Buzz, Balls & Hype

Have you been to the Montreal book fair: Salon du livre de Montreal.

 In 1950 a little event in Montréal at Hotel Windsor was put in place to celebrate books and promote reading and literature to the public through direct interaction with regional, national and international authors. With time the event grew in both exhibitor participation and guest attendance.

In 1978, the book fair, known officially as Salon du Livre de Montréal, moved to a larger venue, at La Place Bonaventure, where it is currently held annually. Since it’s inauguration, this well orchestrated event has continued with great success, not only aiding in the promotion of literature and reading, but also being an outlet where members of the trade, publishers, booksellers and librarians, can interact.

Just last year 124,500 people were in attendance and 1600 authors exhibited. Passion is at the heart of this event and the organizers work hard each year to bring exciting moments of originality to each visitor. Interviews with authors, intimate discussions and workshops create these magical moments so special to the core of the Salon du Livre. For the authors, multiple prizes are awarded, voted on by both the partners of the organization and by the public themselves.

Some of the names behind this year’s 35th annual Salon du Livre de Montréal are, Francine Bois (general director since 1990), René Bonenfant (Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2005), and Georges-Hébert Germain (writer and president of honor).

Practical Information: Salon du Livre de Montréal begins November 14th at 9am and continues until November 19th at 4pm. It is open to the public and tickets are $8 for general admission. Find a list of discounted prices and daily hours of operation here. A full list of exhibitors can be found here. Traveling to the event? Book your hotel using this link.

A Holiday Book Bundle

 A group of  11 terrific authors (and me) have joined forces to offer you wonderful opportunity to sample our latest novels  -just in time for the holidays—  samples and quirky holiday-themed interviews in one FREE downloadable PDF.

 There's something here for every reader -  mysteries, romance, young adult, women's fiction. So take a look and make some discoveries.

 First Snow – Christine Cunningham
After The Fog - -Kathleen Shoop
A Charming Crime -  Tonya Kappes
Come Back To Me – Melissa Foster
Read Me Dead – Emerald Barnes
Dancing Naked In Dixie – Lauren Clark
The Last Supper Catering Company – Michaelene McElroy
The Hurricane Lover – Joni Rodgers
The Hounding – Sandra de Helen
Milkshake – Joanna Weiss
The Ninth Step – Barbara Taylor Sissel

Each excerpt is prefaced by information about the book and its author. Concluding each excerpt is an order page with clickable links to several online retailers

You can download the PDF “Holiday Sampler” here http://bit.ly/eBookSamples, and share by sending them this link: http://bit.ly/eBookSamples.

 

Thursday 8PM EST- You're Invited to Chat about Sunday Brunch with Julia Pandl

Thursday, November 15th 8PM, Julia Pandl, author of Memoir of the Sunday Brunch, chats with BookMovement live--Join us - click here for an RSVP reminder.

For Julia Pandl, the rite of passage included mandatory service at her family’s Milwaukee-based restaurant, where she watched as her father-who was also the chef-ruled with the strictness of a drill sergeant.

At age twelve, Julia was initiated into the ritual of the Sunday brunch, a weekly madhouse, where she-and her eight siblings before her-did service in a situation of controlled chaos, learning not just the family business but also life lessons that would shape them for years to come. she now looks back on those formative years as a source of strength as the world her father knew began to change into a tougher, less welcoming place.

This witty, honest, and exuberant memoir marks the debut of a writer who knows that humor exists in even the smallest details of our lives and that the biggest moments we ever experience can happen behind the pancake station at the Sunday brunch.

Have you been to the Boston Book fair?

Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is a mouth-full, but the concept of this annual event is quite simple.  What is an Antiquarian Book Fair you ask? For starters, anything antiquarian is from ancient times, whether it is a relic, monument, custom or book. 

 

Every fall in Boston, enthusiastic collectors and the inquisitive-minded come together to praise the printed world by pouring over ancient books, relics and popular culture.  With over 120 exhibitors from around the world, there are many books, maps, photographs and rare prints to discover and appreciate at this fair. More than that, guests are encouraged to touch and hold these historic items.  This unique ability to touch a piece of history that otherwise would be locked behind glass in a museum is a draw for many fair-goers.  For example, previous years have featured the first printed edition of the Greek book Aristotle from 1494. 

 

The Boston Book Fair is a full weekend event in the beautiful Back Bay of Boston Massachusetts at Hynes Convention Center.  Throughout the weekend there are discussions about rare antiquities, presentations from experts on various topics and free book appraisals for collectors.  $15 covers the entire weekend or $8 will get you a single night’s historical tour.

 

Times are as follows; Friday 5pm – 9pm, Saturday noon – 7pm and Sunday noon – 5pm. You can buy your tickets online through the Eventbrite site. If you need a hotel room in Boston check  www.bostonhotels.org  for the latest deals. If you need an affordable car, rent it via CheapCarRental.net. Check the website of the the book fair for a full list of exhibitors.

Backstory for Balloon Animals by Jonathan Dunne

I was recently asked in a podcast interview, ‘How did Balloon Animals come about?’ It was the first question and it flummoxed me and I must’ve been confused if I use the word flummox so I skirted around that question.

I have no idea how Balloon Animals came about. Writing is an organic process. I wanted to tell the interviewer ‘I just sit at my computer at the same time every day and wait…’ But I thought that might’ve sounded sarcastic but that’s how Balloon Animals came about.

For me, writing is a series of join-the-dots (instances) and eventually you have the bigger picture (plot). Characters are a different story, pardon any puns: they take my hand and lead me down streets I wouldn’t have chosen, sometimes dead ends and sometimes hands I prefer not to hold.

If the interviewer had asked me, ‘Why comic fiction?’ I would’ve told her that comic writing is where I feel comfortable. I have been publishing short stories since my early twenties (now 37) and in that time I’ve tried various genres.

The turning-point for me regarding which genre to focus on came when I submitted a thriller to a London agent and she responded by asking me, ‘Is it a thriller parody?’ How could I take myself seriously after that?

Balloon Animals is comic fiction. A 299-pg novel about the belated coming-of-age tale of a 30 year-old man who takes his mysterious grandfather’s dying breaths in a birthday balloon from Ireland to Iowa is a leap readers should make if they want something other than the tired generic novel.

Twitter @ WriterJDunne
Facebook @ jonathan.dunne.505