Reflections From a Word Nerd

"Dear George Clooney" in Paris ...

2011-12-19T14:30:00.001-08:00

I don't think I've ever shared that "Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom" has been translated into French and Portuguese. The German edition should be coming out soon, too.

Here is the Portuguese cover:

And here is the French cover:

As you can see, Helium books (in France) did their own artwork. I'm not sure what the press has been like in Brazil, but in France the book has been getting rave reviews. Being a true Francophile, I am thrilled. But my best thrill came yesterday, when the lovely publisher at Helium e mailed me this photo:

This is from the window display at Chantelivre, a well-known children's bookstore in the heart of Paris - in my favorite neighborhood, in fact, St Germain des Pres. I just about fell over when I saw this photo. The only thing that could have made it better was if I was there, staring into the window! Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy Holidays everyone!

Mission Quite Likely Impossible: George Clooney

2011-09-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

I'm very belated in writing this, but please read on - it's worth it. This summer, not one, but TWO Ontario librarians - from here on in I will refer to them as my GALS (Gutsy, Amazing Librarians) - tried to deliver my book, Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom to the man himself at his villa in Lake Como, Italy.

The first one, Gianna Mazzolin Dassios, actually made a video:

Apparently the young Italian man who answered was very polite, and told her he'd make sure George got the package. Did he? Well, let's just say neither Gianna nor I have heard from George yet. But I am mighty impressed; I'm not sure I would have had the courage to ring the bell!

My second GAL - Elizabeth Galli, the wonderful librarian at Valley Park Middle School in Toronto - didn't think to ring the bell ... But I'll let her explain. This is a direct quote from the e mail she sent me:

"SO....I went to Clooney's house (he pretended not to be in) to deliver your book. I took a picture of me in front and at the side of his house ... I put the book in a plastic bag then John threw it over the high iron gate. "I wrote a little note in the book, telling him I was a Teacher-Librarian from Toronto, live in Como for the summer... I put my address in the book, partly as proof I wasn't lying and deep down in my heart hoping that perhaps he might pop in for a glass or eight of wine ... Well, I'm sad to say he never bothered to visit me. I made sure my hair was washed everyday and when John left and I remained there alone, I even put make-up on during the day while waiting for Clooney ..."

I rather love the image of her husband chucking the book over the high fence. I hope no one was sitting in the garden.

And George: Your fans are legion in the world of librarians. And, of course, in the world of young adult novelists ... Wouldn't you love to do a cameo in the movie version? This girl - and her GALS - can continue to dream ...

Word Nerd Poem

2011-06-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

Last week I received a package of letters from grade six students at Earl Haig School in Toronto. Their teacher, Mr. Salsman, had read "Word Nerd" aloud to the class, and apparently it was a big hit. These letters were really amazing; very thoughtful, very insightful and shockingly smart. Included in the package was a poem by a girl named Beatrice. I read it out loud to my husband and son and got completely choked up. She nailed the themes of "Word Nerd" beautifully, in a way I never could. She's given me permission to reprint her poem here:

WORD NERD POEM

He
His broken past
His broken heart
His freedom earned
Where can he start?
The boy with acceptance
The girl with love
Can heal his mind
His past erased
By the love of two

A boy
All alone
Held down by his grief
Friendless, hopeless
Losing hold of all dreams.
Meets the broken man
And with him finds himself wanted,
appreciated and saved.

Both had lost hope
Both all alone
In each other they found friendship
In each other they found hope.

By Beatrice

Luther Wright

2011-05-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

For the detail-oriented among you, I'm doing this little post. In Word Nerd, Ambrose and Cosmo serenade Amanda with a "Luther Wright and the Wrongs" song - it's Ambrose's idea, to help Cosmo win Amanda back.

Well, I caught up with Luther Wright in the flesh last week! Luther is actually one of my oldest, dearest friends. We met when we were young teenagers; my grandparents' farm was on the same road as his parents' cottage, Bayshore Road, between Picton and Kingston, Ont. I have so many fond memories of Luther. We were going to become a famous Hollywood duo; we even had the name of the movie we were going to write, direct and star in: "Fred and Gladys." I have no idea what was supposed to actually happen in "Fred and Gladys," but we enjoyed our little fantasy!

Anyway, here's the handsome fella himself:

And the two of us together, Fred and Gladys momentarily reunited.

Luther is an awesome fella and a great musician/singer. This is my little love letter to him. He knows how to enjoy life and live it to its fullest. Rock on Luther!

I Have A Great Mom

2011-05-15T20:53:00.001-07:00

This is just one small example of what a great mom I have. As I think I posted a few months ago, "Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom" won a CBC Bookie Award in the Best Young Adult Novel category. My mom (a big fan of the CBC, as am I) kept asking, "Have you heard from them? Have you received your award yet?"

Well, here's the rub: There was no award. Basically it was just posted on their website. That was the extent of it. And that bothered my dear mommy.

So, when she came to visit me recently, she gave me this:

Yes. That's right. It's framed and everything. I've hung it on my office wall, along with my Red Maple and Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award plaques. If any other winners of a CBC Bookie are interested, I'm sure I could arrange it with my mom to get you a plaque, too!

And this is my dear mom Eleanor, with her husband Charles. Thanks Mommy. I love you!

Willow Awards + Saskatoon's Literary Elite

2011-04-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

So I flew to Saskatoon on Sunday for the Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards ... but before I get to the awards, let me tell you about the coincidental run-ins I had with some of Saskatoon's literary elite.

First, I had dinner with Arthur Slade and Brenda Baker. This was not a coincidence, I confess. I have met Arthur at a number of YA events. He and his wife are the bee's knees. He has written many highly successful YA books, and guess what: She is an author, too (as well as being a musician and children's performer). They are a multi-talented family and lovely hosts!

Then, on Monday, I visited four Saskatoon schools. At the first one I saw a mom and dad come into the library. I thought, "That looks like Alice Kuipers, author of Life on the Refrigerator Door and The Worst Thing She Ever Did." How did I know this, you ask? Because I moderated a panel she was on at the Vancouver Writers' Festival in the fall. And, of course it was her - and her husband, Yann Martel, author of two little books called Beatrice and Virgil and Life of Pi. You may have heard of them. :-)

I thought this was rather amazing. Although now I'm beginning to suspect that Saskatoon is FULL of well-known and highly regarded authors ... they're lurking about everywhere!

Me, Alice Kuipers and Yann Martel

But on to the Willow Awards ...

This was one of the images awaiting me (and author Arthur Slade - we saw a lot of each other while I was in his province) when we arrived at John Diefenbaker School in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on Tuesday, April 12. We were there for the Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards. I'd been told it was quite a production, but even though I'm a writer with an active imagination, I couldn't believe it till I saw it!

The school put on an AMAZING afternoon. The ceremony itself was incredible. After a delicious catered lunch, we were brought in to the gym with bagpipes. The Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, Gordon L. Barnhardt, was there, and he gave an inspiring speech.

Then Florence Barton, one of the key organizers of SYRCA (and a lovely woman, who picked me up at the airport in Saskatoon, chauffeured me from school to school the next day, drove me to Prince Albert and back, and booked me into a wonderful B and B - oh, and took me out to dinner with the teacher-librarian and library technician from John Diefenbaker School) said a few words.

The kids then sang an incredible song called "Hooked on Books," written by their music teacher. What a great performance! Oh yeah, and the school band played, too! AND they had a red carpet for the books in each category (there are three categories - Shining, Diamond and Snow) - the kids marched each book (ten in each category) down the middle of the gym. It was like an Oscars for books.

Eventually they announced the winners: Melanie Watt for "Scaredy Squirrel" (she couldn't be there but sent a video), Arthur Slade for "Jolted," and Susin Nielsen for "Word Nerd."

That's me doing my acceptance speech, above.

And that's Naomi Kral and I, another of the organizers, at the tea afterward.

Tammy McHenry-Vick (Teacher-librarian at John Diefenbaker), Arthur Slade (Diamond winner for Jolted), me, and Linda Calder-Aydt (cohost with Tammy). I don't know how these two women managed to put on such a wonderful day!

Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store

2011-04-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

I want to tell you about THE MOST AWESOME STORE EVER. My son and I visited it when we were in New York. I don't know how they'd feel about me writing about it - but since I suspect my 32 followers are superheroes, not villains, perhaps it is safe.

The place: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.

If you click on the above link it will tell you it's temporarily closed, but it was very much open when we were there (I think the website might be a villain-diversion-tactic). I believe this is the second store opened under the guidance of writer Dave Eggers (whom I adore). The first is a store in San Francisco that sells pirate supplies.

At Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co (which is run entirely by an amazing team of volunteers) you can: Test out capes in their wind machine;

Get devillainized;

Purchase a secret identity kit, superhero capes, tights, belts, anti-bug-splatter visors, various not-very-harmful weaponry, night vision goggles, spying devices, plus cans of Doom, Gloom, Intelligence, Matter and Anti-Matter. There are also posters on stopping sidekick abuse.

