short stories, writers' markets, writing

Stories and Litmags

Updated February 2023 (with links to a new children's story, "Balloon Party," a fresh take on "Stone Soup" published on the Blue Met website). Back to the 2022 post....I'm resurrecting my old list of Canadian litmags because it's just so handy for short story writers to know the word limits at a glance. Since I'm… Continue reading Stories and Litmags

author talks, What's New, writing, writing workshops

Online Character Workshop

Join me online on Saturday, January 14th at 1pm EST for a one-hour workshop on characterization: Nice is Not Enough, part of the SCBWI (Canada East) "Digging Deeper" workshop series. Here's the blurb: Nice is Not Enough: Developing Likeable and Unlikeable Characters: What makes us root for a character? How flawed can a protagonist be?… Continue reading Online Character Workshop

book covers, books, picture books, squirrels

My Latest Picture Book

It has been a long time coming! My new picture book, When the Squirrels Stole my Sister, illustrated by Sean Cassidy, will be published by Fitzhenry and Whiteside this fall. Just in time to stock up on nuts. Love squirrels? Check out all the info and activities below and on my Squirrel book page. There's… Continue reading My Latest Picture Book

art, authors, books, illustration, picture books, podcast, writing

Picture a Story: Interviews with Illustrators

Featuring interviews with five Canadian illustrators about creating narratives in words and pictures. Featuring guest author-illustrators Peggy Collins, Katherine Battersby, Farida Zaman, Christine Tripp, and Chris Jones. 45 minute. All ages. To listen to this special episode of my Cabin Tales Podcast, visit CabinTales.ca or the podcast host Podbean. A full transcript of this episode is… Continue reading Picture a Story: Interviews with Illustrators

authors, books, children's books, picture books, podcast, short stories, writing, writing proces, young writers

Squirm (Episode 5: Tension)

A "telling tales" episode about how to build tension in fiction, with stories, excerpts, and prompts. Featuring guest authors Lena Coakley, Sarah Raughley, and Don Cummer. 45 minutes. PG. Check out the Episode 5 webpage for audio, show notes, and author bios.