marina cohen

Made it into the Economist & Sun!

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:41:35 GMT

I was so excited to open my Economist & Sun today and find this (just in time for Halloween!!!)

A really nice article. Thanks to the journalist Keely Grasser! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Lunch Launch 2009!

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:41:18 GMT

Today was the first in a series of launches for my new novel Ghost Ride! I presented the book to a captive lunch-eating audience of some 200 intermediate students at Castlemore P.S.--what fun!

Why Castlemore? Well, for starters the teacher-librarian, Grace Wong, is amazingly supportive.

Last year she had me present to the entire junior and intermediate divisions and I sold a whack of books! Also, a few students lingered after the presentation to chat and when I mentioned I'd love a trailer for my new novel--well, they actually agreed to create one for me all on their own! Check it out! So when the time came to choose a school venue for a launch--Castlemore was the way to go! Even the now grade 9 students who created the trailer came back to their old elementary school for the launch! I was so excited to see them and thank them again.

The local newspaper, The Economist & Sun, even dropped by--can't wait to read the article!

Now recently I've been following a discussion about book launches--all the dos and don'ts. One thing I can say for sure, is that free food--especially treats--is the greatest lure! Though this was totally an optional event and all these students showed up of their own accord, I can't honestly say just how many showed up for me and my book or how many showed up for the free treats!!!! (Peanut-free, of course!)

Quest for gingerbread...

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:33:33 GMT

I love gingerbread. What can I say? Something about the spices--you can never have enough cinnamon in your life. I've been making gingerbread cookies since I was a kid. I remember trying several recipes and then settling on one that was published in the Toronto Star in 1982. I still have the original newspaper--now decrepit yellow, edges frayed, and covered in stains of various spilled ingredients.

One year, I actually constructed the sleigh--reindeer and all!

But now, here's the thing. Ever since I started teaching near the Village Grocer, I've been obsessed with their gingerbread cookies. They are the best ever. Not only are they true works of art, they taste awesome! I have tried no less than four recipes recently--some of which I had to toss the dough. DH thinks I've gone mad and perhaps he's right, but I desperately want the recipe! So. How does one go about asking a baker to divulge their culinary secrets? It would be like asking a magician to tell you how their tricks work. Strictly taboo.

Soooooo, here's my idea. I go to the store once a week for the next, oh, say, several months. Each time I buy a cookie and ask, "Is there nutmeg in this? Because I'm allergic to nutmeg..." Next time, "Is there cardamom in this? Because I'm allergic to cardamom." "Is there brown sugar in this? Because I'm allergic to brown sugar..." Slowly, but surely, I will amass the ingredients. Is this a great plan, or what???

At this point you may join DH in thinking I've lost it, but I've actually tried this twice. White sugar, not brown sugar and no cardamom. The third time, I felt I had to vary my tactic lest they begin to suspect a gingerbread spy in their midst. I said, "My mother and I are having this huge argument. I hope you can settle it. She says you use sugar beet syrup. I say molasses. Can you please tell me who's right?" Worked like a charm. Molasses. No sugar beets.

I think I've been writing too many zany scenes in my new WIP. Am I beginning to act like my MC or even worse, am I in denial that my MC is actually ME???!!!

They're here!

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:32:09 GMT

They're here! They're here! (jumping up and down) My author copies of Ghost Ride arrived this past week and the first thing I did was take a good, long whiff! Nothing like the smell of new books hot off the press--especially when they're yours! I feel like I've been living and breathing this novel for the past three years. It took me 8 months to write, 8 months to find and agent, 8 months to find a publisher and 8 months to hold in my hot little hands. When I stop and think about it, that's kind of weird. I think 8 will be my new favourite number! Launch details coming soon!

Something about fall...

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:07:21 GMT

Yesterday was the perfect fall day (even though it was still technically summer). You couldn't have asked for a more lovely day for a literary festival! Edin Mills was in full swing and something called Telling Tales (must look into that one--heard it was stellar). I was at Words Alive--third year in a row--presenting this year on non-fiction to a very small, but very engaged crowd. Even sold a few books. Bonus. The sunshine drizzled through the huge oak and maple leaves dazzling the grounds of Sharon Temple. I had the best conversation with author, Bruce Hunter--must run out and buy his books, especially his latest, In The Bear's House. I also thoroughly enjoyed hearing Natale Ghent read from her middle-grade, The Odds get Even. It was an awesome day.