When you make your purchases you must read the superhero vow out loud (no exceptions) in front of the entire store - and you must include your superhero name.

But best of all ... behind a secret door is a room filled with desks, chairs and books. This is the real purpose behind this delightful store. Well, let me explain it in their own words:

"826NYC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around our belief that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. With this in mind we provide drop-in tutoring, field trips, after-school workshops, in-schools tutoring, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications. All of our free programs are challenging and enjoyable, and ultimately strengthen each student's power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in his or her individual voice."

If I lived there, I would volunteer. Oh, how I would love to start a chapter in Vancouver. I believe you must have your own storefront idea, and I don't know if Canadian laws would allow something like this ... but it's worth investigating.

For the record, I bought a collection of students' writings at the Superhero Supply Store (along with a tin of Doom, and a symbiote for my son). It is some of the funniest, most poignant writing I have ever read.

Susin in the Big Apple!! With Kim Kardashian Even!

2011-03-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

I just came back from a most AWESOME week in New York City with my 14-year-old. Aside from shopping, eating and theatre/sports/comedy outings nightly, I also attended a "reception in my honor" at the School Library Journa l's offices in downtown Manhattan. They are the "world's largest reviewer of books, multimedia and technology for children and teens."

It was a lot of fun. I mingled with about 20-25 librarians from around New York and the boroughs, and gave a short talk and reading. Rocco Staino made me feel so welcome (get this - I just found out he also writes for the Huffington Post!) and guess what, the rumor is true: Librarians really do rock. Plus the wine and cheese were excellent.

Above is a photo of me with my two New York friends, producer extraordinaire Tracey Boulton and her MTV exec husband, Brent Haynes, who kindly came to the event.

On Friday night the son and I went to a Knicks game. Kim Kardashian was there. This is her ponytail.

Personally I was more excited to see Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I don't have a photo of him!

More on New York later ... and the best store ever ...

Let Me Read Aloud To You

2011-03-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I read a small section from Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom for "Raise A Reader" day. It's a different section from what you get to read here on my blog ... plus you get to see me, the author, reading it. Thank you, Vancouver Sun. Here's the link. I'm sorry you have to watch an ad first. I'm also really sorry I didn't at least slap on some lipstick that day.

In other news - and in keeping with my tradition of being at least two years behind every technological trend - I have finally joined Twitter. @susinnielsen

BC Book Prize, Bayside and Beyond

2011-03-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

Well, a lot of good news to report! Last week I found out that Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom had been nominated for a 2011 Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Award (the Shining Willow). Then, yesterday evening, the phone rang. I assumed it was a telemarketer - it was just around the time they like to start to call. But no - it was a lovely woman calling to inform me that George has been nominated for a BC Book Prize! It's the Sheila Egoff award. Fingers crossed for George. And actually, while I'm tooting George's horn, I don't think I mentioned that it's also shortlisted for the Canadian Library Association's Children's Book of the Year!

Okay, okay, enough bragging. My real reason for posting today is to give a shout-out to an amazing school I visited last week, Bayside Middle School in Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island. Their librarian, Vivian Hicks, is awesome. I wish I had a picture of her. This gal somehow managed to get the entire school to read Word Nerd. Most of the classes had it as a read-aloud, so the teachers were also game, and read the book to their students, "naughty bits" and all.

I did six presentations to about 100 kids each.

Here is one of my group of five volunteers, acting out a scene from Word Nerd.

And another. (You can see I'm having at least as much fun as the kids).

And this was my all-girl cast playing all-boy characters. One of them even came prepared with an Ambrose-like toque! They were fantastic.

This school was really great. I was there for two days, and even taught a writing workshop to a group of aspiring writers. I really enjoyed this (I hope they did, too - it's the first one I've ever taught). Not only did the librarian (the aforementioned Vivian) get the whole school reading the book, other teachers did other thematically-related projects. The art teacher got students to do these beautiful clay "Scrabble" boards:

And another teacher started a new intramural Scrabble tournament!!

Thanks so much for making me feel so welcome.

My New Boyfriend

2011-02-11T13:22:00.001-08:00

His name is Stewie. He lives in Toronto. I hate long-distance relationships. But Stewie might be worth it.

Toronto's "Snowmageddon"

2011-02-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

So here is a picture from my hotel room (thanks Ontario Library Association and Tundra Books!) before "Snowmageddon," as the news media were calling the impending storm ... (and yes, that is the foot of the CN Tower - I had a great room) ...

And here is a picture after "Snowmageddon" ...

I was very disappointed. But not as disappointed as the news reporters, who sounded mighty sheepish the next day.

The Mural at Valley Park Middle School

2011-02-09T20:09:00.000-08:00

Isn't this awesome?? I thought I'd taken more photos of it, but I guess I didn't ... however I have a link to the artist - his name is Corrado and there's a great photo of the mural on his site (my photo only shows a portion of it). But check it out, Word Nerd is in between Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Artemis Fowl! My book is immortalized on their library wall. Seriously, it's a great mural - all about the joys of reading.

Thanks again to Elizabeth and the students at Valley Park Middle School - you're a great bunch.

CBC Bookie Awards

2011-02-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

This is kind of cool - Dear George Clooney has been nominated for a CBC Bookie Award. If you click on the link, you can vote for George! (or, for another title if it happens to be your favorite). I think the Bookies are like a branch of Canada Reads.

I just came back from a few days in Toronto. I was there for the Ontario Library Association's Superconference. They invited me because Word Nerd won the Red Maple Award last year, and all the Forest winners are brought in. My favorite moment was being interviewed by young students Parth and Jesegan. They want me to use their names in my next book. I told them I couldn't promise anything, but at least their names made it into my blog! They asked really smart questions, and they recorded the whole thing, so if they send me the podcast I'll link to it here.

I also visited Valley Park Middle School for the second time. The students there - and their librarian, Elizabeth Galli - truly rock. I love that school. And I love the Swiss Chalet they always order me for lunch! They now have a new mural painted in their library, all about the love of reading - and Word Nerd is one of the books on the shelf in the painting! I'll download a photo soon.

Oh, yeah - I also happened to be there during "Snowmageddon." The storm that wasn't. At least the reporters managed to look sheepish the next morning. I guess the kids must've been happy, though - city-wide snow day!

In other news, I have finally entered the 21st century and am the proud owner of an iPhone 4. Oh, how I love my new phone. When I'm not playing word games with other procrastinating friends on said phone, I am working on my new novel. 149 pages as of today.

Rocky Mountain Book Awards

2010-11-07T15:01:00.000-08:00

I'm quite late in posting this because since I got home from Alberta I have been working FULL TIME. This is very unusual for an author, and is making me admire people who work Monday to Friday, nine to five, greatly! My full-time job will only last six weeks - I'm a week and a half in and already I'm pooped. How embarrassing is that.

Anyway, on Oct. 25-27, I was in Alberta to accept the Rocky Mountain Book Award (which "Word Nerd" won back in the spring). Five participating schools "won" a visit from me, which meant I traveled all over Alberta. I started out in Medicine Hat (cool) - I really enjoyed my visit there, especially when I walked out of the hotel and was greeted by the teacher-librarian's two daughters, holding up these signs!

After visiting their school the organizer, Richard Chase - a very, very nice man - drove me to Lethbridge (two hours), where I did an afternoon school visit. A girl introduced me dressed as Ambrose, and as the character of Ambrose. That was amazing - never before has that happened and I'm sure it will never happen again. I was really impressed!

In the evening was presented with my award. The award is a medal made of pure gold. Apparently they used to be the size of an Olympic medal, but as the price of gold has gone up, the medal size has gone down. Mine is the size of a quarter, in a very nice case. It should say "Break Glass In Case of Financial Emergency." You never know, I might have to stoop to that some day!

Seriously, the awards ceremony was really nice. All these kids got up and did a performance dressed as word nerds, and even though a couple of them made a point of telling me and the rest of the audience that they had NOT voted for my book, and that in fact my book had only won by eight votes, my bloated ego was big enough to handle it.

That's me and all the "nerds."

The next morning Richard and his lovely wife drove me all the way to Calgary (three hours away)! We drove through Vulcan, and I saw the Star Trek spaceship. After visiting a school in Calgary they drove me to the airport, where I flew to Edmonton, rented a car, and drove to the Drayton Valley, an oil and gas town about an hour and a half outside of Edmonton.

I am getting very familiar with Holiday Inn Express hotels lately. And you know what - they're not half-bad. Neither was the restaurant I went to that night, but sadly my addled brain has already chucked the name.

On Wednesday I visited a school in Drayton Valley, then drove to Edmonton where I did my last visit. It was then on to the airport, and home.

It was a whirlwind trip, but really fun, and the kids were terrific. Next trip: Newmarket/Barrie/Aurora/Toronto/Oakville in November ...

The Response from George Clooney's Agency Arrives ...

2010-10-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

And it is a lot like Violet's - a form letter! I'm attaching it here - but I'm not sure you'll be able to read it. Essentially it says "we have a firm policy of returning all unsolicited material unread." (which means I got the book back, too). So, some intern in the basement was just doing his/her job ... I get it. When I work on TV shows, we often have to send back "unsolicited materials" as well. I'm slightly bummed out, of course, as I wasn't soliciting anything, I just wanted Mr. Clooney to see the book!

