Category: books

My April Reads

 

happy_easterHappy Easter everybody!  It’s been a busy few weeks: getting taxes ready to file, pruning the fruit trees, turning garden beds.  Along with garden and tax chores, I just finished up page proofs for The Art of Getting Stared At, and I submitted a partial book proposal to Orca for another in their Limelights series.   They got back to me very quickly – in two days! – with a yes, we’d love to buy it.  That’s the kind of thing a writer likes to hear!

On the down side, all the activity hasn’t left much time for reading. I’ve averaged about a book a week which is on the low side for me. But with Easter almost here, my sweetie and I are sneaking away for a few days. That means no taxes, no garden chores, no writing deadlines. Instead there will be books. Lots and lots of  books.

Here’s what I’m reading right now:

 

On the Kindle:  Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins

In My Bag:  The All You Can Dream Buffet by Barbara O’Neal

Beside The Bed: Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

 

Books Read to Date in 2014: 27

The Art of Getting Stared At

 

langston_ArtofGettingStared_pbHere it is! I’ve been waiting for months to show off this cover for The Art of Getting Stared At.  Thanks to the talented folks at Penguin for doing such a wonderful job with this cover.  I love it. I hope you do too.

I’m in the middle of reading page proofs for the book right now.  I’m also exploring the possibility of doing a book trailer, which would be a lot of fun and a great learning experience since I’ve never done one before.  With any luck, it’ll all come together.

Either way, the book is in its final stages and will be available in just a few months!

My March Reads

1888860_10151992389321295_1814062724_oIt doesn’t happen often, but yes, we do get snow on Vancouver Island.  Ironically, the last couple of times we’ve had any real accumulation, it’s been near the end of February when the snowdrops are in full bloom.  This time was no different. As well as snowdrops, the buds on my plum trees were swollen and pink, just days from opening, and the crocuses were poking out of the ground too.  I was downtown when the flurries started and some of the tourists arriving from south of the border grumbled and shivered as they waited in line for cabs.  This is nothing, I wanted to tell them. You should see what the poor souls in Winnipeg are dealing with. Out there, the ground is so frozen city officials are telling residents it might be June before it’s completely thawed.  But it was too chilly to talk. So I pulled on my toque, whipped out my gloves and picked up my pace. Once my downtown business was done, I had important things waiting at home: Team Sheltie wanted to romp in the snow. I had a fire to build. And I had books waiting to be read.

Beside the Bed: The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch

On the Kindle: Love in a Pawn Shop by Bonnie Edwards

At the Gym: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Books Read to Date 2014: 22

The Ancient Art of Placement

41-How2-FengShuiForWritersI was reminded of Feng Shui recently as I restructured my office to fit in the treadmill desk. Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of creating harmony in living spaces. Its literal translation means wind and water.   It’s based on the principle that, like wind and water, you and your environment are two forces of nature, constantly interacting and influencing each other.  When they’re in balance, chi or positive energy can flow which positively impacts our health, wealth and happiness.

As simple as it sounds, the art of Feng Shui is surprisingly complex and doesn’t lend itself to a superficial approach. Feng Shui masters spend their entire lives studying the principles and helping others apply them.  There are also various schools of Feng Shui which interpret and apply the rules differently.

I didn’t know any of that when I picked up a book on Feng Shui years ago.  Back then, my office was a mess, and I thought perhaps the Chinese principles of Feng Shui could help. After all, as the book pointed out, many of us utilize the principles of Feng Shui without even realizing it. We arrange furniture in a certain way, decorate our living rooms artfully, and design gardens and ponds so they flow.  Why not bring that same sensibility to the space where we write our books?

Here are some of the Feng Shui principles I introduced into my office years ago, and still utilize, to a greater or lesser extent, today.

* Simplify and declutter. Active chaos or temporary clutter (reference books or the visuals that pile up as we write) is the result of creativity in motion.  But passive chaos or stagnant clutter – outdated papers or books not being used, old magazines and journals – needs to be eliminated.

* Your desk should be in your office’s commanding position. Ideally it should face the room’s entrance, but angled to the left or the right and not directly in line with the door. If that’s impossible, use a mirror to reflect the entrance door or, at the very least, hang a bell on your doorknob so you’ll hear someone approaching.

*Put the materials you use regularly within arm’s reach of your desk. If that’s impossible, gather whatever you need at the beginning of your writing session and have everything close.

