Taken from Google Images

Any one close to me, or anyone who happens to follow me on Facebook, knows that I celebrated a birthday this week. I hit the (not-so) monumental 2-6. But, anyone who knows me also knows that my birthday has been cursed. Over the last few years, something has always happened on my special day to make it sorta crappy, or worse, all out terrible. Examples:

Twenty-second birthday: massive family argument.
Twenty-third birthday: head cold that prevented adequate tasting of birthday cake.
Twenty-fourth birthday: friend makes poor comment about birthday girl’s date, birthday girl gets very mad and doesn’t speak to friend for several weeks.
Twenty-fifth birthday: birthday girl gets body-checked by man twice her size (and double her weight) in a co-ed non-contact hockey game.

As consequence, I try to keep my birthday festivities very low-key; no big celebrations, no fuss (please and thanks). I ended up commemorating my birth with a nice dinner. Perfect. But accompanying my wishes for no fuss, is usually a request for no gifts. I don’t really see the need for extravagance, and don’t want my loved ones doling out cash on me.

But, I did indeed get gifts, the best among them being a brand new Kobo Touch. It actually came as a surprise to many people, when I told them I finally got an eReader, that I didn’t have one already. “Surely you, of all people, would have jumped on the wagon by now!”

I admit that for as big of a book lover as I am, and for someone working in the publishing industry, I had been really reluctant to commit to an eReader. I kept making excuses, “the technology keeps changing. I’ll buy one and then they’ll come right out with a new version,” and “nothing will replace the experience of having a book in your hand!” Really, I think I just wasn’t sure which product I wanted to buy: Kindle? Kobo? Sony? iPad? It was all so much to consider, so I just opted to ignore.

But then, along came this lovely birthday gift and my, I fell in love. I’ve spent the entire week reading from it, and I can’t believe I held out for so long. It’s incredibly user-friendly, and the touch screen means with just one finger I am turning the page. Cruising the eBook store, I’m finding tons of titles for low prices, and you know what? I can use all those gift cards I got as gifts to buy eBooks.

We’ve heard varying reports about the surge in digital reading, but I think the most haunting fact that stayed with me was a stat that our director of sales and marketing brought home from a New York conference in February: its is projected by 2014 that digital book sales will surpass print book sales. That’s three years into the future. Just three.

I think what’s clear is that this is a trend that simply can’t be ignored any longer. In fact, it’d be wrong to even call it a “trend,” more like a shift in the industry. A new norm.

Books are going the way music did, and while we can take reverence in the fact that record stores are not entirely gone (am I the only one who still buys the album too?), and as such, our beloved bookstores will likely be around as well, book lovers around are going to have decide: Go Digital, or Not?

While I didn’t have to make the decision, I am glad that the decision was thrust upon me. I’m already seeing the benefits: multiple books in one 6.5 inch by 4.5 inch device that weighs less than my wallet. No more toting a big heavy edition of Little Women in my purse on the train (and no more sore shoulder from a ridiculously heavy handbag). As soon as I finish one book, I can start another right away. I can even subscribe to the newspaper or other magazines on it.

But more importantly, I’m reading more. Way more.

In fact, I’ve read four books this week alone. Perhaps you can attribute this to the novelty of a new “toy,” or even to the fact that it’s not like I’m hunkering down and reading Dostoevsky or the like, but my love of reading has certainly be given a shot in the arm. I’ve been cruising for new titles. I’m soliciting book suggestions. I’m evening opening my reading horizons (Marta reading sci-fi/fantasy? Whaaat?).

If I’m the norm, meaning if everyone who gets an eReader is encouraged to read (and buy) more books, then this is going to be a good thing for authors and publishers alike.

Having jumped on the digital bandwagon, I no longer find this world of eBooks and eReaders “confusing” and “overwhelming.” I’m excited to explore my new favourite device, and see what other publishers are putting out there. While I know I will keep buying books (you it’s true, you can never really replace that experience), I know for a fact that I’ll never not own an eReader for as long as I can, you know… read.

So I ask, are you going digital?