There's just something about fall that puts me into writing mode. I'm not sure what it is. Fall's always been my favourite season. When I think of fall I think of my first year at the University of Western Ontario. I think of my first solo travel to Europe (aimed for Oktoberfest--but missed it. Who'd 'a thunk Oktoberfest was in September???). I think of wearing new boots--fall boots--which are infinitely more fun and chic than those practical winter boots, jeans and sweaters and of course poncho's. (I've never actually owned a poncho, or a wrap for that matter, but I think of them nonetheless.) Fall air feels fresh. Maybe because the summer smog has settled. People start using their fireplaces, though sadly most (including myself) now have gas fireplaces which may provide some warmth and ambiance, but totally lack that amazing smell. Fall makes me think of apple crisp and stew--oh and chili! Big pots of soup. All that comfort food. I'm not sure why fall makes me want to write--seems like it makes me want to eat.

Ah well, off to dig out my fall boots, jeans, maybe knit a poncho and write, write, write!

A trailer for Ghost Ride!!!

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:00:53 GMT

I’m so beyond exited! I have a book trailer for Ghost Ride—check it out!!!!

And the most amazing thing about this—it was put together completely and independently by a group of tech-savvy grade 8 students!!!

Earlier this year I did a presentation at a school with an incredible teacher-librarian and enthusiastic audience. I mentioned the idea of a book trailer and one girl said she’d happily take on the project. I gave her a copy of the manuscript—something I wouldn’t normally do!. She read it and became the driving force behind the trailer, designing the scenes and extracting the narration text from the manuscript and blurbs. She was able to get a few friends to act out the scenes while another student filmed it and put the whole thing together (I’m sure he spent many hours—and all this during his last few weeks of grade 8!)

I can’t thank these guys enough for all their hard work and dedication. What fun to see your novel spring to life like this!!! Ghost Ride is coming out with Dundurn Press this fall--should be in stores by November. I will definitely be inviting this group of students to my launch for a very special thank you!!!

My Sadly Neglected Blog, Non-fiction Take-over and Cloning Experiment...

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:51:44 GMT

I’ve just completed a whirlwind of non-fiction books!!!! 4 in the past 2 months! And they are already up on Amazon alongside my new Y/A Ghost Ride!

I still can’t believe I wrote 2 graphic novels (which has provided me with a deepened respect for the genre!) and 2 science books in 2 months! I mean from sci-fi to science—genetic engineering no less—was a ginormous leap for me. I had a blast though. It forced me to do a ton of research (which has been the biggest barrier between me and historical fiction!) and I came across some amazingly interesting stuff! For example, when I learned that there are about 100,000 bacteria crawling around on every square centimetre of my skin, it sure made me a lot less of a germaphobe!

Here are the science covers! I’m obviously biased, but I think they look AWESOME!!!

Okay. So I decided if I was going to include experiments in each of these books, they had better work. Here are some photos of my incredible edible cell:

And if you think the concept of cloning is freaky and frightening, try cloning a cabbage to ease your concerns…

Of course my cabbage clones are still growing--stay tuned for regular updates!

Whew.

Now that the non-fiction take-over has passed (for the moment anyway...) I hoping to nurse my undernourished blog (and other facets of my life) back to good health!

Jeremy's Launch!

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:48:48 GMT

Stopped by Jeremy Tankard's launch of Boo Hoo Bird this evening at a cute restaurant on the Danforth.

Little Miss K had to show off her very own boo boo to Jeremy who appears extremely concerned. Jeremy had prepared an amazing colouring table on which he'd sketched a variety of his characters for kids to colour--this amused Master J for quite some time while I lined up to purchase a few books and then lined up again to get them autographed. What a great event and what a huge turn-out! Congratulations Jeremy!

Five quarters to skip class...

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:55:49 GMT

Last week I had the absolute pleasure of presenting to four groups of junior/intermediate students at Castlemore P.S.

