Monday, October 22, 07

Hello Podlings!
My name is Anita Daher. This week I’m your friendly neighbourhood guest blogger.

Let us begin.

It’s 8:30, that perfect time of evening sandwiched between a frenetic day, and what is sure to be a zed-filled night. Actually, I am somewhat surprised I am not in a zombie-state already, but pleased. I hear zombies have some difficulty with keyboards, what with the way their digits tend to snap off at the knuckles. I need my digits to type, and would hate to muck up another keyboard.

I suppose I should tell you a little bit about myself. The official blurb talks about how I’ve been everywhere, man, and that’s true. Okay, not everywhere, but quite a lot of places. You might say I’m a bit of a where-wolf. Hahaha! No harm in getting in the Halloween spirit, hmm?

Where-wolf was I? Oh yes. Me.

I am one of those military brats you hear about. My mother and father were both with the Canadian Armed Forces, and so I caught the travel bug at a very early age. I was born in Summerside, on Prince Edward Island, where I enjoyed red sand beaches, and long walks from the base to town to buy candy. At least, that was my plan. I never actually made it all the way to town. It’s not that my little five-year-old legs couldn’t walk that far—I was determined enough to overcome anything—but the littler legs of my best friend Nancy refused to go past the ditch with all the tadpoles. She thought they were cute. Cute. Can you believe that? Cool, maybe. Do you think maybe she grew up to be a biologist? Perhaps she grew up to be a candy-maker. Now that would be cool.

My parents eventually left the Forces, but continued to travel Canada from airport to airport working for Transport Canada’s aviation division. As a result, I not only caught the travel bug, but also the aviation flew (which is much different from the avian flu). My first two books, Flight from Big Tangle, and Flight from Bear Canyon were born of my love of aviation, and my love of adventure.

Once upon a time, in that space in between tadpoles and life goals I worked in the aviation industry too. How could I not? I come from several generations of aviation nuts. In any case, time folded, and I turned a leaf. I left the aviation industry, and now write full time-though not about aviation. However my love of adventure continues, and always will, and that is what I continue to write, and always will. Last spring I launched Racing for Diamonds, a Junior Canadian Ranger adventure set in Canada’s sub-arctic. Two more nail-biting JCR adventures are on their way.

And soon, very soon, my sports thriller for teens, Two Foot Punch, will hit the shelves. I’m so excited about it! Have you heard of “parkour?” If not, you’ve gotta read this book. If you are already familiar with parkour, well, that’s all the more reason to read it!

That’s all for tonight. I hear a scratching at the door.and an ever so soft “snap.snap.snap.” I wonder who?

Zzzzzz
-Anita