Vicki Grant in Alberta

I have to admit I was somewhat trepidatious heading off to Alberta for TD Children’s Book Week. I’ve been on other tours and, as much as I enjoyed meeting all the kids and valued the experience and, of course, appreciated the income, I wasn’t sure I was up to doing it again. In the past it’s taken me a good two weeks (and a blood transfusion) to recover from a one-week tour.

I checked my Book Week schedule. The good news was that this time, at least, I wouldn’t be doing six presentations daily. The more worrisome news was that I’d be visiting seven towns in five days.

By Greyhound bus.

Young adult writers in Canada have to do what they can to survive so I crammed an optimistic number of books into my roll-on luggage, took a potent multivitamin and got on my way. I figured I could tough it out for a week.

Tough it out? Ha! Book Week in Alberta was a delight. Ginger Mullen made sure everything moved smoothly. There was one less than receptive class but, other than that, the kids were great. Many had read my books. Most of the others seemed interested in giving one a try. The teachers were welcoming and appreciative and always ready to answer my dumb Eastern questions. (I now consider myself somewhat of an expert on pumpjacks and stubble.) The bookstores had my books in stock and one even had my latest marked as a staff favourite. (Greenwood’s in Edmonton. They deserve a plug.) Who wouldn’t love Alberta?

To tell you the truth, I even enjoyed my time on the Greyhound. It wasn’t the highlight of my trip – that was the kid at Calgary Science School saying I looked 32 – but I kind of liked sitting in that big, plush seat looking out at the endless air force-blue skies and golden fields.

I even came to like the stubble.