Q & Q Writer Series featuring Urve Tamberg

Website: Urve Tamberg

Published Book (s): The Darkest Corner of The World by Dancing Cat Books

Notable Review (s):CM Magazine

The Q&Q:

1) In one word, how would you describe your personality? 

Hmmm - only one word? I think that would be "determined". My mother would have said "stubborn", but I'll stick with "determined." Final answer. 

2) What is your deepest desire?

Not becoming old and senile. I can't do much about the "old" part, so I'll work on not becoming senile.

3) Your greatest fear?

I fear any kind of harm coming to my children and family.

4) Your favourite colour?

Lime green

5) A song you can't help singing along with, every time you hear it?

Hallelujah, but only when it's sung by K.D. Lang. I can't sing, so I'd have to be in the car so no one can hear me. 

6) A movie that made you cry?

Almost anything these days. Even James Bond can make me cry. 

7) A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most?

I loved Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, and The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. There's no one book that I go back to but those are a few of my favorites. 

8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?

I only have one book so let me say I like feisty female characters. Someone  who is clever, and smart, and funny.  

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?

The slowness of it all. I'm not a fast writer, and I like results. So the writing process is a love/hate thing for me. 

10) One thing no one knows about you (and now will)?

That's a tough question. I can't think of of anything really interesting, so I'll have to pass. 

Thank you, Urve!

Q&Q Writer Series Featuring Gillian Chan

Website: Gillian Chan

Published Book(s): An Ocean Apart, A Foreign Field and many others which you can find here.

Upcoming Book (s): A Call To Battle. Launch is at the Bryan Prince Bookseller on Sept 30, 2012 at 2 pm.  

Notable Review (s/ Achievements): A Foreign Field is the winner of Ontario Library Association's White Pine Award, among other awards.

The Q&Q:

1) In one word, how would you describe your personality?
Odd

2) What is your deepest desire?

For those I love to be happy

3) Your greatest fear?

Something happening to my son and husband

4) Your favourite colour?

I have two of which I am equally fond - any shade of either green or grey

5) A song you can't help singing along with, every time you hear it?

American Pie - Don MaClean

6) A movie that made you cry?

Captains Courageous starring Spencer Tracy and Freddie Bartholomew. No one will watch it with me as I start crying when the titles come up and don't stop all through the film.

7) A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most?

"Heart of Darkness" by Conrad. The ultimate unreliable narrator and I do like unreliable narrators.

8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?

Ben Larsson from "The Turning" as he is so unremittingly bloody minded - not without good cause.

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?

Having to leave behind characters when I finish "their book" and start work on another .

10) One thing no one knows about you (and now will)?

Some people are Star Wars or Star Trek geeks, I am a geek about the Norse  (don't ever, ever call them Vikings!). I have been researching that period of history endlessly and there will be a book one day.

Thanks Gillian! 

Q&Q Writer Series Featuring Patricia Storms

Website: www.patriciastorms.com

Published Book(s): http://www.patriciastorms.com/books/

Notable Review (s):

Good Reads

CM Magazine

The Q&Q:

1) In one word, how would you describe your personality?
Challenging, especially to myself.

2) What is your deepest desire?
Peace of mind.

3) Your greatest fear?
The sudden loss of the life I’ve built for myself.

4) Your favourite colour?
Green.

5) A song you can't help singing along with, every time you hear it?
Paul McCartney’s Mull of Kintyre

6) A movie that made you cry?
So many movies make me cry. For example, I got quite blubbery watching ‘Up’.

7) A book you have read more than five times?
Anne of Green Gables.

8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?
Well, since I’ve only written one kid to date, ‘The Pirate and the Penguin’ would be the favourite child.

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?
Crippling self-doubt.

10) One thing no one knows about you (and now will)?
As a teenager I fell in love with the music of Noel Coward, and went to great lengths to memorize pretty much all of his songs. For some incomprehensible reason, this did not impress my peers.

Thanks, Patricia!