The TL there was so incredibly supportive and each of the four groups of students was beyond enthusiastic, energetic and completely attentive.

At the end of each of the presentations, I was thanked by a student. The junior students both put a huge smile on my face and the intermediate speeches were so funny, so touching, and so sincere that I asked to keep their notes and just can’t resist posting them even though they're tough to read:

I just love the line: “I walked in thinking I "payed" five quarters to skip class…”

During recess, I was treated to a plate of goodies and had expected to sign a few books for eager readers—well, 95 books later, I was completely bought out and I’m going to return this week with another 50 books! I still can’t believe it! Thank you, Castlemore P.S., for the warm welcome and wonderful treatment—I think every children’s author out there should have the opportunity to visit your school!

Slumdog Controversy

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:33:28 GMT

Yesterday I saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire—truly one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. The story sucked me into another time and part of the world that I confess I know little about. And it was shocking. And humbling. And certainly made me look at the rip in my leather sofa and the scratches on coffee table and my broken California shutters in a whole new and embarrassing light.

Growing up in Western society—in a far from affluent neighbourhood—I learned early in life what real poverty looks like. Having a Romanian uncle who, at the time, was not allowed back into the country he’d escaped from, I was taken on two occasions, 9 years-old and again at 15, to a country that made my lower-middle-class house look like a palace. I remember clearly seeing the white, bare store and asking, “What is that?’ and being told, “It’s the bread store.” “But where’s the bread?” “There isn’t any.” And beside it another empty space. “And what’s that?” “The meat store.” “And where’s the meat?” “There isn’t any.” I remember parked cars, snaking from a gas station in a ghostly line that went on for miles. “Why are they parked like that?” “They are waiting for gas.” Let me guess. There isn’t any.

For a 15 year old, it was an eye-opener and certainly a turning point in my life. I am eternally grateful for that experience as I was able to remind myself often over the years that I have it good.

When I came home from the movie last night, gushing about how great it was, I was taken aback when my babysitter informed me that there was a huge back-lash against the movie in India, that using the word “dog” in the title was derogatory and that the scenes of total poverty in the movie were exploiting those that live in these slums.

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/the-real-roots-of-the-slumdog-protests/

I can totally see why there is such uproar, but in my opinion, the movie does less to exploit the poor and more to educate those of us living in a world so far removed from this sort of desperate poverty that we weep freely at seeing these scenes rather than gawk at them as sensational. I firmly believe and live by the adage, “The more places you see, the more you know,” and for all those who never make it out of their own city, let alone province or country and who will never go half-way around the world and experience first hand just how good they’ve got it, this movie can at least transport them for two hours and hopefully have them leave the theatre as humbled as I did.

It's been a great week!

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 03:34:59 GMT

It never rains it pours--good things as well as bad--and this week I got a few happy buckets dumped on me! For one, I just received word that Ghost Ride, the first of my Y/A thrillers, will be published by Dundurn! I have nothing but respect for Dundurn--they have excellent books by excellent authors (see: Marsha Skrypuch, Mahtab Narsimhan, Valerie Sherrard, Deborah Kerbel, James Bow, to name a few!) And they have excellent covers! (Can't wait to see what mine will look like!)

Now, as if that isn't enough to keep me grinning for the next, oh, say, year, I also found out this week that I'm the recipient of ETFO's Curriculum Development Award --Women's Program for my teacher's guide for Shadow of the Moon! This thrills me to no end because my personal joke is that I spent more time writing the teacher's guide than I did writing the novel! I've received great feedback from teachers that have used both my guides, but man, to have ETFO acknowledge my work is HUGE!!!

I'm going out to buy a lotery ticket!

Schools and Canadian Authors

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:57:20 GMT

I just read an article by Marc Côté (for whom I happen to have the utmost respect!)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090213.wbkread14/EmailBNStory/globebooks/home

and felt his words spoke directly to me for three reasons:

1. Growing up, I loved Edgar Allen Poe.

2. I went on to become a huge Stephen King fan. I also enjoyed the works of Anne Rice, (who was truly an inspiration!) and Dean Koontz.

