A Whirlwind Weekend
It really was a whirlwind weekend for my book tour through southern Alberta as I dodged tornado warnings and golf-ball sized hail! Parks Day 2016 in Waterton was bigger and better than 2014, when...
BOOK LAUNCH for Salamander Rescue
I hope you will join me for the launch of Salamander Rescue on Tuesday, May 10, 7:00 – 8:30pm at Owl’s Nest Books in Calgary. I’ll talk a bit about Waterton’s salamanders, read some...
Marketing Your Book: Next SCBWI meeting November 13
It can be a struggle to be heard over the white noise of “buy my book!” promotion when launching a book online or building a virtual visibility event. On Thursday, November 13, Angela Ackerman will present...
The Joys of Feedback and Revision with Frieda Wishinsky October 16
Honest – revision and feedback can be joyful, with a little help from your friends. At some point, we all get a little too close to our own work and have trouble seeing it...
Focus on Children’s Literature with Martine Leavitt: next SCBWI meeting September 11
Do you wrestle with theme when you’re writing, or is it your guiding light? If you write YA or mid-grade fiction, you won’t want to miss Martine Leavitt’s presentation on theme on Thursday, September 11. Leavitt is...
Busy day in Waterton
On Parks Day, Saturday, July 19, Waterton was the busiest I’ve ever seen it. Hotels were full, the campground was bursting, and the aroma of waffle cones settled over the town as Ye Olde...
Waterton launch of Ospreys in Danger on July 19!
My new chapter book, Ospreys in Danger, is set in Waterton Lakes National Park, so I am very excited to travel down to Waterton for a launch. I will be at the Waterton Heritage...
Signing ‘The Wall’
Behind the counter at Monkeyshines Children’s Books there’s a cool and pretty unique feature wall. It’s an “I was here” for authors and illustrators who have had the pleasure of reading/signing/launching their books at...
Reading and signing this Saturday
Monkeyshines Children’s Books is such a fun place to explore! On Saturday, May 31, I will be reading from Ospreys in Danger and signing books, so please drop in and say hello. We...
From call to launch: Two years, three months and 17 days
My telephone – my rather retro home landline – has a strange feature: it announces the caller. I found that annoying right from the start because it garbled simple words. I mean, really, how difficult is “Grandma...
BOOK LAUNCH of Ospreys in Danger
I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the launch of Ospreys in Danger on Saturday, May 10, 1:00 – 3:00 pm at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary. I’ll share a bit of the book...
Making connections at the CPL Writers’ Weekend
Today’s Writers’ Weekend at the Central Public Library was a wonderful success once again. About a dozen Calgary writing groups set up booths, chatted with attendees in between sessions, and gave away candy, books and...
SCBWI Event Recap: Chapter Books
We had a great turn-out at the SCBWI meeting last week, with lots of lively discussion before and afterwards. I guess writers don’t often escape our lairs. When we get together, it’s very motivating – though...
The Challenge of Chapter Books: Next SCBWI meeting January 16
At first glance, chapter books look simple enough to write. I’m talking about books for early readers, in Grades 2, 3, and 4. Take a simple storyline, add a couple of characters and start...
NaNoWriMo comes to the SCBWI
November is National Novel Writing Month. The challenge: to write 50,000 words in one month. It’s grueling and exhilarating at the same time. I “won” NaNoWriMo back in 2009, which means I was successful...
SCBWI Meeting September 26
On Thursday, September 26, the SCBWI and YABS are getting together! This should be a great gathering of children’s writers and illustrators and everyone is invited. We will meet 7:00 – 8:30 pm in...
Calgary writers’ conference growing each year
In just a few days, one of Calgary’s largest writers festivals will throw open its doors and welcome readers, editors, publishers, illustrators and, of course, writers. When Words Collide has grown quickly in three...
