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW by interviewing as many blogging authors as I can get to speak with me. If you'd like to share in the celebration from afar, you can click on the title and buy the book. Or better still, you can win a free book by adding your comments to each blog post. At the end of each week in March we are making a big draw....so without further ado -- let's get to it!

And the winners are:

A signed novel by Nikki Tate goes to Diana Dang.

A signed copy of Lois Peterson's Meeting Miss 604 (and a bag of wine gums) goes to Kathy C.

A signed copy of The Young City by James Bow goes to MJ.

A signed copy of The Runaway Princess by Kate Coombs goes to Paradox.

A signed copy of The Kids Book of Canada's Railways by Deborah Hodge goes to Steph Su.

A signed copy of Acadian Star by Hélène Boudreau goes to kayla.

A signed copy of Daughter of War by Marsha Skrypuch goes to H.

And the grand prize of a copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW and a copy of MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK goes to nhertel85.

Winners, please send an email with your name and snail mail address to kc dyer at telus dot net, and (as my executive assistant) she will send all the books to their respective winners.

Thanks to everyone for playing along...and don't stop now! The celebration continues with more authors and give-aways ....every day for the rest of the month. Stop in tomorrow and see who is on tap.

~Darby

*photo displayed with thanks, subject to creative commons agreement, shot by SkyWideDesign and displayed on Flickr.

Prize Draw Day -- No Triskaidekaphobia here....

2009-03-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

Hey -- happy Friday the thirteenth! Any Triskaidekaphobics out there?

Well, there is no fearing the 13th around here, because tonight I'm going to draw for book winners from the following interviews: Nikki Tate, James Bow, Kate Coombs, Lois Peterson, Deborah Hodge, Helene Becker and Marsha Skrypuch, plus a very special draw for signed launch-week copies of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW and MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK. It's prize draw day!

To win, all you need to do is leave a comment either in Darby's interview posts or in kc dyer's leftwriter posts for the dates of March 6th-12th -- and you could be a winner! Get your comments in by 6 pm this evening, and the winners will be announced some time after 8 pm PDT.

Now.

About this woman hiding behind a bear in the picture above. A bear, and a couple of owls and a whole passel of fish, to be exact. [Is a passel an exact measurement? Just how many in a passel, anyway?]

Why is she obscured behind these wild creatures? Is she a wild woman from the forests of BC herself? These are the questions she will face, as she undergoes the celebrated Darby interview.

But first -- the unveiling....

Hmm. Well, from the label on the picture, I'd say we have author Diane Haynes with us. And I have to say she doesn't much look like the wild woman of anything -- she's got a pretty civilized face, now that she's stepped out from behind that bear. Let's see what she has to say for herself.

Darby Christopher: Welcome, Diane! My new book, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Where were you born?

Diane Haynes: Edmonton, Alberta. I lived there until I was all of a year old, so the only moments I 'remember' are the ones that appear in family photos.

Darby C: Hmmm. That does sound pretty civilized. Where do you live now?

Diane H: I live in a heritage building (1925!) in Queens Park, New Westminster -- the original capital city of British Columbia.

Darby C: Do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were growing up in Edmonton that you can you tell me?

Diane H: My dad is a great storyteller, and there was always some special quality to his stories that made them memorable.

He often told the story of going swimming in the ocean for the first time as a young boy. He was playing around in the shallows, diving for shells and doing handstands and the like, and didn't notice that the tide was coming in. It had gotten quite deep, and when he did his next handstand, the water around him exerted so much pressure that he got stuck -- his legs in the air and his head upside-down under water. He wasn't old enough or experienced enough to know to just pull his hands up off the sand and go into a tuck. The water was like something solid holding him in place ... and he began to run out of air. Finally, when he felt his lungs were about to burst, he released the last of his air in a cloud of bubbles, and was about to take in a huge gulp of seawater ... when strong hands gripped his ankles and hauled him up and out of the water. His dad had been sitting on the beach watching his sons play in the waves, and realized little Donny had been under the water for far too long. He saved his life.

A few years later, my dad was left alone with his father one evening, and his father had a heart attack. My dad, only 14 years old, didn't know what to do, and ran to a neighbour's house to get help. When he and the neighbour returned, his dad had died. He wasn't able to save his father the way his father had saved him.

I didn't see the parallel between these two family stories until I put together a workshop last summer, and started thinking about why my books are all about rescue. When I looked back into my own family history, I realized that the theme of rescue and life-saving runs through it, obvious as a bright orange lifesaver ring.

Darby C: Holy crow, Diane. That is an amazing story about your dad. But very sad about your grandpa. And it's amazing how your family influences your subjects as a writer, isn't it? As for me, no one in my family except me rides a skateboard. I am unique in that respect. How about you -- can you ride a skateboard?

Diane H: Absolutely not. My ankles wobble as much as a skateboard does. Bad combination. Roller skates, however ...

Darby C: Roller skates are pretty cool, too. So besides writing books and rollerskating, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

Diane H: I can tap dance. Quite well. I learned how in order to get a part in a Broadway-style production of 42nd Street.

Darby C: REALLY? I had no idea! I wonder if that will ever come up in one of your books. In my story, my special opportunity comes when I step through a stone window-sill. If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?
Diane H: For one, I would go to Israel and spend some time with the historical Jesus and his apostles (a lot of them were women). This would preferably be before things got ugly with Rome.

I would also go back to the literal and figurative crossroads where I gave up on my dream of becoming a professional dancer. I might also go back to my life in my late teens and twenties when I was struggling greatly, and let myself know what my life would be like a few years down the road. Especially that I'd accomplished my dream of getting published. And of being well loved. :)

Darby C: Wow -- I think you'd need a window like mine, to give you lots of opportunities. Anyone else special you’d like to meet?

Diane H: Karen Kain. She was the closest thing Canada had to a superstar in the 70s and early 80s, and she's probably the only person I've ever considered a hero. She was a prima ballerina with the National Ballet of Canada, and is currently presiding over the Canada Council.