Looking for a book to read this summer? A great choice whether you’re lounging in the sunshine (hopefully) or curled up in a comfy chair avoiding the rain (preferably not), is Reluctant Dead – the newly released exciting third novel in the Quin and Morgan Detective series by John Moss. Previously a writer of literary criticism, John Moss was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2006 for his work.  Since switching to mysteries he has published two other titles in the Quin and Morgan series, Still Waters and Grave Doubts, under the Dundurn imprint Castle Street Mysteries. We asked John some questions, not only about the inspiration behind his most recent work, but also about his overall thoughts on writing and the creative process. Read his answers below!

How did you come up with the idea for this work?

Reluctant Dead brings together a number of passions I’ve nurtured over the years that led up to my writing mysteries. I have trekked over much of Baffin Island as a self-contained unit, carrying all my gear on my back as I explored the Arctic landscape and wrote about my experiences. Beverley Haun, my partner in crime, pursued research on legendary Easter Island in the South Pacific and I have had the good fortune to travel there with her on several occasions. For years it struck me that there are profound similarities between these two very different parts of the world, but it was not until I turned from academic travel writing to mysteries that I was able to bring them together. Both the lands of the Inuit and the Polynesian island “at the centre of the world” are repositories of ancestral memories only dimly perceived that still inspire their peoples to remarkable pride. I tried to capture some of this fierce resilience in a context of intrigue and mystery that would allow me to revisit both places and excite my readers with the story of a people who refuse to fade away. My perspective is through the eyes of keen outsiders – police detectives who, after being to the Arctic and the South Pacific, return to Toronto to piece together their separate stories.

In your own work, which character are you most attached to, and why?

I’m attached to all my characters. If I’m not, if we don’t connect, they’re not real. And if we do connect, they are so real to me they continually surprise me. Even my most minor characters have back stories and authentic personalities. Life is too brief to spend time with them otherwise. The featured detectives in my Quin and Morgan mystery series are first and foremost engaging humans dealing with life and death, passion and fear, logic and intuition; working homicide for the Toronto Police service through the comedy and tragedy of life under duress. Miranda Quin is in her late thirties. The reader and I share in knowing her, who she is, how she thinks, what she remembers. David Morgan is in his early forties and a very different character. And yet we meet inside his life in much the same way.

Describe your ideal writing environment.

I am a compulsive writer. In another age I might have been a voluminous diarist. I write while I’m out on the land in the Arctic and on the beaches of Polynesia, but I’m happiest with my laptop poised on my knees for three or four hours every morning, writing in front of an open fire at our old stone farmhouse in Peterborough.

What was the creative process like for you?

What we call the creative process is a phrase to describe artistic endeavours when they’re going really well. Inspiration, itself, is a foundling. There must be the desperate urge, the rage, to create. As William Blake observed, without inspiration and rage struggling together in the writer’s breast, there is no true creation. This holds true for the genre writer as much as for the laurelled poet.

 What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a writer?

 The best advice I ever received as a writer is to go through the first draft, select all the best parts, and delete them. The best advice I’ve ever given is to write, then re-write, re-write, and re-write.

Carolyn Molnar is a full-time psychic medium living in Toronto. She teaches psychic development classes throughout North America and was a correspondent for Psychic News, a Spiritualist newspaper published in England. In the following Q and A she discusses her latest work, Compassionate Messenger: True Stories from a Psychic Medium: a captivating collection of stories that delve into the deeply emotional and spiritual experiences of Carolyn and her clients.

Tell us about your book. 

Compassionate Messenger: True Stories from a Psychic Medium is a series of stories about the fascinating people I have met as a psychic/medium.  The stories reflect the love that continues when people who’ve been close to us pass into spirit. There was a lot of soul searching to come up with the title.  “Compassionate” is the key word – it conveys the service that mediumship provides to those who are grieving.

What was the hardest part of writing your book? 

Parts of the book made me weep. I didn’t want to write a sad, depressing book, but I knew I needed to be honest with the emotions of my clients and myself. So I worked extra hard to infuse the heartbreaking moments with poignancy.

Did you have a specific readership in mind when you wrote your book? 

I think we get to a point in our lives when we realize “things” don’t cut it anymore.  We might have a taste of our own mortality.  I call it “The Age of Reckoning”, where we think about what happens when we quit this world.

What was the creative process like for you? 

