Dirty Laundry

Starred Review, Steak, & The Stanley Cup Playoffs

First things first.  I was very excited to receive a STARRED REVIEW in Publishers Weekly on Monday!  Now, all those teens who asked for subscriptions to Publishers Weekly for their birthdays will see just how truly funny this book is.  I can see it now.  The issue arrives in the mail and they throw down the Xbox control to devour the latest publishing news, events and reviews.  Rifling through the pages.  Past the Galley Talk and the Deals pages and the Bestseller lists.  Until finally they come to the piece de resistance (excuse the lack of accents - I’m not sure how to do that on my blog) - the STARRED REVIEW of Swim the Fly.  The magazine will be hurled aside in a frantic scramble to get to the bookstore where someone like Helga (from Indigo) or the wonderful people at Kidsbooks will have placed the book face out for easy discovery.  Oh yeah (I’m nodding my head now in approval) that’s going to be sweet.

All kidding aside, I am completely stoked about the review.  Thank you Publishers Weekly and the anonymous reviewer who read my book.  Actually, thank you to all the reviewers (well, most of them anyway - you know who you are) who have been championing this book.  I’d like to be one of those people who says that they don’t bother reading reviews, that they really don’t matter, that I don’t Google my name and book title on a daily basis, but I’d be lying. 

And now, onto steak.  I used to be a vegetarian.  For quite some time, really.  There are many reasons to be a vegetarian.  Your own health.  The health of the planet.  The health of the animals.  And then, there’s the reason not to be.  (Vegetarians, you may want to stop reading now).  Charbroiled steak.  Today, I’m speaking specifically of the Gotham Steakhouse in Vancouver.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  My wife, stepson and I dined their last night and I must say, it was ridiculously delicious.  Not only the New York Strip.  But the Ahi Tuna, the garlic shrimp, the creamed spinach, and the cheesecake.  If you live in Vancouver, or are planning visit, I highly recommend a meal at the Gotham Steakhouse.

Finally, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing.  It’s the best time of year to be a hockey fan (and the worst time to be hockey fan’s significant other - unless, they too are hockey fans).  The Canucks have taken a commanding lead over the St. Louis Blues so I am very happy.  The Penguins are ahead in their series, so that makes me happy, too.  The Islanders have received the first pick in the entry draft and so, again, happy.  My wife is going away on a business trip for a few days, so, there not so happy.  But, that does allow uninterrupted hockey watching time (just don’t tell my editor - who’s expecting my new book in a couple of weeks.  If you happen to see her, tell her I’m writing during the commercials).

Posted by Don Calame on 4.21.09 at 11:21 am in Prattlings. (4) Comments

Unleashed!!!

And so, my book has officially been unleashed on the world.  Nyahahahaha!!!  Or at least, a good portion of North America.  Nyahahahahah!!!!  I received a lovely email from a bookseller today who said she was reading my book on the train and she laughed so hard she nearly puked.  Which is exactly what I was going for.  So beware book buying public.  You might want to read Swim the Fly wearing a bib.

Some stores I visited today had the book on the shelves.  Others didn’t have it at all (but they did have it called up and showing on the big screens of all their “look it up” kiosks by the end of the day - who would do such a thing?) 

While others had it in the back (presumably the booksellers wanted to hoard all the copies for themselves - because really, who doesn’t want to vomit with laughter?)

Here I am in Kidsbooks (Vancouver) holding a copy of my newly birthed novel.  They were nice enough to have it facing out in the shelves when I got there (and they didn’t even know I was coming).

And here are me and Helga (a lovely Indigo staff member) standing in the Indigo store in North Vancouver.  Helga was kind enough to bring my books out from the back (they hadn’t gotten a chance to put them out yet) and THEN she placed them carefully face out on the shelves.  Lastly, it’s me signing a book for my “bossy boots” wife (see dedication page).  All in all a very exciting and fun BOOK DAY!!!

 

Posted by Don Calame on 4.14.09 at 03:03 pm in Prattlings. (3) Comments

Prepare For Launch…

Yup, tomorrow’s the official launch date for Swim the Fly.  I’m all geared up to visit every bookstore within a three thousand mile radius to view my book sitting there on the shelves.  There will be pictures and proud, arms-akimbo stances and beaming grins.  It’s hard to believe that the day is almost here, having begun the writing just over two years ago.  I will fill you in on my day of merriment once said day is complete (or maybe a day or so afterwards if recuperation time is needed). 

Almost as exciting as all this is the fact that I was able to nab a couple of Canucks playoff tickets.  I had to sell a kidney and promise to pull a rickshaw for a month but the tickets have been procured and are sitting on my desk as we speak (even though, technically we aren’t really speaking, but you get the picture). 

Until tomorrow…

Posted by Don Calame on 4.13.09 at 01:59 pm in Prattlings. (2) Comments

Happenings & Other Occurrences

Well, it’s now just four days until Swim the Fly will be officially released and several exciting things have been happening, not the least of which is the moving is finally over with and I feel like I could sleep for twenty four hours straight.  But I won’t.  Instead I’ll write about everything else that has been going on.

First off, I was lucky enough to receive a starred review in Quill & Quire as well as having been interviewed by Briony Smith for a feature that will appear in the June issue.  I have to say that I was shaky-nervous after reading the review.  Like, is that really my book?  It’s strange, I think, because it’s not the reaction I would have expected from myself. (You’d think, having spent so many years being me, I’d know myself pretty well.  But once in a while, I’m surprised by how I react to things.)

Also, there have been a lot of great blog reviews coming out as well.  Check out the book page for links to some of those.

On top of all of this, I have several appearances that have been scheduled recently.

On Sunday, April 26th I will be signing copies of Swim the Fly at the new Indigo store in White Rock from 1-2:30 pm.  It’s their Grand Opening and I’m excited to have been asked to be a part of it.  The address is:  2453 161A Street Unit #10,Surrey, B.C. V3S 0M6

On Saturday May 2nd I will be signing at the Strawberry Hill Chapters from 1-4pm.  It’s their 10th anniversary and I feel honored to have been invited to celebrate with them.  The Chapters address is: 12101 72nd Avenue, Suite 100, Surrey, British Columbia V3W 2M1

If you have a moment, please come by and say hello.

I’m also very excited to be going to Calgary Wordfest from October 13-18 2009.

And to top it all off, I just found out that I will be attending Book Expo America in New York May 29th & 30th (and if I’m really lucky, maybe I’ll get to meet my absolute favorite author of all time, Richard Russo, who is scheduled to be there as well). 

All in all, I feel extremely lucky and over-the-moon excited by everything that’s been happening.

 

 

Posted by Don Calame on 4.10.09 at 02:43 pm in Prattlings. (0) Comments