Darby C: You are not the first person I have heard say that. Karen Kain is a popular choice. She is well-loved in this country! Diane, can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

Diane H: GAIA WILD is the third novel in Jane Ray's Wildlife Rescue Series, which I describe as "Nancy Drew meets Jane Goodall" -- mystery and adventure (and romance!) all in the context of rescuing animals. Like the other two, this one is set in Vancouver, and focuses on an elephant that's been loaned from the local zoo to a movie production.

The story opens with Jane recognizing the elephant (named Gaia) from a long time ago, realizing her trumpeting is actually an alarm call, and deciding with her two best friends to get after-school jobs on the movie set in order to investigate what might be going on. "Gaia" is also the Greek name for the Goddess of the Earth, and so beneath that main story runs the theme of wildness -- what it means to be a wild animal (including a wild HUMAN animal) on this planet of ours that we have cared for so poorly. And there are some pretty wild scenes in the book!

Darby C: It sounds excellent. So when you get a chance to take a break and have a treat, what's your favourite? I’m personally pretty fond of red licorice, myself.

Diane H: Dubble Bubble or FunDip, hello!

Darby C: Ah -- an author after my own heart. Diane, if I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

Diane H: I blog (rather irregularly) at www.wildliferescueseries.com

Darby C: Thanks for speaking with me today, Diane. It's great to know a little more about the woman behind the wildlife!

If you'd like to win a signed copy of GAIA WILD, leave your name in the comments either here or on kc dyer's blog for today's post. The draw for this book will take place NEXT Friday, March 20th, in order to give everyone a chance to get their names in.

If you'd like to participate in the draw that takes place tonight, make sure to comment on one of the posts in this blog or kc dyer's blog from March 6th-12th. All the comments will be put into a hat and Maurice the cat and I will draw the winners after 8 pm tonight.

See you back here then!

~Darby

Launch Day Mystery Guest -- Revealed!

2009-03-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

Today is my debut!

Yes indeed, yours truly -- Darby Christopher -- emerges from her cocoon tonight to greet the world from the pages of my new novel A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW.

In case you are interested in attending, here is the poster, one last time:
The time is 6:30 pm, the place is Kidsbooks in Edgemont Village (3040 Edgemont Blvd., North Van), and cupcakes will be enjoyed by all!

And to carry on the celebration even more, we have a feature interview today with a very special author.

Never one to make the same mistake twice, kc dyer has forsaken the bearded disguises of the past in favour of a butterfly today, if only to just stretch the whole cocoon analogy a leeeetttlle bit further.

And just who is the mysterious author behind those fluttery blue wings, anyway?

Let's have a look...

It's Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch! Prolific author, honouree of the order of Princess Olha and listserve mistress to the masses, she's authored eleven books. The latest, CALL ME ARAM just received a wonderful review in the Globe & Mail.

Darby Christopher: Welcome, Marsha! My story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to Canada. Where were you born?

Marsha Skrypuch: I was born in Brantford, Ontario.

DC: And where do you live now?

MS: Brantford, Ontario.

DC: Okay -- so it sounds like you've lived in the same place all your life. But what about your family? Do you remember any special stories that you heard when you were a kid?

MS: The first stories I heard about why my grandfather came to Canada were pretty much that -- stories. I remember being told that he was a peasant whose owner was going to sell him for a chicken and a pig.

There is a grain of truth in the story. His family was tied to the land and had to work six days a week for the landowner and the church. At age 16, he was going to be drafted into the Austro-Hungarian army and he didn't want that. Ukrainians were used as cannon fodder in the Austrian army in WWI. He escaped to Canada, where he ended up being interned as an Austrian.

DC: That's quite a story! Now in my book, I get to have several adventures in the past. If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

MS: 1520 Constantinople (now Istanbul)

DC: Whoo, that's pretty specific. Anyone special you’d like to meet?

MS: Sulieman the Magnificent. He was an amazing man. Very much a forward thinker.

DC: Plus he had a great name. But I wonder just how talented he was...like maybe he couldn't ride a skateboard, for example. I'm actually pretty sure there was no such thing as skateboards in 16th century Constantinople. But what about you, Marsha? Can you ride a skateboard?

MS: Yes.

DC: REALLY????

MS: Yes.

DC: Okay -- that is _so_ cool. So, besides skateboarding and writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

MS: I make Ukrainian Easter eggs. Check them out HERE.

DC: Wow. Those are truly beautiful. Marsha, can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

MS: I just finished writing Stolen Child, a historical thriller that will be coming out with Scholastic in 2010.

DC: An historical thriller, eh? I can't wait to read it. Of course, reading always makes me hungry. And when Gramps throws a little spare change my way, I’m personally pretty fond of red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

MS: Mint ice cream.

DC: Hey, I like that, too! Marsha, if I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

MS: www.calla.com

DC: Great! I see I can connect to your blog from there, too. Awesome. Thanks so much for joining me today, Marsha!

And if you'd like to win an autographed copy of Marsha's book DAUGHTER OF WAR, leave your name in the comments and you could be a winner. The draw will take place tomorrow night, Friday the 13th -- let's make it your lucky day!

~kc

Wednesday Wonder -- Revealed!

2009-03-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

Who is this Wednesday wonder?

Nice 'stache!!!! And the whole braided beard thing -- Johnny Depp would be proud.

But, of course, Johnny Depp does not write books, so this is a MUCH more exciting guest today. Have you guessed her name yet?

Let's start with the unbearding...

Ah. MUCH cuter than Johnny Depp. It's Hélène Boudreau! Let's see what she has to say, shall we?

Darby Christopher: Welcome Hélène! A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Where were you born?

Hélène Boudreau: I was born on a teensy island called Petit de Grat off the coast of Cape Breton. Petit de Grat was first settled by the Basque and the name of my hometown means 'little harbour, big fish'.

DC: Ha! Cape Breton is very near where my grandparents live, on Prince Edward Island. Where do you live now?

HB: I now live in Markham, Ontario, far away from little ocean harbours and big ocean fish.

DC: Landlocked! That's too bad, but I'm sure Markham is nice. Besides, Markham is pretty near Toronto, and that's my favourite city in the world. But can you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were a kid growing up on Petit de Grat?

