book awards, children's books, middle grade novels, writing

The Willow Awards

It is an honour to have my latest middle-grade comedy, 28 Tricks for a Fearless Grade 6, selected as a 2016 Diamond Willow Nominee! For those who may not know, Willows are not just gorgeous trees. They are also Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards (SYRCA). Every year, the Willow Awards offer Saskatchewan students an opportunity to vote… Continue reading The Willow Awards

authors, children's books, What's New, writing conference

SCBWI Spring Conference in Ottawa

There are still a few spaces left for Ottawa's SCBWI Art of Story Conference scheduled for the end of the month. For two days, guest speakers will offer workshops and presentations to everyone interested in writing or illustrating children's books, from aspiring picture book illustrators to established YA novelists. There's something for every level of experience. The conference will offer presentations, workshops, one-on-one critique… Continue reading SCBWI Spring Conference in Ottawa

writing

Make a WISH

For the second week in a row, I met some friends on Friday morning for an hour of silent writing in a local tea house. I call it a Write in Silence Hour, aka a WISH. Okay, yeah, people have been doing this for centuries by other names. You might head to a cafe for a… Continue reading Make a WISH

authors, book tour, children's books, school visits

Thank you, BookFest!

It was a pleasure to be part of the 29th annual Vancouver Island Children's Book Festival this year. I met hundreds of young readers at schools and libraries in the Nanaimo area during a week-long author tour that culminated in BookFest on May 2nd: a day-long celebration of children's literature in which I joined with ten other authors… Continue reading Thank you, BookFest!

Friday Fables, writing

Friday Fable: Belling Oprah

You may know the old story, "Belling the Cat:" One day the house mice grew sick and tired of losing their loved ones to the house cat, so they held a council to discuss the problem. Some said this and some said that, and eventually a young mouse rose to its hind feet and shouted: "The… Continue reading Friday Fable: Belling Oprah