I’m stoked to be a part of the launch of Jordan Abel‘s new book, Un/Inhabited. It’s at The Paper Hound, a bookstore I love. Also, Ben Rawluk will read, and he is awesome and hilarious. Woo! October 1st, 7pm. RSVP on FB.

I wrote PEDAL with paradoxical intentions: that no one ever read it (ever!), and that everyone read it in order to open up discourses around abuse and trauma. I had the pure and noble intention of destigmatizing sexual abuse conversations because I thought it could promote healing for people who’ve experienced it. And empathy for others. And maybe some research. Also, I just wanted to try to write a book that was funny and also had pedophiles in it, like life does. Now PEDAL’s launch approaches, activating all sorts of fears in my body. I want to run away and hide! What was I thinking, writing a book about this shit? Oh well. What’s done is done. Join these three intelligent women and me as we look at stuff that is, for whatever reason, hard to look at. We will have fun doing it. There will be laughs.

You guys. Self promotion is hard. Especially for introverts, I think. Anyway. If you go to this link and enter to win PEDAL, more people will hear about my book and therefore maybe buy it. Which will help me eat and write. Love and kindness. xo

BOOK LAUNCH: PEDAL will launch from the Cottage Bistro on October 15th, 2014 at 7:30pm. Special guests: Jen Neale, Elizabeth Hand and Erika Thorkelson. Hosted by Tracy Stefanucci. A veritable powerhouse of boss women.  See you there!

Thanks to Steven W. Beattie of Quill & Quire for choosing PEDAL as a favourite debut novel of 2014!

Chelsea talks to artist and activist leannej about the value of agitprop and Vancouver politics.

Chelsea interviews Lisa Johnson of JackPine Press, an art-poetry publishing house that got its start with a Governor General’s award-winning poem.

Canada’s magazine of book news Quill and Quire includes Pedal in its Fall Preview for novels.

Book blog 49^th Shelf has included Pedal on its list of Most Anticipated Fall Fiction.

Chelsea interviews Vancouver Art/Book Fair exhibitor Alice Cannava of Berlin’s Occulto Magazine, a publication aiming to bridge the gap between the humanities and sciences.

Vancouver Art/Book Fair exhibitor Tim Feighan of Valley Cruise Press talks about growing up in the Rust Belt and finding inspiration for art.