April in the Rockies

We spent a lovely day in the mountains. A rare morning fog hid the view as we drove west, until it lifted in a patch to show us a stunning mountain peak, visible through a hole in the fog as if it was a portal into another world.

Lake Minnewanka was still frozen; we explored the ice and discovered fascinating ice crystals, carefully packed spears of ice that broke from each other when we kicked at the ledge of ice.

Calgary Young Writers Conference

I spent Saturday in the brilliant chaos that is the Calgary Young Writers Conference. Fortunately, my host Kristen and I figured out a back route to our room, so we didn’t have to swim in the sardine can getting back and forth from the library where the writers hang out.

We created a wizard disguised as Kristen, and an alien who ate, well, pretty much everything. Then the kids wrote their own stories. I was impressed with how hard they worked, heads down, frantically scribbling out their notes in the too-little time we had.

I spoke to other writers who had just as much fun, cartooning on post-it notes and writing about volcano cats. I love the wild creativity that emerges at events like this.

Maureen

They’re Here!!!

The Veil Weavers have arrived, and they’re gorgeous. The colours are icy, perfect for a winter mountain story. It’s now my favorite cover of the Veil of Magic books.

I’m doing two sessions at the Calgary Young Writers Conference tomorrow, and I’ve been checking to make sure there would be copies for the bookstore. I received an email this morning – they’re here. But mine hadn’t arrived yet.

I worried that the first book I’d get to hold would be one a student brought me for signing. I figured that might be exciting for them, but not, perhaps, for me. But I got home from an errand and the box was waiting on my doorstep. Now I can take my own copy to the conference.

Maureen