* Avoid having an abstract painting on the wall in an area where you want to focus.

* Watch out for doors that stick. Feng Shui believes they can create sticky situations.

* Make sure your work area engages all five senses. This is critical for us as writers too.  When you look up from your desk you should see something you love on the wall.  Create a soundtrack for the book you’re writing. Add a scented oil diffuser to the shelf.  Toss a throw rug with a beautiful texture onto the floor.

* Hang a crystal over your desk to stimulate the thinking chi and improve your work habits.

* Surround yourself with colors that personally resonate. The color blue activates the fifth chakra, or throat chakra, and can inspire creative writing. If that color appeals, put a few blue touches in your office. I’ve added red in my office to kick start my thinking. My desk is black and grounding, which is good for persistence.

* Keep a plant in your office and make sure it’s healthy.

* And finally, if you want things to change, relocate (or get rid of) 27 things in your working area. This is a powerful Feng Shui tool that can be used to sweep out the old and bring in the new.

My February Reads

27424-squareI’m on a Jojo Moyes reading kick at the moment.  I hadn’t heard of this British novelist until about a month ago when a writer friend recommended I read her novel Me Before You (thank you EC Sheedy).  I get lots of reading recommendations. And I have a ‘to be read’ pile that deserves its own zip code. But Me Before You – a layered and thought-provoking love story – sounded interesting. Plus, it was available at the library and in hard cover (and I’m always looking for hard cover books to read on the elliptical) so I picked it up.  I figured I’d read it, in fits and starts, when I went to the gym.

It was a well-intentioned plan. But it failed. I read Me Before You in two days. I read it whenever and wherever I could (once when I was cooking dinner). When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. Or, more specifically, thinking about Louisa and Will.  Me Before You made me laugh. It made me cry. And as soon as I finished, it made me go out and get another Jojo Moyes book.

What I’m reading right now:

At the Gym:

The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

Beside the Bed:

Stitches by Anne Lamott

In the Tub:

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Books read to date 2014:  14

 

A Most Bookish New Year

dogswindow.jgpActually, it was a bookish Christmas at our house. That’s nothing out of the ordinary. I tend to give – and receive – books for Christmas. I scored big-time this year with new titles by Kristan Higgins, Lisa Gardner, Jodi Picoult, and Anne Lamott. Once Christmas was over (and it was a doozy this year with two very sick dogs,though they were well enough to watch out the window as the company left), I settled in to read.  It occurred to me that I should set myself an annual reading goal – say two books a week, which is an easy target for me.  Ultimately I decided against it. I’m stretching myself with some extra writing goals this year. Reading is my reward; I don’t want to turn it into a ‘should.’  Having said that, I am going to track the number of books I read over the next twelve months. I’m curious to see if I read as much as I think I do. Here’s what I’m reading right now:

At the Gym:

The First Phone Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom

Beside the Bed:

The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins

On the Kindle:

Man For Grace by EC Sheedy

Books read to date 2014:  4

My November Reads

 

Into_the_Sunset_by_AK49BWLWe set the clocks back this past weekend. While some people don’t like to see the darkness settling in earlier, I do.  For one thing, I’m a morning person and I like waking up to brighter skies.  For another, if it’s dark outside I’m not tempted to work in the garden. Instead, I’m happy to curl up in my favorite chair and read a good book after dinner. Here’s what I’m reading right now:

 

At the gym: The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank

On the Kindle: In the Midnight Rain by Barbara Samuel

Beside the bed: Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology by Jenna Miscavige Hill

Picture Book Lovers Take Note

moonsnailCover-3-666x1000Another well-loved picture book is now available in digital form. Crow Cottage Publishing has released the digital and audio enhanced version of Moonsnail Song, which was originally published in 1994.

Written by Sheryl McFarlane and illustrated by Sheena Lott, Moonsnail Song is the story of a girl named April who daydreams her way to her favorite place in search of elusive moonsnail shells.

Here is a short behind-the-scenes glimpse into how the book originally came to be and how it has evolved in its digital incarnation.

Q: Sheryl, you wrote Moonsnail Song after camping on the west coast with your family. What prompted you to write about a moonsnail?

