Ad Astra 2009

Yes my third Ad Astra convention was this weekend, and I have to say that it was by far the most exhausting one I've been to. But this of course had something to do with the fact that I was on many more panels this time round, and was doing a co-signing/reading with the lovely Lesley Livingston (author of Wondrous Strange). I've also made some amazing friends over the years at the con, so there were also their events to attend as well. In all, it was an amazing event, but I'm not sure I've quite recovered yet!

So . . . the story!

Lesley and I arrived around 9am on the Saturday to put up some posters about our reading. We'd changed the time so as not to conflict with the awesome and extremely prolific Ms. Julie Czerneda, so we needed to inform the general populace of this. We had decided to call our event, "Dark Power and Mouthy Cleverness: together at last!" in honour of our awesome shared Globe and Mail review.

We were both a wee bit tired that morning. It did not bode well for the rest of the weekend.

Then we had to hustle to our first event which was a panel on getting into writing YA, which we shared with Michelle Rowan and Marc Mackay. We were certain no one would show up, it being first thing in the morning, but as we went on, by the end of the hour, we had a full house. 'Twas awesome.

Next was Lesley on a panel about putting combat in books. Lesley was fantastic and more than held her own despite the fact that she was slightly hidden behind a post.

We then went to listen to Julie Czerneda read from her latest book, in a very crowded room, and then we were off to support the amazing Douglas Smith, who has had a collection of short stories published: Impossibilia. This really impresses me because in the publishing industry I'd say short story anthologies, along with poetry and picture books, are one of the hardest things to get commercially published. So it was very cool. Got to buy a book and have it autographed of course.

Then Lesley and I parted ways as I was to help Julie Czerneda teach a writing workshop to teens. Really I'm more like her assistant and comic relief, Julie is so awesome at leading these workshops, but we had a great time with the teens, and they seriously came up with some truly original ideas. Really fantastic ideas. Pretty marketable ideas too.

Then, finally, I got a bit of a break. By now it was 3:30pm and I hadn't really had anything to eat. Of course I actually didn't get a chance to eat anything at that moment either as Lesley and I had to set up for our reading, but I did snag a few of the mini cupcakes I brought along for the event. Heck they were my cupcakes and I can eat them if I want to.

The reading was well attended, despite the change in time and location. We hadn't really prepared what we would say or how we would start it, so we kind of just looked at each other, and then Lesley read first. She did a great job, getting tons of laughs, and then I read, doing a great job and getting tons of laughs. We really are fabulous, what can I say?

Then we had a draw for a cover plate of her book, and the audio book of Alex. And then we signed books (which had been provided courtesy of the lovely Chris Szego at Bakka Phoenix Books).

Finally we were done for the day. At least, professionally. It was 6pm and we stuck around until midnight, hanging out in the bar with the likes of Martin Springett, S.K.S. Perry, JM Frey, Steph Lalonde, Joe O'Brien, Caitlin Sweet, Jonathan Llyr, Gabrielle Harbowy and Russell Winkelaar (and many more, but there was so much coming and going it was hard to keep track, apologies for leaving anyone out, trust me I adore you all!). I had a ridiculously long and wonderful conversation about how awesome Pixar is with Karin Lowachee and Derek Molata (which basically consisted of us saying, "What about Finding Nemo!" "Oh yeah that one is awesome! You know what part I like best. . . ." and then "What about The Incredibles!" "Oh yeah that one is awesome! You know what part I like best . . ." etc etc).

Then Lesley and I got rides home from the lovely Mr. Perry, and I fell asleep the second my head touched the pillow.

DAY 2

I didn't need to be at the hotel until 11am the next day, and my dad was kind enough to give me a ride again. I met Lesley at the coffee stand. She was very frustrated that she had only managed to fill her cup half way before the pot had run out of coffee. But we had no time to wait for a fresh one as we had to go to the launch of Julie Czerneda's latest anthology Ages of Wonder, for which the amazing Caitlin Sweet had written a story. All the authors came dressed up in a manner that reflected what they had written. Caitlin was tiny bit late curling her hair, but she looked fab so it was worth it.

They drew for prizes.

I did not win.

Then I headed over to be on a panel about adding humour into serious works along with Steven Kerzner (for those Canadians out there, Mr. Kerzner's alter ego is Ed the Sock), D.K. Savage, and Ed Greenwood. It turned out that most of us on the panel really tend to add humour into humourous works, but I still think we managed to keep on topic. In fact it was a heck of a lot of fun, and fortunately also pretty hilarious. There's also always that added pressure of talking about humour that people expect you to be funny talking about it. Not sure why. I think it could be pretty entertaining to have a very serious, dry conversation about humour. It also doesn't help that I'm still a bit uncomfortable in my role as humourist (despite the fact that it seems to be something I'm quite good at). For a blog entry about my said discomfort, please click here.

I would also like to add that despite his alter ego Ed the Sock being a rather crass individual, Steve Kerzner himself is just lovely.