HB: My grandparents had one of the first radios on the island, so they were in charge of reporting the weather for the fishermen in town. There is a rocky hill behind their house and on top of that hill were several flagpoles, visible from the harbour. When the weather report came in, they would climb to the top of the hill and raise flags, baskets and other signals to alert the fishermen around town of the upcoming weather. The ruins of that "Stormdrum" are still there and as kids, we spent hours climbing up, over and around the concrete base and remaining wooden timbers. The 'Stormdrum" became our pirate ship, airplane and clubhouse, plus it had an amazing view of the harbour and the ocean.

DC: That sounds like an incredible place to play. I guess it's pretty hilly there, though. Did you ever learn to ride a skateboard?

HB: I hope that isn't a requirement for participating in this interview. Otherwise, I'm in big trouble...

DC: It's all right -- sounds like you were busy doing other things. Besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

HB: Don't try this at home, but I can turn my eyelids inside out. Totally gross, but exceedingly entertaining.

DC: Okay, I so want to see you doing that! Maybe we can get a picture to put up on this blog! So, when you are hanging around, turning your eyelids inside out, what's your favourite snack to eat? I go for red licorice, myself.

HB: Speaking of licorice, what about those black pipes with the little red candy sprinkles on the 'lit up' part? Love those!

DC: Yep -- I definitely want a picture. Eyelids inside out, licorice pipe in mouth. Hélène, if you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

HB: I would walk through the porthole of the ship THE VIOLET during the deportation of the Acadians in 1758.

DC: Ooooh! That is SO cool! I have an Acadian friend named Gabe, and his story is going to appear in the sequel to A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW. Is there anyone special you’d like to meet?

HB: I'd love to meet my ancestor, Marguerite Gallant. She was an Acadian deportee, en route to France on THE VIOLET. When I first chose the name for the main character of my middle grade novel, ACADIAN STAR, I had no idea she shared the same name as one of my ancestors. Sadly, Marguerite Gallant drowned when THE VIOLET sank off the coast of Cape Breton, never making it to her destination. It would be fascinating, and frightening, to experience just a few moments on that ship. As long as I could walk back out through the same porthole, that is.

DC: You know, even if (very sadly) Marguerite didn't make it, a number of Gallants must have survived. It is a common surname in PEI, even today. Now, what can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

HB: My latest middle grade book, ACADIAN STAR, was published by Nimbus Publishing last fall. Here's the 411:

The Acadian Star competition is the biggest thing to ever happen in Meg Gallant's small Cape Breton town. Meg dreams of performing onstage with her best friend Nève. If they're lucky, they might even make it to the finals in Halifax. But Meg's weird old aunt, Tante Perle, has been acting stranger and stranger-and just before the finale of the competition, she whisks Meg away from everything she knows. Meg suddenly finds herself trapped in the time of the tragic Acadian Deportation-and she has to choose between escaping to her own time and saving a girl who looks remarkably like Nève. Why is she trapped in the eighteenth century? Will she be able to save this stranger, so quickly becoming a friend? And where does Tante Perle fit in with all this? This book for middle readers introduces us to contemporary Acadian characters, and also offers a young girl's perspective on the Acadian Deportation.

DC: Geez -- that sounds so cool. And I really have to introduce you to my friend Gabe. I think you guys could share a few stories! If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

HB: You can check out my website HERE, read the first chapter of ACADIAN STAR here and see me make a fool of myself, while soliciting Diet Coke endorsements HERE.

DC: Okay -- that is one of the funniest vlogs I have ever seen. You rock, Hélène! Or maybe I should say ...you walk.

HB: Thanks for inviting me, Darby! This was a lot of fun.

Now, if you'd like to win a copy of Hélène's wonderful book ACADIAN STAR, leave your name in the comments below.

But first -- go watch her vlog. Really. Just do it.

And stay tuned tomorrow for another mystery author to help celebrate the launch of my book A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW!

~Darby

Tuesday Mystery Guest -- Revealed!

2009-03-10T13:50:00.001-07:00

Apologies for the late posting. But a few technical difficulties are not going to stop this blog -- nosirree.

Remember this face? If you've been reading kcdyer's blog, you will have seen it before. I'm not sure that she's actually ever been out in public like this, however...

Want to know more? Here's a hint -- she's the author of more than 20 books for children, and as a writer and a speaker, she swears she has the best job in the world.

Oh, heck, let's unmask and see what this mystery author has to say!

Hey! It's Deborah Hodge! I _love_ her stories.

Darby Christopher: Welcome, Deborah. I've been asking the authors I have been interviewing where they came from, and have been hearing a few surprising answers. Where were you born?

Deborah Hodge: I was born Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, an historic city on the Canadian prairies that gets its name from a Cree word: Moosegaw, meaning “warm breezes.”

Darby: That's weird. I always thought it was really named for the Moose's body part! Where do you live now?

Deborah: I live on the west coast of Canada in Vancouver, BC, near the beautiful mountains and ocean. Ahh... breathe in that fresh sea air!

Darby: I remember thinking that the sea air was kinda overrated when I arrived in my grandparents' one-lobster town, but I guess you're right. It kinda grows on you. So when you were growing up in Moose Jaw, do you remember any special stories that your family told?

Deborah: Like me, my parents were born in Moose Jaw, and they were children of immigrants and farmers. Some of my favourite stories are about my grandmother’s family, who were homesteaders in Saskatchewan.

I remember my grandmother describing prairie fires, droughts, dust storms, and blizzards as fierce as you’ve ever seen. She said that some winters the air was so thick with blowing snow, you couldn’t see a thing. During one of those blizzards, her father had to feed the hungry horses in the barn. To keep himself safe, he tied one end of a rope onto the doorknob of their house and carried the other end in his hand. When the horses were fed, the blizzard had become so severe that he couldn’t see his house from the barn, so he had to follow the rope with his hands to feel his way back home.

Darby: Holy Crow! It's like real life was an adventure for your grandparents! My grandparents like things to stay pretty calm, so until I met Gabe I relied on my skateboard for adventures. Can you ride a skateboard?

Deborah: No, I can’t skateboard, but it sure looks like fun!

