Everton Miles is Stranger than Me BOOK TRAILER

Whatever happened to Gwendolyn Golden? Find out in Everton Miles is Stranger than Me!

Here's the book trailer for the story of Everton Miles, sequel to Red Maple nominee, The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden, and book 2 in the Night Flyer's Handbook series. With thanks to the talents of video designer George Panayotou, the book trailer music is composed and performed by yours truly. Enjoy!

Reviews for Everton Miles is Stranger than Me:
A page-turner that is funny, magical and entertaining. Kirkus Reviews
Goodreads       All things "Everton" on this blog
The Book Trailer on YouTube

No 1 rule for writing a YA series AND Video of the Week

The Lost Gargoyle Series

So ask three YA authors (Caroline Adderson, Moira Young and me) this question: what advice would you give an author who is thinking about writing a series?

The #1 rule, apparently, is character is king! 

This week on Open Book Toronto, wonderful children's author Susan Hughes posts the second part of a two part series on writing a YA series. Read it here

You'll find out more about why character is king, the toughest part of writing a series, and there's some chat about a 4th gargoyle book? WHAT? Interestingly, we three authors have similar answers in parts of this email interview, which is really validating. Thanks Susan Hughes!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Also, in another lovely tip of the hat from OpenBook Toronto, my new book trailer for The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden is their Video of the Week. I have to say that I love this trailer (thanks to the talented George Panayotou for the video expertise!), it's exactly what I was hoping for, magical, drifting, and a little strange. That's me playing guitar, a piece I wrote for the trailer, that's my little dog Samwise Gamgee, barking on cue (in my kitchen). Enjoy. Thanks OpenBook Toronto!

"Lively, fast-paced novel", starred review for Gwendolyn Golden

Book Launch: February 1, 2:00 p.m. Indigo Yorkdale

Creeping ever closer to the launch date for my new middle-grade novel on February 1! The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden is about a young teen who, for no particular reason, wakes up floating around her room one morning like one of her little brother's Batman balloons.

This week, Emily Donaldson, a reviewer for Quill and Quire magazine, posted a really lovely starred review of the book in the magazine, and on her website. Thank you Emily, and Q&Q. Here's a link to Emily's entire review. And an excerpt:

Dowding knits a variety of elements together—puberty, hidden talents, independence, reconciling with loss—with a satisfying balance between humour and seriousness; this is an accessible story that readily lends itself to both metaphorical and literal interpretations. 

To see what other people are saying, you'll find some reviews on my website and on Goodreads. 49th Shelf has named it one of the Most Anticipated Kids Books of 2014.

The book has also been listed as a "Cool Book for Cool kids" in the January/February 2014 issue of Middle Shelf Magazine, a new US publication and great for anyone interested in middle grade books (a subscription is free). Read the excerpt here on page 23.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and support! I hope you enjoy the flight.

And finally, here is the beautiful book trailer (that's me playing guitar, a piece I wrote for the trailer). Special thanks to my talented friend, George Panayotou, for the video expertise.

A beautiful book trailer in which I play guitar ...

Gorgeous book trailer

Here it is, the most gorgeous book trailer for my forthcoming novel, The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden, available January 25, 2014:

The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden Book Trailer

Thanks to George Panayotou, the video maestro. And thanks also to Chris Haddad, who generously provided the cornfield footage. The music is a piece I composed for the book, and that's me playing guitar. And the little dog is my bichon-poodle, Samwise Gamgee, who was a good boy and barked on cue.

Enjoy the flight!

YOU'RE INVITED: I'll be having a book-signing event at Yorkdale Indigo on Saturday February 1, 2014, at 2:00. I hope you'll come and say hello!

Beautiful book trailer for The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden

See the book trailer

"This morning, I woke up on the ceiling."
So begins The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden, 
my new novel for readers aged 9-12, available January 2014. One morning, for no particular reason, Gwendolyn wakes up floating around her bedroom like one of her little brother's Batman balloons.

Puberty is weird enough, she thinks, now this? What follows is a coming-of-age story that Icarus himself would have loved.

I'm so pleased to announce that the book now has an astonishingly beautiful book trailer, shot partly in my house (that's my dog!), and cut with flight footage. It's an incredible gift to see the emotions conveyed in your book brought to life in a short piece like this, I can't imagine how it must feel to have your book made into a movie. It must be overwhelming. The copywriting expert in me says, yes, book trailers are an important part of the marketing mix for any book, but I can also tell you after helping in the creation of this piece, the REAL reason to do a book trailer is because they're beautiful, rewarding, joyful and creative little jewels, that say more about your book than a press release, tweet or facebook announcement ever could. I couldn't have asked for anything better, the trailer is a work of art. 

I have very talented friends. My special thanks to George Panayotou, for his careful and tender ministrations to the design and production of the video. Also many thanks to Chris Haddad, for generously supplying the cornfield video. That's me playing the guitar, too, a piece that I wrote for the trailer.

Here's the link: The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden Book Trailer

Enjoy the flight!