Q&Q Writer Series Featuring Adrienne Kress

Adrienne Kress is a writer and actress born and raised in Toronto, Canada.  I met her for the first time at the Toronto MG/YA Writers Group. A vibrant, bubbly personality, and a great writer to boot, Adrienne is a fun person to while away the evening with.
The starred review in Publishers Weekly praised her first novel Alex &  the Ironic Gentleman as “a wonderful blend of whimsy and moral” and at the heart of this story is Alex Morningside, a lovable tomboy with a knack for trouble and a quest for adventure

Read more about Adrienne on her website here. Her latest book The Friday Society will be released December 6, 2012 by Dial. Can't wait!

Here's the Q&Q scoop:

1) In one word, how would you describe your personality?

Awe-inspiring.

2) What is your deepest desire?

Buttered toast.

3) Your greatest fear?

Yes.

4) Your favourite colour?

Red.

5) A song you can't help singing along with, every time you hear it?

Any Disney/Musical number. But definitely also Adam Lambert's "What Do You Want From Me". Which can only be sung loud and proud. While doing the cool-down for Body Pump at the gym.

6) A movie that made you cry?

Wait, there's a movie that doesn't make me cry?

7) A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most?

As an answer to both questions: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?

I don't answer questions that use the word "oeuvre". But I am now hungry for eggs.

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?

The voices in my head.

10) One thing no one knows about you (and now will)?

That despite evidence to the contrary, every time I see Steven Spielberg interviewed, there's a moment where I truly think he's related to me and that we've met several times. I have no idea why this is.

Thanks for spending time here, Adrienne!



 

 

Tara Trilogy published by Rupa Publications

Aaaarrrghh! Have I really been away since May? Shame on me. The only excuse I have is this was the last summer with my son who started University this year. I wanted one glorious summer when we were still a huge part of his world. I know there'll be many more summers but they will never be the same. Nuff said!
So, here are the covers of the Tara Trilogy published by Rupa Publications in July this year. I love all the book covers and here they are:

Beautifully done!

Children's Story Jam at the TPL with Small Print Toronto

Someone Stole The Toilet...

A lively workshop to get feedback on my latest work-in-progress from a discerning audience at the Northern District Branch of the Toronto Public Library courtesy of Small Print Toronto with Chris Reed, Artistic Director, and Vikki Vansikkle, Writer and Mediator.
June 6, 2012 from 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm.

So if you like Mumbai, exotic foods, and er...toilets...come on down and give me some feedback!

Blue Met Festival in Montreal

This past Wednesday and Thursday I was invited to present at the Blue Met Festival for Children 2012, in Montreal. My first time there, I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I came away tired and strangely energized, wanting to do it all over again.
For the first one at the Montreal Children's Library, Richmond Branch, I was welcomed by the librarian, Carmen Mandrila and the wonderful Monique Polak who dropped by with a bunch of her journalism students. Here she is enroute to my prez with her students. Great students with some very insightful questions.
My second presentation was at the Westmount Public Library. The wonderful Wendy Wayling had invited a Grade 6 class from a nearby school and I have to say they were a fabulous bunch of kids who had me impressed from "good morning."
Here's me having a blast in Mon-real! Enjoy...

With Monique and a friend at the Blue Met Reception at the OPUS Hotel

Met a fellow Cormorant author Peter Dube

Monique with husband, Michael and friends.

Monique et moi

With Wendy Wayling of Westmount

"There's No Frigate Like a Book To Bear us Leagues Away."My sentiments precisely!

A riveted audience. I can't tell you who had more fun :)

Q&Q Writer Series featuring Linda Granfield

I first met Linda Granfield through email when we were discussing the "Mash-up" planned for the launch of the Anthology,  Piece by Piece: Stories About Fitting Into Canada edited by Teresa Toten and published by Penguin. Her wit and humour won me over as we wondered just how this mash-up was going to mesh out. She was even more wonderful in person!

Linda loves writing historical non-fiction and she has a really cool website. She lives by the motto:
"Every Day Is Remembrance Day/Veterans Day." Linda is best known for her book: In Flanders Fields: The Story of The Poem by John Mccrae. The entire list of books can be found here.