A: My daughter found an empty moonsnail shell and on the way home she and her sisters took turns ‘listening to the sea.’ As a former science teacher, I explained that the shape of the shell simply distorted sounds, but they would have none of that. It got me thinking about the power of the imagination, and I found myself working on Moonsnail Song the next day.

Q: Sheryl, how did Sheena Lott become involved?

A: I really enjoyed working with Sheena on Jessie’s Island, our first book together. I knew we shared a passion for the west coast and I was sure she’d understand what I was trying to achieve in the text. I talked to my editor and she agreed.

Q: Sheena, can you remember how you felt when you first saw Sheryl’s text for this project? Did it resonate with you in some way?

A: Sheryl described the images so well in her poetic text and made it very easy for me to translate words into watercolor illustrations. I enjoy painting west coast themed children’s books and working again with Sheryl was an easy decision. Incredibly, the day before I received the text, I was scuba diving off my local beach and witnessed a migration of hundreds of moonsnails. I had never seen anything like it in 20 years of diving. It was a good sign.

In the summer of 2013, Stephen McCallum of Crow Cottage Publishing approached Sheena and Sheryl about releasing a digital version of the book. Both women were thrilled at the opportunity.

Q: Sheena, did you have to make changes in the art to take Moonsnail Song digital?

A: I didn’t have to make any changes to the artwork itself, though Stephen did crop a few images for the digital format. Through his computer wizardry he was able to add and blend simulated watercolour washes to increase vertical or horizontal dimensions. As well, he changed the layout of some of the text to balance the cropped format.

Q: Sheryl, this digital version also has enhanced audio. How was that process for you?

A: We spent a few hours laying down separate sound tracks for each page, sometimes doing multiple takes to ensure the narration was just right. The background seascape audio was layered over the narration later. Then Stephen sent me the file to proof. There were a few small tweaks, but nothing serious. The finished e book is so polished. It’s something we can all be proud of.

Crow Cottage has also released another picture book illustrated by Sheena Lott – Midnight in the Mountains written by Julie Lawson. Sheryl and Sheena plan more digital releases with Crow Cottage in the near future. For now, look for Moonsnail Song in the iTunes Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/moonsnail-song/id713288514?mt=11

 

P5080197Author Sheryl McFarlane has written more than a dozen award-winning books for kids and teens. Many of them celebrate the west coast where she lives. If she hadn’t become a writer, Sheryl says she probably would have continued her career as a teacher because one of the things she loved most about teaching was sharing stories with children. Visit her website: www.sherylbooks.wordpress.com

 

Sheena-4x5Renowned artist Sheena Lott combines gallery exhibitions and children’s book illustration. Her watercolors and oils express her love of the outdoors and the coastal lifestyle.  Sheena wanted to be an artist by the time she was nine, and selling her first commissioned painting (a landscape in oil) to her teacher when she was 11, really spurred her on. Visit her website: www.sheenalott.com

 

Memoir Love

 

wild-by-cheryl-strayed-a-trail-of-tears_articleimageI’ve read some great memoirs over the last month or so. They’ve been welcome diversions at the end of the day.

Right now I’m juggling three fiction writing projects all in various stages. By evening, I need to escape. I can pick up and read the kind of book I’m not writing – and sometimes I do – but even then I’ll find myself admiring a turn of phrase, or the pacing, or some element of characterization. I’m used to this (I’m a writer 24/7; there’s no ‘off’ switch), and I usually don’t mind. But once in a while, that admiration takes me out of the story I’m reading and slams me back into the one I walked away from a few hours earlier. It reminds me of what’s waiting at my desk.

I don’t have that problem with memoirs. Not the good ones at least. I’m usually too caught up in what’s happening to think about craft. That was the case with these five riveting reads.

 ‘Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail’ by Cheryl Strayed.  Strayed takes an impulsive three month, 1100 mile hike to deal with the grief of her mother’s death, the unraveling of her life and the end of her marriage. In the process, the 26-year-old faces down rattlesnakes, black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls. Raw and compelling.  I had trouble putting this book down.

‘Coming Clean: a Memoir’ by Kimberly Rae Miller. Miller’s story of growing up as the only child of severe hoarders and how it impacted every facet of her life. Honest and gritty. The love she has for her parents shines through, yet she doesn’t shy away from admitting her anger, frustration, embarrassment and shame.  A wonderful read.

