L.M. Falcone in British Columbia

Sunshine greeted me upon my arrival on Vancouver Island. After that it rained almost every day. When I’d least expect it, the sun would break through and I’d smile at the awesome beauty of the mountains, the ocean, and the flowers. Magical is the word that comes to mind.

Since my Book Week Tour would take me to nine different towns from one end of the Island to the other, I was provided with a rental car. No power windows or doors and a malfunctioning GPS made for a stressful drive but, as I got to each school, the stress, like the rain, melted away in the welcoming warmth of the students, teachers and librarians.

My supernatural middle-grade novels thrilled audiences wherever I presented. If I’d had books to sell on the spot, I’d be a millionaire. These young readers were so enthusiastic that I’d have long line-ups wanting my autograph. I’m used to signing scraps of paper, bare arms, and even T-shirts, but Vancouver Island kids are bolder than most – they wanted their cheeks and foreheads autographed too! My mantra was – “Your mother’s going to kill me!”

There are many memories that I’ll cherish from this tour: A boy with open arms and a huge grin ran up to me shouting, “You inspired me sooo much I want to be a writer!” A shy girl waited for her classmates to leave then came up to me and quietly asked, “May I hug you?” A young boy raced up to me in the parking lot to give me the gift of a little red car that he carried around in his pocket. “Thank you,” he said. And my vote for the funniest moment of the tour – at a library in Victoria, just as I wrote the title of my as-yet-unpublished graphic novel, Farty PantZ, a boy farted – yes he did – loud and long. Everybody cracked up – especially me. We didn’t stop laughing for a good five minutes. What a hoot. Or should I say, toot?