Many of you have already found me at my new blog HOME. Thanks for the clicks and the comments! I'm really enjoying the features of the new blog and I know that it's a great spot to communicate from. I will be blogging only from the new location starting May 1, 2010 so if you follow this blog, please take a minute to change your bookmark so we can keep in touch. And if you've just happened to stumble across this note, Welcome! And I invite you to join us over there, too!

I'm looking forward to seeing you all at my new place! :)

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Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I'll soon be deleting this account because I've moved over here.

Come visit me at my new location! (There's a new contest for you over there, too!)

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I am having the time of my life writing for the Chinese Whisperings Yin Book Anthology!

As I mentioned in a previous post, there are 20 writers and two editors from across the globe participating in this venture. And further to that: There is one premise and two strands that branch out from that premise: one is the Yang Book that is being written by the male writers, and the other is the Yin Book that is being written by the female writers. The idea is that your story must at least begin or end in the original setting and you are to take a secondary character from ANY preceding story and make them the main character of your story. And then we see how all the stories link up. How awesome is that?

One Yin author and one Yang author write at a time with a two week limit to complete the first draft. We write separate stories, yet if there's an opportunity to link them someway, somehow, that's even better. My writing Yang opposite is Dan Powell from - get this, I just realized this today - Germany! It's been great collaborating with him and it's amazing how our stories have linked together at a couple points so effortlessly. Very cool indeed.

If you haven't already, check out the Chinese Whisperings website. You can't read the stories there, but you can find out about the editors, authors, anthologies, and other awesome writing stuff!

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Just a quick reminder about the SMUDGE'S MARK giveaway over at The Novel Emporium.

And as a little something extra - just because I love giving stuff away - for the next few weeks I'll send you a personalized, signed card that you can attach to the inside cover of your own copy of SMUDGE'S MARK, should you already have one. (It's already got adhesive strips on it and everything so all you have to do is peel and stick! How convenient!)

This is a little thank you from me to you for buying SMUDGE, since I can't necessarily thank you all in person. You don't even have to enter the contest to receive one of these personalized cards. Heck, you don't even really have to own a copy of SMUDGE to receive a card, although I don't know why you'd want to stick a personalized SMUDGE card inside a different book... But hey, people have done stranger things :0)

So, for a chance to win a signed, hardcover copy of SMUDGE'S MARK, enter the contest. It ends April 2, 2010. And if you want a personalized, signed card email your address to [email protected] . (Don't forget to include the name that you want on the card!)

Spread the word!

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Yeah, you.

There's a brand new SMUDGE'S MARK giveaway up, over here, at The Novel Emporium!

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I want to do a little promo for some local talent, today, if that's okay with you.

I'm a part of a group of Toronto area writers who meet on a monthly basis purely for the enjoyment and encouragement of hanging out together. I really love my writer's group. Many of them are published and soon-to-be published authors and I'd like to give you the chance to get to know them, too.

On a grand scale, you can check out this link. It leads to our Toronto Middle-Grade and Young Adult Authors Facebook page where you can familiarize yourself with the amazing authors who live right here, in the Toronto area. Some names may already be familiar to you and you'll be like, "Hey! I didn't know that author is from Toronto!" And other names may not be familiar to you, but I can assure you it's worth it to find out who they are and what they're writing. Toronto's writing talent runs deep! And we're just beginning to scratch the surface!

Most of the authors on the Facebook page are fully accessible via Facebook and Twitter and the published authors all have websites as well. On Twitter our hashtag is #torkidlit and you're welcome to join the conversation!

Another link that is actually still under construction is the Torkidlit website. Debbie Ohi has courageously taken on this enormous task and is doing a fantastic job of it. Here, you will (eventually) be able to read about individual Toronto area authors, their work, and any events they may be involved in. You will also be able to link to author websites via Torkidlit.com as well.

When you've got some time, please do check out the links. I know I'm always excited to find a new local author and I love supporting local talent. If you're looking for your next good read, Torkidlit author books are available through most bookstores and, of course, online. If you want a few recommendations you can visit The Novel Emporium, a brand new book review blog that supports and promotes Toronto area authors, along with many others.

I truly hope you find your next favorite book from right here in Toronto! Chances are, you will! :0)

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My husband showed me a quote this morning and I want to share it with you.

