Fairly distressing promo photo for Luminato's Literary Picnic

In other book news, I will (with many, many other authors) be at Trinity Bellwoods Park on Saturday, June 22nd for a Literary Picnic, part of Toronto’s 2013 Luminato Festival. There will be over 60 authors on three stages reading from our recent books and talking about starting to write a story. In addition to the on-stage entertainment, many of us will be available in the park throughout the day for one-on-one exchanges with readers and budding writers. (Here’s hoping it doesn’t rain!)

Each Saturday leading up to the festival, The Huffington Post is presenting blog posts from some of the Literary Picnic authors on how we handle ‘that daunting first word.’ On Saturday, May 18, I became the second such author to tackle that subject, though you can keep track of all the authors talking about the subject here. Here’s an excerpt of my contribution:

The best way to deal with a blank page (or blank screen) is to simply not have one. Asking how one deals with a blank page is a bit like asking how one deals with an Ed Hardy thumb ring or a pinstriped fedora. Just avoid that whole landmine by not ever having one. It helps to have a backlog of ideas — more ideas that you could ever possibly need or turn into finished stories. I keep a text file of half-baked ideas to develop should I ever get some spare time — and some of them aren’t half-bad. (Just wait until you hear about the Christian ska band members who have to play a life-and-death baseball game against the Devil and his team of the MLB’s all-time nastiest players.) Be riddled with ideas. Sodden with them. So many ideas that you start to gag just in describing how many ideas you have.

Read the full piece at HuffingtonPost.com. (My apologies if you find it of no help at all!)

Taking the mic at the Silver Birch stage.

On Wednesday, May 15, and Thursday, May 16, the Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading‘s Festival of Trees dropped down at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, and over two days, thousands of kids from all over the Greater Toronto Area (and even as far as Orillia!) came to cheer on their favourite books on the Forest of Reading shortlists, get their books signed, eat ice cream and even hula hoop.

The Silver Birch Awards were announced on May 16. After spending a full-hour signing autographs, co-starring in young readers’ selfies and sketching quick skull-and-crossbones pictures, the big awards were announced at the bandshell. The scene was amazing! Thousands of kids in the audience were screaming and brandishing their favourite books on the shortlist. (A few were even holding up The Dead Kid Detective Agency!) The winners in the three Silver Birch categories were Rob Laidlaw‘s No Shelter Here (Nonfiction), Marsha Skrypuch‘s Making Bombs for Hitler (Fiction) and Brit and Kari Trogen‘s Margaret and the Moth Tree (Express). All amazing books that deserve the many accolades they’ve received.

Meeting some young readers.

(As a sidenote, I couldn’t stop thinking of Making Bombs for Hitler as sung to the tune of XTC’s ‘Making Plans for Nigel,’ but it was probably not appropriate to tell the author so.) Congratulations to all the winners! (You can see the full list of Forest of Reading winners at the OLA’s website.)

Following the big news, I led a mystery writing workshop for about 60 young writers and their parents, and spent the rest of the day signing a few more autographs and trying my hand (waist?) at hula-hooping.

The whole Forest of Reading experience has been truly amazing. Not only was it personally great to see so many young readers really keen to read the second book — I brought along an advance reading copy of Dial ‘M’ for Morna to flash around — it was so astounding and encouraging to see so many kids really enthusiastic and almost obsessed with reading. And so many librarians, teachers and parents encouraging them. Nice to know reading is bigger amongst the youth than it’s ever been!

Mob scene at the Forest of Reading.

Last week, as part of the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading tour – think of a U.S.O. tour, but with children’s authors and only within Ontario – I travelled to Parry Sound and North Bay with a team of great writers (and one excellent OLA staff member, Meredith). The experience was both surreal and inspiring. Over three days in two towns, my fellow Silver Birch and Red Maple nominees and I spoke to over a thousand kids in hockey arenas about our books and reading and writing.

There were nine of us up in Ontario’s ‘near North’: Natalie Hyde (I Owe You One), Wesley King (The Vindico), Steve Pitt (Running to Extremes), Marsha Skrypuch (Making Bombs for Hitler), Bill Swan (Real Justice: Fourteen and Sentenced to Death), Brit and Kari Trogen (Margaret and the Moth Tree) and Janet Wilson (Shannen and the Dream for a School). The events, organized by the tireless and astounding team of the Near North Librarians, incorporated hundreds of kids from dozens of schools, as well as author workshops, games and community groups like the fire and police departments.  At each stop, we authors were led into the arenas in a procession (to the Star Wars theme song) each with one student hoisting the banners of our book covers high, and another student, who would later introduce us to the assembled crowd, trailing behind.

Terrifying, right?

