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.
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 🙂
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!
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.
As you know, back in January we signed an agreement with Fiberead to translate because to Chinese. A team of five translators lead by an editor have been working since April. They expect to finish translating the book by June 15, 2015.
I’ve exchanged emails with some of the translators. Apparently each translator received a part of the book to translate and each person is at a different stage of completion. This process has been quite interesting so far and I hope to keep you entertained while it unfolds.
I was delighted to get my book available there because Tolino is a cooperative of five German tech and media companies who teamed up to create a response to Amazon’s Kindle in their home country. They offer their own proprietary eBook readers that tie into a shared infrastructure.
The German eBook market is the third-largest English language eBook market in the world. And recent reports suggest that Tolino has as much as 42% of it. In addition, Tolino has recently made moves into other European countries as well. Through partnerships with Belgian, Italian, and Dutch booksellers, Tolino now has a significant footprint in central Europe.
We are super thrilled! because is going to be translated and marketed in China through Fiberead. Although the process will take some time, it’s exciting to know that my book is going to venture into foreign marketplaces. It would be a new and interesting experience for us to work with Chinese translators, editors and proofreaders. We can’t wait!
You can get your copy of because from www.because.zone or the retailer of your choice.
PAPERBACK LINKS:
Amazon CA | DE | ES | FR | IT | UK | US | Lulu | Walmart
Paperback version is also made available through Ingram Book Group that distributes to more than 39,000 retailers, libraries, schools, internet commerce companies, and other channel partners, including Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo (Canada), and other well-known book retailers and wholesalers around the world.
EBOOK LINKS:
Amazon AU | BR | CA | CN (Chinese version) | DE | ES | FR | IN | IT | JP | MX | NL | UK | US | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Page Foundry | Scribd
FOR LIBRARIES:
Library Services Centre LSC | Library Bound | Baker & Taylor | OverDrive (self-published section)
