Author, Blogger, Book Designer
This book wasn't supposed to be scary. When I set out to write 17 Weddings, I intended to put some space between myself and my writing. I was determined to avoid the depth of self-reflection that I'd experienced while writing my debut novel, Goodnight Sunshine. I hadn't intended my Goodnight Sunshine protagonist to be a [...]
I'm starting to hear back from my second round of "beta readers" for 17 Weddings -- people who have volunteered to read an unedited manuscript and provide feedback about my story. I am infinitely appreciative of their time and effort -- and their honesty. While talking to another author recently, I said that "every reader [...]
I lost today ... and still won. I learned this morning that I did not make the list of finalists for the inaugural Whistler Independent Book Awards. I had been thrilled to find my name on the list of 10 fiction nominees -- the "longlist" -- for what some are calling the first major awards for self-published authors [...]
39 days and 39 ways To challenge my mind in a confined space 4 people in 19 feet of camper van bliss 39 days and 39 rays Of sunshine beating down upon my face It doesn't get more real than this We follow the yellow line We follow our hearts We follow the road to [...]
I am nine days into an epic family book tour around BC, and with each passing day I feel more daunted by the idea of blogging about this trip. It's not that I'm lacking inspiration; on the contrary, I am overflowing with it! So much so that it would take hours or days to organize [...]
It's official! The Cameron family is embarking on another camper van journey in June. This could be our last big adventure in our 19 feet of paradise on wheels -- if we can bring ourselves to let go of the van that has been our "second home" for almost one-third of our lives since 2010. Yes, that's [...]
Feedback is rolling in for Goodnight Sunshine. I'm trying to absorb it as a whole without focusing too much on the details. Trying to give my writer's mind the time and space required to sort through the dozens of messages it is receiving, to reconcile conflicting views and recognize consistent patterns. Once we release a work of fiction, there [...]
I received an e-mail from my cousin the other day -- a wonderfully long, heartfelt response to my debut novel. It confirmed what I had already begun to recognize: that the greatest part of writing a book is the dialogue it creates between author and reader -- between a writer and his friends. One passage of my cousin's [...]
I launched my first novel today. It feels strange, and yet familiar. In my past life I ran a small software company. Product launches were the rhythm section for the whole company. Launch, upgrade, update, update ... Launch, upgrade, update, update ... that was the sound of software being released into the wild. Major launches were significant [...]
It seems appropriate that my uncle sent me a wonderful article about my great-grandfather this morning. You see, my great-grandfather, Samuel Clarence Nickle, was an oil man. One of the most prominent business people in western Canada from the late 1930's to the early 1970's, he was instrumental in the development of the Canadian oil [...]
Mark of Words 