Launch Day Mystery Guest -- Revealed!

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!

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

Monday Mystery Guest

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

Launch Week Mystery Guest #3

So just who is the guy behind the hockey helmet, anyway? I can tell you that he is a great guy who wields a mean hockey stick. He's also an awesome writer, and was generous enough to agree to an interview with me today.


But before I tell you any of that -- you need to watch this: quite possibly the funniest book trailer ever made:




See what I mean?

Now, you've seen him on Youtube, but here he is, unmasked and ready to talk.


A big Darby welcome to author Donald Calame!

Darby Christopher: So Don -- A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is all about how different people came to live in Canada. I know you were born in the United States -- where exactly were you born?

Donald Calame: I was born in Queens, New York (but grew up in Hicksville, New York. Yes, there really is a place called Hicksville).

Darby C: Hey -- I just realized you are the coolest author ever, because we share initials! D.C. Darby Christopher and Donald Calame. Double Cool. So, where do you live now, Don?

Donald C: I live in Vancouver, British Columbia (maybe one of the most beautiful places on Earth).

Darby C: I'm a Toronto girl, myself, though I have to admit Charlottetown, PEI (which is where I was forced to spend the summer with my grandparents) turned out to be pretty beautiful, as well. My Gramps was a big storyteller when I was there. Do you remember any special stories about your family that you heard when you were a kid? Can you tell me one?

Donald C: I'm trying to think of a special story that my family told to me but it's difficult because they didn't tell too many stories, which is kind of sad because I'd love to know a bit more family history. The only one that comes to mind is a story my mom tells about how when I was around four years old my parents decided to take us on a trip to Disney World in Florida and apparently I threw up the entire plane flight down. But that's probably not the kind of story you were thinking of. Let me mull this one over and I'll try got come up with something better.

Darby C: That's okay. I like a good barfing story. I was sick when I fell off my skateboard once and hit my head, but that's another one of those stories best left to another time. Can you ride a skateboard?

Donald C: Yes, I can, though I don't do it much any more. When I was growing up my best friend and I used to have skateboard races down our driveways and we would do skateboard stunts (often with painful outcomes). This was before people insisted on everyone wearing helmets (which is a very good idea - we just didn't think we could ever get hurt when we were kids. We were wrong. There were many bumps to my head - which might explain my warped sense of humor).

Darby C: Well, I love your sense of humour, so skateboarding brought good things to you, for sure! Your new book SWIM THE FLY is a total laugh riot from start to finish. But besides writing books, do you have a secret skill or talent you’d like to share?

Donald C: Skills? Hmm. Okay. I can play the guitar a bit. I've also found I'm pretty good at teaching my dog silly, pointless tricks (which I've shamelessly used to promote my books on my website). I'm a pretty decent cook. I have passable hockey skills.

Darby C: Ha! I knew there was a reason I diguised you in that hockey helmet! If you had a chance to walk through a window into the past, where would you go?

Donald C: All right, so I probably should say I'd go back and hang with Jesus, See what his whole deal was - really. Or maybe around the times of the pyramids to see how they built them. Or during the 1920s before the Great Depression when times were flush. But honestly, I would probably go back to 1981 to watch the New York Islanders win their first Stanley Cup. Still, it's a tough decision because you wouldn't want to waste it in case you only had one shot. Maybe I'd go back to the 1960s because it was a huge period of turmoil and change. It's really quite difficult to choose.

Darby C: I like your hockey choice. As for me, I couldn't ever figure out how that window worked, so I had no control in the matter. I got to meet some pretty amazing people, though. Anyone special you’d like to meet if you could go back in time?

Donald C: I'd love to meet Van Gogh. Or Hemingway. Though I worry I wouldn't like them in real life and it would shatter the illusion.

Darby C: Yes, that might be a bit of a problem. But you don't know until you try, right? So, after you've been out playing hockey, what's your idea of a great snack?

Donald C: I'm partial to Butterfingers or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Darby C: Yeah, I like those, too. I hope you don't eat them near the pool -- I've heard stories.... Speaking of pools, can you tell me a bit about your latest project?

Donald C: My debut novel SWIM THE FLY will be release on April 15, 2009. It's the story of Matt Gratton and how he tries to swim the 100 yard butterfly to impress a girl he has a crush on (even though he isn't a very good swimmer). It's also about how Matt and his friends set themselves a goal to see a naked girl by the end of the summer and how their attempts go horribly wrong.

I'm currently writing the sequel to that book which will hopefully be released in the fall of 2010.

Darby C: I've been lucky enough to read an advance copy of your book, and it is one of the funniest I have read in a LONG time. I can't WAIT for the sequel! If I want to learn more about you or your books on-line, where can I go check you out?

Donald C: You can go to my website www.doncalame.com. There's more information about me and my books than you will ever want to know.

Thanks so much for chatting with me today, Don. And for those of you who are interested in reading Don's book -- you've got a special treat in store. I have an ADVANCED copy and we (me and Don) are giving it away. And since it's a book about swimming, Don will also throw in a very special swim cap for the winner. Just put your name in the comments below -- and let us know why you want to read Don's new book.

I'll do a draw on Friday and notify the winners then. So you've got until this Friday, March 6th to get your comment in. (And if you need a reason to read the book, go watch Don's book trailer -- my favourite scene is when his dog Scooter is trying to steal his soul at night!)

Many thanks again to author Don Calame! And get your name in for our free draw!

~Darby

UPDATE: We have a winner! Check here: http://tinyurl.com/c2c7xy to see if it is you!