In the year that’s passed since The Virgin Cure was first published in Canada, I’ve had several readers comment (either in person, via email, or in online reviews) that they’re “glad life for girls isn’t like it was in the 19th century.” Yes, in many ways, life has changed for the better, for both our daughters and our sons. Yet somehow children worldwide are still struggling…to be safe, to be fed (body, mind and soul), and to be heard. Like many people I know, I’ve been trying to make sense out of certain events that have happened in the last …
Category: The Virgin Cure
Dear J. K. Rowling, “They say it’s your Pub Day, (insert guitar riff) It’s my Pub Day too, yeah! We’re gonna have a good time… I’m glad it’s your Pub Day, Happy Pub Day to you.” – with apologies to the Beatles. It’s September 27, 2012 and it’s a big day for Ms. Rowling since her first novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy is now on bookstore shelves. It’s a big day for me as well, since my second novel, The Virgin Cure has just been published in the UK. I guess that makes us “Publication Day Buddies” of a …
It was my father who gave me my name. Mama said it came to him at a place called Pear Tree Corner – “whispered by a tree so old it knew all the secrets of New York.” The apothecary who owned the storefront there told my father that he could ask the tree any question he liked and if he listened hard enough it would answer. My father believed him. – from The Virgin Cure New York Minute # 3 – Pear Tree Corner Several readers of my novel, The Virgin Cure have recently asked, “Was there really a Pear …
Last night while I was cruising around facebook, a message popped up from Dr. Peggy Balensuela, voice professor extraordinaire. I’ve written about her in this space before, but it bears repeating – the time I spent in her studio while I was in university made an enormous difference in my life, and I’ve no doubt that she helped me become the writer I am today. One of the many things Dr. Peggy taught me was to understand the power of storytelling through song. And so, when she let me know that she’d just finished reading The Virgin Cure by giving …
New York Minute #2 – The Amazing Moth Girl (or, “Crazy Canadian writer girl catches a moth in Manhattan.”) This post is part of my ongoing feature New York Minutes. To see the other posts in the series, click on the “New York Minute” category in the sidebar labelled “Stuff I blog about, a lot.” Whenever I’m in New York, I spend at least one day walking around the Lower East Side. It’s become a bit of a pilgrimage for me, since that’s where my great-great grandmother got her start as a “lady” doctor (and as a kick-a&& rebellious young …
So, this happened last week… The Virgin Cure appeared in the July issue of O Magazine, featured as one of “The Books of Summer.” (page 109 .) The news came late Friday night when I received a facebook message from my former college roommate/best buddy, Dawn, “Jamie just told me that your book is in O Magazine. Is it true?” I had no idea if it was true or not, but Jamie, (Dawn’s niece) is one smart cookie, so I had no reason to doubt her. (Of course as soon as the stores were open the next morning, dear hubby …