Thankfully, my husband is a professional writer.  We each worked with our strengths – I told him the stories and he shaped them into tight, cohesive prose.  Benjamin is truly gifted.  I was given the message while brushing my teeth recently – “You could not have done this without Ben.  You had to wait for him…”

What are you reading right now? 

I have to laugh whenever I look at my bookcase, which is next to my husband’s bookcase. My shelves are filled with romantic novels by Nora Roberts, Diana Gabaldon and Amanda Quick, while my husband devours horror and bloody whodunits. I like lots of sighing with happy endings, while he enjoys – yeesh!

What is your next project? 

 Benjamin and I are looking at two projects: a book on hospice from a medium’s perspective, and the other is on life in a well known Spiritualist community, again from a medium’s perspective.

It’s June 1^st – finally, it’s time for summer to begin! As cottage season approaches, there’s no better time to immerse yourself in all that Canada’s wilderness has to offer. Just ask Dundurn author Carol Bennett McCuaig. Her recently released book Encountering the Wild contains several exciting stories and up-close observations on wildlife and nature from a personal perspective. Carol, who lives on a 250 acre property in Renfrew, Ontario, is a naturalist, a former columnist for birdwatchers, and the author of several fiction and non-fiction titles. Indeed, Encountering the Wild is Carol’s 50^th book! Read on to find out more about her work, her inspirations and what she’s planning next…

Tell us about your book.

Encountering the Wild describes my adventures with wildlife on my country property in the Upper Ottawa Valley. I’ve had a bear on the roof, an ermine in the bedroom and a cougar on the lawn. I’ve been privileged to observe the courtship rituals of turkey vultures, red foxes and ruffed grouse. This is a book for country folk, and for those who wish they were.

This is a special year for me because Encountering the Wild will be my fiftieth published book!

What was your first publication?

An historical novel called Woman of Ireland. It was published in Canada under the name Jane Barrett.

What inspired you to write your first book?

It’s a true story based on the life of my children’s ancestor, a woman who married a sergeant in the 100th Regiment of Foot, when he was serving in the 1812 War. They settled at Richmond, near Ottawa. In1819 they had the distinction of entertaining the Duke of Richmond, just days before he died of rabies.

Describe the most memorable response you’ve received from a reader.

A woman who received one of my non-fiction books for Christmas told me she’d been so engrossed in it that she forgot to turn on the oven to cook the turkey. Their Christmas dinner was late that year!

 What is your next project?

I write fiction, published in Britain under the name Catriona McCuaig. I’m about to start work on a third mystery novel about my series character, Nesta Davies, who is a midwife in Tudor England. Her story began in Snares and Nets, which was published in November, 2009.

Tell us about your book.

Six Metres of Pavement is a story about Ismail Boxwala, a middle-aged South Asian man who twenty years ago made the worst mistake of his life — he forgot his baby daughter in the back seat of his car one summer morning, causing her death.

More than just about tragedy, this is a story of Ismail’s survival—how he manages to go on living after his mistake. Ultimately, his redemption comes through the relationships he builds with Celia – his widowed Portuguese-Canadian neighbor whom he develops a crush on, and Fatima – a queer youth whose been kicked out of her home and who needs his help.

How did you come up with the idea for this work?

I heard about a case like this in the news. I felt sad about the death of the child, but what stayed with me was the father’s predicament. How do you move on after something like that?

How did you come up with the title?

Ismail’s widowed neighbour, Celia, lives across the street, just a six metre stretch of pavement away from him.

How did you research your book?

I live in Little Portugal in Toronto but I knew very little about my neighbours until I began researching this book. For Celia’s character, I needed to learn more about the experiences of Portuguese-Canadians. I read about immigration patterns, socio-economic issues, and asked “cultural insiders” (Portuguese-Canadian acquaintances) about cultural norms. Besides being a writer, I’m also a psychotherapist, so I was drawn to research done by Dr. Susan James, a psychologist who investigates the emotional experiences of Portuguese immigrants.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a writer?

The true art of writing is rewriting. My first drafts are often awful. It takes many revisions before I feel satisfied with the work.

Tell us about your book.