Just so you know.

Then I had to fly off to see Mr. Jonathan Llyr in action. As you may know, I work as a correspondent for his website, harcorenerdity.com, as well as am a member of his theatre company, Tempest Theatre. He's a pretty big name in the geekish parts of Canada having worked for the Space channel for around a decade and interviewed just about every SF/F celebrity out there. So of course they asked him if he'd be interested in being on a panel about the upcoming Star Trek movie.

Thing is, he'd actually seen around 20 minutes of the film in a special screening, so while the rest of the panel were speculating, John actually had the serious knowledge. The panel for that reason wound up really interesting, because it wasn't just all speculation, but fact as well. And it was fun. And now I REALLY can't wait to see the movie.

(btw I should add that John was VERY skeptical about this film, kind of almost against it, and then he saw those 20 minutes and totally did a 180, so I'm pretty confident it will be pretty good)

Then Lesley and I dashed off to join Violette Malan (MOD), Fiona Patton and the amazing Tamora Pierce (who is so funny and deadpan - love it) on a panel about YA reading for Grownups. I think this panel was my favourite. It was all about what makes YA (and MG) so worth reading as an adult, what makes YA/MG unique. It was just really inspiring, talking about the hope the genre offers. How we are all so sick of everything in adult literature being so ironic, world weary and cynical. I pointed out that in Timothy, the main character IS world weary and cynical, but the difference is that attitude is meant to be perceived as foolish, not heroic. Truly we just missed the grand heroic stories from our youth. Tamora Pierce pointed out that she felt MG was where the true innovation was these days, and that made me feel happy as sometimes even in talking with YA authors you can feel a bit like a lesser author writing MG.

In all it was just fabulous, we laughed a lot, we also just got so excited about the genre. Because, really, there is so much there to be excited about.

And then we were done. And then we were exhausted. And then John, Lesley, Russell and I went to the Keg for linner (lunch/dinner). And then I went home, watched the Star Trek Family Guy (Rob Lowe? What the heck?). And then I went to bed.

I begin to drift off. Let my mind wander. Yay, think I, I get to sleep in . . . I get to . . . Holy ****! I sit blot upright, "I have an audition first thing in the morning!" Set alarm early to allow myself time to go over my monologues in the morning. Lie back down.

And finally . . . .

Drift off to sleep.



And now. . . some pictures!! Yay . . .

Getting into writing YA panel, left to right: Me, Lesley, Michelle Rowan and Marc Mackay.


Lesley on the fight panel. Slightly hidden behind the speaker stand.


Douglas Smith reading from his anthology.


Me and Lesley at our reading: "You go first" "No you go first. . ."


Me reading from Timothy.


Me finding myself utterly hilarious.


Me and Lesley FINALLY done for the day and able to relax.


Things get a little silly.


Then, for some reason, sophisticated.
(with that hat and the wine, it's hard for Russell not to appear so . . .)


Day 2 at the Ages of Wonder launch. The trio together again, Lesley, Caitlin (all greeked up) and me. Aren't we just fab?


The adding humour into serious works panel. Left to right: DK Savage, Steven Kerzner, me, Ed Greenwood.

We found ourselves terribly amusing.


John at the Star Trek film panel. Sitting next to moderator, David Clink.


John noticing me taking his picture. He is not amused. Odd.


Tamora Pierce, Violet Malan and Fiona Patton: the left hand side of the YA reading for Grownups panel.


Me and Lesley: the right hand side of same panel.

And now we rumble.

No.

Not really.

Not at all.

But Lesley and I get to be the Sharks. Is all I'm saying . . .

Reviewed in the Globe and Mail!

Hey all!

I must apologise for my long absence. I've been busy working on edits for my YA (to be utterly clear, this YA has not been sold yet to a publisher or anything, when I say edits, I mean that I am currently working with my agent to make the book as super awesome as possible before sending it out to editors). It was a rather time consuming activity, and managed to make my back feel rather uncomfortable. But they're done, yay! And now I have some time to do . . . other stuff. Including blogging. I have some blog posts planned for this week (I've been brainstorming even if I haven't been blogging), so I'm looking forward to sharing them with you.

However today, I'm catching up on fun things, like paying bills and food shopping, so instead of composing something particularly dense, I thought I'd share with you all some awesome news that happened this weekend..

Timothy and the Dragon's Gate was reviewed in the Globe and Mail on Saturday! For those of you who aren't Canadian, the Globe and Mail is the largest national paper in Canada. Getting a review from them alone is next to impossible, getting one of a children's book even more so . . .

And getting a review that ALSO reviews your good friend's book? Well the odds are astronomical.

Yes by sheer amazing coincidence, I got the distinct honour to be reviewed in the SAME article as my amazing friend, the lovely Lesley Livingston (whom I've written about many a time here on this blog, and who's first book, Wondrous Strange, is doing wonderfully well). We also share the article with Charles De Lint, but really, I'm more excited about us.