‘Heaven is Here, An Incredible Story of Hope, Triumph and Everyday Joy’ by Stephanie Nielson.  Nielson seems to have it all – a beautiful young family, a happy, loving marriage. And then comes the crash of a small plane, co-piloted by her husband. Stephanie is a passenger. Burned over eighty percent of her body, Nielson is not expected to live. Her account of the accident, her near death experience, her grief as she struggles to recover and regain even a segment of her ‘old’ life, brought me close to tears more than once. A true testament to the strength of the human spirit.

‘The World is Bigger Now; An American Journalist’s Release From Captivity in Northern Korea – A Remarkable Story of Faith, Family and Forgiveness’  by Euna Lee.  In March of 2009, Lee and journalist Laura Ling were working on a documentary about desperate North Koreans fleeing their homeland for China. Apprehended by North Korean soldiers, they were detained for almost five months before being tried and sentenced to twelve years of hard labor. Harrowing but ultimately uplifting, this is a rare glimpse into a little known country by a woman uniquely positioned to understand it.

‘Four Kitchens, My Life Behind the Burner in New York, Hanoi, Tel Aviv and Paris’ by Lauren Shockey. A great blend of history, culture, food and travel, as well as a humorous and honest look behind the scenes at what life is really like in a professional kitchen.  Shockey has an engaging writing style. Great anecdotes and recipes too. You will drool, guaranteed.

 

 

For the Love of Books

“I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.” Jorge Luis Borges

downloadI’m with Jorge. Only in my case, it’ll be a library with Michelin quality food and table service. To those who know me, this is no surprise. My first word was cookie and my second was book; my priorities haven’t shifted since I slept in a crib.

I adore books. And, when I had kids, I assumed they’d share my passion. How could they not?  I’m of the ‘children are made readers on the laps of their parents’ school. I also figured they’d share my love of food and have the easy-going disposition of their father.

Well, one out of three isn’t bad. We all do love to eat.

My daughter was captivated by books when very young. My son, not so much. For a long time, Zach only read books about fire trucks. Then came books about dinosaurs, sea creatures and cops, and only if I pushed him to sit down with me. But a story? Even a short one? Forgetaboutit. Zach had no time for a fictional world.

Until the summer of his fifth birthday.  We were spending a week at the beach. Taking a bag of books (this was a few years before e books) was de rigueur. Having reached the end of the cops cycle, I didn’t know what to take for Zach.

My husband did. He went out and bought a couple of Pokemon comic type books. One didn’t even have a story – just a creature per page, in bright detail, with the names spelled normally and phonetically. The second was an actual story, but heavy on the kid-friendly graphics. We gave the first book to Zach on the drive, hoping the pictures would hold his interest until we arrived.

They held his interest and more. By the end of that week, Zach was reading. As happy as that made me, I was more thrilled by the shift in his attitude. He was interested in stories. And he wanted more.

Mostly, for what seemed like years, he wanted more Pokemon. At the same time, my daughter went through a Babysitter’s Club book phase. When you’re a recognized writer checking armloads of Babysitter’s Club and Pokemon out of the library on a weekly basis, you’re awarded strange looks. Criticism also came from teachers and well-meaning friends who were appalled that I’d let my children read ‘such trash.’

For a while, I thought they were right. I went back to encouraging the kids to read books I deemed ‘appropriate.’ That worked about as well as getting them to clean their rooms. In other words, it didn’t.

Then my husband told me why he bought those Pokemon books in the first place. When he was a kid, his parents allowed only the classics in the house. In high school, more classics. For some kids that might have worked, but it didn’t for him. It was only years later, when he stumbled across an Isaac Asimov novel, that his love of reading began.

His words woke me up. Love. Of reading. I’d forgotten the very thing I wanted most for my kids. I wanted them to have a lifelong passion for books, to experience the joy that reading brings.

I set aside some snobbisms and grew up that day. My kids have grown up too. They no longer wear diapers, spit food, read Pokemon or the Babysitter’s Club. Right now Zach’s on a Paulo Coelho kick. My daughter has three books on the go, including a literary thriller that’s keeping her awake at night.

Raising one child who was born loving books and another who had to be led to them, taught me a few things. I learned that ultimately reading itself is what counts. That reading for pleasure may be as important as reading for information. That fire trucks and little boys go together, that Pokemon and the Babysitter’s Club eventually fade, but that the love of a good story, whatever form it takes, endures.

Now please pass the cookies. My book is waiting.