Darkstar Fiction

2009-07-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

Darkstar Fiction author jp Rodriguez, whose debut novel, The Space Between, will be released by Napoleon & Company in the fall of 2009, has a short story, "When You Most Expect It", in the latest issue of the Dalhousie Review

2009-06-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

Laurie Channer, author of Godblog, will be doing an author appearance
and reading on June 17 at This Ain't the Rosedale Library in some
celebrated company:
Author Readings at This Ain't the Rosedale Library, Wednesday June 17, 8
p.m.
Laurie Channer, reading from her debut novel Godblog
Mark Leiren-Young, winner of the 2009 Stephen Leacock Medal for humor,
reading from Never Shoot a Stampede Queen: A Rookie Reporter in the
Cariboo
Michael Wex, reading from Born to Kvetch:Yiddish Language and Culture
in All of its Moods (a New York Times bestseller)
This Ain't the Rosedale Library
86 Nassau St. in Kensington Market, Toronto
(416) 929-9912 www.thisaint.ca

2009-02-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

Laurie Channer, author of Godblog, made an author appearance at the
Ontario Library Association Superconference on January 29. Laurie has
been a fan of libararies and librarians since she was old enough to
read and go get her own stack of books every Saturday, and has worked
in libraries herself. This time, as a guest in the booth of the
Organization of Book Publishers of Ontario, she signed and gave away
copies of Godblog to eager librarian attendees of the conference, One
copy is even headed to ski and snowboard country -- Collingwood Public
Library, Another is joining the Bookcrossing world, where book lovers
leave books in public places for others to enjoy and pass on, and the
travel of the copy signed this day can be tracked online at www.bookcrossing.com.

2008-12-12T09:37:00.001-08:00

Laurie Channer makes an author appearance in Ottawa to sign copies of
Godblog at Leishman Books on Saturday, November 29.

2008-12-06T05:59:00.000-08:00

Godblog and The Year She Left (see earlier post) were launched at a
fine party at the Gladstone on November 24. A full house turned out
on a cold and rainy night, with barely room to squeeze in the door by
the time the author readings began.

Among the scenes I read was a post-coital scene from the early
chapters of Godblog (with appropriate apologies to my mom in the
crowd). I'm happy to read to an audience of one, so this was
exponentially more fun. It's amazing how signing can keep the author
too busy to socialize with her guests, but they all seemed to have fun
meeting each other as the various parts of my world collided. That's
the real fun of a launch -- when your friends meet your coworkers and
your volunteer buddies meet your family and everyone's there to
celebrate your accomplishment. And pick up an autographed,
coffee-ring stamped copy of the book, of course!

The launch ...

2008-11-26T13:14:00.001-08:00

An audience and a microphone….what more could I want?
The Toronto launch of The Year She Left and Godblog at the Gladstone was a blast! Great people, great snacks and two fantastic (if I do say so myself) books.

Aside from getting over the inevitable nerves…like reading Shakespeare out loud in front of your grade nine class (minus all the "thousests" and "wherefores" and "whilsts"), the experience of getting to tell my story to friends, family… and maybe even a new fan or two?… was thrilling.

Can't wait to do it again in Ottawa! If you are in the Nation's Capital on December 6, do stop by the Collected Works bookstore!

Thanks to the Dark Star crew for throwing us such a swell party, and to all the people who came out.

Godblog in stores

2008-10-24T05:31:00.001-07:00

Author of Godblog, Laurie Channer, signed books at the World's Biggest Bookstore this week. The novel is now available at Chapters/Indigo across the country.

Praise for Rita Donovan

2008-09-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Praise for Rita Donovan's 'Short Candles' from fellow author Rhonda Batchelor:

"I would recommend this beautifully written novel for any sophisticated young reader who is ready to try a more adult book. It is set in the 1970s and concerns a girl whose ability to predict certain events (usually tragic) is more of a curse than a blessing. Rita Donovan is a major Canadian talent who should be better known."

2008-08-25T21:04:00.001-07:00

Laurie Channer, author of Godblog, which explores the theme of the
power of blogs and the internet, was one of a dozen who took part in
an informal face-to-face meet-up of bloggers in Boston in mid-August.
The bulk of those present initially "met" online in the comment
threads of the Webby-award winning site CuteOverload.com, and later
moved en masse to the Vox blogging platform (a mix of blog and social
networking). Laurie signed coffee-ring themed bookplates for the
dozen participants, almost all of whom come from the US, have
pre-ordered Godblog on amazon.com and may not get another chance to have
her sign their books.

Rita Donovan reading

2008-07-18T13:49:00.001-07:00

Rita Donovan (and others) will be reading at:

The Yellow Door
3625 Aylmer
Montreal, Quebec
Thurs., August 28, 2008
Readings start at 7:30 p.m.

Rita Donovan workshop

2008-04-14T08:02:00.001-07:00

Ottawa Independent Writers presents a Writers' Bootcamp and Retreat May 22 to 25 at the Marguerite Centre in Pembroke. Up to 30 participants can either take instruction from teacher and award-winning author Rita Donovan on The A to Z of Writing a Novel, or work on their own literary projects. For more info or to register, contact Pandora Ballard at pandorabee@travel-net.com or 613-249-9850. Deadline for registration is May 9

Rita Donovan interview

2008-02-12T08:35:00.000-08:00

Darkstar Fiction author Rita Donovan recently did an interview with Rob McLennan (for his "12 or 20 questions"). The interview can be found here:

http://12or20questions.blogspot.com.

Rita Donovan reading

2008-01-14T12:29:00.000-08:00

Rita Donovan, the author of Short Candles, is going to be reading from her novel at
the SASQUATCH Writers Performance Series on Sunday, April 13, at 2:00 p.m. The reading will take place at the Royal Oak II Pub at 161 Laurier East in Ottawa.

Darkstar Fiction launch

2007-12-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

On the evening of November 27, a merry group of people met at Ben McNally's Bookstore on Bay Street to launch a new imprint called Darkstar Fiction. Napoleon has begun a new fiction imprint aimed at younger adults in their twenties and thirties and the first publication under that imprint is "Short Candles", by award winning Ottawa author Rita Donovan. Rita read from "Short Candles" and signed copies of her book.

Also in attendance were Laurie Channer and Kerry Kelly, who will be publishing their titles with Darkstar Fiction next year. Laurie has written a novel called "Godblog" and Kerry has written "The Year She Left".

If you live in Toronto and have not yet done so, dash down to the most beautiful bookstore in Toronto at 366 Bay Street - Ben McNally's

Welcome!

2007-11-30T17:46:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the blog for the brand new Napoleon and Company imprint, Darkstar Fiction!