In Parry Sound, the Forest of Reading Festival was held at the Bobby Orr Community Arena. (Apparently everything in Parry Sound is named after Bobby Orr.) About 500 kids came out to cheer us on, then break up into smaller groups to talk about our individual books. When not talking about books, the kids were playing a variety of games, like beanbag toss and lollipop pull. Most distressingly, the librarians had made puzzles out of the authors’ headshots, which the students then had to assemble. Clearly serial-killer-type behavior. (Just kidding, librarians. You were very nice.)

Following that, we did two days in North Bay, for over 700 and 800 students at the West Ferris Centennial Community Arena (the birthplace of ringette!). These events were massive! The best part was that, following the big introductory ceremony, our smaller breakout workshops were conducted in sweaty locker rooms. That said, some of the students met with me, while others get to meet a therapy dog. (There’s no competing with a border collie.) During my talks, I also realized that in addition to the birthplace of ringette, North Bay was also the birthplace of the Dionne quintuplets. Since a fictional quintuplet family (the LaFlammes) feature in The Dead Kid Detective Agency, I became fairly obsessed with visiting the Dionne Quintuplet Museum in North Bay. (Tragically, it doesn’t open until Victoria Day Weekend.) I even had an opportunity to talk to North Bay CTV News, who ran a segment with me and one of my biggest fans.

Walking on sacred ground.

One of the best parts of these tours – aside from discovering various tidbits of local history and spending time with my charming fellow authors – is meeting the fans who are reading the book. Is it wrong that I was so heartened to find all the weird and quiet kids liked The Dead Kid Detective Agency the most? But many of the schools had ‘top ten’ badges for kids who had read 10 of the various Forest of Reading nominees. So, so many kids had top ten badges! As a writer and someone who works in books publishing, it was heartening to witness.

This Wednesday and Thursday, the big Festival of Trees hits Toronto, with a monster event at Harbourfront Centre. Apparently, thousands of kids from the Greater Toronto Area attend. (I’m slightly terrified.) On Thursday, they’ll also announce the winners of the Silver Birch Express, Silver Birch Nonfiction and Silver Birch Fiction Awards. I’m certain I don’t have the slightest chance in the world, but it will be nice to be up there on the stage with people like Kevin Sylvester and Janet McNaughton. And more importantly, to know that the audience is filled with thousands of kids really excited about reading.

File this under the ‘stupid things Evan doesn’t really think through,’ but in an effort to help the excellent Canadian publication, This Magazine (of which I’m a board member), I’ve agreed to eat 47 veggie hot dogs in one sitting, should they raise $4700 within the month. Here’s the official scoop from the Indiegogo campaign:

Let's make this happen!

* * *

This Magazine turns 47 this month (I know! It really is hard to believe!) and to celebrate this milestone we’re looking for 100 people to donate $47 each. That’s one dollar for every year the magazine has been publishing.*

But, there’s more … If we reach our fundraising goal of $4,700 in the next 30 days This Magazine Board member, Coach House Books publicist and author of The Dead Kid Detective Agency Evan Munday will eat 47 veggie dogs in two hours! That’s a lot of veggie in not a lot of time!**

So if you’ve always dreamed of seeing Evan eat 47 hot dogs in one sitting here is your chance.

It’s also your chance to support independent progressive media and help This Magazine publish uninterrupted for another 47 years. Every little bit helps a small magazine like This and as a thank you for your support we’ve got great commemorative hot dog eating gifts available. All donations are also tax-deductible!

Help us reach our goal of $4,700 and help This Magazine continue to provide a national forum for people, opinions and ideas not found anywhere else We couldn’t do this important work without your support.

We can’t thank you enough for donating.

This Magazine

P.S. Please help us spread the word about our campaign. Tell your friends! Get on Facebook and Twitter now and help us promote the heck out of our campaign. Cute cat videos can wait! We’re talking about Evan Munday eating 47 hot dogs! Let’s make it happen!

*Please note we will accept donations in amounts other than $47. This is just a suggested amount that ties in very nicely with our 47th birthday.

**Please note Evan Munday volunteered to do this and we don’t regularly make the magazine’s Board members eat huge quantities of food in a limited time period in an effort to raise much-needed cash.

* * *

So, yes! Donate away. I have no doubt I will get very sick, but it’s for a good cause, right? Donations can be made through the Indiegogo page here. Or if you have an issue with PayPal, feel free to contact This Magazine directly.

A spine-tingling image from the second book.

Yesterday, my mom noted that it’s been a very long while since I’ve updated my website. And since my mom is likely the only person who reads this site, I figured I should probably post something new.

The truth is, I’ve been pretty busy finishing up the second book in the Dead Kid Detective Agency series, Dial ‘M’ for Morna. But it’s just about ready to go to press now. (Freshly inked illustrations for the book appear in this post.) The team at ECW Press has been amazing to work with. I say this in all honesty, they are a dream publisher. And the book is all set to hit bookstores in October, just in time for Halloween! (Funnily enough, the second book takes place during the holidays.) You can get a sneak preview of the book on Amazon, if you’d like. (No pressure.)