His publicist, however, has so far not sent the book back, so who knows? Maybe George has seen it. Better yet, maybe he's seen it in a book store. Better still, maybe he bought a copy ... Ah, a girl can dream!

The MYRCA Awards

2010-10-07T17:27:00.001-07:00

And finally, the piece de resistance of my time away - the Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards. Check out the link for their 2011 selections! The awards ceremony took place in the Manitoba Young People's Theatre, down at the Forks. It was FILLED with kids (I think 450). There were four young presenters who did a great job. Here are a few photos from the event.

Afterward I signed a lot of books and bookmarks. I must say a special thanks to Monica Ball - I don't know how she pulls this off year after year but she does so with grace and aplomb!

Finally, on Friday evening, I flew home - happy to see my family, to be sure, exhausted, oh yes, but full of good memories.

Ottawa and Winnipeg - And The Things I Learned Giving 15 Presentations in One Week

2010-10-05T19:18:00.001-07:00

The rest of my week was a blur of incredible school visits. I'd like to give shout-outs to Immaculata High School, St. Joseph's High School and Mother Theresa High School in Ottawa. The students were so welcoming (okay, aside from one 12th grader who asked, after I showed a clip of a TV show I wrote for, whether or not I ever got to write dialogue "that wasn't cheesy and full of cliches" - it's at moments like that when I have to try really, really hard to remember that I am the adult, and that I am not allowed to call him a poo head no matter how much I'm dying to do it). I'm particularly thrilled that the teacher-librarians - the awesome Darlene, Sarah and Catherine - had me visit their schools. 'Cos, you know, they're all Catholic schools, and "Word Nerd" did cause some mild controversy, but these gals didn't let it stop them from having me visit, and they treated me very well, chauffeuring me all over the city and feeding me too. Oh, and I also really appreciated (sincerely) the girl who wanted to kidnap me.

I'd also like to say thanks to the librarians at the Carlingwood and Nepean branches, and a particular merci to Margaret, who helped me while away a few hours and took me out to dinner.

I don't have any photos from Ottawa! But I may get some from the teachers and if I do, I'll post them.

Then it was on to Winnipeg. I have a soft spot for Winnipeg. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because my grandma grew up there? I've visited fairly often and I always enjoy myself. The people are so friendly. And the weather was spectacular - crystal clear blue skies and about 20 degrees every day. Again, I was treated so well. And I just loved the kids. At one point in my presentation - which is about writing for TV versus writing for books - I ask the kids to be brutally honest after I've read aloud about a minute of a screenplay (screenplays don't "read aloud" well). This one kid said, "It's like listening to you read the serial number from the side of a milk carton." !!! I loved it. And their questions and comments were smart and hilarious. It's all kind of blur now, but I do remember one kid asking "If you could live in one of your novels, which one would it be?" And "Which character in your books would you like to be friends with?"

Shout-outs go to Dalhousie, Acadia, Chancellor, Henry G. Izatt, Nordale and Pacific Junction schools ... And to their lovely teacher-librarians, Paula, Jo-Anne, Vivianne, Cathy and Elana.

Here's a photo of the sign that awaited me outside Acadia ...

And last, but far from least, I also got to visit Dawson Trail School in Lorette, Manitoba. It's about 25 minutes outside of Winnipeg, in beautiful countryside. Thanks to Jessica for making it so, and to Laird and Keith, my handsome chauffeurs. This is what greeted me in the foyer:

How cute are these drawings!!

I'm going to write about the MYRCA ceremony separately because that, too, was really amazing, and I'm also hoping to get some photos to share with you.

Oh yeah, so, the things I learned: 1) I don't need as much sleep as I thought. 2) To think on my feet. Constantly. 3) To go with the flow. 4) To have a thick skin. So I don't tell any kid he's a poo head.

Word on the Street Toronto

2010-10-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

The day after the Indigo Teen Read Awards, I read at Word on the Street in Toronto. It was really fun. What a festival! It's now held in Queen's Park, which is a great venue. And it was PACKED with people. And my tent was full for my reading, which was quite a different scene from 2008, when I read at Vancouver's Word on the Street with "Word Nerd" ... perhaps more people know my work? When I read in Vancouver, there were about ten people there - and at least eight were family members and friends. Right near the end of my reading, the tent started to fill up - I was filled with pleasure - till I realized they were all there to see Susan Juby and Meg Tilly ...

:-) Seriously - both Susan Juby and Meg Tilly are awesome women.

Thanks to my relatives for sending these photos. When I was done Word on the Street my dear Mom drove me to Porter Air, where I hopped onto a plane for Ottawa ... but more on my Ottawa/Winnipeg adventures to follow!

Indigo Teen Read Awards

2010-10-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

So I'm back from my whirlwind 9 day, 8 night trip to Toronto, Ottawa and Winnipeg. Lots of stories to tell, but I'm going to start with Indigo's Teen Read Awards, which took place last Saturday night (the 25th of September). I know, I know, I'm really behind, but I truly haven't had a moment since I left.

The Teen Read Awards were crazy!! Very high-octane, high energy. For the record, Kelley Armstrong won in the Best Canadian Read category, for "The Reckoning," very well-deserved.

I took my mom, my friend Beth, and my two lovely nieces, Colette and Emily.

This is me with Colette, my mom Eleanor, and Emily outside the club.

My nieces' all-time favorite moment - meeting the hosts, Dan Levy and Jessi Cruikshank, because "they are on TV!"

My favorite moment was being interviewed by Angela, who was doing an article for "The Magazine."

And this was my other favorite moment - checking out the contents of my swag bag! I got a Flip video camera!!

More on the rest of my adventures to come ...

I'm Off To Toronto, Ottawa and Winnipeg

2010-09-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Heading off tomorrow to Toronto, where I'll be attending the Indigo Teen Read Awards on Saturday night, followed by Word on the Street on Sunday (2:40, Children's Tent).

On Sunday night I head to Ottawa for two packed days of presentations at schools and at libraries. I know I'm at both the Carlingwood and Nepean branches on Monday.

On Tuesday I fly to Winnipeg, for another round of school presentations, and The Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards!! "Word Nerd" is the 2010 winner. I can't wait. I'll also be doing another launch for "Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom" at McNally-Robinson's Prairie Ink cafe (their Grant St. location) on the eve of the 29th of September at 7:30 pm.

Speaking of George - so far, nary a peep from him ... It's almost two weeks since I sent the book to his agent's and publicist's offices. We shall see ...

Lastly, here's another photo of a copy of "Dear George" found in someone's home ... if you have any other photos of the book, or someone reading the book, please send them along and I'll post them!

Book Launch at Kidsbooks, September 15

2010-09-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

I had my book launch for Dear George on Wednesday night, at Kidsbooks on Broadway in Vancouver. It was a great success - over fifty people turned up, and I think everyone enjoyed the evening. Thanks again to the lovely women at Kidsbooks, who are so supportive of their local authors. This is some of them, below: Sarah Bagshaw, me, Emily Naylor and owner Phyllis Simon!

A Photo From a Fan

2010-09-13T16:10:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this photo. This comes from a boy named Julian. He's apparently a voracious reader, and read "Dear George Clooney" in one sitting. Best of all, he really liked it. Thank you Julian, and I hope I see you at my book launch this Wednesday night at Kidsbooks!

So I'm Sending the Book to George Clooney

2010-09-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have been asking me if I've sent a copy of my new book, "Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom," to the man himself. The answer - until today - was a wishy-washy, "I dunno, it would be weird, I'll think about it."

Then, a couple of days ago, I got an e mail from a Barnes and Noble bookseller in the States. Her name is Nicole and she has her own book-reviewing blog. She also asked me if I'd sent George a copy. Anyway, I'm not sure why Nicole tipped me over the edge, but I've decided the time has come to take the plunge. As of this afternoon two copies are going to go, Fed Ex, to George's agent and publicist respectively, along with a letter from me.

I suspect the most likely outcome is no response at all. Or, perhaps I'll get a form letter like Violet does in the book. (If they enclose a photo of George, I will still be very, very happy).

I'll keep you posted. Let's not hold our breath though, okay?

Window at Kidsbooks

2010-08-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

The people at my favorite bookstore have outdone themselves with this AMAZING window for "Dear George Clooney." I love the women who own and operate Kidsbooks here in Vancouver. They and their staff are passionate about kids' literature. No less than FOUR of their staff read an advance copy of my book, and they hand-sell tons of copies because customers appreciate and trust their opinions. We should all be supporting stores like this! (and I'm not just saying that 'cos they gave me a window ... honest).

This photo on the right, however, shows off the "piece de resistance" in the window display - when I saw this in the window well I practically fell over I was laughing so hard. I hope the image isn't too small for you to see that it's my head stuck on to George's actual date. It's nice to have a great body, even if it's only in a photo-shopped picture! Not to mention an extremely handsome date ...

