After surviving the snowy wilds of Northern BC and visiting some beautiful and tiny hamlets, I’ll now attempt to tackle some of the biggest cities in Canada for the next week or so.

The next week will feature some amazing musical performances at all the book events:

Montreal: JF Robitaille
Kingston: Matthew Barber
Windsor: Crissi Cochrane
London: Marty Kolls
Toronto: Matthew Barber
Ottawa: Chris Page, Andrew Vincent

Please note that the times noted above are the actual start times for each event. Get there early before the posted times! Hope to see you soon.

Here are the complete dates:

Sat Nov 23, Drawn and Quarterly, Montreal QC, 7pm. RSVP at the Facebook event page, w/ musical performance by JF Robitaille

Sun Nov 24, Kingston Brew Pub, Kingston ON, 2pm w/ musical performance by Matthew Barber. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Mon Nov 25, Phog Lounge, Windsor ON, 7pm w/ musical performance by Crissi Cochrane.

Tue Nov 26, Landon Library (not a misprint), London ON, 7pm, w/ musical performance by Marty Kolls.

Wed Nov 27, Toronto Launch Party, Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, Toronto ON, 8pm-10pm, w/ musical appearance by Matthew Barber, interview by Kevin Sylvester. Presented by This Is Not A Reading Series and Douglas and McIntyre. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Fri Nov 29, Pressed, Ottawa ON, 7pm, w/musical performance by Chris Page, Andrew Vincent. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Fri Dec 6, Amigo’s, Saskatoon SK, 8:30pm, w/ musical performance by Maybe Smith. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Sat Dec 7, Bruno Artsbank, Bruno SK, 7pm, w/ musical performance by Kay and the Cadillacs.

Sun Dec 8, Public Library, St. Albert AB, 2pm, w/ musical performance by Mike McDonald (Junior Gone Wild).

Mon Dec 9, National Music Centre, Calgary AB, 7pm, w/ musical performance by KJ Jansen (Chixdiggit), Matt Masters.

Tue Dec 10, Public Library, Cranbrook BC, 7pm

Wed Dec 11, Public Library, Kimberley BC, 7pm

Thu Dec 12, Public Library, Fernie BC, 7pm

Sun Dec 15, Memorial Library, West Vancouver BC, 2:30pm

Early praise for The Lonely End of the Rink:

“I hate hockey but I love this book” – Cory Ashworth, The Peak FM

“Grant Lawrence is a razor-sharp humourist” – Times Colonist, Victoria

“One of Canada’s leading storytellers” – Vancouver Sun

“Soul-searching, candid and clever” – Ron MacLean, Hockey Night In Canada

“Like David Sedaris in a Canadian tuxedo” – Boyd Devereaux, Stanley Cup Champion, Detroit Red Wings

“Heartbreaking and hilarious” – Angie Abdou, author, The Bone Cage

“It’s not always pretty, but this is a funny, poignant, and very Canadian story”. – Kevin Sylvester, CBC broadcaster

THANK YOU! Thanks to your early support of The Lonely End of the Rink: Confessions of a Reluctant Goalie, (released on Oct 24th, 2013) the book has debuted at #3 on the Canadian Bestsellers List for Paperback Nonfiction and is currently #1 on the BC Bestsellers List.

Here’s the national paperback nonfiction top 5 for the week of Nov 4:

1. The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King
2. Blood by Lawrence Hill
3. The Lonely End of the Rink by Grant Lawrence
4. Orange Is The New Black by Piper Kerman
5. The War on Science by Chris Turner

Thanks to all who came out to launch events in Vancouver, Victoria, and throughout Vancouver Island! The Lonely End of the Rink book tour continues this weekend with events in Vancouver, Sechelt, and Powell River. Complete dates below. Oh… and the Vancouver Flying Vees are 6-2 on the season so far…

Wed Nov 6, The Flame Holiday Edition, Shadbolt Centre, Burnaby BC. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Thu Nov 7, Arts Centre, Sechelt BC, 7pm.

Fri Nov 8, Rainbow Room, Rodmay Hotel, Powell River BC, 7pm, w/ musical performance from Slim Milkie, presented by Breakwater Books. RSVP on the Facebook event page.

Wed Nov 13, Sam Sullivan’s Public Salon, Playhouse Theatre, Vancouver BC

Thu Nov 14, Public Library, Prince George BC, 6pm

Fri Nov 15 Public Library, Fraser Lake BC, 1pm

Fri Nov 15, Public Library, Fort St. James BC, 7pm

Sat Nov 16, Public Library, McBride BC, 2pm

Sat Nov 16, Public Library, Valemount BC, 7pm

Sat Nov 23, Drawn and Quarterly, Montreal QC, 7pm. RSVP at the Facebook event page, w/ musical performance by JF Robitaille

Sun Nov 24, Kingston Brew Pub, Kingston ON, 2pm w/ musical performance by Matthew Barber. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Mon Nov 25, Phog Lounge, Windsor ON, 7pm w/ musical performance by Crissi Cochrane.

Tue Nov 26, Landon Library (not a misprint), London ON, 7pm, w/ musical performance by Marty Kolls.

Wed Nov 27, Toronto Launch Party, Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, Toronto ON, 8pm-10pm, w/ musical appearance by Matthew Barber, interview by Kevin Sylvester. Presented by This Is Not A Reading Series and Douglas and McIntyre. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Fri Nov 29, Pressed, Ottawa ON, 7pm. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Fri Dec 6, Amigo’s, Saskatoon SK, w/ musical performance by Maybe Smith. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Sat Dec 7, Bruno Artsbank, Bruno SK, w/ musical performance by Kay and the Cadillacs.

