Welcome to my new blog, which now includes content from many of the blogs I’ve created over the years. You can now also access content via category from this one page instead of having to search for my individual blogs, which were scattered over various platforms and websites.
Earlier this year, I was so impressed to see Mira Campbell’s posts about a Book Tasting Café that she and fellow educator Shelly Narayan created for students at F.H. Miller Jr. PS in Toronto. I asked Mira if she would share some info about what went into this project — . . .
Just write. Many writers have a vague hope that elves will come in the night and finish any stories for you. They won’t. – Neil Gaiman
Sarah McGuire and Fred Koehler were once both awkward teenagers who mostly grew out of it. Each draws on their unfortunate adolescence to write stories for young readers. They met at a writers conference and decided to get married. In common they share: love of travel and adventure, dogs over cats, and sci-fi . . .
I was thrilled and deeply honoured that SAM & EVA has been nominated for a Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award this year in the CCBC Book Awards. After the invite-only event for winners and nominees, some of the Toronto area kidlit/YA authors are throwing an Unofficial After-Party Canadian Kidlit Masquerade Ball on Oct.29th, 2018 from 7 pm . . .
Thanks to Nancy Tupper Ling and Andrea Offermann for answering Three Questions for me today! Their picture book, The Yin-Yang Sisters And The Dragon Frightful, comes out on Sept. 18th from G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers. Curious about how the cover got created? Read Andrea’s behind-the-scenes peek (with sketches and photos) on an earlier . . .
Sept. 8th was Ampersand Day, so I celebrated with a canned ampersand in the sand.
I was incredibly honoured to find out that SAM & EVA (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers) has been nominated for The Canadian Children’s Book Centre Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. I am especially honoured, considering the other finalists in the same category. For more info about each of these books as well . . .
No matter how busy I am, I always try to carve out a few minutes every day to do some art and writing purely for the fun of it. No pressure to show anyone or have anything be perfect….just to PLAY. I find if I don’t make regular time to . . .
Rejection and criticism are part of publishing process, before AND after publication. Work on developing a thick skin early on and you’ll not only enjoy the journey more but also increase your chances of longterm success.