From the road: Week 3

Writing life: 96

Nov 16, 2025

I returned from my western book tour a couple of weeks ago now, but that doesn’t mean the tour has stopped. I’m still busy with book events, they’re just a little closer to home.

Uxbridge: Book Drunkard Festival

A couple weeks ago I did my second Book Drunkard Festival event in Uxbridge, about an hour north of Toronto. But this time around, I was the interviewer, not the interviewee. It was an honour to read an advance copy of The Smiling Land, by Alan Doyle, Great Big Sea front man and Renaissance guy, and then interview him onstage. The Smiling Land is an informative and entertaining travelogue of sorts about a trip Alan took around his home province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

A brilliant singer/songwriter (Great Big Sea, and now his own band), actor (e.g. Robin Hood alongside his pal Russell Crow), co-writer and star of a popular stage musical (Tell Tale Harbour), and now four-time bestselling writer, Alan Doyle can do it all. And if that weren’t enough for one mortal, he’s also the nicest guy you’d ever want to meet. And as I said onstage, there’s only one Alan Doyle. He’s the same onstage as he is in the green room, or in the bar, or just out walking the streets of a town he hasn’t visited before. You don’t see that very often among celebrities, even Canadian celebrities. Just a lovely, humble, funny, and supremely talented guy.

And he’s one of the most naturally funny people I’ve ever met, and the sellout audience of about 300 people would agree. We had a great conversation onstage that night at the Uxbridge Music Hall as he essentially held court for an hour, and held the crowd in the palm of his hand. My job was easy.

**Scenes from our conversation. Alan opened the evening with a traditional Newfoundland song before we took turns cracking each other up.**

Innisfil

There was a capacity crowd out for my talk at the Innisfil Public Library, north of Toronto. It was a great evening with a very engaged audience who had many questions for me after I gave my presentation and read from The Marionette. My thanks to the library team for organizing the event and to Manticore Books in Orillia for coming to sell The Marionette and my back list.

Hamilton

I was hosted by the Central branch of the Hamilton Public Library ten days ago now. It was a really lovely event where I was interviewed on stage by bestselling novelist and very good friend, Amy Jones. As usually happens when we’re together, Amy and I spent most of the evening laughing. Thankfully, the audience of about 75 was also laughing. Thanks to Epic Books for coming the sell my wares at the event.

**Before the doors were opened. (The room was filled when we took the stage.)**

University of Toronto visit

This is technically unrelated to The Marionette, but for several years now, my debut novel, The Best Laid Plans (2008) has been on the curriculum for a third year political Science course on Elections and Voting at U of T. So I’m sometimes invited to speak to the students just before their assignments about my novel are due. I visited the class last week and talked about my time in Ottawa and why I wrote The Best Laid Plans. Then they asked me really tough questions that I attempted to answer (or at least navigate!). As usual, it was an enjoyable experience and I’m always struck by how informed and engaged the students are. Thanks to Professor Semra Sevi for inviting me back to her class.

**Trying to hold my own in the midst of very smart and informed students!**

Bestseller update

Inevitably, after a certain time period, one’s new book invariably begins to fall on the Canadian fiction bestsellers lists—and eventually drop off those lists (unless you’re Louise Penny). Nothing lasts forever (again, unless you’re Louise Penny). This phenomenon started for The Marionette last week when a few new and highly anticipated books arrived. With the release of blockbusters by the aforementioned Louise Penny and John Irving (yes, he’s a Canadian now), The Marionette has swooned a little on the CBC Books and Bookmanager lists, and has now fallen off the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail lists. And last week, a Canadian, David Szalay, won the coveted Booker Prize—always great news for CanLit. Count on his novel, Flesh, to storm the lists in the coming days. So after nearly seven weeks since the launch, The Marionette is still hanging in there on a few of the bestsellers lists, for which I will always be grateful. Being anywhere on the list is a gift.

**Thrilled to be following John Irving on these lists.**

Looking ahead

I have a few more gigs in the coming weeks including a trip to Winnipeg starting tomorrow where I’ll be doing a CTV Morning show interview, four radio interviews, and an onstage interview in the flagship store of McNally Robinson in the evening. I already gave a phone interview to the Winnipeg Free Press last week so the reporter could run the story when I’m there. (You’re right, I have stellar publicists at McClelland & Stewart/Penguin Random House!)

Wrapping up…

So there you have it. As I’ve been promising, I am working on other content that isn’t quite so Marionette-heavy! So bear with me. Until then, I hope you’ll consider subscribing. It’s free and easy and you won’t miss any future posts. See you in two weeks.