And here's a peek at make Linda who she is... 

1) In one word, how would you describe your personality?

Curious
 

2) What is your deepest desire?

I want to see my now-adult children (2) remain healthy and happy.

3) Your greatest fear?

Snakes, even pictures of the real things.

4) Your favourite colour?

Blue

5) A song you can't help singing along with, every time you hear it?

Any Beatles or Dusty Springfield song.

6) A movie that made you cry?

Field of Dreams (every time!)

7) A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most?

"Little Women" made me want to be a writer.

8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?

No favourite child--but "In Flanders Fields: the Story of the Poem by John McCrae" changed my writing-life.

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?

The paper "mess"--from research, drafts, letters, edits. After recycling, I'm still running out of places to put it! And I can't write and file at the same time, so the paper piles grow.....and grow....

10) One thing no one knows about you (and now will)?

I collect "perfume cards" from the fragrance counters in stores. Well-designed, free, mini-art made of paper, wood, ribbon, silk, etc. I have nearly 500 different perfumes represented, from stores in a few countries. (See what I mean about "paper"!)

Thanks, Linda!

Exhausted and Energized...my time at the SCBWI Winter Conference 2012, NY

Wait a minute, exhausted and energized? You're probably wondering if I didn't lose a couple of marbles at the Grand Central station. I assure you, I did not. All seventeen counted and accounted for!

But this is exactly how I feel right now, after four days in New York. Helaine and I landed a day earlier to explore a bit of NY and see the Met. It was fabulous and you can see a few of the pictures in my Facebook album.

The hotel was great, right in the heart of Manhattan. And those boys from my window sure lit up my day in the morning....

Friday was the Writer's Intensive and with much trepidation nine of us sat at a round table to open up our hearts and souls to be critiqued. My group was wonderful and so was the expert on the panel, Jennifer Laughran of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. We all came away a lot better for experience with a lot of honest feedback.
My afternoon session was with Kari Sutherland, Editor at HarperCollins Children's books. Another great session with a very knowledgeable faculty member wgo gave us excellent feedback on how to polish our work even better! I wanted to go back to my room right then, and get started with the polishing but that was when the rest of the Canucks started pouring in. And since the weather was so fabulous, we decided to walk around a bit and get a bite to eat. And that bite of pizza was the best I've ever had.

The above is one of the plaques on the road leading up to the NY Public Library and my favourite.

Saturday started with a hilarious speech from Lin Oliver followed by a powerful and touching keynote from Chris Chrutcher. I was completely blown away by the honesty and humour of his speech. And I was lucky enough to meet him at the Gala in the evening to tell him so.

The keynote which made me want to laugh and cry at the same time (exactly as Chris intended!) was followed by four expert impressions about Children's Books. On the panel were Jean Feiwel (Sr VP and Publishing Director, Feiwel and Friends-MacMillan), Barbara Marcus (Strategic Innovations Adviser), Nancy Paulsen(President and Publisher, Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin) and Rubin Pfeffer (Agent, East West Literary Agency).

After an informative snapshot of the world of children's book publishing, we were off to our breakout sessions. My first one was with Aimee Friedman, Senior Editor, Scholastic, who is also a NY bestseller author. She spoke about Series Fiction, discussuing the popular ones, how to write and pitch a series to an editior. Lots of good information!

And then it was lunch and there was still a lot more to look forward to. But for that you'll have to wait for the next post. Do come back :) And for more pictures, please visit me on Facebook.

Q&Q Writer Series featuring Jane Yolen

I do not know Jane Yolen personally and yet I do know her...through her words, her kind advice and her wonderful stories. I sense a kindred spirit who has figured out many struggles that I'm am currently wrestling with. Vist her website, especially the section for writers to see what I mean...

Award-winning author and known as the Hans Christian Andersen of America, Jane has written over 300 books in all genres and for all ages. Mentioning her books here would take too long, but you can find the entire list here.