And this is Kidsbooks' teen best seller list this week. Check out the #9 spot, too! This is all thanks to their hand-selling - believe me, that's the only way my book managed to outsell "The Hunger Games" in one store in one moment of time! I heart you, everyone at Kidsbooks.

"Dear George Clooney" - Now in Bookstores!

2010-08-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom is now in bookstores! And the reviews continue to be positive, thank goodness. Some of my favourite reviews have come in from bloggers. Bloggers with much more interesting blogs than mine (plus, they write in them more often). Here are two of my favourites:

This one is from "Pipedreaming." She's a great blogger, and I think she's writing her own young adult novel as well.

And this one is from "The Musings of a Book Addict." She's in Florida!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of giving a talk at the Vancouver Public Library's Book Camp. What a cool concept. There must have been close to a hundred kids there, between the ages of 11-14, all aspiring writers. How I wish there'd been a camp like that when I was growing up! And they've had amazing instructors, too, including Carrie Mac, Chris Humphries, Ian Boothby, Maggie De Vries - and that's just to name a few. The kids were amazing, very keen and engaged. Thanks to Sophie and Meghan for having me!

Summer Reading

2010-08-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

So, somehow I've added a ridiculous widget (my word, I'm sure it's the wrong word) that appears at the bottom of my posts asking if you "like" or think it's "cool." How embarrassing. But not as embarrassing as the fact that I can't figure out how to remove it. If any of my TWENTY FOLLOWERS knows, do me a favour and let me know, will ya?

It's been a lovely summer so far. I've been puttering away on a third young adult novel, and in between I have been indulging in another favourite pastime, reading voraciously. And I'm in the mood to write some highly subjective and not particularly insightful or smart, mini-reviews.

(I'm afraid these are all adult books).

This is simply in the order I've read them, starting around June 25th.

"This is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Tropper. Oh Lordy, what a funny, funny book. I wish I could write a book like this. For anyone whose family is even mildly dysfunctional (aren't they all?), this might be a book for you (unless the memories are too painful, in which case you may want to take a pass - although you might wind up thinking, "Hey, at least my family isn't as screwed up as Judd Foxman's!"). There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments in this book, but it also tugged the ol' heartstrings too, and spoke many truths. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"Blame" by Michelle Huneven. I liked the ride of the read, if that makes sense, but I'm not sure the characters will stay with me. Still, an interesting story of personal responsibility, guilt, and misplaced guilt. A woman radically changes/overhauls her life after she commits a terrible crime ... or did she? Definitely worth picking up, good summer reading. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

"Little Bee" by Chris Cleaver. This is a fascinating book, for more reasons than one. First, the marketing of the book on the back cover - check it out. It makes you want to read the book. Two, for the first half to two-thirds, it was one of the most exciting new voices (new to me) I'd ever read. Two beautifully wrought female characters with very distinct voices - plus just a gripping, gripping story - I won't even give you a hint because you must read it on your own and discover it. HOWEVER - it felt like, after the first half to two-thirds that the author died, and his publisher hired a lesser writer to finish the job. Another character in the book is dull as dishwater, a cipher (perhaps meant to represent the everyman, or us?). The last portion was a big letdown ... maudlin and unconvincing where the first part had been utterly believable and mind-blowing. Still - very very worth reading. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

"Await Your Reply" by Dan Chaon. One of my great joys this summer has been discovering new authors. When I say "new," I mean new to me - this guy has, I think, written four novels already. I picked this one up (along with "Little Bee") at Powell Books in Portland, Oregon on our roadtrip this summer. This was a total page-turner, a literary suspense/thriller that starts with the incredible image of a father driving his son to the local hospital - the son's severed hand sitting in a cooler between them. It's about identity, loss of identity ... Follows three seemingly unconnected stories ... it's truly gripping. A writer with a dark mind. Delicious. Rating: 4 out of 5

"In the Woods" by Tana French. A mass paperback mystery by a new writer. I loved this book - for a short while only. I loved that she gave her detective a cynical sense of humour. This wasn't typical dour and moody British Isles detective fiction, although it had a good bloody crime and serious issues at heart. BUT. And this is a huge BUT. She (and her editors) committed what I believe is a cardinal sin: A mystery from the detective's past is brought to the forefront thanks to a recent crime ... big passages are spent with him trying to remember what happened in the past (he was the only witness) ... lame excuses are made as to why he's never tried hypnosis (duh - why wouldn't he, under the circumstances) ... and the mystery from the past - in spite of being how they sell the book on the back cover - never gets solved. ????WTF???? Total letdown, and irritating to boot - this is genre writing, after all, and certain rules must be followed. Sure, bend them, but don't break them - especially if your tale isn't nearly strong enough to get away with it. I felt ripped off - like I'd wasted my time. Rating: 1 out of 5

"Lit - A Memoir" by Mary Karr. For any of you who've read "The Liar's Club," you'll know what an amazing writer Karr is. You can see that she's a poet as well. And she's so funny and open about her own flaws. And there are a lot of them in this memoir, especially when she's in the sauce. This is the story of her road to recovery and, unexpectedly, religion. Great read. Rating: 5 out of 5

Currently I'm reading "When Will There Be Good News?" by Kate Atkinson - it's a total page-turner so far, but I'll wait till I'm done reading it. Sitting next to it, waiting, is a Carl Hiassen hardcover that I picked up for a buck at Pender Island's brilliant "Nu to Yu" store - I look forward to it - it's called "Skinny Dip."

Oh, and just to idly name-drop - "Word Nerd" is on a short list along with one of Carl Hiassen's books, for the 2011 Rhode Island Teen Book Award. My brush with greatness. How cool is that?

Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick ...

2010-07-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

It's exactly ONE MONTH till Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom is released. There's already been some great advance press, including a four out of four star review in CM Magazine.

Indigo Teen Read Awards

2010-07-10T09:18:00.001-07:00

I just found out recently that Word Nerd has been nominated for the Indigo Teen Read Awards! If you have a moment, go to their site - there are lots of cool categories. Word Nerd can be found under "Best Canadian Read" - better yet, if you feel so inspired, please vote for it! The other books in that category sound fantastic too, including a title by the awesome Tim-Wynne Jones (whom I had the honor of meeting briefly in Toronto at the Red Maple Awards) and Cory Doctorow, whom I would love to meet, because he looks cool and he has a website called "craphound."

Word Nerd Book Trailer

2010-05-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

... After the Red Maple Awards my publicist at Tundra found this on-line. A few eighth graders at a school in Ontario made this. They've given me their permission to post it. I think it's awesome!

Why The Red Cyclist's Jacket, Susin?

2010-05-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

I've had a few people ask about my stylish attire on-stage at the Red Maple Awards. The red cycling jacket was loaned to me by a lovely volunteer named Joel. The reason he loaned me his jacket? It was FREEZING up there! The Sirius stage is a wonderful open-air theatre. But who'd have thunk it would be what felt like 5 degrees celcius, in mid-May in Toronto? Anyway, I happened to be at the end of the stage closest to the wings, so I was the lucky author-recipient of Joel's jacket. That was just one moment of many where the Forest of Reading staff and volunteers went out of their way to help us. Thanks again Joel!

Who I Met At the Red Maple Awards

2010-05-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

I got to meet a lot of great people at the Red Maple Awards. First, there were the kids. They were amazing! Each author got their own student sign carrier and student presenter, and mine were both terrific. I particularly liked my sign carrier's awesome hat.

I also met lots of cool kids afterward as they waited patiently for autographs.

And I met tons of other authors. First I met a number of my fellow Red Maple nominees. (They were all there, by the way - I just didn't get to speak personally with all of them). In no particular order I met: Max Turner, Rene Schmidt, Philip Roy, Sharon McKay and Caroline Pignat (who, by the way, won the prestigious Governor General's Literary Award for her novel, Greener Grass ... She also has a book out called Egghead which, based on the title alone, I want to read!).

I even met Kenneth Oppel! Yes, that Kenneth Oppel.

I also met other Tree nominees Julie Burtinshaw, Shelley Hrdlitschka and Marsha Skrypuch. I met the winner of the White Pine Award, Pam Bustin, when she very kindly pointed me in the direction of the washrooms!

I also ran into some old friends.

Robert Heidbreder, nominated for the Blue Spruce Award, was there. Now, not only is Robert an excellent writer, he is also a retired first grade teacher. He taught my son, and he was, without a doubt, the best teacher ever. And believe me, I'm not the only one who thinks so: He won the Prime Minister's Award for teaching excellence. He is one of a kind, and I was so happy to see him again!

Arthur Slade, one of my favourite authors and also one of my favourite people. He was nominated for the Silver Birch Award. The very first author's festival I was invited to (Winnipeg's excellent Thin Air, in 2008) I shared a stage with Arthur. In spite of being a Governor General's Literary Award winner, he was the nicest, funniest, kindest, most generous fellow. And, seeing him last week, I could see he hasn't changed a bit!

