I'm taking a breather from picking up after the puppy to say, wow, it was such an honour to win the Quebec Writers' Federation 2012 Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature for my middle-grade comedy, 26 Tips for Surviving Grade 6 (James Lorimer & Company, 2011). The book was shortlisted with Monique Polak's Pyro (Orca Book… Continue reading QWF Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature
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We interrupt this blog…
...to bring you PUPPIES! Well, just one puppy. But what a puppy. Sigh. I'm smitten. Puppy's vital stats: Name: Ernest (AKA Ernie, Ernesto, Che, and occasionally the names of my cats and children when I get confused) Age: 3 months; he's been with us since age 8 weeks. Breed: Labrador/Boxer mix (Chosen because one of… Continue reading We interrupt this blog…
Ottawa Teen Author Fest: Write On!
If you’re a young writer in the Ottawa area, please come out on Wednesday for a discussion panel of YA authors, part of the Ottawa Public Library’s Teen Author Fest. Here's the blurb: Write On!Find out what it takes to write like a pro from a panel of published authors. Discussion panel: Max Turner, Catherine… Continue reading Ottawa Teen Author Fest: Write On!
Profread One Least Time
In submitting a manuscript to an American publisher last week, I wrote a cover letter mentioning that one of my books (All Good Children) was nominated for two YALSA awards. I read through the letter and manuscript excerpt, made a few revisions, proofread it a final time, and was just about to send it off by email when I made a tiny last-minute… Continue reading Profread One Least Time
Five things to Love about Fall
There are the leaves, of course. There's the back-to-school energy. There's the first fire in the woodstove. There are, ahem, the shoes. (Yeah, I know, but I have some beloved closed-toed numbers I haven't worn all summer.) And there is one grossly under-appreciated Fall wonder: the mushrooms. BTW, this post isn't about writing. Except to say that if leaves… Continue reading Five things to Love about Fall
