Library Lady loves Dead kids

By munday | Published March 21, 2012

 

Star of The Dead Kid Detective Agency, October Schwartz.

The Dead Kid Detective Agency was reviewed very favourably by blogger, The Library Lady (Hylary).

One of the best parts of the review is that I turned her around. She started out hating my style, but grew to enjoy it.  I love when that happens:

I have to admit that when I first started reading this novel I had trouble getting used to Evan Munday’s writing style. Not many authors joke quite as much as he does in telling the story, so it was somewhat new territory for me. Once I became more accustomed to it, however, I ended up really enjoying this book! Munday’s pop-culture references were spot on for me, making me laugh at the nostalgic feelings they conjured up.

Then concludes her introduction with:

I would highly recommend this title to tween readers who want something with a bit of edge and lot of laughs.

Funnily enough, that’s close to what  my online dating profile: ‘highly recommended to those who want something with a bit of edge and a lot of laughs.’ (Very little edge, really.) But then, something that mystified me:

Since the author is Canadian and the book is set in Canada, American readers will have to get used to some of Munday’s references/vocabulary that differ slightly from what they’re used to.

But I am a secret American! Have I been fully assimilated? Were there references to Nanaimo bars and The Littlest Hobo that I missed? I will have to be more vigilant in the future.  But the review ends really nicely:

Overall, The Dead Kid Detective Agency is an easily enjoyable, entertaining and downright funny story that many young readers are sure to love.

Thanks so much for the review, Hylary. You can read the full article here.

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April 19 | Oakville Public Library Teen Mystery Talk & Writing Workshop

By munday | Published March 13, 2012

[Date changed due to Easter Weekend and Passover.]

Poster for my upcoming workshop.

True story: I worked one summer as student employee of the Oakville Public Library and have very fond memories of my time spent there. Another true story: I’ll be returning to said library for a teen writing talk and workshop. Check it out:

Oakville Trafalgar High School grad and Young Adult Author Evan Munday will take you on a mystery writing tour that you won’t forget!

First on tap: introducing readers to his book, The Dead Kid Detective Agency, first in a series and has been called “a zany side-splitter of a novel” by Quill & Quire.

After reading and talking about October Schwartz and her dead friends, Evan will then lead the audience in writing a mystery of their own: A crime has happened and it is up to the teen audience to help figure it out. Evan will create drawings of a mysterious crime and a handful of possible suspects. Budding authors in the audience can chose their favourites and use them as a springboard for their own spellbinding tales!

Evan Munday: Dead Kid Detective Agency Talk & Writing Workshop
Thurs, April 5, 2012: 6:30-8pm
Ages: 12-18 yrs – Free/Must Register
Registration opens Thu., Feb 23
Maximum number of participants: 80
Central Branch Auditorium
120 Navy Street

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March 31 | Workshop at Hamilton gritLIT Festival

By munday | Published March 13, 2012

Come to gritLIT!

Later this month, I’m presenting a workshop to the Hamilton gritLIT Festival: ‘The Published Author.’ The gritLit Festival’s annual literary festival, featuring (this spring) Robert Wiersema, Suzette Mayr, Alexi Zentner, Lynn Coady and more. At my workshop, I’ll guide attendees through the mysteries of publication from writing to finding a publisher to editing and promotion. I’m not sure how mysterious it is, but I’ll try to dish some secrets.

When: Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 3:00 pm

Where: The Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, 51 Stuart St., Hamilton

Price: $15 per workshop session

To register for the workshop, visit gritlit.ca.

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Second book, TV rights sold and Kindle dispute

By munday | Published February 27, 2012

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything on the site, and that’s largely because I’ve been busy finishing up the second Dead Kid Detective Agency book. The second installment – tentatively titled Dial ‘M’ for Morna – is nearing completion. More accurately, the book is nearing the stage when I send it to my wonderful editor at ECW Press, who will then tell me how much work it needs. Still, I’m happy to be nearing one save point (to use a video game metaphor), as at times, it seemed like even this draft would never be finished. The second book is chock-full of contemporary and 1914 excitement, with suffragettes, Titanic survivors, World War I and anti-immigrant sentiment. Everything you look for in a supernatural mystery … I guess.

Bomb Girls, from Back Alley Films

The Dead Kid Detective Agency has also been optioned for television! Back Alley Films, the people behind the television series Bomb Girls, bought the TV option a few months back and are hoping to develop it into an ongoing series. Bomb Girls, for the uninitiated, is a Global television series (starring Meg Tilly!) about women working in the munitions factories during World War II. I’m trying not to get too excited, as I realize many books are optioned and a small percentage of them are developed into actual films and television series. But I had a chance to meet with a representative from Back Alley this past Friday (at the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s ‘From Page to Screen’ event), and she only made things worse, excitement-wise. She envisioned the series as Veronica Mars meets Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, and I just about proposed to her on the spot. (Lady, have you been reading my diary?!) Sounds like the people at Back Alley are keen on the book and understand it (maybe better than I do), so I’m so glad they bought the television option. Feels like the book is in good hands.

Finally, if you’re looking for the ebook of The Dead Kid Detective Agency on Amazon, you won’t find it. Not currently. ECW’s distributor, IPG, is in a dispute with Amazon over terms. You can read more about the dispute here, at the New York Times, but in short, Amazon changed their terms, giving them higher discounts on books from the publisher, IPG refused to accept the terms, saying they were unreasonable. In retaliation, Amazon has pulled all IPG titles from their Kindle store (though you can still buy print editions).

While one never wants to lose retail channels for his/her book, I am proud of IPG of their refusal to agree to predatory terms and fully support their stance. As someone who works for another publisher, I understand the need for Amazon, and the convenience of the online store (especially in less populated areas). But I also have a conflicted relationship with Amazon, as it constantly seeks more and more aggressive terms from publishers and uses its own proprietary ebook format. So, I’m not a fan and personally avoid using Amazon whenever possible. If you’ve got a Kindle and really wanted to read the book, I’m sorry. But the ebook is still available from plenty of other online stores, including Barnes and Noble, the iBookstore and Kobo.

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