Stay Tuned for the Big Announcement After the Break!

Oh, how sweet! A pretty little sheep wandering over the green hills of Wales… I’m sure it won’t interrupt my big announcement.

As some of you may remember, I won third place in the 2009 International 3-Day Novel Contest for a book about zombies gate-crashing a Welsh bog-snorkelling competition. Well, I have some exciting news...

For my very exciting news:

Is it just me, or is that sheep looking at me funny?

Sorry, I got a bit distracted by fluffy cuteness. Time for the big announcement!

A small but feisty Canadian publisher called The Workhorsery has decided to publish my extensively revised and expanded novel!

Alice Hearts Welsh Zombies will be released this summer. It has action, romance, a plane crash, a pub crawl, and of course bog snorkelling. Plus, this book will help spread the all important message that zombies ARE people. Except when they’re bunnies. Or sheep.

Speaking of sheep, where did that cute little guy disappear to...

AAAAAH! It’s a ZOMBIE SHEEP!

RUN!

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The Zombies of Summer!

The good news is that a small (but feisty) Canadian publisher has expressed interest in my 2009 3-Day Novel Alice’s Adventures with Welsh Zombies. As the novel is about 20,000 words short of being ... well, a novel, I’ve spent the past two months writing my still beating heart out.

The bad news is that I haven’t had time to devote to Handmade by Mother. I haven’t even been knitting! Fact is, needles and hooks will not protect you when zombies invade your yarn stash!

However, my love of tacky vintage knits and crochets remains as strong as my love of kitschy zombies. So, I promise to write at least one post a month.

After all, I know what will happen if I let Handmade by Mother die...


The blog will come back and eat my brains!

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It’s that time of year again!

Yes, it’s time for me to abandon my husband and children and lock myself away to write another novel in a mind-bending 72 hours.

Yesterday, my twelve year old son asked plaintively, “Will you be making three days worth of meals ahead of time, so we have something to eat?” I just laughed cruelly and twirled my pencil, because I don’t have an old-timey moustache to twirl.

It’ll be character building for them to learn to fend for themselves.

And right after the contest, it’ll be the most wonderful time of the year:

Poodlefest 2010!

Tuesday, September 7th, be ready to get your poodle on.


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DIY - Will the real Victoria Dunn please stand up?

Is this Victoria Dunn? In her Little Girl party mask?

The Faux Book Launch was a roaring success, and Victoria Dunn’s actual identity was finally revealed!

Or... was it?

 

This is clearly not Victoria Dunn. It’s just her brain, before the party.

See? Here’s Victoria’s brain at the party. Along with Victoria’s zombie eyeballs (AKA tomato aspic a la 1950’s cookbook), Sputnik Surprise, and just a glimpse of Rampaging Pear Mice laying siege to a molded green Jell-o salad. It’s molded, not moldy.

Mmm! Fifties food!

It’s Jell-o-rific!

Please take special note of the cake in corner – it’s actually made of alternating layers of tuna salad, egg salad and white bread, frosted all over with cream cheese. It was yummy!

No, really! I’m very grateful to Faithful Reader Adrienne for the Sandwich Cake. Also not-so-Faithful Reader Lisa provided the punch, which was also delicious, and not the least bit spiked. So far as I could tell.

So... was that really Victoria Dunn above? Or is this Victoria Dunn?

May... be. But there’s also this strong contender:

I think the hat is quite dashing!

Wait, there’s MORE Victoria Dunns?

My, my, Victoria Dunn’s looking a wee bit masculine.

Maybe she’s just forgotten to shave her wrists?

Okay, that’s definitely NOT Victoria Dunn!

Although, I wouldn’t say that to his face. At least, not while he’s wearing that scary mask.

However, I’m happy to say that masked maniacs were not the only guests at this party.

It looks like every one of Ooky’s friends crashed the party! Stay tuned for a sexy photo shoot, when they get their own DIY.

Also, note the beady fringes on the left and the mysterious afghan on the right – bet you a shiny nickel you can’t guess which patterns these came from! The answers will be revealed soon.

