Travel Archives - Page 8 of 8

Would You Like a Fishing Rod With That Book?

August 28, 2013 By JPMcLean 6 Comments

Library Reading

The McKellar Public Library may be the only library in the world where you can borrow a fishing rod with your book. No kidding! You can then go down the hill to the lake and drop your line in.

McKellar is in Ontario’s cottage country. It’s one of those towns people in Toronto refer to as “up north,” which covers a lot of ground. For me, McKellar, Broadbent and Parry Sound are places where I spent considerable time in my youth. Grandparents, aunts and uncles had homes and cottages in the area. My parents have lived there for many years, and one of my sisters has moved into my grandmother’s house and turned it into her cottage.

Coming Home

Coming home to the cottage stirs up many fond memories: fishing off the dock, swimming in the tea water of the Manitouwabing River, and sneaking peas from my grandfather’s garden are just a few.

This last visit was all that and more because I was invited to read from my books at the McKellar Public Library. And not just any reading…the inaugural public reading at their newly expanded library.

The recent renovation has nearly doubled the size of the library. It’s clean and bright and has a view that will make you sigh. Joan, Maxine, Pat and Jackie made me feel very welcome. On the big day, they hauled in a lectern fit for a mayor and baked cupcakes to help raise money.

Something for Everyone

The library does an outstanding job promoting local authors, even ones like me who have moved away. They encourage library usage through innovative measures – did I mention the fishing poles? Not only do they loan out books and current issues of popular magazines, they also have a large collection of DVDs, videos, large print books and talking books. They offer free Internet and wireless service and if the mood strikes you, you can borrow a pedometer.

So, if you live in or around McKellar, or plan to visit, drop by the new library and have a look around. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and there’s something for everyone. If the fish are biting, borrow a rod and reel and catch your dinner.

Thank you ladies. You’re doing McKellar proud.

Cover Art Quest

April 9, 2013 By JPMcLean 8 Comments

Washington Coast — Washington State Coastline

Cover Art Quest

There’s little slack time in this business. If you’re not writing a book, you’re writing a blog post, tweeting a thank you, or updating your Facebook page. There are publisher’s proofs to review, blog tours to schedule, press releases won’t write themselves, and book covers need to be designed. As much as I would love to spend all my days writing, this business is more complex than that. Many other chores demand a piece of my time.

On the Road Again

Happily, most of those chores can be done from the road, which is where I am. It’s familiar territory for me having spent so many winters “heading south.” This week I’m driving down the Pacific coast with my husband, John, and our sweet Molly to find the perfect photo inspiration for the cover of Book III, Redemption.

Cover art is an important component of any book. It has the potential to either draw people in or send them scurrying. For better or worse*, from the very start, I’ve had a strong opinion of what the visual should be for my books. It’s always been the beach.

The beach plays a critical role in all three books.

In Awakening, the beach is a cruel mistress that serves as the setting for imparting the gift, awakening it, and finally, setting it free. In Revelation, the beach serves as a reminder of where it all began, and then plays hand maiden to the larger story that occurs within metres of that same beach. The beach is also an important element in Redemption.

Viona Halim is the talented graphic artist who painted the first two covers. She did a wonderful job creating not only compelling water colours, but also capturing the ominous mood that prevails in the books.

The book cover for Redemption will be in keeping with the trilogy’s mood, which is still dark and mysterious, but this time it will reflect the very unique cliff face and low vegetation typical to Bodega Bay, California, which is where a pivotal scene takes place. And that’s what brings me here. It’s a cover art quest. I need to get some photos of these beaches for Viona to work with.

Cover Reveal

The cover for Book II is about to be revealed. Keep your eyes peeled because just after the cover reveal, Revelation will be released. I can’t wait.

As an aside, this is our first road trip without Molly’s half-sister, Soozie. They travelled extensively with us since 2000. It seems strange to be making this journey without her – as if a book end is missing.

*Update: in 2018, the heavy hand I had in book cover design proved fatal. Read more about the rebrand here.

Final Proof Sign-off

August 15, 2012 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

I signed off on my final proof with Friesenpress today. The significance of the moment had my stomach in a knot. I felt excited and nervous at the same time.

Final proof. Check.

It’s an accomplishment months in the making and worthy of a perfectly prepared martini (which was delicious, BTW, with fresh figs soaked in gin).

For better or worse, Awakening is now out of my hands and on its way to publication.

So what’s next?

Writing Awakening was exciting, deciding to self-publish was exhilarating, but the marketing and promotion is testing my sanity. And now my head is spinning—not from the gin’s effects—but with all the new and intimidating things that have crawled onto my TTD list.

My Exploding Things-To-Do List

I’ve got to figure out what an author platform is, and what bits and pieces I want on it (Facebook? Twitter? Pinterest?). What’s my author brand, and how do I develop it? I’ve only got my tippy toes in the social media waters right now. Facebook confounds me; Twitter is a mystery; and how does anyone manage the number of passwords and logins required online? (Please. I’m begging you. Figure it out and let me in on the secret.)

And to complicate matters, I’m off to visit family for two weeks—family with worse Internet service than I have here, which is to say, one small step away from dial-up. Trying to connect my laptop to the Internet in untested and remote locales could cause my spinning head to explode.

I’m feeling completely overwhelmed and out of my depth. Testing my sadly lacking techie skills on the cusp of my first book release should prove interesting (read excruciating).

Wish me luck!