Dear Teachers and Librarians,

As we look forward to the OLA Superconference, we are reminded of the many
hours of work that it takes to organize this kind of event.  Authors'
Booking Service extends a HUGE thank you to all involved in this venture!

Be sure to check out which of our authors will be at the Superconference,
immediately following the New Member notice. Also check out our Meet the
Author column and and other newsy bits.
_______________________________________________

Authors' Booking Service is thrilled to announce the addition of two new
members!

Werner Zimmerman of Guelph, Ontario is best-known as the illustrator for
Jean Little's books, Listen Said the Donkey, and Pippin The Christmas Pig.
He has written and illustrated a number of books, including Snow Day and the
Alphonse books. Werner is an informative and amusing presenter who takes
audience participation to new levels. To book Werner for your school, simply
hit "reply" to this email.

Toronto biographer Anne Dublin of Toronto is a former teacher and current
librarian. Her book, Bobbie Rosenfeld: The Olympian Who Could Do
Everything received
the IODE Violet Downey Award and the Canadian Jewish Book Award, as well as
numerous other honours. Her newest book, June Callwood: A Life of Action, is
receiving rave reviews, most recently in the Globe & Mail and
CM<http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol13/no10/junecallwood.html>
.
_______________________________________________

Authors' Booking Service members at the OLA Superconference

Here's a quick rundown of which ABS authors will be participating at the OLA
Superconference.  We look forward to meeting many of you there!

Peggy Dymond Leavey, Nancy Belgue, Marsha Skrypuch, LM Falcone, Curtis
Parkinson, John Wilson, and Frieda Wishinsky will all be part of the Forest
of Reading Gala "Blast-Off" on Wed. Jan 31st from 12:00 to 2:30.

Frieda Wishinsky will launch the Canadian Flyer Adventure series on
Thursday, February 1st with an autographing and giveaway of Beware,
Pirates!School librarians are invited to enter the "Win a Beware,
Pirates! Book
Launch" contest. Come meet Frieda, who will autograph books in true pirate
style!

Marsha Skrypuch will conduct a session on "Writing Camp for Adults" on
February 1st.(10:40 a.m. session 411)

***Valerie Sherrard and Marsha Skrypuch will conduct a joint presentation
titled "Dos and Don'ts of Author Visits" also on February 1st. (3:35 p.m.,
session 620.)

Liam O'Donnell will be signing copies of the Max Finder Mystery Collected
Casebook at the Owlkids booth on February 2nd from 9:30 - 10:00 am.

Jo Ellen Bogart will be taking part in the CANSCAIP group book event on
February 2nd at OLA, talking about Out and About with the Big Tree Gang.

Peggy Dymond Leavey will be one of the Silver Birch authors signing at the
NBS booth.

Marsha Skrypuch will be one of the Silver Birch authors signing at the NBS
booth. Her slot is on Friday, February 2nd, from 11:30 to 12:00.

James Bow will be part of the CANSCAIP 2006 Launch Party celebration on
Friday, February 2nd, from noon until 2pm, talking about The Unwritten Girl.

Marsha Skrypuch will be part of the CANSCAIP 2006 Launch Party celebration
on Friday February 2nd, from noon until 2pm, talking about Aram's Choice and
Kobzar's Children.

Matt Beam will be sitting in support of his new YA title, Earth To Nathan
Blue (Penguin), from 11 a.m. to noon on Friday, February 2nd.

Anne Dublin will be signing her new biography, June Callwood: A Life of
Action , Fri. Feb. 2, 11.30 a.m., Kate Walker & Co. booth.

Marsha Skrypuch will be signing her anthology, Kobzar's Children at the
Fitzhenry & Whiteside booth.

Marsha Skrypuch, Helaine Becker and teacher-librarian Sharon Armstrong will
conduct a session called "Advocating for Support: A Two-Pronged Approach" at
2:10pm, Friday February 2nd. This session reveals fresh ways to lobby for
support for school libraries.

Marsha Skrypuch will be part of a poster session on Kidcrit, a free online
writing critique group that has seen outstanding success of late. Friday
February 2nd from noon until 1. For more information, see Scott McDonald's
article on Kidcritters in the Jan/Feb edition of Quill & Quire.

*** Following the Superconference, Valerie Sherrard will remain in Ontario
and will be available for school and library bookings from February 5 - 9.
Please hit reply to this message to book Valerie for this time period.
__________________________________________________

Meet the Author --

2007 Silver Birch Nominee: Gail Nyoka

Mella and the N'anga: An African Tale

Novelist and playwright Gail Nyoka started writing plays after becoming
involved with Children's Stage Lakefield, near Peterborough. When she moved
back to Toronto, she continued as a playwright and won the Chalmers Canadian
Play Award, Theatre for Young Audiences in 2000. She decided to expand the
story, set in long-ago Zimbabwe, and this became a novel for eight to
thirteen-year olds.