Sun Dec 8, Public Library, St. Albert AB, 2pm, w/ musical performance by Mike McDonald (Junior Gone Wild).

Mon Dec 9, National Music Centre, Calgary AB, w/ musical performance by KJ Jansen (Chixdiggit), Matt Masters.

Tue Dec 10, Public Library, Cranbrook BC

Wed Dec 11, Public Library, Kimberley BC

Thu Dec 12, Public Library, Fernie BC

Sun Dec 15, Memorial Library, West Vancouver BC

Early praise for The Lonely End of the Rink:

“Grant Lawrence is a razor-sharp humourist” – Times Colonist, Victoria

“One of Canada’s leading storytellers” – Vancouver Sun

“Soul-searching, candid and clever” – Ron MacLean, Hockey Night In Canada

“Like David Sedaris in a Canadian tuxedo” – Boyd Devereaux, Stanley Cup Champion, Detroit Red Wings

“Heartbreaking and hilarious” – Angie Abdou, author, The Bone Cage

“It’s not always pretty, but this is a funny, poignant, and very Canadian story”. – Kevin Sylvester, CBC broadcaster

POKE CHECK! (photo by C.McAvoy)

On October 24, 2013, CBC personality and award-winning author Grant Lawrence releases his second book, The Lonely End of the Rink: Confessions of a Reluctant Goalie, on Douglas and McIntyre. In celebration of the new memoir chronicling Lawrence’s love/hate relationship with Canada’s national winter sport, book launch events have been announced in cities across the country with more to follow.

“Whether I’m on radio, TV, or at a book reading, I truly love interacting with audiences”, says Lawrence. “For years I was a touring musician with my band the Smugglers, so being on the road is in my blood. I can’t wait to get back out there and share stories from the new book”.

All events will include Grant reading or telling stories from the new book, as well as a slide presentation, a short film, Q+A, book signing, and live musical performances from special guests in select cities.

Thu Oct 24, Vancouver Launch Party, BC Sports Hall of Fame, Vancouver BC, 7pm-9pm, w/ musical appearance by Bodhi Jones. Presented by BCSHF, Douglas and McIntyre, and Phillips Brewing. RSVP at Facebook event page.

Fri Oct 25, Victoria Launch Party, Copper Owl, Victoria BC, 7pm, musical performance by Matt Lockhart. Presented by Bolen Books. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Sat Oct 26, Community Theatre, Tofino BC, 7pm

Sun Oct 27, Laughing Oyster Books, Courtenay BC, 3pm

Mon Oct 28, Java Shack, Campbell River BC, 7pm

Tue Oct 29, Nanaimo Public Library, Nanaimo BC, 6pm

Wed Oct 30, Lefty’s Restaurant, Parksville BC, 6pm

Thu Nov 7, Arts Centre, Sechelt BC, 7pm

Fri Nov 8, Rainbow Room, Rodmay Hotel, Powell River BC, 7pm, w/ musical performance from Slim Milkie, presented by Breakwater Books.

Thu Nov 14, Public Library, Prince George BC, 6pm

Fri Nov 15 Public Library, Fraser Lake BC, 1pm

Fri Nov 15, Public Library, Fort St. James BC, 7pm

Sat Nov 16, Public Library, McBride BC, 2pm

Sat Nov 16, Public Library, Valemount BC, 7pm

Sat Nov 23, Drawn and Quarterly, Montreal QC, 7pm

Sun Nov 24, Kingston Brew Pub, Kingston ON, 2pm w/ musical performance by Matthew Barber

Mon Nov 25, Phog Lounge, Windsor ON, 7pm w/ musical performance by Crissi Cochrane

Tue Nov 26, Landon Library (not a misprint), London ON, 7pm, w/ musical performance by Marty Kolls.

Wed Nov 27, Toronto Launch Party, Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, Toronto ON, 8pm-10pm, w/ musical appearance by Matthew Barber, interview by Kevin Sylvester. Presented by This Is Not A Reading Series and Douglas and McIntyre. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Thu Nov 28, tba, Hamilton ON

Fri Nov 29, Pressed, Ottawa ON, 7pm. RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Fri Dec 6, Amigo’s, Saskatoon SK, w/ musical performance by Maybe Smith.

Sat Dec 7, Bruno Artsbank, Bruno SK, w/ musical performance by Maybe Smith.

Sun Dec 8, Public Library, St. Albert AB

Mon Dec 9, National Music Centre, Calgary AB, w/ musical performance by KJ Jansen (Chixdiggit)

Tue Dec 10, Public Library, Cranbrook BC

Wed Dec 11, Public Library, Kimberley BC

Thu Dec 12, Public Library, Fernie BC

Advanced praise for The Lonely End of the Rink:

“Soul-searching, candid and clever” – Ron MacLean, Hockey Night In Canada

“Like David Sedaris in a Canadian tuxedo” – Boyd Devereaux, Stanley Cup Champion, Detroit Red Wings

“Heartbreaking and hilarious” – Angie Abdou, author, The Bone Cage

“It’s not always pretty, but this is a funny, poignant, and very Canadian story”. – Kevin Sylvester, CBC broadcaster