Sandra Gulland | Author News

Notes on the Writing Life
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NOTE: The following announcements include Mistress of the Sun and Josephine B.-inspired events, as well as readings and talks given by me.

Scroll down to see notes on events that have already been given. Some of these will have a link to photographs or a YouTube video. 

FOR HOSTS: see Host Support. If you have any photos or links (or corrections) that you'd like to be posted below, or if you wish to contact me for an event, please let me know by e-mailing here.


UP-COMING EVENTS

I'm very busy writing my next novel this year, but next year (2011), I will be at:


May 27-28, 2011, I will be the guest author at the Banff Book Discussion Weekend in Alberta, Canada.


August 4-7 (specific day and time to come), I will be at the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts in Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada. 


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PAST EVENTS (most recent first)

September 22-26, 2010. I gave a workshop on Net Marketing for Luddites (click here for my detailed talk) and a reading/co-interview with author Joan Thomas in Kingston, Ontario, at the Kingston WritersFest. This is a wonderful festival: I highly recommend it to both readers and writers. 


Wednesday, May 12, 7:30 p.m., The Abbey Bookshop, Paris (29, rue de la Parchminerie, Paris). Paris book launch of Mistress of the Sun, reading and talk. *This was a delightful evening, held outside the store on the cobblestone street. A few snow flakes! I was happy to have my cape. Several came in costume: memorable!


Monday, February 22, 12:30 - 1:30, Hotel Real de Minas, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico: I was part of a panel discussing screenwriting and books into film. This was a wonderful conference! I highly recommend it. See: www.SanMiguelWritersConference.org


November 12, 2009, Thursday, San Miguel de Allende, GTO, Mexico. San Miguel Literary Sala. "A Journey into the Court of the Sun King: Sandra Gulland on her bestselling novel, Mistress of the Sun." A reading from Mistress of the Sun, and talk about this novel's creation. Also featured this evening was archivist Barbara Levine, author of Finding Frida Kahlo, a book of Kahlo archives recently featured in the New York and Los Angeles Times. The readings were held in the Posada San Francisco (across from the Jardin). 70 peso donation. 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. Complementary wine reception. Note: this was a fantastic evening! See the Literary Sala website for future events.

June 6, 2009. 10:00 a.m. Workshop session as part of Editors' Association of Canada conference in Toronto. This was a wonderful event! Bravo, EAC!!!

May 31, Sunday: "Books and Brunch" at Blue Heron Books, Uxbridge, Ontario. 11:30 — 1:30. This was fantastic! I blogged about it here.

May 27, 2009. A fund-raiser for World Literacy of Canada, at McKinsey & Company at 110 Charles Street West. Kama, it is a literary series: subscribers buy tickets in advance for the entire series. For information: click here. This was a wonderful event.

April/May Blog Tour links:

