BookExpo Canada 2008

Ah, BookExpo, my Disney World of literary dreams, with the same long lines, the same sweltering heat, and the same roller coasters...wait, no roller coasters, but free beer, which can approximate the experience handily enough.
The big mug you see here is myself, at the front of the lineup of ravenous hordes who awaited patiently to feast upon their favourite authors and free swag.

Here's myself (on the left - no, your left) with ECW Press' David Caron, and my magnificent Gold Medal for Best Popular Fiction Novel at this year's Independent Publisher Book Awards. I wore it around all day, and despite the neck cramps and chaffing, it was so worth it.

Myself and bestest bud forever Andrew Pyper (The Killing Circle, Lost Girls). A little hint for those who've never met me: if you want to immediately gain my trust, affection, and pin number, when we meet for the first time, utter the phrase, "Corey Redekop? Hey, I liked your novel!" Man, it gets me every time.

Canadian crime novelist Peter Robinson (All the Colours of Darkness).

Canadian wunderkind Nathan Whitlock (A Week of This).

Nalo Hopkinson (Brown Girl in the Ring).

James W. Nichol (Transgressions).

Rawi Hage (Cockroach, IMPAC Dublin winner for De Niro's Game).

Paul Quarrington (The Ravine, Galveston, Whale Music, King Leary, and a terrific blurb on my novel).

Quentin Jardine (Aftershock).

Nick DiChario (Valley of Day-Glo, A Small and Remarkable Life).

Rick Blechta (A Case of You).

Lawrence Hill (The Book of Negroes).

It was the end of the day, I was exhausted, and whatever this thing was it spoke to me.