Vicki Grant » Uncategorized

Whaddya think?

vickigrant — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:24:19 +0000

This is the proposed cover for my new Young Adult Quick Read for Orca Soundings.

I’d love your opinion. Too gruesome?

Or am I just being a wimp?

Read all about it!

vickigrant — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:25:39 +0000

Canadian Children’s Book News recently published a profile of me. If you’d like to read it, please go to: http://www.bookcentre.ca/system/files/Grant_Profile.pdf

(As you can see, this photo of me, first thing in the morning, in my housecoat, at the cottage, has absolutely nothing to do with the article – but it has punch, don’t you think?)

I didn’t win the war.

vickigrant — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:55:53 +0000

Or even the battle for that matter. But I did win the – I don’t know – skirmish, I guess.

Congratulations to Henry Neff on winning Best Book for THE HOUND OF ROWAN at Woozles’ Battle of the Books. I was pretty happy that RES JUDICATA won for Best Plot.

Now I’m girding my loins for another battle. I just found out that NOT SUITABLE FOR FAMILY VIEWING has been chosen to compete next year. Onward to Victory!

Thanks to Suzy Crocker, Lisa Doucet and all the teachers, kids and volunteers who make this great event happen. And congratulations to Sacred Heart for winning a hard-won fight against LeMarchant-St. Thomas.

No wonder Cyril MacIntyre is in love with her…

vickigrant — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:06:44 +0000

This, believe it or not, is the only known photo of the real Mary Mulderry MacIsaac, reading NOT SUITABLE FOR FAMILY VIEWING. Would you get a load of those big, brown eyes. Not hard to see why Cyril’s nuts for her.

Thanks for this, Denise. (Keep those photos rolling in, people.)

All the Usual Suspects…

vickigrant — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:01:23 +0000

Just got word that NOT SUITABLE FOR FAMILY VIEWING was shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Canadian Juvenile Crime Fiction. (“Juvenile?” Who you calling juvenile?) I’m up against a tough crowd, all with records as long as my arm.

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones.
Haunted by Barbara Haworth-Attard.
Homicide Related by Norah McClintock.
The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade

The Arthur Ellis Awards will be presented by the Crime Writers of Canada in June.

And BTW, that is me holding the book. The disguise has nothing to do with my life of crime. I just had lasik surgery so I don’t need glasses any more. (And the new hairdo? That was just a mistake.)

Your picture goes here.

vickigrant — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:10:17 +0000

I know you can do better than this.

I have to update my web site and need new photos.

Any chance some of you readers out there would take some digital photos of yourself or your friends (or your pets or your garden gnomes) reading one of my books?

What exactly am I looking for? Surprise me. As long as it’s got one of my books in it, I’m interested. Go crazy. I’ll post the best ones here.

No pay’s involved, of course, but I can offer you fame.

Or at least as much fame as you can get by being on my little website.

A very good week…

vickigrant — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:44:08 +0000

Not Suitable for Family Viewing has done all right by itself lately.

Last week at the Ontario Library Association Superconference in Toronto, it was one of ten novels chosen as a 2009 OLA Best Bets for Young Adult Readers.

Today, it was nominated for the 2010 Snow Willow Awards in Saskatchewan.

The Snow Willow is given through the Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Award program (SYRCA), which promotes reading among the province’s children and youth. Ten books written by Canadian authors and aimed at kids in grades 7 to 9 are nominated. Any student who has read the minimum number of books can vote for their favourite. The winning book will receive the Snow Willow award next Spring.

Say ‘Ola!’ at the OLA

vickigrant — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:53:04 +0000

My new teen mystery for reluctant readers

If you’re going to be at the Ontario Library Association’s Superconference this week, please drop by and say hello. On Thursday, February 25 at 2:30, I’ll be at the Orca booth (214), signing copies of my new Teen Quick Read, COMEBACK.

On Friday at 11 a.m., you’ll find me at the HarperCollins booth (812), signing NOT SUITABLE FOR FAMILY VIEWING.

You may even get a couple of free books out of it…

Upcoming Kid Lit Cafes

vickigrant — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:48:12 +0000

Writers, teachers, parents and anyone else interested in “adult conversations about children’s literature” are invited to our next Kid Lit Cafes (Coburg Coffee House – 6085 Coburg Road).

On Wednesday, March 3, 7 to 9 p.m – Literacy expert Catherine Bouliane and junior high librarian Rebecca King will talk to me about Reluctant Readers. We’ll look at who they are, what they like to read and how to write for them. Ironically, what may seem to be a crisis for parents and a challenge for educators is actually an opportunity for writers. The YA ‘quick read’ market is big and growing.

On Wednesday, March 31, 7 to 9 p.m., Vivian Howard from the Dalhousie Library School will discuss “The Naughty Bits – controversial subjects in teen fiction”. I’m lining up a number of authors and hopefully an editor or two to chime in on the discussion as well.

An Artist’s Impression of The Kid Lit Cafe

vickigrant — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:22:34 +0000

Richard obviously caught me giving Sheree a tough question.

Illustrator Richard Rudnicki (Gracie The Public Garden’s Duck) sent me this great ‘memory sketch’ of Sheree Fitch and me in conversation at the Coburg Coffee House the other night.

Even better, he agreed to be my guest at an upcoming Kid Lit Cafe exploring the issues involved in the illustration of children’s books.

The line-up for future KLC guests also includes Susan Tooke (Up Home), Jessica Scott Kerrin (the Martin Bridge series), Kathy Kaulbach (who as Hilda Rose illustrated What if Your Mom Made Raisin Buns?), and Jill MacLean (The Nine Lives of Travis Keating) among others.