And last but definitely not least, I got to see my heroine, Susan Juby. She was nominated for the White Pine Award, for her excellent novel, Getting the Girl. I owe a lot to Ms. Juby. She basically played a pivotal role in helping me get published. She's the bomb.

Caroline Pignat, Susin Nielsen and Susan Juby

"Word Nerd" Wins the OLA's Red Maple Award!

2010-05-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

I may be home from Toronto, but I'm not off of my cloud. What an incredible week. I am absolutely amazed by the Ontario Library Association and their ability to pull off an event like the Forest of Reading. On "my" day, May 12th (where, in different ceremonies, the Blue Spruce, the Red Maple and the White Pine winners were announced), there were, I believe, over 3000 kids in attendance down at Harbourfront in Toronto.

Winning this award means the world to me, because it comes from the young readers themselves. And they made all the authors feel like rock stars. But don't take my word for it; watch the clip! (I'm sorry it's so long - you can skim - the best part is the roar of the crowd! Justin Beiber, eat your heart out ...)

The Red Maple Awards

2010-05-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

On Monday I leave for Toronto for a packed week. "Word Nerd" was nominated for the Red Maple Award, as well as the Golden Oak Award. The awards ceremony, where they'll announce the winner, is on Wednesday. It should be a really fun day, not only because I'll get to meet tons of amazing authors, but because the place will be packed with kid readers! I love meeting young people who love reading.

During the rest of the week I'm doing eight school presentations. Am I scared? YES!! Big time! I'll let you know how it all goes once I'm back.

A Good Week for "Word Nerd"

2010-04-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

"Word Nerd" won two awards this week. On Monday I found out it had won the Rocky Mountain Book Award.

Then on Friday (today) I found out it was the winner of the Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award!

I'm feeling rather overwhelmed, and very touched, because the book was chosen by the young readers themselves, and that makes it extra-special. Thanks so much to the kids in Alberta and Manitoba who took part in reading all those wonderful books. It's still sinking in.

On A Separate Note ...

I said I'd write more about last weekend's Scrabble tournament. It was really fun. The organizers managed to raise over $1000 for Frontier College and their amazing literacy programs. I did very poorly in my two Scrabble games, but my reading went well. I read the chapter where Ambrose and Cosmo visit the Scrabble Club for the first time, and as I was reading to die-hard Scrabble fans, the humor went over very well. It was a really fun afternoon.

Scrabble Fundraiser

2010-04-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

Today I'm off to a Scrabble tournament. It's a fundraiser for Frontier College, a wonderful organization that promotes literacy. It's at Britannia Secondary School here in Vancouver, at 12:30. I'm going to play in the tournament and read from "Word Nerd." To be honest, I'm nervous - not about reading, but about playing in an actual tournament! I've never done that before. Playing with a timer, yikes. What if I throw a mini-tantrum like Ambrose?

Anyway, I'll write about how it goes ... And I'm wearing my Scrabble earrings, courtesy of the lovely Laurie Anderson, to bring me good luck.

Cover For "Dear George Clooney"

2010-04-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

So yesterday a little package arrived in the mail. Inside was an advance copy of my new novel, "Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom." It doesn't hit the stores until August 2010, but boy, was I excited to see it in actual BOOK form! It looks fantastic. The team at Tundra did an amazing job. Kelly Hill designed the cover, and I think it's just as good as her cover for "Word Nerd." See what you think:

"Word Nerd" Nominated for Rhode Island Teen Book Award

2010-04-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

... So my "Google Alerts" informed me the other day that "Word Nerd" has been nominated for the Rhode Island Teen Book Award. What tickles me about this is twofold: One, it means at least a handful of Americans have read my book (sales! sales! sales!), and two, I'm on a list with Carl Hiaasen, author of such amazing young adult novels as "Hoot" and "Flush." That feels like a brush with greatness.

... Plus a Few More Olympic/Paralympic Moments

2010-03-29T19:42:00.001-07:00

Erm, yes, it's taken me a full month to write again. It's just like every diary I kept growing up. Big spurts of writing followed by massive gaps of silence.

It turns out it was a bit premature for me to write about my top ten Olympic moments, although I still wouldn't change any of them. I just have to add a few more.

1) Sledge Hockey. We saw Norway vs. USA. These guys are awesome. What amazing athletes. And what a rough sport.

2) Ziplining Across Robson Square. We waited until the zipline re-opened for the Paralympics as the lines were substantially shorter. I and two girlfriends waited in line for two hours on a Wednesday morning. I'll be honest - I was completely relaxed. Until we had to climb that tower. For the last five or so flights of stairs, my legs turned to jelly. By the time we reached the platform at the top, I thought, "I'd really like to turn back, but my pride won't let me." I was strapped in ... then the guy told me to walk down four metal stairs to nowhere - and jump.

But once I was airborne - the fear disappeared. It was exhilarating! I was so proud of myself and my pals - pushing ourselves to do something new.

3) Aeriosa - In Situ. This was the last Cultural Olympiad event we saw, and it was amazing. I thought ziplining was scary - these women (and one young man) danced - secured by climbing ropes - from the sides of our downtown Public Library. It has to be seen to be believed - it was stunningly beautiful, so graceful, like they were swimming underwater, and also awe-inspiring. And just to add the cherry to the sundae: It was free!

Top Ten Olympic Moments

2010-02-27T17:13:00.002-08:00

Like many Vancouverites, I have enjoyed living through the Winter Olympics far, far more than I ever expected I would. In fact it has been a blast. It feels like it's been a non-stop party, whether you're out in the jam-packed downtown streets, or sitting at home watching Canadians tally up gold medals on TV.

Here, in no particular order, are my ten favourite Olympic memories:

1) Taking part in the Flash Mob Dance on Robson Street. I've posted the link below this long post - it's not the best video (there are better ones on youtube, shot from above), but in this one, you can actually spot yours truly if you look carefully! (for all of about ten seconds). I found out about this dance 24 hours before it happened, and basically stopped writing and spent the rest of my day learning the dance moves (an instructional video was provided). It was SO MUCH FUN. Not nearly as artful as some flash mob dances, but the vibe in the crowd was incredible. Even the police were smiling!

The policemen kindly assent to doing "jazz hands" with my friend Louise and me!

2) Sitting next to the parents of speed skaters Charles and Francois Hamelin on the bus. Yup, that could happen during the games. I didn't speak much French and they didn't speak much English, but we got by ... the buses in general were a riot - jam-packed every time, but full of happy, chatty people. You couldn't get on a bus without getting into multiple conversations. It made me love public transport.

3) Sitting right behind the Swiss Women's Hockey Team for a game between Sweden and Switzerland, at UBC Thunderbird Arena. We were really up close and personal with both teams (I don't know how we got such good seats - we got them, and tickets to two other events, during the second lottery). My son actually got to high-five the goalies from both teams as they left the ice, that's how close we were.

My husband, showing his Swedish heritage and pride!

4) Watching Alex Bilodeau win the first gold medal on Canadian soil. It felt like a truly Canadian moment, where we were united in our pride for this incredible young man and his entire family, particularly his brother Frederic. It felt like a truly Canadian story. Not far behind for me was the win for Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir in pairs ice dancing. They were leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, their skating was beautiful ... But my joy extended beyond Canadians - Yu-Na Kim, the South Korean who won women's figure skating, was also leaps and bounds ahead of the competition ... and, well, she did have a Canadian connection, of course, her coach Brian Orser!

5) K'Naan. This guy is a super-star. And we got to see him in concert, 9th row seats, thanks to the amazing Cultural Olympiad. K'Naan rocked the house. He's a fantastic singer, rapper and poet. Awesome show.

6) The above-mentioned Cultural Olympiad. There were incredible shows every night leading up to the Olympics, during the Olympics, and beyond (their schedule runs till mid-March). At fairly reasonable prices we got to see some of the best music, theatre, comedy and dance from around the world, all here in our own city! Highlights for me were the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre from Taiwan, the Neil Young Project, and The Blue Dragon by Robert LePage.

Now if only Premier Gordon Campbell would recognize the importance of arts in our province and restore arts funding!!!

7) Discovering that curling is actually kind of fun. And even kind of cool. We got tickets to three sporting events in the second round of the lottery. The only events that had tix available were hockey games that didn't involve Canada, and curling. So, we got tix to the first women's round robin, and you know what? It was pretty fun.

The Canadians playing against the Swiss. Canada won!

The Swedes won against the Danes. I rooted for Sweden in spite of my Danish heritage - I was outnumbered by my Swedish husband and half-Swedish son ...

8) The Paradise Institute. Again, this was part of the Cultural Olympiad - they had three "Code Live" sites around the city, showcasing incredible interactive art. Janet Cardiff's Paradise Institute was my favourite (and there are many favourites to choose from). I can only say, you have to experience it. Check out her website. If you're in Vancouver and get a chance, go to Emily Carr and experience it for yourself!

9) The nightly light show at Robson Square. It was incredible. Sorry I don't have photos. But it included people dressed as athletes, flying overhead on the zipline. Plus fireworks, lasers and shooting flames of fire.