Darby: It is! It's my not-so-secret talent. Besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

Deborah: I love to cook, and especially enjoy making homemade jam and pies. My secret wish is to enter a pie-baking contest at a country fair and come home with the first-place ribbon!

Darby: My Nan makes homemade jam. Delish! Of course, when Gramps throws a little spare change my way, I’m personally pretty fond of red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

Deborah: I love Hawkins cheezies — the thick crunchy, cheese snacks in the orange and white striped cellophane bag. My second favourite are warm gingersnap cookies, fresh out of the oven. Mmm!

Darby: Uh -- anytime you want to invite me over, I think I can be available. I'm especially good at sharing cookies! In my new story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, I get a chance to explore the past of a number of people who live on my grandparents' street. If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

Deborah: I would go back to my grandmother’s childhood time on her farm in Horizon, Saskatchewan. I’m intrigued by the lives of Canada’s early homesteaders, and how courageous and hardworking they must have been.

I’ve featured the early prairie homesteaders in my Canadian history books, The Kids Book of Canada’s Railway and The Kids Book of Canadian Immigration. If you’d like to see a picture of my grandmother, turn to p. 28 in Canada’s Railway. She’s the young girl, Helen Bigler, in the upper left-hand part of the page.

Darby: Wow! I bet you would have liked to meet her! Anyone else special you’d like to meet?

Deborah: I’d like to meet my grandmother’s mother, my great-grandmother — known to the family as Grammie Bigler. I’ve heard many stories about her, especially about how brave she was when her young husband died in the influenza epidemic that swept through the prairies in the early 1900s. Grammie Bigler raised a family on her own, helped deliver the community’s babies, and nursed many sick people during the terrible epidemic.

Darby: I heard about that 'flu epidemic. It was a terrible time. Your great-grandmother sounds very brave. Can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

Deborah: I’ve just finished a new series of books, “Who Lives Here?” for 4-6 year old children. Some of the titles are: Rain Forest Animals, Polar Animals, Desert Animals, and Wetland Animals. The books take a playful look at how animals' bodies and habits are suited to the habitat in which they live. Pat Stephens is the amazing illustrator who gave the series its lovely look.

Darby: Those sound like fun. If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

Deborah: Please see my website at: www.deborahhodge.com. Thanks so much, Darby! It’s been a pleasure talking to you!

Darby: And to you, Deborah!

Now what did I tell you? This is one Canuck author! No wonder she was hiding behid that maple leaf. If you'd like a chance to win a copy of Debbie Hodge's book THE KIDS BOOK OF CANADA'S RAILWAYS, leave a comment below. Maybe you could tell her if you've ever been to Moose Jaw! If you win, you can look at a picture of Deborah's grandma!

The book draw will take place this Friday evening, with winners announced sometime after 8 pm. You can comment on as many blog posts as you like -- more chances to win!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for another mystery author.

~darby

Monday Mystery Guest

2009-03-09T11:01:00.001-07:00

Here we are on a Monday morning. For some of you it is Spring Break, and to that I say -- hurray! I wish you fair weather and clear roads -- time to break out the skateboard. (NOT literally -- just take it out and coast around on it a bit, okay? No breaking involved...)

The first actual party-type launch of the new book A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, (in which I play a pivotal role, she says modestly) is taking place this Thursday in North Vancouver, British Columbia. For details, check out leftwriter, the blog of author kc dyer.

She handles all my press.

I'm too busy interviewing authors, and today is no exception.

Check out this mysterious creature. The crown is a bit of a hint, because this author was not actually born in Canada OR the United States. She's recently published her first book for kids and has a second one ready to go, hot on the heels of the first. But this author has had ink-stained fingers for a lot longer than that. Let's unmask her first, and then find out more, shall we?

That's better! Please welcome Lois Peterson to my blog today.

Darby Christopher: Hi Lois! A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Where were you born?

Lois Peterson: I was born in a small market town called Hailsham in Sussex, England. The only thing the town was known for then, was that it housed the factory that made rope for the hangman's noose. Now that hanging is abolished in England, the most interesting about Hailsham is that it still holds a livestock market - as it had done since the Middle Ages.

DC: Ooooo -- the hangman's noose is pretty creepy! So, where do you live now?

LP: I came to Vancouver in 1972 after living in New York for a year. I came to check it out. I never consciously made the decision to stay, but here I am. Now I live near the sea in White Rock, BC. Which is 4,752 miles from Sussex, or 7,647 km.

DC: Since you come from England, you must have heard some cool stories about your family when you were a kid. Can you tell me one?

LP: Because we don't all live close to each other, when we do get together we tell a lot of stories that we've all heard before - I think to reassure each other that we do belong together. My favourites are:

The Day Lois Ran Away from Boarding School in Her Housecoat
(I walked about four miles before I was 'retrieved' by a policeman whose car I tried to outrun - in my slippers. The story has been around so long, and I've made up so many versions of it, that I'm not sure anyone can really be sure what did and did not happen.)

The Day Grandad Was Stopped Going Home from Work By a Policeman.
He not believe Grandad lived in the neighborhood. (My grandfather's family was evacuated in the war from London to a very posh part of Eastbourne in Sussex - the family was a rough lot, so must have looked very suspicious and out of place.)

Why Bill Peterson is Allergic to Pears (that's my dad, and he's not!).

My Family Was So Poor We Could Not Afford to Have Parents - one of my father's many tall tales.

You can see we're a rather boring lot - no great dramas or adventures in our family. But we do love to tell the same stories over and over again, and contradict each other when we change the smallest details. When we're telling stories, our family motto is "All that follows is true. And that that isn't, ought to be."

DC: Well, maybe your adventures are of a more physical kind. Can you ride a skateboard?

LP: Oh, I wish! I was a whizz at roller skating when I was at boarding school - every night after supper about 40 of us would put on our skates and skate around the netball court. There was not much room for fancy footwork, but I could skate backwards really well. But that was a long time ago...

DC: I think skating backwards on roller skates is pretty adventurous! Do you have any other secret skill you’d like to share?