Ms. Nyoka loves to travel and has lived in England and Wales, and various
places in Ontario, including Lakefield, Hamilton, Ottawa and Toronto. She
was born in Trinidad and recently visited Egypt.

Gail currently lives in Elora, Ontario and is working on a new young-adult
novel which is partially set in Ancient Egypt. She is also in the process of
writing a new play for young audiences, based on the novel The Heaven
Shopby Deborah Ellis. This will be produced by Theatre Direct. Please
hit reply
to this message if you would like to book Gail for a school visit.

 __________________________________________________
OUT-OF-PRINT BOOKS FOR SALE:

Check out our complete list of out-of-print titles -- signed copies
available directly from the authors!  For a complete list of books, go
here<http://authorsbooking.livejournal.com/23466.html>
.

A new addition to this list is Anne Dublin's Written on the Wind,
$9.00shipped anywhere within Canada.

_____________________________________________________

Have you checked out the Educator
Resources<http://authorsbooking.livejournal.com/21965.html>on our
journal?
_____________________________________________________

Congratulations to Gillian Chan, whose Dear Canada novel, An Ocean Apart: The
Gold Mountain Diary of Chin Mei-ling, has been nominated for the BC Red
Cedar Award!

_____________________________________________________

Authors available for readings *outside of Toronto *-- January & February!*

*

 Helaine Becker-- Jan 15 to 24, Feb 13 and 1. Helaine also has one session
open in the *Ottawa* area Feb 22/23, flight from Toronto has already been
paid for.

Robin Muller -- *Barrie *January 24 & 25.

Kathy Stinson -- *Kitchener* January 30, February 6, 13 & 20.  One morning
reading after recess each of these dates.

Gail Nyoka -- (Silver Birch 2007 nominee) - *Elora* and 200k radius: January
15 - 31 & February 5 - 28

Robin Baird Lewis -- *Cambridge* - Feb 12 & 15 (afternoon) 13 (all day) and
16 (11:00 am - 2:00 pm.)

Nancy Belgiue -- (Silver Birch 2007 nominee) - *Sarnia, Windsor, Kingsville,
Leamington*

James Bow -- *Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, London, Hamilton, Avon Maitland
*

Karen Krossing -- *Southern Ontario
*

Celia Godkin -- *Kingston, Ottawa*

Peggy Dymond Leavey -- (Silver Birch 2007 nominee) *Trenton, Belleville,
Coburg, Oshawa*

Deb Lougheed --  *Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Owen Sound*

Curtis Parkinson -- (Silver Birch 2007 nominee) - *Bancroft, Gravenhurst,
Ottawa*

Shane Peacock -- *Trenton, Belleville, Oshawa*

Marsha Skrypuch (Silver Birch 2007 nominee) - *Brantford, London, Hamilton,
Collingwood*

Cora Taylor -- *Sauble Beach*

Gillian Chan -- *Dundas, Ancaster, Brantford, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville
*

___________________________________________________________________________ _____

*Authors available for readings in Toronto and surrounding area - January &
February!*

Edo Van Belkom -- Toronto and surrounding area, January 15 - 19

Peggy Dymond Leavey -- (Silver Birch 2007 nominee) - in Toronto Jan. 29 & 30
and February 2.

Nancy Belgue -- (Silver Birch 2007 nominee) - in Toronto Jan. 29 & 30

**Frieda Wishinsky -- Toronto and surrounding area January 16, 17, 18, 23,
29 and 31; February 12 to 16

The following authors are *generally available for Toronto* during January &
February: LM Falcone (Silver Birch 2007 nominee), Natale Ghent, Robin
Muller, Liam O'Donnell, Robert J. Sawyer, Martin Springett, Jan Thornhill,
Matt Beam, Deb Lougheed, Helaine Becker, Gillian Chan, Marsha Skrypuch,
James Bow.
 **______________________________________________________________________

For a complete list of our authors, please visit
here<http://authorsbooking.livejournal.com/6464.html>and click on
links to individual names.

Do you have questions, comments or suggestions about this service?  We'd
love to hear from you! It's easy to contact us. Our email is:
*authors.bookingserv...@gmail.com

*You can also simply hit reply to Author Visit News and your message will
come to our inbox.

All the best,

Marsha & Valerie
--
Authors' Booking Service
Connecting Canadian Creators and Educators

If unable to reach us here, please contact Marsha at mar...@calla.com or
Valerie at val...@nbnet.nb.ca