10) The sheer BUZZ in the city for over two weeks. The crowds downtown were incredible ... sometimes a little overwhelming, but almost always fun. Sigh. I will miss it.

Flash Mob Dance on Robson Street

2010-02-27T17:13:00.001-08:00

My First Youtube Video - 10 Hits Already! I'm A Rock Star!

2010-02-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

A Cool Olympic Moment

2010-02-10T17:37:00.001-08:00

So yesterday I was downtown for a lunch appointment, and as I walked down the street a group of Canadian athletes, in their great-looking Canadian uniforms, walked past me - and one of them was Jamie Sale (I don't know how to get the accent ague on the "e" in her last name) - winner of "Battle of the Blades!" (oh yeah, and she's won an Olympic gold medal, too!).

There's definitely an air of excitement hanging over the city now. Athletes everywhere. Tomorrow we'll watch part of the torch relay. Saturday it's a women's hockey game between Sweden and Switzerland (my husband is Swedish).

Morty - The Squirrel Who Would Not Die

2010-02-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

My son and I had quite the mini-adventure last week. On Thursday he called me from a friend's cell phone on the way home from school to tell me, "Mom, there's a squirrel with its head caught in a rat trap on someone's front lawn. It's alive. Should we try to get it out?" Being a mom, I immediately said "NO!" - picturing bites followed by rabies shots - but said I'd call the SPCA. The SPCA put me on to Wildlife Rescue, and the girl was lovely and said she'd try to get a driver out.

Just as my son walked through the door she called back. "I have a huge favor to ask," she said. "I can't get any drivers" (they're located in New Westminster, which is really far away). "Can you go get the squirrel and bring him to the Vancouver Animal Emergency Hospital?"

Okay, honestly - and this may reflect poorly on my character - I didn't want to do it. Try to grab a frantic squirrel and stick him in a box and drive him to an animal hospital? But when I saw my son's face (he'd seen the poor creature, not me), it was a no brainer. We got gardening gloves, a towel and a box, and drove back to the house.

The squirrel was curled in a fetal position in the road by now. He'd actually managed to get free of the rat trap. I wish I'd taken a photo of this trap. Imagine a regular mouse trap, and at least quadruple the size of it. What anyone was doing with something like this on their front lawn, is beyond my comprehension. There was food in it - they were definitely after something. Imagine if a small dog had gone onto their lawn, or a toddler!

We thought he was likely dead. Then a car drove past and he leapt in the air, but crookedly. We approached him and he jumped again, but landed in almost the same spot. I figured his back was broken. I put on the gardening gloves and threw the towel over him, which made him stop jumping. I quickly picked him up, pretty sure I wasn't near his teeth, and put him in a cardboard box. My son held the box closed (with room for breathing) on the way to the clinic.

I was sure they were just going to euthanize the poor thing. But miraculously, nothing seemed to be broken. They gave him pain killers and said he'd be transferred the next day to a place called Critter Care. I just called them - and apparently MORTY - the name my son gave the squirrel because "mort" is French for "death" and Morty had defied death - is doing very well. They're hopeful he will make a full recovery. Oh, except they called Morty a "she." But we'll still call her Morty.

Anyway, I filled out a form at the vet's and checked off the box that said we'd be willing to do more volunteer "rescues" if ever needed - it certainly livened up an otherwise uneventful Thursday. I'm picturing Oskar and I, out rescuing birds and raccoons etc. a few days a week - hmm, I'm picturing a "Danger Bay" spinoff!

Bad, Bad Blogger!

2010-01-27T16:07:00.000-08:00

It's confirmed. I'm a bad blogger. I have not blogged in over a month. For the last week I've been standing in a corner with a dunce cap on as self-inflicted punishment.

So I don't have much to report from the book world, except to say that "Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom" is "at pages," meaning it's all typeset and everything (meaning it actually looks like the pages of a book). And now that it's really, truly, out of my hands ... my mind starts to turn to the next book. Fortunately, I've had an idea, and a character, percolating in my head for a number of months now. The character's been talking to me. Weird, huh? He's another boy, a little older I think, probably 14.

Here's the part where I make non-Vancouverites jealous: This is what it looked like on Christmas Day in Vancouver.

That's my son and me, on the Stanley Park seawall. It was a spectcular day. The day before, on Christmas Eve, we drove to the local mountains a half hour away and cross country skied.

I read a lot over Christmas, including two great young adult novels. The first was "Bucking the Sarge" by Christopher Paul Curtis. I love Christopher Paul Curtis's writing! My son and I read "Bud, Not Buddy" a number of years ago, which is one of my all-time favourite young adult books. That book actually inspired me to write "Word Nerd" in the first person, and was an exceptional example of how one could blend hardship with humour.

The second book was "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie. This was a fantastic book. I won't say anything more about it except that it's a book that can be read by teens and adults alike. It was brilliant. Funny and gut-wrenching and sad and honest.

I will try to be a better blogger from now on.

A Few Clarifications

2009-12-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

Since my last blog posting I've had a clarification with regards to Word Nerd at Franklin Road School in Hamilton, from their librarian:

"Word Nerd has NOT been removed from the shelf at Franklin Road School...the teacher-librarian told the reporter from the Spectator that she would be pulling the book when the student returned it (he wanted to finish the book, by the way), so that she could read the book. She had not had a chance to read Word Nerd before it began circulating. All the schools with Grade 7 and 8 in HWDSB received a set of Red Maple books for their collection. The book will remain in circulation unless there is an official challenge and then the process will begin."

I just wanted to say thank-you Marilyn for giving me the low-down. And I appreciate that there are protocols in place. I also hope the protocols never have to be used in this case. Most of all, I'm delighted to hear the boy wanted to finish the book. For the record, librarians rock.

Also, I have egg on my face because the journalist who wrote the article did try to get in touch with me. She used my gmail account, which I rarely check - in fact I just found her e mail tonight. So Carmela, if you read my post below, SORRY!

Anyhoo. Thanks for all the feedback, for a blog with 13 followers I was amazed to discover I had four comments. That is a new personal record.

Word Nerd Ignites Controversy on a Slow News Day In Hamilton, Ontario

2009-12-13T16:06:00.000-08:00

Imagine my surprise when I got a Google Alert re: "Word Nerd" - and the heading stated, "Book Starts War of Words." Please take a couple of moments to read this article. It's from the Hamilton Spectator.

I have to say, I'm flabbergasted that my book would ignite any controversy. And I certainly appreciate the statements from Meredith Tutching at the Ontario Library Association. I'm surprised the reporter didn't try to contact me, the author, for a response.

For the record, "Word Nerd" (you can read an excerpt on this blog) is a tender story about a 12-year-old boy who lost his father before he was born, and lives with his well-meaning but overprotective mother (I am not going to point out the obvious ironies here). He's an outcast, a self-described nerd who is bullied at school. But Ambrose (the protagonist) is a glass-half-full kid, and during the course of the novel he manages to find a community at the local Scrabble Club, with the help of his rather messed-up upstairs neighbour. The two men (one 12, one 25) help each other in unique and meaningful ways. Cosmo becomes an unlikely father figure or older brother to Ambrose, and Ambrose helps heal some of Cosmo's deep wounds - and helps him find love in the process. It is not a book about "boners" (which Ambrose mentions as one of the many things he'd be able to talk about with his dad if he were still alive), and the few references in the book to his burgeoning sexuality are within context, and, I believe, incredibly true and real. To think that our children aren't having these thoughts, or know this language, by the age of 12, is to live with one's head in the sand.

But that is just my opinion, and everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. I have no qualms about that. However I am deeply disappointed that my book has temporarily been pulled from the shelves at Franklin Road School.

Censorship has been around forever, and will continue to be. In its own tiny way, "Word Nerd" joins the ranks of books like "The Catcher in the Rye," "To Kill a Mockingbird," and any of the "Harry Potter" series (and any of Judy Blume's books - and she's my idol). You can click on any of the links to see the controversy that surrounded all of these books. I know, how dare I put my book into such lofty company! But it's the same issues, different day.

New Author Photo

2009-12-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

So I have a new book coming out in the fall of 2010. Despite the fact that it's a good nine months away, my manuscript is now completed and copy edited, cover art is done (and it's great - thanks again to Kelly Hill, who also designed the cover for "Word Nerd" - but no, I'm not going to reveal the cover art, not yet), dedications written, etc. because everything needs to be ready so the book can go to the printer's early in 2010.

This time around I decided I should get a professional photographer to take an author photo. Last time a friend took it for me when I begged him, in a panic, to do so.

I thought you might be interested in the true difference a) a professional photographer makes and b) a professional make-up artist. Here's what I look like in a regular photo, no make-up. I took this one myself, in my hotel room in Edmonton. If I do say so myself I think it's really brave of me to post this horrid picture, but I really wanted to pick one that showed you the contrast.

Now, here are two of the shots Tallulah took.