So that alone is super cool. Super cooler is that both our books garnered reviews that could be called nothing short of glowing. However the coolest bit, in my opinion, can only be found in the print version. At the top of the article you'll find our pictures with the following caption: "Livingston and Kress: dark power and mouthy cleverness".


Technically Lesley would be dark power, I would be mouthy cleverness, but to look at our pictures you would think the opposite.

Still, pretty awesome superpowers to have. Well . . . maybe not mouthy cleverness. I can't see how that would really save the day . . . in fact I could see it causing more grief than good. Could be really annoying.

Anyway . . . it was a great way to start off a Saturday, and so special that I got to share it with Lesley. Gots to love happy coincidences!

The Linking Queen

Yup, gots another good link for y'all today.

Agent Colleen Lindsay twittered (or is it tweeted?) about this website today: Forgotten Bookmarks. It's just amazing the stuff people left behind in books as placeholders. Who would have thought there was a website in this? But there totally is. There's also a book in this, be it non-fiction or the catalyst for a novel. Writer's Craft teachers take note, send your students here, seriously.

One thought, I'm glad though that I never really got into bookmarks and preferred destroying my books by folding the top corner down. Some of the stuff that they've retrieved seems awfully personal. I don't mind being a voyeur, but I'm glad it isn't the other way around.

Confidence Part Deux

You'll probably find this blog entry already all over the interweb, and even though I am not a bandwagon kind of girl, sometimes the music its playing is just up my alley. This time it's 1940's swing music, which is just my favourite, so I couldn't help but jump on board as it passed.

Thus ends my extended metaphor.

Anyway . . .

The always "tell it like it is" J A Konrath has a great post about the difference between confident writers and delusional writers. I would like to add that all his examples tie in nicely with my personal slight obsession with "thoughtfulness" (see blog entry on said topic here). It's a really nice straightforward post and pretty darn apt.

Apt.

I really like saying the word apt, and making sure the "T" sound is clear.

ALSO

I am pleased as punch to announce that Timothy and the Dragon's Gate has finally been reviewed by Publishers Weekly (it's been a crazy time for everyone, including PW), and I have to say, it was well worth the wait. They seem to whole heartily approve of the book's existence, and call it both "action packed" and "a spirited follow-up". To read the full thing check it out here, but be warned there is a bit of a spoiler in it.

The launch . . .

. . . was a success!! Huzzah! Thanks in no small part to my amazing parents, Cynthia and Flemming Kress. They had been working on this thing for weeks, sending out invites, printing flyers, getting the food all ready, buying the decorations . . . seriously, the event would not have been half so wonderful without all their help.

It also wouldn't have been half so wonderful if Wendy and Liana from Indigo Books at Yorkdale hadn't been quite so enthusiastic in their help. This was the second time Wendy has launched a book of mine in her department and she is just amazing. If there is anyone out there who loves kids books more . . . well I'm afraid I just can't picture such a person.

I got to the store with my Mom around 1pm, where my dad had been guarding the decorations since that morning. Yorkdale you see is a HUGE mall in Toronto, the weekend a very popular time to shop, and Indigo a very popular store - there was concern the decorations might not make it to the launch if someone wasn't protecting them. The decorations were fantastic. Behind the book signing table they had hung two rows of tiny Chinese lanterns, and framed the table with these awesome red and black pirate balloons. Actually the balloons served as a bit of a bread crumb trail as my parents had strategically placed them from the entrance downstairs along a route that led to the stairs, at the top, and then ta-da! The children's book section!

The entrance to the children's book section has this convenient arch. One could call it rather gate-like. And seeing as my book has a fair bit to do with gates, it seemed only appropriate that my parents hang a red Chinese dragon in the archway along with another lantern. They also made a big sign with a picture of yours truly on it, and placed it at the side.

The food was fantastic. There were these awesome cupcakes with red icing and a chocolate coin in the top of each, and a cake with the cover of my book somehow copied onto the top in icing. The cake making technology available these days is astounding. We also had juice for the kiddies . . .and me . . . and coffee for the grownups. My friend Heather (yes THE Heather from Alex) had also shown up early and she took it upon herself to be in charge of the food, embodying her character from Alex extremely well in making sure only people who were coming to the launch got a cupcake . . . or piece of cake.

At around 1:30pm my pirates showed up. Yup I had pirates again this year. Different pirates. Yup. I know enough people who are willing to dress up as pirates that I don't need to repeat the same ones. My social circle is just that awesome. They were so fantastic, they mingled, and got everyone's attention when it was time to do the reading. Also Kevin (the male pirate) was followed upstairs by a bunch of teenagers wanting a picture with him. Yup not only do I have pirates, I have hot, teenage girl approved, pirates.

