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Have you signed up for this challenge? has the deets.

I am still doing the 2011 reading challenge. I'm up to 33!

This is the place I'll be listing books read for 2012 challenge. There's a bucket load of fantastic books coming out next year that I can't wait for!

I'm listing the books I definitely plan to read. Then I'll go from there.


1. May B by Caroline Starr Rose
2. The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
3. Chained by Lynne Kelly
4. Shadows Cast by Stars by Katherine Knutsson
5. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
6. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
7. Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
8. Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

I couldn't resist sharing these photos with you.

My friend Christine SelingerÌýand her sonÌýhave done somethingÌýthat I think deserves some kind of award. Her son's favourite book is Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, and for his school project, Chris decided they should use cake. Yes, this is totally edible, and indeed, was eaten that very day by the class.

Four handmade cakes, two different kinds of homemade icing, jello, three different kinds of brown sugar for the sand, all adds up to one enormously creative ode to a great book.

If you've read the book, you'll recognize items in the model. Turtle eggs. The sinking plane. Berries. The skunk. Moose, wolf, bear. The cave. Is this seriously cool or what? What do you think? Mom of the Year Award material?

close up
Front viewback view


the cake artists
Any other books made into a cake out there?

This is the message I received this morning from our new neighbours

ÌýRight at the end of our driveway - an impressive pile of wolf poop. And I mean a PILE.ÌýThis can't be from just one animal, therefore this required a community effort. What does this message mean?

We're big so don't mess with us.This is the line into our territory. You own the driveway, we own the rest.Hello there, dear neighbours, here's our card. Call us. We know you are dogsitting a tasty little morsel of a Chihuahua right now.The past few days we've had lots of wolf excitement. One evening I looked out the window in time to see the dog running for her life onto the deck with a huge brown timber wolf on her tail. The wolf came right to the bottom of the stairs before he noticed me standing there, and then wheeled around and took off down the driveway.

Two nights ago the dogs and I were walking in the dark and found ourselves in the middle of the pack taking down a deer. We didn't see anything, but the noises surrounding us had me hustling home with my feeble little headlamp frantically scanning around behind us. In the morning we found the evidence of a fight to the finish. The tracks told the story of how the wolves went around downwind, and then launched the attack. The deer went down, got up, went down again. We have many, many deer in our area, so it must be a good spot for the wolves to hang for a while.

flickerCC

In the evenings, the pack sings. They sometimes wake us in the middle of the night. They obviously have some pups who can't sing yet, but try to make up for it by being the loudest. Sled dog pups do this too. It's hilarious to listen to.

Any wolf stories out there? Anyone care to decipher to scat code?

If you like dogsledding, check out the . It's full of pre-race stories and great pictures of the amazingÌýsled dogs and how they get geared up for the big race.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

I have much to be thankful for:

my man
my job
my dogs
my home
my health
my family
my ability to smell when the milk is about to turn. It's a gift really.

and the most recent huge thing I'm thankful for, I can't talk about yet. Please stay tuned.



Now, on to the winners of my recent Elevensie Celebration Giveaway:

Winner of the YA package is Lucy D'Andrea


Winner of the MG package is Irene Latham


Winner of the MIXED BAG package is Angel Cruz




So, what do you have to be thankful for today?

A recent new blog I found,Ìý post on covers has inspired me.

ÌýI LOVE book covers. I could wallpaper a room with some of the delicious art that is wrapped around books.ÌýGive me a cup of Starbucks Chai Latte andÌýlet meÌýlooseÌýto wanderÌýaround Chapters.ÌýBliss.

I will admit to purchasing many just because of the cover.

Here are some of them:


and these:

But really, my all time favourite cover, the one that stopped me in my tracks as I wasÌýtrying to leave a bookstore, was this beauty:


Have you ever discovered a new favourite author because the cover drew you in?

I'm jumping in to the six sentence meme.