 My favourite, as well as that of a few millions, is Owl Moon: a story that is calming, magical and timeless.

Jane graciously agreed to answer my questions and here they are:

1) In one word, how would you describe your personality?
Two words: Honestly lying.
2) What is your deepest desire?
To live forever. Or at least have written stories that do that.
3) Your greatest fear?
Snakes. It's always snakes.
4) Your favourite colour?
Wine. Though there are carpers who would point out that in my case "whine" is more like it. 5) A song you can't help singing along with, every time you hear it?
"Amazing Grace" and "Lay, Lady, Lay."

But if Fairport Convention is in town, "The Hiring Fair."
And these days half of the songs that Janis Ian or the Dixie Chicks sing.
6) A movie that made you cry?
"Truly, Madly, Deeply."
7) A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most?
As a child--probably "Ferdinand".
As an adult, probably "Moby Dick."
8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?
Possibly "Owl Moon" or "The Devil's Arithmetic" or "Ring of Earth" or "Girl in a Cage" or "Sword of the Rightful King." Ask me tomorrow it it might be a different list.

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?
Long waits.

10) One thing no one knows about you (and now will)?
My father did publicity for double bubble chewing gum, silly putty, and slinkies when I was a child and so I had more of all of them than any child had any right to.

Thank you, Jane! And I look forward to meeting you at SCBWI later this month.

Q&Q Writer Series featuring Deborah Kerbel and Frieda Wishinsky

Whoa...wait a minute...two fabulous authors in one post? What's up with that?

I've spent a lot of time with Deb and Frieda over the past few weeks, since we're all part of the CANSCAIP program committee, and have come to love working with them. What better way to celebrate such great teamwork than by posting their interviews together. I'll start with Deborah (going in alphabetical order...sorry, Frieda!).

I've known Deborah Kerbel since before I was published and with each passing year I consider myself incredibly lucky to have known her. She's generous with her time, a great friend and a fabulous writer to boot. Deborah is the author of the Quizmas Books, Mackenzie, Lost and Found, Girl on the Other Side (Shortlisted by the Canadian Library Association for the 2010 YA Book of the Year’ Award ) and The Lure (Shortlisted for the 2011-2012 Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice Award)

We've been publishing sibs for a while now and I'm looking forward to her next novel Under The Moon which will be published by Dancing Cat Books in Spring 2012. I know it's going to be FAB!

Without further ado, here's Deborah:

1) In one word, how would you describe your personality?

Optimistic 

2) What is your deepest desire?

To stay happy, fulfilled and surrounded by my family and friends until the end of days.

3) Your greatest fear?

I have three paralyzing fears - all equally great: blood tests, tomatoes, and large dogs.  Don't ask.

4) Your favourite colour?

Pink

5) A song you can't help singing along with, every time you hear it?

Any song by Lady Gaga makes me sing out loud.

6) A movie that made you cry?

Shadowlands.

7) A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most?

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley was a huge influence. And not as much for the story itself -- but more because of the fact that Mary Shelley was just a teenager when she wrote it. Knowing this is what really gave me the courage to try writing my first book.

8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?

Oooh - hard one! I'd have to say LURE because it's my baby.

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?

The criticism that is so inherent in this business really harshes my mellow.

10) One thing no one knows about you (and now will)?

I was born in a police station.

And now to introduce a versatile writer, Frieda Wishinsky. I think of her as the Lady with the Red Handbag. And that's no ordinary handbag...it has years worth of ideas and stories and it goes everywhere with her! Frieda has written chapter books and novels, picture books galore and a non-fiction book. Way too many to name here so do visit her website to check them out. Many of her books have received starred reviews in the Quill & Quire and been nominated for numerous awards. Please Louise won the the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award! I personally love You're Mean, Lily Jean and The Queen's Secret.

Frieda introduced me to La Bombache where we've shared many cups of coffee and some memorable conversation. And here are her answers to my quirky questions...

1) In one word, how would you describe your personality?
Upbeat? Curious? (Hard to pick one word, especially about one's self.)