This is for you, for me, for all those who dare greatly by stepping into the arena.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."

- Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

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Yes, I know, I already wrote a post this morning; one about SMUDGE and the giveaways and the lucky winner who was conceived in a patch of four-leaf clovers. (Actually, I discovered there was some truth in that. Well, the four-leaf clover part - but it had to do with an oak log on a driveway, not where she was conceived. At least I don't think--)

Aaaanyway, I didn't want to let the entire day to go by without pausing a moment to pay tribute to a man who was very influential to my writing career:

You see, Dr. Seuss is my most beloved author hero. I've always adored his books; their silliness, the way they make me laugh (and stare), the way rules are broken to make up brand new words no one's ever used before, and the way the illustrations magically transform those fantastic words into real, living, breathing, creatures. Dr. Seuss was the one who sparked my love of letters and words.

When I was young, I read his books over and over again, committing them to memory and even tape recording myself reading them. (Yes, tape recording myself – that was the extent of technology back then! What can I say?) A few years ago, I accidentally threw out my only live recording of reading Mr. Brown can Moo… Can You? and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. When I realized what I’d done, I cried. It still makes me so sad to think about it.

So, here's to you, Dr. Seuss, on your birthday. Your forever fan, Claudia.

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What a great day yesterday was! SMUDGE is now in the wilds of the world.

You know, when SMUDGE was released into Canada it was a bittersweet moment: kind of like seeing your first child off to kindergarten. So proud that you've worked so hard to help prepare them to be launched into the real world, yet deep down you wish you could hold onto them for just a little while longer.

This time around, however, the release feels more like seeing an adolescent, who's been living in their parents' basement playing video games for the last 10 years, decide they're going to college. Yes! Finally!!

Whew! Raising a book is hard work! It certainly isn't a predictable industry nor is it an easy job, but along the way there are rewards and little boosts that help keep you going. And sometimes you just have to give yourself that little boost!

Which is what I did by holding two book giveaways: one on Goodreads and one on this blog/Facebook. I love giving stuff away! On Goodreads, 3 winners were randomly chosen out of 781 entries. And here, because I had such a hard time picking the winners, I did a totally random "shout out a number" draw via Twitter and came up with my winners that way. And wouldn't you know it, the same person won twice! She won a copy here AND on Goodreads! Out of 781 people! What are the chances of that happening?? She must have been born (or conceived) in a patch of four-leaf clovers!

So, off to the post office I go, books in hand. And just like paying tuition for the kid who's moving out of the basement, now that the moment has finally arrived, I think I'll just close my eyes and hand over my bank card.

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Picture this, if you will:

"...we have one copy of your book. The cover has been eaten by a MaltesePoodle; however, the kids are quickly passing around the only copy we have. Now, the kids are eating the WHOLE BOOK, they are so excited. Their imaginations are at work and their interest is keen."

Can you picture it? Dog-eaten cover and all? (I love that! Ha!) Now, let me give you a bit of background info to help put it into context for you:

The aforementioned kids are connected to Lifeline Malawi; an independent Canadian humanitarian medical relief and development organization in Malawi, Africa. Lifeline's mission is to provide medical aid without discrimination to the peoples of developing countries.

THIS is what it's all about: The kids whose imaginations are sparked, whose interest is keen, and whose day is made a little brighter through the wonder and magic of the written word.

I'm humbled, choked up, and tremendously honored. As I read those words, I can't help but think this will probably be the best review Smudge's Mark will ever get.

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For a chance to win a copy of SMUDGE'S MARK and other great book-related goodies,

Leave a comment telling me how you (or someone you know) are making your mark in your school, community, city, country or world. What are you doing to make a difference? How are you helping the world become a better place?The winning comment will be chosen on March 1, 2010 by 12 midnight EST.

I'm looking forward to hearing how you're making your MARK!

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See, I told you I'd be posting another giveaway. So here it is:

For a chance to win a copy of SMUDGE'S MARK and other great book-related goodies,

Leave a comment telling me how you (or someone you know) are making your mark in your school, community, city, country or world. What are you doing to make a difference? How are you helping the world become a better place?

The winning comment will be chosen on March 1, 2010 by 12 midnight EST.

I'm looking forward to hearing how you're making your MARK!

