Catherine Knutsson's Blog, page 3

Petroglyph!

Those of you who frequent these parts may have heard-tell that I’ve been dealing with an Achilles issue. Fortunately, I’ve been given the green light to begin exercise – hallelujah! I’m one of those people who needs to move, and as a result, this has been a rough summer. Normally, my husband and I are out hiking every moment we can, but because of the Achilles issue, I haven’t been able to do much of anything.

So, this past Sunday, I agreed to go on a short walk with Mikel, as the poor guy has been going a bit stir-crazy with me being out of commission. A short walk, he said. Fifteen minutes, to see a local landmark known as “The Abyss” (ominous, no?).

It turns out that the path to the Abyss is very poorly marked, and so, our fifteen minute walk turned into an hour long trek. We got there eventually, but…probably not the best thing for my poor leg. But, it survived, as did I, and I’m very glad we went, because….petroglyph!

Petroglyphs are mentioned a few times in SHADOWS CAST BY STARS. Mikel and I have come across quite a few in our hikes, though many petroglyphs are now underwater due to rising sea levels. Still, when I come across them, it’s a real treat – a sure sign that the place is special. After all, etching an image into rock isn’t something that happens overnight, and to etch it deep enough to withstand centuries of west coast rain? That’s pretty amazing.

In the next while, I’m hoping to do a few more posts about aspects of SHADOWS CAST BY STARS that have intrigued readers. Most of those will have to do with some of the supernatural creatures in the story (sisiutl and dzoonokwa, for example!), so if there are things you’ve wondered about, this would be a good time to ask!

Oh, and yes, we did find the Abyss, and an abyss it is – a huge fissure in the granite. Bit of a creepy place, I tell you!

Filed under: Shadows Cast by Stars

Thinky things, and camping

Hmm. Maybe it’s the time of year, or just part of the process, or my on-going Achilles issue (metaphor, anyone?), but…I’ve been feeling really blue lately. Oddly enough, I’ve been writing (which doesn’t always happen when I’m blue), but as I’ve written, I’ve found myself questioning all sort of things – my abilities as a writer (which inevitably leads to my inabilities), trends in fiction today, where I’m going in life, the fate of the world, the changing of the seasons…heavy stuff. Add to that the general sense of blundering about, and well…blueness.

Therefore, the DH knowing me as he does, decided I needed a camping trip. He was right. I did. So, off we went:

Home sweet tent:

A visitor:

Punk slug:

The falls:

Witch hands:

Orb spider:

Someone very wise once wrote that sadness is our bodies’ way of ridding us of what we no longer need, so that there’s room for new growth. Maybe that’s what’s going on, the blueness being part of a cleansing process, readying me for new things. I like the thought of that. I like it a great deal.

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A little good news!

Gotta love it when my work day begins with my editor sending me a nice review of SHADOWS CAST BY STARS. From School Library Journal:

Two hundred years in the future, 16-year-old Cassandra, a Métis Indian with mysterious gifts, lives with her twin brother and father in the Pacific Northwest. A plague has killed off much of the population, but Others, people of aboriginal descent, have special antibodies that protect them from the disease. The blood of one Native American can save many other people; because of this, the government is hunting them. Cassandra and her family have managed to survive under these conditions while living by “the Old Way,” but when the plague returns, they flee for The Island, a protected space where Indians (of many different tribes and backgrounds) are able to live together safely. There Cassandra’s abilities quickly earn her an apprenticeship to the local healer and the attentions of the chief’s son, Bran. Unsurprisingly, the peace of the Island is short-lived and Cassandra must play a part in keeping her community safe. The feel of the story is far more fantasy than dystopian. The Island is a richly drawn setting and the Native American imagery feels authentic (the author is, herself, a member of the Métis tribe). Cassandra is a strong character, much more concerned with survival than with romance–though there is a romantic subplot. This is a good title to give to fantasy readers who like novels with tough female leads.

Yay for that!

And now, since the last of our summer visitors has departed and Olympic dressage has wrapped up (and how! Left me feeling all proud of how the sport is changing for the better, and motivated to get back on horse as soon as I can), it’s time to down-periscope into work. Yay work! Really! It’s been a while since I’ve felt enthused about my writing, but I am, and it feels great!

So, down-periscope on three, two, one….

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A Cat’s Life

Our wee orange kitty, lounging in the garden.

Hope everyone’s Saturday is as relaxing and sunny!

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Summer visitors, and a quick update

Things have been a wee bit quiet here on the blog, so I thought I’d share a photo I snapped when I arrived home today:

Summer visitors!

Right now, we’re between human-variety visitors at our house, which has left us a narrow window of opportunity to paint. The painting should be done in the next couple of days, just before more visitors arrive, and then, it’s back to work for me. Fortunately, I’ve found my groove on a couple of things I’ve been working on. Or, what Ursula le Guin (and Virginia Woolf before her) might call rhythm. It’s a long process, waiting for that rhythm to arrive — a long, uncomfortable, twitchy process. But it’s part of my process and I’m slowly coming to terms with it.

But, more about that later. For now, I’m trying to catch up on email while I wait for a coat of paint to dry.

Oh, and on a completely non-SHADOWS CAST BY STARS note, I’ve got a story in the current issue of ON SPEC magazine! Yay! And someone reviewed it, too, which is extra-cool.

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Ladybug taking a bath!

So: I have a frightening amount of work to do in the next few days in preparation for a visit with my sister and niece. Therefore, I’ve been ensconced at my desk all morning, trying to get things done. However, even the most behind-on-everything author needs tea, and while I was making it, I spotted a little dot of red in my fountain outside. A ladybug, having a bath! Here she is!

I watched her for a few minutes, and then, when she was all clean, she flew away home.

