Thursday 30 July 2015

Riverfest at Pinhey's Point!

Join some fun and sun on Sunday, August 9, and come out and hear some stories!  I'll tell some pioneering, seafaring and generally Canadian-ing stories, all with flair and fun and twists, of course! I had the chance to tell ghost stories at Pinhey's Point last year with Ruthanne Edward and Kathryn Hunt, and the site itself is just so beautiful.  Make sure to check it out, for Riverfest or just to wander!

I'll be telling on the hour, every hour, from 10 until 3 (3pm being the final set of the day).  Each set will be about 20 minutes, so plan accordingly. And yes, my stories will be completely appropriate for families. Woo!

Find out more about Riverfest and Pinhey's Point Historic Site

I told a story of rats taking over a lighthouse in the ruins of the old summer kitchen, by a bonfire, while sipping hot apple cider. Until we were rained out, which really worked for this story and so I pretended it was totally planned. BWA HA HA ! Picture courtesy of Pinheys' Point. 

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Kingston and Orillia!

This coming Saturday (July 25), I'll have the pleasure of being *everywhere!*  Well, in two places, anyway.

I'll start the day at the inaugural Limestone Genre Expo, in Kingston, Ontario. This looks like a fantastic event, and I highly recommend it.  I'll be at the following:

10:00 am - 11:00 am
FANTASY PANEL
Moderator: Derek Newman-Stille
Panelists: Violet Malan, Kit Daven, Marie Bilodeau, Jen Frankel, Alyssa Cooper

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
STORYTELLING
Stories from Beyond the Veil: The End is Nigh
This is your chance to catch the show that accompanies the books.  Don't miss it!  

I'm leaving Kingston by 3:00 at the latest, so make sure to see me in the Atrium if you want to pick up any books before I screech my tires out of the parking lot and head to the Leacock Summer Festival in Orillia, Ontario!

8:00 pm
Leacock Museum
SF Readings with Robert J. Sawyer, Robert Charles Wilson and Marie Bilodeau!

Come out and party!  This event will be great, too!

See you on the road!  

Thursday 2 July 2015

The Real Reasons Behind Unpoppable Bubble Wrap (Be Warned. And Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.)

It was with great concern that I read this seemingly innocuous article: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/revamped-bubble-wrap-no-longer-pop-able-2015-07-02.  Great concern.  So much concern, in fact, that I wrote a letter about it.  Hopefully it will not be a letter without reply  In this case, no reply may just be the most frightening reply of all.


Dear Leaders of the World:

It was with fear and dismay that I read that new bubble wrap is unpoppable. This concerns me so deeply that I felt compelled to write to you. All of you.

First of all, have you considered the implications of this?  Bubble wrap is well known to be a healthy and drug-free stress relief technique. By removing the Joy of the Pop (TM*), you are in fact making this nation, all nations, more dependent on drugs.  If we dig deeper, would it be revealed that this endeavor holds ties to the pharmaceutical industry?  Would it, Leaders of the World?