Dirty Laundry

Things That Are Over

Some happy things and some not so happy things to report.

First, let’s dispense with the negative. As far as I’m concerned the Stanley Cup Playoffs are done. Over. Finished. Oh, I’ll watch the Finals, sure. And I’ll pick a team to root for even if my heart won’t be in it. Maybe Chicago. Maybe San Jose. A team from the Western Conference (yes, Chicago is in the Western Conference for all you hockey neophytes and no it doesn’t make much sense) The Vancouver Canucks have been eliminated. The Pittsburgh Penguins have been eliminated. The New York Islanders eliminated themselves waaaaaaaay before the playoffs even started. I could go on a long hockey rant about the piss poor play of my favorite players on my favorite teams but that would just be sour grapes. Roberto Luongo has given me much to cheer about the last few years. Quadruple that for Sidney Crosby. Not so much anyone on the Islanders but what are you going to do? You can’t have everything all the time. Sometimes other people have to win. That’s the nature of sports. If your team won all of the time it would get pretty boring. So, I will leave it at that and move on to things more positive.

Like the fact that the moving is OVER!!!!! We’ve moved. We’ve unpacked. We’re finished.

Well, mostly. There are a few little bits to sort out still but the bullet train has slowed and we’re coasting into the station. I must say, I’m exhausted. But in a very satisfied way. The new writing room looks great. The house is beautiful. Life is good.

And more good news. Look what just arrived at my doorstep.

That’s right. It’s the galley (or ARC, as they say in the Biz) of BEAT THE BAND. (photo credit to my editor, Kaylan Adair, as I was too lazy to take a shot of the one that’s sitting on my desk) How cool is that cover? I’m pretty pleased, I must say. It’s one of the best things about being an author. Getting that book in the mail. Seeing how it’s going to look on the page. Of course, getting the actual hardcover is even more fun but this is a very cool preamble. Now I’ll just cross my fingers that people enjoy it.

Finally, I’m going to start actually committing new words to paper. Which means, hopefully, a third book to complete the trilogy. I’ve got a story in my head and hopefully my editor will like the treatment and sample chapters I’ve yet to write. We shall see, we shall see. But I’m getting antsy to start writing again and so I will end this blog and get to work.

Posted by Don Calame on 5.14.10 at 02:21 pm in Prattlings. (0) Comments

LA Festival of Books and Calabasas High

Just back from my three day whirlwind tour of Los Angeles, Calabasas, and Encino.

First things first. I must apologize to the Los Angeles Kings for coming down to L.A. and rooting for Vancouver so passionately and loudly at the Staples Center that the Canucks took my cheers to heart and won the game. There. I said it. I feel so much better. Now I can move on and start watching the second round of the playoffs.

All right, on to the good stuff:

I had a phenomenal time at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. The Kids Are Alright panel with Meg Cabot, Rosalind Wiseman, and Robin Benway was a blast. We were up there for an hour but it felt like only a few minutes. I wish we could have spent another hour answering all the great questions people were asking. And as long as I’m wishing, I wish I could have gone out to dinner with the authors on this panel afterwards because they were so fun.

And also, a BIG thank you everyone who got a book and came to talk to me afterwards. I love meeting readers and future-readers of my books!

On Monday I got a chance to visit two AP English classes at Calabasas High. The English teacher, Diane McEvoy, was super cool. The students in her class are really lucky to have her as their teacher. And she gets extra points for dressing up as T.C. Boyle, one of her favorite authors, during a “Dress As Your Favorite Author” day. She showed me a picture and it made me smile. And get this, when she sent the picture to T.C. Boyle, he wrote her back and thought it was fantastic! (By the way, saw T.C. Boyle in the lobby of my hotel. I wanted to go up to talk to him but I chickened out!)

The students in both English classes were awesome. They asked interesting questions and the class periods just flew by. I must admit that I have a tendency to blather on a bit and go off on these long and winding detours, but the kids stayed right with me the whole time, which was a credit to their will power and long attention span!!!

To top the whole weekend off, I got to visit the Barnes and Noble stores in Calabasas and Encino where they had me sign stacks of the new paperback edition of Swim the Fly. The staff at both stores were wonderfully embracive and kind to me.

Now, it’s off to finish up the packing, so I’ll leave you with a few shots from the weekend. Once again I was without fancy-cam so the photos lean toward the grainy side.

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Um, me and Meg Cabot anyone? How cool is that! (She is incredibly nice, by the way) Somewhere out there exists a picture of me, Meg, and Rosalind Wiseman, though not on my camera apparently, which I’m a little bummed about.

Can you believe how many people came to the festival just to see little old me? Okay, so they were there to see Meg, Rosalind, and Robin as well. Still, I must apologize to those who couldn’t get into the panel. Next time we will have to hold it at the Staples Center.

Here’s one where someone bumped my elbow. It kind of makes me want to take Dramamine.

My good friend Chris polishing his Cup (he won our Fantasy Hockey pool this year)

And just so I don’t get inundated with requests, here’s Chris hoisting it.

Finally, a shot of my friend Ron with his Scooter look-a-like.

Posted by Don Calame on 4.28.10 at 02:37 pm in Prattlings. (1) Comments

Nevada Is My New Favorite State!!!

Just got official word that SWIM THE FLY has been nominated for a NEVADA YOUNG READERS AWARD 2011. It’s between Swim and four other books and the final voting is May 2011. So, this will be my first official campaign blog. I have a year to get the word out to all those fantastic kids in Nevada (who just so happen to be the best kids in the entire world - and I’m not just saying that).

So thank you! Thank you! Thanks you, children of Nevada!!!

In other - not quite as exciting news - the hockey playoffs have begun. I am officially rooting for the Vancouver Canucks and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I have to chose a team from both conferences so that I am “invested” in whoever will come out of each conference. Also, there’s Sidney Crosby, who we all know is the greatest currently playing hockey player in the world (see the 2010 Olympics). And so, I will be incredibly busy watching a fair share of hockey over the next couple of months along with packing up my house for a move to our new digs.

Which reminds me, I must now get back to that packing.

But not before some pictures from the road trip across BC. I neglected to bring my fancy new camera and so only had the iPhone - which does in a pinch.

It’s springing outside!