3. One of my favourite all-time novels is Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird AND not only haven’t I read Gwenthalyn Graham’s Earth and High Heaven, I’d never even heard of it. (It’s now definitely on my list of things to read!)

But despite all this, I find myself questioning whether my education and the system’s lack of promoting Canadian authors had anything to do with my taste and the writers I gravitated toward. Media? Absolutely. But not sure about the schools…

In elementary school, two novels I studied that still stand out in my mind today are Luke Baldwin’s Vow (Morely Callahan—Canadian) and Underground to Canada (Barbara Smucker—American). Sadly, I can’t remember many others, though this is more a reflection of my aging mind than anything else.

In high school, I was definitely exposed to a variety of Canadian writers—Mordecai Richler’s The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Margaret Atwood’s Lady Oracle, and Margaret Lawrence’s The Diviners, are those that come to mind.

I have to agree with Mr. Côté that American and British authors are far better promoted by the media, but by the schools (at least back in my day)?…hmmm…still thinking on that…

OLA magic and my banned-books bracelet!

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:02:48 GMT

OLA magic and my banned-books bracelet!

The magic of OLA Superconference never fades! This was my fourth year attending and I felt as exhilirated as ever meandering up and down the aisles of publishers displaying their new lines. I joined many a signing cue and walked away with a number of treasured autographed books. But I have to say the highlight for me was buying my I Read Banned Books bracelet--I bought three!

I adore To Kill a Mockingbird! Can't even imagine it ever having been banned!!! Is this not the GREATEST bracelet ever???

Other highlights included hanging with my good friends Helene Boudreau (who signed Acadian Star), Marsha Skrypuch (who signed Daughter of War), Natalie Hyde (who held her three non-fics in her hands for the first time!).

Hi Mahtab (author of The Third Eye) and Marsha!

Yay Helene!

Go Nat, go Nat, go Nat!!!

And what better way to wrap up a great day than with a great evening with good food, good friends and great conversation! Only 364 days until the next OLA Superconference!

I wish I could write like this...

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:27:50 GMT

I’m drinking in a novel as deliciously decadent and satisfying as a warm cup of cocoa.

Awake and Dreaming, by Kit Pearson, was a spontaneous purchase at the last Packaging Your Imagination workshop series. It sat in my enormous pile of books desperate to be read until a few days ago, when I picked it up, read the prologue and was whisked into a world so vivid and real, so rich in language and image—a novel so brilliantly crafted that I couldn’t put it down (sorry kids, Mommy wasn’t ignoring you, she was temporarily sucked into another world!) Awake and Dreaming is a definite must-read, not only for its intended audience of eager young readers, but also for any aspiring fiction writer. A word of caution to the latter though—this novel was so darned good it made me want to throw down and retire my pen forever!

Snow and Shameless Self-promotion!

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:09:51 GMT

So there I was, grinning like the cat that got the cream, super-proud of my 1 1/2 hour Boxing Day spree (40% off at the Nike Store!) and seconds from my home, when I passed a car stuck in a snowbank (actually icebank) on the side of the highway right at my 407 off-ramp. I stopped, put the car in reverse--had to make sure the woman was all right, all the while thinking, "Man, I should get a cell one of these days" (or a Blackberry...or better yet, an Iphone!!!!). Thankfully she was fine. Her two dogs were a bit shaken though (one had apparently flown into the front seat on impact). Luckily, I'd just put a shovel in the trunk (dug myself out of the parking lot downtown last year at OLA Superconference on hands and knees and swore to keep a shovel in the trunk ever since). I began to dig. And dig. And dig. Then chisel. Then push. Then chisel some more. Then get down on hands and knees and pulled ice out from the undercarriage. Finally, another car stopped. An older gentleman (you'd think one, just one of those strapping young men would stop to help, but no.) Together, a whole hour later, we got the car free and the woman was so grateful she asked for my business card. I said, "nah, don't worry about it--happy to help." She insisted she wanted to do something to thank me. I asked, "Well....ahem...have you got any grandchildren ages 9-11, grades 4-6?" She said, "Why yes, several." I said, "Well, how about a lovely book purchase for them?"