The Tara Trilogy is a fantasy adventure based in India, featuring a flawed yet endearing protagonist, Tara. In each of the three books in the series, she is on a quest and has to face many hurdles (internal and external) before she can succeed. These quests test her courage, her morals and above all, belief in herself. India’s diverse culture and aspects of Hindu mythology are seamlessly woven into the plot to enrich the narrative, and expose many young readers to an exciting and unfamiliar (or familiar) world. Today’s middle-grade fiction abounds in protagonists from Europe or America with very few representatives of the Asian Subcontinent. This trilogy (which comprises The Third Eye, The Silver Anklet, and The Deadly Conch), I hope, will fill that gap.

In the third book in this series, The Deadly Conch, Tara has to face her last foe; her evil step-sister, Layla, who is guided by her mother, Kali, from the Underworld. Layla cunningly manipulates events so that the villagers of Morni, and even Tara’s own family, turn against her. In spite of being surrounded by family and friends, Tara is truly alone. She calls out to Lord Yama for help using the conch he has given her. He allows her to visit the Underworld to seek advice from Zara and to talk some sense into Kali. The visit to the Underworld comes at a heavy price: Tara’s own life. For the safety of her family, Tara agrees. This leads to a harrowing journey and an exciting dénouement which I will not give away at the moment.

 The first goal of The Tara Trilogy is to entertain and enthral readers so that these books, which took years to write, will be devoured within days. However, I do hope that discerning readers will instinctively grasp the character-building themes that are subtle yet ever present in these fast-paced novels and strive to emulate them. A quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson beautifully and succinctly captures the essence of this trilogy.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”.

How did you come up with the title?

Lord Shiva (The Destroyer), one of the Gods of the Holy Trinity in Hinduism, has a third eye on his forehead. Most of the time it remains closed, but when he is angry it opens and whoever is in front of him burns to death. I find this both gruesome and fascinating at the same time. This is an attribute I gave Zarku, the villain in the story, and this is also where the title comes from.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I’ve always been an avid reader but I did not start writing until early 2004. In 2003 my dad was diagnosed with cancer and within two months he passed away. It was a sudden and devastating event. As always, I turned to books to cope with this difficult time. I’d always loved fantasy and adventure as it was a form of escape from the harsh realities of life. Around the same time I also starting writing about incidents from my past so I wouldn’t forget the life we all shared as a family before we went our separate ways. These scribblings gave me the idea of writing a book to encompass everything I’m passionate about: fantasy, adventure, Indian mythology, and a really good story.  That is how The Third Eye was born.

In your own work, which character are you most attached to, and why?

Tara, for sure! There is a lot of me in her. Change is always disconcerting and at times frightening. Whenever I was faced with the unknown, I would inevitably ask myself am I up to the challenge? What if I fail? What if I embarrass myself and everyone laughs at me? It took me many years to realize that:

1. You will most probably fail at something you try for the first time, and that this is ALL RIGHT.
2. If something truly means a lot to you, you’ll try it again, and yet again, to make it work. And this is certainly true about getting my first book published. It took four years and twenty rewrites before it was published.
3. Nothing and no one can prepare you for everything you are going to face in life. The only thing you can do is to believe in yourself and go ahead with it. You might just surprise yourself.

Writing the story made me realize a few things about Tara, and about myself!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a writer?

It was when I took a writing course through the Humber School for Writers. My mentor was Tim Wynne-Jones and he noticed that I used to delay giving important information or narrating exciting events until I was well into the novel. In other words, I was always “holding back.” He shared a quote by Annie Dillard from The Writing Life. Though it took a while to sink in, it’s advice I always remember when I sit down to write. This quote is now pinned to my board just behind my laptop. I cannot help but read it every time I look up. It says:

“One of the few things I have learned about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water.”

That’s sort of sad to say aloud (say? type?), but it’s true. Aside from the bills and assorted junk mail that are stuffed in my mailbox at home, and the odd letter from an awards committee sent to me here at work, most of my correspondence is confined to email. I’m sure most of you are the same.

