To the Moon!

Thank you to everyone who came out to the launch. We held it in the pavilion at Maffeo Sutton Park in Nanaimo. This area looks out at the setting for the book.

When I arrived a DJ was in the pavilion setting up for some sort of event and I had to break it to her that I'd rented the space. They moved off to the side and began playing EDM for an audience of heavily pierced people in exceptional tights who were juggling, hula hooping, and throwing sticks around. Incredibly, people attended the launch even though they could have joined that party instead.

I rented a PA that we couldn't get to work and so I had to speak over the music. I've been dealing with some sort of throat thing that keeps making me go hoarse. After the launch and a day-long tour of bookstores the following day I sounded like a bullfrog with a pack and a half a day habit.

I didn't have a launch for the second book in the Helen Thorpe series, A Meditation on Murder, because I was exhausted. But after a one year leave from teaching during which I've written most of a Chistmas comedy and a significant part of a horror novel, I felt energetic enough to celebrate Helen's third outing as a butler-investigator.

Big thanks to Dave Nunez Delgado for the photos and again, thanks to everyone who came out.

For those who wonder whether there will be more Helen books, it entirely depends on how many people buy this one. If you would like to read more about Helen, please buy the books, review them on Goodreads, and tell your friends. I would certainly like to write more of them!

Okay, here is the documentary evidence that we had a party for Helen.

Trevor Cooper kindly introduced me. Trevor is a former creative writing student who did the illustrations for my novel, The Truth Commission. He's a phenomenal artist and writer and, along with his brilliant partner Francis, is a founding member of the perfume club I belong to: Scentient Sessions, a.k.a best club ever. I briefly considered making a scent to represent each main character in the book to hand out at the launch but decided that would be too much. You're welcome.

Here are Caileigh and her coworker from Windowseat books. Like Trevor, Caileigh (on the left) is a talented graduate of VIU's Creative Writing and Journalism program. She's now helping to create and preserve our literary scene here in Nanaimo, along with store owner, Andree Bizier.

On the right is our butler for the night, Evan Shumka, who is ALSO a graduate of the VIU Creative Writing and Journalism program, as well as a novelist and a superb actor. I gave him the confusing and undignified task of handing out flags. They sort of make sense to me, but I suspect the audience found them baffling. It's not a Susan Juby party if there aren't elements that no one understands. Evan is pictured here with Ian, a reader I met at the launch.

Signing my friend Andrea's book while Evan stands with superb, butler-esque posture.

Answering questions and giving a short reading against a backdrop of jungle music. Not pictured is the intoxicated fellow who joined us from where he'd been having a few delightful cocktails in the bushes. God bless him. I could see him swaying back and forth at the back of the crowd and was worried he was going to go down and require medical attention. But he kept his feet and even managed to ask a question/make a comment about what to do in the event one's German Shepherd has been kidnapped, as his apparently was. I tried to channel Helen in my answer.

My friends, Denise (right) and Jen (middle) were pressed into service. Denise and Jen and a few other friends and I have dinner every Thursday night. It's called "Yoga Dinner" even though no one does yoga beforehand. Anne on the left is a brilliant dressmaker.

These pretty cupcakes are topped with edible circles emblazoned with sayings from the Buddha and prayer hands and a picture from the book. I did not make them, but I did go to Etsy and order the toppers from Jen at Icing Artwork. A Canadian maker of cupcake toppers. Just saying.

Jen, Denise and Rachel, a writer I've known for years on Facebook whom I just got to meet in person at the launch. Hello, Rachel!

A lovely shot of Gillian, who does transcription at VIU, Karlin, Jaimie, Christy, and Maia Caron, a bestselling historical fiction writer, whose debut novel, The Last Secret is fantastic. The EDM circus crowd is really finding their groove in this pic. Maia is blinking, not sleeping.

Here is Sarah, teacher and actor extraordinaire. I like how she glows in this photo just like she does in real life.

They are all such good sports about holding these flags. It was not Canada Day and the book isn't particularly nationalistic. But I did talk a little about the shifting meaning of our flag.

Trevor and Frances bring the drama everywhere they go. It was World Goth Day and they spent some of it with us. That's friendship.

Mark, dad to my niece Emily's friend, came over from Protection Island with some pals. Thanks, Protection Islanders. Sorry I stuffed another island in between you and Saysutchun Island.

Daniel, Sabrina, Angela and my brother, Aaron. They are absolutely gripped by my performance and not at all wanting to join the jungle music session next door. I'm sure of it.

VIP and Good Boy.

Another VIP. Very engaged in my reading. Definitely not thinking about anything else.

I love when people read my books in public. Thank you, Sarah, Karlin, and Janice. It was Janice's birthday. And may I compliment Karlin and Janice on their judicious and joy-producing use of yellow.

Signing a book for Colleen.

A pretty collection of books. That purple is particularly fetching.

Yes, I did make peculiar little flags to represent the various kinds of people in the book. No, those flags didn't make any sense to the audience.