(P.S. Yes, an identical contest is being held over at the SMUDGE'S MARK Facebook page. So, FYI one winner will be chosen from each contest)

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So what's a temporarily unemployed author who's experiencing major writer's block to do with all those hours in her day so she feels like she's actually accomplishing something?

Clean the house? - No way!

Do laundry? - Are you kidding me? Psh!

No, a temporarily unemployed author who's experiencing major writer's block does not clean the house nor does she do laundry so she can have a sense of accomplishment at the end of her day, much to the disappointment of those who share her living space.

Rather, she cooks!

Now, I'm not talking about KD, microwaved frozen veggies, and frozen pizzas - those are delicacies reserved for an employed author whose writing is flowing freely. No, I'm talking about the kind of cooking that exists within the magical realms of creative art. I'm talking about fresh ingredients and savory flavors that reawaken and revive your soul. Think I'm exaggerating? Have you ever experienced fresh grated ginger root? If you have, you'll know what I mean.

Yesterday it was a curried chickpea dish with fresh ground cumin, ginger root, turmeric, coriander seed, and garam masala. Today it's baked lemon pepper tofu that's being marinated in fresh lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic, and ground black pepper as we speak. I can smell the lemon and garlic on my fingers as I type. Mmmmm...

Talk about cultivating my relationship with my Creativity. I've realized today that I'm totally reviving my senses in ways that I've not done before. I've painted, sketched, read, listened to music, gone on nature walks, even knitted entire sweaters to replenish my creativity during past creative droughts. This is a new path for me, I've discovered. One that's always been available but one that I've never stepped into. Let's hope it eventually leads to some kick-butt words on a page!

Yay for epiphanies brought on by fresh grated ginger!

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Today I'm kind of feeling like my daughter did when she was about 5 years old.

We were having dinner one night and said this word: "aweedz". I guess she liked the sound of it because she kept repeating it over and over. Finally I asked her, "What's aweedz?"

"Aweedz," she said matter-of-factly. And then kept saying it.

"But, Abby, I don't know what 'aweedz' is," I said. "Is it something you learned at school? What does it mean?"

"A-weedz," she said, emphasizing the syllables as if it would help me understand.

"Yes, 'aweedz'," I said, "But I don't know what it means."

"A-WEEDZ," she replied, getting a little impatient with me.

"Yes, but what does it mean?" I asked again. "Use it in a sentence." I figured she probably wasn't pronouncing the word properly and if she used it in a sentence it would clear things up.

"I don't know!" she exclaimed, "Just A-WEEDZ! A-WEEDZ! A-WEEDZ!" She was more than a little frustrated now. "It's just AWEEDZ!"

"But use it in a sentence," I said, again, "so I can understand what you're saying. Use it in a sentence."

She stopped for a split second before shouting, "What's a sentence??!"

Imagine her frustration. There she was, just saying a word that was in her head because she liked the sound of it; because it was meaningful to her. And there I was making it all complicated and frustrating for her because I wanted to know what that word meant. I wanted to know what this "aweedz" was. I wanted to hear the word in a sentence so I could make sense of it. I wanted her to articulate the word better so I could understand what her fascination with it was, so she could share it with me. But in doing so, I just made her frustrated. She couldn't express her new favorite word in a way that I could understand what it meant. Not only that, I was asking her to use it in a sentence and she didn't even know what that was! So she stopped saying "aweedz."

Today I kind of feel like Abby; frustrated, overwhelmed, feeling like trying to express what's in my head is just too. much. work. Sometimes it's just too hard to get out what I've got inside. When in my head everything makes perfect sense, but the minute I try to give it a voice it becomes a frustrating example of communication breakdown - with myself!

I can't even tell you how many times, lately, I've sat down at the computer to write and I just stare. But at the very same time the story is pounding at the walls of my brain saying, "Let me out! Let me out!" There's a shortage somewhere between my head and my fingers. And I'm shouting, "What's a sentence?!" How can I put into words what I'm seeing, what I'm feeling, what I'm experiencing in my creative mind? I feel like my head is so full, but for some reason I just can't get it out. I feel like all I'm doing is repeating, "aweedz, aweedz, aweedz!"

I guess this is what some call "writer's block". I don't like it. So, I think it's time to take Eric Fortune's advice and cultivate the relationship with my Creativity in hopes of repairing my fractured relationship with the art of sentence making.

