May I recommend
Kids vs Aliens
It’s a quirky B-movie horror from the director of the incredibly titled Hobo With A Shotgun. The story is simple - aliens land, kids have to save themselves. There is beautiful Nova Scotian scenery and strong Canadian accents (a good drinking game would be a chug every time you hear “a-boot”). It’s kind of Goonies, kind of Stranger Things and a delightful nod to one my most underrated faves — Adventures in Babysitting — but scarier.
Jonathan Torrens, probably best known as J-Roc from Trailer Park Boys, but whom I will always love for his star-making turn as the hunkiest (?) of the teenage hosts of Street Cents — an endearing Canadian show teaching kids to save money and avoid scams — has a cameo.
Kids Vs Aliens has been written up in the New York Times as one of five Sci Fi films to stream. Be warned, there is a LOT of swearing. I think “fuck” is said more than “the.”
Most importantly, however, the adorable red-headed kid doing a lot of that swearing? My own nephew.
Watch Kids vs Aliens - it’s a legit fun movie that breezes in under 90 minutes and is only about five bucks to rent on iTunes.
Surrogacy for celebrities
The Joy and Trauma of Carrying a Celebrity’s Baby
I have a friend who was a surrogate and by all accounts it was a wonderful experience. This lady’s story is less delightful and now I’m desperate to know who this monstrous celeb was.
Shanna sat down to steady herself. Here she was in the early weeks of pregnancy, with Catherine's child. Except Catherine now had another child. This was the first time she'd heard that she wasn't Catherine's only surrogate. What did it mean? Would Catherine still want the baby Shanna was carrying?
Montreal Mafia
The Montreal Mafia Murders : Blood, gore, cannolis and hockey bags
This is a fascinating deep dive into the Montreal mafia… I didn’t know it was such a big and horrible deal.
According to Italy’s anti-Mafia brigade, for decades Montreal has been “the key that turns the lock of America.” Since 1980 or so, the kingpins with the keys had been the Stitches, as the city’s Sicilian faction is known. Before then, going back to the era of Lucky Luciano and the so-called French Connection, Calabrians ran the books.
A football story in honour of the Superbowl
The Gisele Bundchen School of Goodbye
I do not care about football. I do not care about supermodels. When I do think of Tom and Gisele, I feel only a vague antipathy based on the thought that maybe they are weird about the food they eat and of course, Tom Brady’s unappealing face. Despite all this, I admit to a great deal of satisfaction at this analysis of the stone cold shade Gisele threw on Tom.
Basically Gisele has flipped her hair, without even looking over her shoulder, not stomping away but sashaying away. And the comment she left on his retirement post is the social media equivalent of that visual.
Book Stuff
I’ve started doing a bit of publicity for Speak for the Dead, which is out March 14th. I did a fun interview with Bill Kenower at Author2Author. He’s a very insightful and high energy guy and it was a lot of fun to discuss writing, writing sequels and creativity with him. Give it a listen!
My publisher is running a Goodreads Giveaway. Fifteen copies of SPEAK FOR THE DEAD are up fro grabs. Go and sign up. YOU could be the winner. Also, while you’re in Goodreads, it would be great to give my books a rating (if you’ve read ‘em of course) or mark them as “To Read.” All that sort of stuff helps with sales apparently… Also, you should do that about ANY book you read and loved. Ratings and reviews are very very helpful!
I’m getting some book signings organized. So far I will be at Perfect Books in Ottawa in early April, and possibly Libarie Michabou in Aylmer. Have a connect at a bookstore you think I should sign at? Let me know and I’ll see if I can do it… the world is opening back up and I’d love to organize myself a little book tour.
I’m thrilled to have been invited to the Morin Centre’s Imagination Festival in Quebec City and I’ll be speaking on Sunday, April 16th. Come join me on the Plains of Abraham if you’re around!
I’m still doing book clubs, so if you’re interested in having me drop by (either virtually, or depending on location, in person) send me an email and we can chat. I really enjoy talking about the writing process, the publishing process and the books, so invite me to your parties! (Ha, ha, just briefly regressed to Ninth Grade there…)
Buy my books!
TikTok
Recycling is tricky
Kevin’s rose shearing hat
Brace yourself for this
You’re a monster
A dash of Abba
This girl is going far
Quel side eye!
Am enjoying this kidnapped people pleaser series
Beyonce needs gas money
Love this show, love Minna
Compensatory masculinity 101
Underhand knocking
You mistook your own toes for candy
This made me snort
The Fraggle made cry
War of Roses Genealogy? Yes PLEASE
She did not pizza
How to pronounce it
I LOVE soda water, but this is accurate
Oh, blerg
I don’t like this Jimmy, but I do like this story
I’m CONFUSED
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Kids vs Aliens + Celeb Surrogacy + Mafia
Fingers crossed and huge exfusion of energy for 'Speak for the Dead'. I am going to put on my brave-boy trousers and wade into the chilling literary maelstrom as soon as the volume hits the market! Lâche pas la patate!
I got called for jury duty for the trial of the couple in the Montreal Mafia piece in Vanity Fair. There were only two people ahead of me when the judge finished selecting the alternate jurors. I spent every day for the rest of 2021 filled with gratitude that I didn't have to be on that jury for the five-month trial. I read about the trial a lot in the Gazette but never thought the story would make it to an American magazine.