The Citizen, 2010-03-11, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010. PAGE 23. Entertainment Leisure&
Former Blyth resident and Happy
Baker Erin Bolger recently came
back home, and she has a lot to be
happy about.
The author of The Happy Baker -
A Dater’s Guide to Emotional
Baking,Bolger recently returned to
her hometown from Paris, France,
having competed for the Best
Dessert Cookbook in the world as
well as a good feeling about foreign
interest in her book.
Prior to leaving, Bolger had won
The Gourmand Award For the Best
Canadian Dessert Cookbook.
The Gourmand Awards were
created in 1995 and are designed to
help buyers find the best of the
approximately 26,000 cooking and
wine books produced yearly.
A friend of Bolger’s in the food-
media industry encouraged her to
enter into the Gourmand Awards, as
Bolger didn’t realize there was
recognition for the work.
The award show, which also
served as an opportunity for her to
market her book overseas, was held
early in February, and followed by a
book fair that really opened some
doors for Bolger.
“I basically got off the plane, got
the award, and then had a late night
celebrating,” she said. “And then the
book fair started the next day, it all
went so fast, but I really think it
provided me with some exposure
over there.”
While she hasn’t signed any deals
for foreign-language publication
yet, Bolger feels it won’t be a long
time coming.
“I’m trying to sell it there, but
because it’s self-published, it’s
going to take some work,” she said.
“Usually self-published work isn’t
even looked at, but I’ve received
letters from publishers
acknowledging the book and my
wishes, which is more than they
normally do,” she said.
Bolger believes that the book can
definitely transfer to other languages
and cultures.
“Baking, and love, are universal,
they aren’t bound by language,” she
said.
Bolger worked as a makeup artist
for many Canadian television shows
prior to her literary success, and the
idea for her award-winning book
struck while enjoying an
unprecedented break in her busy
schedule.
“I usually work long days and
long weeks,” she said. “I’d work for
a sitcom or show for three weeks,
and then we’d get a week off, but I’d
go work for another show for that
week, then a chance came for me to
take a month off.”
During that break, the first in
nearly 13 years, Bolger sat on her
balcony and was struck by the idea
to pair her love of baking with
stories from her love-life, and the
result was her The Happy Baker.
The book was self-published
because Bolger wanted to do things
on her own, and at her own pace.
“I didn’t want to wait to have the
book read over by a publisher, I
wanted to get it out there,” she said.
“So I printed it myself, and then I
funded my first tour myself. It’s
good to see how much I can do on
my won.”
Her self-funded tour worked, as it
created a buzz that has recently saw
her book sell enough copies to
become a Chapters Online
Bestseller, and being just 1,000
copies sold short of a Canadian
bestseller.
“I was in Barcelona taking a break
from the tour when I found out
about the best-seller part, I logged in
to see how sales were going,” she
said. “I was so excited, but I’m
aiming for even more.”
The book has received notice at a
national level, being featured on The
Steven & Chris Show, Canada
AM, CityLine and The Dragon’s
Den.
Bolger clarified that her work with
Dragon’s Den is ongoing, and that
she funded her first tour herself,
while the investment that may come
from the show is still being worked
out.
“They still have to do due
diligence on the company,” she said.
“There’s a lot to be done after just
getting a spot on it.”
Over the weekend, Bolger had a
booth at the Women’s Lifestyle
show in London, and she was very
excited prior to going to the event.
“[Dragon’s Den] and my other
appearances have really pushed the
book forward,” she said. “It used to
be, that after some of my national
appearances, I’d get two or three e-
mails, but after Dragon’s Den,I got
like 200.”
Bolger is excited to see how the
exposure will change her
presence at trade shows and
presentations.
The success of the book has really
validated her decision to write it as
well.
“It was such a strong inspiration,
I’m glad it’s doing so well,” she
said. “It really shows that this is
what I was meant to do.”
Her media experiences have
taught her a lot, she said, but the
most important lesson she’s learned
is that she’s got a brand, one that she
wants to expand.
“The Happy Baker,that’s my
brand, and I’ve got a chance to
pursue so many other ideas. I’m
thinking about things like webisodes
to show more,” she said. “Now that
I’m on the other side of the camera,
and I have some experience being
there, I find I’m getting better at
being prepared and knowing what to
do.”
She added that writing this book
“awoke a part of her brain,” allowing
her to think more freely and
creatively.
Sales of Bolger’s book have
surprised her not only in numbers,
but in demographics as well.
“I was really surprised to see that
a lot of teens were buying the book,”
she said. “I didn’t realize how
universal my idea of Emotional
Baking was going to be, but it’s
really caught on.”
Bolger’s current drive is to find
and create more recipes.
“I really like fruit, I only had one
recipe in the first book - an apple
crumble - but I’m going to look at
more things with fruit in them, like
peaches,” she said.
The Happy Baker - A Dater’s
Guide to Emotional Baking is
available through Chapters.ca, and
more information can be found at
Bolger’s website,
www.TheHappyBakerChick.com.
The Happy Baker
Blyth resident Erin Bolger was all smiles at the Women’s Lifestyle show held in London on
the weekend. Bolger’s book, The Happy Baker, recently became an online bestseller, and is
well on its way to being a Canadian bestseller. Bolger’s Aunt, Mayme Gibbons (right) helped
her operate her booth.(Denny Scott photo)
Happy Baker nears bestseller as author looks abroad
Happy 3rd
Birthday
Madison Lee
March 17
Love Mommy, Daddy
& Dylan
CHRIS BLAKE
&
ERIN BEUERMAN
Friday March 19, 2010
Seaforth Agriplex
8pm - 1 am
$5.00/ticket Music by DJ
Age of Majority
Lunch Provided
Tickets: Maegan 519-522-1660
or Devin 519-525-0130
Friends & Family are invited to a
Buck n’ Doe
for
Friends and Family
are invited to a
BUCK & DOE
for
Amanda Van Miltenburg
& Rob McClure
Saturday, March 13
Seaforth Agriplex
9 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Tickets $5.00
Music by DJ Lunch Provided
Age of Majority
Phone: 519-527-2079
or 519-527-0957 for Tickets
524-BOWL (2695) • www.littlebowl.ca
WE INVITE YOU, YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS
to help us celebrate the 1st...MARCH BREAK
12-21 OPEN EVERY DAY at 10am
2 GAMES
& SHOES
COSMIC
ALL-U-CAN-BOWL
Sun. - Thurs. 9pm - 11
Shoes included
$10 47
/person
+ tax
$14 76
/person
+ tax204 Huron Road, Goderich
By Denny Scott
The Citizen