P.S. I eventually came to realize "aweedz" was the name of a new friend Abby had made at school: Arrij. And Abby has since learned what a sentence is which has made her life much easier.

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I'm not pooped anymore. So there will be many words.


Timeline and highlights, bullet-style:


Thursday, January 14, 2010

* leave home @ approx. 9am

* arrive, suffering from no traveling stress whatsoever, in Albany @ approx. 6ish pm (give or take an hour - can't quite remember. does it really matter?)

* realize phone's been roaming for last 5 hours - GASP!

* try to get wifi without roaming. No luck! Grrr.... Turn off phone.

* eat, drink, sleep


Friday, January 15, 2010

* leave Albany @ approx. 11am

* nerves kick in around noon - skip lunch

* get lost in Boston tunnel (twice) and confused re: u-turns (twice) @ approx. 1:30pm

* arrive, suffering from mondo traveling stress, at Boston hotel @ approx. 2pm

* connect to hotel internet service as soon as room door is opened due to withdrawal

* pull self away from computer to shower

* meet editor Kallie (for the first time, ever) in hotel lobby @ 4:30pm. Think she's just as sweet as she sounds on the phone.

* catch shuttle to exhibition centre

* arrive @ exhibition centre @ approx. 5:15pm

* find boxes of books and set up signing table

* try to get conference centre wifi without roaming so I can tweet. No luck. Double grrr..... Turn off phone.

* sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign (etc...) for next two hours

* smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile (etc...) for same two hours

*got to talk to awesome people including Publishers Group West folk, librarians, authors

* catch shuttle back to hotel @ approx. 7:45pm

* enjoy an AMAZING sushi dinner with Kallie and David

* return to room @ approx. 11:30pm

* write quick blog post

* crash


Saturday, January 16, 2010.

* a 7:45am bleary-eyed meeting at Starbucks with Kallie to discuss "top-secret-business" :)

* catch 8:30am shuttle to exhibition centre

* crowds begin @ 9am

* sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign sign (etc...) for the next hour and a half til all books are GONE

* smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile smile (etc...) for the same hour and a half til all books are GONE

* wander exhibit hall and collect FREE books like they're the last books that will ever be printed (so, so much awesome talent!)

* drag bags full of books onto shuttle and head back to hotel

* chill for a bit

* go for lunch

* shop a bit for the loved ones I left @ home so they won't mind if I do this again another time

* freshen up and head back to exhibition hall so I can find my way to the ALA Tweetup!

* attend Tweetup - awesome, awesome, awesome!

* try again to get wifi without roaming to I can tweet the Tweetup. No luck. Triple grrrr.... Turn off phone. (See, part of the deal with the Tweetup was that you were to tweet about the people you meet AS YOU'RE MEETING THEM)

* meet amazing people

* talk to amazing people

* pick up a book at the book swap (I got 8TH GRADE SUPERZERO)

* say goodbye to amazing people

* make my way back to exhibition hall only to see that it's empty, it's dark, it's closed. And for some strange reason, I'm all alone. Find security guard and he tells me all shuttles back to my hotel STOPPED AN HOUR AGO!!!

* ask a random guy with "transportation authority" on the back of his shirt why the heck there aren't any shuttles and if he can please get me one since he's got the authority of transportation. He says it's a no-go but I can take the subway. "It's easy," he says.

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After getting lost coming OUT of Boston, thanks again to the blasted tunnel and GPS combo, I'm now sitting in a hotel room in Syracuse waiting to hook up with my daughter via Facebook chat.

I'm still turning the events of the last few days over in my head. So much done in such a short time. It feels like the whirlwind that picked me up on Thursday morning has just dropped me on the other side of the weekend. Whew.

I'll do an ALA recap once I'm back home and thinking straight. Right now, someone very important is waiting for me over in Facebook land.

Cheers.

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I'm pooped! So there will be few words.


About one eighth of the exhibition hall. Our booth was somewhere in the top left side of the pic. Actually, it was probably just left of the first "S" in Scholastic.

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I'm now back in my room at the Boston Marriott after having an amazing sushi dinner with my editor and a couple of wonderful people who work at Publisher's Group West, the company that distributes my publisher's books in the U.S. Wow. What a day.

