Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows...Brilliant!

All right, so I guess you all know that I am a huge Harry Potter fan, the same as a billion others. Couldn't wait to see the Deathly Hallows but balked at having to face the chaos on opening weekend.

I finally did see it on Monday (and for all of you out there who do not like crowds, go on a Monday!) and I have to say I was blown away by it. Beautifully done even though it was a bit choppy, but given the length of the book, it was to be expected. The actors have all grown and are a pleasure to watch. The special effects are breathtaking!

Once again, I say, hats off to Steve Kloves for a fabulous screen play, to David Yates, for artful direction but above all, to J. K. Rowling for her sheer, imaginative brilliance!

Anyone want to see it again with me?

Q & Q Writer Series : Featuring Arthur Slade

This next guest on my writer series needs no introduction at all. I had the pleasure of meeting Art Slade, a fabulous writer with an endearing personality, at the TD Awards earlier this month, and congratulating him on winning the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award for The Hunchback Assignments, "a rollicking steampunk adventure" which I just finished reading for the second time.

The next one in the series, The Dark Deeps was released in September and though I haven't read it yet...it's next on my list.

A self-proclaimed techno-whiz, Art has a wonderful website filled with delicious tidbits about his books, bio , podcasts and tips for writers. So visit him...and enjoy...

Without further ado...here is Art at his quirkiest!

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

2) What is your deepest desire?
To conquer the world.

3) Your greatest fear?
Rhubarb.

4) Your favourite colour?
Green.

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

6) A movie that made you cry?
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The acting. The storyline. The waste of all that money and talent.


7) A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most?
The Lord of the Rings. Have read it about fourteen times.

8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?
Dust.

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?
commas, commas, commas--where do they go. Semi-colons come in a close second.

10) Something no one knows about you (and now will)?
I sometimes listen to ABBA.

Art, thank you so much for participating. You are inspiration to all of us, especially me! Wishing you continued success in your career.

Quirky and Quintessential Writer Series : Featuring Claudia Osmond

In today's blog, I present to you Claudia Osmond; bubbly, always smiling and full of life! She is the co-founder of the Toronto Kidlit Group along with my favourite "Inky Girl," Debbie Ohi (her interview is coming up shortly). Claudia is currently involved in a humanitarian initiative called the Saffron Banyan to end poverty in the city of Trichy in South India. All and any help would be much appreciated!
Claudia is also the author of Smudge's Mark, a fantastic fantasy novel for children.

Without a second's delay, here is a glimpse of that vivacious  and caring personality;

In one word, who are you?
Co-creator

What is your deepest desire?
To have a hand in ending modern-day slavery

Your greatest fear?
Something happening to my kids

Your favorite color?
Candy apple red

A song you can’t help singing along with every time you hear it?
Steal My Sunshine by Len

A movie that made you cry?
Miss Potter made me cry several times. Especially when she found out her books were selling!

A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?
Smudge’s Mark

One thing you hate about being a writer.
My inner critic: Regularly second-guessing my ability to write.

One thing no one knows about you (and now will)?
Sheesh. Okay. When I was fourteen I wrote fan-mail to Michael Jackson. I secretly wanted to marry him.

 Thank you, Claudia! It was pleasure interviewing you :)

Quirky and Quintessential Writer Series :Featuring Valerie Sherrard

I had the pleasure of interviewing a really special writer recently...Valerie Sherrard. She has a number of exciting mysteries in her repertiore with the Shelby Belgarden series. Her first picturebook There's a COW Under My Bed is a delight to read! Her latest book Tumbleweed Skies was a nominee for the Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children's Literature 2010.

In addition to being an author, Valerie and Marsha also run the Authors Booking Service. This service assists educators and librarians with finding young adult and children's book creators who are qualified and willing to present at schools and libraries

Here is a fleeting glimpse of this wonderful person;
1) In one word, how would you describe your personality?
Sanguine

2) What is your deepest desire?
To grow old gracefully and happily with my husband, Brent, who is also an author.

3) Your greatest fear?
I'm terrified of heights. I couldn't call myself brave in the dark either.

4) Your favourite colour?
Deep purple.

5) A song you can't help singing along with, every time you hear it?
Dragonfly, by Roman Dane.

6) A movie that made you cry?
Dead Poet Society

7) A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most?
The (adult)book I've read the most number of times is Seventeen by Booth Tarkington, although I wouldn't say it influenced me. On the other hand, I've read The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver only once (so far - I do plan to read it again) but it had a huge impact on the way I look at the voice of a story. Kingsolver did the most amazing job in having a range of such rich and distinctive characters narrate this particular book.

8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?
The Glory Wind

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?
The bouts of self-doubt andsecond-guessing. Almost every project has found me, about 2/3rds of the way through, quite certain that the book I'm working on is boring and pointless, and that no one in their right mind would ever want to read it.

