Hey all!
Quick post today. I was interviewed over at the blog of author Auria Cortes. If you feel so inclined, please have a quick peek, and if you feel even more so inclined, maybe post a comment or two over at her blog!
Thank you so much for the lovely interview Auria, your questions were very interesting, and good fun to answer!
Okay, some of you have already pointed out that Timothy is up on Amazon (and thank you my fab readers for doing so, because if it weren't for you I wouldn't have known!) .So I thought I might as well share the cover of the book with you, seeing as you can see it easily there. However, you should know that this isn't the finished cover, more of a place card while my publishers and the artist do some more stuff to it. To be honest I have no idea if the final cover will look like this, or in a completely different style.Nonetheless, it is kind of interesting to see the evolution of a cover. And normally I wouldn't post a first version because I consider creating visual art just as personal a process as creating any other kind of art, and I know as an author I wouldn't want my rough draft posted for the world to see. But because Amazon has posted this version of the cover, it gives us the chance to see how a cover will change and stuff. Which I think is pretty cool.So for all and sundry . . . here is the totally gorgeous current incarnation of the cover for Timothy and the Dragon's Gate (made fabulous as ever by the amazing John Rocco - who just won the 2007 Original Voices award for picture books I hasten to add):
So okay, there haven't been tons of questions (darn you all for not doing my work for me! You should feel deeply ashamed!), but at least I have two assignments now. The first is to share with you all my intentions with the Alex series.And the second is to write poetry based on my favourite moment in Canadian history. (JMM, I never said I wouldn't do a Shakespearean sonnet. In fact I said I WOULD do a Shakespearean sonnet on any topic of your choosing, so I will write my fav Canadian moment as a sonnet, if you approve).So, to the first question!I don't know.Next!Sorry sorry . . . But it's kind of true. I know I have plans for more books, but I don't know how many or in what direction they will take me. I wish I could be as amazing as JK Rowling and have a very complex plan, and introduce clues in book one that will matter in book six etc (man I always loved that about her). But for me, I've always been a sort of, "Let's see where this is going to take me" kind of girl.As to how the books will work - I've mentioned it before, but it is now buried deep in the archives, that my series is a bit different. The next book for example, Timothy and the Dragon's Gate, starts off by introducing a new character, Timothy Freshwater. We then follow his adventure until two thirds of the way through the book when he meets up with the end of Alex's adventure. Like he meets her the day after her adventure has just concluded, and then the two of them complete Timothy's adventure together. Basically this makes the book standalone, in that if you haven't read Alex, you can still read Timothy because the adventure is totally new and different. At the same time, there are certain inside jokes, and a certain depth to characters, that you can enjoy had you read Alex first. I hope this all makes sense.So that's the plan for now! I hope this answered your question Anonymous 4:37, thanks so much for asking!
Heath Ledger has died. There will be a myriad of blog posts and articles discussing the event. Mine will be probably one of the least enlightening entries as I have no idea what happened and only knew him through his films. I never knew him as a person.But I felt a need to post nonetheless.You see, I'm very very sad.And I am not exactly sure why. Yes he was an amazing young actor, with an amazing future and he had a small child. And yes that makes the whole thing really horrible. But I don't know. What I'm feeling is so visceral, so not putting thoughts together like his daughter will never know her father. Just deep, hollow. Emptiness like when someone you know dies. Just . . . sadness.And I guess it's like that sometimes. I was very little when Jim Henson died, but it struck me quite profoundly and in very much the same way. I know it might sound odd, but there was something about him that made me think he was an uncle or some relative of mine. Someone I had a personal connection with.Heath Ledger was not even my movie star crush. But he was someone I would talk about often. I think he just impressed me so much in Brokeback, and I hadn't expected such a performance from him, that he just sort of stayed with me. The whole his playing the Joker thing I have talked about with so many people I could write a treatise on the subject.It's silly. But I can't help how I feel. I didn't know him. I didn't even know much about his background (I only stalk my crushes). But . . . I cared about him.Anyway, just wanted to post my feelings. I don't typically use this blog as therapy, so please forgive me this one time. I needed to get it out. And of course in this day and age "getting it out" means sharing it with the entire world as if my one opinion on this subject really is that interesting. But, it does make me feel a bit better having shared it with you guys. Again . . . silly.
So I decided to revisit that blog post where I asked you all what you would be interested in having me write about to try to come up with something to write about, and I realised I had really basically answered those questions already.(Although JMM, I still have yet to write a Shakespearean Sonnet, so if you have a good topic suggestion I will definitely indulge you.)Anyway, I thought it was about time I got you guys to do the work for me again, and since some time has passed since I last asked for your help, I thought there could be some new interesting thoughts/questions that had developed!So yes, ask me anything! Be it about acting or writing! Feel free to ask about both techniques within creating either art, and the industry surrounding them! With any deeply personal questions, I reserve the right to ignore them. Or to turn a dark shade of maroon. Or both.