Also coming soon...

Spats!

Because a party’s not rocking until the spats come out.

So, thank you again to Collected Works, and to all the wonderful folks who came to my party, friends both old and new.


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Don’t forget, you’re invited to a party this Saturday!

Actually, Mom’s not “on the Warpath” at all! She just wants to remind you about the Faux Book Launch this upcoming Saturday.

For more nagging (and the location of Collected Works!):

Come celebrate my 3rd place win in the 32nd Annual International 3-Day Novel Contest. It’s a book launch without a book!

There will be retro snacks, vintage crafts from Handmade by Mother, and I’ll be reading from “Alice’s Adventures with Welsh Zombies”.

FAUX BOOK LAUNCH

Saturday, February 20th
7:00 to 9:00 PM

Collected Works Bookstore & Coffee Bar
1242 Wellington Street West (at Holland)
Ottawa, Ontario
(613) 722-1265

BYOZombies!

 

Mmm, brrrains...

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You're Invited to a Party!

Victoria Dunn will be the guest of honour at a Faux Book Launch at Collected Works Bookstore in Ottawa. It’s on Saturday, February 20th from 7 to 9 pm, and you’re all invited!

There will be readings from the 3rd place 3-Day Novel “Alice’s Adventures with Welsh Zombies”, sneak peaks at brand new Handmade by Mother DIYs, shocking revelations about Victoria herself, and yummy snacks!

For more details (and the location of the store!):

Why a “faux” book launch?

Because Alice is currently having Adventures in Editing, and the book has no publisher – yet! But my good friends at Collected Works assure me that there’s no such thing as premature publicity. Or premature partying!

So come on out and celebrate with the zombies, and the even more terrifying vintage patterns. Feel free to bring your own (zombies OR handcrafts)!

Plus, there’s the thrill of meeting Victoria Dunn in person. Remember those “shocking revelations”? Does she have two heads? Is she a zombie? Or is she a 600 pound sumo wrestler who just wants to get in touch with his inner Mommy?

All will be revealed at the party! And photographed!

FAUX BOOK LAUNCH

Saturday, February 20, 2010
7:00 to 9:00 PM

Collected Works Bookstore & Coffee Bar
1242 Wellington Street West (at Holland)
Ottawa, Ontario
(613) 722-1265

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Third Place Rocks!

Some of you might be aware that I entered the 3-Day Novel Contest over the 2009 Labour Day Weekend. And that I survived, which I consider an achievement all by itself.

Now I’ve won third place for “Alice’s Adventures with Welsh Zombies”! Hurray!

I am SO doing this contest again in September!

If you’re interested in knowing a little more about Welsh Zombies:

Alice’s Adventures with Welsh Zombies is a modern fantasy novel. Alice and her partner, Welly, are flying to Wales to stop a zombie outbreak and save the annual Bog Snorkeling Championships. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to them, one of their co-workers has smuggled his favourite zombie onto the plane. Now the zombie infection is spreading, and they’re 25,000 feet in the air.

I’m currently rewriting my novel, as sleep deprivation over that long weekend led to some interesting violations of time and space. Airplanes flip over and bullets vanish, which would have been great if that’s what I’d intended. But since it’s not, I need to get in there and start editing with a vengeance.

And start planning for the next 3-Day Novel Contest!

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Evidently, I’ve lost my mind...

Tonight, at precisely one minute past midnight, I will lock myself and my laptop into my daughter’s room and start writing. And I will keep writing until 11:59 pm, Monday, September 7th.

Sleep is optional.

And at the end of three days I will have a novel! Or a nervous breakdown. Either way, it should be quite an experience. Including for my daughter, who will be moving into the attic.

And for the record: Contrary to rumour, this is not a desperate attempt to escape my family. I love my husband, two children, two godchildren, three cats (even the elderly kitty who is currently in diapers), two crocheted poodle cozies and one actual half-poodle very much. I have complete faith that they can survive three days without me. The fire, poison, animal control, TeleHealth, orthodontic, and Chinese takeout numbers are on the fridge.

The International Three Day Novel Contest
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