Norm Goldman, the Publisher and Editor of Bookpleasures, recently invited me for an online interview. One interesting thing I found out was that Norm went to Concordia University (when it was called Sir George Williams University) in Montreal a few years before I went there in the 70s.
Here is my interview with Norm. There are many other author interviews and book reviews available on the site so you may want to stop by for a visit.
It’s currently 30° and feels like 38° Celsius in Toronto. Apparently 35.6° C was the record high set on July 29, 1949.
Although it is hot here, our family is really enjoying the remaining days of the summer, spending much time outdoor on the swing on our deck that overlooks our garden. I hope you are enjoying your summer too!
I just received a message from Kirkus that their Indie Editors had selected the review they wrote in June for because to be featured in Kirkus Reviews Magazine — August 15, 2015 Issue. The review will be one of the 35 reviews in the Indie section of the magazine which is sent out to over 5,000 industry professionals (librarians, publishers, agents, etc.).
I am not sure what will come out of this, but apparently less than 10% of their Indie reviews are chosen for this, so it’s a great honour 🙂
The more you read, the more things you know, the more that you learn, the more place you’ll go!
— Dr. Seuss —
Design: Candace
Last week when my daughter was creating the image with a saying about how books let you travel without moving your feet, my wife looked up from her computer and asked, “Hey, talking about books and travelling, I wonder how many countries has our book travelled to?”
I made my way behind her and we started to count as my wife shouted out the names, “Holland, India, Tunisia…” A couple of minutes later we shared a huge smile and congratulated each other. “Wow, we made it to 17 already!” Then our daughter laughed, “Yeah, that’s great, guys… You only have 177 more countries left!”
Okay, we still have far to go, but it was such an amazing feeling looking at the diverse list of countries that the book has gone to. Can’t wait to travel farther!
That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet. — Jhumpa Lahiri
Design: Candace
A room without books is like a body without a soul. — Marcus Tullius Cicero
Design: Candace
Just this Thursday I received from Kirkus Reviews a review of my book. Kirkus Reviews is one of the iconic book reviewing publications and it caters primarily to industry influencers such as publishers, agents, film producers, librarians and booksellers. Getting an unbiased and professional review from Kirkus gives credibility to an author’s work and considering that Kirkus has the reputation of being “harsh”, I think its review of because is pretty gentle. What do you think?
A caring counselor with all the answers is sent into a tailspin after a tragic climbing accident on Mount Everest.
When Roberto Sanchez is first introduced, he’s a surly, bitter shell of a man, unable to cope with the horrible loss of his legs—the grim result of surviving a sudden avalanche on the world’s highest mountain. Each day the man wheels into his therapist’s office, he appears darker and more despondent than the day before. His loving wife, Monique, and steadfast daughter, Jenny, are at wit’s end, fearing that although Roberto has survived death, he remains stubbornly locked in the icy clutches of a life-sapping grief. Only when his journal is cracked open, and stories of his many encounters with at-risk kids emerge, is Roberto’s true identity revealed. Despite the nihilism that seeped into his battered and traumatized heart, Roberto was one of the most upbeat and insightful human beings anyone would ever want to meet. Through his work, Roberto practically single-handedly rescued scores of marginalized children from the depths of the bleakest despair. Langedijk’s dialogue-heavy narrative comes alive during these often profoundly moving and genuinely touching vignettes. For instance, Kong, an overweight loner mentored by Roberto, moonlights as an anonymous online angel for other depressed kids like himself while also meticulously describing his efforts to connect in the real world. “I don’t know if you remember,” he tells Roberto, “but purple, purple is where someone says hi or even waves or nods. Well, I don’t know if you noticed but when I first did this I never had any purple, but now every day—purple….Purple!” If that doesn’t loosen a tear, there’s the story in Roberto’s journal of a cheerful doorman named Aaron, who started life as boy-soldier in Joseph Kony’s ghastly Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. Aaron isn’t actually one of Roberto’s young clients, but like Kong and the rest of Roberto’s former charges, he helps the maimed counselor reclaim his passion for life. Langedijk has lots to say about courage, compassion, redemption, and self-worth. Although those life lessons are more compelling than the actual drama unfolding around Roberto’s post-Everest experience, they more than make the journey with him worthwhile.
Meditations on some of life’s biggest questions as told through some harrowing experiences.
Enter to win one paperback of because, from now until July 31, 2015. Please see Giveaway Terms and Conditions.
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