Wednesday, February 24, 2009. "What: no panties? The 17th century revealed." PEN lecture (in costume) at 6 pm in the Bellas Artes auditorium at Canal and Hernandez Macias, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Donations go to support PEN San Miguel. Almost a full house!
Saturday, February 21, 2009. Session on on-line promotion at the San Miguel Writers' Conference, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. This was a great success and the Conference is always a pleasure.
October 16, Thursday, Barry's Bay, Ontario: a reading at the Barry's Bay Library.
July 23, Wednesday, Eganville, Ontario: talk and reading for the Bonnechere Authors Festival - a fundraiser for Literacy Plus. St. James Church Hall, 78 Wellington St., Eganville.
July 2, Wednesday, (San Francisco Bay Area) Oakland, CA: 7:00 p.m., A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 LaSalie Ave.
July 1, Tuesday, (San Francisco Bay Area) Corte Madera, CA: 7:00 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
June 30, Monday, (Los Angeles area) Pasadena, CA: 7:00 p.m., Vroman's, 695 E. Colorado.
June 28, Saturday (Los Angeles area) Thousand Oaks, CA: 3:00 p.m., Borders Books & Music, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd. This will be an afternoon tea with scones, cucumber sandwiches, etc. Attendees are encouraged to come in historical costume.
June 28, Saturday, (San Diego area), La Jolla Arts Festival, Genessee Avenue and Regents Road, La Jolla, CA: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
June 27, Friday, (San Diego area) La Jolla, CA: around 7:30 (check to find out the exact time), Warwick's, 7812 Girard Avenue.
June 25, Wednesday, (Seattle area) Bellevue, WA: 7:00 p.m., Bellevue Regional Library, 1111 110th Avenue NE.
June 24, Tuesday, Boulder, CO: 7:30 p.m. Boulder Bookshop, 1107 Pearl Street.
June 23, Monday, (Denver area) Edwards, CO: 6:00 p.m., The Bookworm of Edwards, 295 Main St., C101. Ticket of $20 includes wine and appetizers
June 21, Saturday, (St. Louis area) Ladue, MO: 11:00 a.m., Barnes & Noble, 8871 Ladue Road.
June 10, Tuesday, Grand Rapids, MI: 7:00 p.m., Schuler Books, 2660 28th St. SE.
June 19, Thursday, Kansas City, MO: 7:00 p.m., Kansas City Public Library (co-hosted by Rainy Day Books), 4801 Main Street. This is a joint event with historical mystery author Rebecca Scott, author of Ghostwalk.
June 18, Wednesday, (Milwaukee area) Mequon, WI: 7:00 p.m., Schwartz Bookshop, 10976 N. Port Washington Road.
June 13, Friday, (Chicago area) Lake Forest, IL: 12:00 p.m., luncheon hosted by Lake Forest Bookshop at Lovell's, 915 S Waukegan Rd. Ticket price $43.
June 13, Friday, (Chicago area) Wilmette, IL: 7:30 p.m., Borders, 3232 Lake Avenue, Suite 100.
June 12, Thursday, (Chicago area) Naperville, IL: 7:00 p.m., Anderson's Bookshop, 123 Jefferson.
June 11, Wednesday, Ann Arbor, MI: 12:30 p.m., luncheon hosted by Nicola's Books at Quarter Bistro, Westgate Shopping Center, 2513 Jackson Avenue. Ticket price $30, which includes a copy of the book.
June 11, Wednesday, (Ann Arbor area) Birmingham, MI: 7:00 p.m., Borders, 34300 Woodward Street.
June 9, Monday, (Philadelphia area) West Chester, PA: 7:30 p.m., Chester County Books, 975 Paoli Pike.
June 6, Friday, (Boston area) Wellesley, MA: 2:00 p.m., afternoon tea at Wellesley Public Library, Wakelin Room, 530 Washington St.
June 5, Thursday, New York, NY: 7:30 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 1972 Broadway (near the Lincoln Center).
June 4, Wednesday, New Canaan, CT: 12:00 p.m. luncheon of salad, soup, etc., at the New Canaan Public Library, 151 Main St, New Canaan, CT 06840. Elm Street Books will sell books at the event. This is a luncheon sponsored by the library and is free to the public.
June 4, Wednesday, Madison, CT: 7:00 p.m., RJ Julia bookstore, 768 Boston Post Road.
June 3. Mistress of the Sun is released in the U.S. I will be touring the U.S. for four weeks. Here are the dates (but best to confirm details before setting out):
May 12, Monday, Killaloe, Ontario: an event at the Killaloe Public School, part of the on-going celebration of the 30th year anniversary of the Killaloe Public Library, 7:00 p.m.

My report after: This was a wonderful evening! So many friends and fans! Photos of my presentation have been posted to Facebook here. I'm sorry we didn't get a photo of the crowd. The photo at the top of the page was taken just before my talk, by Facebook Fan Page member Marilyn Halko.
April 25, Friday, Vancouver: North Shore Writer's Festival. Lynn Valley branch of the North Vancouver District Public Library, 1277 Lynn Valley Road. 7:30 pm. Admission: free.

My report after: This was fully attended, an excellent location, a well-organized festival. I especially enjoyed meeting Facebook friend Leslie and her great book club: the Sweet Sisters. A woman and her two grown daughters told me stories of the family reading Josephine B. out loud on a family trip, and unleashing passionate new interests: a wonderful family.
April 24, Thursday: reading in Calgary at the Memorial Park Library at 7:00 p.m. The library is at 1221, 2 St. SW. For more information, click here.


My report after: It was special to see Simone Lee again after so many years. She was my publicist for all of my Josephine B. titles and we made a great team. Now she lives in Calgary with her husband and charming daughter Julia, and owns a fantastic bookstore: Pages. The bookstore (and Simone) partner with Marje Wing, librarian at the Memorial Park Library, to give readings, and it's a great set-up: intimate, yet holding quite a few people - about 80 on this evening. Judging by the number of people wanting a book signed, this was my most successful event ever.
Click here to see a YouTube video of the introduction to the talk, showing how a 17th century gown is put on.
At the end of a very long sign-up line, I was enthusiastically greeted by members of The Happy Bookers -- one of several book clubs that had come out. I love book clubs!
March 4, Tuesday, Toronto: Pages' "This is Not a Reading Series, an evening of "French Fashion and Royal Scandal."

