Dirty Laundry

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!

Cat On A Hot Tin Hood

Needless to say, I passed on the rolls.

Naughty, naughty Board!

Posted by Don Calame on 4.21.10 at 11:26 am in Prattlings. (0) Comments

Interior British Columbia Library Tour Extravaganza

About to embark on an exciting tour of three libraries this week for some readings of Swim the Fly! Come one, come all on the following dates:

MISSION LIBRARY       April 13: 1:00 p.m. 
                          Grade 10 - 12

AGASSIZ LIBRARY       April 14: 12:15
                          Grade 10 - 12

HOPE LIBRARY           April 15: 1:00 p.m. 
                          Grade 10 - 12

Posted by Don Calame on 4.10.10 at 03:48 pm in Prattlings. (0) Comments

Los Angeles Times Book Festival

Hey all. Just wanted to let everyone in the whole world know (because, let’s face it, everyone in the whole world is reading this blog) that I will be appearing (out of the mist) at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival on Sunday April 26th at 11:00am in Moore Hall to do a panel with Meg Cabot, Robin Benway, and Rosalind Wiseman.

Come on down and have a listen. I expect this discussion to get very heated and perhaps even break out into a donnybrook amongst us panelists. Donuts may be hurled, water spilled, and computers toppled. 

The panel is called “The Kids Are Alright.”  If they are referring to the kids in my book, well, then perhaps they haven’t read it. If, however, they are referring to The Who song, well, then I’m the right guy to have on the panel because I happen to be a certified expert on everything Who.

Posted by Don Calame on 4.7.10 at 02:30 pm in Prattlings. (0) Comments

Home Sweet Home

So much to write about and such a foggy head. Took home a nice souvenir from London, England. A great big United Kingdom Cold! This isn’t your ordinary sneezing and feeling rotten for a couple of days cold, either. It’s the cough-until-you-want-to-puke-feeling-dizzy-exhausted-use-up-boxes-and-boxes-of-tissues-going-on-ten-days-now kind of cold. And I don’t even have the worst of it. My wife has it three times as bad as me and I feel very sorry for her.

And so, I’m not going to go on at length today but just give you the highlights of the past couple of weeks followed by some caption-less (if I can help myself) photos.

So, here we go:

* London was tons of fun. We saw shows. We saw palaces. We saw crown jewels. We ate some amazing food (and some not so amazing food). I worked on the copy edits for BEAT THE BAND. I wrote a blog for Teenreads. And I took pictures (see below).

* Back home I have been answering questions as a virtual guest author at the University of British Columbia. It’s been a lot of fun. Most of the students of the Young Adult Materials course laughed out loud at Swim the Fly and loved it but one of them absolutely hated it. That seems to be the way with this book. Most people really enjoy it and then there are the ones who just plain don’t.

* Taxes, taxes, taxes. Yes, it’s that time of year again. Had to tally up all of my fading book and movie receipts so that I can hopefully save myself a few pennies in taxes.

* Came up with an idea for a third book in the trilogy and now I need to write some sample chapters and an outline to show Candlewick Press. I’ve been turning it over in my dizzy head but haven’t had the energy to commit anything to paper yet. Looking forward to getting to work on it though.

* Preparing for next week’s mini-library tour of British Columbia. Always nice to go out and read for a live audience. Just hope this darn cold lifts completely by then.

* Did a podcast with some friends and fellow authors (James McCann and Lee Edward Fodi) who have started a site called “Authors Like Us.” It’s a cool idea where they chat with various authors and post that chat online. Here’s a link to the podcast. Take a listen if you have some time: Authors Like Us

And now for a photographic interlude:

There. I managed to get through all of those pics without writing anything like: King Henry’s chubby or Bratz: The Xtreme Torture Playset. Better that you interpret each photo for yourself.

And so, I will leave you. But don’t forget to pick up your supercool paperback edition of Swim the Fly that goes on sale April 13th. It’s the same great story with a brand new eye-popping cover that you will not want to be without.

Posted by Don Calame on 4.5.10 at 11:18 am in Prattlings. (1) Comments