2) What is your deepest desire?
To live a good, healthy life with all the people I love around and to keep writing the best books I can.

3) Your greatest fear?
Being alone in the world without the people I love.

4) Your favourite colour?
Red in almost all it's shades and tones (except orange tones)

5) A song you can't help singing along with, every time you hear it?
Somewhere Over the Rainbow. (First one to pop into my head but there are more, I'm sure)

6) A movie that made you cry?
Brief Encounter

7) A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most? 
Pride and Prejudice, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?
Carly in YOU'RE MEAN LILY JEAN. Maybe most like me???

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?
People don't value kids books the way  I believe they should be valued. A good kids book goes to the heart of a story or theme. They are the books that stay with you forever.

10) One thing no one knows about you (and now will)? 
 I actually can't think of a secret (Although I could make one up. Like I hate sardines. Which is true. Even the smell. PU But some people know that about me. Like my husband who loves sardines. I keep a can of room spray handy when he eats them.)

The Tiffin named one of the five best Books of the Year for Young People, 2011

Monday, November 21, 2011, 1:21 pm
Me: Doing my routine day job and wondering when I can get back to my writing...
Blackberry pings!
Email: From my editor, Barry Jowett, telling me that The Tiffin was named as one of the five best books of the year for Young People, by the Quill & Quire.
Me: The rest of the day is shot as I float and text my son to duck out of class and go get a copy of the Q&Q now. Well no, I didn't actually do that. I told him to pick up a copy after school. I'm a good mom!

What makes a book of the year?
This is how Q&Q explains it; There's no formula for deciding. Some are critical darlings, some are word-of-mouth favourites. Some introduce us to important new voices, some represent the best work from established authors. And some are simply exceptional works we think people will be reading and talking about for years to come. Together, these 15 books made the biggest impact in 2011.

There are ten books in the adult category and five in the young people category. The other nominees in the list are:

The Qalupalik by Elisha Kilabuk/Joy Ang
My Name is Elizabeth by Annika Dunklee/Matthew Forsythe
Tilt by Alan Cumyn
This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel

This is what they had to say about The Tiffin:

"With her latest tale of courage, determination, and success in overcoming hardship, Mahtab Narsimhan reminds us that, sometimes, all you need to engage young readers is a really good story. The Silver Birch Award-winning author (for her debut novel, The Third Eye) transports readers into the frenetic world of the dabbawallas of her native Mumbai, who deliver lunch to white-collar workers in metal containers called tiffins. Against this backdrop we meet Kunal, who is on a quest to find his birth mother using the tiffins as a tool. It sounds fantastical, but Narsimhan's lush rendering of Mumbai is so vivid the reader can almost hear its sounds, see its sights, and smell its scents. In her starred Q&Q review, Shannon Ozirny wrote that "this world will be just as awe-inspiring to North American young people as any fantasy realm could hope to be."

Thanks Q&Q!

And for those reading this post, have you picked up your copy of The Tiffin, yet? Please do!

My experience as a Human Book

This past Saturday, Oct 22, 2011, I had the priviledge of being a Human Book at the Thorncliffe Public Library. I'd never heard of this concept before but after I agreed, out of curiosity, I had to find out more. Here's a brief History:

Living Libraries” were first launched in Copenhagen in the early 1990s. A youth organization called “Stop The Violence” was formed after a youth was stabbed and a group of young people wanted to do something to raise awareness through one‑on‑one dialogue. The first human library was then born.

Over 30 countries around the world now hold human libraries and some public libraries even have permanent collections. Countries expected to start their own programs include Brazil, China, Columbia, Cyprus, Malaysia and South Africa.

In May 2010, Hamilton Public Library hosted its inaugural Human Library event, the first public library project in Ontario.  

To learn more about human libraries around the world, visit www.humanlibrary.org

This was an extremely well organized event by the staff of the library. Each of the authors invited to be a Human Book had an inspirational story to share. Over the period of four hours we all spoke to various members of the community, and were "read" for half an hour with a break of half an hour.

