I’m off to St. John’s, Newfoundland, tomorrow for the Atlantic Book Awards. Betsy Wickwire and I are up against Gloria Ann Wesley, (Chasing Freedom) and Susan White (The Year Mrs. Montague Cried ) for the coveted Ann Connor Brimer Award.

In 1990, the Nova Scotia Library Association established the Ann Connor Brimer Award for writers residing in Atlantic Canada who have made an outstanding contribution to children’s literature.

The impetus for the award came from the late Ann Connor Brimer who was a strong advocate of Canadian children’s literature and saw the need to recognize and encourage children’s writers in Atlantic Canada.

The recognition is fabulous, of course, but the perks are what really excite me. I’m going to be joining fellow nominees at the Atlantic Book Awards ceremony in one of my favourite cities anywhere – gorgeous, fascinating, wonderfully peculiar St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Also up for the Ann Connor Brimer Award are Gloria Ann Wesley for Chasing Freedom (Roseway Publishing); Susan White for The Year Mrs. Montague Cried (Acorn Press).

Here’s a full list of the Atlantic Book Award nominees.

The Willow Awards promote reading by granting a Willow Award to the Canadian books voted by students to be the best of those nominated in three categories: Shining Willow (K-3),Diamond Willow (4-6) and Snow Willow (7-9).

I’m thrilled to be sharing the shortlist with these wonderful authors:

Valerie Sherrard, Jo Treggiari, Kelley Armstrong, Robert Paul Weston, Edeet Ravel, John Wilson, Kenneth Oppel, Colleen Nelson, and David Skuy

The winner of the Snow Willow award will be announced next February.

1) To say thanks to the young ladies from Agnes McPhail Public School for interviewing me about Not Suitable for Family Viewing.

2) And to prove that I was alert throughout the Ontario Library SuperConference even if every other photo taken of me there makes it look like I’d just nodded off.

No. Not if you get to enjoy the warmth of the Ontario Library Association’s SuperConference. (What a corny line. Clearly, I’ll do anything for a segue.)

I’ve been invited with other winners of 2011 Forest of Reading Awards to make a little presentation. I’ll also be signing copies of Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret so please come and join me at the HarperCollins booth. (I’ll post exact times when I know them…)

If you can’t make it to the conference at the Convention Centre, perhaps I could make it to your school. I have some openings for author visits on Monday, January 30 and  Wednesday, February 1. Anywhere in the GTA is fine.

E-mail me at v.grant@ns.sympatico.ca for details.

“Kudos to Canadian Vicki Grant for writing a truly hilarious book that’ll make you smile while defying all the tropes that often define this genre. The Betsy Wickwire in question is your prototypical beautiful popular girl who’s sent on a downward shame spiral – complete with working as a house cleaner in a horrible ‘dust bunny’ uniform – losing all of the things said popular gals value most: friends, love, and her coveted social standing. That is, until she meets quirky, larger-than-life outsider Dolores Morris, who befriends Betsy when she needs it most – and teaches her a thing or two about what’s really important at this young age. For real, everywhere I’ve looked and everyone I’ve talked to has had nothing but positive things to say about this genuinely funny, uncanny book that manages to make a rather simple concept feel fresh and fun.“

Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret is available, as they say, at fine stores everywhere.

Here’s my most favourite part:

“Vicki Grant’s characters jump off the page. She shows an uncanny understanding of young people’s worries and emotions, the depression they often face, the self-esteem that frequently eludes them, and the acceptance they need most. This is a novel at once humorous, captivating and realistic. A multi-layered novel, a striking read.”

Lena Coakley, though, knows how to do it. Even better, the author of the acclaimed YA fantasy Witchlanders very kindly shared her insights on writing effective query letters. Here’s her very helpful post, A Query Dissected.

I was on my way back from my rather wonderful ‘tour’ in Ontario (more about that later) when I spotted what I thought was a nice stack of Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret at a bookstore in the Toronto Airport. It took me a horrified moment or two to realize it wasn’t my book at all but Lauren Conrad’s. Uncanny, isn’t it?

Lauren’s book has a heart-shaped candy on the cover. Mine has a heart-shaped sponge which looks like a candy. They both have a white background and hearts repeated on the spine. They’re both Young Adult novels. Lauren is a “television personality, celebutante and fashion designer” and I’m…Okay, I guess the similarities end there.

But back to the cover. Should I worry? Or is the similarity a good thing? Any chance a few Lauren Conrad fans might pick up my book by mistake and be converted? Stay tuned for updates.