Archive for March, 2008
Away arrives
I got some early copies of Away last week, so that I might have some with me for a reading at the Pacific Festival of the Book in Victoria. It arrived in a non-descript cardboard box, a little dented and very well taped. It sat on the kitchen counter, looking at me. Away is my fourth book, and I keep waiting for the whole process to become blase – seeing the book for the first time, holding it in your hand, seeing it in a bookstore. All that. I’m still waiting.
It was all excitement and rosy cheeks. I held the first copies in my hands after only slightly struggling with tape and scissors, bordering on giddy. It’s always something to see a new book. The concept of the abstract to the tangible applies here: they were just words in my notebook, on my laptop, in my head, and now they are made concrete. I flipped through the collection, sometimes surprised by the words. Publishing is a long process; I had forgotten some of the lines, some of the images, and at times was actually surprised by what I read. The author and audience meet.
Away has turned out beautifully. I couldn’t be happier with the final product, with my publisher, or with the excitement that still comes in a tattered old box.
Beyond the Blue – Book Club
Exciting news: Beyond the Blue has been chosen for CanadianLiving.com’s May issue. So, grab a copy and join the discussion!