The place was packed by 2pm, and I was so thrilled because to be honest I had no idea if anyone was going to come. But it turned out I was worried for nothing. Friends and family showed up, making me all emotional like usual. Sue Plant and Mark Fillator from Scholastic came in a show of support, and we even managed to engage the interest of some book shoppers passing by.

Wendy introduced me with a lovely speech, and then I came forward and spoke. I read a bit from the eleventh chapter, which is a pretty action filled moment, and aside from stumbling over a few words I think it went pretty well. I like to act out my readings, and by the end was really getting into it. Maybe a little too into it . . . ? Nah, no such thing.

And then it was time to sign books, which was awesome, and again overwhelming. We sold out. Made me a bit sad as some people didn't get a chance to get one. And then . . .

It was all over.

But it was an awesome time and . . . I have pictures!!

Poster for the launch.

Me and Wendy

Me and Wendy . . . and pirates!

Heather at her post at the food table. Note the cake and pretty cupcakes!

My awesome cake!

Me cutting my awesome cake . . . with pirates!

Charlie enjoying a cupcake, while his sister Ariel (right) and his mom wait patiently for yours truly to start reading.

Me reading. With a LOT of enthusiasm.


Emma and Stella not quite sure what to make of my enthusiasm.

A nice long shot of the event. With me still reading enthusiastically.

Crowd applauding appreciatively . . . for my enthusiasm. I hope.

Signing books!

Signing . . . books . . .


Yet more . . . signing books . . . for a very cute kid in pink!

Me and my friend Emily - who is featured in Timothy, and is also responsible for taking most of the pictures in this blog entry (the rest were taken by my dad).


Lesley Livingston - author of the amazing YA urban fantasy Wondrous Strange.
Smiling enthusiastically.


Me and Rob Weston standing under the dragon's gate. He's the author of the awesome middle grade rhyming novel Zorgamazoo.


Me and Heather. She isn't an author. But she is still totally awesome (also a great actress). And no, despite the fact that we are both brunettes with bangs, we are not sisters. Though many people thought so that day.

Book Launch this Sunday!

Timothy and the Dragon's Gate Book Launch

Sunday February 22
2 pm
Indigo Bookstore, Yorkdale Mall, Toronto
Reading and Signing

Yes it's that time again! As you all know, Timothy and the Dragon's Gate came out in January and now I am celebrating its existence officially with a launch party! This means a heck of a lot to me, and I really do hope people will come. It's mid-day this Sunday, only a couple hours, free snacks, a reading and signing by yours truly, what could be better?!

Also, FYI, the event is totally kid friendly, in fact the whole reason I'm doing it on the weekend in the afternoon is so that they can attend, so please do bring along any kids you might happen to know!

I do hope you all can come! Truly.

BTW, I should remind people arriving by car to give yourselves PLENTY OF TIME... or take the subway... as it is YORKDALE ON A SUNDAY!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Kress employs a deceptively casual tone, an ease that belies the complexity of her prose style. . . Timothy and the Dragon’s Gate
is an old-fashioned tale, being told by a gifted storyteller. . ."
- Quill and Quire, starred review

SYNOPSIS OF TIMOTHY AND THE DRAGON'S GATE

With a father who can’t control him and a mother who is always out of town, Timothy Freshwater has finally been expelled from the last school in the city. As if that were not enough, events conspire to ensnare him in an ancient quest.When he meets Mr. Shen, a mysterious Chinese gentleman who is a mailroom clerk at his father’s office, Timothy finds himself deeply entrenched in a rescue operation centuries in the making.

It turns out that the diminutive, elegant Mr. Shen is a dragon, banished and forced to take human shape for a thousand years until he can resume his true form by scaling the Dragon’s Gate during a festival for the 125th year of the dragon. Until that time, he is sentenced to enslavement by the holder of the golden key. It is, of course, Timothy who finds himself the latest keeper of Mr. Shen. The boy too smart for his own good is reluctant to assume the task, but tackles the challenge, after being stalked by a stealthy ninja and chased by a menacing trio of black taxicabs. When Mr. OR_8">Shen falls into the wrong hands, Timothy is flailing in treacherous waters, literally. And then a strange-looking black brig with red sails, called, for some reason, the Ironic Gentleman appears on the horizon.

Relying on his own ingenuity and an annoying new ally, a girl called Alex, Timothy must face up to his responsibilities and rescue the dragon from a fleet of Chinese pirate junks. Above all, he must have enough faith in himself to take on that fleet’s commander, the Man in the Beige Linen Suit.


" . . . the tale’s snarky dialogue, sudden twists, authorial asides and daffy characters will keep readers turning the pages." - Kirkus

"An exciting read that's action-packed from cover to cover." - KH, The Magazine

"Kress has the knack of writing child characters who could be my next-door neighbors . . . Like 'Alex and the Ironic Gentleman', 'Timothy and the Dragon’s Gate' charmed me into staying up way too late to finish it. No syrup here. Instead, there’s adventure, derring-do, attitude, and danger. All wrapped up in a clever and fascinating take on the reluctant hero, courage, loyalty, and—of course—dragons." - Alice Loweecey, Buddyhollywood.com

My Photoshoot - part deux!

