Kailynn Doane

Writer, artist, future educator Kailynn Doane

Potential is not dictated by age.

One of our youngest friends is a dedicated high school student who plays piano, guitar, saxophone and beginner trumpet. She is a dynamite artist and freelance photographer. She competed with her rare breed dog at the State level in 4-H and is learning to ride her uncle's wild horses in the hinterlands. While in the city, she is seen around town on bike and when not on bike she is in the pool as an avid swimmer.

Whew. We wonder when she has time to do any homework.

We're excited to know Kailynn Doane and celebrate her own Active Qu3st. She is currently enrolled in the Science Math Technology at the largest high school in her city and is the organized friend who keeps everyone else on track to complete assignments on time.

Doane creates art wherever she finds

an interesting surface or medium.

Doane has her sights on a swimming trip to China March 2011. The trip is organized by Washington Cultural Exchange. They are an educational 501(c)(3) charitable organization begun in 1986 to increase cultural awareness and appreciation through international travel and competition.

Traveling with Washington Cultural Exchange is an exceptional opportunity and students are encouraged to network with the community and seek financial support.

Doane is seeking donations from local businesses, friends and of course, family. Support is paid directly to WSE in the students name and may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Email Active Qu3st, Now@ActiveQu3st.com, if you would like more information on how to contribute to Miss Doane's cultural exchange. Personally, we can't wait to see her photos, but first we have to make sure she snags that trip :-)

---

Books' worst enemy: FIRE

As reported in The Columbian, a fire next door to Cover to Cover Books ravaged the locally owned book shop with smoke and water damage. They are temporarily closed, but both owner Mel, and the owner of Mel--Smedley the cat, escaped unharmed.

Mel sent us this update:

We won't have power for at least a few days, and I will be meeting the adjuster later today to see what's what. Last night it was a mess, ceiling tiles down everywhere, water and smoke damage. Not sure how bad the books are, but there was no fire in our suite, just stink, some water damage, and mess of other sorts. Smeds and I got out just fine, along with most of the electronics. Luckily it was before our Open Microphone, so there was just me and the cat in the store at the time.

Probably need to scratch the author faire in December. I have no idea how long the business will be sidelined, but I expect at least a month, actually, and I won't have any extra oomph to keep that rolling while we assess the mess and get a new ceiling and flooring and whatever else.

*sigh*

It's always something. The irony is that last night while we were salvaging paperwork by flashlight, I found the inspection report and invoice from our annual fire extinguisher inspection: all 3 extinguishers were fine! Not that we had fire, but still. IRONY, WE HAVE IT.

Mel

We'll keep you posted on alternative location for the November Vancouver Writers Mixer as soon as we have secured space. In the meantime, our best wishes are with Mel and all the friends of Cover to Cover Books.

From the mailbox, read at your own risk

We received this email from one of our friends (psst... Melanie Sherman). It expresses our own love of beautifully crafted language.

"I followed someone on twitter who sent me the following direct message:

thanks 4 following me, Melanie. I look 4ward 2 connecting w/ U. PLZ remember me if U ever need proofreading, editing or transcriptions done,

Um...yeah. She'd B like a 1st lieu10ant. I'd forgot10 how much help that wood B."

---

If you need editing assistance, perhaps Active Qu3st can assist you in finding a real editor. Wait! We think you already know one. Keep editing, friend, and let us know when you get back to that agent who is hot on your trail. We want to see your book published!

Let the kids tweet!

Received an email from Carolyn J. Rose that made us laugh. She is currently substitute teaching and enjoying the heck out of it—now that she views it as part of her social life and a chance to practice stand-up comedy.

Here's what she wrote . . .

So I see a kid with his phone out in class today and I tell him he’d better be texting his pals to tell them that I’m the greatest sub in the world and he says no, he’s tweeting it. A few minutes later another kid says he’s tweeting about me, too.

I should have taken their phones away, but I knew that you, my publicist, would have been upset at the loss of free publicity. LOL

That's right, Carolyn. We want ALL the PR we can get for you as possible, even from kids who should be studying English.

After all, when they are tweeting they are still writing, aren't they?