Yup. Uh-huh. I know. Same person! What I love about these photos is, it's still so very me - but a much much nicer version! The make-up artist she used was lovely, her name is Win Liu . (I think the link I have to her is a Twitter address). Anyway, if any of you ever need a professional photographer, for any reason (and if you live in Vancouver), I can highly recommend Tallulah and Win - their work speaks for itself!

My Other Life Writing for TV

2009-12-04T08:31:00.000-08:00

When I'm not writing books, I write for television. Probably my best experience ever in the TV world (and I've had lots of good experiences) was working on "Robson Arms," a show I co-created with Gary Harvey.

Susin and Gary on the set of Robson Arms

We were the showrunners for three successful seasons, which basically meant we were in charge of all creative decisions, from the scripts to the casting to the production design, to overseeing the directors, to the final cuts of the shows, to the music. We worked with an amazing team of people - funny, smart, talented. It was fun to go to work every day, especially because we were proud of the show, which was set in an apartment building in Vancouver's West End and followed the tenants who lived there.

Anyway, I met a lot of Canadian stars working on the show. I thought I'd share, over time, some of my favourite photos from my years on the show.

One of the highlights for me from our first season was meeting Margot Kidder, a true Canadian icon (ie, the original Lois Lane, among other things). She was so lovely. The crew, and her fellow actors, loved her. I really wanted a photo taken with her, and she obliged. Problem was, I am severely "photo challenged," particularly if there's a flash involved - I blink every time. We must have taken about three photos, and I blinked every time. So finally Margot helped me out.

Me and Margot

What I find hilarious - and depressing - is that I'm quite a bit younger than Ms. Kidder. But you'd never, ever know it from this photo!

How I Got My Start as a Writer

2009-11-30T12:46:00.000-08:00

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. In the very first diary I ever kept (I was eleven, and it lasted one week), this is, I kid you not, the opening sentence:

“This is the first day I’ve really written in a diary. The reason I am, is ‘cause I LOVE writing stories, and if I do grow up to be a famous writer, and later die, and they want to get a story of my life, I guess I should keep a diary.”

Yup. Prescience and arrogance, rolled into one.

Anyway, I wrote a lot growing up: Maudlin short stories and even drippier poems. In fact, I'm going to share an excerpt from one such poem, written when I was about 18, for your reading displeasure. It's called "The Factory Worker." This is midway through the poem as I won't torture you with the whole thing:

She walks down to the end of the pier

Alone with her thoughts

Alone with her lonely thoughts

Alone and lonely.

Then suddenly she screams in anguish, trying to release some of the pain

A dreadful, hopeless wail of despair

That echoes in the night for a moment

Then disappears

Leaving the lonely woman alone

With her aching sobs.

Twelve followers (yes, that's 12 - one up from 11), I'll give you a moment to catch your breath, either from laughing till you cry, or trying not to barf.

Somehow, in spite of (or perhaps because of) my boxes full of terrible writing, I managed to get a paid writing gig when I was still quite young, in my early 20’s. I’d been hired on a brand-new TV series called Degrassi Junior High, to feed the cast and crew food (a job called “craft services.” Don’t ask me why). This is how the kid actors repaid me in that first season; this poem appeared in a “yearbook” they published:

An ode to Susin, the Bran Muffin Queen,

We eat them,

We die,

Then we turn green.

Thanks, kids.

Anyway, in between first and second season I wrote a “spec” script and showed it to the head writer. Next thing I knew, he and the producer hired me to write my first ever episode of television.

It was really, really, really hard! I was lucky – in the right time at the right place – but I did draft after draft after draft, trying to learn the craft of writing for TV. They were amazingly good to me on Degrassi, and I wound up writing 16 episodes of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. Believe it or not, they were also responsible for giving me my first crack at writing young adult novels: I wrote four books in the Degrassi series: Shane, Wheels, Snake and (my personal favourite) Melanie.

But here’s a little secret that very few people know … for a brief, fleeting period, I was also an ACTOR on Degrassi …

That’s right: I played, in two memorable episodes, Louella Hawkins, the janitor.

Yup. That’s me. Age 22 or so, wielding a wrench or some other tool. In that particular episode the heating was on the fritz in the middle of winter and the kids were boiling hot, and when Joey Jeremiah asked me, “Isn’t it fixed yet Louella?” I got to say, “Good guess, goofball.” In my other episode, Arthur and Yick hide a dog in the boiler room, and when they come to find him, I step out of the shadows holding the dog: “Is this what you’re looking for? Dogs are not allowed in school. You’d better go see Mr. Lawrence.”

It’s a performance both wooden and laughable … Thank goodness I’m a better writer than I am an actor! But the reason for that, I suppose, is all those boxes of terrible writing ... I kept at it, and slowly the writing got better ... unlike my acting.

Good Reader Review of Word Nerd

2009-11-25T13:42:00.001-08:00

Oh, I'm a terrible blogger, I know. But today I received this review thanks to Google alerts (I suspect all writers do this - you punch in the title of your book and any time anything is written about it, you get an e mail alert - yes, we really are that vain). Anyway, I liked this "Word Nerd" review, even its criticisms, so I thought I'd post it here.

By the way, Nicola Campbell and Kim LaFave won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award last week for their beautiful children's book, "Shin-chi's Canoe." Check it out if you can, it's a lovely book. Actually, all of the nominated books were amazing: "Libertad" by Alma Fullerton, "Thing Thing" by Cary Fagan and Nicolas Debon, "Death in the Air" by Shane Peacock and, yes, "Word Nerd!"

North by Northwest CBC Radio Book Club Interview

2009-11-18T09:56:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm posting twice today after a week-long silence. But here's a link to my CBC radio Vancouver book club. It aired on North by Northwest with Sheryl MacKay this past Sunday, November 15th. Thank goodness they edited out all my "ums" and "uhs."

I'll post a link to the Edmonton book club once it's aired on the radio.

CBC Radio Book Club, Edmonton

2009-11-18T09:14:00.000-08:00

At long last, I can tell my ELEVEN followers about my 24 hour trip to Edmonton! (yes, you read right - I have broken the 10 mark. I must have almost as many blog followers as Ashton Kutcher has Twitter followers!).

First, I was picked up at the airport by Jacqueline Janelle, the CBC radio producer. And she didn't come alone. She brought her delightful kids, Cameron and Janelle. I really enjoyed talking to them on the drive in to the hotel. Cameron is in 6th grade and Janelle is in 9th grade (at the school I was to visit the next day - but they swore up and down there was no nepotism involved!). These aren't ordinary kids. They are extraordinary. Among other things, they both have their own radio shows! Seriously. When I was their age, I was hurrying home from school so I could laze in my favourite orange beanbag chair and watch "General Hospital."

Their shows are at the University of Alberta radio station. Here's a link to Cameron's blog. Janelle, I'm sorry, I don't have your link.

Anyway, the CEEB put me up in a nice hotel, and the following morning off we went to Oliver School. Gail Brierley is their awesome principal, and she greeted us there. Here are some photos from the book club.

I started with reading the first chapter of the book

Then CBC host Peter Brown asked me a few questions

Then the kids got to ask questions.

And boy, did they have a lot of questions! They were so prepared, some of the older classes had even done "Word Nerd" charts!

I'm sorry that we probably only got through about 2/3 of their questions. These were a smart group of kids, ranging from Grade 4 to Grade 9. I so enjoyed answering their questions. In fact, one day, if you have 45 minutes to kill, here's a link to the entire video-taped interview. I can't believe how often I say "um" and "uh." That's the beauty of radio, they edit all that stuff out and make you sound smarter than you are - but the full video reveals all.

After the hour-long reading/interview/Q and A, I had my photo taken with the kids. I'll tell you - this is the only time a young adult author gets a wee taste of what it would feel like to be a rock star.

Yep - they even asked for my autograph.

So, I just want to say thanks to Jacqueline, Peter and Chris and the rest of the gang at CBC Radio Edmonton, and Gail and the staff at Oliver School, and especially to the kids, who won this visit thanks to their great cheer for the CBC radio contest. You can find their cheer on this link.

A Book Recommendation

2009-11-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

So my sister in law (one of my SEVEN followers - that's right - one more this week!) told me that a good blogger posts at least three times a week. I think I'll be lucky if I manage twice a week. But I really will try. I still don't have Edmonton photos, but here is a link to a short interview I did for CBC online.

But this is what I really want to write about. Last night I finished a novel by a writer I know, Ian Weir. Yes, he's my friend, so you might think this recommendation is suspect. But let me tell you - I just wouldn't write about it if I didn't like it! This is an adult novel, called "Daniel O'Thunder." It's Ian's first novel (he also has a great career as a playwright and TV writer. Among his many projects he created the teen soap "Edgemont").

Anyway, this novel was a rip-roaring good read. Set in the 1800's in England, it's about a pugilist (a boxer) named Daniel who decides to - well, take on the Devil. To be honest, I was a bit dubious when I picked it up, pugilism not being high on my list of interests ... and then, within pages, I was hooked. This is a beautifully written, hilarious, touching, suspenseful page-turner. And now seven more people will know about it! Pass it on! Buy Canadian and all that!