So when I cruised by my staff inbox over by the office printer today, I was surprised to see not one but two envelopes waiting for me. First — no surprises — a call for submissions for an award program. But second, well, it was an awesome little gem forwarded to me by author Arthur Bousfield:

Now, this isn’t a letter from the Queen… but if everything is legit (and I’ve been assured it is), this is a letter sent on behalf of the Queen as thanks for the gifted copy of Royal Tours 1786-2010. I was a bit confused at reading this because as much as I like to tout my awesome publicity skills, I wouldn’t have the faintest idea of how to get a book into Her Majesty’s hands. I certainly didn’t send it, but a note from Arthur explained that the Quinte Branch of the Canadian Royal Heritage Trust took the liberty of sending a copy express to Buckingham Palace.

So, quick recap: the Queen in England, Her Majesty Elizabeth II, received a copy of a Dundurn book and is “delighted” by the gift. Whoa.

That’s a great note on which to start the weekend.

With the Stanley Cup playoffs starting today, it’s the perfect time to reminisce about the most memorable and awe-inspiring goals in hockey history. With that in mind, we approached Dundurn author Eric Zweig (author of Fever Season) to ask him a few questions about his recently released Twenty Greatest Hockey Goals.

1. Tell us about your book.

Associate Publisher Michael Carroll first approached me several years ago about writing hockey books for Dundurn. He was particularly keen on historical fiction for children and I mentioned a few ideas to him that resulted in my 2009 novel Fever Season. He also wanted to do a book for adults about the 20 greatest goals in hockey history. I like “list” books, and love the history of sports, so this seemed like a natural for me. It took a while for this project to come together, but when it did it was a lot of fun.

Because of my love of history, Twenty Greatest Hockey Goals ranges from the earliest days of the Stanley Cup in the 1890s all the way up to Sidney Crosby and Patrick Kane’s Olympic and Stanley Cup-winning goals in 2010. Though many of the stories will be familiar to some readers, I think I have been able to come up with new information or interesting angles that have not been explored before.

2. How did you research your book?

In the acknowledgements for Twenty Greatest Hockey Goals I wrote: “I am old enough to remember a time before the Internet (it isn’t that long ago, really!), but I don’t know how I could have written this book without it. I remember the first time I surfed the Net. I was amazed at what was out there, but a little disappointed, too. I remember thinking, This is great, but it won’t ever have everything I really want until I can sit at my own desk and read old newspapers online. Now there are many websites that allow me to do this …

but, of course, I wish there were more.”

Some of this book was researched from the library of hockey books I have at home. Some came from books I found at the library in Owen Sound, where I live. But the vast majority of the research I did for this book involved sitting at my desk and searching through old newspapers online to get first-hand accounts of the goals I wanted to write about from the time they were actually scored. It’s perhaps my geekiest trait, but I like to spend time looking for sports stories in old newspapers even when I’m not working on a book!

3. What was your first publication/What inspired you to write it?

My first published book was an historical novel about the early days of hockey called Hockey Night in the Dominion of Canada. Like my children’s novel Fever Season, it placed real-life hockey players and events into a fictional plot. I got the idea after writing a series of biographies on members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, which had inspired me to read Eric Whitehead’s biographies of Cyclone Taylor and brothers Frank and Lester Patrick. I was intrigued by how often their paths had crossed during their lives and careers and in the political events that were going on in Canada when they first met around 1910. The idea pretty much came to me all in one night when I was unable to sleep and I wrote it, as much as anything, just to see if I could!

4. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a writer?

Before quitting my job to write my first book, I asked a cousin of mine who was a writer for advice. He basically said, “If you want to write, write.” At the time, I was looking for more practical advice so I wasn’t really pleased. But over the years, I’ve realized he was right. If you want to be an athlete, you have to practice. If you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, you have to study. If you want to be a writer, you have to write.

5. What are you reading right now?

Historical fiction and sports books are what I read most. I just finished a novel called The End of Baseball by Peter Schilling Jr. that was about what might have happened if maverick owner Bill Veeck had fielded a team of Negro League All-Stars in the American League in 1944 … three years before Jackie Robinson actually broke the colour line. Right now, I’m very early into a novel called Metropolis by Elizabeth Gaffney. It’s about the immigrant experience in late 19^th century New York.

Taken from Google Images

It’s official! The entire nation is buzzing about our fourth federal election in seven years. Is it necessary? What are the real issues? What will the outcome be?