While I know I like to go into every small detail of every new experience I experience here on this blog, sometimes nothing can truly replace pictures. In this case, moving pictures.

I mentioned in the previous photoshoot post that there was a film crew on set of the Toro photoshoot I did last month, and now the behind the scenes video is up on the site. I quite like it (though I think I look goofy as always), and the photographer Franco says some lovely things about me - then again, I'm not sure what else he could have said . . ."This was the worst photoshoot I've ever done, Adrienne is a total diva, unmanageable, and can't take a decent picture to save her life" ? I don't think so. But that would have made for a very unique video. . .

At any rate, check it out here!

Also I should point out that "the guy" who interviewed me for the article (which has been garnering just as much praise as the photos btw) did get a little grief from his staff after I referred to him as "the guy" in my blog entry. Considering "the guy" was William Morassutti, the co-founder and Executive Producer of Toro, it does seem a bit absurd to refer to him as such. Besides, he's friends with actor Enrico Colantoni who I just adore (you know how in the interview I mention my favourite quote from Galaxy Quest? Enrico plays the lead alien dude, Malthesar), so that makes him extra cool! So people at Toro, stop teasing the guy, I mean, William!

Timothy's Starred Review in Quill & Quire

Um . . . well the title basically says it all. I am sooooooo happy with this review, it's eminently quotable, and for a little ego boosting I have to confess the sentence "Kress employs a deceptively casual tone, an ease that belies the complexity of her prose style" is just so many different levels of awesome.

Here's an excerpt. To read the full thing please check it out at Quill & Quire here! Special thanks to reviewer Robert J. Wiersema (a fine author in his own right). Seriously. Thank you.

" . . . That’s the set-up for Timothy and the Dragon’s Gate, the enthralling and impressive new novel from Toronto writer, actor, and teacher Adrienne Kress. Set in the same whimsical (and often surprisingly violent) universe as her debut, Alex and the Ironic Gentleman, Kress has crafted an engrossing tale laced subtly with its own set of valuable lessons – ones she is careful never to oversell. Timothy and the Dragon’s Gate might be about growth and selflessness and generosity, but kids don’t want to read that stuff: they want stories about pirates, ninjas, epic battles, sewer chases, and dragons, which Kress delivers in spades. . . "

Read full review.

My Photoshoot

So I mentioned in passing that I did a photoshoot last week and that I would tell all about it once the photos were up. Well they are so now I will!

I was very lucky to get the opportunity to be featured in a Canadian magazine called "Toro" in their "Toro Woman" feature. It was pretty flattering since they don't usually feature authors. My publicist was the one who organised the whole thing, and I have to admit I was a little nervous. Excited, but you know, nervous. I'm not exactly used to being photographed. Well at least, not for glamorous photoshoots.

Fortunately everyone else involved was very used to the process.

So I arrived at the studio with my publicist first thing in the morning. I had already met the photographer, Franco Deleo, the week before, and we had got along well. This helped to relieve some of my nervousness. He's a total sweetie, and a fantastic artist, totally check out his site. Anyway, he was already setting up with his assistant, and after the makeup artist (the granddaughter of Bernice Thurman Hunter, the one I talked of in the post below) and stylist showed up, I was promptly put into the makeup chair.

I think I was in the chair for over an hour, but it was understandable. The makeup didn't take too long, but curling my hair definitely did. You see, my hair is straight. Very very straight. So straight that it takes a heck of a lot of work to get it to take a curl, and to keep a curl. I also have a fair bit of hair. It's not uber thick, but because there is a lot of it looks like it. The makeup artist used a curling iron and so going piece by piece took a good while. But that was okay. It looked awesome in the end, and was nice and warm during the process (the studio was a bit cold).

My amazing makeup artist working very patiently with me.

Then it was the stylist's turn. We'd already chatted over the phone so she knew my sizes. We tried on a few dresses until we agreed to start with a black one. Now this is the neat part. I've always known that the clothes on models gets pinned to fit them perfectly (think that scene in Lost in Translation when Bill Murray's jacket is all clipped at the back and he goes to the hotel bar like that), but still . . . translating that concept to reality hadn't really clicked until that moment. It's so cool. Because the dress fits you perfectly and all those bulges and bits you think can never be hidden, miraculously vanish. And the stylist was so good at it too, it took her like three seconds to do it.

In my perfectly pinned black dress on set. Note the fabulous shoes that are one size too small for me!

