Looking backward and forward

My “new job” resolution was to try and update this blog more often, so here we go…

Now THIS is a happy goalie!

Tonight, I’m sitting in my Other Office (aka a McDonalds with free WiFi) while my daughter is at hockey practice. It’s a good couple of hours with little to distract me as long as we discount Facebook and Twitter, of course. (though I must admit - this Blogger site doesn't make formatting very efficient, either!)     Looking back at 2012, I’m terrifically proud of the books we’ve put out into the world: picture books like The Stamp Collector by Jennifer Lanthier and Francois Thisdale, Bye, Bye, Butterflies by Andrew Larsen and Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli, and Gift Days by Kari-Lynn Winters and Stephen Taylor; novels by Helaine Becker (How to Survive Absolutely Anything), Natalie Hyde (Hockey Girl), and Valerie Sherrard (Counting Back from Nine); and in non-fiction, Northern Dancer (at long last!) by Gare Joyce and Saving Lives and Changing Hearts: Animal Sanctuaries and Rescue Centres by Rob Laidlaw. Gabby by Joyce Grant and Jan Dolby officially pubs this week (though rumour has it that the books sneaked their way into stores before Christmas!!).

Tonight, I’ve been getting some work done on a few upcoming titles – a new Tell-Me-More Storybook by Sean Cassidy about a tenacious young woodpecker (Fall 2013), a STEAMPUNK novel by Marty Chan (yes, STEAMPUNK!!) and Dying to Go Viral, an intriguing and engrossing novel by Sylvia McNicoll (Spring 2013). I’m hoping to have a cover for Dying to Go Viral soon – one of my favourite cover designers, Erik Mohr, is working on it right now. Erik does amazing cover art, so I’m all tingly with anticipation.

 

Speaking of things that make me tingly, all the artwork for Skink on the Brink is completed! Suzanne DelRizzo has done a phenomenal job of bringing Lisa Dalrymple’s story to life.

On that note, I just want to say how incredibly lucky I have been to find such marvellous writers and illustrators. Not only are they all incredibly professional and cooperative, they support each other every step of the way. For example, last spring, Brian Cretney (Tooter’s Stinky Wish) invited Andrew Larsen (Bye, Bye, Butterflies!) to join him at a school visit and even prepared a PowerPoint presentation for his upcoming book. Suzanne DelRizzo created a plasticene rendition of Gabby for Jan Dolby and Joyce Grant – and has even offered to decorate a cake for their launch! Through social media, authors and illustrators share reviews and cross-promote each other’s books every day. Any given book launch is populated by book professionals who are there to support their fellow writers and artists.

This is what makes me love my job more and more every day.  This is why children’s books in Canada will always survive.

I can’t wait for the rest of 2013.