Category: Author Meet Ups

Well its a Wednesday night and that means another night out with Donna. This is something that we have been anxiously awaiting for since September when the schedule of library events was announced.

Tonight we got to listen to Bill Haugland the author of his debut novel Mobile 9. Bill spoke about all his years working as a news anchorman with a local tv station here in Montreal. At the time it was CFCF but now its CTV Montreal. Bill was very entertaining and had us laughing at some of his stories. He read a passage from his book and then he did a Q&A.

He was exactly like he was on tv. It was a pleasure to meet him after watching him for so long doing the news.

As for another book there might be one in the works but nothing he could confirm tonight.

ABOUT BILL:
Bill Haugland was a television news anchorman for CFCF-TV in Montreal, Quebec.

A native of Montreal, Haugland studied at Ryerson University and Concordia University. He joined CFCF-TV in 1961, when that station signed on for the first time.

As a reporter, Haugland covered many key events in Montreal and Quebec, including Expo 67 and the October Crisis in 1970.

Haugland became an anchor for CFCF’s nightly newscast, Pulse, in 1977 (later renamed CFCF News and later, CTV News). After becoming an anchor for Pulse, Haugland relocated from Montreal to Vermont; he commuted back and forth across the international border to anchor CFCF’s newscast.[1] He was also a host of CFCF’s public affairs program, As It Is, for sixteen years, along with a similar program, On Assignment.

Haugland retired on November 30, 2006 after being associated with CFCF-TV for 45 years.

ABOUT MOBILE 9:
A page-turning mystery set in Montreal of the 60s.

In 1969, a call for revolution and an explosion at the home of Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau draws Ty Davis, a young television reporter, into the realm of underworld chaos and violence. A colleague is accused of a crime he did not commit. What follows exposes a city’s dark side and ensnares Davis, his family and friends in a web of drug smuggling and murder. Lives and livelihoods hang in the balance.

Advance praise for Mobile 9:

“Mobile 9 is a TV reporter’s compelling snapshot of a city’s mean streets. The late sixties clash of cultures in Quebec! The battle for underworld dominance in Montreal! It was a time when Montreal TV viewers were on the edge of their seats, faced with exploding bombs, the city’s police strike and escalating political turmoil. This novel covers it all. Mobile 9 still has time for romance, corporate intrigue and evolving careers, in an industry I know and love. It is gritty and jam-packed with plot twists and turns.” –Mike Duffy

“It’s a page-turner that transports the reader back in time, to the seedier side of a big city many of us remember only from the news.” –Mutsumi Takahashi

PUB DATE: Canadian date was May 2009 and September 2009 US.

Check back here next Wednesday when I will talk about our next evening out with Scott Westerfeld, Cassandra Clare and Holly Black. I am hoping to get a ton of pictures and video for that post.

This might be our last author evening out for awhile as I haven’t heard about anyone else coming as of yet.

Today I had an unplanned outing with Donna. When I say unplanned I mean unplanned. I only saw this yesterday in our local paper. I mentioned it to Donna at lunch yesterday about Geronimo Stilton coming to Babar bookstore in the Pointe Claire Village and that I was thinking of going and bringing Michael.

It was only when we were at La Book-tique and found book 1 Lost Treasure of The Emerald Eye (in perfect condition) that I think we said okay sure lets meet up and go.

Yesterday after school I asked Michael if he would like to go and he was super excited and wanted to go. We started to read the book and he was enjoying it. Then this morning Michael decided that he didn’t want to go because his cousin is in this weekend visiting from Chicago and he got presented what aparently was a better offer of going bowling. Needless to say Michael went bowling and I went to get his book signed.

I dropped them off at bowling and went to Donna’s store to meet up with her. The store is so cute. They have quite a selection of books and I can honestly say that I walked out without buying anything.

We had no clue who or what was going to be at Babar. Would it be the character or the real writer? This is what we found when we walked into Babar.

This guy (mouse) was a hoot. Donna and I did not stop laughing the whole time we were there. He was very polite and when he would sign the book he would always end with “Ton Ami Geronimo Stilton”. It was so funny and he did this every time he signed a book.

The above is a clip where he says at the end Ton Ami, Geronimo Stilton. Hope it will work.

I got an autograph cheese card, I got two signed books for Michael and I even got a cheese card signed for my nephew.

Sorry Donna I got your hand in the above picture.

This is me with Geronimo Stilton.

Geronimo if you are reading this it was great meeting you today. Really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

Geronimo also told us his sister Thea Stilton has started to write and has a couple of books out.

Tonight was another author meeting. This time it was at the local library in the area.

Claire Holden Rothman is a local author of the book The Heart Specialist.

Shortly after I got there Michael spotted Linda . I was standing in line to return books when Michael also spotted another local author Lori Weber and it was so cute Michael looked at me and said “Mommy, there is your author friend.” Of course I had to look to see who he was talking about. He has met Lori once and he remember who she was.

We went over to say hi and Lori was super sweet and introduced us to Claire Holden Rothman. Then we quickly went into the conference room where Claire was going to speak. Shortly after sitting down Donna came in. Also in attendance was another local author Jane Barclay, the author of four children books.

It was a full house and it was really nice to see that much support show up. Plus alot of people have read the book. Which Claire was really surprised and pleased with. I just started the book and I am anxious to finish it. The book is really good. Please check back later this week for my review.

Claire talked about the book and the reason for writing it. There was a Q&A with the audience and so many great questions were asked. I have to make it a point the next time to film a little bit of an event.

At the end she did sign her book and all three of us got ours signed and Linda and I got pictures taken with her. You can see mine in this post and I am sure Linda will be doing a write up on her blog so you will have to check that out.

If you haven’t already heard or read the book this is what its about:

Inspired by the life of Doctor Maude Elizabeth Seymour Abbott, The Heart Specialist is the story of an ambitious woman pursuing her dream at the dawn of the twentieth century. Agnes is stripped of a regular childhood when her father is accused of a horrific crime and abandons the family. Never considered ladylike, she is drawn to the “wrong” things, such as microscopes, anatomy, and dissection, that lead to her finding her calling as a doctor. Yet despite a rapid rise to stardom in the medical community, she soon finds herself up against the same glass ceiling faced by women in her field. Set against the backdrop of conflict and upheaval permeating the early 1900s, The Heart Specialist is a testament to one woman’s triumph in the face of adversity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Claire Holden Rothman is a writer and translator. Her work on Le chercheur de trsors won her the 1994 John Glassco Translation Award. She has a BA in philosophy from McGill and a MA in English Literature from Concordia University, and has taught English at Marianoplis College and creative writing at McGill University. Claire lives in Montreal.

Just in case you have read the book and were wondering if there would be a sequel to it the answer is no. Someone in the audience asked her and she said no.