If you’re like me, you’re having issues cutting through the clutter of all the political mumbo-jumbo flooding the airwaves. We’re only a week into campaigning and I’m already muting the television when commercials come on, and the prospect of watching a live debate makes me cringe.

Nevertheless, I’m a firm believer in the democratic responsibility we each have as citizens of Canada to vote. People around the world have spent generations fighting for their right to have a say in the state of their nations, so voter apathy isn’t an option in my books. My goal is to become an educated voter, and place my faith in the platform that most closely aligns with my core values.

I stumbled across this pretty awesome quiz on the CBC News website. I’m sure it’s making the rounds, but it’s a nice starting place for those looking to investigate the main ideals of each party. You get to explore where you stack up as compared to each of the party platforms, and cross reference each sub category. Kudos, CBC. Kudos.

The phase I’m entering now is what I’m likening to a question and answer trial. I’m looking at the issues that mean the most to me and asking questions. The answers that each of the party provides will help me decide on whom will receive my vote. For example, “Will it be as hard for my children to pay for university as it was for me?”; “What does the national deficit and the shaky economy mean for my ability to own a home one day?”; and “When are my friends in the military going to be relieved from their duties in Afghanistan?”

There’s also one more looming question…. “What will a Harper majority mean for Canada?”

Now, I’m not coming out as blatantly anti-Conservative, but there are policies of the Conservative government with which I strongly disagree. But the media are warning that this may be the year the majority happens for Stevie H, so I think it’s a viable question.

While the answer to this question is probably impossible to formulate within the confines of this blog post, Dundurn fortunately has a book that will maybe help people out. Dynasties and Interludes looks at the history of the Canadian electoral system, classifying the varying governments into “dynasties” — those long-lived, tried-and-trued eras in Canadian politics that brought about significant change (think Trudeau), and “interludes” — those short-lived blips on our radar that were just layovers for the real thing (think Joe Clark).

Jon Pammett, Lawrence Leduc, Judith I. McKenzie, and Andre Turcotte have done all the leg work to find the patterns and quirks of our electoral history. It’s a pretty good way to inform yourself of the symptoms from which to guage the future. They also wrote a really great op-ed for the Winnipeg Free Press about what the likelihood of a Harper Dynasty in Canada really is.

Whether the thought of federal politics jumpstarts your pulse or lulls you to sleep, we’re not avoiding this trip to the polls. Get educated and remember to vote.

Dundurn to Acquire Napoleon & Co.

(February 17, 2011, Toronto, ON) Toronto-based publisher Dundurn has acquired Napoleon & Co., publishers of award-winning fiction, mysteries, children’s picture books, YA fiction, and educational material. Dundurn publisher Kirk Howard purchased Napoleon from owner Sylvia McConnell in mid-February, with final details to go into effect on March 1, 2011. Dundurn will continue with publishing plans for all currently scheduled books. Sylvia McConnell and her associate, Allister Thompson, will continue to work with Dundurn. Both publishers are currently represented by Kate Walker & Co.

“We are delighted with this acquisition,” says publisher Kirk Howard. “Sylvia has a very respectable list of authors, and has published a wide variety of award-winning, or nominated titles. It’s a natural fit.” Having built Napoleon & Co. from the ground up, the sale of the company is bittersweet for McConnell, though, she admits, it is also an exciting time. “The emotion of handing over the work of twenty-two years in the publishing industry is mitigated by the fact that I have long admired Dundurn and I know that my authors and their books will be finding a good home with Kirk’s company.”

Established in 1972 by Kirk Howard, Dundurn started primarily as a small publisher of Canadian history, military history, politics, current affairs, and biography. Since then Dundurn has expanded its original mandate and now features an award-winning list of mysteries, fiction, YA fiction, and coffee table gift books along with a variety of other genres. The company has grown over the years through the acquisition of other small publishers including Hounslow Press, Simon & Pierre, Boardwalk Books, and Sandcastle Books. More recent acquisitions include Natural Heritage Books and the English-language imprint of Montreal’s XYZ Publishing. Dundurn now publishes over one hundred titles a year, making it one of the largest Canadian publishers.

For more information about Napoleon & Co authors and titles,
or Dundurn, please contact:
Karen McMullin, Publicity Manager
416-214-5544 x227; kmcmullin@dundurn.com