So then it was time to take the pictures. Let me tell you, modeling ain't easy. Okay it isn't like a day down in the mines or anything, but it is physically surprisingly exhausting. You have to hold your body in contorted poses, while trying to make the whole thing look effortless and relaxed. Whenever there is a moment's pause the makeup artist comes over to do touch ups while the stylist is asking you to lift your body so she can straighten the skirt. I did one set of pictures where I was standing with one knee up on a trunk, and had to hold that position for forever. When I stood upright finally my left leg was shaking. My last outfit (the one I had been dying to try because it had a cool hat) required I stand in four inch heels, and I barely wear any heels ever so I was a bit teetery. I honestly have no idea how women can wear shoes like that in real life. It's one thing to stand still on place, but walking? Dude.

It was also just really neat to get to play dress up. I loved my sort of 50's pin-up look, especially the brooches that the makeup artist fastened into my hair. The film noir dress had pockets so I totally went all Katherine Hepburn in my mind. But the backless sweater dress was by far the most comfy.

What I also found so amazing was the difference between what the set up really looked like, and what appeared in the final photo. In the black and white shoot with the hat, Franco was standing only a few feet away from me, but in the pictures it looks like there is quite some distance between us. The pictures of me with the trunk, and the ones with the sweater dress are taken in the exact same spot, but look like two totally different locations. And the whole studio was, while not tiny, not exactly vast. But you don't get that sense at all, of all the people standing just off camera. Of the behind the scenes film crew who was there as well (when the video is posted I will of course post about it).

All illusion.

All awesomeness.

I'm not sure if I will get an opportunity like that again, but I do hope so because I learned so much even in that one experience. Well, even if I never do, at least I have the pictures. They will be with me forever.

If anyone is interested in reading the article that went along with the photoshoot you can read it here. It was really great fun chatting with the guy, and he audio recorded the whole thing. Which is why at times it may appear in the interview that I was rambling . . . because I was!

Staring into a trunk. I like to think it's a treasure chest, goes with the theme of my writing. The lighting in this picture is awesome. Franco actually had a lamp in the trunk, it wasn't photoshopped or anything later.


In the comfy sweater dress. You can't tell in this photo, but my knee is killing me, pressing into that same trunk!


1950's pinup look. The brooches in my hair were rather heavy. But awesome sparkly!



Maybe my fav picture. Love the hat, love the dress, even love my pose. And love love love me some pockets! Check out some of the other shots though to see them heels!

More pics here!

Booky

The world is a weird and wonderful place.

There is a children's book series called "Booky" (three books entitled: That Scatterbrain Booky, With Love From Booky, and As Ever, Booky). Written by the late great by Bernice Thurman Hunter, the books are about a girl growing up in depression-era Toronto and all the crazy adventures she has. It's written with such wonderful humour and also paints a very detailed portrait of the city in that time (important to note though, this is a good story first and foremost, history lesson second). I loved these books.

They were first read to me in middle school. I studied French immersion, and for one period a day (or every other day, I can't quite remember) we would have English class. Taught by Ellen (I never knew her last name), this class was the highlight of my day because she adored creative writing and we got to spend the time making up our own stories, binding our own books etc. You can probably see why I was rather fond of it (not to dismiss my French class where we also got the chance to write creatively, I am still immensely thrilled of my French novel entitled "Le Violin qui joue au Tennis").

The Booky books sparked my imagination, and even though I haven't read them in years, the images are still as fresh in my mind as they were back when I was 10.

. . .
The world is a weird and wonderful place.
. . .

On Monday I did a photo shoot for a magazine. It was my first "real" photoshoot with a wardrobe girl, props assistant, even a film crew filming behind the scenes footage . . . and a makeup artist. I shall go into more detail about the whole crazy process when the article is posted, but for now we've established the scene.

I can kind of understand why celebrities become good friends with their hair and makeup person. You spend hours in that chair, and they do everything to make you feel at ease. There is something very nurturing about a makeup artist. So imagine if you had your hair and makeup done every day. You'd probably get pretty close.

Anyway, my makeup artist was just lovely, and she was genuinely curious about my whole writing for children thing (the people who are normally photographed for this particular article tend to be actresses and musicians, not so much authors). And the reason she was particularly interested . . . and here's the connection people . . . is that it turns out that she is the granddaughter of Bernice Thurman Hunter. So she was very familiar with the world of children's books, having watched her grandmother give readings etc.

BUT.

Even cooler.

SHE is the girl they photographed for the cover of the Booky books.

Yes.

I was getting my makeup done. . . by BOOKY!

And yes it was so totally thrilling to have all these people taking care of me, getting to wear designer clothes and heels five inches high. Yes I felt rather glamorous having my photograph taken (and the photographer is just amazing, again when I write at length about the experience I'll post a link to his website and you'll see) and being interviewed etc.

But seriously . . .

My makeup artist was that girl I'd stared at on the cover for hours on end. The one who I pictured in my head when reading the books. And honestly, that probably was the coolest part of the whole thing.

Yup the world is a weird and wonderful place.

Timothy and the Dragon's Gate - out today!