Okay. So I ended my good dead with horrible self-promotion. Shameful. Tsk. Tsk. Then I started to think...hmmm...maybe I should cruise the highways with my shovel, helping innocent unsuspecting victims of the weather and shamelessly self-promote my novels while I do so? Bet no one else has thought of this marketing strategy!!!! Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow!

Another Near-miss!

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 13:35:29 GMT

This week I received an email from my agent--another near-miss for my Y/A thriller, Ghost Ride the Whip, (working title). I must say, I'm pretty discouraged at this point--not because the feedback is terrible, but just the opposite--because the feedback is so darned GOOD! I think in some respects it would be easier to take if the publishers simply said I stunk. But the close-but-no-cigar feedback (the third publisher that has come back with this) is starting to weigh me down. This business sure is one wild roller-coaster ride!

More Inspirations--of the sports variety...

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 02:42:25 GMT

I've been a football fan--CFL fan--for the better part of the last 20 years. When I met my husband I was forced to adopt his NFL team--the Miami Dolphins, which for a while, during Marino years, was quite enjoyable. Then Marino retired and followed what I lovingly refer to as The Dark Years. Too many abysmal losses to mention, the "season-that-shall-not-be-named" (1-15!!!) and don't even get me started on the whole Ricky Williams fiasco (I refuse to forgive him!)

But tonight, all was good in the sports world for Dolphin fans. As play-off hopes are always minimal at best, the Buffalo vs. Miami game (especially the December game) is our personal Superbowl. Held at the Rogers Centre (I still refer to it as the Dome), the atmosphere was great (for a Toronto crowd anyway). I was hopeful, donning my Dolphin attire (though I tossed out the more obnoxious toques during The Dark Years) and prepared to endure the usual Bill's fan abuse.

It wasn't what I'd call an exciting game--but hey, we'll take the win. So there I was, my mind wandering as usual, and a sports story plot (was I the only fan there thinking about writing) popped into my head. Now, if I could only find the time to finish my current WIP and get started on it!

Oh, and one of the things I really enjoyed about this game was the half-time show--they had a band! Not a little band--a BAND--a real band, all the way from Syracuse (go orange!)! I love bands! Why don't we have them in Canada? Do we have any big marching bands like they have in the US? Our west maybe? I'll have to google it.

Now, I'm wondering if I can figure out a way to put a band in my sports story...hmmm....

Inspirations

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:50:08 GMT

Yesterday, while driving through city traffic, I fished through my CD case, locating some obscure, unlabeled disk, popped it in, and suddenly the 80's song Never Ending Story blared through the speakers. I loved that song! I loved that movie! It got me thinking about stories that have had a huge impact on my writing. They are as follows:

The Neverending Story--just love how this story comes full circle connecting fantasy to reality! For sure has influenced the circular plot in both Shadow of the Moon and Trick of the Light.

Star Wars--I honestly think that the recurring theme of redemption in each of my novels (even the as of yet unpublished Ghost Ride the Whip (working title) and Mind Gap) stem from my fascination with the character of Darth Vader.

The Last Unicorn--the writing is nothing short of brilliant! I'm especially drawn to Mommy Fortuna--I think I have a thing for complex villains. I think they are quite often more interesting then the hero--Snape comes to mind!

The Wizard of Oz--What haunts me most about this one, is the discovery that the Great Wizard of Oz isn't so great after all--that Dorothy and the gang had their own power all along.

Two adult novels that I had pretty much love/hate relationships with but that had profound influences over my writing with their innovative structures are To the Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf) and La Modification (Michel Butor).

I think I need to re-read those again...off to dig through old books in the basement.

Helene's Markham Launch!

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:28:08 GMT

Wow--hot on the heels of Deborah's fabulous non-launch comes Helene's super, jam-packed launch of Acadian Star at the Markham Public Library! She wasn't the least bit nervous as she spoke quite eloquently about her work as a writer, the realization of her dream of becoming a published author and her inspirations for both her fiction and non-fiction. Here's a photo:

And this is only half the crowd!!! Congratulations Helene!

Deborah's unofficial launch!

