Yay! Big in Whistler… When I was in the East Grinstead Bookshop, the owner, John Pye, and I were speculating about inventive strap-lines for me and Of Night and Light. One was…”The second-best author you’ve never heard of…”

(Why second-best? Well, it has a certain quirky ring to it, doesn’t it? And is FAR more modest than saying, ‘the best’…) The other strap-line, emanating from my impending trip to see Laurie, Irene and Tilly, who live in Whistler – which, in case you don’t know, is a resort north of Vancouver – was, ‘Big in Whistler.’

It made me smile. Lots of things make me smile, these days.

A little pipe-dream?

Well, nothing to lose but my face…

There happens to be a wonderful independent bookshop in Whistler where I’ve spent many happy hours browsing, choosing exactly the right baby books for Tilly.

(No, Armchair Books is NOT all distorted and bendy, that’s just a natty photo).

SO – I e-mailed them and waited for…

The Wet Blanket Treatment

or

No Response

But, within the hour, I’d had a cheery reply from a guy called Dan…

“As for your new book, congratulations. I will take a look at it, and we could probably take it on consignment to see if it will sell. Sound ok?”

SOUND OKAY?

You could’ve knocked me down with a feather!

Luggage allowance, Air Transat? 23 kilos. How many clothes should I not take?

Next mission…

Get into…

The Whistler news magazine. Anyone?

SO – I could be a little bit Big in Whistler.

Or little in Whistler in a BIG way?

Stranger things have happened…