Some of you may remember how I had to overcome my shyness to do the final research for Web of Angels. I’m very comfortable in interviews and I can do the extroverted thing when required (though admittedly after days of it, I just want to sit quietly in a semi-dark
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A Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: My 5 Favourite Books
I read Emily of New Moon when I was 10. I wasn’t the first Canadian girl to love Emily because I wanted to be a writer, and I’m not the first to blame Emily for becoming a writer. But I’m not sure if anyone else did this: when I decided
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Huff Post: Sex’t Up Kids
Here’s an excerpt from my blog in Huffington Post Canada: Already wise and weary at age 15, the teenagers in Sex’t Up Kids talked about sending private photos to their boyfriends. They were mortified when those photos of themselves in bra and panties or topless were sent all around the
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Chatelaine P. 176 and Loblaws!
I’ve become a bit of a maniac in the grocery store. It started with the Toronto Sun. I stood at the newspaper stand, flipping through it to find the Star Spaces story about my “decorating,” complete with a photo of the mural I painted with M & H. An old
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Rising at the Crack of Dawn
I’m not sure why it’s called a crack, it’s more of a creeping, the sky dark and then less dark, a blush of pink. I know that’s a cliche but for a good reason if you think about the makeup brush applied across a cheek. Whereas “crack” makes one think
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Dream Review by Beth Kephart
A close friend of mine who read Beth’s review of Web of Angels, said, “She writes like music.” It’s true–Beth’s writing, both in her blog and her books is gorgeous, as truthful and beautiful as Beth’s heart. And so I am honoured, heartened, and thrilled by Beth’s reflections on my
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Do You Love All Your Parts?
It’s Valentine’s Day, the day of love–and so I have to ask: do you love your toes, your eyes, your brows, your butt, your belly, your intestines, your femors, your ribcage, your waist, your spleen, your skin (which in some kids’ lexicon refers as well to chesty bits)? What about
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: The Taxi Driver and the Book Lovers’ Ball
The Book Lovers’ Ball was fantastic. I met several of my favourite writer friends there and we had a great conversation before dinner. Great conversation continued during dinner at my table with the collections manager, planner, and other delightful librarians, as well as the couple who won the best first
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
Another blogger recommended this book, and as usual I can’t remember who it was! So please remind me in the comments. I wanted to re-read your review after I finished it. Excellent Women, written in the early 50′s, is almost excellent and certainly very good. The narrator, Mildred Lathbury, is
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Flying Books Video
Watch the whole video–it’s gorgeous and inspiring and made me bawl. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo. h/t Pieces Filed under: Beautiful, Literary Tagged: book lovers video, fantastic flying books
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Early Review from a University Student
Tammy at For the Love of Reading has posted an early fabulous review of Web of Angels. I’m so excited–more so because she’s a student in Alberta who has taken the time to share her enthusiasm. Thanks Tammy! Filed under: Literary Tagged: reviews
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Author Interview with Sheila Dalton
Sheila Dalton, the author of The Girl in the Box, has generously given of her time to answer some questions. 1. How would you summarize The Girl in the Box? A mute Mayan girl held captive in the Guatemalan jungle is rescued by a psychoanalyst she later kills. The doctor’s
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Momo by Emile Ajar
I loved this book so much I made my husband read it, which was no trial for him as he is still quoting it. I first heard about Momo and its author, Emile Ajar (a pen name of Romain Gary’s), in Litlove’s book blog. The storyline intrigued me: Momo, an
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak
Let me start by saying that The Winter Palace is so rich with historical detail about Russia in the time of the young Catherine the Great that the atmosphere surrounded me even when I put the book down. The Winter Palace tells the story of the young and naive (or
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Bookstores Comeback
Whoo-hoo! Sales are up 10% over last year in brick and mortar bookstores! Facing economic gloom and competition from cheap e-readers, brick-and-mortar booksellers entered this holiday season with the humblest of expectations. But the initial weeks of Christmas shopping, a boom time for the book business, have yielded surprisingly strong
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Delightfully Busy…the Genesis
This is just a note to say I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth! I’ve been busy preparing material for Web of Angels–the genesis and answering interview questions for two publications, one local and one national, and writing up a submission for a conference that I may be
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: My Workspace Revised
Recently, I rearranged the corner where I write. My workspace is 6 ft by 4 ft with another 21 inches of shared space on the table where my large monitor sits, also used by my older d when she wants to participate in the “homework club.” My work table is
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Blue Skies Again
Sunshine! Thank God I did not awake to the pitter patter of rain. I am probably the only person in Toronto who was glad glad glad when yesterday’s rain turned to snow. I was late meeting a friend for coffee and ran in the snow in my sneakers and the
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Meeting Today
Today I’m meeting with my publicist and have a 3 page list of contacts gleaned from all the helpful suggestions and recommendations of people on my email address list who passed along suggestions. So a big shout out: THANK YOU! If anyone has any other promotion ideas or contacts for
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Unknown Millionaire Author
When Amanda Hocking was a depressed 17 year old, she wrote a novel about a girl who falls for vampire brothers. It was rejected by 50 publishers and it isn’t hard to imagine why. Ten years later, she decided to self-publish it as an e-book, following it up with romance
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