Thank you so much, Valerie!

Darby's visiting Toronto to talk about FACING FIRE by KC Dyer (Hey...that rhymed!)

Hi Darby, 

Welcome to Moonlight Musings and TO. Tell us...what's new with you? (Yikes...I'm quite rhymey today ;))

Mahtab

And here's Darby's reply...

Hi Everyone!

My name is Darby Christopher...and I'm a big fan of the Tara trilogy. I love the idea of mythology in stories -- and reading about different cultures is fascinating to me.

Since the adventures in my very first book, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, I learned a whole lot about different cultures, and the choices that people make when they come to Canada. Now, unlike Mahtab, my experience with immigration hasn't come from living in other countries of the world. It turns out I have a talent ... for travelling through time.

Today, I’m here to celebrate the launch of my new book. It’s called FACING FIRE.

FACING FIRE picks up the story of what happened to me after the magical summer that you may have read about in A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW. And if you're interested in a whole new way at looking at how people came to live in Canada, you might consider taking a look.

You can learn more by peeking at my new book. Find out more about it – and the author – at http://www.kcdyer.com/.

Or better still, would you like to win a copy as a prize? If you leave comment on this post, Mahtab will put your name into a draw to win a free copy of the new book – FACING FIRE. And if you actually link to this post somewhere else [like in another blog, or facebook post or even a tweet] we’ll put your name in for the draw for BOTH of my books. Go for it!

By the way, if you’re into looking for prizes, [especially if you like making videos], check out my blog HERE
at Darby Speaks. I have an AMAZING contest going with some totally fantastic prizes. And if you like twitter, you can follow all the latest on the contest and the blog tour and launches @DarbyWalking.

See you there.

Thanks for having me, Mahtab!

~Darby

My pleasure Darby and have fun!

Quirky and Quintessential Writer Series: Featuring Marsha Skrypuch

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Marsha Skrypuch for my series. Marsha is not only a gifted writer with over a dozen books in publication, but she is also passionate about writing events that are uncomfortable, events which people would rather sweep under the carpet than discuss. She has written about the Armenian Genocide as well as about Holodomor (Stalin-induced famine in Ukraine.)

In May 2008, President Victor Yuschchenko of Ukraine bestowed upon Marsha the Order of Princess Olha for her championing of the Holodomor. For a complete profile of Marsha, please see the article in CM Magazine by David Jenkinson.

Marsha has helped many a new writer (including yours truly) and completely embodies the quote oft heard: "A candle loses none of its light by lighting another."

And that is Marsha, in a sentence.

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

2) What is your deepest desire?
To be fair

3) Your greatest fear?
To be misunderstood

4) Your favourite colour?
Red

5) A song you can't help singing along with, every time you hear it?
Jeff Buckley's rendition of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah

6) A movie that made you cry?
Frank Capra's: It's A Wonderful Life

7) A book you have read more than five times? Or a book that influenced you the most?
The Magus by John Fowles

8) From your own oeuvre: your favorite child?
Anya from Prisoners in the Promised Land

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?
Having very little free time

10) One thing no one knows about you (and now will)?
I'm an introvert

Thank you, Marsha!

Quirky & Quintessential Writer Series: Featuring Cynthia Leitich Smith

Hello Booklovers, Bookworms and those who can't live without the written word,
I'm sure you all have your favourite authors whom you stalk...er...follow. You want to know everything about him/her, who they are, where they grew up and how they got the idea for the book you just could not put down!
The infinite www has made it possible to get a lot of "writerly" information about authors. But what about the stuff totally unrelated to books? The quirky stuff that makes them the quintessential writer?
I've wondered the same thing about a lot of writers I've greatly admired and so, was born the idea of asking them questions mostly unrelated to the world of writing. Fun stuff that makes them come alive for me!
And so I've started this series with none other than Cynthia Leitich Smith of the ETERNAL and TANTALIZE fame. She loves to help new writers and maintains a fantastic website and blog.

Without further ado...here's the quick and quirky on a wonderful writer:

1) In one word, who are you?
Writer

2) What is your deepest desire?
An old-fashioned, claw-footed bathtub.

3) Your greatest fear
Fire Ants

4) Your favourite colour?
Green

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

"Rhinestone Cowboy."

6) A movie that made you cry?

"The Spiderwick Chronicles."

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

The Witch from Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear (Houghton Mifflin, 1958)

8)From your own oeuvre; your favorite child?

Blessed (Candlewick 2011)

9) One thing you hate about being a writer?

Saying "no" to so many people and opportunities to protect my writing time, and the fact that folks so often do not understand.

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

My toe aches when it's about to rain.

So there you have it, folks. Head over to Cynthia's website for some more information about her and on writing!

And watch this space as more authors agree to share quick and quirky deets...