My report after: This was a wonderful standing-room-only event with Nathalie Akinson of the National Post. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario. Here is a charming account of the evening in the Post: "Almost raunchy book reading," by Mark Medley.
March 3, Monday, Waterloo: Evening event with Words Worth Books.

My report after: Freezing rain and an Elton John concert equaled a small, but intimate audience. I enjoy very much reading with Mary Swan and the two of us afterwards chatting so informally with the friends and family who had risked their lives to come see us!
(Video) March 2, Sunday, Cobourg, Ontario: "The Avid Reader Afternoon Tea with Sandra Gulland." Woodlawn Terrace Inn, 420 Division Street, 1:30 pm. Tea and scones, jam and clotted cream, finger cakes and petite fours . Proceeds went to Keystone House
(Video) February 28, Thursday, Toronto: "Literary Buzz: Vintage France." French Wine Tasting evening with a reading and presentation at Bayview Branch in the Bayview Village Shopping Centre.
February 24. San Miguel Writers' Conference and Workshops, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Workshop on "Historical Fiction Writing".
February 23, Mistress of the Sun was officially published in Canada.
June 9, I was part of a session on "Rewriting the Role of Women" at the Historical Novel Conference in Albany, New York. Others on the panel were novelists Mary Sharratt (panel organizer), Sarah Johnson, Susanne Dunlap and Suzanne Adair.
February 24, 2007. Beverley Donofrio, Susan McKinney and I gave a workshop on "How Meeting With Other Writers Can Benefit Your Work" in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
September, 2006. I was on a research trip to France, researching my next novel.
May 26, 27, 28, 2006. The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. is one of the four novels to be discussed at the 45th Annual Book Discussion Weekend at Banff, Alberta. For information, go to:
http://www.banffbookweekend.canadianwebs.com/Brochure.pdf
February 28, 2006. I gave a reading together with Beverly Donofrio and Susan McKinney
(members of my writers' group) in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Beverly will be interviewin Susan and me on how a writers' group helps the writing process. 6 PM. Sponsored by San Miguel PEN. Bellas Artes Auditorium, Hernandez Macias #75, 50 pesos.
February 25, 2006. I will be giving a one-hour talk on "Writing a Historical Novel" in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, at the San Miguel Writers' Conference. For information on the Conference, go to:
http://www.sanmiguelwritersconference.com/index.html
May, 2005. I was a month in Europe, doing research for the next novel.
Feb. 4, 2005, 5 to 7 pm. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Posada San Francisco, Plaza Principle 2 on the corner of Calle San Francisco and Calle Hidalgo across from the Jardin. I will be reading from Bone Magic (now Mistress of the Sun), the novel I was writing. Also reading will be Jo Ann Bender, Kathy Snodgrass and Luis Miguel. The event was organized by the Authors Sala of San Miguel. A donation of 50 pesos to support Author's Sala activities is welcomed.
October 22-24, 29-31, 2004. St. Louis, MO, USA. Beckah Voight performed "Josephine Bonaparte: Martinique to Malmaison," a solo dance theatre performance inspired by the Josephine B. Trilogy. By all accounts, this was brilliant.
October 5, 2004. BBC World radio, The Word. Discussion on researching and writing historical fiction with Antoine Audouar, Bernard Cornwell and me.
October 3, 2004. Eganville, Ontario. Talk in aid of the Cancer Society.
August 9 - 15, 2004. Edinburgh, Scotland. Clair Naylor performed her play on Josephine, "Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe," at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, once again to great reviews.
November. Louisiana, USA, Tour:
November 16, 2003 (Sunday). 2:00 p.m. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Talk and reading at The Louisiana Art & Science Museum (100 South River Road) in connection with a museum exhibit titled, "Joséphine, le grand amour de Napoléon." (The tag line: "Josephine: a little romance, a lot of history.") The exhibit was first shown at the Stewart Museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, before opening at the Louisiana Arts & Science Center in Baton Rouge in October, 2003. A spectacular turn-out.
Nov. 17 (Monday): Shreveport, Louisiana. A talk to The Hypogeum Society at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum (3015 Greenwood Road), followed by a reception and dinner.
Nov. 18 (Tuesday): Shreveport, Louisiana. I was the speaker for the Rotary luncheon, 12:00 p.m. That evening I spoke at a dinner for the English Speaking Union.
The tour in October, 2003, to Nelson, Creston, Castlegar and Grand Forks, B.C., in Canada went very well. The area is spectacular and the people wonderful. Many bowls of delicious golden borsch were enjoyed.
A research trip to France in September was stimulating, overwhelming and exciting.
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