LP: I used to boast that I could knit, drink coffee, watch TV, read and smoke a cigarette all at the same time. I quit smoking years ago, and haven't had a TV since about 1995. But I could still do the other three things at once, I think. If I had to. If I could find my knitting needles.
I am very good at Jacks. Does that count? I can't think of much else.

DC: I played jacks when I was in PEI at my grandparents' house. I also had some other adventures there. If you were like me and had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

LP: This sounds very odd, as it was a grim time. But I'd like to go back to the East End of London in Victorian times. I love to know how people lived - not the rich and famous, but working class people. And although they were hard times, there was a lot of community spirit and energy in the streets of terrace houses, street markets, churches and pubs. And working class children had a lot of freedom in those days, so I'd imagine they'd have many interesting adventures, especially around the docks where ships came from all parts of the world carrying exotic cargo.

DC: I'm kinda fond of the grim times, myself. Anyone special you’d like to meet?

LP: Grace Darling was a young Victorian girl whose father was a lighthouse keeper. During a bad storm, she persuaded him to rescue sailors aboard a ship that had run aground, even though the weather was far too dangerous to go out. She went out in the lifeboat with him, everyone on board was saved, and Grace became a heroine - known all over England, sung about in Music Hall songs. Apparently, she didn't do much very interesting after that, and died quite young. So I'd love to have the chance to meet her to find out what life was like after such a huge adventure, and how it might have changed her.

When I was thinking of writing a book based on Grace's story (there have been three or four already), my research yielded one bit of strange information - everyone on that ship that night were men, except one woman (it was carrying cargo - not passengers). The writer in me would also like to know who that woman was, and what was her story, too.

DC: Whoa -- that sounds really exciting! Can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

LP: I have a bit of a grasshopper mind, so I juggle several stories at once. One is called ELSIE AND THE SILVER RAIN about a young girl whose mother, during the Depression in Vancouver, signs up for a dance marathon for a chance to win some money - which the family badly needs. But as Elsie's grandmother would not have approved, her mother tells her and Elsie that she's going to stay with a sick friend in New Westminster. The story is about how Elsie finds out, and how her mother's deception and desperation changes her, and the rest of her family.

Another is a YA novel about a boy who is stalked by the man who accidentally killed his father.

And another is an adventure story set in the Marshes of Southern Iraq. I was brought up in Iraq, but never got to visit the Marshes. But I've always been fascinated by that part of the world.

My next book comes out in Spring 2010 - right now it's called THE BALLAD OF KNUCKLES MCGRAW but that might change. It's about a boy who mentally adopts the persona of a cowboy called Knuckles McGraw and has a horse called Burlington Northern.

DC: Burlington Northern...that's a good name for a horse, especially an Iron Horse! So, when Gramps throws a little spare change my way, I’m personally pretty fond of red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

LP: Wine gums. Miss Stella in MEETING MISS 405 likes them, too. I'll send a bag of them to whoever wins the copy of my book.

DC: Yum! I may have to enter the draw, myself! If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

LP: My website is at www.loispeterson.net and I do write a blog at http://lpwords.blogspot.com/

DC: Thanks for joining me today, Lois.

Now you heard the lady. If you'd like to win a signed copy of MEETING MISS 405 and a bag of wine gums, just leave a comment, below. I'll do a draw on Friday, March 13th -- here's hoping it's your lucky day!

~Darby

Sunday Morning Mystery...Author

2009-03-08T11:45:00.001-07:00

This most excellent disguise masks the face of today's guest author. She is the author of two beautiful books, (THE SECRET KEEPER and THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS) and has several more ready for publication.

And she, very sweetly, agreed to join the celebration for MY new book A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW by chatting with me today.

First, of course -- the great unmasking!

Darby Christopher: Here she is -- Kate Coombs! Thanks so much for coming today, Kate. Now, my story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to live in Canada. You are American, I believe. Where were you born?

Kate Coombs: I was born in Spokane, Washington. My ancestors came to the United States from England, Scotland and Wales.

Darby: Where do you live now?

Kate: Burbank, California, but not everyone knows where that is, so I usually tell them Los Angeles.

Darby: Do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were a kid?

Kate: Most people think it's pretty interesting that my six brothers and sisters and I are all adopted, and we're of different ethnicities. I have two Korean sisters, two part-Filipino sisters and a Samoan brother. My other brother and I are Caucasian. I remember one weekend when I was ten, my parents left us with a baby sitter and went on a trip. when they came back, they brought a ten-month baby boy -- our new little brother. We were so surprised! (The other times we knew in advance.)

Still, when I'm asked if it was different growing up in my family, I say "no"; we were just a bunch of kids. It didn't seem particularly unique to us.

Darby: That is so cool. So with all those brothers and sisters, you must have learned how to ride a skateboard, right?

Kate: Not in the least!

Darby: Okay, then, besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

Kate: I'm a world-class doodler. If the meeting I'm in is long and boring enough, I'll cover half a page or so with elaborate, interlocking designs.

Darby: I've done that myself, usually in Math class. But I'm bored, I get hungry. I’m personally pretty fond of red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

Kate: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! I'm especially fond of peanut M&Ms and those Ferraro Roche Hazelnut thingies.

Darby: Hmmm. I'm beginning to detect a bit of a chocolate theme here, with all these writers I've been talking to. Now, Kate, in my story I have a special way to find a route into history. If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

Kate: Most eras of the past were pretty unpleasant for women, but if I could just visit one, I guess I'd like to go to Shakespearian England.

Darby: That's a cool choice! Anyone special you’d like to meet?

Kate: As my answer indicates, I'd like to meet Shakespeare. He created so much amazing work that I'd love to talk to him about his writing -- his inpirations, his ideas, things like that.

Darby: No question he wrote a LOT of stories. What about you, Kate? Can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

Kate: I have four books in teh pipeline right now -- the next one to come out will be THE RUNAWAY DRAGON in September. That's the sequel to THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS. But the book I'm working on these days is about a high school girl witha unique power, and what happens when her ability gets her into a war with another girl who is a witch.

Darby: Oooo. I can't wait to read that! If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

Kate: Check out WWW.KATECOOMBS.COM Thanks, Darby!