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:14:32 GMT

Sunday was one of those crazy days of racing around, trying to accomplish a zillion things in a handful of hours. Luckily, it ended with a special treat--the unofficial launch of Deborah's new novel, Mackenzie Lost and Found.

Mackenzie is another special book to me, not only because I know the author personally, but because I watched it evolve. It's really a special connection to see a work change and grow and even to have a bit of input, however minor. I only had the pleasure of reading the first 8 chapters, so I'm pretty excited to dig into this novel and see where it's headed.

Congratulations Deborah!

CCBC/TD Bank Children's Literature Awards!

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:54:18 GMT

Last Thursday night I attended my second CCBC/TD Bank Children's Literature Awards night and all I can say is this has got to be one of my favourite nights of the year! Not only is it unbelievably exciting (pretty much like the Oscar's of the Canadian children's literature world), but the food and drink ain't too shabby either! I got a chance to hang out with fellow authors, Helene, Mahtab and Helaine, which always makes for a great time. But the real thrill was watching all the outstanding authors and illustrators being recognized for their wonderful work.

Congratulations to the winners!

PYI!!!!

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:11:05 GMT

Wow! Just had a FABULOUS day at Packaging Your Imagination! The workshops were inspiring, lunch was delicious and the time to network with other writers invaluable!

My first workshop was with the amazing Kit Pearson! She was not only a dynamic speaker, but a very informative one! Some of her tips for polishing your manuscript included:

1. make sure your details are original
2. make sure your imagery is appropriate and original
3. use all your senses
4 be patient and exact
5 make sure your dialogue is lively and natural

She also cautioned against being sentimental. She suggested some signs of sentimentality would be: are your granny's all sweet? Is everyone sad at a death? Are all your characters nice? Do you overstate emotions? I purchased her novel, Awake and Dreaming,and can't wait to dig into it!

Next I attended an incredible presentation by Julie Lawson. Julie provided a wealth of knowledge and tips for writing historical fiction. She suggested several means of organizing your research as well some interesting places to locate information. One priceless piece of advice was: "Make no assumptions!"

My third workshop was with the hilarious Ted Staunton. Ted not only provided several dos and don'ts for writing humour, but also treated us to three readings from his novels Forgive us our Travises and Hope Springs a Leak. He was truly an inspiration and has made me rethink how I'm going to write Chasing the White Witch.

Finally, the keynote speaker was Marie-Louise Gay, who provided great insight into the illustration process and demonstrated though some marvelous slides of her work just how the illustrations in her books tell half the story!

What an exciting day!

Chasing the White Witch

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:46:02 GMT

I've begun a new novel tentatively titled Chasing the White Witch while I wait for Ghost Ride the Whip and Mind Gap to find homes. Thing is, this is my first attempt at writing in first person and writing a humourous (but still spooky!) novel. Hmmm...One chapter into it, I'm wondering if I can pull it off. I know many authors that have written entire novels in third person only to re-write the whole thing in first. I have a sneaky suspicion I'll be doing the reverse! Here is a sneak peek:

Chasing the White Witch

Chapter One

This whole mess began when my fourteen year-old brother, Jordan, (who happens to be the biggest moron on the face of the earth), started bugging me about my first-ever zit. It didn’t help that the thing was huge—okay ginormous—and dead-centre on the tip of my nose. Even with a ton of cover-up caked on my face, I felt like I should have been schlepping a sleigh full of presents on a foggy winter’s night instead of pushing a shopping cart around the over-crowded pre-Thanksgiving Day super centre.

“Head for cover! She’s going to blow!” Jordan’s voice echoed up the vegetable aisle attracting scads of attention toward me and the glowing boil-like bulb festering on my face. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he pretended to dive under the broccoli table, like my nose warranted some sort of Code-red, lock-down measures. Honestly, after twelve and a half years of relentless teasing at the hands of my brother, a.k.a., El Dufus, you’d think I’d have grown a thicker skin.

“You’re a funny guy, Jordan,” I said, feigning indifference. I narrowed my eyes and fixed them on the watermelon stand at the far end of the aisle. “Hilarious, really. You should consider a career as a stand-up comedian.” I imagined a particularly deformed melon was Jordan’s head. Then I pictured myself wielding it high in the air and sending it crashing onto the cold tiled floor where it exploded into a wet pile of pinkish mush. A sliver of a grin lit my eyes.