Yes ladies and gents, I am just utterly thrilled to announce that my book, Timothy and the Dragon's Gate, the sequel to Alex and the Ironic Gentleman, is out today!!!!!! I am just so excited and well . . . just really really excited . . . and I do hope you all enjoy it. And if you do enjoy it (I have mentioned this in my sidebar already), I would be so grateful if you wouldn't mind popping over to Amazon, or Barnes and Noble, or Chapters etc, and writing a little review. My books would be nothing without their readers, and your reviews truly are helpful.

At any rate. . . may I present to you . . . .

TIMOTHY AND THE DRAGON'S GATE

" . . . the tale’s snarky dialogue, sudden twists, authorial asides and daffy characters will keep readers turning the pages." - Kirkus

"An exciting read that's action-packed from cover to cover." - KH, The Magazine

"Kress has the knack of writing child characters who could be my next-door neighbors . . . Like Alex and the Ironic Gentleman, Timothy and the Dragon’s Gate charmed me into staying up way too late to finish it. No syrup here. Instead, there’s adventure, derring-do, attitude, and danger. All wrapped up in a clever and fascinating take on the reluctant hero, courage, loyalty, and—of course—dragons." - Alice Loweecey, Buddyhollywood.com

SYNOPSIS

With a father who can’t control him and a mother who is always out of town, Timothy Freshwater has finally been expelled from the last school in the city. As if that were not enough, events conspire to ensnare him in an ancient quest.When he meets Mr. Shen, a mysterious Chinese gentleman who is a mailroom clerk at his father’s office, Timothy finds himself deeply entrenched in a rescue operation centuries in the making.

It turns out that the diminutive, elegant Mr. Shen is a dragon, banished and forced to take human shape for a thousand years until he can resume his true form by scaling the Dragon’s Gate during a festival for the 125th year of the dragon. Until that time, he is sentenced to enslavement by the holder of the golden key. It is, of course, Timothy who finds himself the latest keeper of Mr. Shen. The boy too smart for his own good is reluctant to assume the task, but tackles the challenge, after being stalked by a stealthy ninja and chased by a menacing trio of black taxicabs. When Mr. Shen falls into the wrong hands, Timothy is flailing in treacherous waters, literally. And then a strange-looking black brig with red sails, called, for some reason, the Ironic Gentleman appears on the horizon.

Relying on his own ingenuity and an annoying new ally, a girl called Alex, Timothy must face up to his responsibilities and rescue the dragon from a fleet of Chinese pirate junks. Above all, he must have enough faith in himself to take on that fleet’s commander, the Man in the Beige Linen Suit.


And now a sneak peak excerpt never before read online! oooooooh . . . . .

We find Timothy and Mr. Shen hitching a ride in a sixteen wheeler truck (named "Daisy") driven by who Timothy has dubbed "the crazy man". Suddenly three black taxi cabs that Timothy and Mr. Shen have already encountered once before - and who seem pretty intent on bringing about their demise - appear, and a chase ensues . . .


"Here we go!"

The crazy man spun the wheel and drove directly into oncoming traffic, passing two sports cars and a minivan before pulling back into his own land out in front of a Rolls Royce, the startled driver of which honked his horn as a means of pointing out the fact that Daisy had pulled out into oncoming traffic and then had almost run right into him, in case the crazy man hadn't realised what had happened.

"This isn't working!" shouted Timothy over the roar of the wind and traffic. The cabs were much smaller than Daisy and could weave through the cars with much greater ease. One was racing parallel to the crazy man, and another was inching its way up next to Timothy's exposed side.

"You're right!" The crazy man slammed on the brakes. There was a loud screech and the smell of burning rubber as the truck spun sideways to a stop. Two air bags popped open helpfully, as Timothy, Mr. Shen, and the crazy man were flung forward and then back as their seat belts braked. The sound of rushing wind stopped instantly, as did the roar of traffic, and was replaced by a symphony of honking horns, each expressing a different emotional state, from slightly put out to angry to the point of white-hot rage.

The black cabs, who had not anticipated this sudden change in the chase, had flown past, and were now regrouping a mile down the road and starting to head back their way once more.

Timothy turned to Mr. Shen and the crazy man with a look of utter shock on his face. He was completely speechless. Though he attempted to say something, all he could make was a small, ip sound.

The crazy man fiercely nodded his wholehearted agreement with this sentiment and then added, as he popped off his seat belt and rose in his seat, "Quick, everyone! Into the helicopter!"

From the Archive

I have been feeling a little under the weather lately, not up to really coming up with a new blog entry, and so I was reading through some of my old old old posts on this blog. Back when this blog had nothing to do with writing at all, back before I had an agent or a contract or anything. When, let's be honest, no one read it, and I wrote it merely for my own amusement. It's really quite fun to go back over it, remember where I was (physically and emotionally). And it's kind of nice to have, as a kind of journal detailing a very strange and amazing journey.