Darby: Thank YOU, Kate! It's been great to chat with you today.

Now, if you'd like to win a signed copy of Kate Coombs' latest book THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS, put your name in the comments -- and you'll be entered to win! The draw takes place this Friday, March 13th -- so make it your lucky day and enter to win.

I'll be back tomorrow with another writer to share a chat with...and more chances to win books!

~Darby

Saturday Mystery Author

2009-03-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

You may have seen this picture over on kc dyer's blog:

He may appear in scholarly disguise here, but I can tell you that writing is pretty important to this man.

In fact, he has writing in his blood.

This man is the son of a writer. He is married to a writer. And, as an avid follower on his blog of all the things his daughters get up to, there is no doubt in my mind that he is the father of a couple of would-be writers, too!

This is music to my ears, since I am the star of my own epic story. And since this guy and I both hail from the same city -- a city that turned 175 years old yesterday, I am dying to interview him.

Let's start with the unmasking....

And here he is! Mr. James Bow, author of a whole pile of books for young people. My favourites are the Unwritten Books: THE UNWRITTEN GIRL, FATHOM FIVE and THE YOUNG CITY. He is the son of writer Patricia Bow, and is married to writer Erin Bow. Erin and James have two beautiful daughters, Vivian and Eleanor.

Pay close attention, and you'll learn how you can win a copy of THE YOUNG CITY. But first...

Darby Christopher: Welcome James!

James Bow: Hello, Darby!

DC: The city you and I both love turned 175 years old yesterday. My story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Can you tell me where were you born?

JB: I was born, I believe, at Women's College Hospital in downtown Toronto. I spent the next nineteen years of my life right downtown, which is why I didn't learn to drive until I was 23. Back then, I didn't need a driver's license to get where I wanted to go.

DC: But since then, you've left Toronto. Where do you live now?

JB: Since 1991, I've lived in Kitchener, Ontario. I moved here to attend the University of Waterloo, and I've stayed ever since.

DC: Well, that's not too far away, anyway! When you were a kid growing up in Toronto, do you remember any special stories about your family that you can tell me?

JB: There is the tale of my paternal grandfather (my father's father). He was born in 1900 and was sent to Canada by his parents in 1910 -- at a time when China was in revolution -- to live with an "uncle" in Montreal. At the time, his parents would have to have paid a $500 head tax in order to get him into the country, and from what we know, he never saw his parents again.

My grandfather is the reason why I can make some claim to being a third generation Chinese Canadian, even though I am three quarters European. He's the reason why my father and myself grew up just north of Chinatown in Toronto, why I have a Chinese name, and why I've given Chinese names to my two daughters.

DC: Whoa -- that is so cool. I can't believe people were charged a tax to come into Canada. Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty. It's my dream to skateboard down Yonge Street, which some claim is the longest street in the world. Can you ride a skateboard?

JB: No. Next question?

DC: That's okay -- I'll forgive you. Not everyone is as talented as I am on a board. But besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

JB: I'm told that I'm freakishly good at navigating. I love looking at maps, and playing around with Google Maps, and can usually find my way around a place after looking at a map for a while -- certainly after making the trip once.

DC: Sheesh. I sure could have used your skills one time when I ended up in the far North! So, if you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

JB: It depends on where the other end is. There are places I'd like to see and experience, and there are places I'd rather just read about. I would like to see how my home town developed, ride the streetcars before they went away; take part in the golden age of railroading. But for the most part, I'm happy where I am here, exploring the past through normal research.

DC: If you did go, is there anyone special you’d like to meet?

JB: I would not say no to shaking the hands of famous people like the President of the United States, the Prime Minister or the Governor General. But the people I'd really like to meet and share a meal with are all authors. And I'm getting to meet these people now.

I do wish that I'd had a chance to meet with Madeleine L'Engle before she died, to tell her how much of an influence she had on my work.

DC: Oh, I really agree! A WRINKLE IN TIME is one of my favourite books. After you get to know me a little, I guess the reason why is kinda obvious. Can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

JB: I'm currently working on a novel entitled "The Night Girl", which is about a young woman who finds work as a secretary for an employment agency finding work for goblins and trolls. I'm currently rewriting the story to get it into the best shape to submit. You can learn more about the story and my other projects at http://booksbybow.ca/

DC: That sounds awesome. I can't wait until it comes out! Listen, when my Gramps throws a little spare change my way, I’m personally pretty fond of red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

JB: Good coffee. You might think that price doesn't make a difference, but it does. Our favourite brand is the Kicking Horse Pass organic coffee. It tastes much better than other flavours of coffee.

DC: Ha! I read about this kid named Darrell Connor once. She was a big coffee drinker, but maybe it was because she lives in Vancouver. I've heard they are all a little weird out there. I think I'll stick to licorice, myself. James, if I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

JB: My official books website is http://booksbybow.ca/, which covers me, all of my books, and my upcoming projects. The official website for my Unwritten Books series can be found at http://unwrittenbooks.ca/

DC: Great! Well, thanks so much for stopping by today, James!

And if you'd like to win a copy of James Bow's latest novel THE YOUNG CITY, and see what the city was like back in 1884, just leave a comment and the book could be yours!

~Darby

We have our First Week Winners!

2009-03-06T21:05:00.001-08:00

This is Maurice. To find out how to pronounce his name, how he got his name and why this isn't the ACTUAL Maurice, you'll have to head on over and listen to kc dyer's LONG (and apparently funny to only she and her sister, so why bother?) explanation on her blog.

Maurice is here for one reason only. He has brought me the names of the winners of this week's book prizes.

And he even has a SURPRISE Prize under one paw.

More on that, later.

Let's get to the winners, shall we?

Mystery author #1 this week was Jacqueline Pearce. The winner of Jacquie's book DISCOVERING EMILY is....Erika Lynn. Congratulations, Erika!

Mystery author #2 was Tanya Lloyd Kyi. The winner of Tanya's book GREAT CANADIAN GIRLS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD is....Diana Dang. Go Diana!