Here's six from my own novel DOGSLED DREAMS, published by 4RV December, 2010


Chunks of ice flew off the dogs' feet and bounced on Rebecca's chest. Sometimes, more than just ice flew back.The dogs were trained to poop while they ran, as all racing sled dogs are. Rebecca kept watch for brown missiles flying in her direction. She made sure to keep her mouth closed.



Don't forget to enter my giveaway - two weeks left!

It's that time again, where I celebrate my good fortune ofÌýÌýby giving away books!Ìý

I'm sharing the FABULOUSNESS that is the 2011 debut author group Ìý(seriously, go check out all the amazing books. I can't believe I know these writers)


This time I'm going completely nuts giving awayÌýbooks in BULK. There are three packages up for grabs - some are bonus books. All you have to do is tell me whichÌýcollection of booksÌýyou'd like. I know, I know, the choice is TOO HARD! But life is full of choices, as all the protags in these stories demonstrate. You will just have to pick.


rules:
fill out the form (make sure you fill out your email, dudes! You are hard to track down.)no need to follow (but I'd love if you did)ends October 10, 2011 (which is Thanksgiving, Canada style)
On to the books:

THE ECLECTIC ELEVENSIES YOUNG ADULT COLLECTION:




Unearthly by
OyMG by
The End of the Line by
The Near Witch by
Popular by
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

(yes, Jay Asher is not an Elevensie, but it's a pretty awesome book)



THE MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE COLLECTION:


*Vanished by
*With a Name Like Love by
When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton
Plain Kate by Erin Bow
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

*Elevensie
BONUS: included in this package you get stickers and bookmarks of the upcoming middle grade novel

Ìý
Caroline is a peach of a lady (wait, not peach. She deserves more than a cliche. I don't even like biting into one of those - too much fuzz. It should be something really yummy like watermelon. Yeah, Caroline is a seedless watermelon) I can't wait for January 2012 when this novel in verse to comes out!




THE MIXEDÌýBAG OF MERMAIDS, MONSTERS,ÌýAND OTHER WONDERFULLY WEIRD THINGS COLLECTION:


The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Seven Tears into the Sea by Teri Farley
Unwind by Neil Shusterman
Ingo by Helen Dunmore
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau





edit: hey, I forgot to ask for your blog addy. If you have one, stick it on there so I can visit. Or comment on the post!

I'm back from another awesome expedition. This time to the remote, wild coast of Lake Superior. The official Park description:

Along the eastern shore of Lake Superior is a landscape like no other. A succession of massive headlands disappears into a shining expanse of water, forming a rugged coast that stretches farther than the eye can see. The world's largest fresh water lake - deep, cold, beautiful, myth-inspiring.

Gitche Gumee slept for most of our trip allowing us to get up close to the magnificient towering cliffs and spectacular pictographs. Here's a few shots, but of course, the photos don't do it justice. Most days we planned the headlands to avoid the afternoon winds, so the sun wasn't right for good pictures. I wish everyone could experience actually being there and witness the power of nature.

Click any photo to view larger.
checking out the pictographs on the rock
heading to the Devil's Warehouse where ancient scrolls were kept in a cave
Denis contemplating the Devil's Chair, where the giant supposedly rested after stepping over the lake
self portrait of the coast



Denis checking out one of many sea caves
my view from the tent couldn't be better. Cliffs aren't bad either
three cedars growing together from rock


Only a few moments of pure terror with some interesting crossings. AndÌýan unceremonious dumping and thorough pounding of one wet Terry under a rolling surf in the first three minutes of the trip. Yeah, welcome to Superior.
What grand adventures did you have this summer? Tell me about how the simple power of the outdoors filled you up.�

Thought I'd pass along this insider scoop. The 2011 Iditarod summer raffle has 2000 tickets to sell, and they've only sold half of them. And the draw is in three days! Good odds.

Do you want to help support Iditarod 2012? How about a chance to winÌýoneÌýof two grand prize trucks.Ìý.ÌýÌý