Up until this moment, the whole blook business has felt entirely surreal. Despite finalizing the manuscript and planning a trip home for the launch parties, it’s always felt like it was happening to someone else. But now there’s no denying it. Nothing like seeing your own book on Amazon and Indigo to jolt you into reality. So, I (meaning my brother-in-law Scott and his brother Neil) spent some time over the weekend creating a blook page.

I hope the links work for you (one at the top of the page, one at the right side of the page). If not, well, I look like a jackass but it’s all their fault. If you click on either link, you’ll see a bigger picture of the blook cover. I think it’s just beautiful. It was made using a travel journal that I gave Neil many years ago when we took our first trip together.

The cover was designed by the immensely talented, the wonderfully generous and the interminably nagged Neil. In case you didn’t know, Neil is an award winning professional graphic designer/art director/brand consultant but more importantly, he cooks, takes out the garbage and has patience enough even for the likes of me.

Anyway, the page shows any upcoming events and offers you ways to pre-order the blook. Now Americans, take note. The blook is 100% Canadian, eh, but fear not. If you wish to purchase a copy and talk it up all over the home of the brave (you know you do), no worries. All three points of purchase will ship it right to your red, white and blue mailbox.

Same goes for the rest of the world. If you happen to be in Atlantic Canada in late April/early May, come to the launches/signings and I’ll sign one for you. Imagine what that’ll be worth someday! At least a fraction of what you paid for it.

So this is me, standing under a streetlamp on a deserted corner and opening my rumpled raincoat, a dozen fake Rolex watches dangling on one side and a shiny new copy of Finding Me in France on the other, “Psst, hey you, wanna buy a blook? Tell you what, seeing who you are, I’ll make you a special deal — if you master the phrase “No, you can’t borrow mine, buy your own and here’s how” — I’ll throw in an hour with Rusty over there. As long as you whine long and hard enough, he’ll do whatever you ask.”

ps All jokes aside, my sincere thanks to Neil McCulloch for the Finding Me in France cover design and to Scott McCulloch, blogmaster