Mystery author #3 this week was Donald Calame. The winner of and advanced reading copy of Don's new book SWIM THE FLY (plus a limited edition swim cap!) is....Steph Su. Hooray Steph!

Mystery author #4 this week was Linda Gerber. The winner of an advanced reading copy of Linda's new book DEATH BY DENIM (which, I might add, _I_ have not even read yet!) is ...Kayla. Way to go, Kayla!

Now -- remember that SurPrize that Maurice has under his paw? It is a copy of A WALK THROUGH THE WINDOW, the amazing new story by kc dyer, starring MOI, also known as Darby the Magnificent. Apparently kc dyer is feeling generous, because she is also throwing in a copy of her last novel, MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK, which is not starring, MOI, but I do have to admit is not a bad read.

And the winner of that special Paw Prize is....ca2ajs. And a very cryptic name that is, too. What shall we call you for short? Ca? CJ? Regardless -- congratulations to you ca2ajs!

Now, lucky winners, to claim your prizes, please email kcdyer at telus dot net (running the whole thing together and replacing the 'at' with an @ and the 'dot' with a .) with your mailing address, and she will send the signed copies of the prizes to you forthwith.

Meaning right away.

Maurice (pronounced Morris -- which you would know if you'd read kc dyer's blog by now) and I, the Magnificent Darby, will be drawing for more prizes NEXT Friday. In between now and then, I will have interviews with seven (count 'em, SEVEN) more astonishing and generous authors, who will be sharing copies of their books for our draw.

So make sure you tune in every day to read the interviews and get a chance to win some amazing books. Just leave a comment on the interview post of the author whose book you'd like to win, and your name will be entered into the draw.

It's that simple!

Today's mystery author -- just in case you need reminding -- was Nikki Tate, and you can still leave your comment on her interview to be eligible to win one of her novels.

Do it -- you'll regret it if you don't!

See you tomorrow.

~Darby

*photo displayed with thanks, subject to creative commons agreement, shot by SkyWideDesign and displayed on Flickr.

Things I Can't Do on a Skateboard: Part 1

2009-03-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Thanks to @dbarefoot on Twitter!

Base Jumping in Terminal Velocity

Book winners will be up after 8pm PST!

~Darby

Launch Week Mystery Guest -- Reigning the Reins

2009-03-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

Our mystery guest today is looking very regal in that crown and fiery mask, but take it all off and she still Reigns the Reins.

Have you guessed her name yet?

Let's unmask her and see!

Why -- it's Nikki Tate!

Nikki lives on Vancouver Island with some of the most beautiful horses I have ever seen. (She takes a pretty mean photograph now and then, too! To check 'em out, look HERE.) But she doesn't stop at just horses. Over the years her menagerie has included dogs, cats, birds, snakes, squirrels, rabbits, rats, gerbils, spiders, crayfish, goats, pigs, hamsters and koi. Whew! She's been writing since she was 8 years old, so I figure she's pretty good at it by now.

Darby Christopher: Welcome, Nikki! My story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to live in Canada. Where were you born?

Nikki Tate: I was born in Birmingham, England. When I was still a baby, my family moved to Australia. We lived there for seven years before we moved to Banff in Alberta. After that, we lived in various different places in Canada before I finally settled here on a farm near Victoria.

DC: Wow -- you've really moved around. Where do you live now?

NT: I live on a tiny farm on the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, about 20 minutes north of Victoria.

DC: I've heard it's pretty over there, and the pictures on your website look amazing! When you were growing up all over, do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were a kid?

NT: Oh boy - there are so many! I have a very wacky family. And, like most families, we have lots of stories. My favourite stories were always about when my parents and grandparents were kids.

My Omi (my mother's mother) spent part of her childhood in the jungle in Brazil. When she was a little girl she was running around barefoot in the jungle and she stepped on a poisonous snake. The snake bit her in the calf and the wound left a spectacular scar. That incident wound up in one of my books. I thought the story (Grandparents' Day) was pretty good, but when I read it to my six year-old niece she started bawling her eyes out and buried her head under the pillow. She had snake nightmares for weeks after that. I really, really hope that this did not happen to too many children who read the book because I actually quite like snakes. I once owned a snake called Sebastian - but that's another story.

DC: A snake called Sebastian, eh? Nikki, I am beginning to believe you are not afraid of anything. But here's the true test: can you ride a skateboard?

NT: Yes. But only on reasonably smooth surfaces. I don't do any tricky stuff like skidding sideways down stair rails or leaping off curbs or ramps.

DC: Well, I have been working on my ollie, and it's getting pretty good, but I haven't tackled any stairs or railings yet. My Nan would kill me! So, other than wrangling snakes and writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

NT: I am very good at goat whispering.

DC: Okay, in my whole week of interviewing authors, no one has EVER told me they were good at goat whispering! One of the things I am good at is walking through an old stone window with my friend Gabe. If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

NT: Mongolia in the time of Genghis Khan. But only if I could be a Mongolian. For one thing, everyone in those days rode horses everywhere and a finer mode of transportation has yet to be invented. Having lots of fast, tough horses was one of the reasons why the Mongolians took over the world. Genghis Khan was a ruthless guy and he basically killed off all his enemies -- that's the other reason I'd like to be on the Khan's team - not because I'd enjoy killing people, but because it was a much better idea to be on his side than to try to stand up to him. Generally, arguing with Genghis Khan didn't work out too well for the other guys.

DC: I've read about him. Once again, I'm thinking you are One Brave Author! So if you went through to the past, anyone special you’d like to meet?

NT: Despite all I just said about Genghis Khan and wanting to be a Mongolian when he was in charge, I'm not sure I'd actually like to meet him. Even though he's been dead for a very long time, he still scares me! Instead, I would be quite happy to meet Johnny Depp. Or Barack Obama. Or kc dyer.

DC: I've met kc dyer. She's a bit of an odd dresser. If I were you I'd stick to Barack Obama. Not much chance he'll show up for the interview in neon yellow stockings... Nikki, can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

NT: Well... I'm always working on several projects at the same time. Would it surprise you to know I'm working on a book about Mongolia and you-know-who? I'm also writing a book about the lives of the RCMP Musical Ride horses, working on a new series of horse novels, and finishing up a book for teenagers about - you guessed it - horse racing. Do I have a one-track mind? Perhaps I do. My current non-writing project is training two of my horses...