I Said I'd Write About Edmonton. I Lied.

2009-11-06T17:39:00.000-08:00

I didn't intentionally lie. But I want to do proper justice to my 24-hour trip to Edmonton and the great students and teachers at Oliver School - and the great peeps at CBC Radio Edmonton! And in order to do that ... I need photos. I took a few ... but I know a couple of other people got much better pics than I did, particularly of the kid audience. So - to my SIX DEVOTED FOLLOWERS (one of whom is my own husband - and I had to drag him, kicking and screaming, into my Word Nerd Cult - tonight he's going to drink the Kool-aid, he just doesn't know it yet) - a proper Edmonton update is still a few days away.

But I do have an exciting photo to whet your appetite:

My room service breakfast. It was delicious.

Okay, but here's something genuinely interesting - for me, at least. The photo below shows a page from my NEW MANUSCRIPT. It's at copy-edit stage. This is the easy part for me. I now just have to read through it and agree with all of my wonderful editor's notes. At this stage it's largely punctuation, getting rid of word repetition, and correcting inconsistencies (for example, I gave one character green eyes on one page, and later on she had brown eyes. Thank goodness for an excellent editor! Mine is Sue Tate, she is extraordinary, and she saves me from all kinds of embarrassment.

Anyway, this is a typical page with mark-ups. I suspect it will be a struggle to read the text, but if you can, it'll be a sneak preview at the same time.

From my new manuscript - to be published in fall 2010

PS - I just realized that if you click on the photo, it blows up real good ... meaning you can read every word! Yup, this is a new discovery for Luddite Nielsen.

2009-11-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

Later today I am flying to Edmonton, Alberta. Why, you ask? I'm going to do a taping of a CBC radio book club, in front of a live student audience! Why, you ask again? Because CBC radio, together with TD Bank (who is sponsoring the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award) ran a really cool contest in six cities across Canada. Schools could record cheers, (which were played on the local radio stations) in an attempt to 'win' not only a visit from one of the nominated authors to their school - but a live taping of a CBC radio book club, in which the kids themselves would be active participants.

If you follow this link to the TD Book Club, you can click on the "Edmonton" winner (Oliver School) and hear their winning cheer. You can also click on "Vancouver" and hear the winning cheers from Burnaby's 12th Avenue School. They are the two schools who 'won' a visit from yours truly. I've already done the book club at 12th Avenue School, but sadly it was pre-blog and I have no photographic evidence! Suffice it to say, it was AWESOME - and the kids were amazing. They asked really smart questions. And I got to be interviewed by Sheryl MacKay, host of North by Northwest, a great BC radio show!

The Vancouver show will air in November some time, and when it does I'll post a link. Not sure yet when the Edmonton show will run, but I have packed my camera and this time I'll take lots of photos.

And just so this isn't totally text-heavy I've decided to add a random photo of ...

Our cat, Sam

In Your Face, Stephenie Meyer!

2009-11-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

So you may have heard of a series of young adult novels called "Twilight." They've sold, oh, maybe a few hundred copies.

Okay - more like a zillion. And I'm happy for Stephenie Meyer. Really, I am. It is truly fantastic when a young adult novel (or in this case, novels) takes off like this. I'm sure Ms. Meyers never saw it coming, and how exciting it must have been. It's great to see legions of young people with their noses in a book!

But for one brief, fleeting moment in time ... in one solitary bookstore ... I, Susin Nielsen, beat Stephenie Meyer.

Okay, not me, personally, but my book, "Word Nerd." See, we have a fantastic bookstore here in Vancouver BC, called Kidsbooks. Kidsbooks is run by two amazing women, Phyllis Simon and Kelly McKinnon. These women and their staff know books. They have three locations in and around Vancouver. And, unlike some of the giant chain stores, their staff actually read the books. And get enthusiastic about certain titles. And hand sell them to people coming in looking for books for their kids, their friends' kids, their grandkids.

And, lucky me, a few of them loved "Word Nerd." So they hand-sold a lot of copies after it came out (it was published last fall, 2008). And one week, this happened ...

Word Nerd - #2 on the bestseller list at Kidsbooks

"Breaking Dawn" - #6 on the Kidsbooks bestseller list.

The following week - for one week only - "Word Nerd" was the #1 bestseller at Kidsbooks in Kitsilano.

That's me with Kelly McKinnon, one of the owners of Kidsbooks

That week I even beat out Robert Muchamore. Have any of you read the Cherub series? My son has devoured them, and I've read a few myself. They are terrific. Plus he seems like a great guy - my son "friended" him on Facebook and asked him a question and Robert himself answered back! That's classy. By the way - he's sold a heck of a lot of books, too. At least a few more than "Word Nerd." :-) Okay, a lot more.

Forest of Reading + Arthur Slade and Susan Juby

2009-10-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

So since I'm new to blogging I have a lot to say right now! This past Monday (while I was still in Toronto for the IFOA) I found out that "Word Nerd" was nominated for the Red Maple Award and the Golden Oak Award, which are both part of A Forest of Reading. Now, this is very cool, because KIDS will be the judges. Kids from different schools (I think this is just in Ontario) will have a chance to read all the titles (in my case, the Red Maple is for grades 7/8) and vote. That's right, the readers pick the winners. Pretty cool.

And also nominated for different Forest of Reading Awards are my friends (I hope they won't mind that I call them that) Arthur Slade and Susan Juby. Arthur is up for the Silver Birch Award for his book, "Jolted," and Susan is up for the White Pine for "Getting the Girl."

A little history: Arthur and I met last year at Winnipeg's Thin Air Festival. I wish I had a photo of Arthur and me. It was the first time I'd ever done a reading at a festival (because "Word Nerd" is my first young adult novel) but Arthur's an old hand (he's not old. Just experienced. Really, he's very youthful. Very handsome. Debonair, even). This is a GG Winner for heaven's sake! (he won for his excellent young adult novel, "Dust"). Anyhoo, we read twice together on stage, and Arthur was so wonderful. He put me at ease and treated me better than I deserved. He made a friend and fan for life, whether he wanted it or not.

Now, Susan Juby - I met her in a whole nother way. See, Susan wrote the fantastically funny trilogy, "Alice, I Think." If you haven't read these books, you should. In my "other life" as a TV writer, I was approached to adapt them for television. I could not turn down this opportunity, even though it was very daunting. That's how I got to meet Susan - who is not only immensely talented and generous, she's also gorgeous!

See - there we are - Susan Juby on the left, reading one of my scripts, me on the right, reading one of her books. No, this photo wasn't staged. Not at all.

Best of all, I think she liked a lot of what we did with the series, which sadly only lasted one season. I don't have a photo of Susan and me together, but I do have a few photos from the TV version of "Alice, I Think."

This is Carly McKillip, the wonderful actress who played Alice. Poor thing, she had to wear this ghastly wig in the first couple of episodes.

And here are Michael Eklund (Marcus), Haig Sutherland (Finn) and Dan Payne (John)

International Festival of Authors, Part 2

2009-10-30T10:40:00.001-07:00

But back to the IFOA. Here are a few more images from the day of the reading and the panel.

Signing books

Holding up my first "published" book - written when I was 11. Okay, it was self-published.

So, all in all, a very fine day. On Sunday I drove to Stratford with my lovely mom and we saw West Side Story, my all-time favorite musical, and it was the best production ever (I'm embarrassed to say I have seen it many, many times). That evening I took Mom to an author reception/dinner at Jamie Kennedy's restaurant at the Gardiner Museum. It was quite the scene, seeing people like Roddy Doyle and Paul Quarrington wandering about. But the best moment came when I turned my back on my 71-year-old mother for one moment - and turned back to see her with her arm around this gentleman (and his arm around her, too, I might add).

Especially if you're a kid you may not recognize this man (the woman is my Mam). But he is one of our most famous novelists, Michael Ondaatje. They had a nice chat, Mike and my mom. He made her evening (and mine). What a nice fella.

International Festival of Authors

2009-10-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is my first blog post ever because I'm a terrible Luddite. But I felt inspired to finally start this as I just returned from my first ever appearance (and I hope not my last) at the International Festival of Authors in Toronto. I was invited because my first young adult novel, "Word Nerd," was nominated for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. All of the nominees - me, Shane Peacock, Alma Fullerton, Nicola Campbell and her illustrator Kim LaFave, Cary Fagan (his illustrator, Nicola Debon, didn't attend as he lives in France) - were brought in to do two sessions on Saturday, October 24.

I wish I had photos of my fellow nominees, but I do not. However I really enjoyed meeting them. It's always fun to meet other people who do what you do (and they were all much more experienced than me). Our reading and panel went well, despite low attendance (it's the first year they've brought in the nominees, and it wasn't well-advertised - however we were all delighted to be the guinea pigs!). In fact a large part of the audience was comprised of my family and friends. I used to live in Toronto, and toss a divorce and some remarriages into the mix and I have LOTS of family!

That's me in the middle, with my mom, stepsister, stepsister-in-law, and three of my five beautiful nieces.