I’m getting busy preparing for the launch of Fathom Five. In addition to the Waterloo and Ottawa dates, I’m pleased to announce a number of events for Toronto.
The weekend of June 8-11 is Bookexpo, a great Canadian trade show showcasing the latest in, you guessed it, books. If you have any love of books whatsoever, you will be blown away by the booths on display and the authors that show up to promote their materials. I love books, and I’m often blown away; even though last year was my first opportunity to attend the trade show as an author, I did get a chance to visit the two years previous, thanks to Erin’s credentials (and my work at The New Quarterly and Alternatives Journal), and for me it is a highlight of the year.
Bookexpo sells to libraries, teachers, bookstores and anybody else involved in the book industry; it’s not generally open to the public. However, as part of Bookexpo, I’ll be participating in Booked!, a reading series operating out of the Harbourfront Centre and Fort York on the Friday and Saturday (Stephen King is advertised as making his first Canadian public appearance at this event; I doubt I’ll get within handshake distance from him, but you never know).
I’ll be reading from Fathom Five alongside the award-winning young adult horror author Edo von Belkom at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 8. We’ll each be promoting our latest efforts to an audience that has paid to be there, so I’m a little nervous, but also looking forward to things.
This is in addition to an appearance at the Dundurn booth in the trade show, signing copies of “Fathom Five” either on Sunday or Monday. I’ll keep you posted as details materialize.
I’m also pleased to report that I’ve released my second audio book, sort of. Fresh from my success (sort of) of releasing the prologue and first chapter of The Unwritten Girl in podcast form, I’ve read out and recorded the first two chapters of Fathom Five, excellent for those who want a sneak preview of the novel, or who want to listen to some of it in their car, or who just want to hear my voice. You can download versions of this podcast here.
Finally, it gives me great pleasure to announce that the Toronto-area launch party of Fathom Five will be taking place on Saturday, June 30 from 2 to 4 p.m. As with The Unwritten Girl’s launch last year, we’ll be gathering at Nicholas Hoare Booksellers at 45 Front Street East. This is a fantastic venue, very cozy, warm and literary, while providing ample space for people to get together and appreciate some good books.
I’ll be sharing the stage with fellow Dundurn author Bob Tarantino, who is launching his first book, Under Arrest: Canadian Laws You Won’t Believe. This irreverent look at the oddities of the Canadian legal system promises to be a fascinating read, well suited for your coffee table, bathroom or bedside table. Afterward, he and I will be heading across the street to the Flatiron and Firkin, for a blogstravaganza.
In all, it promises to be a fun time, and everybody is invited. I look forward to seeing you there!
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
And now, for the benefit of family members and the lovers of all things cute, I give you: Vivian playing with a dancing toy lion.
 | Vivian gives the lion a great big hug. |
 | …and is distracted by the camera. |