DC: I love all the horse stories, and the one about Ghengis Khan sounds exciting! I like to give the horses I meet a carrot as a treat, and I’m personally pretty fond of red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

NT: Chocolate. Or fresh pineapple. I really love pineapple.

DC: Me, too! Especially on pizza. So, I'd really like to learn more about you and your books. Where can I go check you out?

NT: www.nikkitate.com

DC: Thanks, Nikki, for sharing all your secrets with me today. Good luck on your new projects -- and see you in Mongolia!

If you'd like to win a signed copy of one of Nikki Tate's books, put your name in the comment section and you'll be entered to win. The draw will take place on Friday the 13th -- will that be YOUR lucky day?

See you tomorrow as our mystery author extravaganza continues!

~Darby

Cool NYC School

2009-03-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

Now THIS is cool! A New York school is adding a skateboarding class!

Get out your petition pens, guys!

~Darby

Launch Week Continues with Mystery Author #4

2009-03-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

You may have spotted this unique aquatic creature on kc dyer's blog. And after spotting her, you may have wondered -- "Why stripes? Why not polka dots?"

And to that I answer..."Why not?"

All the better to disguise my mystery guest of the day -- author, adventurer, mother and bee-fancier. (Uh -- not really a bee-fancier. I made that bit up to justify the mask...)

Let's expose her for real and find out a little more, okay?

Tada! It's Linda Gerber, author of a bunch of really amazing books for teens including Now and Zen, Death By Bikini and out this year...Death by Denim! She and her family have lived and explored all over the world -- Finland, Japan, Hawaii and many other places. DEATH BY DENIM will be Linda's fifth book for teens, and she will be giving a signed copy away to a lucky winner drawn from the comments on this blog post.

Darby Christopher: Welcome, Linda! I like reading about all your adventures, since I appreciate a good adventure myself. Let's go back to the beginning. My story, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, is all about how different people came to live in Canada. You have lived in a ton of different places. Where were you born?

Linda Gerber: I was born in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains in Provo, Utah.

DC: And after all that travelling, where do you live now?

LG: Dublin, Ohio... for now.

DC: I know you grew up in a big family. Do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were a kid? Can you tell me one?

LG: Some of my favorite family stories center around my grandma. She was petite in size, but huge in personality. The stories center around how she didn't like being told what she could and couldn't do. For instance, since she was the top student in her high school class, she was awarded a beautiful pin from Tiffany's and, because she was a girl, a scholarship to secretarial school. She was insulted and turned it down (the scholarship, not the pin!) because she didn't want to be limited to being someone's secretary. She paid her own way to university instead, where she studied accounting.

She was adventurous: she was one of the first women in Salt Lake Valley to ride in an airplane (and got her picture in the paper for it - I am not kidding). After university, she moved to Los Angeles on her own and scandalized her hometown by marrying a divorcée - my grandpa.
When my dad was a baby and it was discovered he was blind, the doctors told her to saw the corners off of the furniture so that he wouldn't hurt himself and to enroll him in a blind vocational school so that he could learn a useful "skill." She wasn't having any of that. She made sure he had every opportunity to learn and experience anything he was interested in, such as piano - she taught him to play by ear - and trains - she took him to the train yard so he could feel all the working parts on a locomotive. As a result, he attended school with his sighted friends, was involved in social clubs and wrote for the school paper. He never let anyone tell him what he could or couldn't do, either. He's been a university professor for over 40 years, writes books and leads study abroad tours. I think a lot of the credit for his attitude goes to her.

DC: That's amazing! Your family all seem to be adventurers in one way or another. Speaking of adventure, can you ride a skateboard?

LG: Ha. Sadly, no. Just ask my kids, who tried to get me on a snowboard last time we were in Park City. Same concept, I'm told. I fail.

DC: I've -- uh -- never actually tried to snowboard, either. So I'll let you get away with that one. Besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

LG: Oh. Yikes. Well, I also like to paint and sculpt. Back when I had more time for this sort of thing, I used to make polymer clay jewelry and Father Christmas dolls - sculpting their faces, painting the features, making intricate outfits and toy bags. I sold them for quite a lot at some of the local craft boutiques, but it still wasn't worth the time that went into them. It was a labor of love, though. Kind of like writing.

DC: Hmmm. One of the things I love is red licorice. What’s your favourite treat?

LG: Good dark chocolate. European chocolate, preferably, since they know how to do it right!

DC: European chocolate, eh? I've seen a little bit of Europe through this -- ah-- special kind of window near my grandparent's house. So, if you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

LG: I might like to go back to my pre-highschool days and give myself a navigation guide for the next several years. And a few hints about the tech market... : )

DC: Wow that sounds like a practical idea! I wish I'd been able to control where I was going, too. If you did go back, is there anyone special you’d like to meet?

LG: I would love to have known my grandma when she was young.

DC: I would have liked to meet her too. She sounds really cool. So, what are you working on now, Linda? Can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

LG: My next release is DEATH BY DENIM, which hits the shelves in May. The continuing saga of Aphra and Seth goes international!

DC: I love Aphra and Seth! I read all about them in DEATH BY BIKINI and DEATH BY LATTE. Where can I learn more about you or your books on-line?

LG: Stop by my website: www.lindagerber.com or, for giveaway contests and the latest updates, come hang out at the blog: lindagerber.blogspot.com

DC: I'll do that. Thanks, Linda!

Don't forget if you'd like to win an ADVANCED copy of DEATH BY DENIM (It's not even due out until MAY!!), then leave a comment below and you could be a winner. One entry per blog post, please -- but you can enter as many of the different draws this month as you'd like.

What are you waiting for? We'll have a new mystery author tomorrow for you to enjoy, but for today I'd like to thank Linda Gerber for being my guest on Darby Speaks. Thanks again, Linda!

~Darby

UPDATE: We have a winner! Check here: http://tinyurl.com/c2c7xy to see if it is you!