As I write this, the sun is rising over fresh snow and I’m listening to the soundtrack of avalanche control bombs on the mountain. There will be happy skiers up there today. It has been a busy week for me. To celebrate World Read Aloud Day on February 3, I did virtual author visits with schools in New York, New Jersey, Kansas, Texas and British Columbia. Over two days I spoke with more that 500 students!

Upcoming Events

This month you can hear a podcast interview I did for Buzz On Book Biz. Richelle Wiseman’s podcast explores the world of publishing and book marketing. We discussed how I was inspired to write my books, self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, and what makes a good children’s book. You can listen to the episode here.

February 17 is I Read Canadian Day. Join the challenge to read 15 minutes of Canadian literature and post about it on social media. This day is also a time to support your local independent book store, something I encourage you to do no matter where you live.

Aspiring writers and illustrators take note: On March 23rd at 6:30 pm I’ll be part of a panel discussion hosted by the Vancouver Public Library and CWILL BC. This free online event is open to anyone and is a great opportunity to hear from professional children’s writers and illustrators about how they broke into the field and built their careers.

Children's Book Recommendation

Izzy in the Doghouse by Caroline Adderson

This fun chapter book would be a great read for fans of the Slug Days series and Ivy and Bean. Izzy and Zoë are best friends—most of the time—except when Izzy gets the two of them in trouble. Izzy is heartbroken when Zoë takes a break from their friendship. When her family adopts a dog, Izzy thinks her troubles are over. But adopting a dog is a lot harder than she expects! Full of laughs and over-the-top moments, this book explores themes of friendship, adoption and of course, pet care.

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Adult Book Recommendation

DreadfulWater by Thomas King

I’m a big fan of a good character-based mysteries (think Louise Penny). Thomas King’s DreadfulWater series is a great example of this. His books are full of tension and humour and the characters take centre-stage. They develop from book to book. His reluctant detective, DreadfulWater, also has a dry sense of humour that had me laughing out loud.

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Behind the Scenes

In Penguin Days, there is a scene where Lauren and her cousin “speak” to the cows by mooing. This was inspired by my dad, Norm, who thought of himself as a champion mooer. Whenever he passed a field of cows he stopped and mooed at them. One time he did such a good job he got a field of cows stampeding toward my sister and I. Maybe writing the scene in Penguin Days was my way of working through the ‘trauma’ of that event!

Resource for Writers

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass is one of my favourite writing resources, and I return to it with almost every project. You don’t just read this book, you “do” it. Every section contains key attributes that a good story needs, along with examples from published books and exercises to create those attributes in your own project. My favourite tip is to add tension to every page in your story.

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I encourage you to shop local and support your local bookstore! However, if that isn’t an option for you, click on the book images above and you’ll be taken to Amazon. I earn commissions from these links.