I personally met with students eager to hear about my writing experience and adults who asked me about the process of settling into Canada. This was where I started my journey in Canada, and it was a wonderful opportunity to pay it forward.

Here are some of my"readers."

Q&Q Writer Series featuring Uma Krishnaswami

Hello All,

This weekend I'm excited to present a very special guest: Uma Krishnaswami.

Uma is a writer, teacher at Vermont College, MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults and was my mentor for The Silver Anklet. My favourites from her brillaint repertoire are Naming Maya (and the poignant concept of the Two-Gift which I love!) and Monsoon (the word evokes such beautiful memories.)

Her latest book called The Grand Plan to Fix Everything was published by Atheneum, May 2011. Would that we could have such a plan! It has received starred reviews in Kirkus and Publishers Weekly!

And here are her anwers to my crazy questions:

1) In one word, how would you describe your personality?
===One word? How about changeable? I'm mostly quiet and introverted, but I can be selectively outgoing and social given the right company! 

2) What is your deepest desire?

===Probably world peace, but that seems unrealizable so most days I would probably settle for a clean desk.

3) Your greatest fear?

===I'll tell you a writing fear that really gets in the way. It's a fear of being unable to deliver on a promise. I suppose in some ways it relates to the fraud factor, right? The fear that so many writers have that they simply don't know enough, that someday someone's going to come along and expose them for the fakes they are. However, I tell myself I'm not alone in this: http://mediabistro.posterous.com/fighting-the-fraud-factor 

4) Your favourite colour?
===That changes too. Right now it's purple.

5) A song you can't help singing along with, every time you hear it?

===I don't sing along with songs. Is that a character flaw? They do get stuck in my head sometimes but I can't think of one that's lodged there right now. 

6) A movie that made you cry?
===I'm hopeless in this--I cry easily! Deepa Mehta's film, Water, reduced me to sniveling incoherence. And most recently, I cried at the documentary, The Story of the Weeping Camel. If you haven't seen it, it's about a Mongolian camel rejecting her newborn white colt. Two young boys travel across the desert to find a healing musician. After the musician has done his work, there's a scene where they place a bridle on the colt. It resists quite a bit, and they have to force it on. Part of me flinched at that. The camera didn't waver either, from the obvious discomfort of the colt. Then the elderly man blesses the camel colt. "May your humps grow straight," he says, "may your hooves grow strong." And I realized, this was the point of the whole film. That these people would not live without those camels, and this camel would not have lived without these people trying so hard, and at such cost to themselves, to get the mother to accept it. I just melted. I'm tearing up thinking about it now.

7) A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most?
===Several--may I cheat and mention more than one? 
Tagore's Geetanjali, the one with the Yeats foreword--I wish I knew Bangla so I could read it in the original but even in translation it sings.
Yeats, collected works
Pride and Prejudice
Summer Lightning by P.G.Wodehouse (the preface alone is a monument to humor and goodwill!)
Alice in Wonderland
All right, that's five that I've read more than five times so I'll stop.

8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?
===I think Dini in the novels I'm working on now, The Grand Plan to Fix Everything (to be published in May 2011) and its sequel due out the year after. It's the first time I'm working with a single set of characters over more than one book and I'm coming to love this girl for her larger-than-life, eccentric view of the world!

(Mahtab's note: I am a few months late posting this interview, but hey, on the bright side, we don't have to wait to read about Dini!)

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?

===Having to buy my own health insurance.

10) One thing no one knows about you (and now will)?
===Thanks to my friend and colleague Rita Williams-Garcia, and several other knitters at Vermont College residencies, I have taken up knitting! That's not the secret, as a hundred odd people saw me hauling yarn around campus in January. What no one knows is that it has become a necessity for me to knit while I'm working out knots in a story. The problem is that I can only knit rectangles and triangles. This is because I can't concentrate too much on the knitting. It needs to be a tool to help the story take shape, and if I focus on a pattern instead it just becomes a distraction. It turns out, fortunately, that you can do a lot with those two shapes so we'll see where it leads me.

Thank you, Uma. These were fun!