What a Day!

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:32:34 GMT

The second annual Words Alive! literary festival was held on Sunday, September 21st in Sharon, Ontario and it was a BLAST! What a great turnout! Unfortunately, due to family illness I was unable to attend the entire event, but I was lucky enough to catch the tail-end of Karolyn Smartz Frost reading from her new novel, "Home in the Glory Land". What a truly inspiring author!

As for my own presentation, I was to start at noon in the log-house and at about five to twelve, I found myself staring at approximately fifteen empty seats. "Ah well," I thought, "if no one shows, I can head right back to the hospital." No sooner had the the thought passed through my mind, a small group of people came strolling across the lovely green garden toward the old building. That group was followed by another and another until I'd not only filled the fifteen chairs, but with standing room only, managed to cram the little log house with about twenty-five people--the last few left peeking in through the doorway! I can't tell you how thrilled I was!

Although I've done tons of presentations to kids, this was the first time I delivered a presentation to a group of adults--most aspiring authors. I decided my focus was to be "Ten Tips to Help You Prepare Your Manuscript for Submission!" Here's the gist of it:

1. Know your target audience (also, don’t write “for” the market, but write keeping the market in mind!)

2. POV (Do you shift mid chapter? Mid-paragraph?)

3. Get a fresh pair of eyes to check for spelling/grammar/typos

4. do not overuse adverbs and adjectives

5. Dialogue (try to keep dialogue to 4 words—if you can’t, examine it closely—are you guilty of info-dump? Would the dialogue work better as a scene?)

6. use “said”

7. Prune mercilessly! Join a critique group!

8. Research publishers!!! Get to know the business, join organizations, go to hear as many speakers as possible!

9. Query letters: catchy intro—sum your book up in one line, if at all possible. Paragraph about your work. (word count, genre, target audience) Paragraph about yourself. Keep it to ONE page!

10. Agents: for children’s authors, it is easier to get a contract with a publisher first and then seek an agent. For adults, try for an agent first!

Words Alive!

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:53:24 GMT

Only a week to go until the second annual Words Alive! literary festival in Sharon, Ontario--and I'm proud to say that I'll be presenting! Last year was a huge success--given that the entire festival was organized by a single person--author, Vali Stone. It was a gorgeous fall day when several authors, story-tellers and musicians converged upon Sharon Temple--the beautiful historic site--to share their inspirations with a small, but enthusiastic crowd. This year, with funding and an excellent committee, (and hopefully just as lovely weather!)the festival will certainly attract a larger audience. I was very excited to be one of the judges of the student writing contest. I received the top stories as selected by a group of pre-judges and I have to say that the quality of the creations I read blew me away! We have some stellar young writers out there! I'd love to post my choices, but won't spoil the surprise! Stay tuned for a report of the days events--or better yet, join us on September 21st at the Sharon Temple and celebrate the wonderful world of words!

marina cohen

Made it into the Economist & Sun!

I was so excited to open my Economist & Sun today and find this (just in time for Halloween!!!)A really nice article. Thanks to the journalist Keely Grasser! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Lunch Launch 2009!

Quest for gingerbread...

They're here!

Something about fall...

A trailer for Ghost Ride!!!

My Sadly Neglected Blog, Non-fiction Take-over and Cloning Experiment...

Jeremy's Launch!

Five quarters to skip class...

Slumdog Controversy

It's been a great week!

Schools and Canadian Authors

OLA magic and my banned-books bracelet!

OLA magic and my banned-books bracelet!

I wish I could write like this...

Snow and Shameless Self-promotion!

Another Near-miss!

More Inspirations--of the sports variety...

Inspirations

Helene's Markham Launch!

Deborah's unofficial launch!

CCBC/TD Bank Children's Literature Awards!

PYI!!!!

Chasing the White Witch

What a Day!

Words Alive!

I was so excited to open my Economist & Sun today and find this (just in time for Halloween!!!)

A really nice article. Thanks to the journalist Keely Grasser! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!