Anyway, I found this old post, and I quite enjoyed it. I used to write poems for this blog once and a while. I should start doing that again. Anyway, it has nothing to do with writing or acting or temping. But it does have to to with toilet paper. So I think you'll still enjoy it:

Sunday, April 09, 2006

I have seen it.

I have seen it my friends. I have seen it.

Yesterday I was in well known coffee chain. This well known coffee chain tends to have washrooms at the back of their establishment. A little door. A little room. And, well, you get the picture. Well yesterday I needed to visit said room and I went to the sign and lo and behold there were stairs. This unnerved me.

But I went down the stairs. They turned and twisted deeper deeper down into the bowels of the coffee establishment. Deeper past unknown rooms, past unknown sounds and smells. Deeper still, the yellow walls fading to a murky brown. To a door. A door marked with a sinister silhouette of a woman. Tentatively I pushed on it. I entered.

Sitting there on the toilet bowl, looking at me plaintively, was a roll of toilet paper.

With no hole.

No hole in the middle.

"Uh hi."

What madness is this?

We spent a short time together, and then as quickly as I could, I left and ran as fast as was possible back up the stairs. Back past the strange sounds and smells. Back into the light. Never to return again.


I have seen it my friends,
where the long stairway ends,
and yellow hall wends,
it awaits on the bowl.

It awaits on the bowl
like the stories you've heard
and they're true, every word
what you've learned of the roll.

What you've learned of the roll?
Yes it does have no hole.

And it's here for your soul.
And you'll know that it's true,
when it calls out to you,
to come visit the loo.

For I've seen it my friends,
where the long stairway ends,
and yellow hall wends,
it awaits on the bowl.

Confidence

Ah the new year is upon us. Time to make some more resolutions, time to wipe the slate clean, time to thank our lucky stars that 2008 is behind us (well at least I will, 2008 was a . . . difficult year for me).

Time for Adrienne to wax philosophical . . . ehem . . .:

I take singing lessons. I really enjoy my singing lessons, and my teacher is one of the best singing teachers I've ever had (and yes I have had plenty). My voice is, well, pretty darn awesome now thanks to him. But the reason I enjoy the singing lessons the most is that every time I am there I feel good about myself. What's more, if I am feeling less than stellar, my singing teacher likes to tell me to feel more confident, to trust my abilities, to be a diva (but a good diva, a fabulous diva, not a "I want only red M & Ms in my dressing room" diva).

And this is something I don't quite do as much as I should.

It isn't just my singing teacher who has pointed this out to me. I have also been told that I can come across as a little tentative at times in other parts of my life. Heck I have one friend who enjoys telling me, "Get confident, stupid!" (the joke being that telling someone they are stupid at the same time as they need to get confident is a bit not helpful . . . yeah, anyway, it's a silly joke . . .)

You might not be able to tell from my online persona that I have a slight lack of confidence now and then. I work very hard at being professional, and keeping my personal life out of my blog as much as possible (a personal choice), but the fact is, we're all human, we all have our own issues.

And it's time for me to start being confident.

Now I'm not talking about overconfidence. That isn't the same thing, it isn't even the same word. Nor am I talking about false confidence, or hubris, or any of that. I am talking about a confidence in the things I do well. A confidence in my abilities. Heck even a confidence in others.

I think often we are trained at an early age that to have pride in oneself is showing hubris. That we must, especially as women, be modest in our endeavors, not shine a light on ourselves. Now I should add onto this that that was in no way my upbringing, I had (and have) the most supportive parents in the world who loved to see me flourish. But I also lost all my friends in grade 8, with the leader of the pack claiming the reason for the ostricisation was because I bragged too much.

It was a hard lesson to learn, and has stuck with me since. How do you demonstrate confidence in your abilities without offending others? And you know what I've realised? As long as you aren't overestimating your talents, you can't worry too much what other people think in that regard. I have spent so much time concerned that others will think I am "bragging" that I have hurt myself on the other end of the spectrum by having people get frustrated at my lack of self confidence. I can't please everyone, and at the same time I am doing a great disservice to myself in not believing in all the work I do. I work hard. I do. I have grown so much as an actor and a writer, as a singer, as a person, and I should be proud of all that I have accomplished, and all that I can do.

And so should you.

Of course in our pride of ourselves we must also be proud of others. We must still support our friends, and give them their moment to shine. It isn't about us all the time after all. Having pride in yourself does not mean you negate the achievements of others. Have confidence and compassion. I think that is a marvelous combination.

So this year, I am going to be confident. I have no doubt I will have to fake it at first, but after a while it will become habit (I hope). I think too this is a good year for any of you guys who might be doubting yourselves, who might have had a lot of rejection lately from agents/publishers/casting directors, anyone, to just sit back and see how far you have come from whence you started. I have no doubt that you all have grown in some amazing way this past year, have done some amazing things. No matter how small they may appear at first.

Let 2009 be the year of being proud of ourselves!

Yup it's time for us all to get confident, stupid!