I am just awestruck by the beauty and wonder of the world we live in. Sometimes I forget, and then, a ladybug helps me remember.

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Winners of the release day giveaway!

So, the winners of the release day giveaway are:

*drum roll please!*

SARAH R

and 

ALYSSA SUSANNA

Congrats to you both, and I’ll be in contact shortly to get your mailing addresses!

And to all who entered, thank you so much for your lovely comments – such a nice way to celebrate the release of SHADOWS CAST BY STARS, and please stay tuned, because you never know when I might decide to run another giveaway.  I do love giving away things, after all!

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RELEASE DAY for SHADOWS CAST BY STARS!

So, the clock rolled over a few minutes ago, and that means it’s officially release day for SHADOWS CAST BY STARS.

I have things to say and stories to tell about how this all came to be, but those can wait for a bit. Right now, I’m just going to bask in the moment, because it’s not every day an author gets to see her first book enter the world.

But, I would be very remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to thank Diana Fox, my agent, and Caitlyn Dlouhy, my editor, for all their hard work and dedication in the creation of this book. It really was a collaborative effort, and I hope they are as pleased with the final product as I am.

Next: I’ve mentioned a few times that I’d be doing a release day giveaway, because a) I like giving things away, and b) it’s time to celebrate!

So, here’s what I’ve got: I’m giving away two personalized, signed copies of SHADOWS CAST BY STARS, both of which will be accompanied by a matted art card by local artist Andy Everson. And, what would a release day giveaway be without swag? So, I’ve got swag, too! Each swag pack will include bookmarks, a journal, a t-shirt, stickers, and a magnet or two.

Something like this!

To enter:

1) Leave me a comment with your name and/or handle, and your email address so I have some way to contact you.

2) For a second entry, leave a comment (with your name/email/etc.) with a photo of SHADOWS CAST BY STARS out in the wild, either on your shelf or in a bookstore (and I’d love to know where you saw it)!

This giveaway is open to folks anywhere in the world, so enter away! Just make sure you do so before noon, PST, on June 15, 2012. I’ll announce the winners shortly afterwards!

(Please note: I’m still waiting for my author copies to arrive (they’re on their way), so there may be a bit of a delay getting the swag packs out, and that goes for anyone else out there who has won a copy of SHADOWS CAST BY STARS. Apologies, and hopefully I’ll be able to send them all out very soon!)

SHADOWS CAST BY STARS is about to take a new journey with new readers. I so hope everyone enjoys it, for I do love my little book very dearly, and all the people within. Cassandra and Paul, their dad, Madda, Helen, Cedar, Dzoonokwa, Sisiutl, and all the others have been my constant companions these past six (6!) years. Bon voyage, little book, and all your lovely characters. Now, fly!

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And there was….a launch!

So, yesterday was Launch Day and it was FUN! I was nervous (more nervous than I anticipated I’d be) but there were so many lovely smiling faces in the audience that I pretty quickly forgot about nerves and just enjoyed chatting about SHADOWS CAST BY STARS and about the stories behind the book. It’s not easy for me to be front and center, but on this day, I was really glad to celebrate bringing this book into the world, and I was SO thrilled by everyone’s support.

So, photos!

Author! With books!

Cake! (Which, actually, is cupcakes iced like a cake. The lovely River Writers also brought cupcakes, decorated a fab blue, but they got eaten before a photo could be taken…)

Signing! (That’s my Gramps I’m talking to…)(Also, since this is a learning experience, I learned that I like signing. The presenting is hard for me – I’m always slightly (okay, maybe a bit more than slightly) terrified that I’ll say the wrong thing (which is why I write, because on paper I can think, is that what I really mean? Yes? No? Okay, let’s think about that again. But talking? Once it’s out of your mouth, that’s it! No chance for revision!) But signing? Signing is fun!

And, writers! These are the lovely ladies of the River Writers, who have been so supportive as I struggled my way through the writing of SHADOWS CAST BY STARS. Thank you so much for celebrating with me!

And since I am thanking folks, I also want to send a HUGE thank you to Amy Jacobsen, my publicist at Simon and Schuster Canada, who helped put this all together.

And, a HUGE thank you to in Courtenay. I’ve been visiting this bookstore since I was a kid, and it was a huge joy to step through the door yesterday and be greeted by my book. Thank you so much to Evelyn and her team for their enthusiasm and support. I couldn’t have done it without you! And, just as nothing can replace the smell of a good book, nothing can replace the pleasure of stepping into an indie bookstore.

Taking a story from seed to book is a long, arduous journey, with some sky-scraping peaks and some gloomy valleys. But, the journey – what a journey it has been! Thanks to everyone who has shared it with me. I am very fortunate to know you all!

And now, two more days to go until my little book takes flight into the great wild yonder. Remember, release day (June 5!) means giveaways, so stay tuned!

Filed under: Shadows Cast by Stars

Launch Party Tomorrow!

So, tomorrow is the launch party for my little book. I am more than a little nervous, and may, or may not, have had a few anxiety-induced nightmares about it (mostly of the no-one-showing-up variety). But, I will be there, and my book will be there, and my husband will be there, and more importantly, CUPCAKES will be there, so if nothing else, I won’t starve (starving is never good).

Launch party details are here!

Anyhow, should anyone out there want to toss me a have-an-excellent-launch thought or two, I would be so grateful. And, as a thank you, here’s a squirrel:

Also! Tuesday is RELEASE DAY (eeeeee!), so I will be giving away all sorts of nifty things in celebration of SHADOWS CAST BY STARS making its way into the world. This pleases me – I love giving things away!

And, an FYI: I have more-than-a-few emails to catch up on, but that probably won’t happen until next week. So, if you’re waiting for an email from me, I will answer, I promise! And apologies for the delay (which is my standard opening for just about every email I write these days…)

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