A New Season: Week 4 roundup

Writing life 41

Apologies as I again focus this post on developments surrounding my recently launched ninth novel. With a new book just released within the last month, it kind of sucks all the air out of my room making it difficult to think about much else. But do bear with me. We’ll return to our broader (and arguably more interesting) regularly schedule programming after the modest dust kicked up by A New Season settles in the coming month or so.

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#1 Bestseller for three weeks running

Much to my shock, A New Season has been comfortably lodged in the top ten of virtually every national bestsellers list out there since it launched on August 29th. In fact, for its first three full weeks, it’s been #1 on the CBC Books Canadian fiction bestsellers list. Other than the Canada Reads-fuelled run of The Best Laid Plans back in 2011, I don’t think I’ve ever been #1 for more than a week at a time. It’s wonderful and humbling and I owe much love and gratitude to readers and booksellers across the country.

Weeks 1, 2 and 3 of A New Season’s life have been spent on top of the CBC Books bestsellers list. I’m so grateful to readers and booksellers alike.

Who knows how long it will continue but if it fell from the top spot tomorrow—and who knows, it might—or even from the top ten, I’d still be thrilled with the early reaction to the novel.

The book tour continues

Six more stops on the A New Season tour since my last post.

Huntsville

Great to be back in Huntsville a couple weeks ago for a sold-out evening event organized by Cedar Canoe Books. The bookstore owner, Chandler, and his staff sold nearly 90 books for the event and I signed them all. A terrific evening.

Either I’m in full oratorical flight, or about to crash land.

Signing afterwards in case that wasn’t obvious.

Tweed

After Huntsville it was an event in Tweed. I’d spoken there more than a decade ago about my first novel, so it was nice to be back.

Still a few minutes before starting my talk in Tweed.

Gananoque

I drove from Tweed to Gananoque the next morning for two events in “Gan”—that’s what the locals call their picturesque town. On the Saturday evening, the award-winning writer and pal, Rod Carley and I led a two-hour humour writing workshop at the Gan library. Then in the evening, Rod interviewed me on stage, or rather in the chancel of a lovely local church. Great crowd.

(L) Discussing A New Season. (R) Signing a book beforehand.

Toronto International Festival of Authors

My TIFA event last Sunday down at Harbourfront was lots of fun. Many thanks to Heidi Reitmaier who expertly (and seemingly effortlessly) guided our conversation on stage in the Brigantine Room. A book signing followed. Lovely to return to TIFA.

My Toronto International Festival of Authors event on September 24, 2023.

A less than flattering shot in mid-sentence.

Kingston

Last Wednesday, I headed to Kingston to speak at the launch of Take Me Back to Cairo, the debut novel of good friends, Pam Paterson and Tarek Hussein. They are lovely people who have been strong supporters of mine over the years.

It was a great event with remarks from the Mayor of Kingston and the wonderful Jamal Saeed, a Syrian refugee living in the Kingston whose memoir, My Road From Damascus, has just been named a finalist for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction. I spoke for a few minutes as part of the launch celebration before the authors themselves took to the podium.

(Left to Right) Tarek Hussein, Rod Carley, Jamal Saeed, and yours truly.

Streetsville: The AUTHORity Book Club

Yesterday, I was the guest of the Authority Book Club organized by The Book Wardrobe in Mississauga. Everyone in the audience had read the book, so the discussion was interesting, thoughtful, and informed. Many thanks to Carmelo who ran an excellent book club meeting. She is a bookstore owner who knows her customers very well.

And many miles before I sleep…

The Marketing team at McClelland & Stewart/Penguin Random House prepared this graphic outlining what lies ahead in the coming month or so.

Looking at this schedule is exciting and exhausting at one and the same time.

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Wrapping up…

Thanks for stopping by. By the time my next post is live, I’ll be part way through my western swing, so I’m anticipating a few updates from Winnipeg and Calgary. I’ll cover off Victoria and Pender Island in the following post.

Here’s hoping you’ll consider subscribing and sharing if you haven’t already. It’s easy and free, and ensures you won’t miss future missives. Many thanks. See you in two weeks.