It all started with a problem-free drive from Albany til Boston. Well, it was problem-free until I hit the city. If you know anything about my navigational skills, you'll know that I have none. I've gotten lost coming home from Square One, a mall in my own city. My nav skills are so bad, I get lost following a GPS. And I did. Like three times. And it doesn't help when there's a tunnel in the middle of the city that you have to go through and you've missed hearing the GPS's directions before you went in. And then even the second time, when you pay attention to the directions and get it right, you can't get a satellite feed inside the tunnel and it's not just a straight through tunnel. It's like a maze. Well, to a first timer it's like a maze. So you come out in the wrong spot yet again. And then your GPS has you do, like, three u-turns (all of which you miss doing because you're not allowed to do u-turns in Canada and don't realize this is what you're being told to do)

Anyway, we somehow, miraculously, made it to the hotel in one piece and with a few nerves left intact. Luckily, the next 7.5 hours went from awesome to awesomer: I met my editor for the first time ever, we went to the exhibition hall where I signed and gave away about 150 books, and then - as I said at the beginning of this post - I had an amazing sushi dinner with three fabulous people. I also met a few fellow Twitterers in real life.

Tomorrow I hope to have some pics to add to Part 3 of the Great American ALA Tour. My camera battery died just as I got to the exhibition hall and was about to take my first picture of the Simply Read booth. Harumph!

So now it's off to bed I go. It's midnight and I've got a 7:45 am meeting with my editor. (who, by the way, is even more awesome in person. she's an absolute doll) And then at 9 am it's back to the exhibition hall to sign and give away more books! Yay! I'm loving it!

I'm one of the lucky people in Boston tonight.

Good night all.

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I'm sitting in a hotel room in Albany N.Y. about to leave for Boston when I got the idea of blogging about my little adventure. So that's what I'm doing. :)

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Am I doing anything special for Smudge's U.S. release, you ask? I've got a few things up my sleeve; one of them being this new giveaway on Goodreads. (open to U.S. and Canada only) I did both a Goodreads and Twitter giveaway for Smudge's Canadian release and the books were all won by Americans! Yay for early support from south of the border! :) Who knows? Maybe a Canadian will be one of the winners this time?

Stay tuned for more giveaways as the release date gets closer. I'll be posting one here on my blog, and one on Twitter as my publisher is generously giving me more books to have fun with!

In the meantime, good luck over at Goodreads!

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It's amazing how friends just know what you need even when you don't tell them. A good friend of mine gave me two perfect new writing tools yesterday:

I'm beginning a new project and I have the idea of writing the entire first draft ON PAPER. I don't usually do this, what with the convenience of my handy netbook, but for this project I feel that writing the first draft by hand is very appropriate. And necessary. For a few reasons:

1. The mood and tone of the story is quite fairy tale-ish, not unlike the German fairy tales my mother used to read to me when I was a child that scared the bejeebies out of me. Ink and paper will give me that "long ago" feel in keeping with the mood. (You know, kind of like the feeling you get when you write snail mail instead of email :))
2. The practice of writing an entire first draft with pen and paper will (hopefully) propel me forward thus thwarting my incessant need to go back and edit every single line as I go. The computer feeds my editing addiction and I generally have a really hard time moving forward as I write.
3. I want to try writing a story that has been somewhat planned out. I'm a "write by the seat of your pants" writer and want to experiment with the concept of planning out a story before diving into it. This writing excercise won't be a flow chart of events or anything like that, but it will be the bare skeleton of a complete story from beginning to end. Emphasis on "bare" skeleton. Thus the THIN notebook.
4. I need to step out of my comfort zone and try something new.

So there you have it. And it seems as though I'm not the only one interested in this new-for-me concept:


So, armed with a pen, hourglass, and beautiful new notebook I begin my new personal fantasy adventure.

Oh, and here's what my new notebook says on the back:


Appropriate, yes?

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This is a great cartoon created by my friend Debbie Ohi in light of the new new banned books on flights deal:


Click on the picture to get to Debbie's site. She's fabulous!!

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Wow. So, as you can probably tell, I just destroyed my blog layout. That was totally unintentional (especially since I just had a really nice comment about it this morning!)

But the reason I've unintentionally destroyed it is because I wanted to post my BRAND NEW BOOK TRAILER! So, really, it was worth it.

Check it out. And let me know what you think.

(For those of you reading a feed of this blog, come to the original posting to see the trailer)

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