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!



 

 

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.)

Q&Q Writer Series : Featuring Helene Boudreau

I had the pleasure of interviewing my good friend and fellow writer Helene Boudreau recently. She has a number of fiction and non-fiction books in her repertoire which include her first one ACADIAN STAR and KEEP OUT! Her most recent one; REAL MERMAIDS DON'T WEAR TOERINGS has just been released by Sourcebooks and has garnered great reviews, which are all up on her blog.

A delightful picture book, I DARE YOU NOT TO YAWN, is also slated for publication in 2013 by Candlewick. Cannot wait to read it! 

I met Helene in Kidcrit, a writer's group I joined in 2006. At the time we were both unpublished, but here we are now, a scant five years later, with many successes under our belts. Among the many things I admire about Helene, the most endearing is her desire to help others to the best of her ability. This could be invaluable advice in writing a synopsis, advice on how to get an agent or just a "hang in there" email when someone in the group has received bad news!

Here is a more personal glimpse of this warm and wonderful writer...

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

Enthusiastic!

2) What is your  deepest desire?

A  healthy, fulfilling life surrounded by those I  love.

 3) Your  greatest fear?

Every  mom probably has the same answer to this one.

 4) Your  favourite colour?

Red!

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

Chumbawumba: Tubthumping  (I get knocked down...) 

 
6) A movie that  made you cry?

 La vita è bella/ Life is  Beautiful 

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

 I  rarely read books more than once but I love, love, love anything by  Katherine Paterson, Kate DiCamillo or Tim Wynne-Jones.  

 8) From your  own oeuvre: your favorite child?Whatever  I'm working on at the moment. Right now? Jade from REAL MERMAIDS DON'T WEAR  TOE RINGS 

 
9) One thing  you hate about being a writer?
  The  First Draft 15™ 
 
10) One thing  no one knows about you (and now will)?

 I  eat sardines over the kitchen sink, straight out of the can. Don't  you?

Thank you, Helene and wish you continued success in your career!