This April and May, I’m also visiting a number of schools across Ontario in the lead-up to the Silver Birch Awards. The big event happens at Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West) on May 16, but I’ll be visiting Oakville, Bradford, Parry Sound, North Bay and other spots in the days before. Tickets to the events in Parry Sound and North Bay can be found here. (Don’t worry! It’s not just me. There are several other children’s authors who will be reading, so it will be worth getting a ticket.)

Another chilling image!

And in (somewhat) related news, you can listen to a short radio spot of me plugging my book at the Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading website. Be forewarned, though, my voice is terrible and should not  be heard by people with a history of heart disease.

It will be just like this!

Back by popular demand (let’s say), I’ll be leading a couple workshops at the Oakville Public Library  during Free Comic Book Day (May 4). So if you’re a teen with an interest in comics, sign up!

Here’s the scoop from the Oakville Public Library‘s site:

Participants will be guided through the process of writing and illustrating their own short comic books while covering character design, storytelling, pacing, page structure and more. By the end, attendees will be well on their way to completing his/her own short comic book.

Maximum 30 participants per session
FREE /1 class – Central Branch Auditorium Saturday/May 4

Please note: Due to the number of registrations, we have changed the afternoon session to include Grades 8-12.

Grades 5-7: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Grades 8-12: 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Register with Elise, Teen Services Librarian, by email at ecole@oakville.ca or by telephone, 905-815-2042 ext. 5037. Please provide participant’s name, email address, telephone number and current grade in school.

If you’ll be at the OLA Super Conference (see the previous post), you can pick up the cards there. And if not, I’ll be doing my best to distribute the cards to some local Toronto bookstores in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day. (And if you know me, just ask. I’ll likely be carrying around a bag packed with them!)

Check out the designs for all four below!

One of four Valentine's Day cards on display at the OLA Superconference!

This coming week, the Ontario Library Association’s Super Conference 2013 hits Toronto’s Metro Convention Centre (255 Front Street West), and this year, I’ll be there as an author! The Ontario Library Association is Canada’s largest library organization and OLA’s Super Conference is Canada’s largest education event in librarianship. The conference includes a trade show, countless informational panels and sessions and author signings.

I’ll be doing a few different things in support of my Silver Birch nomination for The Dead Kid Detective Agency and the forthcoming publication of Dial ‘M’ for Morna. I’ll be part of the Forest of Reading breakfast at the Super Conference on Thursday, January 31, in which the 2013 nominees and 2012 winners eat with librarians from across the province. (Watch me drink coffee with Kevin Sylvester! Sweet deal!)

Following that, I’ll be part of the Authors’ Booking Service’s session, Guess Who’s Coming to Visit (in Room # 326), in which the service will explain how to book authors to teachers and librarians. They’ll show the audience members how to contact their authors (of which I’m one), as well as give hints on subsidies and take the mystery out of the entire booking process. And for the rest of the conference, I’ll be signing books and excellent new Dead Kid Valentine’s Day cards that the good people at ECW Press produced (see above). Check the schedule below; I’ll be signing at both the Whitehots booth (511), as well as the Follett booth (713/715) at different times.

If you’re a librarian (or somehow library-adjacent), I hope to see you there!

Thursday, January 31

7:45 a.m. – Forest of Reading Breakfast – by invitation only

9:05 – 10:40 a.m. – Authors Booking Service presents Guess Who’s Coming to Visit (# 326) – MTCC 202CD

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Signing at Follett Booth – Booth #713/715

Friday, February 1

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. – Signing at Whitehots Booth – Booth #511

It’s coming soon! In Fall 2013, the second adventure of The Dead Kid Detective Agency, Dial ‘M’ for Morna, will hit bookshelves. I can’t reveal much more at this point, aside from a few illustrations from the early chapters of the book (below). My final edits are in, the illustrations are being completed, and the cover is looking great.The crack team at ECW Press is making everything so wonderful and easy.

And if any of you blog readers happen to be librarians or librarian-adjacent, I’ll be at the Ontario Library Association Super Conference at Toronto’s Metro Convention Centre (255 Front Street West) this February 1, shaking hands and signing babies. Hope to see you there!

October back in Sticksville Cemetery.

Looks like Cyril's back, as well.

What follows are some decidedly non-continuity sketches of Spider-Man, Green Arrow, Mister Miracle, Power Man and Iron Fist, Batman, Cyclops, Wolverine, and Archie Andrews and Reggie Mantle.

Spider-Man taking some sexts for the Daily Bugle.

Oliver Queen, right on target.

Mister Miracl, in a tight spot.

Kind of an awkward shot, but Iron Fist and Power Man had to be holding hands.

The World's Greatest ... Detective.

Probably my favourite.

And the sketch that will probably get me arrested.