Winnah!

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

Darby Speaks...with Caitlin

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

Monday Mystery Guest -- Revealed!

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