The Last Hunt: The future of books?

My next project as an author will certainly be an eBook! In the Globe, Simon Houpt told us about this new form of interactive production by the NFB: The Last Hunt. It made we wonder if this it the future of books?

Not long to watch and a perfect activity for a short coffee break, The Last Hunt takes more after books than films, presented as a gorgeous animated photo album, with music in the background. You're not told the story, you have to read it. As you scroll down, some images in the text get animated. (The photos are by photographer Montreal-based Alexi Hobbs accompanying his grandfather to his cabin.)

I don't know how much it costs to produce such an "eBook" but I could see it changing the way we read books in the very near future.

Fun fact: When you google "the last hunt", the first website that pops up has nothing poetic about it! It is a bargain website, featuring a polar bear's head with the tag line "Hurry up before they disappear!".

Girlfriends 1, husbands 0

The real reason why my walking guides are titled 
Toronto Urban Strolls... for girlfriends.

I rest my case.  ;~)

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and photos and updates on urban strolls

Too many letters in my guide (and in my spelling of Fairmont Royal York Hotel)

It's Fairmont, not Fairmount Royal York Hotel!

You remember this story about the emperor who, after a Mozart performance, told him that it was great, apart from the fact that there were too many notes? (See the clip of this scene here.) 

Well, apparently, there are too many letters in my two new guides Toronto Urban Strolls! And I found out in a funny (though a bit mortifying) way.

My mistake
In my last post about the making of a walking guide, I was waiting for the two guides from the printer and wondering which mistake I would find! (There's always something, regardless of how many times a book is proofread.)


I found out when I went to drop the books the Fairmont Store at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel had ordered. 

As I was showing Stella, the enthusiastic manager (so enthusiastic actually that I thought she was the owner), the map for the PATH Underground Stroll in which the hotel is mentioned, I saw that I had spelt the hotel's name Fairmount, not Fairmont! 

This is what happens when you try to write a book and cook meals for your kids!

Mea Culpa, and free card offer!
I had to tell her on the spot, totally aware that Fairmont's marketing people could be very sensitive about things like this! And I was right, this would normally be a deal breaker. (To my defence, I noticed that Tripadvisor and reservationcounter.com also post links with the wrong spelling, which tells me I'm not the only one misspelling that name.)

The Fairmont Store manager had such a good opinion of Toronto Urban Strolls that she decided to carry it anyway. (And the first 12 copies she bought sold like cupcakes!)

To thank her, I'm giving a $6 card (from a collection of cards featuring photos from the guides) to anyone who will mention this blog to her or her assistant Nicole when buying a copy of Toronto Urban Strolls 1 or 2 at her store.

This is not your average hotel gift store. In addition to a few quality souvenirs, they carry a wide collection of clothes and accessories, along with luxury bed sheets.

While you're there
Note that the hotel is just a couple of blocks west of Brookfield Place with its elegant arches and Le Marché restaurant featuring an interesting concept of food stations.

(To my defence! As seen on Internet when Googling "Fairmount" Royal York!)

The self-publishing adventure

Illustration done by my illustrator Johanne Pepin

to show the state of my office just prior 

to the publication of a guide.

The making of a walking guide 

From November  2012 to April 2013, I did a series of posts about the making of my new walking guide Toronto Urban Strolls... for girlfriends  2. 

At the time, I hadn't set up the Toronto Urban Strolls blog yet. (A lot happened since I got the books from the printer on April 16!) 

I'm now moving the series to this blog, in which I'll continue describing the adventure of making, promoting, selling and distributing my self-published guide in this blog. 

Here's the link to the "making of" series, still posted on my blog Toronto Fun Places: The making of a Toronto walking guide.

Toronto Urban Strolls marketed as a girlfriends' guide

Why a guide "for girlfriends"? 

When I launched into the writing of Toronto Urban Strolls... for girlfriends, many people were wondering if positioning my walking guides as a reference for girlfriends was a wise decision. 

Anyone who's organized anything for a group knows it is more stressful when gender and age groups differ. 

I chose to envision my girlfriends when deciding on the points of interest along the strolls, without considering if my suggestions would bore husbands, boyfriends or children to tears. 

Bottom line: I don't need to explain to my girlfriends why I'm pointing out Winners stores (still a great mystery to my husband).

Photo taken from a blog on
How to hold a purse without compromising your dude-hood.
I found many similar blogs!

Are you man enough?
As I always say, this is a guide for girlfriends... and guys man enough to handle a guide for girlfriends. (You know, the kind of guy who can hold your handbag while you go to the washroom without loosing his cool.)

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Caffeine buzz for a writer

About the role of caffeine in the making of a guide

Sometimes, there's lace in my latte! (This one from Broadview Espresso at 817 Broadview Avenue.) 

In our last email exchange, I was telling my illustrator that everyone but me got a nasty cold in my family. I suggested that maybe the fact that my body is saturated with caffeine helped.

She told me that she has to thread carefully between enough coffee to get a buzz but not enough to prevent her hand from being steady. Good girl!

Like Toronto Urban Strolls on Facebook!

Intrigued by the book writing adventure? 

Read my posts on the making of Toronto Urban Strolls... for girlfriends 2.

The making of Toronto Urban Strolls... for girlfriends

It's all about perseverance

I'll get to the bottom of this!

(A friend just posted this on Facebook. It even looks like me!)

Like Toronto Urban Strolls on Facebook!

Intrigued by the book writing adventure? 

Read my posts on the making of Toronto Urban Strolls... for girlfriends 2.